Is your car planned or Fate?

[Seth Swoboda]

It was both for me. I spent a year looking for a black 1937 Ford DeLuxe Fordor Touring (humpback) in original, unrestored condition (planned). Instead I found a 1937 Ford DeLuxe Fordor (slantback) in original, unrestored conditon (fate). I am very happy how it all turned out.

Tony, I like your '37. I have always admired the '37 ford after seeing a few in person. I think they are good looking cars. Thanks for the photo.

 

[TonyM]

Tony, I like your '37. I have always admired the '37 ford after seeing a few in person. I think they are good looking cars. Thanks for the photo.

Thanks Seth.

 

[bmwillia]

It has been both for me.

My grandfather has been gathering parts and working on our '33 5w for as long as I can remember. It seemed that every time he got some money to work on it, something would come up that would require him to spend it elsewhere.

He did gather the majority of the parts needed and started some of the body work needed.

He passed in 2004 and I spent the next 8 yrs trying to convince my dad to let me go get the car and pick up where my grandfather left off. We went and got the car in March of last year.

So in a way it was both fate and planned.

 

[BADFUN]

My '35 is definitely both planned and fate. I saw my first '35 3 window when I was about 10 at Back to the 50's in Minnesota and it was my FAVORITE car ever! Still is.
I couldn't afford one so I bought and sold old Fords for about 20 years, trying to work my way up. I ended up with a '34 5 window from a lying thief on the HAMB. I ended up sinking a ton of dough into it...then decided to sell it. It sold in one day and the next day my '35 3 window popped up for sale so I grabbed it! Fate or planned?

 

[Shu47]

It was not really planned but years ago my truck belonged to my Grandfather and I ended up with it many years aftyer he passed away. The whole story is much longer but it is more then I have time to type right now.

 

[jeff47wl]

I guess it was fate. I responed to an add in the paper and the kid who answered the phone knew just enough about the truck to make me take a look at it. On a Friday I went down to see it and knew I wanted. I looked it over and told the guy I would be back in a couple of days on Sunday. I had to pick my brother up at the airport and we would look it over then.

Sunday came along I picked my brother up and on the way home we went to see the truck but the guy sold it.

3 weeks later I was out on my daily 8 mile bike ride and went two blocks over on a street that I had never been on and low and behold there was the truck. The new onwner was just leaving in it but he left his garage door open so I cruzed around on the bike and he came back so I stopped to talk to him about the truck and he said it was not what he wanted and would be interested in selling it.

It costed me $500 more than what I could have gotten it for if I did not hesitate but he did get the registration current and a new car cover for it.

 

[Kahuna]

I have built the 32 Tudor (that I now have) in my head since I was 16 years old. I'm waaay past that age now.
I always wanted one, but knew I'd never be able to afford one.
By chance, one day, a fellow told me about a car in pieces. I got it and the rest is history. But I knew exactly what I wanted and built it that way

 

[Cecil/WV]

I've stumbled onto every car I've got!

 

[Frank The Plumber]

Definately fate. If it weren't for 3 facts coming together my Delivery Sedan would still be sitting in the hills rotting away.
Fact one: A good friend I worked with was the nephew-in-law of the lady who owned the property the body was on and he used to work for her on her ranch. Her late husband was insistant the body never be sold. My friend tried for several years to get me to go look at the body, I told him it was likely just a tudor sedan based on the pic's he drew of it. Finally I reluctantly went and looked.

Fact two: My Grandma and Grandpa were very good friends with the people who owned it and I was treated like family. After a long discussion I found out her late husband and my grandpa had gone to school together and had ran around together, so that likely made them knowing each other since the mid 1920's. My Grandma and here also spent alot of times making quilts and other things together in the 50's and 60's. Also I found out she was one of my substitute school teachers when in Grade School. I vaguely remember her teaching a handfull of days, but not many. Needless to say I was well accepted and got the family and friends treatment.

Fact three, has more to with the chassis and title. Dad was working a job at the West end of the state and ran across a guy wanting to sell a fordor sedan in pieces. We went and looked, decided to buy it. When we got the title it had been titled with the Briggs body tag and not the Chassis/ Engine number (which were matching original numbers). Since the engine/ chassis numbers had never been registered in the state I used them and the running gear and got a bonded title with no problem. just a couple of weeks of assembly and fitting with other parts I had.

