Shown below is a photo of a 36 that was owned in 1954 and 1955 by the father of a friend of mine. My friend has asked his father to describe what he remembered about the car. I think that you will enjoy reading its history. If anyone knows any other information about this car, please share it. Description of 1936 Ford Cabriolet<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> <o> </o> The picture is the only photo showing my hot rod just prior to getting married and having our children. It was fun under the sun for the two years I owned it. Today if I still owned it, this car would be worth quite a bit of money as an original hot rod. <o></o> <o></o> DRIVE TRAIN<o></o> Engine: 1951-1952 Canadian Mercury engine, bored, 3/8 inch stroke. The Canadian engines could be bored larger than the American block V8. <o></o> All the components of the engine and engine compartment were chromed except the block which was painted red. <o></o> Balanced aluminum flywheel.<o></o> Dual in-line Stromberg 97 carburetors.<o></o> <o> </o> Transmission -<o></o> 1936-1937 manual with 3-speed on the floor. <o></o> Car could do 80 mph in 2nd gear. <o></o> <o></o> Exhaust system:<o></o> Dual with <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on">Douglas</st1lace> gl*** packed mufflers.<o></o> <o></o> Radiator/cooling :<o></o> No cooling fan (no pulley shaft) which increased horse power. <o></o> <o></o> Rear end/gearing: 1937 truck rear end. <o></o> <o></o> Horsepower rating - Unknown <o></o> <o></o> Fastest speed - Car was clocked at over 120 mph. <o></o> <o></o> Gasoline heater. <o></o> <o></o> BODY DESIGN <o></o> <o></o> Windshield: Chopped to 8 inches.<o></o> <o></o> Paint: 6 OR 8 Coats of purple metallic lacquer.<o></o> <o></o> Bumpers - <o></o> Front, 1937 DeSoto bumper, the choice of hot rodders. <o></o> Rear, Original bumper <o></o> <o></o> Wheels/hub caps: Chrome half-moon round disc<o></o> <o></o> Interior/type & color:<o></o> Red and white pleated seat and interior panels<o></o> <o></o> Steering Wheel: Two-tone Maroon and white <o></o> <o></o> Dashboard/gauges:<o></o> Standard factory plus a manifold vacuum gauge.<o></o> Lights: <o></o> Standard front, rear had the blue dot centers <o></o> <o></o> Mirrors: Standard factory dual<o></o> Soft top / color: Custom to fit chopped top, white in color. <o></o> <o></o> Other details - <o></o> Bull-nose at hood leading edge. <o></o> Radiator grille painted red. <o></o> Side horn panels between grill and fender were chromed. <o></o> One special feature the brothers added to the car were three toggle switches which controlled three different colored lights mounted under the dashboard. One red, one green and one blue. It added ambience to the interior at nighttime. <o></o> <o></o> Who built the hot rod and what is its story? <o></o> Two brothers who lived in <st1lace w:st="on"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comSpencer</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">MA</st1:State></st1lace> spent two years building the car at their garage. They took the car to a race track in NH in 1953 or 1954 and won all the drag races for its cl***. <o></o> <o></o> What were the cir***stances on how you bought the car?<o></o> One of the brothers died unexpectedly, the surviving brother no longer wanted to have it around. He sold it to a young man from Spencer who was clocked at a 120 mph by the State Police who had given chase. The police gave up the chase and upon learning his address went to the young mans house and waited for him. Upon returning home the officers promptly took his license away; his father then made him sell the car which I bought in 1954. I owned the car for only two years and though I did not race the car I did win a number of starts at red lights against other hot rods. Wherever I stopped the car, it was a crowd pleaser. Everyone would gather around to see its engine. On one of these occasions a friend dropped to hood too hard and it chipped some paint around its edges. When I was dating my future wife, her father hated the car. He would be so annoyed when I came by her house to pick her up. He would hear the noise of the car far away, knowing I was coming up the street. <o></o> <o></o> When did you sell the car? 1955. <o></o> What happened to it?<o></o> The man who bought it from me had it for one week before he was caught speeding or as they say: flying too close to the ground. He lost his license for one year. I lost track of the car after that.<o></o> <o> </o>
I should have mentioned in the ***le or in the first post that this car was in central M***achusetts in the 1953 to 1955 time period.
I should have mentioned in the ***le or in the first post that this car was in central M***achusetts in the 1953 to 1955 time period.
Wow, could be it. How cool would that be!? Somewhere along the line it had solid hood sides swapped in, skirts, stock hood ornament.
It's certainly close. It has a smoothed bullnose, stock hood and different mirrors, but those are all easily changed. The steering wheel is not the stock banjo too. Seat upholstrey is similar but different.
there seems to be alot of differences according to the list but stuff could have been changed over time, but how many purple custom 36 cabriolets could there be?
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