Here’s an interesting concept car… In 1955, Ford used a Thunderbird chassis as a test bed for many different innovations including fuel injection and disc brakes. By 1962 or so, they were done with their tests and handed over the chassis to Dean Jeffries. Jeffries then turned the car into the “Cougar 406 Concept.”

It’s a graceful design for sure, but not one that was realistic. I don’t know that any of these styling cues made it to production in any way… Still, hard not to enjoy the view.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol was ready to do just about anything to protect and serve… Including drive Fords… FAST.

For close to a year now, I’ve used my 1939 Ford Sedan as my daily driver. Other than my wife’s family truckster, the ‘39 is my newest car and I use it for going to work every morning, trips to the doctor’s office, grocery store excursions, etc… If I gotta go somewhere, my ‘39 Ford takes me.

Mechanically, the old Ford is pretty much stock. The flathead runs a mild cam and is fed through dual 97’s, but the stock top loader and 3.54 rear remains as Henry intended. The car also features a dropped axle and tube shocks at all four corners. But again, this car hasn’t really been modified for modern convenience. It’s an old car with original paint and original interior.

Driving the ole gal everyday has really turned into a joy in life. It’s romantic if that makes sense.

In any case, I’m curious to know how many of you guys drive old Fords every day. Speak up and post pictures!

Here’s one that popped up on the H.A.M.B. It’s a model-T with tracks. The photo didn’t come with an explanation at all, but one can gather some assumptions. In the background is an Army tank and a number of fellows that look like Army brass. Could this be a military pitch?

They didn’t buy it.

Anyone know anything else about this contraption?

Have a pesky head on your banger that refuses to budge? No sweat… ElRod has the answer.

Check it out.

“A focal point for research at Fair Lane was Henry Ford’s Experimental Laboratory. Located on the top floor of the Powerhouse, this area was used from approximately 1919-1924 as a place where work could be conducted in seclusion, away from prying eyes. The experimental labratory room was a precursor to the Ford Engineering Lab constructed in 1923 on Oakwood Boulevard, adjacent to the Henry Ford Museum.”

Read More here.

Some of you Fordophiles already know about the Soybean Ford of 1941, but for those who think I’m joking, here’s the skinny: In 1941 Henry Ford was looking for alternatives to steel for car bodies, which was getting on shorter supply as the war in Europe was heating up. He also understood that plastics could be more energy absorbing than metal, rust free, and weighed 30% less, so there was an aspect of additional safety, practicality, and fuel economy. Probably the largest factor in Henry’s pursuit of soybean plastics was his desire to marry agriculture and industry together- He thought of supporting farmers (who bought his Fordson tractors) as them being able to ‘grow’ the materials for his cars.

The design was first handed to the great E.T. Gregorie, but soon switched hands to the Soybean Laboratory in Greenfield Village and Lowell E. Overly, a tool and die designer, not an automotive stylist, was put in charge. (This explains the dumpy looking results, and after the war the rumor goes that Gregorie himself destroyed the Soybean car so no one would attribute it to him.) The plastic body was mounted on a tubular steel chassis, and even featured soy-based seat covers and paint.

When the US entered World War II at the end of 1941, the government suspended all private use auto production, and therefore the plastic car experiment was shelved. A second car was actually in the works at the time the war broke out, but the project was abandoned as well. By the end of the war, the idea of a plastic car had lost its momentum, and the focus to get back to civilian automobiles required all of Ford’s efforts. Henry would pass away less than two years later, killing any chance of the Soybean car getting on the road.

I was cruising Dan’s photo galleries and came across the above closed cab ‘31. I fell in love instantly. It’s the usability that gets me… I can just see myself cruising this thing to work – can’t you? I’d have a small tool box in the bed along with maybe some wood and/or parts from a project I’m working on. I think some people forget how functional an old car can be and this truck is a perfect example of practicality. Drive them fellas…

More shots here.

It’s a crime wave… Lead by a foul fellow with no regard for vintage Ford parts. If you see this bastard of a bird, catch him… Egg him… and send me the roadster bodies. He will look something like this:

Some fine footage from a “Safety & Economy” run held in the 1950’s. The run started in Los Angeles and ended in Barstow, CA. It might be a little off topic to the Ford Barn, but what the hell – there’s a Ford or two in the footage!

Enjoy: