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History 1936 Stainless Steel Ford

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by straykatkustoms, Oct 23, 2008.

  1. straykatkustoms
    Joined: Oct 30, 2001
    Posts: 28,655

    straykatkustoms
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I received this Email from Krobe, thought that it was way too kool!!!

    This is the 1936 Ford Coupe built for and owned by Allegheny Ludlum
    Steel. This is 1 of only 4 in existence and is the only one
    currently in running & in roadworthy condition. The car is in exceptional

    condition, with the interior and even the frame looking great.

    All 4 cars each had over 200,000 miles on them before they removed them

    from service. These cars were built for Allegheny as promotional and marketing

    projects. The top salesmen each year were given the honor of being able to drive

    them for one year. The v-8 engine (max 85 hp) ran like a sewing machine and was

    surprisingly smooth and quite.

    More information of the history on these automobiles can be found below........


    History of the Stainless Steel Car

    In 1935, officials at Allegheny Ludlum Steel Division and the Ford Motor Company collaborated on an experiment that would become a legacy and a tribute to one of the most dynamic metals ever developed.
    Allegheny Ludlum, a pioneer producer of stainless steel, proposed the idea of creating a stainless steel car to Ford. The idea took shape in the form of a 1936 Deluxe Sedan. That car became the centerpiece of a campaign to expose the public to the new metal and its many uses.
    Allegheny Ludlum and Ford would later collaborate on two more stainless models, a 1960 Thunderbird and a 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible. Of the 11 cars originally built, nine are still in use. The stainless steel cars were perfect vehicles for increasing awareness of the quality of the metal. And over the years, this quality has been shown in its stainless performance.
    Of the six stainless steel cars that rolled off the Ford ***embly line in Detroit in 1936, four exist today as living proof of the durability of stainless steel. One is on display at the Heinz Regional History Center in Pittsburgh , PA.
    Each of the original six logged at least 200,000 miles in the hands of Allegheny Ludlum officials before "retiring" to private ownership in 1946. Thousands of additional miles have been logged on the odometers since, and the shiny bodies have outlasted most of their non-stainless steel parts.
    The experiment was an unparalleled success on a number of levels. Public awareness of stainless steel's many uses increased with every city and <http://www.alleghenyludlum.com/images/1car.gif>
    state the cars visited. Through many years of active use, metallurgists and engineers were amazed at the superiority of the silvery metal. Since 1960, when two stainless steel Ford Thunderbirds were introduced, they have been displayed throughout the United States and Europe .
    The two Thunderbirds came off the Wixom, Michigan production line on July 11, 1960, and each has traveled over 100,000 miles, demonstrating the durability and timeless beauty of stainless steel.
    With the exception of the body skin, bumpers and grille, which are made of T302 stainless steel, every other component is standard 1960 Thunderbird equipment. Also included is the first T409 solid stainless steel muffler released on a production vehicle. Both cars still have their original mufflers and T304 exhaust pipes after 25 years on the road!
    <http://www.alleghenyludlum.com/images/2car.gif> The 1967 Lincoln Convertible was the last of the stainless steel cars produced by the Ford Motor Company and Allegheny Ludlum Steel.
    Once again, the companies proved that stainless steel's enduring beauty is matched by its toughness. As with all stainless steel there is no need for painting. The corrosion-resistant properties of the stainless eliminate the problems caused by rust.
    Except for the vehicle's body, all other parts and equipment on the car are standard for the 1967 Lincoln Convertible. The vehicle's weight is just about equal to one with a standard steel body.
    Three stainless Lincolns were built that year. Allegheny Ludlum Steel retains two and still uses them for customer visits and special events. A full set of Stainless automobiles (1936 Deluxe, T-Bird, and Continental) are on permanent display in the Crawford Auto Museum in Cleveland , Ohio .
     

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    Last edited: Oct 23, 2008
  2. roddinron
    Joined: May 24, 2006
    Posts: 2,676

    roddinron
    Member

    yeah, they show up from time to time at some of the shows around here.
     
