Part2: Some guy's daughter looking for her daddy's old 1940 ford coupe...

Diana, I am sincerely happy for you that you've managed to track the car down to it's current location and owner. You're determination and obvious love for your dad is inspiring, and frankly we could all stand to come across more people like you.

On the subject of the car being for sale or not, I don't imagine that anyone would realistically have expected that good karma would extend so far as to find Diana looking at the exact same time that the car just happened to be for sale. That said, (and be honest here guys) how many of us reading this thread, if approached by a woman with a story like Diana's, wouldn't be inclined to think about letting her buy it, and at a more than fair price? I know I would, just because I've been so impressed by what I've seen of her. While the current owner may not be interested in selling back to the gentleman he bought it from, that's not the same as saying he wouldn't be interested if he heard Diana's story. But, even if he's not, at least now the question of "where is it now?' has been settled, and it has resulted in an answer far better than was probably expected.

Best of luck to you, Diana. Sounds like your dad (with your mom's help, of course) was even better at raising kids than he was building cars.

 

Wow, this is so great. I'll help with what ever I can,sorry I didnt get to this sooner.

 

Is there a Part1 to this story, that I missed or is Part2 all there is?

 

Well, Part1 is here http://www.beyondthemedia.com/coupe/index.html ... Part2 is mostly all on the board here, and Part3 ... well, who knows?

Smiles all around,
Diana

 

good luck!!! Im pulling for ya!!

 

Dianna- I jus read this post today and its great to observe your spirit!
I am a father and a shop owner in the hotrod bussiness.
My daughter[31] is always after me to save pictures of my shop work on cars and stuff......
I am finally trying to document more of said work and am building a car['30 ford roadster] to leave to her&[my grandson] as a remembrance of me.
I 'd say your dad was a REAL hot rodder[AND DAD ] and no matter if the work was done in the street or the driveway-I am telling you that the work I see on this car is very competent and of the utmost quality of design and a timeless perspective.
you should be proud[and he too!
I pray you get to re unite your Dad with his car if even for a moment........
Kenny Baker
Elmer Missouri

 

I've been following this tread for a while now. What a great story. What a great thing all the HAMB guys (and gals) did to help a stranger find her fathers long lost car. Truely inspiring.

Diana, I am happy for you and your father and mother. You did good girl.

Now that the car has been located and an owner named, I think and hope we have enough sence to back off and let Diana take it where ever it goes from here, at her pace. Probably the worst thing that can happen now is to have 30 guys harassing the current owner and piss him off.

We have done all we can, and all we should do. It is up to Diana and her family to determine what happens next. WE NEED TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY.

I have little doubt Diana will keep us posted IF or when anything else occures. Please don't piss the guy off so he won't even talk to her.

Diana, good luck with whatever action you do or do not take from here. Gene

 

RE: "I have little doubt Diana will keep us posted IF or when anything else occurs."

You bet! Just to give everyone a heads up in advance... My next trip down to California for a long-term visit is in June, as soon as my boys are out of school. I try to keep my workload adjusted every spring so that by June, I'm ready to get out of here the day Summer Vacation starts... then it's drive drive drive drive (pure heaven). I hit Shasta Lake at sunrise (my 2nd best favorite mountain sunrise. 1st is the Teton Mountains). If you're driving around there watch the bump where the curvy bridge starts/ends (depending which way you're going) on the North end ( bad jujubees ~ the pavement is definitely not flat there where the bridge meets the road).

Anyways... this year may be a bit different. Not just because now we know where the Coupe is, but also because Mom & Dad are going to move closer to me & grandkids probably this Summer, though maybe Fall, depending on how fast the house sells. So depending on how they're doing with getting ready to move, I may be making short "weekend only" trips down to help them out. So.. yes, I may have news to post about them meeting sooner than the last week of June. Won't be at least for another 2 weeks though because I have a front rack assembly that needs to be replaced before I drive 1500 miles (round trip) and my mechanic won't be back before 2 weeks. (There's only 1 local guy I let tear my baby apart haha.)

I wish I was super good with words so I could adequately explain how very much you all mean to me now. I never ever ever would have imagined I could just walk into a virtual place, say hi, sit down & meet so many such truly wonderful human beings all in the same place. I'm so glad I wasn't too shy to sign up & get to know all of you on the board in this "thread", and the ones in private messages, and the ones in straight emails. ****** BIG HUGS ******* Thank you for absolutely everything! Oh I could just go on & on & on. No worries, I will let you all know what happens.

