While many wags have declared that the era of undiscovered automotive treasures is largely over, our faithful readers are proving that is not true. T.J., one of our most prolific classic car bloodhounds, has tracked down a very desirable Ford that was modified in the fifties but disappeared from view in the sixties. This 1934 Ford five-window coupe for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is largely as it was left back in the dawn of the space age. Its gorgeous body and classic lines are untouched, but there are a few subtle changes from stock. Is this the kind of old-school hot rod that would make you write a check for a whopping $48,500? What would you do with it if it were yours?
Every good car has a story, and the one for this car reeks of hot dogs, apple pie, and vintage hot rods. It seems that this Ford was a neighborhood car during their father’s childhood. He was even given a ride in the rumble seat when he was around six years old. While it had been in the neighborhood since the fifties, the car disappeared from view not long after that memorable ride. Time marched on, but the memory of the car stayed on his mind. Two years ago, the original owner, unfortunately, passed away, and the car came up for sale. That childhood memory must have never burned out, for the seller’s father ended up with the car.
We are told that the bodywork is all original, as is much of the car. Custom touches on the exterior reveal subtle yet substantial changes from stock. Among the most obvious are a set of 1935 or 1936 bumpers, a spare tire cover from the same period, aftermarket headlights, fender lights, and a finish that has a metallic look to it. Some lowering has taken place, complete with that bit of the rake required to make such a car look just right. What looks to be a new set of steel wheels and a fresh set of radial tires round out the exterior modifications from both back then and now.
As you can imagine, the tires were one of the first changes made to this Ford when it emerged from its extended hiatus from the highways. It has been driven around the neighborhood a few times since the purchase. However, the brakes need a bit of work, and there is no word on what it took to get it back to running condition. If it hasn’t enjoyed a full fuel cleanout yet, plan on that for the buyer’s first step. It would also be interesting to find out if it still wears the original mechanical brakes or a set of hydraulic binders from a 1939 through 1948 Ford. This was a very common, cost-effective, and much safer modification done to many Fords of this era. This car was likely converted as well, but it would be nice if the seller shared that information with potential buyers..
The brown and yellow color scheme lives on inside as well. The vinyl seat could stand to be recovered in the latest and greatest naugahyde, but the door panels look ready for another few decades of service. The modern indoor house carpet needs to find its way to the garage floor to collect oil leaks, though. A later model Ford “banjo” steering wheel adds a nice touch. Other modifications include a fifties-era turn signal lever assembly, an 8-ball shifter, and a few non-stock electrical additions. Perhaps the most puzzling is the retrofitted speedometer. Can anyone identify what car this originally came on?
The sale will also come with some vintage treats. The builder was a fan of hot rod magazines like Hot Rod and Car Craft, no doubt using what they saw in those magazines to guide the buildup of the car. Boxes and boxes of these magazines were passed on with the car and will go to the new owner if they so choose. There is also a 120-plus picture album of the car from back then that will accompany the old Ford as well. As icing on the proverbial cake, there are two incomplete spare Flathead engines and another transmission to sweeten the deal. One of these may be the original block, as the engine in the car is from a later car. The blue paint on it hints that it was rebuilt at one time.
While the price is steep, the whole car makes for an interesting story and a fascinating look at the average hot rod of the fifties and sixties. This Ford was modified long before the slick machines of Boyd Coddington and Chip Foose took the hobby in a more modern and much more expensive direction. Will it sell for $48,500? Maybe. Uncut 1934 Ford coupes are getting hard to find, and there is someone out there salivating at taking the torch to this car even though it is not one of the more desirable three-window coupes.. Let’s hope the new owner recognizes that cars like this only come around once. That decades-long slumber may have taken it out of the dangerous period where cutting it up was a near certainty. Sometimes, doing your best Rip Van Winkle is a good strategy.
Have you ever come across a car from your youth decades later? What was the experience like? What do you think will happen to this five-window? Please share your memories and thoughts in the comments.
I’ve always been a fan of the ’33 and ’34 cars. Everything about them just looked right. To me, that’s not the case with this car from the paint color down to the wheels. Speedometer looks like out of a ’49 Ford.
The father waited that long to buy the car he remembered from his youth. Only to sell it 2 years later asking $48k. I wonder what’s the rest of the story?
The engine picture dimly shows a firewall mounted master brake cylinder so it’s stopping via hydraulics.
It also shows blue paint on the headers so there is no telling what the engine is like.
In the airplane business we call that at “Krylon Overhaul”!