Rod

This old truck is awesome.

 

[Rowdy]

Going to be even better when done. Hoping with the new job I can start to buy more parts later this spring. More med bills to get paid before I can do do much. I was happy that a couple of years ago I was able to pick up one really nice used lr fender and a NOS rr fender, then made a trade with a friend to get a better set of front fenders with the lf front having the wheel well like this would have had originally. Just afew small parts missing and I either have leads on them or have a deal made for later this year. This summer should see alot of progress. Rod

 

[amodel25]

With the exception of a '31 Ford Town Sedan (which was planned), I had always been a dyed-in-the-wool GM fan. At a swap meet I came across a '51 Ford Deluxe 2 door that had been wrecked hard on the right front. The price was right and I decided I would buy it, fix it, and turn a quick buck..........23 years ago........it had to be fate.

 

[Dave C]

I guess it was fate, we were at at local cruise night, looking at some pre war coupes, my wife said "I would rather redo one of these than the Galaxie" (a '63 Galaxie project I had at the time). The next week in the local trader paper was a '38 Club Coupe that we aquired. Hope to start it's rebuild this year!!!

 

[TonyM]

I guess it was fate, we were at at local cruise night, looking at some pre war coupes, my wife said "I would rather redo one of these than the Galaxie" (a '63 Galaxie project I had at the time). The next week in the local trader paper was a '38 Club Coupe that we aquired. Hope to start it's rebuild this year!!!

Great. Welcome. Let's see some pics. I love 1938 Fords. TM

 

[jim1932]

I love the stories of how cars were obtained.

 

[Dave C]

Great. Welcome. Let's see some pics. I love 1938 Fords. TM

Will try to post pics later. Where is West Hammond Ill? Is it near Hammond IN? I live in northwest IN.

 

[nitrohonkey]

My 36 5 window was a little of both. My 34 pickup was planned and the 41 pickup I came across for my son was fate!

 

[49r]

My dad had a V8 Pilot when I was a kid that I was fond of. I particularly thought the spark plug wells in the heads were neat. Aged 15 in 1973 and hoping to get one, I put an ad in the local paper, 'Wanted, old Ford V8 truck or car' (there was a truck, cut-down version of the Pilot car available in NZ, hence the reference to 'truck'). A 49 F1 was what turned up and I still have it.

 

[Mike in Mass]

Fate would be how I found my truck . I got a phonecall to go look at a guys 1 story summer house .He wanted to jack it up an put a full foundation under it . In the corner of his property was a big old fire-engine . crappy wooden boxes on the back all rotted ,had a big tank . but what got me was the big oval grill and how nice the cab was . I gave him a lowball price on the work ,only if he threw in the truck as part of the payment The guy jumped at the offer . that was 27 years ago . I have remained friends with this guy and hope to give him a ride in his old truck this summer. Now it is a half ton pic-up.

 

[funrunr]

All planned, I knew I wanted a 40 coupe since I was a kid. After getting married and starting to "grow-up" I began looking. I knew it had to have a flathead or nothing. Most at the time had 350's in them. It took 6 years to find a nice solid buildable one.

After searching for a couple years my wife decided she wanted an early uncut Bronco, this too took a few years to find the right one.

My oldest daughter (13) wanted a classic for her first car. After dragging her to all the shows and car events she began saving for a 60 or 61 Falcon. Last year we found a 60 that we will begin restoring this summer together.

My youngest daughter (10) wants a 67 or 68 Mustang fastback (might have to settle for a coupe) She's saving her money now and in 3 years I will begin looking hard for the right one. She has very detailed images of how her car will look.

I wouldn't pass up a deal on a cool car but they don't "just appear" for me. I wish they would.

 

[Scootrd]

My papa was from Sherbrooke Quebec, Growing up he drove a Mercury Pickup.

He passed away when I was very young. I grew up looking at old Black and white and a few colorized photos of him and my Meme with the truck. It was a 46 or 47.

While the other guys were into the hot rods , I was always into pickups.

I knew someday I wanted to purchase a Mercury. Well I started saving my pennies. This past year my wife told me it was now or never and to go for it. So, it Took 50 years but I was finally able to purchase the truck I always wanted, A 1946 Mercury 1 Ton.

When I drive it , I think of papa and meme. Wife and I are blessed we are finally able to enjoy the truck I always wanted.

Definitely planned for may many years.