Projects 33 Ford 5 window coupe build - 50's style

I always wanted to build a channeled 33-34 Ford five window, with no fenders, no hood, old time motor, just like they did back in the 50's. But bodies are getting very hard to find, so I settled for an old race car body. It had spent 20 years on the track, and was pretty beat up, but its what I had to work with if I wanted to build my dream. Got a good 33 frame, and started to use the parts I had been collecting for years - like a chromed original Mordrop axle and matching chrome front spring, 53 Cad 331 V8 with a 39 Ford trans, a 40 Ford torque tube rearend, 16 inch wheels, and started to hunt down parts like F1 shock mounts, 32 Ford grille, NOS Hurst motor mounts for the Cad engine swap, F100 steering setup, and on the list goes. Here are some pics of the racecar body.

 

Lookin good, have you mocked it up yet???

 

Basically I was only able to save the rear of the body, and had to look for another cowl, roof and doors. Here is some of the fun starting to put this stuff together. Yikes! Is this ever going to go together?

 

looks like your off to a great start ..

 

It took awhile, but I eventually found the missing pieces I needed. Thanks to Hamber Richard Head from Snohomish, Washington, I got 5 window B pillars - genuine coupe items that replaced the fordor pillars I was trying to use. Also got a pair of 33 5 window doors from a friend here in BC. The roof pieces came from a fordor I parted 15 years ago (ever glad I kept the stuff) and the insert is filled with a 41 Ford sedan top. Hey, now it is starting to look like a car, but there is still a lot of pounding left to do. Here is what it looks like today.

 

man, thats really looking good post some more pics when you take em!

 

Nice progress indeed.

Sam F. ... You watching?

Rich

 

looks great.

jeff

 

yes indeed !

very insperational!

 

Oh, I know how that goes... saved this body. What a job...its was wasted under this paint, can't find the pics... Your looks nice.

 

i love 33-34 coupes..

 

Not to bad for a 20 year race car, mine spent 20 years on its roof!! But like you I am slowly but surely collecting the parts to put it back together.

Looks great,you gonna run the 32 shell??

 

Awesome build! Great progress!

 

Looks great glad your saved one more. I love the old wheels and tires. What color are you going.Here is mine need to get working on it took a wek off after all the body and paint work. Darrell

 

Yep, a lot of 33-34 channelled 5 windows ran with the deuce shell back in the day. If you check out the 50's mags, you will see them.
Mine was chopped 4 inches and used on an A roadster back in the 60's.

 

Sweet man I also like a Deuce shell on that year.

 

Nice work guys....but I have to admit that I'm partial to the cars with numbers on their doors.

Here are mine:

 

thanks, Darrell - I'm thinking of going red, because thats what it was as a race car.

I could not find a good original trunk lid, so got a new one from Steve's Autorestoration in Portland, Oregon. The fit and finish of his work is second to none. Got the hinges off ebay, and the hinge brackets from Hamber Richard Head.

 

Oh man i want a 33-4.......................lookin real bitchin with the 32 grille....... good job on it!

 

What kind of nutbar woulda sold that body to you? hehehe
Lookin gooder Steve,wish I had of kept it but you had most of the stuff to make it a good body again.
I'll drop by and have a gander soon....

-Shiny

 

nicebuild,looks great so far

 

The 53 Cadillac 331 V8 fits well in the engine compartment. Got some NOS Hurst motor mounts and a NOS Schieffer clutch off ebay from Hamber Heathen. Have both a 3-2 manifold (Edelbrock) and a 6-2 (Cragar), and will run Holley 94's - because I have lots of them, an 97's are getting expensive and hard to find. The engine still has to be rebuilt, and I will add a bit of chrome. It sits in front of a 39 Ford trans, but I have a Cad-Lasalle 3 speed, and it would be a lot stronger.

 

looks killer

 

Every time I see a '33/'34 3 or 5 window coupe it makes me realize how stupid I was to turn down a channeled '34 3w w/371 Olds and early Ford drivetrain back when I just got married. The guy who owned it had just got back from the service and had the hots for a new Corvette. He offered it to me for $350 and gave me a couple of weeks to decide. It needed interior, body work , paint and glass but was drivable. The build was typical of the early sixties, needing a lot of detail but the body was rust free and the channel was really done exceptionally well for the time.
By that time I had pretty much decided that '32 Fords were the ones I lusted for and turned him down. It would have been a stretch to buy it anyway with just starting a new family and working two jobs to save for a house down payment but in hindsightI think it would have been worth the effort to get it. As they say hindsight is 20/20

Frank

 

Love your car!!! I look foward to more updates!!

 

Will be taking the body off the frame shortly, and will take some pics of the chassis. Still have a lot of bodywork to do, and its easier if I do it with the body on a special dolly I made to fit 33-34 Fords. The chassis pics will show how I mounted the 40 rear in the 33 rear crossmember - it can be done without the usual trick of grinding a bit off the 40 rear spring.

 

Here's a shot that shows the channel. The body fits right over the frame, just enough to hide it completely. The overall height of the car is about the same as my chopped 34 Ford 3 window coupe - that body sits in the stock location on the frame.

 

I'm loving it!

Any chassis pics yet?


-Muzz

 

gonna be real cool

 

Any updates yet???