Part2: Some guy's daughter looking for her daddy's old 1940 ford coupe...

Have you tried contacting the DMV in California? Seems like it would sure be worth a try. Who knows? I would sure be interested to know whatever I could find out about the original owner of a car that meant that much to my family and me...

 

Nothing new to report on my end. Anybody else know anything new? Diana? Hey what ever happened with the retired brother in law in Atwater with Merced PD ties?

 

Well, my ISP wasn't letting my email through ... still isn't, but at least I seem to be able to connect for short whiles now... so while I'm *online* first of all, sorry for any emails not answered for the last few days & second of all, I talked with Dad and he said he wrote about 15 pages ( ) about the Coupe. He said he's mailing them to me with 2 stamps on it. I'll be typing for hours haha to put that all in the computer for online and then be able to print that out too to go along with everything else so far.

Smiles all around Diana

 

Keep up the good work. Your search is awesome to read and keep up with.
Hang in there

 

Oh well I'll tell ya I watched the movie & was soooo disappointed they didn't even DRIVE it just SAT there ~~~ not even an engine crank BUT it was soooo pretty there haha. Mad that they didn't even show the backend I actually wanted to call the movie company up hahaha and ask them what on earth they were thinking but of course not. *smiles* Daddy wrote about 15 pages of history that Mom & I are working on putting into a good order for pages online & then also to share with Dan of course, too.

Smiles All Around Thanks to All ~ Diana

 

Wow I just finished reading this and I am in awe! Thanks for this. That 40 is my favorite car in that movie. I love when they pull the car cover off of it and the look on Jimmy Shines face, and then when they open the hood.... MMMan what a cool car.

 

oops... new post LOL

 

Anybody have any news on this? I've been watching, but haven't seen anything lately. Rod

 

Update: Nope, STILL haven't made it down yet. Summer vacation started finally Thursday. Carrying out with plans (slowwwwly ). Selling off my old 66 mustang now (it always speeds up around the cops -all by itself i swear! lol- but still hard to 'let go')... getting ready to sell the house after about 2 months now straight workin' on it to be just right... and now the sunny days are finally here so gettin' too hot haha!!! But wanted to let ya'll know what's going on cause I promised I would

*Hugs & Smiles* will keep ya'll updated as THE date is getting closer ~ YIPPIE!!! Diana

 

Thanks for staying in touch dianalee. Best of luck on your journey, and keep us posted on what you learn about your dad's car.

 

The date is getting close on what? Did I miss something?

 

i think she means when she goes on vacation. she's going to try to contact the guy with the car.

 

Hi & Yep that's exactly right! haha as soon as i DO get a vacation... My son is down in California now and I'm planning on going down to pick him up in about 3 weeks or so. I finally talked Mom & Dad into selling my old 66 ford that I had left down there when I moved here to Washington. Well, it sold on ebay, and out of all the bidders , the one guy that won it lives in the SAME city as i do NOW (AMAZING!) It was almost like the twilight zone... so... Mom & Dad drove up here, I got to meet the new owner, he was a super nice guy so I felt good about selling the car to him. Honestly I was kind of nervous but all turned out really well and I feel sure that he will take good care of it.

So anyways, when they came here, they took my oldest son back home with them to help them pack up and get ready to move to Oregon. I'm thinking it'll be time to go get him in about 3 weeks. So then I'll call Dan while I'm there & try to set up a meeting.

I finally typed all 15 pages that Dad wrote to me, I thought it was only 14 but it's 15. I don't think I had mentioned that I finished that before so here it is for any body who wants to read a LOT http://www.beyondthemedia.com/coupe/details.php oh and...

a little help from anyone who can tell if this is alright or has something wrong in the spelling:

" Bored .120 to .276 inches. Johns pistons, Grant rings. Weind (oops sorry my spelling & his writing aren't meshing) 3 port intake w13 stromberg 97's. 9.0 to 1 compression (more than that will flatten the crank). Offy heads. Mallory dual point centrifugal advance with Mallory Coil. 11" flywheel and clutch. Sand casting taken out of the intake ports of the block. Completely balanced and crank counter balanced. Camshaft-Isky 500 Junior - the next to the wildest (of 9 or 10 cams available if I remember correctly) Idle speed on this cam per specs is 35MPH but it was street driveable, barely. Evenflo headers. "


It was sort of hard to read Dad's writing on that part of the papers, so if you (okay, i feel just like I was a little girl *haha*) if you know there's something wrong with the spelling in there, I'd super appreciate if you'd let me know. (That's from the Flathead engine that WAS in it, but isn't now). ThAnKs!!!



Smiles,
Diana
http://www.beyondthemedia.com/coupe/index.html

 

Hi Diana!

The only thing I noticed was that I think that your dad wrote Jahn´s (not John´s) pistons.

Regards
Per

 

Prolly "Weiand" intake w/3 Stromberg 97's and an Isky 400Jr. cam

 

Johns = Jahns
Weind = Weiand
3 port = 3 pot
w13 = w/3 (or "with 3")
Isky 500 Junior = Isky 400 Junior
35mph = ??? but that doesn't look right to me - anyone else? (850rpm maybe?)

Hope this helps!

 

Oh thanks so much ! haha at me , I thought it was port and not pot. oops Thank you sooo much!!!

