Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

I visited the Early V-8 Ford Foundation Museum in Auburn, Indiana on Tuesday.

I was dropping off a car & afterwards took a tour with Joshua Conrad.

The (19) vehicle exhibit of Ford 1936 Models valued at more than $7,000,000 was the highlight.

I watched “ Stainless “ go around the turntable for quite awhile - it was ...... mesmerizing to say the least !

Fascinating story is here:

@ https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/0...rd-v-8-museum/


Jim

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

Hi Everyone, Jim thanks for the post.

This is a beautiful car. It's explained in the book that was published on the collection, but the finish on this car is polished stainless and the original finish was more of a brushed look. Something that happened during the restoration caused this to be their best option.

These three stainless Fords show the original finish. They are in the Crawford Auto-Aviation collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland.

The car in the V-8 Foundation Museum is really cool, and I applaud Mr. Floyd for doing the restoration and being so VERY generous to "our" Smithsonian.

As cool as the Stainless car is, I'm always drooling over the '36 rolling chassis they have.

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

I wonder what happened that necessitated full polish?

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

I had a customer once who let his daughter and her boyfriend borrow his DeLorean to go to the prom. The kid locked the keys in the car and used the jack handle to try to get the door open. The damage was not repairable.

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

Saw one of the originals at a few auto shows in the late 50's early 60's.
Seems that the polished one would come in last place if judged for originality against its original peers.

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

Gotta get back there again, last time I visited they were laying out the footings for the addition.

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

I saw the Stainless Steel Thunderbird that Ford built a few years ago and wasn't impressed with the stamping of some of the body lines and fit. I guess the Stainless is harder to stamp and work then mild steel. How did the '36 look?

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

There is/was a stainless Model A here in Chattanooga. I had some buddies that had pictures they had taken of the car but I never saw it first-hand. It was no where near shinny like that, It was way-dull and looked a bit road/shop worn.
Don't know where it is now....

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

If you click on the link I posted:

After Arizona-based collector car dealer Leo Gephart bought the Ford in 2008 or 2009, he had Scottsdale restorer Lon Kruger perform a full body-off restoration that included a full 1,000-hour polish, rendering the body mirror-clear, unlike the raw finish the rest of the Allegheny Ludlum stainless-steel cars exhibit. The finished car then took a bevy of awards in 2009 before Gephart turned down a $550,000 top bid for it at the Mecum Monterey auction in 2010.

Here are a couple more interesting links:

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2008/1...ss-steel-cars/


https://www.hemmings.com/blog/index....y-of-dearborn/


Jim

Join ....
 

Everyone reading this should join up - I joined earlier this year.

Joshua Conrad is the absolute best executive director I have ever
met for a museum - he is also a friend.


Jim

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

Side note: back in the mid 60's a guy i worked with from Marblehead Ohio took me to a woods there where i saw a 39ish Lincoln which was stainless or aluminum. Painted black with most of the paint gone. It was parked next to a Pierce Arrow. Both had trees growing between the bumpers and the body. 2 years later they were gone & no one knew anything
about them ???

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...p;d=1564097350

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...p;d=1564097350
Here are pictures of the 1936 and 1960 stainless Fords and 1966 stainless Lincoln on display in the Crawford Auto-Aviation collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland.

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

I don't believe they ever made a stainless Model A. It would be interesting to know if one was ever actually produced.

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

Google 'Vince Falter Fordgarage' & scroll down to find '1931 Stainless Steel Model A Tudor'. Many pictures. This is a great ford site, check out prototype '31 Limo & Slant windshield Tudor , '31 3W Coupe, etc. Cheers. Tom in NZ.

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

Hi Everyone, I found the book today while digging through my stuff prepping for a road trip.

From page 84 of Floyd V-8, by Joe H. Floyd. “The crowning achievement of the whole restoration was the meticulously polished body. The cars were originally raw, unpolished stainless steel. They looked soft and metallic with a natural metal sheen that was neither dull nor blindingly bright. Because of the original gas welding which had worked loose from the body sections it was necessary to re-weld, which caused the dull finish to be stripped. To remove the new welding strips the car had to be polished. Today, the car is a mirror on wheels and has been driven just eighteen miles since the restoration was completed in 2010.”

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

Actually they made several of them.

Re: Meet “ Stainless “ - the 1936 Ford
 

There is an unrestored, original stainless 1936 ford in the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. The car saw service with over 200,000 miles. I noticed what appears to be damage to the passenger side door resulting in an incomplete closure; or maybe the door wasn't shut tight (?). Also, the car was equipped with what I believe are turn signals on the side of the headlights.