Register now to get rid of these ads!

Hot Rods THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by whodaky, Jul 9, 2019.

  1. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 1
    Around 18 months ago after I had made all the changes to my 3W, that I had bought off Peter Winnen. I was contemplating selling my 5W. With my well traveled/used and abused coupe needing a rebuild, that I wasn't really keen on doing..
    I hadn't totally made up my mind as regards to selling it when my nephew ( Brendon) dropped in for a visit. I told him what I was considering and he said I was mad ( he's not far off the mark I guess ). So we talked a bit more about it, with him eventually saying he would be prepared to rebuild it.
    I basically said to him if he was prepared to take on the rebuild, then he could have the coupe.
    You see I have never married and have no children. So at the end of the day, Brendon would eventually inherit the 5W anyhow.
    The shot below is not long after I got the 5W on the road in about 1988.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2019
  2. Fordors
    Joined: Sep 22, 2016
    Posts: 5,372

    Fordors
    Member

    Thus has to rank right up there with the HAMB’s greatest posts. Sure, you could send it down the road and pocket the money, but with Brendan getting the coupe it continues building memories in the family. No doubt Brendan will carry the tradition on when the time is right for him.
     
    AmishMike and Stogy like this.
  3. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 2
    Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Brendon dropped in to say hello. He told me that he and his mate ( Ange ) had started to disassemble the coupe.
    I then started talking about some of the experiences I have had with that old coupe and they are many and varied, I am here to tell you.
    That got me to thinking later, maybe I should write a history about the coupe; which has become as much a best friend to me as it is my hot rod.
    As I am not getting any younger and my memory isn't what it once was. I think this history needs to be documented in words, but more predominately with images. It will also give Brendon a much better insight into what it was and is all about with this old coupe.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2019
  4. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    Thankyou Fordors I appreciate your kind words.

    Geoff aka whodaky
     
    Stogy likes this.

  5. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 3
    So how did this 5W happen.
    Well around 1984 I bought Ross Mills'37 coupe and owned a couple of years. Ross actually bought it back from me ( and still has it ) for around what I paid for it at the time; $15000.
    So I was without a hot rod and didn't really know what I wanted. I had looked at a couple to buy, but couldn't find anything I liked.
    Then I got the February issue of Hot Rod magazine with Larry Stacy's 5W on the cover.
    Well this my sound a bit dramatic, but I think my life was changed forever after seeing that 5W and reading Gray Baskerville's article.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    AHotRod, hrm2k, Stogy and 2 others like this.
  6. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 4
    Around 6 weeks or so later I got up late on a Saturday morning and flicked through the vintage classifieds in The Age newspaper ( back then The Age on a Saturday morning had a good classified section, that usually had a couple of columns of vintage cars and parts ).
    Anyhow scanning the ads, my heart skipped a beat when I came to an ad that read çhopped steel '32 5 window coupe, 289/auto, steel wheels. $12000. I was stunned and couldn't believe it.. This could be the car that could become my version of the 'Larry Stacy' coupe.
    Any how, long story short, I ended up paying $15000 for the coupe; and as they say the rest is history.
    The two shots below is what I saw as I pulled up to look at and try and buy the coupe.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 5
    On the way home from looking at the coupe I dropped into my good friend Graeme Blaby's ( at the time he was working on his '33 tudor ) to tell him what I had gone to see. I told him I would be going down to pick it up after work on the Wednesday night. Graeme said to me to drop back in on the way home to show him my purchase.
    Another good friend ( Garry) and I on a very cold and wet evening went down to Bayswater to pick up the coupe. We also had to collect the front whitewall tires that came in the deal, which were out at 'Turtle's place in the Dandenongs ( but that is another story ).
    So we dropped into see Graeme on the way home as I said we would. Graeme came out and had a look at my purchase. He looked at me shaking his head, saying he'd been wrenching on his tudor for a couple of years and I had just laid down a bunch of cash and scored this great looking hot rod coupe. I had done it the easy way he reckoned. It was all good natured banter though.
    Also I would have to do a lot to the coupe to get it just the way I wanted it.
    One thing Graeme especially liked about my coupe, were the Firestone whitewall tires. He ended up getting some for his tudor and ran them for many years.
    Graeme has always been a great friend and inspiration to me.
    Below is a shot of Graeme's tudor.
    TO BE CONTINUED
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Bill Rinaldi
    Joined: Mar 23, 2006
    Posts: 1,877

    Bill Rinaldi
    Member

    Great post, keep it going!!! Bill
     
  9. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 W part 6
    So what did I get for my money? The body I very wells made up from a sport coupe and the rear roof section of an Australia '34 sedan. A real lot of work had gone into getting the roof just right.( In Australia we never got '32 5 window coupes, whilst many have been imported over the years, quite a few had been made up; so to speak.) The chassis was done be Rod City Repos. It features a 9' rear-end with a stainless and chromed 4-bar. The lower being chromed, shortened early Ford radius rods. The front end assembly consists of a chromed 4' dropped axle, with stainless 4-bar and a dead-perch.
    I also got a pair of Firestone whitewall tires for the front, as well a '32 hood top.
    Apparently the coupe had a killer Windsor and C4 auto in it that had been removed and replace with a very tired and worn out 289 and C4 auto.

