Hot Rods Why did they survive?

Mine has been with me (second owner) since 1970. Still ninety percent factory original. Fresh paint 12 years ago, engine refreshed 10 years ago.

 

I live in Paso Robles, I have always wanted a 34 ford but I don't have to much money , so a old guy told me he had a 32 frame for sale so I went to his house and looked at the frame and right away informed him that it was a 34 frame so he sold it to me with the axles and juice brakes so I brought it home and started to dream of a 34 coupe so I hit the internet and searched high and low and I couldn't find a model A for under 4000 so the following day I found a 34 Tudor in SD , so I made arrangements to go buy it , and after 2 days of driving bam the 34 sedan was mine pushed it in my van and drove home ... when I got home I started to wonder how did it get to this state only if it could talk... just the body with most of the interior minus the seats and looked like it was sitting on the drivers door for a long time ... only if I could see the years go by with this one....

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Cool thread. The history of our cars is really the biggst part of the enjoyment of our hobby. My 64 Belair was found in a garage in Harper Woods Michigan. The last time it was licensed was 1968. I got if from the estate of An old woman with no known family who owned it and was sadly commited and still lives as a ward of the state of Michigan. Why was it put away in 1968 ? Where did the original 409 go ? Who bought and installed a complete new 3 spd column shift from Chevrolet along with a 1958 Chev 6 cylinder drivetrain ? This is how it looked when I got it and after I pulled the plastic seat covers off and buffed the original lacquer. Installd a stroked 409. It now has 9800 original miles. Still has original suspension and perfect interior and it rides like a Caddy. 1968 was Viet Nam era and we have all heard those stories of the guys that didnt come back. But no way to know any more about this car.

 

I lucked out with my 1951 Ford club coupe. It was purchased new by two bachelor farmer brothers who lived in rural Hutchinson, Minnesota. It was their "Sunday go to meeting" car and they used their pickup for every day use. It survived this way until 1961, by which time it had accumulated 61,000 miles. The last brother died and he left the car to his cleaning lady, who couldn't drive a stick. It didn't get much use over the next 15 years, when the cleaning ladies nephew bought it from her. He had a few minor body issues repaired, and had the car painted black (it was originally "SeaFoam Green'). After the body work and paint job, the nephew was going to have all the chrome trim re-plated. Even in 1987, he got a good case of "sticker shock" when he got estimates for the plating, and decided to cut his losses. To put this in perspective, this car was produced in the era of "Korean War" chrome, when materials were severely restricted, and the chrome started to rust the day the car left the factory. He offered he car for sale, and I bought it. By this time, it had accumulated 63,000 miles. By using my contacts and some excellent used pieces, I was able to to get the chrome up to snuff for a lot less that the nephew figured on. One interesting fact; just about every piece of side trim on the car was screwed up in some way. Bent, twisted, holes drilled so it could be held on by sheet metal screws, it all had to be replaced (except the piece under the trunk). I was totally shocked to discover every piece was available NOS for about $30-$40 a piece. I finished the car up, and that brings us to today and 83,000 miles.

The car had been well cared for it's entire life and shows it. Like I said : LUCKY.

 

Nice car. Im not a fan of converting them to rhd though. Seems like a lot of effort and money for little gain.

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Dad let me drag it home, that's why!
This was 1986 or '87. Has it really been 30 years?

 

Great topic!, two major factors why mine survived..
1) failed transmission causes it to be parked in garage.
2) Widow has strong sentimental attachment & doesn't sell for a long, long time...

 

Great stories and thanks for your post........here are a couple of pictures of mine...the Chrysler is still in process and is a 53k mile desert car with zero rust......the Vette spent its early years as a drag car called Mighty Mouse and was a NHRA record holder.


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Many cars survived by just being lucky enough to have owners
who liked them enough to "keep them alive". Plus, they were desirable
enough to save. For instance,the insurance company totaled my avatar car. Plus, in the past many folks kept their old cars for years and years.
It was part of the family.

 

Interesting question. I think there are a number of reasons including, they weren't running and parked, the owner had passed, they were just old cars nobody wanted, fate and just plain ole luck.
I got my 41 Chrysler in 1974 from the 3rd owner. Granted it was only 33 years old at the time and a big Fluid Drive 4dr and so who would care, but it ran and drove just fine. What amazes me is that any early Ford coupe body survived when you look at all the early race car pictures.

 

A before and after-ish shot. I bought the car sight unseen from a seller in Denver and had it shipped to NY in July of 2014.

 

My OT Cadillac had the windshield completely busted out. It's rich owners didn't have time to mess with it so they bought another. It only had 56k miles on it so it was too valuable to throw away. Into a garage it went to be delt with later. Time passed. Some hot rodder got it (me) and is unceremoniously yanking the drive train and parting the rest out.


