Stories from the past

[Ol' Ron]

Might make a new forum?? Some of us old timers have stories that might you laugh, or understand where we come from in this world of flatheads. Ill make this one real short. Back in the 80's when I started building engines, I also had a job delivering parts for a "Junk yard"/ Most of the places I delivered to, knew I was into flatheads, and saved me parts. At one place I delivered a part too the owner said he had something for me, took me out to a area behind the shop and there was a pile of flathead speed equipment that almost didn't fit in my truck. must have been 20/30 aftermarket intakes dozens of Hi compression heads, cans etc I said I just didn't have the money for all this. He said "I'll help you load it, price of aluminum is low this week!!!

I'll think of another on next week
Gramps

[RalphG]

Great idea, and story too. Coming up on 50 years ago I attended the auction sale of our local Ford dealer. No doubt missed a lot of opportunities but I did bring home a truck load of good Ford "Junk". There was an old ten by twelve granary at the back of the lot with a lot of miscellaneous stuff they didn't even bother to auction. The shed did sell though and I offered the buyer to help clean it out. Wow, there was a lot of "N.O.S." Ford parts in there going right back to model T days. I gave him a dollar for all the "junk" and then I sold some miscellaneous model T tool to an interested by stander thus getting my purchase price back. :-) Yes, it was literally a truck load on the 59 International pickup back in the days when trucks were trucks and had an 8 and a half foot box.

[tubman]

Must have been in the early eighties. I was out of the hobby from the late sixties to 1987 when I bought my '51 coupe. By then, used flahead speed equipment was already going up in price; a decent set of used heads was $200, and a dual manifold was $75-$100. I got tired of looking at corrosion and stripped threads, so I bought a new set of Offenhauser's from Speedway for $475, I think it was. They're $1600 a pair now. They're still on the shelf because I found a set of Edmunds heads, learned about their superior plug location, and never looked back. Paid $300 for the first set I bought and $800 last year.

Used early hemi stiff was still pretty cheap, though. By the time I got one of those, that was over, too.

[alchemy]

I'm not an ol timer (only 57), but I do remember some great deals that were had in the past. I remember an auction probably 30 or 40 years ago when Dad bought an NOS 59A block still in cosmoline. I'd guess he paid $100 for it.

I remember going to the Atlantic, Iowa swap meet and buying a Thickstun hirise intake, with original red paint, for $25. Or maybe it was $35?

Saw a pair of Kinmont brakes at the Des Moines swap meet and lusted over them, but I couldn't pay for them ($400). Oh well. And then on my next birthday guess what was my best present!

Dad would tell how when he was a teen his Dad and he went to the junkyard and the junky turned an Olds on it's side so they could torch the motor mounts loose. That overhead went into Dad's 40 coupe. Dad's coupe had 50 Buick taillights on it, so whenever we see those lights on a car at a show now, we say "check out those 40 Ford lights".

And, the story how Dad's older brother painted another 40 coupe orange, and the entire inside of the small one-stall garage was tinted orange. But that car later ended up wrapped around a telephone pole.

I grew up going to car shows in the back of the family hot rod, a chopped top 33 tudor. If I hear a little Waylon and Willie on the radio it takes me right back to those days.

[ford38v8]

Whenever I’m asked about my first car, I think about including the full race forty with a quick change and no starter motor that I had a “piece of” back in the mid fifties. I never saw it race because I had a paper route and was never available for that, and never got my $50 back after it flipped and rolled. I did enjoy pushing it to start and feeling the sound of those straight pipes in my gut!

[A bones]

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My best Buddy found a deal on '41 coupe. Navy blue excellent body and jump seats in back. The price was doable at $150.
I always kept it inside a garage for three years, several in fact 'cause I had none and borrowed storage. I had an offer to go to Europe, but needed to raise some cash. The first buyer came up with $100. Oh well, I took the deal. So next day, the buyer stops by to ask if I stole back the car. ??? "What you mean? Why? Well he parked It on a busy street near his house, and awoke to find it gone!