    But I was extremely happy with what I got for my money. Although I did realise I would be spending another 3 to 4 thousand dollars to get this coupe on the road just the way I wanted it.
    The shots below are of when I got the coupe home. I fitted the whitewall front tires and sat the hood on.

    Looking at those shots I think back and remember that for quite a long time I couldn't believe I owned this coupe. When I purchased it, it had all the hot rod character in the world. I just put the time in and finished it off.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  10. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    Thankyou Bill. There are around 120 installments to this. So it may take 2 to 3 weeks. You'll probably be sick of the sight of my 5 window at the end of this.


    Geoff aka whodaky
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2019
  11. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 7
    I think this must have been sometime in'87, I am not totally sure though.
    My ultimate goal was to have the coupe totally complete for the '89 Street rod Nationals in Canberra..
    So the next 18 months or so I spent getting the coupe back on the road. Doing all the work myself, apart from rebuilding the engine and transmission.
    The shots below are the stage I had it was at until I would paint it over Christmas '89.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky.


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  12. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 8
    So it was around mid '88 when I had gotten the coupe back on the road. I think by now Doug Smith a member of the eastern Valley hot rod club had done the roadworthy, so I could submit that had have the registration changed into my name. I wasn't using the coupe much and was still doing lots of bits and pieces to it to get it closer to where I wanted it to be.
    My next big thing was to do the paint job. I would be having 3 weeks off at Christmas, so my plan was to have the coupe all bright and shiny at the end of that 3 weeks.
    From the article on Larry Stacy's coupe in Hot Rod magazine, I knew exactly what the layout of the paint on my coupe would be like. However, because the chassis of my coupe didn't need painting I decided my coupe would be yellow and red; rather than the white and red of the 'Stacy coupe'.
    I basically did the job in 2 parts. Doing the front of the coupe first. That being the grille, hood and the front part of the chassis that would be red.
    TO BE CONTINUED part 8
    Geoff aka whodaky


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    ct1932ford, Sancho, catdad49 and 2 others like this.
  13. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 9
    So after spending around a week, I had the front all done. I just had to bolt it all together and see how things looked. Of course I thought it looked great and was truly inspired.
    It was a very hot summer here that year when I was actually doing this and it was probably to hot to be painting ( more so in the low roofed carport my late father had built many years earlier ). But hey I was young ( is 30 considered young?, well lets just say I was much younger than I am now ) and I had a deadline.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2019
    ct1932ford, Sancho, catdad49 and 2 others like this.
  14. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 10
    Well after 2 weeks of very hard work, the coupe was looking a million dollars and my efforts had payed off big time. But there was still one detail to be done. Well two actually.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    ct1932ford, Sancho, catdad49 and 2 others like this.
  15. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTROY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 11
    As I said in my last post there was a couple more things my coupe needed, before I could call it finished.
    One was striping the scallops and sign writing the numbers.
    A couple of weeks before this would take place, I took the coupe down to show Graeme ( Blaby ). I parked it in his driveway, he came out of his garage, had a walk around and a good look at the coupe. I think his biggest compliment Graeme payed me that day was when he said, 'well you didn't F--- it up' You see when he saw it on the trailer the night we were bringing it home, he could see as I did, that it already had all the hot rod character in the world. He was pleased that I had seen it also and didn't it mess it up.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky
     
    catdad49 likes this.
  16. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 12
    Well about a month later Graeme's tudor was virtually finished and he had arranged with Paul Ledger to come to Graeme's on a Saturday to stripe and sign write my coupe and the Lady luck etc, that Graeme wanted done on the tudor. I can't have had my camera with me that day as I have no pictures of all this taking place.
    TO BECONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]
     
  17. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 13
    The final piece to finish my coupe came in the form of the 'BVILLE' number plates. I had a deadline to finish the coupe for the '89 nationals ( although they had taken place by this time ). But unfortunately I came up with the idea for the plates to late and they didn't arrive until about a week after the nationals. When they went on the coupe I think they were the finishing touch.
    Of course my friend Graeme always likes to put a different spin on things. When he first saw the plates, he looks at them and says; are you part of the Bournville Cocoa empire? Maybe this is why I painted some of the coupe brown later on.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]
     
  18. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 14
    So the coupe was finished, this would have been a number of months before the nationals. I had been doing little trips around home. So I thought a longer trip would be in order. As it happens the model car club in Ballarat was having a show, so me being a model car builder it would be a perfect 3 hour drive in the coupe.
    I had a great run on Sunday morning and pulled into the bottom of Ballarat's main street to look at the street map. No sooner than I had stopped than an FE Holden ute comes roaring round the corner, the driver sees my coupe and comes to a screeching halt. That is the first time I met Hodgey.
    I met and made a lot of good friends at that show and everyone seemed to like the coupe.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  19. akoutlaw
    Joined: May 13, 2010
    Posts: 1,258

    akoutlaw
    Member

    Love your coupe, but not a fan of the fenders. Other than that it looks great!.
     
