Hot Rods How about a 90th Anniversary of the 34 Ford

Anutter of my old 1's to keep this going

 

Hadley, KY

 

Don’t laugh. I’m deep into this one that was a stalled project from the early 90’s. I plan to be driving it sans bodywork this Summer.

 

Local V8 Club members car, all original, has not been driven in a few years.

 

Proud to call this mine

 

34s I have had. Last pic is the current project.

 

One I wanted to buy, but missed it.



Mike

 

That's a 33!

 

Hello,

We were fortunate to have a good friend that built up an original steel 34 Ford 5 window coupe.

Our friend with his Oldsmobile powered V8 1934 Ford 5 window coupe was a regular at our Westside of Long Beach house during the early teenage years. He and my brother were good friends all the way back to early elementary school. As they grew up, they always had something between them as far as hot rods or cars go. Perhaps, it was the friendly bantering that most teenagers do with others. Fast cars, build techniques, what parts are favored, repairing transmissions and locked rear ends, etc, would have been the conversations during this time period in the So Cal area of California where we lived.

1934 Ford coupe artwork
Westside of Long Beach hot rod in 1957-60

We lived in an area of very old homes in the far reaches of Long Beach, CA. (Calif. at the time) While it was as far West as one could go, there were still old cars everywhere. But, as the 1950s rolled in, the old Model A’s, T's and other old models,+ trucks changed over to sedans for daily drivers. Only the younger kids drove old cars.


The whole street on both sides was filled with colorful purple Jacaranda trees. Deadly to old hot rod paint… So, when the teenage gathering was going to happen on a Saturday or Sunday morning to lunch, this 34 owner knew about the Jacaranda Trees and made sure he was the first one there and parked in the front yard driveway. A showcase location well out of the reach of the "deadly to paint," purple Jacaranda flowers, that gently floated down to cover everything during the season.


So, a lot of old cars were stored in the larger backyards under canvas tarps. As we walked to the neighborhood grocery store, we always saw a chopped, fully custom, 55-56 Ford Truck. It was exactly like those we saw in the hot rod/custom car magazines. Tahitian Red or Candy Apple in color, chrome reversed wheels, lowered, side pipes, all white tuck and roll upholstery and other items.

It stood out on the main street running through the community stores and shops, as the owner owned a shop that catered to most everyone in the area. The lowered chopped truck was parked out in front of his business every day. From the time as a kindergartener through high school, the custom truck was one of a kind for any neighborhood, let alone, this busy neighborhood street.

But, when I saw the black 1934 5 window Ford Coupe sitting in our driveway, it was so cool for a young kid like me. Other days, if I were outside in the front yard, I could hear the Oldsmobile powered 34 coupe coming our way, down the street. As the teenage gatherings multiplied at our house with other teenage hot rods, this 34 coupe was always front and center. He was the only one that raced in A/Gas at Lion’s Dragstrip, also using the coupe as a daily driver to high school and to his after school job.
Running in the A/Gas class with the big carburetor powered Modified Oldsmobile motor + a LaSalle 3 speed transmission.

One day, I was helping the guy with his 34 coupe at his house. He lived several blocks from our house. When we were finished, he was going to work, so, he gave me a ride in his Oldsmobile powered 34 coupe. I had never been inside, only the cleaning part and "oogle-eyeing" the cool hot rod.

So, he gave me a ride back to my house several blocks away, as it was on his way to work. It was a short distance, but he went through the gears from a standing start down this long stretch of roadway. I was thrown back into my seat, was totally amazed and in awe of such power. It was my first ride in a real hot rod... a fast one at that!

After I got my first ride in the 34 coupe, I knew I wanted to have this hot rod as my first car. Shifting the tall stick coming out of the floor, the sound of a motor winding out in all gears was real music to my young ears. So, I was making plans as the years rolled by. I also wanted my brother’s 51 Oldsmobile, but he had sold it to another friend. The 34 was still in my sights.

Jnaki

Within the year 1959, I was getting close to securing my future hot rod as word was out that the 34 was for sale. Family matters popped up and additional help was needed. So, I had some money saved, but not enough. My brother was not interested as he had his 58 Chevy. Our mom did not like the 34 noisy coupe, so she would not be a part of the purchase. The 34 was sold and moved on, out of our area. Aww…