My first car was a 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe. I had already been driving for over a year and was the proud owner of a very used 1948 Triumph 350cc motorcycle. It was fun but the first winter convinced me to seek an alternative form of transportation.
The following spring I was driving my parent’s car past a local used car lot when I spotted a faded 40 Ford coupe setting in the back row. I couldn’t believe my luck, even in the late 50s this model was recognized as a hot rodder’s dream (ever see American Graffiti?). This particular car actually was turned in by a little old lady the day before and the price was a surprisingly low $125.
I quickly approached my parents for a loan. They were so glad to see me get rid of the motorcycle they quickly consented to loan me the money until the bike was sold.
The day after I was the proud owner, did a quick wash and wax, and quickly set off to show my latest possession to my friends. The paint was faded (Ford black of course) and there were a couple of small rust spots but it really was in pretty nice shape. It also started and ran well.
Sixteen is a wonderful age but you are never happy with the way things are. Visions of finned aluminum heads; dual carbs and dual exhaust immediately danced in my hormone driven head. I was working at a local gas station and each payday was an opportunity to check something off my “gotta have” list.
About six months after I purchased the car a friend told me about someone in the next town that had a “full race” Ford flathead engine for sale. After selling everything but my birthright I had enough to buy it and dragged it home. With the help of a large branch of our maple tree and a borrowed chain fall I was ready for my first serious lesson in auto mechanics. With a little help from some buddies we installed the new engine in the car. After the last bolt was tightened, I jumped in the car, turned on the switch, hit the starter button and waited for the “sounds of power.” The engine barely turned over. We figured the battery was run down so we just pushed it down our driveway and into the street. The engine eventually started and there was no denying this baby had some power. My buddies jumped into the car and we left for a little test drive. As Bill Cosby put it in his skit “200 MPH;” OH Wow!” I had a grin from ear to ear as I pulled back into the driveway.
This grin did not last long. The problem was that the compression ratio of the engine was so high that the cars 6 volt starter would not regularly start the car. After several months of always parking the car on an incline I decided it was time for a new plan.
I found a 1953 Buick V8 engine in a junkyard that was in excellent condition. This overhead valve V8 was more powerful than the modified flathead and ran with all the smoothness of a luxury car engine. The Buick was a highly recommended choice as it was very narrow and went in the Ford with little rework to the body or chassis. I bought all the adapters I needed to install the engine; borrowed the chain fall again and pulled the car under the now familiar maple branch. Since the two carbs worked so well on the flathead I decided “why not use three on the Buick.” I add a Mallory distributor for good measure and my new dream was nearly ready. Since the Buick had a 12 volt electrical system I had to convert the rest of the car to 12 volts. This was quickly accomplished and all was ready. This time we didn’t have to push--it fired up and after adjusting the carbs it idled like dream. A quick road test revealed that this thing was really fast and I was a very happy dude.
Of course I would never have used this power to exceed any posted speed limit (especially with another car beside me) but I did take it to a local drag strip a couple of times.
I drove the car throughout high school but after graduation I headed for college and had to sell it to help pay for room and board.
Would I like to have this car back today—YOU BET! I loved it and no car since has given quite the same thrill of ownership.