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If you have the space it is/was easy to place a family car in the back corner and remember the good times you or a family member had with a car. Just checked and Dad's Roadster hasn't moved since 1983, that was 34 years ago, sure miss him. Bob

 

why did they SURVICE THEY BE BAD ASS THATS WHY

 

i think my '50 escaped the rustworm because it was built in louisville and stayed in kentucky for most of its life. it's not totally rust free, but pretty good for a car nearing age 70!

 

Some of them actually did die but then some dumb ass like myself would give them a Heimlich treatment and bring them back to life at a cost of twice as much as they are worth.

 

Pre war was preserved more than crushed for metal.
Depression era people don't throw away.
People didn't buy cars every year like a new hat!
Some people were more sentimentally attached and held on .
Baby boomers were not the throw away generation!
Muscle cars didn't survive our onslaught as kids plus they were built cheap !
Thanks for the people who cared enough to preserve them.

 

I've had a 'peck' of '54 Ford Coupes, all Customlines. They all got away...different reasons (2 were stolen, never recovered!)
But there was this one old lazy green one I used to see in Aptos, near our beach house...an old codger drove it, it was a V8 stick...Could never seem to catch up with him to ask if he'd sell it! (that was 1974)
Fast forward one divorce and happy marriage to wife Joey, 1992. We had moved to Atwater, were in San Jose, visiting son Rich and his wife...raining like the devil.
Rich is reading the classifieds, finds a '54 Ford COUPE, not running...it's 3 days before Fathers day, we get in his Ford truck and drive up in the East foothills. Up a winding road, into this huge yard...a car trailer sitting in the yard, a green '54 Coupe on it.
I walk up, unbelievable. It's the old man's car...the Aptos 'Phantom'! Rich talks to the guy, strikes a deal...
Rich makes it firm, I want to know what we're paying the guy, (he bought it from the old fellow as a parts car to fix his '54 wagon! But the wagon was rusty! Project abandoned! Rich won't tell me how much, he just says "Happy Father's Day!"
It went in my barn, then came to our new house...Rich and I started it and drove it in '92, it had a leaky fuel hose @ the pump!!! $6... LOL
I'm now assembling a new 406 FE for it, have a close ratio "RAT" all synchro 3 speed. Might leave it 3 on the tree...Ultimate 'sleeper'.
But THIS one just barely slid under the wire...I swear, I'm a lucky Dad. To have 'son Rich'. er, a 'Rich Son?'
It could have been 2 Kias!!! Thank the Father...

 

My 37 Chevy p/u was my great uncles farm truck that if my dad did not get it off him it would have been recycled back in the early 70s,been sitting in the woods for many years and I do not think anyone else in the family would have wanted it. My 55 sunliner is my dads first and only new car,when us kids came along there was not enough money for new cars again and when it was time for a wagon in 67 or 68 the dealers only wanted to give him 50 dollars for it so he told them to stick it where the sun did not shine and it sat in the garage since then.

 

I think a lot survived because at one time it was cheaper to park it in the backyard than it was to pay to have it scrapped. Hard to believe but at one time it actually cost to get rid of a car. Hence why so many were put out back, dumped in ravines, dumped in the woods, or ended up at the hoarders house. Thankful for the old hoarders that saw value when/where no one else did.

 

My Ford I had learned was part of a divorce settlement which may explain why it came missing a lot of parts. Somewhere there is, or was, a big pile of parts that belong to the car which I believe was stripped for body work and paint.

 

My father in law bought this 55 when it was about 3 years old. He drove it back and forth to work for 10 years or so and then decided to trade it for a newer one. My father in law's dad said he would buy it to use as a farm pickup. When my wife's grandpa got to about 90 they decided to move to town, that is when I asked if he would sell it to me, which he did. It has been sitting here for many years and now I am starting to work on it.

 

Jim. Why did you make the carryall a 56? Was it originally one. 56's are my favorite. Thanks

 

Sometimes they survive because they weren't fast enough to get destroyed. A lot of 6 cylinder first gen Camaros out there that are still virgins. Or more HAMB friendly... my 62 Nova that is a 35,000 original mile car, no rust, all original drive train. Not fast, doesn't corner well, 3 on the tree, manual everything. And judging from the roof it was driven only on sunny days with the top down. Waiting for one of you to buy it and put a 327 in it.

 

Hmmm, I could do that!

 

There is no way you built that for only twice what it's worth
Very nice ride. It's a sickness we all share but damn aint it FUN


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Hi Tom: Your wagon is looking fine, can't wait to see it out on the Avenue............That is if it ever quits raining around here. Regards, Mike

 

My pickup survived because it hauled hay out of the field for 50 years and wouldn't die - my 31 coupe was a dirt track car that was beat up so bad it was surviving only as yard art - I really don't know how any Model T survived WW2 scrap drives, except 15,000,000 were made, and 1% of that is 150,000

 

my survived cause I followed it into the scrapyard

 

I bought my '66 Montclair back in '98 near Seattle. It has a little rust at the rear fenders but it's been garaged for the last 12 years, so it hasn't got any worse. Looking forward to more improvements in the near future. Keeping it out of the elements sure helps the heavy hand of time. I dig your s55!

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