This week my friend John managed to buy an old hot rod that had been built in the 60's. The car is made up of the front half of a 1918 Chev touring body set on a Model T frame. This car was built locally, and has been in storage virtually ever since it was built. The builder passed away in 1971, and the old rod has been stored with a couple of owners since. The chrome work that was done in the 60's still gleams! John has had his eye on this rod for many years, and was in the right place at the right time when it became available. A deal was struck and the Chev now finds a place in John's home. The old rod has a 46 Ford flathead with three Stromberg 97's, and a Harmon Collins magneto (how rare is that!). The mill is backed by a 39 Ford trans and a 48 Ford rearend mounted with a Model T rear spring. 48 Ford brakes all around, and there are 59 Buick finned drums on all four corners. A Corvair box handles the steering. John was lucky enough to get several boxes of spare parts with the purchase. Here are a few pics. Who says they aren't out there anymore!
John has the rod stored in his basement. He cut out the wall and built a big door in its place to get the rod in! Like me, he has too many cars.
What a grouse looking jigger! Wow every home should have one, well at least this one should! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Here is John looking very happy with his new purchase. He knows how lucky he is to have the old rod finally at his place. We first saw this car in the 80's, sitting inside someone's garage. It looked the same then as it does now. That is the interesting thing about this rod - it was built in the 60's but appears never to have been completely finished or run. So everything is still in perfect shape, and John will be the one to take it to completion and finally put it on the road. He promises to take some closeup pics and I will post them so you can see the detail that went into this build.
The old rod came with a truck load of extra parts - flywheels, clutches, block and heads, brake drums - and some NOS pieces like friction shocks. It does not appear that the front shocks were ever put on, one of the few details that were not completed with this build. It remains a mystery why this car got so close to completion but was never finished or run.
The Jalopy Journal
