Projects Recreating the jesse lopez coupe

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Back home.

 

Jesse says the Barris shop on Compton ave. was really a hobby shop. Nobody had any money back then and there was a lot of trading going on to make things work. A lot of guys coming in after hours to work on their own cars etc.. The skills that someone might have (Jesse was a mech.) would be used to help on a job where the customer was actually paying. This way things sorta worked out. The overhead was paid and the doors stayed open. There was a lot of teaching/learning going on and by the time Jesse's car was done he could do just about everything.

Junior did tell me awhile back that although George (Barris) has received a fair amount of heat over some of the things he's said and done, if there hadn't been a George Barris there wouldn't be a lot of things that we now take for granted. A LOT of people that we look up to these days got their start at Barris Kustom because George gave em a shot.

photo Barris Kustom techniques

 

Good stuff ,, love it !

 

Alot of things are said about barris now a days,some not so good but in reality where would are hobby be if he was not around doing the things he did,building the rides he built,being the inspiration he is.It would be a seriously different kustom world with out his mark.

 

100 percent agreed with. It has become a too common occurence to trash Mr Barris and I have said so in other threads. I met George Barris back in the 70's at a Detroit Autorama and he was very kind in taking the time to talk with a young guy that loved the old customs in a time when street rods ruled. Talking to People like him and Gene Winfield and Bill Heinz are like taking a trip in a time machine back to the day.

Nice 41 chassis. Looks just like the one in my garage. I see that it has the tube shock conversion. Are you going to keep those or did Mr Lopez run something different?

 

Conversion? I have to ask him. Remember I don't know these cars.

 

OK, I have a question for the "old farts club" What 50's sitcom star said "Dis is a revoltin' development" when things took a turn and, what was the name of the show?
Another question. Would anybody have a good working original setup that they would swap for this conversion? It has new shocks.

 

Bert Gordon the MAD RUSSIAN ,,,,,,his main say was ''How do you do !'' but I am not 100 % sure he said ''What a revolting development this is ''... , I first thought of William Bendix ... from the Life of Riley, It was Chester A. Riley as I checked it . Cartoon character Bugs Bunny also used it , but cartoon often stole mimicked other media.

 

I agree with Tnomoldw, William Bendix, The Life Of Riley. Did you know that Jr. was a hot rodder?

 

oh yah ! I remember that cover ,,,I don't recall the TV version of the show but was a avid radio listener.

 

jivin jer
I called it a conversion for lack of a better term. My 41 chassis (which I have since found out is a later 41) and the front shocks on it are the arm type that have a dog bone connecter to the font spring perch. Yours maybe an option that was available at the time. Thinking that Mr Lopez did mechanical work his 41 may have had this type of setup on it as most consodered it to be superior to the arm type.

Get on our sister site The Ford Barn. You will most likely find someone that has the other type set up if that is what you need. You should also have no problems selling the ones you have. The part that is the hardest to find is the bolt that goes thru the eye on the spring perch that the lower end of the shock mounts to. It is tapered to fit in that eye.
Have you asked Mr Lopez what he ran?

p.s. That phrase you quoted used to be a common one for Jimmy Durante.

 

Good news, it was William Bendix and Jesse did install tube shocks on the front. HOT DAMN! I had to wait to call Jesse this PM before I could reply.

 

That saved you about a weeks worth of time and effort as simple as it seems ,I've noticed its not simple most of the time.

 

Good deal. That was a fairly common upgrade. You could have had to spend some time putting the tube system together. Keep it going.

 

The purpose of this early/mid teen look at Jesse is that it will help us to translate it through our experiance during that time in our lives. I know that my first car (s) had a major impact on what I liked and dreamed about modifying in H.S. and beyond. As amazing as it may seem my first car was a '50 Chev 2 door, my second a '49 Chev cpe. My first good car was a '54 Chev b/aire 2 door post so, yes, Moonglow and the story of it being built in a driveway was a mind blow. Jr and Jesse's cars are my first flathead V8 cars.

