The Ford Barn

Robert Dip · 09-23-2011, 01:05 PM

OK.....I'll bite. At 13 years old.....saw a chanelled coupe...Rod & Custom, sept. issue..Gil Granucci's '31 coupe....that was it.....had to build one of these and be part of the California dream. At 15, finally got my first car....'31 Chev 5W coupe....thanks to my dad, we went to pick it up for 75 bucks. the date was October, 1960. It was parked on the side at a local gas station, naturally. Well, it was great, but....it was not a Ford, so I did locate one and made the swap with the person that had it....an old lady, probably 35 or so....hey, when you're 15, 35 is pretty dam old. It was now Feb, 1961 and I could not wait for spring to arrive so I could start the build. During the summer of '61, I obtained many parts like a '32 frame...guy ripped me off with $15 cost....but it was better than the A frame, the bugger came back and ripped off another 15 bucks for a '32 grill & shell, got a '47 sedan for the 59AB, gears for the '39 case, rear end and all brakes, etc....that cost me another 15 bucks.....hell, everything cost $15 then ! oh, yes, thanks grandma ( my banker )....I know with interest today, I owe you a million bucks.....I am sure most of us were in the same boat, money wise. What ever happened to my very first Chevy car.........don't know, but with the Ford, celebrating 50 years with it, and still drive it. Thanks Gil, you gave me the dream, and still living it today.

Jack 34pu · 09-23-2011, 03:17 PM

This is my first car - w/Matag motor (younger brother still has the motor). Dad pushed back the dining room table and built it there. ( I can see that happening today!!??) Wheels were from a coaster wagon and the steering wheel was an old Desota w/rope around the steering shaft. Lots of steering wheel turns to make a small left or right turn! My younger brother in the pics was not as fast with the steering as I was so he had a venture up thru my grandmother's flower garden. It did not go fast enough for us so one day, we took the motor off a reel type lawn mower and hooked it up. Had to push it to start it but it was way to fast to contol with slow steering. Had an accident so back to the Matag before Dad got home. Boy, those were the days - great memories! (early 50's)

Bill in Al · 09-23-2011, 03:32 PM

"35 Chevy two door sedan. Fenders and running boards were bent and rusted so I took them off. Mounted the head lights on the frame horns. Found a set of good plymouth 17" wheels and tires and rat-tailed the lug holes enough to make 'um fit! I wound up with probably one of the first highboys and didn't know it! That was in 1952.

Shadetree · 09-23-2011, 08:19 PM

I had nightmares for many years after that - missing that car and wanting to have it back.

I know the feeling. I had nearly the same experience over a `32 Chevy coupe street rod. I would dream that I kept it only to wake up and be so disappointed.

Shadetree

Shadetree · 09-23-2011, 08:37 PM

This is my first car - w/Maytag motor (younger brother still has the motor).

What an amazing story and with pictures! I am not the only one that tried this! Yours worked! Looks similar to my derby. I took the back off to put my Maytag on but was never successful in getting it to work. And yes the steering was pretty slow and sloppy, but it worked! My engine still had the flexible tubing exhaust. Looks like you had the mixture a little rich with oil! Thanks for sharing!

Shadetree

Lawson Cox · 09-23-2011, 08:41 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Do you still have the girl? LOL

41ford1 · 09-23-2011, 09:01 PM

I guess I was a Ford guy from the very early days. Learned to drive in the lumber trails of a NH farm in a '31 model A pickup. I was 11. My first steet legal car was a $75 '58 T'Bird. It was just slightly used over 100k miles on the clock, the original 352 was replaced sometime with a 332 and the small automatic. Made the first mistake of changing the oil. It used a quart every 60 miles after that. Didn't leak it. It burned it. It left a Mil spec smoke screen of death. Traded it and $200 for a $400 '57 F100. Sold that after running it for 3 years. It was rusty but it ran real well. Bought a '53 four door Mainline and ran it for 3 years. It ran real good and took my abuse. sold it for what I paid for it. The fell for the muscle car alure. Bought a '64 Pontiac GTO ragtop for $695. I should of kept them all!!!