  20. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 15
    As I said my goal was to have the coupe for the '89 nationals in Canberra, which I did of course.
    What amazed me the most at the nationals was the reaction to my coupe. I hadn't really let it be seen much prior to the nationals, so it was a bit of an unknown I guess. I thought people would like it, but I din't know that it would be as well received as it was. It was a very pleasant surprise and almost a bit overwhelming at the time.
    Below is a bunch of shots of the coupe with other hot rods of the guys that I hung out with at the nationals.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2019
    ct1932ford, Sancho, catdad49 and 2 others like this.
  21. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 16
    This is in front of my friend Chris'garage at his old house in Darnum sometime around '90.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodkay

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Sancho, akoutlaw and catdad49 like this.
  22. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 17
    Garry and I had taken the coupe up to a secret location for a bunch of shots. It sure looks good without the fenders. These were taken in '93.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  23. tub1
    Joined: May 29, 2010
    Posts: 549

    tub1
    Member
    from tasmania

    wodaky , I remember your car at the 89 nationals every one was talking about it, it was certainly without question one of a handful of outstanding cars at the nationals !, mind you don't be offended of these outstanding cars I think yours was probally the one that had cost the least, as you had bought the car for a good price then made it yours by spending time and effort to make it look just wonderful you sire know how to make a old ford look just cool
     
  24. tub1
    Joined: May 29, 2010
    Posts: 549

    tub1
    Member
    from tasmania

    wodaky , I remember your car at the 89 nationals every one was talking about it, it was certainly without question one of a handful of outstanding cars at the nationals !, mind you don't be offended of these outstanding cars I think yours was probally the one that had cost the least, as you had bought the car for a good price then made it yours by spending time and effort to make it look just wonderful you sire know how to make a old ford look just cool
     
  25. tub1
    Joined: May 29, 2010
    Posts: 549

    tub1
    Member
    from tasmania

    woops double post and I don't know how to delete
     
  26. catdad49
    Joined: Sep 25, 2005
    Posts: 6,396

    catdad49
    Member

    Geoff, what a great little coupe! That Hot Rod cover inspired more than few builds and I'll bet your car has inspired a few more. Someone did a great job creating this coupe then you have taken that and made it your own. I'll be watching for more of the history, Carp. Thanks.
     
    OLSKOOL57 likes this.
  27. WOW!!
    That is one fine hotrod. There's just something about a 32 5W that rings my bell.

    You boys build some bitchin' cars down your way.
     
  28. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    Thankyou for the responses guys.
    Tub1, you are right I think at the time I had just under 20 K in the 5W. I am just a regular guy and do virtually all my own work on my cars, so that obviously helps with costs.
    Geoff aka whodaky
    PS TUB1 In the second of the double posts just hit delete in the options beside your name that is under the message you posted.. Where it says reason for deletion, type 'double post'. Then click the blue delete post option.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2019
    Sancho likes this.
  29. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 18
    A while after the nationals I was talking to a friend ( Alan Barton ) in Perth ( in Western Australia, which is on the other side of the country from me ). Alan told me that The South City Street Rodders in Bunbury were organising a show for late in January '90. Alan suggested that maybe I should consider coming over in the coupe for the show.
    Well I have family and I had done the drive 3 times previously with my late father.
    So the seed was planted. I had always dreamed of driving cross country in a hot rod, after reading of Pete and Jake as well as the late Jim Ewing driving across the USA in their coupes in the 80's. Now that my 5W was finished, I guess I had the perfect hot rod to do it in. As they say the rest is history, as you will in the following posts.
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    akoutlaw, catdad49, Sancho and 2 others like this.
  30. whodaky
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 4,626

    whodaky
    Member
    from Aust

    THE HISTORY OF MY 5 WINDOW part 19
    Well now all I needed to do was make this happen.
    As I said in the last post I had made this drive across this great country of ours before, so I knew what it entailed. The other times we had driven across, my father and I were away for a month.
    This time I would be going by myself as space would be at a premium in the coupe.
    I also wanted to be away for 2 months this time, if I could swing that much time off work. I was working for the SECV ( State Electricity Commission of Victoria ) at the time, which was a big organisation with many employees. As it turned out the leave wasn't a problem. I would be away from the middle of December '89 to early February '90.
    The shots below are at, Nullabor roadhouse, Eucla and at the top of the Madura pass facing east
    TO BE CONTINUED.
    Geoff aka whodaky

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.