Chicken Coop 32 Ford 3w "Coupe Day" story

I'm the current owner of the 32 3 window that was pulled from a chicken coop in GA after 40 some years and got a three page feature in the Nov 2011 issue of Hot Rod Deluxe. It is the first car feature I've ever seen of a car with no engine or transmission. Mike, of Thompson Speed Shop, later bought the car and brought it back to life with a wicked Nailhead Buick, chev 4 spd, and 57 Olds rearend. The Mar 2013 issue of Hot Rod Deluxe had a couple pics of the car on p 19 of the car at the Eagle Field Drags in CA.

Here are few pics. The first few being from the initial article.

 

Congratulations. HRP

 

I took my old coupe back to Ringgold, GA for a "Coupe Day" so two or three.. maybe four, of the prior owners and/or drivers could see the car once again. None of them, including Red Stanley who raced it for many years, has see it since the late 60s.

We held the event on Thursday morning, April 11th, in Ringgold, GA at a used car lot there in town. The owner's uncle used to own and race the car as well and also sponsored the car when Red Stanley raced it.

Here's the note I sent my fellow club members regarding the attached picture:

Hi Fellows,

Bad Bob, Shadow, George, and I went to Ringgold, GA for a reunion with a number of the fellows that used to own my 32 3 window and others that either raced or remembered the car from long ago.

Well, as we were leaving to go, I sort of "lit 'em up" as they say... tires smoking and everything; and drove on up to the place where others were coming to see the coupe at a car lot.

What I DIDN'T SEE, across the street, were the several sheriff cars!

Take a close look at the far side of the picture .. where there is a white car with the letters "Sher...". My pal, Gerry Burger snapped this evidence picture but the smoke had died by the time he got the shot off.

Thankfully, they just watched.

One of the fellows that lived there, and used to own the car, told me when he got to the car lot that he would have gotten there earlier but he took a few minutes to stop and talk to the deputies across the street and explained to them that I was from VA and didn't know you weren't supposed to do that in Ringgold. Don't know if he was truthful or not but the deputies never showed... thank the Lord!!

I had no idea they were there!

The trip was priceless!

Details later,

Al

PS Gerry Burger tells me I immediately established the reputation with the on-looking locals that VA boys are bad!!
PS2 I don't know about bad but at least one of us is feeling dang lucky!!

 

Here's pic upon arrival at the car lot.

 

Late Saturday I had a long conversation with the guy who said he went over to talk to the deputies. He didn't go talk to them but he did confirm that three of them WERE watching when I took off! He said that they KNEW I was backing out of Red Stanley's driveway and who Red was and saw the crowd that was watching me from the other side of the street and apparently decided to let things be.

I am DANG GLAD they did! But I had NO CLUE they were there... let alone WATCHING!!

Had I known, I would have crapped!!

Here's a picture of Red when I told him to "get up on the wheel for a race start" and another of him just sitting in the car. His expression tells it all.

The following pic is of the crew that was watching when I took off in front of the deputies.

One of the prior owners took us to his house to see the last 427 Ford engine that was raced in the little coupe-- he STILL has it!! Complete with 2 fours! I couldn't get him to part with the engine but he did make me a deal on an old Moon tank that he thinks they once ran on the coupe back in the day. I had to have it!

The last pic is of that Moon tank as INSTALLED on my coupe the day after we got back from GA.

Ain't it purty?

Happy Al

 

Sweet...thanks for sharing

 

We ended up having six different owners of the old coupe there as well as many folks that remembered the car from years ago.

Coupe Day was great. Seeing all those old fellows react to seeing the car and hearing the many stories related to the car and racing in the day were priceless.

I'll fish out some more pics and share further details as time permits.

Needless to say, my knife and fork "race crew" and I had a great time.

 

Man, That is one sick deuce!

 

OOPS! Forgot to include pictures of the car from the October 1959 issue of Rods Illustrated magazine showing Red at the wheel when he won his class that day in Chester.

 

I love it.

 

Did someone mention a chicken coupe?

 

Great car and wonderful story. You are indeed furtunate!

 

Great story!

 

Love the shot of "race start" Red.
Too bad the 427 couldn't be reunited with the coupe. I know you left your number.

 

That 427 also had another set of heads with their own 2 four manifold with carbs called tunnel port heads-- beyond rare I'm told. I left my number and try to call every other day! Really is a great guy that has it--- a truly FORD man!


Forgot to mention it was 600 miles one way!

 

WOW, Great Reunion.......Great Story!

 

Cool story reuniting SIX owners! Thanks for sharing!

Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

 

If I were you I'd make this my new avatar.

 

Awesome coupe, great story.

 

Cool picture of Red behind the wheel. I am sure it brought back so many cool memories for him. Good job on the trip, it looks like it was a success.

 

Neat story Al. Those six guys were probably loving every minute you wou there and had never dreamed of the car still existing

 

you have done a good thing and the car is great...

 

That's rad. I know mike had a lot of fun with the car-it was a great piece and one of my favorites of his. Enjoy it!

 

Great story...

 

Snap on Moon Discs and radials?!?!? What happened to the other wheels and tires?

 

Thats a really cool win/win deal. The info and filling in some blanks for you. Then those old boys getting to recapture and relive some of their hot rod history. I`ll bet it was a great time for all involved. The sherriff deal really caps it! Thanks for posting it,love your coupe also.

 

cool to see the old guy still tearin it up

 

That old guy HAS a nice 40 Ford coupe with the equivalent of a Chev zz4~ engine that hauls the mail! In his shop was a 34 Ford plastic coupe that was over there for him to get running better. He's STILL wrenching!! I think he's 89 yrs old or there abouts. He was reading the FINE print of the Oct 59 magazine I brought him WITHOUT any glasses! My guys couldn't do that! His mental alertness and overall health at his age is a goal for all of us.

 

Very cool story and the pics as well.