I have been looking at other threads a lot. I don't have photoshop but I have Macromedia Fireworks (which, is no good for car chopping haha, but I tried). Just looking for some way I could contribute back for everyone since you all have been so kind to me. I'll keep visiting & something should pop up. I've been thinking about you all a lot, every waking hour actually... so I should come up with something sooner than later.

Big Smiles,
Diana
coupe@beyondthemedia.com
http://www.beyondthemedia.com/coupe/index.html

 

Diana, I think to most of the guys (and gals) that have helped out here, just a good followup on the story will be enough thanks. Would be for me anyways. This is the best story I've heard in a long time. Maybe someday I'll have a daughter 1/2 as cool as you are. Thanks for bringing this into our lives. Discovery Channel's got nothing compared to this.

 

Thanks for giving us this little glimpse at Dianaville. I'm sure it'll all work out however it's meant to. I'll be looking for your update.

Meanwhile, yeah, that bump on the Shasta lake bridge can really get your attention, especially if you're towing! Otherwise, enjoy the ride.......

 

Wow, I haven't read this since my last post waaay back on page 2 or 3 or something. Amazing it was found so fast once the HAMBer hot rod detective team got on the case!
Diana, I agree that you shouldn't give up yet. I know your emotions must be all over the place on this by now. But keep the faith and keep working. That's what got you this far. I can't imagine the current owner would be such an insensitive ass to not at least let your dad see the car and have a ride in it. I think it would be cool as hell if I owned it and the original owner wanted to check it out. Hell, the amount I could learn from the original owner would be worth it alone, let alone the feeling I'd get making some "old guy's" (no disrespect intended) day.
As for selling it, no one really knows except the current owner. I agree that just because he wouldn't sell it to the prior owner, doesn't mean he won't to you. Don't get your hopes up, but don't give up either. This story is far from over, even if you can't buy it back. Best of luck and be sure to post updates as you get them. That would be thanks enough for all us motorheads that like sappy stories about hot rods and customs!

 

just read this whole thread!!!! wow what a story and congrats on finding this special car. Great job gum shoeing fellas!! my pops talks fondly of his first car (39 ford roadster) that got away...wishes he still had it after all these years...last seen in sw florida

 

New ideas....There was a program on the Discovery Channel or TLC about treasure hunting. They did a story on the SoCal tank. Anyone have any connections to the producers of that show? They might be convinced to cover this story and maybe even provide some bucks for a happy ending.

 

Any word from the Merced/ Atwater connection?

 

Just looking for some way I could contribute back for everyone since you all have been so kind to me.

Diana, YOU have contributed more to the HAMB than you'll ever know. This thread is just amazing and it's all because of you. Thanks.

 

Today is the first time ive read this thread. I have loved that ford since the first time I layed my eyes on it. I was a very young boy the first time I watched that movie. Now Im 30 years old and found my dream car a few months back. When I was a little boy. My father would take me to the drag strip every weekend. I saw the collest truck. It was a 34 ford on a cut down dragster frame. It had a injected 348 with a torqflite trans. I told my dad I wish we could buy it or build it. He told me "no way!!...It looks cool son but Its a death trap". I never forgot about that truck.

I got in to the street racing thing. Ive owned and built a few prostreet cars. I was just finishing a 71 nova up. I was talking to a friend of mine that was going over to some guys house that had some parts for sale. So I went ahead and tagged along. We went out to the garage and looked at the parts. Over in the corner there was some thing covered under a tarp and boxes. I asked about it he said "It just a old race truck". I asked if it was for sale he said "NO". I asked if I could look at it any way. He told me to go ahead. I pulled the tarp back. I almost fell over! There it was the truck I saw when I was a little boy. No motor,trans, intereior, or windows but that was it.

I alomst got on my knees and begged him to sell it. He just said no its not for sale. So I went home and got the nova and title out. I drove it to the guys house. I told him "Ill give you this car for the truck. I have over $20.000 in the car". We made the trade. I pissed every one I know off because I traded. It was a little boy standing there with big dreams about owning that truck. Its not about the money I dont have much. What I have I work my ass off to get. I will tell you when I walk out in that garage. I see that truck sitting there I feel like a 6 year old holding my daddys hand at the drag stip. No one can put a price on that. Im in the middle of restoring it to the way I remember seeing it.

