We have all heard the story about the car sitting in a garage that everyone and their brother has tried to buy for years and years and it was never for sale. I too have heard it hundreds of times but never put much faith in the stories. I have an 81 year old friend Willie that has been helping me out a bunch on my Model a truck build. He has a great stash of flathead parts and misc. pieces that are tough to find or expensive to buy. He has a few projects and can always use some extra cash. I try to help him out and buy stuff of him that I can use. Years ago (like 1950) he had 6 36 Fords. The city got after his mother for having old junk in the yard and he got rid of them. The cut up the cars with an axe and took them to the dump. He kept some stuff and even built a 36 Ford 3 window which he later sold. I always liked 36 Fords and I thought I would buy up the parts he had laying around. I dug in the rafters and found a truck load of stuff. Paid him fair market value and we were both happy.
Word got out that I bought his 36 parts and I heard “How did you get stuff from him? He would never sell anything!” My friend Roger told me that he knew where there was a 36 Ford 3 window coupe in a city 30 minutes to the north of me. He would not tell me where it was just that it was real nice and was sitting under a roof covered in paper mill felt. He had tried to buy it but could not close the deal. He offered a low ball amount and the old timer said he was already offered more but did not want to sell it anyhow. Same old story. I never could get it out of him where it was and I let it go.
Fast forward 4 month. Roger stops by and tells me he could not take it anymore and that he had lied to me about the whereabouts of the 36 Ford coupe. He said it was in town and that Orville owned it but he would not sell it. I put it in the back of my brain and forgot about it.
I was out driving on Orville’s end of town on day in August 2012. I thought what the heck and stopped by and rang the doorbell. Orville came to the door. He is 81 years old. I asked him about his old cars and got the nickel tour of them all. He showed me the 36 Ford coupe all covered up under the roof next to the shed. It was not visible from the road and I had a tough time seeing what it was when I was standing next to it. It was covered up with a tarp that rotted away and then another which was rotting away also. There were all kinds of stuff piled on and around the car. I was climbing around it trying to see what I could and saw a 59ab engine, what I thought was grey primer paint, nice left front fender and that was about it. He said it was time for me to go. I left him with a piece of paper with my name and number on it along with a price.
I did not receive a call back so a week later I called and talked to his wife. I told her I had talked to Orville and I was interested in buying the 36. She said they may consider selling it. I thought great, here is my chance. I told her the price I was willing to pay and she said she would get back to me in 2 weeks. I gave her my number again.
I called after 2 very long weeks and she was still not sure about selling the car. She said she needed to talk to her sons about it. She would get back to me. I know her older son, he did some engine work for me. I called him and left a message to call me about the car. I called again the next day and left another message. He called back later that day. He wanted to know why I wanted the car and what I was going to do with it. I told him I wanted to preserve the car and enjoy it with my family. He was very stern about my not reselling the car to anyone else and that doing so would negate any deal. I then happened upon the other son at my work. He called looking for some info and I asked if his mother talked to him about selling the 36? He said yes and wanted to know what I was going to do with it and why I wanted it. I told him the same answer I told his brother and then drove my Model A truck to his site and showed him what I built. We had a great talk about cars and hot rods. He said he would talk to his mother about me buying the 36. I thought great this may actually happen!! Then it got weird, I decided to walk away from the car and see how things settle out.
So from the first time I talked to Orville the owner until now has been three weeks. Another week goes buy and I get a call form Orville’s wife on A Friday night: “I thought you would have called us back by now. Do you still want the car?” I say yes can I come over and take a picture of it the way it is sitting now? “Sure, come over Saturday morning but call first.” So I can hardly sleep that Friday night. I wake up and call her and I ask can I come over and take a few pictures? “no Call back Sunday” So I call Sunday and ask if I can come over and she says “ my son is here and he is digging out the car, I will call you later” Wow, it is going to happen I can’t believe it! So around 5 pm she calls and says “come and get your car” I said I will be right over! I hooked up the trailer and grabbed the winch and my dad and went to get it. On the way over I say to my dad you know I never really got a good look at the car, what if it is not worth it? I am already committed to buying it. He says “don’t worry, I will buy it if you don’t.” This is what we saw when we pulled into the driveway:
It was beautiful! I could not believe my eyes! I was the new owner of the beautiful car!
We loaded it up and got the story behind the car. Here is a picture of Orville and I:
Here is where it was sitting. They put the tractor in its place.
