Hard to find?
Well, here is my story and every bit the truth.
My late father had a 1933 Ford 3 window before he was drafted into
the Army for WWII. He left it at home for his siblings to use while he
was overseas (Europe).
When he got home after the war, he picked it back up and ran the wheels off it. He married in it and I was brought home from the hospital in it. About 3 years after I was born, my late brother arrived and then it became too small for a family of four. So, he sold it for $175.00 USD and bought a used 1946 Plymouth 4 door.
As I grew up, I saw one picture and heard many, many stories about the 3 window. I was set then to find THAT car!
At the age of 16 upon getting my first drivers license, I began driving the backroads from home and the little towns around looking for THAT ’33 coupe.
I wound up myself getting drafted and after a couple years in Viet Nam, I returned and picked up the hunt.
I never found THAT coupe because as I believed, it had been eventually used on a dirt track of the day and was forever gone, but not forgotten.
In 1998 I met the love of my life and began to tell her of my quest for a 1933 Ford 3 window.
A year later in 1999 while we were attending the Kool Deadwood Nites event in Deadwood, South Dakota, we were walking around looking at all the nice rides there. As I was looking at one car in particular, and I do not remember what it was now, she asked if “this” is the car I was looking for? Behind me sat a 1934 Ford 3 window deluxe with rumble. I was absolutely stunned. I had told her so many details about the 1933 and 34 Fords that she spotted it before I did.
I then began a 90 minute quest searching for the owner. I had observed that a “For Sale” sign had fallen on the drivers floorboards and was not easily visible from the outside. Since I carry a flashlight that works, I used it to light up the phone numbers on the sign. The light also allows me to peer into the darkest corners under a hood on a bright day too.
Anyway, I met up with the owner who shot me a price. He had been with a couple other fellas who were trying to haggle him down in price.
I told him I was not there to haggle and asked how he wanted the check made out. I got the car. Since it was a weekend and the banks were not open, I told him to take it back home and I would eventually come get it.
About 2 weeks later, I went to get the car and on our return trip, I made a point to stop at my parents home for an overnight.
In the morning, my father looked out the window to see the 1934 on the trailer and we went to see it.
By that time in his life, his health had failed him so that he could not speak. Together, he and I walked around the car and he smiled so big that I thought the corners of his mouth would touch his ears.
I was so happy that he saw it even though I had gone through some trouble with the borrowed trailer and did not feel comfortable in taking it down for a drive. Even at that, he was very happy to see the coupe and I was ever so happy to get one for him to see again.
That sad part of the story is that about 2 months later, my father passed away never being able to ride in my 1934 Ford coupe.
I am slowly getting everything together to begin a restore/rebuild of this wonderful old car. Hopefully, it will be done before I go and then my wife can figure out what to do with it. My only child is not showing any interest in the car so it will probably get sold when that time comes.
My “hard to find” part was the car. I did find a substitute however that worked out perfectly.
Its fun though. wouldn't change a thing. This website is the best. The people are all great. Just gotta keep learning. I think the most difficult part of searching is knowing how much to pay or how much to ask. That is why i use ebay alot. I dont do alot of buying, but alot of watching so i can get an idea of cost and other info. cp