I'll be splitting time between helping with the 40 and working on my 63 (avatar). My dad has every intention of making progress on it after work as much as possible, just like he did when he originally put it together. I know I won't be there for everything, but I'll catch what I can. I think I may buy the 4v Cleveland off him and wedge it in my 63 once the 40's on the road. I've been doing research into Cleveland Weber set ups ... mhrm ... don't tell my wife .... *cough cough *
A bit of an update - Today we got a little more settled in. Removed the hood, unboxed the transmission, got the flywheel fitted, ordered some parts, worked on removing the original 1940 fuel tank that my dad refurbished when he was younger, but realized we'll need to drop the passenger side parallel leaf springs, shock, and assembly to get the old tank out. He bought a new stainless tank and pick up tube from Bob Drake a few months back that'll go in and we'll run new lines to the motor since the old one is pretty crusty. Today he also unboxed a !!!BRAND NEW!!!! 40 Ford bumper that he bought in 1988. LOL. It never made it out of the box because in 1989 he had my older brother and didn't stop having kids until 2000. Found some pretty interesting newspaper packing in the box. Getting ready to mate the trans and motor. I need some sunglasses for all that polish. Dad's motto is "SAVE EVERYTHING", so every 77 year rusted and stripped-out old bolt and screw had to be pre-approved for disposal. This isn't a restoration, this is a Get This Thing Back On the Road. This engine is a bit of a ring of gold in a pig's snout, but it doesn't make it any less cool. It's his car, built the way he wants it. Maybe he'll get to work on the body once he can drive it... The Bat Cave has some nice workspace. Once we finish replacing the tank and fuel lines we're going to fire up the 4v 351 Cleveland one last time before pulling it out. He did a pretty good job snugging it in there without chopping the firewall. On a side-note I bought a 64-65 narrow bolt pattern, close ratio toploader today for my '63 Fairlane. Been looking for awhile. Pretty stoked about it.
I don't have a lot of pictures, but THE MOTOR IS IN! Trans is bolted up to the cross member, some sheet metal that was cut and bent in the 70's was returned back to its factory position and welded back up, including removing the fiberglass tunnel hump he made when he was in his 20's. Dad also took a wire brush to some of the surface rust in the trunk and interior and painted over it with some thick automotive paint. New Holley electric fuel pump, regulator, and braided lines are hooked up to the tank. He still needs to wire ignition, get headers (using Sanderson Shorties), get the drive shaft in, which we're waiting for. free picture hosting for ebay The more I see of this car the cooler it gets. It's got a 4 inch Super Bell Drop I-beam axle and some pretty nasty cool stealth ladder bars he made a long time ago. Unfortunately he lost the work space, so late last night we loaded it onto the trailer and dropped it off at his garage at home. Space is much more limited, but things shouldn't be that bad now that the fuel tank and motor/trans are in. There's also much more space with the fenders and hood off and out of the way. Hopefully now that it's home he'll continue to make progress. It'll be more fun shaking up the neighborhood with the first start up then an empty warehouse, anyways.
Progress has been slow. My little sister (19 yr old) was diagnosed with a pretty severe sickness, so our family has been working through it. My own wife is battling some hardships with a TBI she had in 2014 which left with bad epilepsy. Hopefully with the holidays rolling around we can get out the the garage and work on it since we have a few days off and everyone is home. In the past few months Dad measured and ordered a new aluminum drive shaft, which he had painted. He also ordered a new radiator and push-through fan, which have yet to go in (along with the 40 deluxe grill that's been sitting in the basement for 15 years). We're also trying to figure out the header situation. He doesn't have the space for full or mid-sized headers, so he's ordered a couple different sets and is thinking of chopping the drivers side block-huggers to get them in. Wiring + ignition is coming next. One of Dad's oldest friends has owned his 39 Ford longer than he has (both of their entire lives) and just re-painted it, which I think gave my dad some extra motivation.
Keeping the inner fender panels and don't want to chop them up. Plus that's what they would expect us to do.
I can't believe it's been almost 4 years... Dad was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, pretty aggressive blood cancer which manifested on his spine. His initial prognosis was not good, but by the grace of God through chemo and extensive surgery to remove the tumors and he's been given a clean bill of health. It's been a rollercoaster the past couple years between his health, my little sister's health, and my own wife's battle with depression, but I think we've come through the worst of it. I think having cancer has changed his outlook on life and helped to put some things in perspective. I don't think he's ever been a very material person, but the cancer certainly solidified that his 'stuff' is really just....STUFF. I've been busy between teaching middle school virtually, managing an upcoming mobilizations with my Reserve unit, as well as working on my '63, but I finally have an UPDATE. These photos and videos are all things that he's texted me so quality isn't the greatest, but it's something. As of August, he's started up the engine. Wiring is pretty much complete, he just needs to finish some of the accessories, tail lights, etc. He went with a Painless kit and he absolutely hated it. Today he's working on building the exhaust. Pretty soon it'll be on the road!
Here's an old photo my mom dug up from about 94 or 95 at the house I grew up in. The green truck bed was my dad's 69 Ford Custom my brothers and I called "Rocket Dog" lol. At the time the 40 wasn't running. I believe he pushed it out of the garage to wash it and take photos for insurance reasons. Generally it had about an inch of dust sitting on it. He refused to pile things on it and always left the area around it clear in case he needed to get to it. It's amazing he kept hope that some day he'd be able to drive it again. I'm glad that he will soon. *side note* I distinctly remember being a kid, standing next to my dad in this garage as he chatted with Gary (owner of the 39 posted above) when he stopped by with his '39 gasser. It's those little moments that encouraged me to get into cars. I don't think I realized how cool it was at the time. Looking back... it was pretty cool.
WOW! Good to see the progress and to see the engine come alive. I'm excited for you as well as your Dad. Sorry to hear about the health issues of the Family. Look forward to seeing the car in person someday. I see Gary's car quite often, in fact just a few weeks ago at a garage party up almost to Harford County. Of course it is well traveled for sure....................Don.
A bit of an update... Dad's been working on the 40 a bunch getting a ton of tiny things finished off. It's CLOSE. Finished the brakes, he fabricated the exhaust routing through the frame, put a new bumper, grill, re-wired the headlights and turn signals, and got new lenses. Those turn signal lenses have been cracked and broken since I was a very small child and I'm 30 now. Pretty amazing.
He built the building around 2000-2001 himself and leases it out. It's currently vacant and housing a bunch of street rods from one of the local shops.
The Jalopy Journal