I think I got it all, but I'll double check cause I just noticed another post so maybe have to keep changing to get it just right! especially about the 35mph = ??? but that doesn't look right to me - anyone else? (850rpm maybe?) . My Daddy doesn't "do" email LOL he hardly ever touches a computer, but I can call him too tonight and see. The spelling errors (in all humble honesty) are hard w/ him over the phone cause he's hard of hearing and Mom's looking still for a phone amplifier thing to make the sound louder. *sighs* soooo, i super appreciate all your helps and that's why I need it too

Smiles & Big Hugs!!! Diana

 

Yeah, Dianalee, that's it. 850 RPM

 

AWWW shit, I'm gonna be on a short vacation for August 1-3 to bad. SOunds like you'll probably be in the area the week of the 8th. Don't forget if you need any directions drop me a line.

 

Edit >

First, I am sorry for taking extra long to reply. We ended up spending more than an extra week in California, then returned only to enter more chaos. So here's the news at long last.

Now for a nice suprise!

When we were looking for the Coupe pictures in the boxes in storage we did find these, which I had scanned & you might enjoy from an article that was done on the Coupe by a magazine in 1968:

http://www.beyondthemedia.com/coupe/images/per/mag/mag1.gif
http://www.beyondthemedia.com/coupe/images/per/mag/mag2.gif
http://www.beyondthemedia.com/coupe/images/per/mag/mag_cover.gif

Dad did do some more mods after that story was done of course, it's neverending changes

The frustrating news is that I called & called & called but was unable to get ahold of Dan McNamara while I was in California. I need to speak with him on the phone to get his address but there was never any answer at all! It's a little bizarre because it seems nobody ever answers the phone & there is not even an answering machine . This number (the one ending in 1450) must be the one since the other Dan said he wasn't the one. The good news is that I'll be returning for a second chance near the end of September! I unfortunately had to come back to my home the last day because my children's school time had begun again after summer break, so, no choice but to come home & decide to go back again for a 2nd try after a few weeks. Frustrating, but I'm not giving up!!!

Smiles & will keep updating oh oh and I printed out everything to give to Dan, too, there are dozens upon dozens of pages!!! I printed out all the pages on the history & all the pages on the search and it probably weighs 2 pounds hahaha!!!

Smiles & Big Thanks to All for your help Diana


----
I couldn't get out of work until today ~ so I'm packing now, finally! I have a digital camera borrowed (I will figure out how to use it when I'm already down there in California). All the info on the Coupe is ready for Dan... I'm VERY nervous and hoping that he'll meet with me, and that I can even find exactly where to find him at when I'm down there. Hoping to get mom & dad's house onto the real estate market while I'm there, helping them to finish packing, and hoping my oldest son really helped them a lot while he's been down there all this time. It's going to be one doozey of a trip!

It's about 100-103 degrees in all week for some of the areas I have to drive through... down I-5 from Washington to the Bay Area (well, cutting across 505, too I think it is. So I'm leaving as late as possible to travel at night when it's coolest, and leaving my little dog at home this time, too just too hot for the little guy I'm afraid.

I'll be there for about 2-3 weeks, maybe longer, so plenty of time, though most of it will be busy, I'll still try to get online while I'm there at least once a day and check emails and private messages, too. ThAnK YoU all for good wishes & great private messages & emails too

Big Smiles & Hugs to All ~ I will keep updating as promised ~ Diana

 

Oh yes, one more thing... is there a place to find old magazines that are in decent shape still? I think Daddy showed the magazine with the Coupe in it to everyone in his hometown and then some ~ because it's VERY worn. It's a Rod & Custom January 1968. (the pic of it is the http://www.beyondthemedia.com/coupe/images/per/mag/mag_cover.gif one, maybe you can see it's been read hundreds of times!!! it's got tape along the seam to keep it together

Smiles Diana

 

Search for it on www.ebay.com . You will find a decent issue pretty soon there.

 

Thanks! I saw it & bought it with "buy it now"! Daddy's going to be so shocked Awesome!!!

Smiles,
Diana

 

According to what you dad typed it had a flathead in it, but the car in this magazine is Studebaker powered?

 

The Coupe went through a number of engines, and about a dozen '40 bodies to become what it did... at least up until about 1976... The article was from 1968.

It did have at least 2 different engines in it between 1966 and 1976. It must have had the Studebaker before the Flathead, since the Flathead is the one that was taken out of it (last) and is still running (on display only) at Rich's Auto Body.

In the magazine (at that time) it didn't have the other taillights either... among other things... at that point it was only the 2nd year that Dad had it... so he did about 8 more years of mods & tweeks after the article. I'm sure those aren't the only differences

Smiles & Happy Friday ~ Diana

 

Just received, after all that time trying to find a pic of the backend of the Coupe:

"Diana,
... car show in Reno, NV. I can't remember the exact date but it had to be in the late 70s or very early 80s.

W.H."

Please note: this is AFTER Tom owned it, and put that license plate on it & put the gas cap on the outside *it had been under the fender* ...

 

well i started reading all this about an hour ago and ive got to admit ....simply amazing....almost made me cry.........ALMOST........kinda like watchin a chic flic with th ol lady........

 

Arrgggghhhh!! I'm in Merced almost every day I wish I new where the car was I'd at least get you some current pics.

 

I too just discovered this AMAZING story, read it start to finish, now I gotta go to the website and check it out. Don't know if it's mentioned in any other text, magazine or whatever, but the back bumper and guards shown in the Rod And Custom article, (and the backend picture in an earlier post) is from a 1949 Dodge car. Also, has anyone thought about contacting one of the current mags to stick a "any info on this car" thing in? Many people have done it many times, might just be enough to get Danny M. motivated enough to contact the chosen mag. Surely if he's kept the car all this time he reads at least one of the current mags.

 

Bttt, any new info?