*Finally* - A 38 Coupe with some Soul- Dirty Style

The Dirty “Family Ride” with a lot of Hot Rod Soul


What started as a mission some two and a half years ago after my first child was born turned into reality Monday afternoon. After being infatuated with early 30's cars the last few years, reality sank in and I realized I was in need of something just a little bigger, and then my second child came 7 months ago and I knew it was time to find something that from time to time I could load the family up and go cruising. With all this going through my head, lack of financial funds, and a fresh roadster I just got going, the first instinct was to sell the roadster, or trade it and I really did not want to do that because it was something I completely built and always wanted. So after passing on a 1955 2 dr post, a 1937 Chevy Coupe, missing a 1936 5w Coupe last weekend at Good guys-Ft Worth by about 5 minutes, and almost trading the roadster for a Flatty powered 36 on eBay I was about to give up.
So Monday rolls around and I am thinking about what I need to do to the roadster to get it ready for the Day of the Drags. I decide to do some more searching via the internet and our favorite site other than the Hamb (eBay). I am doing my typical 1935-1940 Ford Coupe search and low and behold a 1938 Ford Coupe pops up and it is local or should I say within 45 miles. The pictures looked kind of crappy and their where no interior shots, etc to really get the affect of the car. So after a few e-mails back and forth I worked out a time to go look at it Monday afternoon. The time seemed to never move as I watched the clock in urge of getting off to go get my family and head out to check it the Coupe. On the way their I was setting my self up for it to be to bad, rotted floors, rear pan, etc but boy was I not prepared for what was to come.
Tucked away in a big mobile home community was a definite piece of hot rod history. As I approached the coupe amidst the faded red paint-that appeared orange and the grey primer that had faded was a billboard of a dying bread of old race cars. The primer was just enough faded to read the sponsors, the owners names ,and B/MP 158 which stood for B/ Modified production. Not only was it a true old hot rod with history but it was filled with a life, a soul, and all the cool stories you always dream of hearing one day.
I was just speechless, knowing how hard I had been looking and almost settling for cars that could not even set at a red light next to this car. I had finally found a car with size, soul, and the great Henry Ford Lines. But before I could have the wedding two big questions where lingering in the back of my head. One could I even afford it? And two will he let me buy it before the auction ends in 32 hours? After doing some drooling, taking lots of picks, and working out a price, the 73 year old owner agreed to pull it for me and get it the following day. So me and the family headed home knowing their would not be much sleep had by me.
Tuesday morning just could not come fast enough for me; I had a very busy day ahead of me. Dropped the wife off a the airport and me and the 2 kiddos headed to the Bank, got the money, loaded up the trailer, and headed out to get the piece of history that was waiting for us. After lots of wd-40, a come along, and a lot of sweat, the Coupe was loaded up on the trailer and officially in my possession.
Then it was time to do some brainstorming and find out just what all this older man knew about the cars history. Little did I know what I was fixing to find out. As I set their in the hot Texas sun listening and jotting down the story I felt like I had stepped back to a different time and place and could feel the history prevailing in front of me. The Coupe was purchased from the original owner from Grand Island, Nebraska in 1957. The flatty was quickly changed out to a 1955 Pontiac 287 with a Dual Range Hydromantic, and the front end was slightly modified with a 47 front end to have the sway bar, juice brakes, etc. It was at this time that friend up his nick named the Coupe “The Warrior” which was painted on the fender down low where the cutouts came out from under the car. The car was driven as his daily driver while running Deiken automotive but come Friday night it evolved in to a pavement screamer as he would say. He ran C Gas/ Automatic for three years 1958-61 where he set a class record in Julesburg, CO. He raced at many tracks which included, Lincoln and Kearney, Nebraska, Denver and Julesburg, CO, as well as Omaha, Nebraska while serving as a Regional Advisor under Wally Parks. In 1962 he felt that it was time to let the Coupe go so he sold it to a local Plumbing Co owner by the name of Dave Herman. He alter sold it to Jim Ross and Don Keller. The changed out the tired 55 Pontiac motor for a bigger more powerful Pontiac 389 using the same tranny. Also replaced the banjo for a 1957 Chevrolet rear end, split the wishbones, lowered the steering column, and replaced the rear buggy spring for parallel leafs. They partnered on the coupe and ran it from 1962-65 running in B/MP. This was a modified production class.
He did not know what had happened to the Coupe until one afternoon in 1971 while driving through town he seen a Coupe in a residential area behind a fence. As curiosity sank in he went back a few days later to see if it could be his Coupe. Sure enough it was and after visiting with the current owner and working out a deal he had gotten his Coupe back. His plans were to restore it just like it was when he was running it at the strip but time, money, and divorce never allowed him too.
Fast forward a little to 1982 he moved to Texas as well as the Coupe and the Coupe has set untouched under a tarp 80% of the time and shade trees , untouched, unmolested, for 17 years. The only pieces he said where missing where the radiator, running boards, and the hood latch.
The old man was happy to see me get it; he said he could tell I was excited like he was when he originally got it. He said it was not the money and that he could have gotten more for it but just having the peace in his heart to know that it was go-ing to a good home made the deal better for him. I even called him after I made it home safely to assure him that it made the trip home safely. So you may ask what I have in store for the Coupe. I really don’t know rite now. It just has too much history to go and cover it up. I wish the paint was in a little better shape to run as is. I may just build it as is and take it to a few hot rod Reunions and see what all I can find out about it. Hopefully I can find out more from the other previous owners. I do have tot ake the owners wife for a ride as soon as it gets going. He was supposed to ahve rebuilt it for her many years ago. There is a Sonic close by so I said one Friday night I would come pick her up and give her a ride and get a shake. Above all though it is safe now and I promise to give it a new chapter in its life filled with many miles of freedom in true old style hot rod form. You just never know about these old cars what kind of life they have had. It is so cool to know your car you are building and to know waht kind of life it has had. I just hope I will carry on a story that will complete it life.

