The Ford Barn - Introducing Jeff's '35 Fordor

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Introducing Jeff's '35 Fordor

Hi Everyone, This is the introductory story of a new-to-me '35 Fordor Touring with trunk.

Some of you know I was half-owner with my Dad, member Henry@1140, in a 1936 Phaeton. That was a car he thought was desirable. We spent four years refurbishing almost every mechanical system except the engine and wiring. The car runs and drives pretty well, there's a little steering glitch, and the brakes are not as good as they've been in the past, but I love the car and have great memories of working on it with Dad, and our good friend JM35. When Dad passed in 2013 I became full owner.

For the last couple of years I've been telling myself that one car is fun and two cars is not going to be twice the fun. Same thing I used to tell Dad when he drooled over '40 Convertibles! I looked at a couple of pickups, but never got the urge to reach for my wallet.

In early June my Mom called and said there was a '34 Ford in the local paper for $14,500. Of course I thought "Hmmmm, '34 Fords don't usually sell for that price, maybe I should give the guy a call." So I did.

Turns out it was a running and driving '35 Fordor Touring with Trunk, the fella had it for 52 years, kept in the same garage I ended up pulling it out of. Even better because the '35 and '36 are so similar.

"Hmmm" again, sez I, and arrange to go look at it. When I got there I climbed around it, took some photos, asked to hear it run, thank the man, and go home. I didn't even drive it. I think I was trying to not fall in love with it.

It was almost all there and with no serious changes. The first thing I noticed is what I thought was a hideous paint job. Metal flake green with black fenders and wheels. Just Ewww, was my reaction.

It had a '37ish block, with '36 heads (news to the owner when I pointed it out), but otherwise it was pretty standard stuff you'd see on a car at a V8 Club meet; mechanical brakes, kneeling shocks, 6V, solid floors with light rust underneath. The fella who showed it to me had just done $1,200 work on it including a 'tune-up and new water pumps.' (Got 'em from a guy in Florida, yippee I said.)

I thought about it for a few days, and came up with a number that it would be worth for me, and decided we were too far apart to make my offer not sound insulting. I got a text on the fourth day "What's up, why didn't you make an offer?" I tell the man what I saw, what would have to be fixed for it to suit the want that I have for it (a car that I could hop in, and drive, man, drive, for days, the Phaeton doesn't even have door locks or real windows). This '35 had a lot of systems that are just very tired, shocks, springs, etc. If there's a fluid in it, it leaks.

I tell the man the price I was thinking, and why I didn't want to insult.

Well I ran across a very motivated seller, and he said "I guess the first guy with that much money gets it." I sez, "Now you're making me think really hard."

I brought it home five days later. When the wife walked in the door, seeing it in the driveway, she said she likes the way it looks! BONUS! Also when Mom saw it, she liked it. So I guess I'm the only one that thinks it's ugly.

I'm a little ashamed to say I think I may have stolen it. This is the first antique car I've ever purchased and I wanted to be cautious about getting under water from the get-go. All the others have been bought by my Dad including A's, T's, an '05 Stanley, Pantera, Cougar Eliminator, '71 Rivera, '68 Catalina, well dad like to flip cars and was up over 100 owned and sent along. I learned you make your money when you buy, not so much when you sell.

In the last month I've changed all fluids at least once, put on new radiator hoses, reconnected a bullet to get the brake/tail lights working, and change out a wonky speedometer with a spare I found in the garage. I've spent some time fiddling with lights and wires and started cleaning up a pretty thick layer of gunk underneath (1/4 inch in places). I'm looking at a list with fourteen items on it that need some attention: breather screen clogged, wipers don't wipe, spare cover missing, missing splash pans, gas gauge missing, oil pressure has no needle, battery box 1/2 gone, shocks, springs, leaking engine, horns don't work, steering leaks, trunk is a mess, dash lights don't work, front seat springs are shot on my side.

I've put a couple of hundred miles on it. It doesn't especially overheat, but the radiator is and block is likely contaminated with rubber debris from deteriorated hoses as described here... https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=198594

I'm still thinking about what to do, keep it - it is my first purchase, or sell it (everyone knows what's wrong with it now). Drive the Phaeton more, trade two cars for one that would take me to Alaska and back? Still thinking, but so far I'm enjoying this '35, and daydreaming about the future. Thanks for reading!

The paint photo, when it was painted 11 years ago, some rubber pieces were never unmasked, bonus paint chips! The last two shots are the Auto Shop at the College where I do some work.