Intro: Rags To Richs

[Rags To Richs]

WOW.... Where do I start....

Just turned 62 and getting ready to retire... Been building buy and tradeing Hot Rods & Kustoms since I was 15... Still have a couple of projects in the work 1934 Ford HiBoy Roadster (Nostalga Style Flathead Powered) and a LoRide 55 Thunderbird. My current drivers is a 1940 Mercury Kustom Convertible and a 1956 Chevy 150.
One Resto 1982 Corvette.. Currently working on a trade for a 1939 Chevy Sedan Delivery.

I can see that the HAMB is going to be a great place to exchange info and possibly be a good source for finding parts. This actually brings me to my first question. Having always been a Ford guy and now setting my sights on Chevy Im somewhat at a loss for good reproduction parts for the 1930's to 1940's Chevy parts... Hell you can build a complete Ford using aftermarket parts but GM parts seem to be somewhat scarce from reproduction houses...
Anybody out there got a Good Vendor for 1939 Chevy Stuff....:confused:

Im sure that Im going to enjoy the message board.......

Rich King
NJ
AKA Rags to Richs.........

[Bob K]

Hey R2R, Welcome to the HAMB, sounds like a nice stable of cars and projects. You should fit in well here.

Did anybody mention

WE LIKE PICTURES !!!!!!!!!!!!

Bhttp://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL237/1412684/14384586/294630529.jpgB

[Rags To Richs]

Pics of the 40 Mercury Kustom Convertible

[Rags To Richs]

Check out my second post for Pic's of my Merc....

[Bob K]

Me likee vely vely much.

Is that a folding top?

How did you mount your sombreros?, with a beauty ring adapted to the back?

Bhttp://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL237/1412684/14384586/215389210.jpgB

[Rags To Richs]

Yes the top folds and it also has a full headliner..... The trick to getting into the original top well was to create a MOVING PIVOT for the top mechanism....

53 Caddy caps with chrome bullet in the center required cutting off the back of the original leaving about 1 1/2 inches of the original back... Then a ratty set of beauty rings and a shit load of TEK Screws and your ready for the road....

Thanks for the Complement....

[Rags To Richs]

392317

392318

Couple pictures of the Bird Project

[Sam F.]

Im somewhat at a loss for good reproduction parts for the 1930's to 1940's Chevy parts... GM parts seem to be somewhat scarce from reproduction houses...
Anybody out there got a Good Vendor for 1939 Chevy Stuff....:confused:



......

have you tried www.chevsofthe40s.com
they have about everything for late 30's thru early 50's.

oh,and welcome:)

[Rags To Richs]

Sedan Delivery Swap fell apart.... Seller and I couldnt come to terms... Sunday Im heading to South Jersey to look at a 32 Ford Hiboy Roadster.... Hopefully it will be in my garage come monday........

Rags....

[Cajun Kenny]

good luck..

[Rags To Richs]

New Project.....

Just picked this one up and strongly considering a Tail Dragger Kustom...

Sittting on a fresh Fatman Chassis.... Needs some floor work and a total rewire.

And Yes those Directionals are Fkn UGLY.......

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1940%20Ford%20Coupe/081008-031940FordCoupeLeftFront.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1940%20Ford%20Coupe/081008-041940FordCoupeLeftRear.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1940%20Ford%20Coupe/081008-051940FordCoupeInterior.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1940%20Ford%20Coupe/081008-061940FordCoupeDash.jpg

Enjoy..........

Rich
Rags to Richs.....
North Jersey

[HotRod33]

You have some great looking cars....Glad to hear that you are able to get out of the everyday rat race and enjoy life...I'm jealous that you made it before I did......

[Rags To Richs]

Well it all boiled down to the loss of so many friends... All of a sudden you wake up and say what the "F" im not getting any younger... Retirement is far better than I ever dreamed imaginable.. Wife is still working that keep her out of my hair for the better part of the day.... And there really never seems to be an urgency anymore... It was always a big deal to get as much done on Sat and Sun..... Now it dont matter monday thru friday works just fine.. Its a little hard to adjust your spending but Im kind of getting use to it... I find that now I spend time looking for things that I really need as opposed to things I want..... OH Ya... On other thing that seems to come to mind.. All of a sudden you realize that you dont need all that STUFF that you aquired over the last 40 years.... Dont wish your life away.... That comes sooner than you think.... And yes the TIME does fly by when your having fun.........

Rich.............

[Randomrodder]

Hi Rich, I remember your Merc from Mecungie and many other runs from back in the early 90s. Beautiful car.

[Rags To Richs]

Just an Old Shoebox Lover.........

Let me give you a little back ground... about 9 years ago I had a 50 Shoebox. Great little car never gave me a problem other than the shitty suspension (Cut Coils and Blocks) but the little 283 just ran so good and never let me down like other cars that I have owned. Like a DUMB ASS my cousin kept hounding me to sell the little shoebox to him and feeling a little bit sorry that he had been diagnosed with a heart condition and had to give up his Harley's I felt sorry for him... Well he drove the car for a season and then decided to trade it for a Rat Rod "T" I guess he just couldnt get use to the roof over his head... Anyway I helped him finish up the "T" and get it on the road and shortly after that he passed away from a massive heart attack..... I regret the day I gave the car up but glad he got to enjoy it for at least 1 season.... The last I know of the car it was somewhere in OHIO.... Just maybe a HAMB member owns the car now.