How did I get here? My Dad made sure that I never got a flathead. IN YOUR FACE DAD!

Jesse says that no one that he knew would ever consider anything but a flathead V8 car. The Chev's and Plymouth's were girls cars.

This winch in the rafters is invaluable.

 

hmm I had friends growing up ,at least 2, whose fathers hated Fords. One would comment when I drove in my 41 Ford to visit, ''What is that junk doing in my driveway?'' He worked for DANA Corp. It may have been something to do with Ford/Dana business. The family including the mother and the sister told me to ignore the comments. The other I have no idea what the prob was. But Tom's dad worked for a Ford dealership near my home. He was a new car salesman in 1956 and later went into politics.

 

Iv'e never seen this type of thing before.

 

My spring in my T coupe was like that... it's a 46 ford coupe rear spring. Same exact thing, I took it all apart and cleaned it up.

 

Wrapped springs , not a common thing. It must have been something that was tested and it didn't work out to be better . Im going to research that .

 

Wrapped springs were somethng that were done on some cars and hot rods back in the day. Also some brands came from the factory wrapped but mostly from earlier years than the 41. Think early 20th century.
The purpose of the wrap was to keep grease in between the springs and dirt out. Also to keep squeaking to a minimum. The thought being that a greased spring worked better. Seemed like the ones that I have seen were wraped in leather or a grease impregnated canvas.
Your tube shocks on the rear are a typical setup as well. Many peolpe just went to the rear cross member and ran a stud thru it for the upper shock mount.
Torchie.

 

I didn't find any info on the clad/wrapped rear spring. BUT I did find there were 138 41 Ford Utility vehicles produced, a coupe with a bed built on the back. = like a Ranchero .

 

I do recall springs being wrapped with a fabric, my travels through old salvage yards, seems like old Chrysler products come to mind.

 

I'm not sure but I think what you show in a pile on the ground is that piece of tubing just to the left of and a little behind the the left u-bolt. If that isn't whats in the pile and my eyes aren't deceiveing me, does anyone else see what I'm talking about. Almost looks like a piece of exhaust tubing, might have been used as a wire chase?

 

In '41 wrapped springs were stock on the higher end Fords and all Mercs, I believe.

 

I just read that 41 Fords front fenders were 3 pieces, but that must have changed as the model progressed through the year.

 

I believe you're right. At least my '41 did and it was very original.

Every '41 fender I've seen (that Henry made) was 3 piece. I doubt they changed later in the production year. Lots of guys molded the seam to give it a cleaner appearance though.

Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

41 fenders were pieced together. You see lots of upper fenders for sale because they were the least prone piece to rust. And yes many were filled for a cleaner look. See pic below They did change the hood hinge and spring configuration and that is a way to tell if it was an early or late model production.
Not to hijack the thread but I am currently looking for a pair of 41 front fenders that are repairable. If anyone knows of any please PM me the info.
Waiting with baited breath for the chop!!!
Torchie

 

Jesse was born in 1929 so, he was molded and shaped during the depression to some extent. He says that he pumped his bike 3 miles over to Crager auto parts and drolled over all the TV8's, A V8's and Duece roadster's that were always parked out front. This would soon become the famed Bell auto parts. Remember this is ground zero, the virtual hot bed of hot rodding that would rock the automotive world. Pretty heady stuff for a young teenager.

Jesse was hard working and industrious, always on the lookout to make a buck. He lied about his age to get a job in a furniture factory. He finished the wood moldings on the couch's, chairs etc.. It was dangerous because of the sanding belts that you had to watch out for. He pumped his bike 9 miles each way and made $1.25 an hour.

His first car was an A' RPU without the box. He called it a bucket and it was fast. The second was an AV8 roadster and, the third a '36 2 door. He had all three of these cars when he bought his cherry '41 coupe

If you've been here from the beginning you've probably already seen Michelley's fine tribute to Jesse on the HAMB, Jesse Lopez-Lo & Behold.

Oh, this is just great.

 

Ouch ! the spring wrap was hiding the broken main leaf another unexpected set back.