Projects Long Island ‘36 Ford 5W Rescued after 50 years

Please keep us updated, what a great score!

 

Very nice car nice drivetrain 283s are sweet.

 

So here’s where I’m going to lose some of you guys…

My initial plans were to just go through everything, and kinda leave it how it was built. But the more I kept digging, the more apparent it became that the car needed to come apart.

When I first saw the car I was impressed how solid it was, until I crawled under and checked the chassis. While the outer rails are pretty good, the X member had been hacked out, and huge, heavy channel iron used in its place. I think this came about during its drag racing days in the 60’s.

A little further back, the rear suspension was a little…. Wonky. Someone had welded stock radius rods onto a 55 Chevy rearend, but then torched them off about a foot out! At that point some massive ladder bars were adapted on. The top bars were actually bent down from where they hit the body… Quite the bump stop!

So after getting the coupe running/driving, I decided to take a step back and think things over. When I think of my favorite ‘35/‘36’s, I always gravitate towards 50’s style customs, with Flathead power. I’ve had a hopped up 284 Merc stroker sitting on a stand, ready to go in something so I decided this would be a perfect candidate. After finding a rebuilt front end, rear end, nice tires and wheels, and recored radiator out of restored ‘36 Tudor, I decided it was time to tear things downs and build it how I wanted it!

 

Here’s where I’m at after putting in the stock ‘36 axles, a mock up 8BA and flattening the rear crossmember. I reversed the main front leaf, and tried a drop axle, and Carrillo lowering brackets. Think I may have gone a little too low. May end up reversing the rear mai leaf and not using the brackets. Also had my friend Dylan Hill photoshop some skirts and running boards on!

 

I think it's looks great.

I need to check it out in person.

 

What a transformation! You’ve performed a minor miracle!
It’s easy to see why the PO may have had second thoughts, pulled the shop door down and went in the house.
Good save!

 

Awesome! I would love to hear it run!

 

Have fun with it, nothing wrong with tearing it down and fixing her up!
Timothy

 

Wow! Looks great and I like your direction! Oh, and doesn’t seem too low to me.

 

Awesome find, it’s a great save. I bet you have people waiting in line wanting to buy the old 283.

 

You da man! Yanking that 283 out and putting a flatty back in like it belongs. A man after my own heart!
Keep up the good work.

Dave

 

Wow that transformed quickly!!! If I had grabbed her she would still be sitting in the carport!! Nice work!!!

 

Congratulations on a fantastic barn find and wicked cool car. Unfortunately old hotrods aren’t always built to today’s quality and great to see you addressed its shortcomings. Love the new pictures and how she sits…

 

Good call on the re-do. That was scary before.

 

Wow! Great makeover and well deserved. Admire your tenacity and "get 'er done" approach. Alot of that old crap was often hastily done and on the edge of being really scary.

 

Just found this thread - awesome find !
And the dash may revive a design trend ??

 

Man, Shaun you are really motivated...I admire that and you are taking it to a better place. I like the new vision as well. Good on you. Look forward to it all coming together.

 

From Dead to a Sled with a Flatty to boot. Great save and transformation!

 

Reminds me of a really nice 34 3 window that used to be in my area in the 60’s and early 70’s. SBC powered but all early Ford trans and rear end, chrome plated. Dark blue, white interior. As a budding hot rodder I loved that car. It was sold to a guy locally that shitcanned the entire powertrain, put in a hot flathead, C-4, 9inch, painted it resale red, with a tan interior. Typical street rod stuff for the 90’s. Then it got sold and disappeared. I like the direction the OP is going with this 36. Nothing at all to dislike about a old school taildragger.

 

Your purchase reminds me of some of the cars I've looked at. There was some really wonky and unsafe fabrication that was done on a lot of old hotrods, race cars, etc.. Folks used metal, welders and tools that they had available - and things were thrown together as best as they knew how (or in a hurry). In many cases the whole dang drivetrain needs to be redone . . . along with all steering and suspension related components/work. You'll have a great car in the end. Hopefully you can find a different 36 frame for it . . will make the conversion a LOT easier!

 

I like the direction Your building Your car

 

You can sand blast the Astros and paint them. Those are originals too. There is a guy who has an old coupe that was drag raced back in 50s it has rebar rear hair pin control arms in the back.

 

Pretty common rear end install for the time, similar to how mine was. what's the plan to un bob the fenders?

 

Your hobby shouldn’t kill you, great progress- withholding judgement on the skirts…

 

Damn that's cool...love them 36 5 w...

 

Thanks everyone for stopping by and checking it out along with the words of encouragement!

I had a lot more photos to share… but unfortunately I dropped my phone to the bottom of a dug well yesterday! Hopefully I’ll get it back and recover the photos…

I had the 283 listed, but I think I’ll keep it. It’s all set up so I could swap fairly easily with the flathead. I did however sell the Muncie trans.

Planning to go with a T5 trans out of a Jeep CJ, and using an adapter to retain the torque tube.

As to the wheels- the drivers front was OK, but all the other ones were pretty rotted. Big chunks of steel flaked off, a little more than surface rust. Another deciding factor in taking this old hot rod a different direction!

 

Looks great still good luck with it

 

I’m following this. Great find !!

 

Great stuff Shaun! Thanks for taking us along....I'll be following!