Projects Just picked up a family project

Hello, My name is Dick. After a whirl wind of back and forth with my wife's family we were able to purchase my recently departed grand father in-laws 53 Ford customline club coupe. We had to pay a decent amount of money to get it but it was better than them selling it to a random guy.
I have had and built several cars and have been building bikes for the past few years. Until this car the oldest I had was a 62 f100 with a 292 y block. So I am excited to take on this flathead as I believe it was the last year they came in these models. I have a nice shop and a good metal working skills and equipment so I should be able to handle whatever I need.
This project is intended to be something my daughter can help me work on and the whole family can cruise in. Here grandpa purchased the car in 1985 from some collector museum is Ohio. He paid 3k for it and we have all the documents from that. My wife used to help him clean it up and get it ready for the local cruises.
Okay okay...pictures.

20220227_112729 by RuleHard posted Mar 12, 2022 at 6:29 AM

20220227_112658 by RuleHard posted Mar 12, 2022 at 6:29 AM

20220227_112738 by RuleHard posted Mar 12, 2022 at 6:29 AM

20220311_202701 by RuleHard posted Mar 12, 2022 at 6:29 AM

20220311_202742 by RuleHard posted Mar 12, 2022 at 6:29 AM

20220311_203008 by RuleHard posted Mar 12, 2022 at 6:29 AM

Her grandpa could no longer keep it running about 15 years ago and it's Sat in his garage under a cover since. I had to use a hokey ass winch setup to drag it into the trailer. Now I have to figure out have to get it off the trailer and in the shop ( rear brakes are stuck). Of course here in the Midwest spring has been reading is and last night it got down to 9 degrees so she is going to appreciate the heated shop.

 

Pictures not working.
Did you check the parking brake? You might just need to bang on or unhook the cables.

 

Welcome to the HAMB.
To you and yours.

I can imagine the "whirlwind". Obviously, your wife is the one among her family who really cares about it. And you're making it happen.

Stuck brakes. Oh... you worked pretty hard to get that car on the trailer. LOL.
Good thing you used the approved "HOKEY-ASS" winch.

Can't see your pictures.
Use the "add files" button.

Good luck with everything!

 

I'm not sure if there is a button that make them private but I'll check that. The brake is "released" but I'm assuming it's the parking brake that's stuck because it was on. It got too cold to care last night haha.

 

Yeah we worked hard alright. Everyone was telling me it wasn't going to work so I had pride on my side lol.
I added the photos by making a gallery and then adding the files to post. I can see them and I don't see any sort of private setting. Maybe it's because I am new...I'm not sure.
Can you see this?

20220227_112729 by RuleHard posted Mar 12, 2022 at 6:29 AM

 

Nope. comes up Hamb error

Ben

 

And again..lol

 

There she is what a beautiful car. Welcome to the Hamb.

 

Sweet sedan. Enjoy your family together time on this project.

 

Aside from freeing up the brakes, what are the plans?
Looks like a very complete car.

 

Vacuum the interior, wax the exterior, get the mechanicals functioning, and DRIVE that beauty.

 

Yeah it was a driver for a long time so it basically just needs some tuning up from sitting.
I would like to put disks on the front since I plan on putting miles on it. Also converting to 12v would be nice. Other than that I'd like it a little lower. I'm tetering on doing some black flames on the front but we will see what happens. The initial push is getting it running and driving to take it to Vintage torque fest late April.

 

Got yourself a winner there. That car will stand out from the herd as it’s a seldom seen body style these days. Enjoy.....

 

I intend on it being well driven. Our family likes to take adventure trips to car shows and stuff so this will make it fun.

 

This has got me confused. Her grandpa always said it was a club coupe. I started looking through pictures on line and the info I found said there was a sedan coupe that had a longer roof and pretty obvious large rear windows. Then there was a club coupe that was shorter roofed and had small rear windows. What is the technical class of this?

 

Great car.

 

This is what I thought was the "2 door sedan"

 

Great looking car. I'm 71 and have never seen that style. My dad had a '53 2 door sedan, and the roof was longer. I would think you're right that it's a club coupe. Keep us posted.

 

Don’t know what body style, but it’s good looking!!! Welcome and enjoy!!!

 

I live not too far from you, I go through lacon often when I work in Peoria or when I go on motorcycle rides. I'm up in Mendota

 

Nice car....use the "Full Image" button when you upload pics

 

Club coupe is correct.

 

That is a beautiful '53 Ford Club Coupe. Clean it up, make sure it is road ready, drive and enjoy the car!

 

If it's still on your trailer with the brakes locked up, you might be surprised how slippery the deck can get using liquid dishsoap (Sunlight was my go to). I've drug cars on and off the trailer using that trick.

Nice car btw, and based on the price on the auction picture, I don't think you over paid.

 

at $3k, that's a bargain.
Great-looking car. As others have said "Enjoy"

 

Thanks for the responses, I was able to drag it off the trailer by way of several questionable means. First the hacs were locked up, I got one spinning with the hammer trick, then I found suddenly the front was locked up now. Drug it half way in and magically the other rear started moving. Now only one is stuck but needless to say all of them are going to need gone through.

 

We paid 7500, more than I wanted to pay since it was in the family but it adds to the story of it and it's in my shop now so that's what matters.

 

Congratulations, your car is definitely a 1953 Customline Club Coupe, body style 72B. HRP

 

Nice club coupe, and with family ties too. You and the family are gonna have fun cruising that.