See Pictures below.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1950%20Ford/1950FordShoeBoxFront.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1950%20Ford/1950ShoeBoxRear.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1950%20Ford/WrapYourAssinRollsPleats.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1950%20Ford/1950FordInterior.jpg

THE STORY CONTINUES.............

Now this is not my first Shoebox.... Actually back in 63 (Senior Year in HS) I was driving a Chopped 51 Vicky... But Im sure that has met its demise long ago....

Over the past 9 years I have missed the 50 and always considered building another one but it seems like the Street Rod guys that got tired of bouncing around in those little Model "T, A and B" have jumped on the band wagon and drove the prices through the roof... Oh I didnt jump out of the hobby... Im still driving my 40 Merc Conv Kustom or My 32 HiBoy... Still the thoughts of another Shoebox has always been there and I knew that the next one would have to be a Chopped Kustom.... So I keep looking....

Years ago a very dear friend of mine described what he called the
GREEN CAR THEORY.

According to him he explained that the BEST old cars finds are PAINTED GREEN. His logic on this was that most green cars were purchased by VERY Conservative people that tended to keep their cars in very good condition and didn't often buy new cars but would strictly maintain their existing cars and keep them in pristine condition. I have always remembered that statement as I looked at and purchased many old cars over the years. And yes I do have to agree that the best original old car that I have found were always green.

So with that when I seen the ad I proceeded to call the owner and I immediately asked him what color the car was. When he replied green I just new I had to take a look.



Well 2 Days before Christmas 08 an ad had came up on CRAIGSLIST for a 50 Tudor that had been in storage..... I gave the guy a call set up a time to see the car 12/27/08...... I took one look at the 50 and within 5 minutes I purchased the car and made arrangments with the seller to transport the car to my friends home where a vast majority of the work will be done.

Description
There is only one word for this car UNBELIEVABLE...


These pictures in the link are straight off the trailer..... As you can see by the mud on the front of the car we had one hell of a job getting out from behind the garage...

Before I took the photos I removed the original FORD Rubber floor mats as the jute was damp from sitting on ground.... The odometer reads 54,000 miles which I truthfully believe is correct... Last time the car was on the road was 1959 and has been sitting on jack stands in a garage since then (50 YEARS) The headliner is flawless and not a tear or stain anywhere.. The original seats have the original material with slip over seat covers....I hooked up a battery and every electrical functions, Lights, Directionals, Back up light, heater fan etc.... The original spare tire is actually bolted down and has the original bumper jack... Obviously the tires are dry rotted but have about 90% Tread.... All the hub caps and beauty rings are in place... The glass with the exception of the left rear quarter window is perfect. The quarter window is fogged on the edges... The rear vent windows kick out. The underside of the car looks perfect with the exception of the muffler..... The car sits level and rolled like a dream.... No brakes Obviously no fluid.. The engine is stuck... I put some lube into the cylinders and expect that it will free up..... The oil in the crankcase is cleaner than the oil in my daily driver.

This was a REAL FIND... THIS IS A ONE OWNER CAR.... It belonged to her dad and she told me the her father and she actually undercoated the car when he purchase it new in 1950.... The car was repainted around 56 in Lacquer (same color as original)... Some pitting on the bumpers and chrome.... Oh yes one more thing the gas tank is in tact.. no signs of rusting and I checked the cap... even the inside of the gas neck was clean... The cardboard in the trunk that cover the inside of the rear quarters looks like new obviously not seen light in 50 years.
All of the interior door panels, and quarters are in nice condition..... No rust on the bottom of the doors.... All the glass wiskers look almost new.... Drivers Side Door garnish molding has surface rust from thinning paint......

The dirt on the deck lid is from this guys dogs standing on the trunk lid with muddy feet.....

This car sat on Cinder Blocks for the past 50 years in a Garage with NO Windows. you might say total darkness for 50 years... Im even surprised that the seat covers are not dry rotted... One more thing.... The car still has the original air in the tires... When the owner lowered it off the blocks all the tires were inflated...


http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1950%20Ford%20Rich%20King/122708-101950FordShoebox-1.jpg


SLIDE SHOW LINK

http://s167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1950%20Ford%20Rich%20King/?albumview=slideshow (http://s167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1950%20Ford%20Rich%20King/?albumview=slideshow)

This is an active Photo Link.... Updates to the car will be made to this link.

I hope you all enjoy the story and keep watching the link for updates.

[Rags To Richs]

Just a little Update.......

Well the 40 Coupe is now history... Early spring brought a swap that I just couldnt pass up.... Now included in the Stable is a Roadster Pickup....

Great Ride, Goes Like a Bat out of hell... and is comfortable

Enjoy
Rich and Rocky

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1932%20Ford%20Roadster%20Pickup/c1fe2ec5.jpg


http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1932%20Ford%20Roadster%20Pickup/3695846e.jpg



http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1932%20Ford%20Roadster%20Pickup/775f9847.jpg


http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u159/KING2230/1932%20Ford%20Roadster%20Pickup/8f36c2e7.jpg