Projects '53 Ford Survivor from Puyallup, WA area...anyone recognize it?...

I just bought a '53 Ford Customline club coupe on Monday and found a slip for registration in the glove box from 1992 from Puyallup, WA and it got me thinking that maybe someone has seen or owned this car and could have some old pics of it or some stories...currently it's orange, but it looks like it's been red and maroon in the past...it's got a 1969 351W 4V under the hood, shaved hood and trunk with a vacuum actuator for the trunk, black vinyl interior, and it looks like the body seams were all filled and smoothed at some point...anyone possibly know some info on this car and when the work was done to it?...I'll add pics in the next post...

 

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Now you can join another Social Group! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=332

 

I got the vacuum trunk actuator to work!...behold, the motherlode!...
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Anyone?...

 

Nice find! Good luck in your search for the history of your 53.

 

Looks similar to mine when I bought it. Didn't have a motor but all the parts were in the trunk! Hope you find out all you're looking for.

 

Somebody has gotta recognize this thing from somewhere...I bet she really hauled ass...the interior is black vinyl with cherry red garnish moldings, the exterior has been maroon metallic, cherry red, and now hugger orange...how often do you see a shaved and decked hugger orange '53 coupe running around?...

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I looked at the registration again and it was registered to a Darryl Busenbark from Sumner, WA in May of 1994...he must have changed plates because it lists the previous license plate as "2THEHOP"...it also lists the color as red in 1994, so between 1994 and 2009 it was painted hugger orange...I'm guessing it has a flathead back in '94 as a poodle skirt cruiser and got the 351 when it got the bright orange paint...

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I'd have to dig though my old photos, it sounds like a car that would have shown up at the Run to Roslyn or one of the Customs Northwest events in that time frame.

I posted the 3/4 view photo on the NW Rods and Customs facebook page to see if it jangles any of the crew there.

 

About when did those shows take place?...it'd be great if I could catch a glimpse of it somewhere from back when it was nicer to see what I need to get it to look like...my guess is it was a nicely done car early enough to warrant 4 or 5 repaint jobs without bringing it down to bare metal...and thanks for posting it in the regional group!...I appreciate it a lot...

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Do some internet searches, the previous owner might be closer than you think.

http://www.usa-people-search.com/se...&city=&state=WA&btnSubmit.x=47&btnSubmit.y=17

 

According to Mike Shelley who started Customs Northwest it was his at one time.
From his post on Facebook a few minutes ago.

Use to be mine when I lived in Eatonville, WA and I gave it to my wifes son who took it to Minnesota and let it sit for years. I had traded a '56 Ford for it with some folks from Federal Way. That was around 1990 or '91. Hope this helps.

He is on here so he might add a bit more of it's history at some time.

 

Wow, that'd be fantastic!...and I'm gonna try to get Darryl's phone number somehow, Granite Falls is 15 minutes from where I grew up from 1980-1999, and I only live about an hour and a half away now...it'd be great to see pics and fill in the timeline of who had it when and what it looked like and how it evolved...thanks guys!...

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About the time Mike would have had the car or just before I moved back to Washington from McGregor Texas in 1977 and hit 20 to 25 outdoor events a year for over ten years with the truck or the 51 Merc I had. He may have never driven it to an event though as he was doing a lot of trades on old cars back then.

He also said that the left front fender looks like it's off a 52 rather than a 53.

 

From what it looks like, Mike only had the car from 1990/1991 to 1994 when the registration was changed?...I sent him a private message on Facebook, I hope he gets it...it'd be nice to keep narrowing it down and take notes...I'm pretty happy to have received this much info already...

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Is it a '52 or '53? Has a '52 driver's side fender and stone guards.

Cool car nonetheless! Good luck on your search of it's history

 

I'm waiting for my member request to be approved in that group so I can talk with him, I'm guessing the private message I sent went into his Other folder and hasn't been seen yet...

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It's a '53 that someone temporarily put an ugly and dinged up '52 front fender on...

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I've got some new info on who did the most recent motor swap and that it truly is a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 motor in the car...I'm still hoping to find early pictures and ownership info from the Federal Way, WA area prior to 1990...thanks so much for your help so far guys!...

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Has anyone happened to have a chance to sift through old car show photos lately?...I've been working on this car a bunch lately and I'm hoping to have it drivable for the first time in about 20yrs soon, I've been google searching hours and hours trying to catch a glimpse of this car in any of its previous colors and have yet to find anything...

 

Here's where I'm currently at, I swapped wheels and tires and took the motor and blown trans out...I swapped to a rear sump oil pan so I can patch the torched/clearanced front crossmember, and I've got another trans ready to go...

 

I found vinyl lettering on the '58-'59 9" rearend housing today while trying to track down wheel cylinder info to order new ones...it reads Bill's '53...who the hell is Bill?!?...none of the previous owners I've currently tracked down are named Bill...

 

It's kind of disappointing that nobody recognizes this car at all...it's obviously been around and modified a lot, rumor was it was early Olds powered in the early 60's in dark blue factory paint...then metallic green, then metallic maroon, then cherry red, then Ford poppy red (orange)...

 

In case anyone remotely cares, it's been nearly a year since I bought the car and it'll be back on the road shortly...

 

Look forward to seeing pics of your progress. That is a nice car!

 

Mike Shelley : [email protected]

 

This is my first time seeing this thread, awesome car! I love 52-54 fords done up anyway, it looks to be a sweet ride. Good luck on finding the owner

 

My 1st car was a 53 coupe so I'm interested in your progress-
I would like another- nice car-

 

Here's the 351W as it was going back in awhile back...I had to rebuild the bottom end, I found a rebuilt trans on craigslist, and I had a pair of Sanderson headers sitting around that fit perfectly...I've got it running, but haven't tuned it yet since I'm waiting on a carb kit and finishing up rewiring the entire car...I'm working off of a very short list now and should have it drivable in time for Torque Fest in Iowa May 1st-2nd...that's a 1,700 mile round trip for a car that's sat since the mid 90's...