Thread: Opinions wanted regarding '36 Ford Slantback

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I really appreciate all the great tips.

The vision I have for the car would be to drive it 'as is' while I gather parts for a resto-rod conversion with a modern chassis, small block power, auto trans, heat-a/c (gotta have a/c in Florida....lol), etc, etc. I don't plan on 'cutting it up', unless you consider cutting it up by taking the body off the frame, selling the original frame, engine, trans, rear end as a complete assembly and updating the entire running gear and keeping the body as original as possible.

Bob, mentioned options of being a 'distance cruiser' or 'local putt around car', the car I plan to build, whether it's this one or another will be used for weekend cruising as well as long distance driving. I'm in Florida but all my family is in Tenn, I would love to have a reliable car to drive to Tenn on occasion. I can see places like Chilhowie Park and Pigeon Forge as must see destinations again.

Denny, I'm a fanatic about photos, this car would be documented with tons of pics, before, during and after.

Pat, the problem I see with driving it the way it is to see if I like it is, I might not like the way a 72 year old car drives, but with modern running gear, better brakes, steering, big and littles and a few creature comforts it could be the 'E' ticket ride.

Thanks again, Mike

I think it was Bob who mentioned he had a leftover chassis from some project and had no luck selling it. Then he started cannibalizing it and sold it piece by piece. He ended up getting more for it that way than he was asking for it intact.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I think it was Bob who mentioned he had a leftover chassis from some project and had no luck selling it. Then he started cannibalizing it and sold it piece by piece. He ended up getting more for it that way than he was asking for it intact.

Don

You're close Pops, actually it was a complete (less engine) stock '40 Ford tudor sedan. Just over a year ago I ran ads for a few months trying to sell it complete...................very little interest was shown, and nobody that acted like a serious buyer. I needed the space so changed how I would move it. It's nice for folks here to express opinions, but as noted by a couple, the market is changing as we rodders/restorers age and are not replaced one for one by younger folk. Reality raises it's head. That being said, it's not the end of the world as we knew it yet, some nice old tin still moves at a decent clip. Recently saw a stock '34 ford 3 window with glass fenders go for $39.5k, not bad for an older, advanced backyarder "restoration" without original fenders. The rarer, more desireable cars are still doing okay.

I agree with the guys to leave as is ,why not as we did ,,
the faster of the two belongs to my brother,
the turtle is mine....

Gee, either this thread progressed fast or I did not see it. If I had this car I would install the 4" Merc crank and rods I still have in my shed and add '40 hydraulic brakes. My goal would be to have a sleeper car as in the '50s. The idea was to have an engine that looked stock on the outside but had major internal modifications and of course the brakes are needed for sure. There are two factors here. First such a sedan would likely be passed over by most restorers since sedans are "Plain Jane" models with a preference for coupes, roadsters and the rare cabriolet so in that sense it is just right to rod/modify. However, as the years go by I would be fascinated to just run it as a flathead sleeper and enjoy the time warp nostalgia effect. If you were born in 1970 that is meaningless to you but for me that is exactly the type of car that was maintained through WWII and then dumped in the late '40s when newer models became available and became transportation for my high school friends, although I would greatly prefer a black '41 coupe with chrome grill inserts and wide whitewalls. When you find a rolling rust bucket that is an automatic chance tochop, channel etc, but something this original would have historical value to me although I would put that stroker crank in there. By the way if that block is not cracked that is a rare item in it's own right! I would resist boring and just stroke it with the smallest pistons available to maintain cylinder wall thickness. As I recall this block might have had babbit bearings (up till 1938?) and newer 59AB blocks are an easy subtitute but hard to find so the easy way out would be to just add Edelbrock heads and forget the stroker and just run it and polish it.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

As I recall this block might have had babbit bearings (up till 1938?) .........

'36 was the transition year. The early portion of the production year were babbit, the latter were inserts. The insert engines were identified as LB models.