DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Hey FORDBARNers ...

Does anyone know whatever became of William "Seek" Secrest's awe inspiring collection of 1932 Fords?

I've heard rumors that Don Thelen (Buffalo Motor Cars) purchased the entire collection from the Secrest family ... but I've also heard that the collection was broken up after Mr. Secrest's death (i.e., the cars were sold piecemeal) ... anyone know the true story?

Here's some pics taken at Seek's "Barn" in August of 1976:

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...ust1976-16.jpg

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

... and here's the "DEUCE HEAVEN" article that appeared in the September 1977 issue of Rod ACTION magazine:

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...Sept77pg16.jpg

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Oh my! I never knew. Simply amazing.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Heavens to betsy,Its unbelievable one man could have soo much.ken ct.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

It would just have been something to get to build with those nice parts...huh?

Heaven....

Pretty darn close.....

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

I'm a Deuce guy and have heard about The Secrest Collection from friends that have seen the cars, but I didn't realize that there was an article in Rod Action. Thanks for the pictures!!

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

I have his 32 cabriolet. Virgil Sturum did a lot of the body work and told me Bill would send him to Hershey with a big roll of hundreds to buy any NOS 32 parts he could find. When he would come back Bill would ask for his change but Virgil said Bill always owed him more. He said at one time they had 45 NOS 32 fenders. He had at least one of every 32 modle made. The 32 cabriolet has all NOS parts, fenders, running boards, grill and shell,rear, trans, engine and I don't know what else. It may have 50 miles since it was restored and still looks like a brand new car. I'm thinking about selling a few, have to many. G.M.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

During the late 70's I was having my 34 Sedan Delivery done by then-partners
Don Thelen (not Thelan) and Ron Jones at their "body shop" (which was next door to an actual mortuary) in Paramount CA. Around that time, Thelen was involved in the purchase/breakup of the Secrest collection, but I was under the impression that there were also others involved, since it was alot ($) for one person to handle. At least some of the cars were brought to Southern California, and I could have bought the Tudor for around $18K, which was not cheap by any means, but the car WAS very nice. (I bought my 34 Roadster instead, which WAS NOT very nice, at least according to my father!)

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Absolutely gorgeous collection of Deuces, fantastic. LouB.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Now that is a collection of 32's. Wish I could have seen it in person.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

WOW, I would love to see that collection.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

I was lucky enough to have visited the collection in 1976 I think. It was very impressive.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

That's IT!! I give up!! You win!! LOL :o

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

I hope someone find out what happen to all the 32's. I only wanted one but I guess that never will happen.That blew my mind. Thanks for shareing. I sure did enjoy this very much.I would have love to work there.NOTHING LIKE A 32.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Hey Ken maybe if you want to trade that P/U and a few of them hogs we may work out a deal. G.M.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

Thanks for the pictures. The Phaetons in a row are perfect.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

I saw a collection of 32's that came out of an estate sale in Conn. about two years ago. They went somewhere in central Ma. and then to an Action last year in Boston. Most where roadsters and four doors, not one coupe in the bunch.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

in `94 don thelan told me-- him and some other investors bought a good chunk of the parts collection after secrest died. he mentioned that he took a dozen n.o.s. fenders to hershey and sold them. i don`t know who got all the cars. i met aguy who had a black beautiful original 33 ford 3w for sale at pleasanton in `89. he said it was from secrest collection. is theodore thertito part of secrest or is he another collector?

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

WOW, what a collection. I sold Mr. Secrest the 32 3 window in the collection.
I was sick when his men picked it up but at 21 in 1969 and child on the way
had to sell. I listed it in the Tulsa Tribune and Mr Secrest was the first call. we set a time to meet and he walked around and run his hand under each fender bead, no breaks, he said I'll take it and wrote me a check for $750. of course I didn't know 40+ yrs later it would bring $25,000 unfinished. I visited many times at his shops, plural, and he was very curtious and always let me look till my hearts content. Big Virg as he is known was always making restoration look like it was so easy. Big Virg hand prepared each part and put it away, hence all the parts hanging and on shelves. Mr Secrest was very
successful at finding large parts stashes. old dealer ships closing would have tons of old stuff in upper floors as most were 2 story buildings. huge stashes of A and 32,33,34 and I guess maybe up to 48, I'm not sure what all he bought but Big Virg knows. alot of the parts were nos bolts and motor parts and gages and parts I would never dream of finding nos. I did witness him buying a pair of 34 nos front fenders at Chickasha swap meet in about 1980 or so for $1500. well enough rambling about my story with Mr. Secrest, He was a Fine Gentleman!!!! Allen Ervin, formally of Sand Springs, Okla.;)

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

WOW! Great post! Thanks for posting and sharing! I have to wonder where all those cars and parts are today and what their total combined value would actually be in todays dollars?? Seeing pictures of all of these cars together sorta reminded me of the Nick Alexander Woody collection that was sold off mot too long ago. JM

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

WOW!!!!!!!
Thanks for posting this.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

I agree with Pat. "I give up" that guy wins.

Re: DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976
 

cool thread