I have actually run across a few threads on this board over the years researching different things. Obviously a lot of well informed folks here. I will be posting some pictures and asking for some help on a vehicle that I know virtually nothing about. Long time friend of my lost her father recently. I am helping her settle the estate (I am an attorney for a living, but play with cars for a hobby). I don't have anything older than my 49 Studebaker farm truck. I have never built a kit car, and know squat about them. Her dad had an unfinished 34 Ford two door sedan (looks kind of like the sedan delivery of the day... it is not a coupe). Has small block Ford engine and auto trans. Interior is not done at all. We don't even know if it runs. Anyway, once I figure out what is what, I will post pics to try and find out what kind of kit it is. Has very nice dark green paint. They can't even find a key, so I will be changing out the ignition switch and see of we can get it started. More to come.
This place is for hot rods, not kit cars. If you are so new to this and don't really know the difference, kit cars are just that, like a model in a box...all the parts are there and made to fit together...you just assemble. Hot rods are modified old Fords. The part and modification choices are up to you. Make sure you read this too: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-h-a-m-b-rules-guidelines.44274/
and being an attorney ,its understandable why you don't know what "INTRODUCE YOURSELF" means......'".yourself" ISN'T a car...
Perhaps I didn't start off so well. Yes, I understand this place is about traditional rods. Yes, I understand the friend I am trying to help our got stuck with what may be a kit car. I suspect it is a kit car, but at this point, I don't even know what frame is under it. I spent this afternoon over at a good buddy's place looking at a pristine original 34 Ford frame he is working on. I wanted to know the differences between an original frame and an aftermarket frame. I am guessing once I get pics and post them folks here can tell me in a heartbeat which is under this car. I am just trying to help out a friend here. I am not arguing that YOU should build a kit car, and am not taking away from the sanctity of period correct traditional hot rods. I was told by some folks on another car site that there would be some friendly folks on this site that would be glad to help figure out the value of this car. So, what if I look under there and find an original 34 Ford frame? Isn't this the most likely place I could get info? When I posted the other night, I did not even know that my friend had an original 34 Ford frame in his workshop to use for comparison. You want to know more about me, that's fine; not sure why you have to be a dick about it. My being an attorney has no bearing on whether I understand the difference between introducing me or introducing why I came to this site. Funny, one member tells me to read the rules, and two posts later a member breaks the rules by insulting my profession and my intelligence. Just because most attorneys you may have met may be a holes, doesn't mean I am one. You want to know about me? Fine. I am in my third profession. I was a youth minister and associate pastor. I worked on cars for a living, having worked at independent shops and a GM dealership back in the 70s and 80s. Started my own auto repair business in 1982. My brother bought in with me the next year, and then bought me out over time when I went to law school. He still has the shop and does a great business. I am married to an angel. We do everything together. We work together, work on cars together, do landscaping and remodeling together, etc. We have five great kids (two were mine; two were hers, but we are all one big family now) and twin grandsons that are about to turn five. All the kids are grown and living on their own. My wife and I take off work every other Thurs afternoon and all day Friday so we can have the grandsons overnight and all day Friday. They are a freakin riot, and we consider ourselves very fortunate to be able to spend that much time with the boys. All five of our kids come over every other week for a family get together. We live in downtown Guthrie in a building that started its life in 1902 as a Livery Stable. It was a church from 1929 to 1974, fell into disrepair and was eventully converted to living space in 1994. Most of the living is upstairs. We have one extra game room downstairs, but mostly the downstairs is garage. I have two lifts down there to double park, and designed it for 9 cars. We have 11 down there right now. We have lived here three years, and love this historic area. In fact, I formed a non profit (I am CEO.... an unpaid position) to rescue and restore the 50,000 square foot building next door and re-open it as a Museum. Long long story, but very exciting. It is the building where statehood was announced for Oklahoma. The telegram from T. Roosevelt came through on the second floor of that building. I am just recovering from major cancer surgery. Been a rough couple of months, mainly because of a post op infection from hell, and I am just in the last week able to get back to my favorite hobby. Good news is they got it all, and I do not need chemo or radiation. I have been into cars all my life, but never built EITHER a traditional hot rod OR a kit car. That is why I came here for help. I have three Bimmers, three Studebakers, a 69 Z/28 with 28,xxx miles on it (have had it since 1976) a V-12 Ferrari (actually getting cannibalized for another project) an Opel GT, a 68 El Camino that I modified so that I can tow 8,000 pounds with ease, and an awesome Vanden Plas Princess (limo), which looks more like a late 30s to early 50's car even though it was built in 1964. Its British, so by rule must be lagging 20 years behind everyone else's technology. BTW, thank you OkiePete and Rusty Valley for the warm welcome. Mods, if for some reason you believe I can't come here for help and advice because I don't meet mr. wbw32's approval, feel free to delete this thread and my account. I didn't come here to ruffle feathers, denigrate anyone, or question traditional hot rodding. I just know I will need some info and some help.
If you have landed a kit car, it may be a "Street Beast." They were/are put out by a kit car company. A nightmare, a piece of crap and at best, loosely based on a 1934 Ford. Also the chassis is nothing like a Ford chassis, probably a Mustang II based front suspension. But I am guessing, based on the expression 'kit car.'
Welcome aboard, sounds like you have a few interesting projects in addition to the automotive stuff you are working on. Too bad you got scolded by the HAMB police because your introduction wasn’t up to standard, that crap runs off a lot of people real quick. Not sure where the ahole gets off insulting you based on your profession. Hope you stick around and get some helpful information. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Welcome to the HAMB. Sounds like you live in a neat old building. With any luck the '34 will be real. A check of the front axle will tell you quickly if the car is HAMB friendly. Pete
The more I read, the more I believe it to be a kit car. It is 40 miles away from me, but hopefully I can get back over there next weekend. Apart from the kit car deal, I have at least one project in the works that I believe is H.A.M.B. worthy, if I read the rules correctly. At least it involves nothing newer that 1965 (which was the cut off year IIRC). In fact, it will have nothing newer than 1957. I have a 1953 Studebaker Commander Hardtop. Crappy paint, but almost rust free. 232 V8 and auto trans. Pretty anemic powerplant. So, I just bought a 1957 Packard Clipper. For those who don't know, there really was no Packard built after 1956. The 57 / 58 Packards were simply dolled up Studebakers. The Clipper has its original McCullough supercharged 289 (exact same engine as the 57 Golden Hawk)... and it runs. The Clipper also has a 12 gauge frame that will interchange with the 14 gauge frame under the 53. And... it has bigger and better brakes. If I am lucky, it will also have a twin traction rear (Studebaker speak for posi). So, all the good stuff will go on the 53.
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