amazing car, the doors hinge at the back, " suicide " style, very unusual for a 60's car I woulda thought.
Luck is only part of it. John knew about this car for years before he was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and buy it. Yep, Vancouver Island has a real hot rodding history with many rods built here in the 50's and 60's.
Not to hi-jack, but whatever happened to the Van Isle website? Do you know? There were some really great photos vintage photos from the island there, suddenly it was gone, without any warning??
John pulled the heads from the 59A flathead. Everything looks very clean. This engine has been sitting for several decades now, and has never been fired. Any flathead guys out there with advice on priming the engine with oil before firing? John also spoke with an earlier owner of this car, and he has promised some pics of what it looked like back in the day. Will post them here as they come in.
John has obtained a number of photos of the old rod from back in the day, and I will post them here soon. The photos come from the early 70's.
Here are the start of the pics from back in the day - likely the early 70's. The paint is the same as today, and those slotted mags look just right. I think John should try to find a set!
Here is a pic showing the owner receiving a trophy. Don't know if that is the trophy girl or his girlfriend, but they both seem happy standing in front of the nicely built hot rod.
In a parade, most likely the parade that happens here the third weekend of every May. The sign on the tow car says "Pacers" car club, a well-known club name from that time. Different wheels than the previous pics.
Take the plug out of the left rear oil gallery the one beneath your m/c in the pic, I use an old pump with a drill attached to prime but have on occasion used a grease gun filled with oil, does the same job only slower. Man that block looks beautiful!! should be a great car, might want to check to see if any valves are stuck from sitting so long. Also would give you a chance to see what kind of lifters are in her, and if adjustables give you a chance to make sure they are the correct lash
The redlines on 5 spokes and that crazy rake look great on that car, it's a perfect 1970 look. The current wide whites and steel wheels are kind of at-odds with some of the other parts of the car, like the vertical column and wooden dash, ect. Neat old pics!
Here is a pic of the chassis before the body went on. The frame is a Model T, and all the fabrication looks very well done, likely one of the reasons this car has preserved so well over the years.
Here are the final three pics that John was able to locate of the rod as it was back in the day. It is amazing how this car has preserved over the years, and from these pics the main reason is that it has always been kept inside and warm and dry. If more photos come in later we will post them as well.
John was over today and told me more of what he has learned about the history of this hot rod. The builder passed away in 1971, and the fellow holding the trophy from the pic posted earlier is the second owner. That photo was taken in 1974. The car has had three subsequent owners, making John owner number five. This car has never had the motor fired or been driven. The second owner provided John with the last series of photos that I posted, and said the car was trailered to the place where the photos were taken. So John will be the first guy to fire this completely built flathead motor, and we will report with photos on his progress in putting this machine on the street. It is long overdue!
John has been busy working on the old hot rod, and took some more photos for posting here. The tailgate did have a Ford logo on it, but this car has a 1918 Chevrolet body - at least the front half of a touring body - and so John has modified the tailgate to include the Chev logo. He has also installed the gas tank in the shortened pickup bed and rebuilt the brake cylinders..
The engine is now primed with oil, the oil pressure line has been installed along with the oil cannister and lines.
Both the fuel pump and the fuel log have been installed and are ready to go, as is the starter solenoid. The last pic shows the view from the driver's seat - looking out at John's 39 tudor - a very nice car he has driven for many years.
looks to me that your oil filter is mounted to the firewall and I would be weary of solid lines from filter to block they will work harden and crack over time
Wow ! To have all those photos and have the history makes it that much cooler ! Post a video when It gets fired up! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
The Jalopy Journal
