Just to encourage everyone, there is still real steel out there... It all started when I was 18. At the time I had a 77 Trans Am, and screw'd around with my best friends 70 Nova. Our circle of friends had a few fox bodied Stangs and we'd all go street racin every weekend. Well one night A buddy of mine told me about an old A-Bone coupe in a ravine on some hunting ground in Calvert County. So we went to check it out...well we found the coupe alright...err well what was left of it. A headlight stand, half of two headlights and a 28-29 collapsed bodyshell. On our way outta the woods I passed an old barn and decided wtf why not....well inside I found what got me hooked on rods forever.... At first I wasnt quite sure what it was, and thought it was a 34 Ford, until I looked at the lil boat on the Grille ...Plymouth??? "WTF...a Plymouth..." I thought to myself. IT got too dark and we wanted to getout of the woods while we could still see by the moonlight, before the clouds rolled in. The very next day after class I roared over to the property and saught out any person who owned the land. I ended up being directed to a lil' Old Lady Named Mrs. Cranbrook. I asked her about the barn and the old car inside it. She thought to herself a second, and then as though a light bulb had gone off inside her head she exclaimed "ohh you mean that old coupe??" Yes Ma'M I replied. "Oh that belonged to my Husband, who died in Veitnam." She walked me out to the old barn about an half acre away and told me a sad but intresting story..."His buddy's were in a car-club called the Pistons way back in the day." She said, "Thats kinda how we met." She trotted along and told me a few more stories about the guys and her husband. Then I asked her the all important question of buying the coupe. She hesitated and asked me what I'd do with it. I told her I wanted to finish the car and turn it into a Late 50's early 60's style hot rod. She laughed. "Aren't you a little young to remember those days?" Yes, I replied but I know I can do it. She sighed, and said "I know he'd rather have it finished than rust away a memory here." She said "They were going to fix it up and drop a chevy at first or that old Pontiac in her"...She pointed to a greasy 389 & a odd looking chevy block covered in an inch of dust and grime. We worked out a price and she said "The car's yours son, when ever you can pick it up" Joyfully I sprinted back to my car and roared home. I got home and told the guys, then I got on the horn and asked a favor from a friend. He drove a roll back and would be there tomorrow. That night I couldnt sleep kept having visions of the car in my head, that it would get taken or destroyed before I could ever get it.It after all was the best thing since breast milk for me!!!! The next day I returned with cash in hand and the roll back. to my shock the barn door had been opened..I thought thats odd....I thought we closed it. I gave the money to the old lady and me and ricky when to go hook the chains up to the axles. I then realized.....THE GLASS WAS GONE!!!, Three nice size dents in the roof over the drivers door almost made me cry..."WHO, WHAT THE @$^@^" I wispered. I couldnt talk. I was enraged yet happy as ever. We hooked her up and drug her out. The first daylight in 40 years.... I also was given the chevy block aforementned by the old lady, however the pontiac was missing... "They must have taken it"..I thought...but who..>I only told...wait...I told Joe, and he was with me that nite we found it...WTF... Hapily I hauled it home, glee overcomming anger as I drove down the road looking back at my beauty vowing revenge on the boys that hurt my baby.... We set her down in my Dad's garage 2 hours before he got home...I knew he'd shit and ask alot of questions but he's always dreamed of having a rod...Well This was mine but mabye I'd let him help I thought. LOL. The look on his face was priceless...when he saw this... I added a few attachments of the pics when I brought her home... I finally have gotten to the point were I can continually work on her now, I've got more pics of her current progress comming soon. The body's off the frame I've blasted the frame & body, and boxed the frame. Have a Model A crossmember & spring with 4" drop axle. However, I've got issues choosing my rear though, i've got a 9" and 8" and a quick change w/48 Ford axle that i've got but with the stroked Pontiac engine I've got I'm usure of the QC. However, I'm gonna make a choice and am going to be setting that up in these next few weeks....Stay tuned for more info and UPDATES!!! And just think...next time you pass that barn...Check it out...it could make your whole life change!!!!
More Pics Oh I forgot to mention.....the weird thing is. I found a set of 461X chevy Camel hump heads in the trunk....and all the fenders, trunklid and hood were crammed inside the coupe you can see the fender and decklid from some of the pics. The mileage on the speedo...1,736 Finding a car barnfresh....Priceless.