Terry,OH · 09-24-2011, 07:32 AM

When I was 16 I worked at one of the local movie theaters as an usher. One eve I looked out the front glass doors to see a 40 Ford, 5- window, Coupe parked out front under the marque. With the reflection of the hundreds of lights off the cars glass and the dark gray primer I couldn't resist a closer look. The hood was off revealing an Olds engine with J2 tri-power and chrome valve covers and Helling air cleaners. The interior was long gone, I fell hard, head over heals! I could not locate the owner and restraints of the job (and my boss) had me back to work inside. At my next opportunity I looked out and the car was gone.
Two days later my friend and I walked over to one of his other friends house and there it was! Parked in the driveway, in front of the garage with the engine removed sitting on the garage floor. My friends buddy was fed up with all the work he had to put into the car and wanted to get rid of it. 50 bucks later I owned the car.
I was a junior in high school and kept and drove the car through college and for a few years of marriage. It is still around but I have moved to the other side of town and do not see it any more. I replaced it with 40 Business Coupe and a couple of others. But I can't forget the first.

V8 Bob · 09-24-2011, 10:30 AM

Like many of you, I started out with stick, board, rope steer wagon-wheeled "gravity" cars at about age 8 or 9, until my dad brought home a couple of Maytag engines.

I'll never forget the first time we started one of them, and watched it bounce and hop around the garage floor!

A friend who lived down the street and I installed one on our "latest" car, but when the thing kept falling apart, my dad offered to build me a much nicer and safer "sidewalk car", as they were called back then.

We finished the car sometime in '57, and I enjoyed it until I bought my first "big" car in '62, a '54 Ford sedan. My younger brother had fun with it in the later 60's, then it came back to me, where it will stay.

The first engine was a Maytag for a week or so, then a couple of 1 1/2-3 HP B&S's for many years, and finally an old 5 HP Wisconsin. The car features "real" steering, rear wheel V-belt brakes, two speed V-belt transmission, gas pedal, and ignition switch. The tires, brake V belts, paint and seat are all original.

A Go Kart it is not; just a very special car built by a very special father.

FL&WVMIKE · 09-24-2011, 10:38 AM

V8 BOB .....................
That is just UNBELIEVABLE that you still have your first "car", after, over fifty years !
I bet that SHADETREE never expected to see that, when he started this thread !
It is amazing, that others, have photos !
Thanks,
MIKE

Byron Warwick · 09-24-2011, 11:29 AM

Here is my first car. I bought it in 1957 while I was working at H J Heinz in Leamington Ontario. Ran it until 1968 and it went into storage. The avatar shows it to-day. Still fun to drive, in fact we're going back to Leamington tomorrow, about 90 miles. Byron W.

Shadetree · 09-24-2011, 04:40 PM

V-8 Bob,
That is an heirloom! Priceless! Looks like it may have a two speed.

I sure admire those that kept their very first car or truck

I thought I was the only one that ever tried mating a Maytag engine with a soap box derby. The engine is a two-cycle hit and miss and runs at a constant speed but they are tough. I bugged the Maytag man to trade me a Briggs And Stratton for it. He agreed but never came through.

My son kept his first car.

He will soon be 46 years old.
Shadetree

09-23-2011, 03:32 PM	#23
Bill in Al Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Pell City (New London) Al Posts: 317	Re: My First `Car' "35 Chevy two door sedan. Fenders and running boards were bent and rusted so I took them off. Mounted the head lights on the frame horns. Found a set of good plymouth 17" wheels and tires and rat-tailed the lug holes enough to make 'um fit! I wound up with probably one of the first highboys and didn't know it! That was in 1952.

09-23-2011, 08:19 PM	#24
Shadetree Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cottageville, WV Posts: 1,535	Re: My First `Car' I had nightmares for many years after that - missing that car and wanting to have it back. I know the feeling. I had nearly the same experience over a `32 Chevy coupe street rod. I would dream that I kept it only to wake up and be so disappointed. Shadetree __________________ Son, you will never blow an engine up in high gear.

09-23-2011, 08:37 PM	#25
Shadetree Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cottageville, WV Posts: 1,535	Re: My First `Car' This is my first car - w/Maytag motor (younger brother still has the motor). What an amazing story and with pictures! I am not the only one that tried this! Yours worked! Looks similar to my derby. I took the back off to put my Maytag on but was never successful in getting it to work. And yes the steering was pretty slow and sloppy, but it worked! My engine still had the flexible tubing exhaust. Looks like you had the mixture a little rich with oil! Thanks for sharing! Shadetree __________________ Son, you will never blow an engine up in high gear.

