at the antique Ford parts store: "Hi, what can we do for you?" "Anybody here interested in buying a 1940 Ford DeLuxe Tudor sedan?" "Uh, yeah, I think everybody here is interested in that car. What shape is it in, how much, and where is it? "You'll have to look at it, $250, and it's outside on a towbar behind my pickup." "Do you have a title and here's your money." "Yes and thanks, you can keep the towbar, I don't need it anymore." It was a very nice original 40 Dlx Tudor. We got it running in about 2 hours the next afternoon. "Specialized, can I help you?" "Yeah, I've got an old Ford I want to sell but I just want to sell it without hassle, are you interested?" "Sure, what is it?" "Well, it's an old 34 Coupe I used to drag race with back in the 50s, it's been in storage for years and I'm moving and, well, I'll never mess with it again." Gives directions, and makes a time to meet. Yes, it was a 34 Ford 5W Coupe painted a turquoise blue with black scallops. Original interior(!!!), no engine, later banjo rearend, hydraulic brakes, full-fendered with runningboards, no engine or transmission, nice hood and grille and radiator. $750 (about 1975) "Specialized, can I help you?" "yes I've got an old ford convertible I'd like to sell. I bought a bunch of new parts from you guys and want to return them unless I can sell the car." "OK, hang on." Boss to crew: What am I bid for this phone call? Old Ford convertible, plus parts? "I'll take it!" Date and time to look at car was set. The car? A 1933 Ford cabriolet with title, chopped windshield with Carson top, rumble seat, filled door handles, steel runningboards, full set of glass fenders, bumpers, nice hood and grille, no engine or tranmission, original banjo rearend. $1250 (1976) "Specialized" "Hey yeah, I got me an old Ford coupe I want to sell. How about it?" "Well, sir, can you tell me something about it?" "Hey yeah, it's blue and two flat tires." "Where can we see it?" Address was given and time set to see the car. The car? A very chopped and very channelled full-fendered 34 Ford Tudor sedan! Original Grille sectioned and filled with horizontal bars and good plating, front fenders recontoured, rear fenders bobbed and louvered, top filled, frenched 41-48 Chevrolet taillamps in the back panel, a couple fiberglass seats bolted to the floor, original banjo rearend, no motor or transmission. $50 (1979) Later had information that the car was displayed in the Millwinders Houston Auto Show in the mid-50s at the Sam Houston Coliseum. Never verified though. " Specialized, can I help you?" "Yes, I'm interested in trading a 29 Ford roadster body for a 29 Ford Tudor body. DO you think you can fix me up?" "Sure, a guy here has one and he might be interested, hang on." A date and time was set to look at the roadster, then we thought, DUH, called him back and made the deal, straight up trade, we went and loaded the Tudor (had $150 in it) and drove to Humble TX to do the deal. The guy had a nice 26-27 Roadster restored and needed a sedan to ferry around his growing group of grandkids. He loved the Tudor body and told us to unbolt it while he opened up the shed to get the roadster body out. DAMN, a cherry untouched 29 roadster body with perfect back fenders, rumble seat complete with cushions, front seat complete with cushions, all windshield stuff, top irons, etc. He rolled out a very nice chassis, and we carried the Tudor body over and sat it down on it. We put the roadster body on our chassis and bolted it down. Loaded up all the open car goodies. Gave the guy the sedan rear fenders we had. Then drove away...even swap!? (1978) And so it went, day after day, week after week, month after month, through the 70s-80s. Other cars we bought from calls or just running around town: 1963 1/2 427 4-speed Galaxie 500XL convertible running and driving, $650 (1977) A pretty nice car, clutch slipped a little but it would still light up the tires. 1940 Ford Deluxe Sedan Delivery, from a junkyard, complete body with all trim and bumpers, grille, no motor or transmission, sitting on stock frame with original steering and banjo rearend. Hood had old OFFY-style bolt on aluminum scoop and yes, the silly bastard PO did cut the hood! $50 (1976) 1947 Ford convertible, from an apartment parking lot in the Montrose, used as a fishingcamp generator, with towbar and new JC WHitney top in the trunk. $250. (1979)
If it helps you any, I missed a 46-48 Ford complete convertible body in 2005. Must have walked past it 50 times in 8 months and never saw it behind the Hudson that was next to the main driveway, even after someone told me it was there - until someone else came along, found it, and bought it. I'm sure it sold for less than $200, the '53 Skylark I did find which had a frame under it I paid $100 for. Now this car was just a body - but it was all there, doors, cowl, quarters, deck, top bows, the cowl sat at a funny angle but it was nothing having a frame under it wouldn't have cured - and for another $300 we could have bought a tudor to pull the body off and throw away. It's like the one that got away, but at least it didn't get crushed. When I first got in there and the one scrap dealer was working the place, there was a nice 26-27 T except for having once been a tudor and now having the top cut off. I asked about it and was told they were supposed to set it aside. A week later, it was gone, the other loader operator had plucked it up and crushed it. Asshole.
Specialized is where I met you Dean....I'm not sure it was the Capital location..Wasnt the guy named Trip also working there?.I think he was killed in a plane crash.
a little off track,but is this the specialized that built the maroon 34 delivery? if so ,hope you dont mind but i sorta cloned your car a few ago.had to ask
We moved from Adams St to Capitol around 1974-75(?). Trip was working there at the old store and the new one. Yes, he died in a plane crash on a solo flight when night snuck up on him and he got lost. Then ran out of gas, glided down and snagged a power line which flipped the plane to the ground without fire. The wreck was discovered the next morning. A sad end to a great guy.
Yea.All the cars I found in the 70's working as a garbage man for the City of Chicago.67 Caprice hardtop,"it doesn't run" Put a battery in it and drove it home.No rust Gold with black vinyl top.Buckets,console.1960 Cadillac Limo $200.00 grabbed it.%9 Caddy 4-dr $100 bought it.1960 Cadillac Flat top front end wreck Free.59 Mercedes 220 (doesn't run,Push started started it drove it home.Clean 57 Chevy parts ,Hood, rear seats Black & red,assorted stuff,Burned 37 Buick (garage got toasted)Free. I had a '37 Special at the time & needed parts.Purple 71 Challenger,Passed.Triple red '64 Wildcat convertible,passed,no title.California Mustang,Passed.What was I thinking.But all this stuff was cheap back then.
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