1936 Garage find.

So as you know I bought a 1936 Ford from a friend in our car club. He sold it to me after he lost interest in it as he has a few other projects and no room. I bought it a few months back from him. He bought it from a guy in 2003 and my friend was sort of modernizing it out.
I would have loved to have had all the original stuff with the car but my friend sold it and installed a Mustang II front end ,a 351 Ford engine and an AOD trans in it. Oh well it will have some power and will be a good cruiser.
So anyway, tonight, I looked up a name that was on a box that was bought way back in the early 60s.
I look up the name and where my friend bought the car from. Well I came up with a womans phone number with the guys name on the box linked to it.
I call the number and a guy that sounded pretty young answered the phone. My friend said the guy he bought it from was pretty old so I figured I might be talking to the old car owners son. I ask if this is Russ. Russ was the man my friend bought the car from. He answered yes.
I asked if he owned a 1936 Ford at one time and he said he did. Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!! I was so stoked to get some history of my car,
It turns out that Russ is 87 years old and remembers every detail of his old car. Even where he was buying all the parts for it which I confirmed with the reciepts I got with the car.
He was so excited that I called him and was as excited as I was.
He was disapointed that my friend sold the original engine and other parts including the original radio and misc other parts.
He bought it in 1963 out of a field close to his house for a whopping $250. The engine had a cracked head but other than that, it was clean and straight. He found a complete engine from a 1936 and had it totally rebuilt with the transmission in 1966 . Russ took the car apart and was going to restore it nut by nut, bolt by bolt. He stored it in his garage and all the parts in his ba*****t since about 1963-2003. When my friend bought the car, he got all the parts and the car in pieces for $6500 in 2003. Russ also had a 1929 Roadster that he restored but in 2003 he had to sell it, he was wanting wanting $3500 for it!! Where was I? I would have bought both of them from him!!!! Ugh!!!! Oh well. My friend bought the car and got it close to being road ready and it was in his garage since 2003 till July of 2011. So my car has only seen the light of day twice since 1963!!!!!!!
Anyway, it was sooooooo cool talking to Russ and so I got his email and sent pictures of his car and promised that I would get it running and drive to Olympia and give him a ride in it.
Here's the link of when I bought the car.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=598443

Just thought I would share my story as I thought it was cool that my new friend Russ is still alive and well and remembers everything about his car that was only 27 years old when it got locked up in a garage till now. It will see the light of day and be driving down the road in my hands!!

 

Olympia? Im your man

 

That's a neat story. You never know what you'll dig up when you take the time to do a little research. Good job!

 

pretty sweet.

 

I found a 37 that was in-store for a complete original restoration but have had a lot of updates done .

 

So from what I know about the car is that at one time before 1963, it was in an accident and the p***enger door was replaced with a rust free 1935 door. The latch is in the wrong place but thats the only difference. The inside panel of the door is actually different but close enought to interchange without big mods. The rear p***enger fender alo had a bit of work done to it. This info, the previous owners didn't know. It still has the black paint that was sprayed on it back before 1963. I would think it was done in the late 40s or early 50s as the paint has been weathered for some time and not from sitting in a garage since 1963.

 

Just another story of people taking apart a car too far and life getting in the way before finishing them. So far I am not guilty of that but the Whippet could become that if I don't get the 1936 driving soon!!! So I can get back working on the Whip!

 

I might be able to set ya up with a '36 door if'n ya want to change it out....

 

Call me.

 

Love these kind of stories. These ol' beasts each have a "personality", and being able to know more of it's history just enhances that.

 

So I have been talking to my new 87 year old friend who owned my 1936 from 1962ish to 2003. He is such a cool guy to talk to and when we talk, it gets me stoked to get the car going fast as Russ is 87!!!! I sent him a link to the HAMB with my post with all the pictures and a few other links of my Whippet and other things.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=598443

This is the Email he sent back!!!

Hi Steve:Thanks a lot for the information on restoring the old 1936.The exterior is the way I was hoping I could get it to look like.What happened to the old hubcaps with the V8 emblem I thought they were pretty neat. As I remember, there was 5 or 6 with parts I sold Bill. When you have it finished you should be able to drive it across the US. The slide show was really interesting.I looked at all of the links and enjoyed them very much. I am looking forward to the day you drive into my driveway with it. I hope I have'nt gotten rid of the pictures I

took of it when I first bought it .

