I've had a thing for early Fords for quite some time... I believe it all started with my Grandpa and his '34 Cabriolet. This is him in 1942, installing snow chains. As Grandma would say, he had 'quite a heavy foot'. She told me he used to roll this car down to Detroit to gamble. It wouldn't surprise me if this were true. And then there is my Dad. He got started with early Fords in the 70's. Although he had many, one of his favorites was this '31 Roadster Deluxe. He liked it because it was simple and classy. My older sisters remember fondly rides in the rumble seat. Yes, all 3 of them... in the rumble seat. The '31 is barely in my realm of recollection, but I do remember his '34 Deluxe. What a gorgeous car it was! I remember the perfect sheen of the black lacquer, the feel of the mohair, and Sunday morning rides to and from church. I know he was very proud of this car and his restoration. That's me right there, aged 4 and some change, 1979. You can see by my tense grip on the cowl light, I knew that moment was a pretty big deal! Not long after, life and family took the front seat, and old Henry metal took the rumble. A few years later, my Dad acquired a '32 3-window, all complete and in a million pieces. It's not often you get to take a stab at a 3-window coupe. I'm sure he didn't have the money, but how could he pass it up? I remember the heavy steal and the even patina of surface rust like 100 grit sandpaper. What I enjoyed most was listening to my Dad dream about how he wanted to restore it. So it goes as life moves on, the '32 was sold to help fund the house in which we were raised. My Dad kicks himself about this one from time to time, but he actually did pretty well on the sale. Still, you really don't want to know what he sold it for. You would kick him too! More years pass and Dad moves through muscle cars, vintage Farmall and gas pumps. I move through adolescence, a 1st career and into a 2nd restoring classic Porsche. Then Dad runs into a '31 coupe he just couldn't pass up. We spent the next year working together on a preservation restoration. To me, what was best was good time with my Dad. And for once, I was able to offer some real skill. I'm most proud that I rewired the A with vintage cloth. And now to the present moment, with a new chapter set to begin. Dad has never owned a hot rod but always wanted one. And me too. We talk about what we like and how we would go about it. I've been out here boning-up on traditional hot rods for a while now trying to come up with a plan. And then my Dad runs across a '29 Roadster. What appealed to him about it was he knew it was something special and it had 'the right look', as he put it. I could see where he was coming from. What we found is an authentic prewar roadster. Custom top w/a chopped screen, black lacquer paint, '35 wires, and a Model B engine w/a Miller-Schofield OHV! This old girl is just oozing with period details and custom fabwork, all very subtle but cool. We bought it from an old man whose dad picked up the car secondhand in 1931. It had a blown motor, so his dad replaced it with a B & OHV. His dad was a young aviation mechanic and good with his hands, good with a machine. He worked in Detroit before and through the war. This was his hot rod. When he passed in ca. 1985, the old man took over stewardship for his father. He drained the full tank, pulled the battery, and stored the car under cover for the past 35 years. He took very good care of the old girl, just as his dad did too. I can't tell you how thrilled we are to have the opportunity to own such a piece of early hot rod history! Just as it was with father and son, it will be again with my Dad and I. And as you can see, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Thanks for the welcome! Looking forward to getting involved here. I'll start a thread on the '29 Roadster once we get going on it. Lots of questions.
The Jalopy Journal
