History Help me find some old photos of this Cedar Rapids Iowa 1940 Ford Coupe

I got nuthin compared to Mark!

 

Girard called tonight with an address where the 40 was photographed in MPLS.

I can't figure out how to embed a google image but here is the link to 4125 Grand Avenue South, Minneapolis MN. The houses are the same, Trees are a little bigger!

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.927...rEYXWeHZpgcw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en

 

Yesterday was opening day for hunting Hemi parts. I bagged my limit, and found these cool Chrysler Marine valve covers with breathers, some exhaust manifolds, and a pair of Hurst Hemi to 40 Ford motor mounts.

I was one over the limit on Stromberg's and got five, so I have a spare.

Should be enough parts to carry me through Spring!

 

Had to set the parts on the motor today to get a feel for how it might look.
This motor is rebuilt with no miles but I think I'll pull the heads to check it out for sure.

 

Lbs maybe!, I don't know about hp!

 

Very cool, looks like it will be a fun motor.

Ryan.

 

Holy moly!

 

Hey I have a set of those Chrysler Marine valve covers. I have the engine as well it came with
a2x4 cast iron manifold, a heavy beast of an intake! I have been told the block letter covers are
not as common as the script marine covers.

 

I don't know much of the history or specs on the marine motors. I'll have to do a little more research. I thought the covers looked cool. I haven't seen script style.

 

After buying a project pickup several years ago and selling it and a bunch of parts I ended up with this 392 that had been gone through. I decided to tear it down today to check it out.

The heads are nicely machined. Valves are larger 2.125, and 1.875. They have umbrella seals, new springs, and it came with new rocker shaft assemblies.

It has a re grind solid lifter cam and I have the card. I forgot to take a picture to post the specs.

The exhaust ports have had a little massaging.



I knew the block was stock bore and pistons with a light hone. I was bummed when I pulled the heads and found some water, and it was my fault. When I hauled this home I got caught in a hailstorm and just missed a tornado. The motor was on my trailer and bagged but had a few holes. When I got home I fogged the motor, and down the plug holes ( plugs weren't in the heads) but a little water must have been trapped in two cylinders.

Here's the good side.



Here's the bad side. I'll see what the machine shop thinks if it will clean up with a hone. I actually wouldn't mind new pistons...

The second and last holes had a real light rust. It wasn't stuck.



Top view. It's a 58 block.



This is off topic for the 40, but I have never liked the headlight placement on my Roadster, and I like the look of a bar crossing the grille. Friday night I made this from a aftermarket dropped 32 bar and model "A" ends for the uprights. I need to relocate the signals. Much improved ( I think).

 

Just a little progress update. The 392 block is at the machine shop. Most of the staining was and pitting is most likely older damage, and the decision to hone versus re-machine was probably marginal. Yesterday we checked the a few of the bores and the and they measure .005-.010 out of round. I decided to go ahead and and break it down and bore the block and get a set of pistons. This will give us a chance to check the crank, and the rest of the internals to be sure everything is up to parr.

I'm doing a little clean-up on the small block in the car, and slipping in a Walker Radiator. I'l post up some pics when it cleaned up.

In the mean time I came across this Cedar Rapids car in another post. Bill Wernimont's 32 five window coupe featured in Rodding & Re-Styling March of 58. The Midwest and Iowa in particular were putting some nice cars together.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1950s-period-correct-hot-rods.430894/page-36

 

Always thought the Marine Covers were the coolest!! Good find.

 

I think that black 32 might be the one that shows up at the CR swap meet every year. I saw it again this year. Different wheels and some other details, but the car looks otherwise the same. I don't know who the current owner is.

 

It's a pretty cool old car.

 

Here's a small update. I got the walker radiator installed, motor cleaned up a little, pulled the chrome alternator, and painted the brackets and pulleys. To everybody's dismay I pulled the Edelbrock elite valve covers.
I picked up a pair of these covers from the HAMB classifieds. I like'em, something a little different to hold me over until the 392 is ready to go in the car.

 

Saturday I picked up dad and ran down to Cedar Rapids. I wanted to meet John Park who has excellent memories about the 40, but also talk about vintage dirt track cars, and hopefully get some leads to help my Dad restore his '69 and '70 dirt track modified that he built. This car with Jim Edgington driving, and Ron Barton building the motors, dominated the So Minnesota and Northern Ia dirt tracks, and was also the 69 And 70 Minnesota State Fair Champ on asphalt.

Here's a couple pics...... I'll have to start a build thread on this next ( probably on dogfight ). Dads basically starting with his original chassis, so if you have any parts leads shoot me a message.

1st year long wheelbase.


Here's a shot with a "A" body fitted to meet some local track rules. That's me sitting on the tire, and why to this day I like the smell of grinding wheels, arc welders, and holding the trouble light for my Dad. I learned a lot looking through the back of his welding helmet.
We need to work on recreating this picture.


Here's a shot from 1970. The wheelbase was shortened 10" and the Vicky body added.


John is very knowledgable and has an eye for detail. This is a '84 Trostle offset chassis sprinter that he restored, and it's drop dead gorgeous.


John thought this would be a good piece for the 40's hemi. It's a Davisco Cirello "Frankenstein" Magneto for a 392. I need to do a fit check and call Cirello to see what it will cost to go through. It's a cool piece.

 

Restoring your Dad's modified will be a fun trip down memory lane. What version is he going to do?

 

We also met up in Center Point with Eric Aurand ( Hot Rod Artist), his wife Monica, and another couple that Eric has been helping get their 1940 deluxe coupe on the road after a long hiatus. He's put a few build updates in the MSRA linechaser, look for a metallic brown coupe with a black button tufted interior and fresh flatty to be on the road this year.

When in Iowa, you have to have a Pork tenderloin!

 

That's his current assignment! It will be short wheelbase.......but which version??

The 69 car had a playboy bunny painted on the tail that people remember well....... And is why I got in trouble in 2nd grade when we had an art assignment to draw the Easter Bunny and I depicted it as the playboy bunny, standing at the bar drinking "Old Milwackey". Not sure where I got that from as they were sponsored by Schlitz!

Sounds like a lot of people have fond memories of the Stars and Stripes car because of the paint, and the era.

 

Great car and history to go with it. I just read your entire thread and I bet I know a man who ran into this car in Cedar Rapids a few times back then. Bill, told me several stories about growing up in Cedar Rapids and all the hot rods and motorcycles they used to build and race back then. He always talked about a 40 Ford coupe with a Hemi that always beat their Olds powered 36 coupe. I wish Bill didn't have dementia so bad. I'd gladly get you his info so you could talk with him. Terribly, it's all gone now. I sure am looking forward to the time you put the 392 in it!

 

Thanks for posting. I would be interested if you could come up with any more information. I've been slacking off a little bit this winter. I'm going to start putting the new shifter, and fuel tank in. We have the 392 lower end torn down, measured up, and I'm ready to order the pistons, bearings, and I think I'll change the cam grind, so hopefully there will be a few more post in the future. I've got the new shifter, and fuel tank to install.

 

Well. I'm still having fun with the "small block" in the car. The shifter is sorted, as well as the clutch linkage. Now I need to re-do the fuel system, and in general tidy a number of things.
Here's a short video:

 

Here is another short video. You can't really see it but it I was getting some pretty bad wheel hop and had to let up a few times..

 

I love your cars, you can hear the wheel hop in the tire squeal.

 

Ran the 'ol 40 at the HAMB Drags this year. I started a video thread but thought I post a copy here as well.
This pass was a 13:21.....

 

Amazing story so far! In love with the early stages of the car with the hemi. What a clean build for back in the day! Will be following along!