Hot Rods **Turning my '36 Ford 5-window Coupe from Grandpas stocker into a Hot Rod!!**

Well, I finally have found some time the last few weeks to get some work done on my '36 coupe I picked up back in February and figured it was time to start a new thread.... Here's the story.

So I finally finished my '31 Model a coupe I've been building for the past 4 years or so just in time to drive away from my wedding last April and after putting some miles on it and achieving my goal of having it in the Suede Palace at the GNRS last year, I made the decision to send it down the road. Sold the car to my new friend Jacek of the Rumblers Car Club in Germany and this last February it made it's voyage across the pond.

About the same time I posted the coupe on the HAMB I found a smokin deal on a beautiful 1936 Ford 5-window coupe on Craigslist. The car was up in Northern California a few miles from my brothers place so luckily he was kind enough to go and check it out for me. He gave the thumbs up and the next day I hopped on a flight to San Jose and struck a deal. My brother stored the car for me up in San Jose for a few weeks and back in March I made the trek up there to pick it up.

So the story is the car was partially restored back in the early 90's by an older gentleman in the Bay area and was never finished. It sat for almost 20 years until two years ago the guy I bought it from purchased it and finished the majority of the work. The car was about 85% done and is restored to 100% stock. Basically everything on the car was new or rebuilt, rebuilt stock '36 drivetrain, all rebuilt suspension and mechanical brakes, new glass, seals, chrome, pretty much everything but the paint, which is still in decent shape.

The first line of business was to bolt the fenders, running boards and hood back on the car. At that time, I made the decision that I would put off my plans for the car and just enjoy it for a while the way it was. My wife and I spent the summer cruising around town and to the beach, and even made the trek up to Pomona for the LA Roadster show in June.

After a few close calls with the sketchy mechanical brakes, a few weeks ago I figured it was time to begin the transformation. I started with the front end and installed a dropped '36 axle, reversed the eyes on the stock front spring, a Chassis Engineering shock kit, '40 Ford spindles and '39-'41 brakes and topped it off with 16 inch steel wheels wrapped in Firestone whitewalls with '41 Ford caps. Rear suspension consisted of a Posies Super Slide spring, Vern Tardel shackles and '39-'41 Ford Brakes. Tires are 5.50x16 front and 7.00x16 rear. Next on the list is installing an Early V8 Garage master cylinder bracket, fruit jar master cylinder and plumbing the brakes. I also think I'm gonna pull a leaf out of the front end to drop it down just a bit more.

I'm super stoked with the way the car turned out and can't wait to get the brakes done and drive the hell out of it!!

 

Relined my own brake shoes for the first time.





Trying to drive the shackle bushing out of the front spring hanger I decided to smash my thumb with a hammer, oops!

 

Very cool!

Is that a kit front end?? Where did you get it? I'm about to do the same on a 40 Tudor.

 

way to go 100%better

 

Beautiful, I cannot believe just how clean it is. Would you be interested in selling your old lever shocks/arms. Moe

 

Gorgeous car. You did a great job with this one.

 

It's not... I got the dropped axle from Okie Joe out at the LA Roadster show. http://www.joesspeedshop.com/joesproducts.htm
Front and rear spring are from Posies but only ended up using the rear. Front shock kit, perch pins, and sway bar kit are from Chassis Engineering, not gonna use the sway bar though.

Sure would... I'll PM you pictures and a price sometime in the next few days.

 

nailed it!!

 

bbbbbeeeauttttifullll

big n little whites is what makes a 36

 

bbbbbeeeauttttifullll

big n little whites is what makes a 36

 

That stance is killer. That was a beautiful car, and now it looks both beautiful and tough.

 

Like I said buddy, It looks killer. Very very cool stuff....

 

I love it !

 

poor little blind car...put some eyeballs on it...

 

Looks great. Love the stance.

 

Awesome!

 

was a bit worried when I read the topic and saw the original photos... until I scrolled down, rad job at putting just the right touches on it.

 

And done. That is perfect man

 

Nice,very.

 

Perfection

 

Sweet.....

 

Slick!!!

 

Hard to believe that somebody would screw a '36 up. ZZ stripes, rectangle headlights, etc..
You did not.
That is totally f'king hot.
Thanks for making it even better then it already was.

 

Car looks awesome, thumb not so much.

 

Fantastic. Nice touch and very respectable. Did I miss it, but no dust shields or E-Brake on your build?

 

youve convinced me to drop mine more-thats sittin pretty
-lovin the stance-sweet car

 

Damn!!!!

 

Looking the goods here. Will be watching..

 

Nice, you are lucky to have found one at just the right stage for what you want to do to it, super lucky.....beautiful car....