[blucar]

Shadetree, et all,
The claim by your friend that he had a '36 Ford four door sedan with a rumble seat is another misconception like "suicide doors, Rocky Mountain Brakes, Opera/Business Coupes" and other myths.
Ford never named or identified any of their cars, especially the '40 Ford coupe with jump seats as an Opera Coupe. The same is true of the one seat coupes of the '30's, early '40's, as being business coupes.
Most of these mythical names are inventions of creative used car advertising and/or bragging rights between friends.
I like the suicide door thing the best... My mother was driving a '34 Ford fordor in 1940, my sister was sitting next to the passenger door, on a turn the car hit a bump which caused the door to pop open, sister almost fell out, she was pinned next to the open door, I was able to grab her dress preventing her from falling completely out of the car... Pretty scary stuff for an boy of seven and nine year old girl.
Try sitting in the back seat of a car with forward opening rear doors, open the rear door and try to jump out like you are going to commit suicide. The seat is generally aft of the door so you can't fall out.
I've got to go find a new Johnson Bar and a rear exhaust bearing for my "Screaming Eight" Ford.