This car has a story and I only got some of it. I work for a Tow Truck company in the East Valley (PHX) where this had sat for quite awhile. I know the owner of the car tried to sell it twice before but ended back up with it. One of those POs had taken the flathead out (now missing) and pretty much disassembled the car, for the most part. All glass was removed and most interior trim. I started working for the guy when I retired from my 10 yr stent at my previous job. The first day I got there, I spotted it. Told the owner it would be mine and I would take it home. He, of course, laughed due to the reasons he ended back with it the previous times (lack of payment, foreclosure). Here we are, sitting in my driveway, payed in full with the title in my hand. He's not getting it back and I'm not selling it. I'm Big on "Long Roofs". I love wagons and cars that no one else "likes". I like to make them cool, or try to. Plus I have a family and the mordoor is perfect for family outings. Anyway...... Here it is at the tow yard before we moved it. About to drop it off... I'm the dude with the beard... This thing was somewhat organized when it was taken apart. It was filled to the doorline with parts. Had pistons, rods, heads and various bolts (inc head bolts) for the original flat head. Starter, Gen, Bell Housings, Trans, Water Pumps, etc.... Here are some of the parts. I will more than likely sell a lot of this stuff once I get it more organized. The interior when It was all "cleaned out". Looks like an attempt to do interior with grandmas sewing machine. but it worked, I suppose. Maybe I'm wrong... Doubt its factory (I dont know much) The coolest thing I found. A plate topper from Chicago! Yup... There she is. My plans are to do a somewhat traditional build. I was thinking of putting a newer drive-train in it since the flat head is gone. It will be channeled and dropped static, no bags. Been there, done that. This will be static tail dragger style. Not sure about the paint. I know its an Earl Shibe job that was done years ago. But it didnt peal up or fade too bad. Kind of left a nice (crappy) patina. I wish it was the original blue That pokes through in a few spots. Thought of stripping it to see where it goes. But who knows... Enough Rambling. I will be asking some questions, but I do know where the search button is as I have been lurking for a damn long time now. I will just be looking for more specifics about my car. Mike
hope that you have found the search button by now and have lots of info on how to move forward with your Cool project
Cool project... it looks like it's in pretty good condition. That plate topper from Chicago is very cool. I cannot find any info about Carlson-Loutit in Chicago, other than a reference on a genealogy website.
Heres a picture showing that you can use a Mustang gas tank and keep the spare tire well. My floor was badly rotted and I was happy to see that the tank would fit with only a different cut in the upper left corner of the floor. In this picture I had just begun to fit the tank and cut out the rot. As I fixed the rest of the floor around the tank, I put bolts in every hole of the Mustang tank. I guess about20 bolts. The original tank was held in with only 4 bolts thru the sheet metal floor but the load is spread out when using every hole in the Mustang tank. A bonus of doing it this way is that the remaining rot is small pieces. The Mustang tank was $80 plus 13 shipping, while a 50 tank is about $230 plus shipping plus the sending unit and the Mustang tank has the sender installed, no additional cost. edit:it wont take the picture, Your submission could not be processed because a security token was missing. If this occurred unexpectedly, please inform the administrator and describe the action you performed before you received this error.
I was going to weld ALL the doors shut... Pretty sure that won't happen... We did a chop where we deleted the b pillar got rid of the glass.. Smoothed over the top of the doors... I thought id better finish that first before I do something too dumb... It will just be a runner I think for now... Still going to channel it... But I need to find running gear first... This one will take me awhile unless I get a better job... Just applied at a drag racing shop yesterday... We'll see what comes of that... Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Just letting my thoughts stew a bit before I come up with any final plans... The dash will get apricot flake.. As far as everything else??? I'll let the car decide as I start really tearing in it... Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
I was taking about another car we chopped.. No progress yet... Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Here is what we did when we deleted the glass (on another project)... Kept the roof on that one... The door is slightly open also... But it flushes up... This is kinda what I was talking about... No roof, everything shaved doors welded in, bracing in the doors, and across the seat backs... Tuck and roll interior... Etc. etc...... Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
So... Yeah... In the works to get a flathead for this thing and pushed in my garage to start working on it shortly... Been doing some reading and have found out my 14 in wheels are not factory on this car... So I'll be in the hunt for some 15s also... Stay tuned... Nothing radical... Just a cruiser Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
don't discount the flathead six. Get those for free just about and they have the same power as a V8 in stock trim. Also the later ohc sixes are great too.
That's what I'm getting... Sorta planned to do that from the beginning... Getting a straight six from a 51 F1... Do the mounts line up? Trans mounts? I have the original trans out of my 49... But I'm getting the F1 trans as part of the deal... Wonder what the gear ratio difference is? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Well lots of Shoeboxes came with sixes so everything you need to fit the six is available. My buddy has a flat six Fordor with a cool finned aluminium head and he beats Flathead V8 Tudors over the 1/8th mile. I think your original trans will mount up to the six as long as you use the six cylinder bellhousing but I've never done it so check with someone who has. The F1 has a floor shift 3-speed, your shoebox has column shift.
I have the trans out of the car too with all the linkage and bell housings out of my ass... Tracking wheels down right now... Gotta get it to roll first... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Progress is progress.... Just took the wheels off and found out two of them are 15's and two are 14's... so now i just need to find 2 more 15's (anyone?)... I'll be tearing down the interior soon as I have to get it ready to come inside... should be inside before the end of the month! Cant wait! No progress is progress without pictures...
My first car was a 49 4 door I bought off my grandmother in 1965.. Loved that thing.. Good luck with yours...
In case you don't know, there are a couple of good web sites for 49-51 Fords. Try "Shoebox Central" and Shoeboxford". Good luck with your project.
Un-chopped 4 doors are really cool in my opinion. Get it running and sorted out before making any big decisions like a chop, etc. Bob
I have had a lot of crazy ideas for this thing. Now that I have an inline flat 6, it will be a mild Sunday cruiser with a nice paint job. I think this car will be really nice with small details. The more I look at it and think about it, that's what the car is telling me. I'll check those websites out when I get home, thanks! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Got some llantera used tires and cleaned up a spot for it in the garage. One step at a time. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
As if i needed it... but here's proof... its kind of a big deal for me considering how long I've had this thing sitting... I should get the interior gutted this sunday...
Got the interior gutted last night. Found some interesting things in it. Seems to be that the last time this car was "restored" was in the mid to late 90's. Found a Nintendo 64 box on an interior piece and a star wars toy from when they "remastered" the original 3 movies. Nothing real cool though, no registration or anything to suggest when the last time it was driven. Nintendo 64! found this on the inside of this carpet piece. The pile o'shite I pulled out. Just a few rust holes, not too bad. The trunk wasn't too bad. This car has that liner crap all over it. It will be fun when I start stripping it. Sorry for the not so exciting pictures. It will get more exciting in the near future. At least I'm doing something with it.
I have an older neighbor who was a pilot in WWII said he bought one of these brand new right after he got back and said it was the worst car he has ever owned. Just think its funny how I'm so caught up on building a car he thinks is a piece of shit.
The Jalopy Journal
