While on vacation with the family at the lake house this summer, I stumbled onto a real honest to goodness survivor. I thought I'd post up the few pictures that I managed to take in case anyone may be interested. Nope, the coupe's not for sale, and if the owner ever changes his mind, I've got first dib's. Enjoy... Our lake house rental ran from Saturday to Saturday and most of our time was spent at the lake. However, when I emerged from the house Friday morning with my coffee, I noticed an eldery white haired gentleman at the camp next to our's struggling to start his old riding lawnmower. I wandered over and offered to lend a hand but he politely declined. The conversation begain with small talk about lawnmower mechanics and led from one thing to another. He told me that his father had bought the lakeside camp just after WWII and that it had been in the family ever since. The conversation eventually turned to automobiles. I told him that I had a model A coupe back home and that I was building a hot rod similar to one that may have been seen back in the '50's. Well, the old gentleman told me that he also had a hot rod. That he had built it himself from an old Ford coupe that he had purchased it from the original owner's son back when he was in high school. After high school, he attended college at the University of Alabama and drove the car all the way to Alabama and the entire time that he attended college there. After graduation, he accepted an appointment in the Navy and the ol' coupe was parked in the boathouse for the last time in 1957. When he asked if I wanted to see it, I jumped at the chance. The ol' man led me down a quiet lane that led from the main road to his camp and stopped in front of this dilapidated boathouse, and unlocked the padlock on the door. The ol' door creaked on it's hinges and the light flooded into the darkened room. There she was, just like the ol' man had said. A 1935 Ford Deluxe Coupe. It was still sitting in the same place where she had been parked in 1957. The rear bumper had been removed. A second tail light had been added. The rumble seat lid had been welded closed and the license plate housing had been frenched. As I scrambled thru the clutter, it would have made Mike and Frank proud. I could see that the front fenders and running boards had been removed and the passenger side door was slightly ajar. The stock rear fenders remained intact and they looked to be in cherry condition. As I made my way closer to the front I could see the motorcycle fenders that had been hung on the front wheels. The hood top was there but the side panels had been removed in true period style. The front bumper was missing also... Real motorcycle fenders draped the wide whitewalls that were mounted on the gennie '35 16" wire wheels. A full race '49 Merc. 8ba occupied the engine compartment. Check out those finned alluminum heads and those early headers. The old gentleman grinned from ear to ear as he told me about the full race mill. She's a '49 merc. been stroked and bored, ported and polished with aluminum heads. She's got four 97's and a full race cam. By this time I think that my jaw had dropped about half way to my knees. I had to lean forward real far and hold the camera way out in front of me to get this pic. Yep, it sure is a '35 alright. Check out the early motorcycle headlights and the headlight stands. The generator is on the pass side and check out that fancy ignition. And here's a pic of the windshield with a Univeersity of Alabama Chrimson Tide sticker in the corner. I never did figger out if the chicken wire was part of an ol' chicken coop or a rabbit hutch??? The ol' girl was pretty much otherwise unscathed... Here's the inside. It's a pretty dark pic. but then it was pretty dark inside the passenger compartment. You can see the banjo steering wheel. There were no inner door panels but the seats still had upholstery. Oh yea, check out the custom gage cluster. Well, I thought about titleing this "How I spent My Summer Vacation", but I'll just call it '35 Ford Coupe Survivor instead. As I was leaving, I asked the ol' gentleman if he would consider selling it??? "Nope, gonna move it down to the garage someday and see if I can get it running." I wished him well and said,"If you ever change your mind, be sure and let me know." "Sure will" he said. "Sure will".
Man hopefully he 'll want it to go to a good home and call you up sometime in the future. I hope you left all your contact info!!!!
Be sure to go back and help him get it down to the garage and get that thing running! May help solidify who he sells it to when he is ready!
^^^^Nope, I think they were Strombergs! Nice detective work. Some really good finds can be made during unintentional casual conversation! Hope you see it again someday....either finished in his garage, or in process at your place!
Plan a trip to the lake next summer to get that thing down to the garage with him. If you help him get that thing fired you will touch his soul in a way that only a true car guy can understand. Even if you can't get it fired, yank it out of there. Hose it off and get it cleaned up a bit. Snap a few pics and tuck it away in the garage again. There are a hell of a lot of worse ways to spend a day or two. Cleaning up an old hot rod and hearing the stories of how it was back in the day by some who was actually there. You will both be better for the experience AND,you will likely cement the fact that you get the first call when the time comes to sell.
Very cool ,bad thing is the guy will probably never do anything with it ,thanks for posting pictures !!
"After graduation, he accepted an appointment in the Navy and the ol' coupe was parked in the boathouse for the last time in 1957". That puts him in his late 70's. Chances are he'll never touch it as he hasn't in 55 years. The great thing is that the car is out of the elements. There's even air in the front tire. I agree with helping him move it to his garage and maybe help get it running. It may put you first in line. Take a photo of the two of you with the car; write your contact info on the back and leave it on the front seat of the car. If he passes, his relatives may find it and give you a call prior to an estate sale (which would include the car)!
Yep! Stromberg 97's, and four of 'em!!! When he told me it had four '97's, it took a couple seconds for it to register. Four carbs, four pots, four jugs, the only flattys with four 97's that I remembered seein' was in the magazines. I was impressed to say the least. If he graduated college in '57???, he prolly graduated high school about '51 or '52???. That would make him about fourteen or fifteen years older than myself and that '49 Merc would have been only a couple years old when he built the car??? A full race flathead, I bet he gave those OHV boy's fits!!!
When he said he wanted to get it running again, you should have said, "How's tomorrow work for you?" I pulled that one on my Dad when I was home for vacation a few weeks ago. Got it fired up!
Wish my vacations were like that. It is so great to see that "they" are truly still out there. I'd be at the guys door tomorrow morning with a new lawn mower and ask "wanna trade"?
This is probably the only time I have ever seen the license plate blurred out for a real reason. Steve's right, that building looks unstable....I'd get back down there and at least help him move it to the garage. Maybe that will build a little rapport with the guy too
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