Features Another "They are still out there" post

I too would love to learn how you located it

 

Man, that is nice, and I like your plan for it. Congrats

 

Great Find.

 

X3…..would love to hear the story

 

nice find, where are you located in Illinois, maybe bring it to Scrap Drive?

 

It will be at the Scrap Drive if i have time to go through it to the point that i feel it is safe and reliable enough. 3 years ago i broke down with my 32 5 window less than a mile away from the fairgrounds.Spent the rest of the day trying to get back on the road and eventually waiting for a flatbed to bring me home. Don't want to re-live that experience,lol.
Thanks for the kind words, Bob

 

Nice! Takes me back to my high school days.

Dave

 

So i sold my 32 5/w a few weeks ago ( posted here about it leaving home) and was without an old Ford. A situation i'm not comfortable with as i have always had one or more at any given time for the last 40 or 50 years. Anyway, as i said, i had been looking for a 39 deluxe coupe to put a caddy in but all i was finding was old street rod projects with mustang front ends , bitchen firewalls and tweed interiors.Most were missing the cool art deco details that i always loved about these cars. Also some completely restored or over restored cars .Not really my thing.I had some friends putting out the word as well and had gotten a few leads but nothing i felt i wanted to move on. Anyway, i got a message from a very nice older gent (even older than me!) who was a life long Early ford enthusiast. He said he had an original paint 39 deluxe coupe that he was thinking of selling but not really sure.He provided his phone # and of course i called right away.He explained that the original owner became too old to drive in 1972 so he put the car in the garage where it stayed until he passed away.He purchased the car from the orig owners son,putting the car in storage again for another 10 years and never doing anything with it.Suffice to say that he had other old fords to drive and work on so this one was not on his short list.At this point he realized he most likely would not get to it and would consider selling. I was away visiting my son in South Carolina so i could not go see it as soon as i would have liked. He sent me a few pics which weren't great but good enough to make me want to see the car. I wanted to send him a deposit but he refused, promising to hold the car until i could come see it. I was a bit nervous for the following 2 weeks because i have lost out on cars under similar circumstances but to his credit he was as good as his word and held the car w/o advertising it or otherwise letting anyone else know it may be available . So a few days after returning home my wife and i made the 5 hour trip to look at the car. We went prepared to buy the car on the spot and bring it home.We spent a good portion of the day with the seller and his wife, both really nice people. At the end of the day we negotiated a fair price , loaded it up and brought it home. I won't reveal what i paid but it was less than most of the aborted street rod projects i had looked at and much less than the older restored cars that were available. I felt that i needed a bit of a cushion, pricewise, not really knowing what i may have to put into it and as you guys know nothing is cheap anymore.
I know i will have a few more thousand into it by the time i give it some tires,shocks ,tune up parts,exhaust etc. Still, love the look and always excited to see a new one in the garage.
Bob

 

Thanks for the story. Really good to know that it is still possible to come across people that still honor their word!! Seems to be very few people like that left! Different times I guess.
Car is absolutely killer! I can only hope that someday I will come across one that good, if I’m patient long enough,…lol. Please keep us updated on progress! Love to see more as you go!

 

Bob,...hope to see the 39 at our show,...hopefully you never break down again, but if you are ever broke down that close to our show again, get word to us Tin Butchers, I'm sure some of us could give you a hand., we've got tools, trailers, and a shop not far from the fairgrounds.

 

Hard to go wrong with that one.

 

Perfect project.
Glad you're feeling better.

 

I don't mean that it's "Too Good" to make a hot rod out of but that it has remained untouched for over 80 years. A true survivor, and i may not want to fundamentally change the character and vibe of the car.I won't repaint it either.Just a personal thing i guess. Yours is beautiful though and thanks for the input and pictures. Bob

 

Very nice, happy 4 you .....

 

Did you use motor mounts that mount to the original ford biscuit mounts? Did you retain the orig transmission ? would be interested in more details.Mine has the original split radiator so that would have to go.

 

Beautiful Score !

 

It is so cool to see one that original looking. Congrats and enjoy.

 

Congratulations Bob and looks super solid and awesome. My buddy Pete has a caddy in his 40 standard coupe with a original transmission. Pete is also local and you can take a look at it .

 

Very nice car you found there, congratulations on that!
A pleasure to work on an untouched car as that, some stance and get it roadworthy, then you have the finest ride!!!

 

So are you only using half the radiator or do the full length tanks allow the entire core to be used even with one outlet and one inlet blocked? Did the aluminum flywheel come drilled for the ford clutch ? I have all the parts but can't locate the Hurst mounts. If i had a set to copy i could make some.
Thanks for the info.Great car! Bob

Thanks John

 

Thanks Uffe, great to hear from you. How are your projects comming along?

 

Thanks for the back story. I thought all car guys kept their word. Good luck with your project, looks like a ton of potential to me.

 

Images of Bob Young's '39 Ford coupe powered by 331 Cadillac built while Bob while residing in Hillcrest NY and was a member of The Draggin Derbys Hot Rod Club ~ 1959 / 1960 . Bob enlisted in the USAF and while away he stored his coupe in a barn in Whitney Point,NY. Upon finishing training on the AGM-28 (Hound Dog) missile was then stationed at Eglin AFB , FL. Upon returning to the NY barn he determined, the engine's block cracked due to a lack of anti-freeze. Bob then flat-towed his coupe to FL , using hitch clamped to his '56 Ford's bumper. The Eglin AFB had a Hobby Shop where G.I.'s could work on their cars as did most bases. He removed the entire drive train and subsequently acquired a complete J-2 Oldsmobile engine, gear shift bell h'sg and flywheel + a '37 Cad-Lasalle trans. The orig torque rear axle and buggy spring was to be removed then replaced with open drive shaft and parallel springs. The J-2 engine and custom exhaust headers was installed but, Bob then sold all of it, he can't recall to Who ??

" THEY'RE STILL OUT THERE"

 

Very nice solid car and a great story on how you ended up with it.

I agree with your plan, get it reliable and safe first. Then some bolt on speed parts, some suspension lowering, and keeping the paint and interior as they are.

 

dang thats awsome!

 

Nice car Bob,see you at the scrap drive!

 

Congratulations.