Thank you all for helping this lady find her dads car. Diana if you have the chance to buy the car back. Ill donate $600.00 I wish I could give more!!...

 

WOW! What a great post. I hope one of you guys can talk to this Danny guy and get some new info.

 

Until I hear otherwise I'm gonna ask around when I'm working up there and see if anyone knows who Danny is and maybe where he lives.

 

The H.A.M.B. rocks!

I hope that this Danny guy, if he's not interested in selling, will at least let Diana check out the car and take some picts. I know I'll be checking in every day to get an update.

Awesome stuff!

 

I called a friend of mine today in Merced and he said he knows Danny, but was unaware of the car. He did say the guy keeps to himself, but is a nice guy. He gave the following phone # out of the Merced phone book that you might try. If this doesn't work he said he could try and contact him otherwise.209-383-1412. This is listed as D McNamara. If it isn't him, maybe he knows him. Good luck.

 

I think it may have been better to PM the number than put it out here. Especially if the guy keeps to himself....

Mutt

 

Didn't think about that, but I hope everyone here would have enough respect for this situation and let her make the call. Get what I'm saying everyone?

 

Yea thats not cool. I'll say it again, this story is awesome. I always wondered where that coupe was. But I don't agree with posting this guys number so he can be bothered by everyone. Hopefully people will respect his privacy and let her take care of the rest. I am also confused I keep hearing the reference of the original owner? Wasnt Rex the original owner, or I am guessing somone or someones owned it before them, and if so there is alot more history about the car that we don't know about. Goodluck.

 

TMG ...you can go back and edit the number out and PM it to her.
Clark

 

The number that I put on my post is as close as your keyboard. It is in the public Merced phone book available for all to view on the internet.I did get it from someone with the phone book at his desk, but it is public information. Had it been an unlisted number I would not have put it here. If you guys are worried about this guys privacy, his name and the street he lives on should have never been put out for the world to see. Sorry you had to look at this the wrong way.

 

I did call that number for Dan Mcnamara last week, found it in the telephone white pages online. He was very nice on the phone about me calling but said that he's not the same guy. He did say there is another Dan McNamara in Los Banos (the name of a city there) who "has a lot of money" but he didn't know if he was the one or not. The "right" Dan apparently lives or works on 21st street (already in a previous post somewhere). There was a D and a Dan in the telephone white pages online. The other number just rings and rings and rings no matter when I call, with out even an answering machine, and I'm not even sure if that is the right Dan either. So... I didn't post about the wrong number or the phone that never seems to be answered since they both seemed to be pretty much useless I thought it would be good for me to drive down and go see Tom at Rich's Auto Body and as him for Dan's exact address and then very nicely as possible knock on Dan's door and try to meet him in person. I did post back a post or 2 that I'm planning on sneaking away from Washington as soon as possible to go down to California & I promise I will keep posting details as soon as I get them.

Smiles & Thank you all for your good luck wishes Diana

PS. There should be something in your inbox (B.W.)

 

There is info about the Coupe's history here: http://www.beyondthemedia.com/coupe/when1.html as well as lots of details along the way including who started the mods who finished them who had it and when to the best I could find & do & get from the people I've met along the way of trying to find out where it is.

Thanks for the goodluck wish ~ Smiles ~ Diana

 

Holy crap! I saw the title to this post a few weeks ago but tonight is the first time I actually opened it and looked at it......I was captured. I've read all 4 pages of it for over an hour......woooooooooooooowwwwwwwww!
This is a great read and a wonderful story. Congrats, Diane! If nothing else, maybe your dad would be able to view the car in the new owner's garage. If Mr Hiser would sell you the front bumper, it would make a great wall hanging in your dad's house/garage. I'll bet you could find one of those vendors who make bogus license plates to make one up for the bumper.
You go, girl!

 

I mentioned original owner because everyone is saying your dad is the original owner which is not true....... I would say your dad is the one with a significant connection to the car, not the original owner. Goodluck

 

Ooooh yeah I have no idea who "bought it off the lot" but I did think about that. Mom tried to find out through the people in Napa, but nobody's there anymore at least that she could find... I thought with the car new in 1940 and the person probably was at least 18 years old that was the original owner... so that was 65 years ago plus 18... 83 years old !!! I really wanted to know actually for the "full" history of the car, cause I thought it would be really neat to have. California DMV may know but they're so stingy with help haha and well maybe don't even have records that go back that far, I just don't know.

Smiles all around & Happy Friday Diana