Thanks again for sharing the restoration info on it Steve. Russ

 

That's pretty sweet. I can only hope to be so lucky and get some history on my ride

 

Great story, Steve.

Wish I could have found a previous owner of mine, but no such luck.

 

Great story, you made that old dudes year. I'll bet he will counting the days until you call again and tell him its time for that ride.

 

what a cool story but you better get crackin' if he's 87

 

Seeing your new friend is 87 every day counts on this one. Let him drive it too.

 

nice goin.but maybe no hurry,he's 87 got email, on the ham(thanks to you)he may be around a long time.new reason for him to keep at it.enjoy

 

Very Kool!

 

I missed the first thread (surprisingly), but nice coupe and congrats on connecting with a previous owner. That's awesome.

 

Petty cool story. From someone quite a few years younger than the other owner of your '36 and feeling a little old today I am going to make a suggestion to you. Get the old hooptie running ricky tick and get over there for that ride. You will no doubt make an older gentleman go with a chuckle in his heart.

Dreams can get away from a man faster than life itself and life goes way too quick.

 

Get it Done and take him for a Ride

 

Well Russ is not the previous owner. Bill...... was.
Bill was going to sort of streetrod it but keep it old school on the interior and exterior. At one time he put a GM tilt wheel in it and decided it didn't look right. THANK GOD!!! LOL!! Anyway Bill bought it in 2003 for $6500 and installed a 351 Windsor, an AOD Overdrive transmission and a Ford 8" 3:50 rear end, and a Mustang II front end. He also got all new tinted gl***, new stainless bumpers, put the roof center in , new rims and tires but just couldn't finish it.
Russ on the other hand had it for 41 years and took it apart and started fixing stuff on it including getting the engine and transmission rebuilt in 1965-1966 but never got it back in. He sold his cars when he was 79 as his wife got parkinsons and they figured they better downsize.
Russ paid $200 for it back in 1962-1963.
I figured that Russ was probably the second owner, Bill was the 3rd owner and I am the 4th owner.
My price was $17,000!!!! Ugh!! But I look at it as a rust free car with a brand new driveline. I just wish I'd found it back in 2003. The car would have gone in a different direction.
Bill sold the rebuilt original engine , transmission, rear end and front end plus a bunch of other things like the original rims and tires and a few boxes of misc parts.
I'm glad Russ still likes the car!!!!

 

Well I couldn't wait any longer. Even though I have a ton of work left to do I figured I am far enough along to fire the 1936 up and turn it around in the garage. I check all the fluids and they are all up. So I fire it up and check the trans fluid, its down a quart. I top it up, put it in gear and I'm off. Wow this is the first time the 36 has been driving down the road since at least 1962. I drove it down our street 4 times and now know that the exhaust is hitting the frame, the alternator need new bracketing so I have adjustment, it will need an alignment but drove pretty damned straight. My plan is to keep doing these little jaunts and fixing the problems that I know now that I have driven it!!!! Here are some pictures and a video of its maiden voyage. Nothing too exciting but at least it means theres another 36 on the road or at least close.


























The 4 door version.
And then finally a short little video.

 

Love those old Fords from the thirties!

 

Awesome car man. Would look great with either whitewall or blackwall bias plies.. but it needs bias plies!! I really dig the 40s custom look for these, but they look good in any traditional style.. even stock! Ford hit the nail on the head in 36

 

I'm with you 100%. I bought it with those wheels and tires. They aren't that bad but I love Wide Whites and the look of Bias ply. Thats what I put on my Whippet. Skoty Chops plymouth in my photos has the look of wqhat I want. In due time, it will get the look but for now , its just awesome to drive it how it is!!.

 

Perseverance paid off, great score.

 

Very nice ride. Great story.

 

"Quite the deal" indeed!

Now, lose the spare and move the plate to cover the holes, that way when anyone walks by they won't hook the corner of the plate and bend it again.

 

Has a "Bull Nose" just like my old 36 and Eric Perkins of Olympia had one also. No Ford emblem in it. Very rare piece. Also, beware of door changes. A 36 four door sedan door will fit right on but it's 1/4 of and inch shorter than the 5 window.
Keep up the good work.
Mike