"The times they are a changin". With the lockdown thing going on and other things as well I'm not sure whats next. We have been on lockdown since my 77th birthday in Feb. Haven't been able to find a decent 40 project, my painter friend is nearing 80 and slowing down. The guy who was my engine guru/machinist passed way a couple of months ago and parts are getting harder to find. To have a shop here do the body/paint is $25-30K! I have been helping guys with 40 issues and playing with my own stuff.Also a guy wants me to do the finish work on a 37 Woody and helping my son-in-law with a 65 C10 . Not sure I will do another 40. I will probably keep my coupe but watch the parts section as it may be time to unload all this accumulation. Have NOS grills, dashes restored correctly, restored clusters and clocks, restored wiper towers, garnish moldings and lot of other pieces as well. Stay tuned.
Hate that it has come to this, but your legacy will surely live on for decades every time someone marvels at one of the masterpieces that you've built. .........Don.
had no where near the quantity & quality of stuff, especially with primary focus on a single year That you have - but, in '17 started clearing out the large portion of my stuff - over a year of hitting most local swaps, ads on eBay, craigslist, etc going to street fairs, having yard sales and a living estate sale, dump runs still ended up with stuff in storage unit after selling the country place and moving into urban area - still stuff in boxes have not opened - do not envy you especially now with slower than normal world due to virus - but, ya gotta do what ya gotta do - not the type to leave it for family to figure out how to do what I did
I doubt there'll be a problem selling your '40 Ford parts, other than the personal attachment I'm sure you have with them (funny how we all seem to share the struggle of turning loose those highly sought after parts we've accumulated throughout the years, with the understanding they may not be able to be replaced). You've helped out a lot of people on here with your expertise..I'm sure it's appreciated. Good luck in your future ventures.
olscrounger, I feel your pain. While I'm much younger than you, I've had a beast of a time building my '40 coupe I purchased off my father. It was a basket case that he had for decades, but he is to the point in life that building it isn't possible. It was missing a lot of parts that he swore I would easily find for cheap, but I quickly realized last year after getting the car that his "easy to find for cheap" was circa 2000 in his swap-meet experience and when you could open up a Bob Drake catalog and build a car new. Bob Drake and Dennis Carpenter have discontinued many parts, and I doubt they will ever come back into production despite Drake's optimism. Parts are either difficult to find, or people think they are made of gold as they try to cut a fat hog while there is still a generation of people who want a '40 Ford. I surmise that in ten to fifteen years, the pendulum will swing and both complete cars and parts will dive in prices as fewer and fewer people are alive to know what a 40 Ford is let alone want to own one. The adverse effect of that swing will be that the reproduction market dries up. There will come a day when 40's are like Model As and I can buy a restored driver for $15K. If I were smart, I'd start stockpiling 70's and 1980's Pontiac Firechicken and Camaro parts to sell when they are the rage in fifteen years, but then I'd have to deal with throwing up every time I went into the parts shed. I've been able to piece together almost everything I need for the '40, but I had to spend a lot of money doing it, was forced to buy many things new, and hand built what I could. The headliner retainers have been extremely difficult to find for a reasonable price and in good shape to where I'm going to make my own this weekend. $1 in sheet metal and two hours of labor seems far more reasonable than the $150 someone recently wanted for a pair. I can break the sheet metal and shrink in the curve easy enough, but I don't look forward to cutting all those hooks. Part of the fun of building cars is scrounging and fabricating, and I'll have the stories of the different people from whom I've gotten parts; however, it has also been unreasonably frustrating at times. If you decide to start clearing out your stockpile, seriously keep me in mind. There are a handful of parts I still need, including the wiper towers you mentioned. I have a usable pair, but the chrome is junk. PM me if that time comes and we can talk. I'm sorry to see 1940 Fords moving in their current direction, and I empathize with your generation in feeling that loss. There's still many of us from younger generations who will continue on and who appreciate the knowledge from our forefathers, if that brings any solace.
Actually thought I could swing by your place just to meet the next time I was in Sacramento - I had hoped it would be last Feb in my 39 coupe......just little body issues get in the way sometimes. I to have a lot of stuff through the makes also - my problem is I just love a Saturday off to scrounge an old wrecking yard - it is part of my problem. Good luck with yours !
My dad always wanted a '40 convertible and bought one a few years before he passed, around 2016. We quickly learned that 40 parts aren't nearly as easy to find as we initially thought they would be, especially convertible specific stuff. And we both had multiple pre 48 Fords going into this car. As it sits now, I've had to call around to find some stuff and sometimes the less popular suppliers still have old stock on the shelf. In a few other cases, stuff was backordered but then did become available again. I'm fortunate to be not too far from a guy who deals exclusively with original parts for '40's. Hopefully he continues to do it for a while longer.
They can't keep people locked down forever and you aren't the kind of guy to sit on a couch with a TV remote while you can still build cars.. I hope things turn around for you. You are hope for a lot of guys into 40 Fords. Hang in there. It's hard to go to another engine builder when you have trusted one for so long but there are others out there as well as painters etc. Sometimes good for less money. There are always young talented guys starting out that are trying to build a clientele. Younger buisiness minded hotrodders are buying established businesses and may purchase the mainstay suppliers as they come up for sale. Things are changing but may even get better in some ways. As people get sick of being locked down and unable to do anything they will probably come out with a vengeance and not want to waste days of their life. Maybe ambition will see a comeback.
Thanks For Your Reflections And Good Work Olscrounger But Always Recall That Wearing Olde Cars Out And Chasing Parts Is Also Part Of The Process...
Thanks all. It is just getting harder to get things done in a reasonable timeframe. In the past it took about 4 months from start to finish minus uph. Now it's excuses, stalling and general lack of quality work. I don't have the time or patience for this type of attitude. Not saying I'm totally done but it's much more of a hassle than in the recent past. My friend Joe who has 4 40's from here is going to look at a coupe and convert down his way-maybe something will happen there.
But what would you do instead? Collect stamps? Play video games? How about you move to Iowa and you can go anywhere you want to. And I can watch how you get a car built in 4 months. I can't build one in 4 years.
How about on your next build, take a lot of detailed pictures and explain each of your steps in detail, as you build the car. Take your information and put out a book on how to build a 40 Ford. I bet you would sell a thousand copies. I know I would by one.
Olscrounger, you’ve helped me out A LOT, and I really appreciate it. How about writing a little 40 build book, so much info in your head, a lot of guys could be helped out. I’d buy it! Times are definitely changing, regardless of how you feel about it, electric cars are just over the horizon, I can definitely see old stuff like ours being legislated out of existence, petrol is being ‘modified’ so much that old stuff can’t run on it, so maybe just enjoy your coupe, hopefully I’ll get to drive my sedan sooner than later.
Your still posting on a possible build which is the best. All in all I understand. The stay tuned part I’m taking your ready to thin the heard which again I understand. You have helped a bunch and I only wish I was one. The 40 is one of the best rides of all time and I’ve entertained a addition of just that. A tip of hat is in order.
If you can crank one out in 4 months, going a little slower with limited help should be good. Some of us let things drag out for decades. Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app