1937 Ford Other

In 1969. at the age of 18. I purchased my first car from John Blanchard of Eastside Auto Wrecking in Bremerton. Washington.   John was a customer of my father who was the manager of Kitsap County Bank.   The car I purchased was a 1937 Ford Slantback Fordor Deluxe sedan.   It had been driven to the wrecking yard from the Port Angeles. Washington area the previous year and sold to John Blanchard. The mileage was 17. xx original.

When I purchased the car. it had been sitting outside at John Blanchard's home and had not been started for many months. I had the car towed to my house and my father and I worked hard to get it running so that I could drive it to school for my Senior Year.   Everything on the car was original with two exceptions. the headlights had been changed to sealed beam units and the engine had been rebuilt by Tacoma Engine Works of Tacoma. Washington.

I found a set of stock headlights and lenses and replaced the sealed beam units. had a clutch installed in the car. did a major tune-up and the car ran wonderfully.   Over the next several months I installed a factory radio unit. a clock. and a locking hood ornament.   By November of my Senior year of High school. for my 19th birthday. the car was painted a dark forest green over the original lighter Ford green (olive).  

After graduation. in 1971. I traded the car to a friend for his 1960 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe.   The Ford was gone for several months. then. resurfaced in Bremerton at the local Ford dealer. Bennet Ford.   Mr. Bennet put the car in his showroom after repainting the car black.   The car remained in his possession for the next 35+ years.

In 2009 my father received a call from John Blanchard saying that the Bennet family was selling the Ford and wondered if I might be interested in purchasing the car.   I agreed to the set price and owned my first car again!  The mileage was just over 32. 00.  Over the course of many months I brought the vehicle back to a reliable state and used it as the get-away car for my daughter's wedding in August of 2011.

Currently. the 1937 Ford is painted black. just as Mr. Bennet left it.   It has the original interior with the exception of the floor mat in front and the carpet in back.   These were replaced with original type materials.   The engine has a rebuilt distributor. new fuel pump. new gas tank and all new fuel lines.   The carburetor is also new. a Stromberg “97” clone from Speedway Motors.   The shock absorbers are NOS and the front end has been rebuilt with new kingpins. bushings. and tie rod ends.

The car starts. runs. drives and stops as it should.   The three speed transmission “pops” out of second gear on downhill decompression. but this issue is common and does not affect the drivability of the car.   The tires are nearly new. as are the brakes.   The dual exhaust sounds terrific!

Most of the 1937 Ford surviving cars have been hot rodded. but this vehicle has remained a prized possession and is stock throughout.   This car is solid and does not suffer from rust issues.   When I was 18. I patched the tool tray at the base of the rear edge of the trunk with fiberglass resin.   This remains the only repair on the car.   The door panels. headliner. seats. and grab straps are just as Henry Ford designed when it left the factory in 1937.

The vehicle has a Navy Base License for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and was driven on and off the base during the Second World War.   The fog lights work. the heater works. all the lights are working and the vehicle has been fitted with after-market turn signal indicators which work off a hidden switch.

The current mileage is just over 32. 00 original miles. This is a solid all metal car with no rust issues.   The floors are solid as are all the running boards. fenders. and body mounts.   These cars are only original once and this is a survivor.

Also published at eBay.com

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