So,…. As the years go by it’s been suggested from friends and family that maybe I should sort through all my “treasures”…. And possibly find new homes for anything I can’t see myself using in the future (and I assume they mean “near future”)…. A lot of the cool Hot Rod stuff has been filtering down to a very young,.. very talented Hot Rod buddy, less than an hour away… and it couldn’t be going to a better home… With that said, I stumbled across this piece which has been with me for around 30 years (give or take)….. always with mixed emotions. Sometimes I think it’s funny,,… other times sad,… but always interesting. This 34 Grill came into my life when a friend called me after Michigan Deer Season,… and told me he had seen a 34 Ford Sedan in a junkyard in Kelava Mi. From his deer blind… sitting under a really big old Willow tree. I called the junkyard (there was only one in that tiny town). Sight unseen I made a deal on it (based on my friends description). and was going to head up with the trailer,… Well winter time in Michigan can be a strange and beautiful time (mostly strange)… a big Ice and Snow storm had come through and pretty much the entire state was effected… when I called the guy with the junkyard, he told me it was under about two feet of snow, in a hard to get to area.. I told him I would send him a check, and be up in the spring to get it. I think it was around April, I hooked up the trailer and headed out to the tiny town of Keliva. as I arrive I’m looking for this huge willow tree,… I went into the office and introduced myself… I asked the owner where I could find the old sedan,.. and the young guy behind the counter said,… that was where the old willow tree “WAS”. He pointed to a trail and said just walk back that way,… you’ll find it. As I approached what was left of the willow, I seen it was now horizontal…. And from under it you could make out some unfortunate shapes which were once a 1934 Ford Tudor…. It was squashed pretty flat,… just when I thought it was a total loss,… I see this grill still looking like it might be intact !… As I fight my way around,….. I seen the obvious. However it was pretty much the only salvageable item on the entire car… I borrowed a bow saw and walked out of the junkyard with my new treasure… Although I made the deal just a day or two before the tree fell during the ice storm, I talked the owner into doing a little renegotiation… But I think he still came out way ahead… Anyway here it is !… one of my stupid treasures that has mostly only value to me…. I have thought about gently removing its obvious problem many times over the decades.. but never actually do. I thought you guys would get a kick out of this story…
You got me when you said it was a prototype grill from a '34 woodie! Here's my 32 "woodie" cabriolet before it was saved from an old cottonwood tree in Colorado!
The Jalopy Journal