09-23-2011, 08:41 PM	#26
Lawson Cox Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Above the gnat line in Georgia Posts: 7,009	Re: My First `Car' Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Do you still have the girl? LOL

09-23-2011, 09:01 PM	#27
41ford1 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: ManchVegas, New Hampshah Posts: 1,589	Re: My First `Car' I guess I was a Ford guy from the very early days. Learned to drive in the lumber trails of a NH farm in a '31 model A pickup. I was 11. My first steet legal car was a $75 '58 T'Bird. It was just slightly used over 100k miles on the clock, the original 352 was replaced sometime with a 332 and the small automatic. Made the first mistake of changing the oil. It used a quart every 60 miles after that. Didn't leak it. It burned it. It left a Mil spec smoke screen of death. Traded it and $200 for a $400 '57 F100. Sold that after running it for 3 years. It was rusty but it ran real well. Bought a '53 four door Mainline and ran it for 3 years. It ran real good and took my abuse. sold it for what I paid for it. The fell for the muscle car alure. Bought a '64 Pontiac GTO ragtop for $695. I should of kept them all!!!

09-24-2011, 07:32 AM	#28
Terry,OH Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 4,761	Re: My First `Car' When I was 16 I worked at one of the local movie theaters as an usher. One eve I looked out the front glass doors to see a 40 Ford, 5- window, Coupe parked out front under the marque. With the reflection of the hundreds of lights off the cars glass and the dark gray primer I couldn't resist a closer look. The hood was off revealing an Olds engine with J2 tri-power and chrome valve covers and Helling air cleaners. The interior was long gone, I fell hard, head over heals! I could not locate the owner and restraints of the job (and my boss) had me back to work inside. At my next opportunity I looked out and the car was gone. Two days later my friend and I walked over to one of his other friends house and there it was! Parked in the driveway, in front of the garage with the engine removed sitting on the garage floor. My friends buddy was fed up with all the work he had to put into the car and wanted to get rid of it. 50 bucks later I owned the car. I was a junior in high school and kept and drove the car through college and for a few years of marriage. It is still around but I have moved to the other side of town and do not see it any more. I replaced it with 40 Business Coupe and a couple of others. But I can't forget the first.

09-24-2011, 10:30 AM	#29
V8 Bob Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Granger (Northern) Indiana Posts: 1,520	Re: My First `Car' Like many of you, I started out with stick, board, rope steer wagon-wheeled "gravity" cars at about age 8 or 9, until my dad brought home a couple of Maytag engines. I'll never forget the first time we started one of them, and watched it bounce and hop around the garage floor! A friend who lived down the street and I installed one on our "latest" car, but when the thing kept falling apart, my dad offered to build me a much nicer and safer "sidewalk car", as they were called back then. We finished the car sometime in '57, and I enjoyed it until I bought my first "big" car in '62, a '54 Ford sedan. My younger brother had fun with it in the later 60's, then it came back to me, where it will stay. The first engine was a Maytag for a week or so, then a couple of 1 1/2-3 HP B&S's for many years, and finally an old 5 HP Wisconsin. The car features "real" steering, rear wheel V-belt brakes, two speed V-belt transmission, gas pedal, and ignition switch. The tires, brake V belts, paint and seat are all original. A Go Kart it is not; just a very special car built by a very special father.

09-24-2011, 10:38 AM	#30
FL&WVMIKE Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Daytona Beach, Fl & Spencer, W. Va, Posts: 4,442	Re: My First `Car' V8 BOB ..................... That is just UNBELIEVABLE that you still have your first "car", after, over fifty years ! I bet that SHADETREE never expected to see that, when he started this thread ! It is amazing, that others, have photos ! Thanks, MIKE

09-24-2011, 04:40 PM	#32
Shadetree Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cottageville, WV Posts: 1,535	Re: My First `Car' V-8 Bob, That is an heirloom! Priceless! Looks like it may have a two speed. I sure admire those that kept their very first car or truck I thought I was the only one that ever tried mating a Maytag engine with a soap box derby. The engine is a two-cycle hit and miss and runs at a constant speed but they are tough. I bugged the Maytag man to trade me a Briggs And Stratton for it. He agreed but never came through. My son kept his first car. He will soon be 46 years old. Shadetree __________________ Son, you will never blow an engine up in high gear.