Here it is from first sight

 

A few more







Heres the old owner.

 

A little scothbrite on the primer and some washing and you can read all the writing clearly.

 

thats AWESOME, and it has a GREAT home, cant wait to watch the buildup

 

this couldn't have gone to a better guy! This will make a great family car!

 

I second that! I bet you can "knock it out" pretty quick too....

 

i agree. good find!!!something that cool deserves to be on the road agian!!

 

That's awesome!! Any pics of the primer scrubbed off? That front end looks like it's perfect.

 

Little does that guy know it's gonna be next week.

And Rusty.. you're actually getting pretty good at this writing stuff.

 

It is funny you replied so soon, The only cool pics I could find that even somewhat described the future plans where pics of your car. Your car really done me in at the Roundup. I will get the new pics tonight and show them tomorrow. I thought I had them on this camera.

 

WATTA TRIP. Damn that's cool as hell. The luck of some people.

 

That's exciting! I was just flooded with memories of when my Dad and I picked up his coupe when I was a teenager.

I know you will do the right thing with it, and make the previous owner glad to have sold it to you.

Dad's (now mine) coupe looked about like that the day we brought it home 21 years ago, but it was never a race car. I had to scrub the mold from it with a scotchbrite pad. After we got it driveable, we replaced the front and rear glass (it looked like yours), and rolled the windows down for the inspection.

Thanks for sharing...

Slonaker

 

Awesome find, glad to see it has gone to a good home.

 

Wow! '38s and '39s are my favorites..... I tried to get that blue '38 Deluxe at Decatur, but when I came up with the cash, someone else did that same day, too.

 

glad it will be back on the road

 

Thats going to be one awesome ride.........

 

Wow, that is kick-ass! Sounds like it was meant to be. I am sure you will do it up right, and it will look great at the HAMB drags!

 

i had it saved and was watching it to get it on the e-gay and the next thing i know its gone!im glad you got it also

 

Thanks man, I'm flattered.

 

Great story!!
Is this cool or what?!!!
If this car was on the circuit for that many years, you'll be sure
to find some pictures of it running on the strip. Wait until you find some good original pictures before touching that body. i love the lettering.
The lettering can be repaired and look good as new. I'm sure there are some artists here who would jump at the chance. Couldn't have went to a better guy. Pj

 

WOW!! Awesome find. Motor still in it?

 

As fast as you build stuff, you probably had it on the road in the time it took you to type all of that!

Congrats on the score. Sounds like it HAS to have a Poncho of some sort in it. A 389 tripower would be bitchin'.

 

congrats on such a cool find.the history makes it even better.

keep us posted.

-danny

 

I saw that one too, but had no idea the history behind it. Congratulations, sweet car!!

Bryan

 

Wow. I almost cried. This is awesome. It is hard to decide what to do with it. This is such a great story and what it's all about. This car has been/will be reborn.

 

I'm all choked up. Let me know if you need any kind of help and I'll do my best to chip in. It would be an honor!

 

Please send title and keys to.....

 

man thats awesome, i love those cars, i love the cars you build, and to top it off i love hearing "hot rod history" from were im actualy from. proving that it wasnt just some california thing.

cant wait to see were this thing goes

tim

 

Damn, you type a lot... if you're no faster at typing than me you could have had it running already . That was good enough to read twice, that's the kinda' stuff us old farts dream of (well, at least this one) ....thanks.
Cool find, cool car and knowing the history is great, good luck with the build.


CC