Art & Inspiration A Cold Day In ......

New Jersey.

You may have noticed the temperature dropped and it got really cool this week. At least it did on the East Coast and it was downright chilly in NJ Wednesday morning. I'm pretty sure there was more than a heavy frost in Hades, as well. I accept responsibility for this sudden change in the weather. You see, at 67 years old, I bought my first Ford. (I don't count the Maverick "fishing car" I had when I was in college.)

I grew up in a Mopar family with an uncle who ran a Mopar dealership and my mom worked there. As life went on, I also developed an affinity for GM products and styling. I just never got attracted to Fords, except for the early hot rod Fords...but I just knew I would never find a good project 32-34 Ford.

I am still in process with my 49 Buick and will, hopefully, finish it this year. Knowing how hard it is to find good project cars, I began perusing the cl***ifieds a few weeks ago for my next one. Deep in the ads, I found a simple ad by @JimmyD3234 for a 34 Tudor. He was listing it for a friend and it did not include much information but I decided to contact Jimmy and learn more.

This led me to Dave, who bought this car 18 years ago and just never got around to finishing it. After exchanging pictures and texts we arrived at a price but he wouldn't sell it to me unless I saw it in person and knew what I was getting. By this time, I wasn't letting this car go, so I borrowed a trailer and high tailed it 500 miles to see this car and , hopefully, bring it home.

After meeting Dave, looking over the car and all the parts that were included, I bought it. It is as solid an all metal 87 year old car as anyone could ask for. It even has original floors and reproduction steel fenders and running boards. Someone already did a lot of work on it and a lot has been invested but it was never finished. I have ALL the hard to find parts like garnish moldings, a sweet grill and original TACK STRIPS! I even got a new gas tank and a Walker radiator.

I am in the process of unpacking all the parts and ***essing what I have and what I will need. Since it is unchopped, it will likely stay that way since I am tall. I am seriously considering adding a delivery door and just making it a 2 seater. It won't be strictly HAMB friendly but it will be mostly HAMB friendly and definitely traditional in appearance. Stay tuned. I may do a few small things while waiting on my painter but my priority is to finish the Buick first and then get to work on this baby.

 

Nice story. Looks like a great start. Regards, Randy


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Cool. What for power? Or is that the not so Hamb friendly part? A 360 and matching trans would probably scoot that on pretty good if it didn't come with an engine.

 

Very nice! Congrats!

 

Pretty sure it will be some variety of SBC. It has an original firewall that I don't want to cut up any more than necessary. Not to worry, it will not be an LS.

 

@rockable

Nice, nice, find! Congratulations!

Ray

 

Nice find. Hope to see the progress. My opinion which aint worth much, but ill put it out there anyhow.. SBC dont seem like a good fit for a 87 year old Ford. Especially in as good a shape as that seems to be. There would be alot of other options that would seem to be a better suited than a run of the mill sbc powerplant. Maybe evan a 322 Nailhead, 324 Oldsmobile which was the same bore as the 283 Chevy by the way, or even better yet a Ford/Lincoln something or other?? Which ever you decide on, have at it, and hope it works at well. Congrats. Im digging it regardless....

 

I think putting a delivery door on would be wrong. A 1934 sedan delivery does not look like a Tudor.

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Nice buy. I've been watching (and drooling over) that ad for months...couldn't understand why it didn't sell faster...looked like a GREAT price

 

Will be following along liked your Buick thread.

 

Congrats! I like it! Since you are a mopar guy and likely have a few mopar engines or at least a good start with parts laying around, it'd be cool to see this thing powered by a mopar engine! Just a thought.

 

I think you are mistaken. I believe there were also Flower Cars that retained the gl*** in back. The doors were shorter but the overall body was the same.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1934-ford-sedan-delivery#:~:text=The sedan deliveries were available,for the 1934 model year.

 

Sedan deliveries are the same length as the four doors not the sedans. I think it will look stubby if you fill the rear windows. nice car

 

This was a four door. all though a plymouth.

img012 by harpo1313 posted Feb 16, 2010 at 10:40 PM

 

Congrats on a cool find. If you do it like the Buick I’m sure it will come out great.jmho. Snowman

 

I've been to Hell (MI) and yes it does freeze over!

Okay I'm done with that thought. I love the looks of an unchopped tudor. Please keep it that way. And a 289 (okay a 302 will look essentially the same) with Cobra trim. A QC rear and slight drop in the front, an black suede...

But regardless just get it done, you deserve a running rod.

 

I was watching that ad too. Looks like a great project.
Love the wheels.....

 

Actually, the Sedan Delivery body is 8 inches longer than the Fordor body. The body extends over the gas tank cover.

 

Great project whatever way you take it. Watching.

 

There were a few '32 "flower car" windowed Sedan Deliveries...which wasn't difficult to do because the Tudor and the S.D. shared the same body.
Ford never made a "rear door" Tudor/Fordor Sedans, mainly because the rear of the body was completely different from the S.D.

That being said, I LOVE the idea of a Tudor "flower car"...a one of a kind. It would have to be shorter in height than a S.D. door, but if you don't need a back seat, a rear door would be really useful. I say GO FOR IT

 

Nice score......enjoy the build.
It WILL get warmer soon!

 

Cool? 3" snow here in W.M*** at 500ft Mush more in higher elevations

 

Thanks for the reminder - I really do not miss the weather in North Adams, MA (escaped in 1961).

 

I'm thinking the delivery door would have hidden hinges and a cable to release the latch from the inside. That way, the door is very unobtrusive, i.e. no outside trinkets to draw attention to it. As hotrodjack33 said, it would be very useful and I would have as many backseats as any coupe.

 

Wouldn't it be easier to swap someone for a Fordor body?

 

Not to mention a delivery door is $$$$ unless you can make your own.

 

I like it...keep us in the loop.

 

I can.

 

I started a build thread with a more search friendly ***le.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/my-34-ford-tudor-build.1227709/