Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: Bruce Glenn's '39 Ford- Early Post War Custom Continue reading the Original Blog Post
A really nice Kustom! I am happy to see that the car has been preserved pretty much as built after so many years. Thanks for highlighting it for us.
Last I saw of it was in Santa Cruz, Ca., 1973. Mickey Sanders owned it, (Mickey's a superb bodyman; but somehow ends up with cars nobody could ever afford) He was repairing the window motor in the tailgate of a custom coachbuilt (Alfa Romeo? Can't remember, but never seen another one) station wagon that was built for 'Mama' Cass Elliot. (Peter Fonda bought it from her, and used it for hauling his and Dennis Hopper's dirt bikes to location in the desert, filming Easy Rider. Dennis tore the motor out of the tailgate and threw it in the sand, Mickey had to use one from a BMW!) Mickey also had a 1928 Rolls Royce that had belonged to the Queen of England! A full custom Merc, and Johnny Cardoza's ex '27 T Highboy...black nitro, all aluminum interior... I was reeling from the cars there, but business first. The Westergard 'hard top convert' wouldn't start, (324 Olds in there) so I went to work. Imagine, the Ultimate Magazine car, famous beyond imagination! And I got to be the 'doc'. A 'major tune up' was performed, everything checked. Compression was 110 +/- 5 psi, I remember like it was yesterday. It was like a new Olds engine! (I recalled Oldses at the dealership where I worked in '62, (Cadillac-Oldsmobile) when they got 'tired', there was NO starting them when hot. This one had very low miles) New plug wires, rotor, cap, and usual tune up. Plugs were slightly worn, black with soot from short starts to move it around... I don't have to tell you guys how to do a tune up...but imagine working on something you know backwards, and looking up and seeing that you're doing it in the engine bay of the WESTERGARD CUSTOM! Impressed ME... Fired right up, set timing, warmed it up...Mickey was astounded, (Not an engine man, just confined himself to body & paint; he took it like a 'big deal') He drove it on a short road test, I rode with him...Felt like a '39 Ford with a New smooth Olds mill! But what a thrill... He complimented me, "Nobody coulda done that!" I countered, "Crap! Look what YOU do!" I had pics, but they disappeared with the ex-wife. She was like a 'massage with a happy ending'. Rubbed me the wrong way for the last 4 years, then...Mercifully, she left!
Still got those cheap Appliance chrome wheels and Baldies! Someone should step up and bolt on a set of '40 Ford steelies and Cad sombreros. Those chrome 'Western Auto specials' have been on there too long! Harry and George would turn over...
Beautiful car and Great additional story Atwater Mike. It can park in my garage even with those crappy wheels....... Torchie
The car is still at the National Automobile Museum, Reno NV. (http://www.automuseum.org) I'm sure they would appreciate a donation of a set of Caddy sombrero wheel covers to help them lose Mickey's 14" rims and pencil thin whitewalls. Harrah's people dug up the DeSoto ribbed bumpers to set that detail right but didn't get to the wheel and tire revision.
Kinda' wide whites & Sombreros. A set of Sombreros, in good condition, these days would probably be worth more than my house. I'm so glad that there are people still out there that are willing and able to preserve this era.
I get why you would trade the headlights for sealed beams, but why would you mess with a 39 Ford grill? That ruins the car for me.
Well, I like the Packard grille, and nice to see someone molded the headlamp bezels. Other than the afore-mentioned chrome smoothies, if I had to pick fault I'd say the roof looks a little flat from some angles. Beautiful car, nevertheless.
My thoughts exactly. While I understand the tradition, I personally feel changing a '39-'40 Fomoco grille for anything else is definitely going the wrong way. Of course, there is no arguing taste. Lucas
Anyone know how many other examples of full customs by Westergard remain.....if there are any at all.
Thanks!. Very interesting article. The car in Reno is in pretty good shape but could use attention. I rode in it about 5 years ago when it and some others from the collection were taken across town to a golf tournament to be used as lawn art for the big name players while they sipped wine. It, like a lot of cars condemned to static display for looong periods of time tend to deteriorate. this one is no exception. I'd love to bring it home and do some work to it.
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