[Newc]

Dad Hated old cars. He raise champion ROSES. After I had moved out I found a '32 V8 'Handi-Dandy' tractor, stored it next to his garden shed -under a tarp. Got a call a week later, GET that Junker out of here!! Seems that his 'ROSE ADMIRERS', were more drawn to my 'Junker', NOT his roses. heh heh. Newc

[fordor41]

Originally Posted by alchemy

I'm not an ol timer (only 57), but I do remember some great deals that were had in the past. I remember an auction probably 30 or 40 years ago when Dad bought an NOS 59A block still in cosmoline. I'd guess he paid $100 for it.

I remember going to the Atlantic, Iowa swap meet and buying a Thickstun hirise intake, with original red paint, for $25. Or maybe it was $35?

Saw a pair of Kinmont brakes at the Des Moines swap meet and lusted over them, but I couldn't pay for them ($400). Oh well. And then on my next birthday guess what was my best present!

Dad would tell how when he was a teen his Dad and he went to the junkyard and the junky turned an Olds on it's side so they could torch the motor mounts loose. That overhead went into Dad's 40 coupe. Dad's coupe had 50 Buick taillights on it, so whenever we see those lights on a car at a show now, we say "check out those 40 Ford lights".

And, the story how Dad's older brother painted another 40 coupe orange, and the entire inside of the small one-stall garage was tinted orange. But that car later ended up wrapped around a telephone pole.

I grew up going to car shows in the back of the family hot rod, a chopped top 33 tudor. If I hear a little Waylon and Willie on the radio it takes me right back to those days.

My buddy bought 4 NOS F/H blocks in the '70's for $25 ea. One was rebuilt by Motor City Flatheads. still has one left in his garage

[flatmanweb]

In the early 1980's I was at a swap meet and was visiting with Kurt McCormick. He knew that I had a flathead powered 34 roadster and told me that he was selling some flathead speed parts to finance a Barris custom he wanted to buy. After the swap meet I went to his house on my way home to see what he had for sale.
He had among other things, a Italmeccanica supercharger for 600.00 and a Frenzal supercharger for 1100.00.
I had no money at that stage of my life with a young family, mortgage payment, etc. so I had to pass on them.
On our way home I asked my wife how much money we had in savings and she said about 675.00. When we got home I called Kurt and asked if he would hold the Ital for me until the next weekend and he said yes. That week I cleaned out our savings and went and got the blower.
I don't know what happened to the Ferenzal, but I still have the Ital. I ran it on a vintage rail dragster for a few years and now it is on my barn find 1932 roadster that has a 3 3/8 X 4 1/8 59A engine.

[Bruce_MO]

Funny you should mention Kurt McCormick. He was a friend of my big brother Doug, and he would occasionally come by Doug’s house in his orange blown hemi ‘32 three window. Doug and Kurt were probably in early to mid ‘20s and I was barely in high school. I had a Model A that Doug let me work on in his garage (see story in the latest V8 Times.. traded it for a ‘32 Vicky in 1973), so I practically lived at Doug’s working on it. There were always guys coming by in neat old Fords… original ‘32s and ‘34’s, lots of A’s, etc. Probably 15-20 years later when I was restoring my ‘53 Ranch Wagon, Doug called and said we should visit Kurt because he had some ‘53 stuff. We went and saw that he had an amazing collection of early ‘50s customs. The “Dream Truck” and maybe 3 or 4 others that I had seen in old Hot Rod magazines. I ended up buying a ‘53 Fordomatic to serve as a spare for the one in the Ranch Wagon. His place was amazing.
I miss Doug and all the adventures we had with local St. Louis hot rodders and restorers, but there’s still lots of fun to be had with old Fords.

[Clem Clement]

Back in the 50's Me and my buddy Geers were having fun learnin about cars. I had just bought a 40Merc fordor Convertible sedan. (957 +77) were ever built.
We went to Jessies junkyard in CrossKeys, NJ and Mother funded a flathead motor for 20 Bux outa a 49-51 Merc junker.We spent many happy hours yankin the dead engine outa the 40 and sliding in the better motor (Uncle Tom (no wife or kids) used his tractor blade to lift the motor and lots of strugglin and cursing about not knowing about anti-chatter rods. We get the motor in and then out again as the clutch plate was backward)

On a trip on a cool Saturday morning in July, We, arrive to find no Jessie. After waiting some time, we heard a moan from the yard. We ran over and Jessie is trapped under a Merc hulk. We found plenty of unsafe bumper jacks round, we jackified the Merc and rescued Jessie. a front spring was loose and un-sprung itself across Jessie's shoulder and pinned him painfully hard.

