Old hot rods never die, especially if their unique details and features somehow remain intact even after years of disassembly. Given the die-hards in this community, I’m never surprised to see a long-forgotten period build has been rescued, even if it arrives in boxes. This 1921 Ford Model T Roadster pickup was well known on the show circuit in the 1960s and 70s, owned by Bob Schoonhoven of Battle Ground, Washington. The hot rod was disassembled in 1975 for a “flip body” build that never happened, and it has remained in pieces ever since. The Ford is now available here on craigslist with almost all of the necessary parts for restoration and an asking price of $25,000.

Bob was fairly well known in the hot rod world, and he would continually improve the Ford until he earned the honor of Rod & Custom magazine calling it one of the ten best T-buckets ever built in America. You can see some of the magazine spread here, and it’s also worth noting that the Ford had become so well known it was referred to by an official nickname, Lil’ Louie, which was a reference to one of the hottest songs of the era. The Model T epitomized styling trends at the time, with a fully chromed undercarriage and V8 60 block, along with diamond tufted leather seats, and custom three-colored metal flake paint job.

Fortunately, even after disassembly, the Ford was stored carefully with almost all of its major components accounted for. The flathead V8 is still there in its chromed glory, along with an Edelbrock manifold and dual carbs. It also comes with Hurst Airheart disc brakes, Halibrand 201 rear end, a ” Happy Tiki” shift handle, and even the original title. According to Kustomrama.com, the sale will also include the “…V-8 60 3 speed gearbox, complete with shift plate, shifter, and NOS first reverse shifter gear.” The seller is even including the humongous trophies that Lil’ Louie racked up over the years, another sign that when it was disassembled, there were plans for its legacy to live on.

Here’s the trophy room, featuring numerous trappings of victory that tower over our photo subject. Kustomrama notes that the trick interior is gone, along with the folding top mechanism. Fortunately, the “… original body tub, front and rear fenders, running boards, gravel pans, bed, gas tank, and tailgate were in mint condition,” so the next owner will hopefully not have too much rust repair to worry about and can just get down to business putting all of the pieces back together. The question is, would you rebuild it back to its original look or take a different direction altogether? Thanks to Barn Finds reader Matt H. for the find.