The Patina Eradication Project (1936)

[Django]

I know I'm going to get alot of grief from certain friends, and from people I've never actually met, but here goes. Late this winter, my Dad and I decided that the time had come to go down the path of getting some new paint on the 5 window. Some backstory for those that don't know...

My Dad and the 5 window in 1964. It was his first car. He drove it for 3 years, joined the Air Force, and after shipping out to Vietnam, sometime during his tour ('68-69), my uncle blew the motor. It stayed in my uncle's garage for awhile but ultimately ended up in the barn.





Fast forward to 2005, we finally got it roadworthy. People loved it. I got lots of compliements. "Don't ever paint this or you'll f**k it up!" I got that from several people from here to Austin Texas. But it never has been the plan to leave it forever. Dad loves this car, and wanted very much to make it as nice as it was in '64. When he gave it to me, I knew someday, somehow, we would make that happen. And anyway, this coupe is more than just a another car within the family. It is as much about the memories associated with it over the last 47 years as the car itself. Alot of the scrapes on the rear fenders and the backs of the front fenders, I put there 35 years ago. Is there anything cooler to use as a slide than an old Ford coupe?

Summer of 2010 with my son.







After my son was born in 2008, we got the '55 wagon, so the coupe had to go back to my parent's house. In that time since then, we managed to give my cousin Owen "the sickness" regarding '36 Fords, and between the 3 of us, decided to make the paint happen. Along the way a few things changed also as well...



Got a new front bumper and guards, shorty rear bumper brackets, stainless taillights and plate brackets, full exhaust with cutouts and of course paint on the fenders and rumble lid.




Also replaced the F-1 rumble steps and the '34 rumble handle with the correct pieces. I resisted this to the bitter end. My Dad and Uncle put those on in the '60s because at the time, that was all they could find. Same with the truck door handles. I caved on the steps and rumble handle (Dad was going to change them anyway because it always bothered him), but I would not let him change the truck door handles. It's one of those odd little quirks unique to the car that will always remind me of my Dad and also of my Uncle. As much as he would rather they be the stock handles, he respects that.



I found a seat for sale up in Michigan, and needing one for the cabriolet, my Dad and cousin offered to go get it. So I bought it sight unseen. From what I was told, it was just an old seat, needing recovered. No problem, I don't want fabric in a cabriolet anyway. So they get up there and the damn thing is almost perfect! So it went into the 5 window instead, which of course snowballed into new door panels and kick panels that my cousin made from fabric ordered from Lebaron Bonney, and pulling out the gauges and rebulding them, and fixing all the drains in the windows. We still need to find a large industrial sewing machine as ours wasn't big enough to put the correct seams in the door panels.



You probably also have noticed the blackwalls and new hubcaps. My Dad's 3 window runs blackwalls, and he wanted to run blackwalls on the 5 window for awhile, so he took another set of wheels and bought blackwall radials. I like the blackwalls for a change. I built him a model of the 5 window about 8 years before it was ever close to leaving the barn, that had this exact look. I really don't like the radials, but for now, the blackwall look is winning out over hating the radials. I have the whitewalls ready to go at anytime.



So for now the body retains the old paint. Recently Dick Spadaro came out with the correct looking quarter patches, so we're going to cut out the Bob Drake patches and replace them some upcoming winter.

I enjoyed the patina, but I love the new paint.


The End.

[Elmo Rodge]

Thanx Django. Good job. Wayno

[BLACKNRED]

Fantastic, another Ford Coupe in my favourite colour.

Great Job

[35cab]

Looks great, best thing about it of course is the family connection, that's real patina.
Also looking good in the early Chicago sunshine.
Gordon.

[gerrald meacham]

looked good before but looks great now

[coupe5w36]

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Beautiful coupe, great history. Well done to all involved.

[Charlie ny]

Dj,
Yours might not be the greatest story ever told but it's REAL
CLOSE. You are a lucky guy.
Gracias,
Charlie ny

[Kens 36]

Great job & nice story, Chad. Is it going to Auburn?

Ken

[Tim Brown]

Nice story, nice car. Keep up the good work teaching that kid what family tradition is all about...

[Django]

Thanks everyone!

Ken, not sure about Auburn yet. The plan was to take the the 4 door, the cabriolet, and one of the coupes. The 5 window will depend on if my wife and son are going. If not, then yes. If so, then we will have to take a daily driver down to my folks house as well. If they go it would be easier to take the 3 window instead, but we'll see.

3 weeks ago, the 4 door threw a rod, which means if it is going to still go, the cabriolet may not be done in time, which means we would probably take the 3 window anyway. Confused yet? We had it all planned out, but it sure isn't working out that way!

[Joe AZ]

Great history and great story. I think you did a pretty good job of keeping the originality, but "cleaning it up a bit". Love '36 5 windows.
Joe

[4-barrel Mike]

Excellent! Really nice 5-window.

Mike

[ken1939]

Whats the old line, if they were your friends they wouldnt tell you that you would F it up if you painted it. I happen to like paint, and black always a winner, especially when it was to start.

I think you did a fine job and made the right decision. I think all your tweaks were classy and well thought out as well.

Like the others mentioned, the story that goes along with it is worth way more than any doo dad you could put on any car.

At my age now, I understand why my late friend Jack always said he had more fun building them than driving them, and with your story it ads to my knowing why he felt that way.

The only car I saw at the Back to the 50's weekend in St Paul last week was a true "pantia" car. Well it was actually rust. It was a 32 Gennie Roadster, high boy edition. That was the only car I ever saw that I would not have painted. It was neat the way it was. So out of all my time looking at these cars, my list of not to paint was only one car

And as a matter of truth, needing anyones approval for your work and your path is nice, but your choices are the right ones in the end.

Accept for that guy that put a 55 Chevy hardtop on a 4x4 suspension.

Dont be that guy!

[Tinker]

I like patina to a point. You were ready for paint and it looks outstanding. Nice car.

[joel]

You did right. Patina is what you want on a barn find, so that you can see all the problems.

[Gary Tosel]

Good job! As you can see, my 5W Coupe also has blackwall tires and I like them better than any white wall tires. Thanks.

[DirtyDan]

Looks great! I'm really digging the blackwalls... thinking about getting another set of tires and wheels for my 36.

[Steel 35]

Hope your ok with all the grief so far here's some more; I like the black and black as well, enjoy it as you want it. (Nice)

[Django]

Yeah, the overwhelming response has been positive. I wasn't so sure with the number of people over the years who adamantly would tell me to not change a thing!

[Strick]

Like your music Chad, I dig it....