Jessie was like a father to us.

You know, after that experience, Jessie seemed to charge us less...

After 23.5 years of Air Force service, I went over to see Jessie only to find other gearheads there. He had sold the yard and moved to Florida. I was intent on buying the yard and funding a workshop for gearheads.
I'll never forget the times there in CrossKeys in the dirt.

[Pete]

It is 7:00 in the evening, 1949 at the Olive Way Triple XXX in Seattle.
The roadsters and coupes start drifting in and parking back on the bank
where Nick the owner said they could hang out...A few hot street bikes show up also.
Soon the cars started pairing up for a friendly race at the various little used streets or through the Mt Baker tunnels and out on to the floating bridge....Bikes are welcome also but they almost always win the street races....They don't fare so well against the cars at the drag strip though. The cars get them at the top end.
After the evening races, it is time for more grease burgers.
One of the biggest events of the evening is after the restaurant closes and all the customer cars leave it is time for "hot laps".....One car at a time to see who can get around the building the fastest.
I quit doing that event when some guys started trailering in track roadsters running alcohol....Eventually the Olive Way barrel closed and everyone moved either to the Rainier barrel or the Ballard barrel....it was never the same though.

[Ol' Ron]

In the late 50's we hung out at "Holmas" in Bridgeport Ct. This little Berger joint was at the entrance of Seaside park, and waldemer Ave. A popular drag strip. Many nights we ran our cars against each other. After an hour or so the cops would break it up Jimmy Brennan was the flag man.
Gramps

[big job]

Peddled my bike to a junk yard whoa, a 36 black 4dr perfect in and out vac fan apple
green pinstripe and a Trunk i'm in love. $50 bucks can't wait to attack my father he said 50 bucks here's 15 bucks and tell him to deliver it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tubman]

Originally Posted by big job

Peddled my bike to a junk yard whoa, a 36 black 4dr perfect in and out vac fan apple
green pinstripe and a Trunk i'm in love. $50 bucks can't wait to attack my father he said 50 bucks here's 15 bucks and tell him to deliver it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least your dad had a sense of humor. I had a chance to buy a nice, driving '28-'29 Model "A" pickup from a neighbor for $125 (I had the money). All I got from my old man was a terse "NO" and a dirty look.

[V8ER]

In 1961, I got a NO when I found a '32 three window for $65.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by V8ER

In 1961, I got a NO when I found a '32 three window for $65.

[tubman]

Originally Posted by V8ER

In 1961, I got a NO when I found a '32 three window for $65.

Thanks for that. It helps.

[fordv8j]

In 1964 I had really nice 50 Ford 2dr, a neighbor wanted it, I was working for Ford in Lorain Ohio, found this 38 dlx coupe for $300.00, which we still have, told dad to sell the 50 for $300.00, was gonna buy the 38, he said you don't need that thing, we got it

[pbsdaddy]

I was 14 when my dad said I could have the 51 4 door deluxe to play with. I did. The next year, my brother-in-law sold me his 53 club coupe for $10. Both of them would up being towed to the scrap yard. A few years later, I have just graduated high school and by chance, wind up working as an apprentice at the local Ford dealer, (Stanly Grey Motors, in Mars, Pa.). I was driving my dad's car back and for to work so one of the mechanics, (Bob Kennedy), asked me if I might be interested in buying a car he had. He was going to turn it into a dirt track stock car, but felt it was too good to cut it up. At lunch, we drove the couple miles to his shop and I saw it setting outside. The bright, "School Bus Orange" was hard to miss. But it was a beaut. 35 3 window from California. No rust, solid. It had been converted to 40 Ford juice brakes and wheels. Other than that, stock as it could be. My girlfriend hated it. To the point of being embarrassed to be seen in it. The generator was bad, so, rather then get it fixed, or buy a replacement, (what did I know), I carried a spare battery with me. I'd charge them both at night and be good for the day. I had it for about 15 months when the bug hit me to get something else. Of course, trying to impress my girlfriend had nothing to do with my decision to buy a used 64.5 Mustang, from the dealer i had worked for. The last I heard, 20 years ago, the 35 was still in the area of Mars, Pa.