As a matter of fact, I certainly did. It was a ’52 Chevy 4-door sedan that I’d bought for $10 around Easter of ’71. I
bought the car in El Paso, Illinois from
a guy named Bernie Blakely. Mr. Blakely sold the car to me dirt cheap as it needed a new Master cylinder. As many of us old timers know, these units were under the drivers side floor and a real pain in the àss to get to. Dad and I went to pick it up at Mr. Blakely’s farm that next weekend. We were told that the car would start and run so we took a complete tune up kit
with us and an air pump to air up any flats there might be on the car as it was parked in ’68 when the brakes went and hadn’t been touched since then. After filling up a couple of tires,
doing a tune up, and adding some fresh gas, we drove thé car home using the E brakes to stop it. A friend of Dad’s followed us home in case of any problems that might pop up along the way. Long story short, I kept the car for 2 years before selling it off to a friend’s father who needed a
car to go to work. Within those 2 yeàrs, I had replaced the engine with a 230 6 out of a stripped out Biscayne
sedan, converted it to 12 volts, and did some body work. Fast forward to
1986. My wife and I stopped to gas up our Pinto wagon when I looked over and couldn’t believe what I saw–
my old ’52 Chevy with a young man
driving it! Seems that my friends Dad
passed the car down to my friend, who passed it down to his 17 year old
stepson! Over time, they had partially
restored it and the young man I saw was then using it as a daily driver. Gotta say the car looked great and was still using the same drive line I
put into it nearly 15 years before. It was great to see that the car was being used and not parked or trailered. Every time I see a black ’52
Chevy, I think of Lazarus, the old cars I brought back from he dead.
I can share my thoughts on this car with a certain degree of accuracy , because in 1964 I bought a 34 Ford 5 window Coupe, almost in the same condition as this one. The only difference is I still have it and have been driving it and working on it all that time.
Some observations on this car, is it for sure a nice example of an original 34 5-window. I would guess it was a deluxe, two taillights, rumble seat from factory, the bumpers as far as I can tell are 34 Ford, tire cover is not. Many of the identifiers have been removed ie: headlights, cowl lights, horns, bumper guards and changes to the dash. The roof insert seems to be intact. Has hydraulic brakes with overhead swing pedals. The speedo appears to be a 50 era Ford. The steering wheel is custom and very interesting ,possibly a mixture of different parts. Top insert seems to be intact. Without an in person inspection its hard to tell with certainty everything that is changed.
Overall I think you would be hard pressed to find a better starting point. If you want the best finished car start with the best starter car. If this is the case the price of this car is not out of reason
I don’t know the exact number of how much, I’d say over priced by a lot. But I’m not the seller.
2 years? $48K? Time to cash out on an estate buy for what might have been pennies on a dollar.
I have always liked mid thirties Fords. I really don’t know what something like this is worth and I’m not a potential buyer so my opinion is irrelevant. But this looks like someone will be having a lot of fun with it if it sells. I hope they leave it basically as is. Maybe just complete any necessary mechanical repairs and cosmetic fixes. That’s what I would do. I think the peace emblem hanging off the rear view mirror is a good period touch. GLWTS.
I dig it. It could use a little sprucing and maybe some touches to make it ‘more’ era-appropriate (seat covering material) but a great starting point. A proper paint restoration might make that copper color really vibrant.
So, I wonder with the economy tumult if we’re gonna see more stashed-away hot rods like this come out for sale as people liquidate.
Lemme take a guess about the fender-top lamps- turn signals. The “parkers” are atop the headlamp buckets.
Oh, and the “peace symbol?” To us vets it’s called a chicken foot.
Looks like a decent old car with a few improvements and a rattle can rebuild, Ford engines from that era weren’t blue like this, a primer red or dark green would be more appropriate. $48 large is going to be a stretch.
LOTS of these around in my youth, in “stock” condition. Then, in the 1950s, they were hot rods. And now…? Don’t know why they changed the bumpers on this one — the ’34 bumpers were cool.
The speedo looks like a repop 1941 Caddy Seies 62. NEETO!
Consider most of the work has already been done, the spare parts, and overall condition it is a reasonable price. That finish will buff out nicely. Seat recovered front and rumba. Pull the aroet an if no surprises greet you…nastrovia!
I suppose it could bring the asking price. But, I think it’s more likely a fair offer is gonna get it done. Maybe around $35,000.
I think it’s cool, I would do a interior refresh and get rid of the banana yellow door panels I would eventually do a repaint but I would have to think about what color that is not red or black