Awesome story... I just have one thing to ask, did you ever find who the jerk was that busted the windows and stole the Poncho engine? Was it your "Buddy"?? Can't wait to see some progress pics. Thanks
Yea, LOBrow, actually it was my "buddy" and another of our mutual friends, Joe (buddy who told me about the A) Hoss, James, and supposedly another kid came up there to fuck up my car but apprently relized they either made too much noise and then came back for the poncho later that nite...or who knows...?? THIS IS AN absolutely true story. I ended up confronting them with a few friends of mine on the street. Beat Joe's Stang pretty damn bad for $ and drained the rearend fluid outta another's Stang...dont want to really go into the details online...well anyway...I've kinda let the dust settle but the coupe WILL BE Back for vengace .....this next spring. Should be done this winter. I just got outta being engaged and well..I have a shit load of time on my hands.... She said either her or the coupe...well...humm Guess who won out that round?
She said either her or the coupe...well...humm Shes been gone a year but the coupe,s still here Guess who won out that round? Nice score good story best of luck
One of my dads ol' buddies has one of thse tucked away in his garage that hasnt been on the road since 78'....I rode in once,actually its the 1st 'Rod' I ever rode in....The 2 things i remember most about it was it had an orange plexi-glass roof insert....When he took me for the ride in it it started to pour and that damn thing leaked on me good....My favorite part of that car is it has a 392 Hemi wedged in it....I say wedged because it literally is.....Between the motor and tranny its in the car on an angle.....So bad that when he parks it he needs to put a pan under it to catch all the fluid so he can dump it back in before he leaves.....He offered that car up to me just a couple of months ago but i'm in no position to get it.....Maybe someday i will....It would be kool thats for sure,,,,but tht 1st thing would to be getting that motor/tranny to set in there right....lololol... awesome find and great story holmes......Keep us posted on what you do to it!
Cool - u found the rare "sunroof" model Nice find, yeah... don't destroy too many "friends" cars... just don't allow them to be "friends" anymore (even if they are 'Stangs)
Great story. You should stop back and keep the old lady updated too as her hubby's old car comes together. Who knows, maybe she'll end up parting with a club plaque or jacket or something too if she realizes that you're serious about getting it on the road? Plus it just seems like a cool thing to do. Thanks for sharing the story- Rob
Thanks for sharing your story...makes we wanna go back to the Eastern shore of Maryland where I grew up and check out the barns over there... A friend of mine has a 33 Plymouth coupe that's been in his family for years.. he has a hot rod shop in Denton, MD. Where you live? i'd like to check out the progress in person...Good luck..
hurry up and go take the ole' lady for a ride.....never know, you might get a hug..... i'm being stupid, but go take her for a ride for real......
Nice find, but I think you are too excited, that first picture has a strange object poking out of the firewall!
The "mystery" Chevy block turned out to be a 1963 (Corvette I assume) 327 equiped with domed pistons! . Matching 461X heads were found in the trunk of the car. heavy ported but good 2.02 x 1.60 valves, and a set of later 65 or 67 Corvette Valve Covers. Don't get me wrong. SBCs are great. But I see them WAYYY TO FUCKIN much here on this coast. Its like lookin at Clone Rods. The partial 389 history got me goin about puttin a Pontiac into this car and the fact I had a 6.6 T/A Trans Am in school helped the irony along. Besides its reliable motor, Torque out the wazoo, affordalble parts, easy to get at a parts store if it brakes on a road trip. (well minor stuff, I cant get my stroker rods obviously) AND DIFFERENT!!! NO offence about SBCs I have 8 SBC blocks and I'm 22. From a few 283s to a 400 SO I can only imagine what other old beards have. SBCs are affordable and reliable so I wanna build my 327 back up with the domes, thompson rods and all and mabye drop in in a Digger, or 63/64 Nova Altered. But since I dont have Hemi Money at this time I had to go with what I know. Pontiac. Planned Motor 400 Pontiac Stroked to 461 with 671 GMC with a Savage Speed 6x2 Intake! Aaron from Savage Speed is sending me his new 6x2 intake!!! SIX 97's Baby!!! 6-71s whine.....whurr..rhurr whurr whurr...
Damn thats a kool story....amde even better by the fact that its a MoPar. Keep the project updates comin man. Rat
Yea I definately will keep the updates going! I just uploaded a bunch of pics from my digital camera tonight. I'm downsizing them to fit the H.A.M.B pixel requirements. Look for progress pix tomorrow or Wendsday!!!
The Jalopy Journal
