Early Aussie Custom, 37 Ford Coupe

Hi all

Thought I would share some photos of an old rod that I owned back in the early 80s. I would love to know if Aussie Hot Rodders have seen this car since I sold it in 1986.

The car was built by Bill Harrison, a member of the Romans Hot Rod Club (Bill is still Hot Rodding and Still a Romans member) and finished about 1965. The car was one of the top show cars of its time. It ran a fully polished flathead, heavy body mods and a narrowed single spinner dash. The car was featured in Australian Hot Rodding Review magazine, I think it was the January 1966 edition. Bill once lent me a copy of this magazine, but I have never been able to obtain a copy for myself. It was also the feature of an article in the Sydney Morning Herald Newspaper in June 1965 (click on attached link)

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...ZAyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l-YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4034,1674459

I bought the car in 1984, when I was just 13. The car was complete accept for the flathead which had been replaced with a 289 windsor. It still had all the nerf bars, driving lights etc and the body work had held up perfectly. I sold the car in about 1986 to by a 1939 Ford sedan that was finished and on the road. I didn't have the funds or ability to rebuild the car at that time. When I advertised the car for sale, Bill Harrison actually came out to look at it and was amazed to see it again after all those years. I have tried several times to track the car down, but have never seen it since. I sold the car to a Darren Lawler who lived in Broken Hill NSW. Ieven visited Broken Hill, but nobody had heard of him or remembered the car. I am sure this car would have been rebuilt as a more modern Hot Rod, however should be easy to spot as the rear window had been replaced by one from an FJ Holden and I doubt that it would have been changed back to original. Has any one seen it or have more info?

 

Looks like the roof line was extended, or maybe a shortened slantback? Never seen one with those proportions.

 

37 Club Coupe by chance??

 

Yeah, I guess it is a club coupe. I think it is the trailing edge of the rear fenders that was throwing me.

 

The roof is standard length club coupe. Only coupe we got in Australia.

 

Thats a cool old rod...its got to still be around??

 

Heres a couple more from the Romans club days way back when"

 

I may be wrong, but if memory serves me correct I remember seeing a 37 coupe at Ballarat rodrun some years back with a back window like that, I think the car was pink from memory.

 

That car brings back memories.........I grew up in a southern Sydney suburb, Rockdale about 10kms from Earlwood/Bardwell Park where Bill Harrison lived and remember seeing it around, its on the cover of Australian Rodding World magazine, July 1965 and in a 4 page b/w feature inside......and there's a small paragraph with the feature saying its for sale for 750 Pounds(equivalent to $1500.00).......lol........if you want a scan of the mag let me know.........Andy Douglas

 

Here is another photo I found on the Roman's website, At some stage the car had been painted white. Not sure if this was before or after the blue. When I bought the car it was sitting under a tree in Camden NSW. We had to pull down the fence of a local nursing home to get it out of the yard as the guy who owned it had extended his house and couldn't get the car out the front. The guy's name was Dave Roberts, he was a local police officer. He had previously lived in Wagga Wagga and drove the car around up there. The car was red when he had it.

Andy, that is the magazine I was looking for, for some reason (fading memory) I thought it was Australian Street Rodding Review. It would be great if you could scan a copy, even better now I may be able to find a copy now that I know what I am looking for.

 

Here ya go.........

 

Last two......andyd

 

Thanks Andy, I haven't seen that book since Bill showed me his copy when I was selling the car. I have never been able to get this car out of my head. It really is the one that got away. Thanks again.

 

Here is a picture of a standard club coupe as a reference.

 

Thanks, Blackroad. I initially thought it had to be a club coupe, but just didn't think it looked quite right (I was looking at the pic of it on the trailer). Had I looked at the pic of it in blue (top right) first, I would not have asked the dumb question. That red one in your pic is very nice, BTW.

 

Here are a couple of photos I found from the day I brought the 37 home. I hadn't noticed the white paint on the cowl before, under where the guards bolt on. I guess this must mean the car was white after it was blue. Sorry for the poor picture quality, took a photo of the original photo with my phone.

 

Hi Blackroad,
Ray Ellis here and I have some other pics of Bill's '37 when it was in a backyard up on the highlands. It was then red and I can assure you that Bill had painted it in the cream after he'd bought it back from I don't know who but he was not real happy with the car and eventually sold it off again. It definately was a Club Coupe and a beautiful Custom Hot Rod at that.
When I get some time I'll sort out some pics and post them up.
To add to the story Bill has just put a nice '37 Sedan on the road and is still right amongst the action with wife Sue riding shot Gun as well.
A great post and some terriffic Rodding History here. Thanks a heap.
Regards
Ray

 

that is a cool story..Im kind of partial to club coupes. always heard a lot of them were used as dirt track cars...anyone have any pics to prove that? that would be great.

 

Hi Ray, Ray Ellis visited my place to look at the car with Bill Harrison. The photos you have would have been in my parents yard in Bargo. Would love to see them. I must contact Bill to document the history of this car, I am sure he would have lots of photos. Thanks.

 

Nup, haven't seen it, but I sure miss my '37 - she's been gone a while now, and I miss her - a lot!!!

 

I almost bought a club coupe before settling on a slantback. Both gad backseats and that is what I wanted so I can take friends and family on drives. ( But I eventually succumbed and have a 34 5 window on the way)

 

Hey Blackroads,
What a great catch up and eye opener (That you are the one and only Blackroads) at Goulburn Swap.
I am going to try again to add those photos I mentioned previously.
My mate Bill and I are getting some info out to see if the '37 in Blacktown is the '37 of Bill Harrison and we'll let you know.
Regards
Ray Ellis (Flatfreek)

 

Thanks Ray. It was great to catch up today. Thanks for posting the photos, I had never seen those ones before. Looks fantastic. Hope we can find out where it is now and what has been done to it. Sending you a PM with
email and phone details.

 

Great looking '37. Love the grill and overall look. Here's a pic of my '37 Business Coupe. Pay no attention to the guy behind the wheel.

kent

 

Start concentrating your hunt in Victoria, I know 1,000% I've seen a 37 coupe with a back window the same, I doubt very much there'd be two 37 club coupes with a FJ back window, the frustrating thing is I don't have a photo.
If you have a big collection of Australian Streetrodding magazine starting looking through the back issues as I've seen the car at more than one run and can even remember commenting on the back window.
Larry O'toole may even have the answer your looking for.

 

Thanks nostalga33, I am currently putting together something to send to Larry for his magazine. Please keep your camera with you invade you see it again.

 

Found a photo of the guys I sold it to, just as they were about to leave with the 37 on the trailer. That was the last time I seen it. My mums brother was sitting in a pub in Trangie Out near Dubbo, when he seen it being towed down the highway on the way to Broken Hill.

 

found it, car turned up on eBay. It is now in Victoria. I recognized the back window straight away. Spoke to the current owner today, he was not aware of the early history of the car. He said he bought the car off a guy in Ballarat. It was painted pink then which fits with the earlier sighting. He also said it was built in Broken Hill Nsw. Which is where I sold it to. I have sent him photos of its original build. Not real HAMB friendly now.


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When the car was in Ballarat I think it was owned by Ken Clark.
I remember he owned a Pink 37 and the rear window was different so it would have to be the same car.

 

Oh God!! That poor, poor car!! How could you do that to any car let alone a piece of history like that?
I hope the next owner has the sense to re-build this car the right way. I understand not everyone has the same taste in build style but there is so few examples of our history around that it makes this quite important!

Doc.