  3. straykatkustoms
    Joined: Oct 30, 2001
    Posts: 28,655

    straykatkustoms
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  4. not a waste , it's always interesting when it pops up

    i believe Ford also did a Model A in stainless ? and a mid 50's T-bird?
     
  5. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 22,903

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

    I, for one, had never heard this story... Pretty damn amazing.
     
  6. HomemadeHardtop57
    Joined: Nov 15, 2007
    Posts: 4,340

    HomemadeHardtop57
    Member

    that's a slick ride
     
  7. ynottayblock
    Joined: Dec 23, 2005
    Posts: 1,954

    ynottayblock
    Member

    sure beats the hell out of a pink mary kay cadillac when it comes to promotional vehicles
     
  8. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,772

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    Nope, just the 36 Deluxe Tudor sedans, the 60 Thunderbirds and the 67 Continental Convertibles.

    Ford was a pioneer in early automotive metallurgy and alloy steels and others metals. The 30 Model A used the first stainless in large quan***ies on a low-priced car, i.e radiator shells, headlamps, door handles, bumper clamps.
     
  9. 3wLarry
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 12,804

    3wLarry
    Member Emeritus
    from Owasso, Ok

    hmm...picturing my coupe in stainless...

    ...where's my Brookville catalog? :)

    note to self...change name to Stainless3wLarry.
     

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    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  10. I remember reading about this in an old aussie hot rod magazine years ago. Cool story!
     
  11. weps
    Joined: Aug 1, 2008
    Posts: 549

    weps
    Member
    from auburn,IN

    There is another one at the Crawford museum in Cleveland (ok 10 years ago)
    The story, as was told to me by the museum staff, was that Ford thought a long lasting body would be a good selling point (this was during the 1st depression) and, as technology progressed, the car owner could bring the car into ford, and be "Upgraded" to "better" brakes, transmissions, engines etc as those were developed.

    Sounds like a neat idea. "I'd like the 427 side oiler, a 9 inch rear, and disc brakes upgrade please"
    Actually sounds like "Hot Rodders" have always done. Use a "cl***ic" or favorite body style and upgrade to the owners taste.
     
  12. spence-d
    Joined: Jul 12, 2006
    Posts: 216

    spence-d
    Member

  13. hotrod40coupe
    Joined: Apr 8, 2007
    Posts: 2,561

    hotrod40coupe
    Member

    Rare becomes commonplace When John DeLoran began production of his folly. It was brushed instead of polished.
     
  14. custom50
    Joined: Dec 29, 2007
    Posts: 396

    custom50
    Member
    from Indiana

    Very nice, never heard of it until now, thanks for posting.
     
  15. junkyardjeff
    Joined: Jul 23, 2005
    Posts: 8,706

    junkyardjeff
    Member

    When I was at rthe Crawford museum about 10 years ago they had a Lincoln and a Ford but I thought the Ford was a 37 coupe.
     
  16. JEPPA
    Joined: Apr 27, 2007
    Posts: 574

    JEPPA
    Member

    I just got an email about this today. Very interesting.

    [​IMG]
     
  17. JEPPA
    Joined: Apr 27, 2007
    Posts: 574

    JEPPA
    Member

    Here is a larger pic of the thunderbird for any fans.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. roddinron
    Joined: May 24, 2006
    Posts: 2,676

    roddinron
    Member

    I didn't pay a lot of attention when this first came up, but those pictures at the beginning were taken in the steel mill where I used to work.
    They must have done a little sprucing up on that car though, last time I saw it it was pretty beat up.
     
  19. blacknblue
    Joined: Apr 5, 2006
    Posts: 70

    blacknblue
    Member
    from utah

    36-three window was correct!! I remember reading about stainless steel model A's so I went through my books and found some info on them, in the book, "90 years of Ford" it show a picture of the 36 on page 198, it states that three 1931 tudor sedans were built and that none of them survived.
     
  20. I saw all three cars in person at the 1974 Intenational Early Ford V-8 convention in Derborn Michigan. Pretty impressive.
     
  21. ocfab
    Joined: Dec 26, 2007
    Posts: 678

    ocfab
    Member

    Wast of money the paint would never stick.



    jk works of art....
     

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