Harold picked up this '38 last year because it was very similar to one he had back in the day. Remarkedly well preserved, it should be an easy restoration. He intends to keep it a daily driver. Harold has already replaced the glass, installed a way cool restored stock radio, and has removed the customized battery tray and put in an original in it's place.
He says it runs like a striped ass ape, so the good news is, this is one Ford that will still have a Ford in it. He's replaced the running boards and had A&M take the Texas rot out of the fenders. Currently he is re-wiring everything. Harold says the main difference between this car and the one he used to drive is that back then he would do whatever it took to keep it running. With this one he's trying to undo that type of customization and put it back to stock, something they were very unconcerned with when he was a kid.
Here's a polaroid of Harold with his original '38 in 1949. He wanted it to look like a 1940 Ford so he leaded in the hood and rear fenders, changed the headlight rims and made other changes to the trim. He wonders now why he didn't just buy a '40. Notice the '41 front bumper.
Living in Los Angeles, he took advantage of an opportunity to buy the engine from a race car Mickey Rooney drove in the film 'The Big Wheel'. It was a hopped up flattie but it was so heavy it broke a spring on the front end of his car. Not having the bucks to fix it, he lowered the other spring. Now the trend at the time was to lower the ass end of your ride. At first embarrassed to have his car lower in the front, he eventually noticed other guys starting to lower their front ends. Harold doesn't know if he was the first, but he says he had never seen a dropped front end before his.
He's got a couple of other projects on the burner, but Harold intends to get this '38 back on the road as soon as he can. Inspiring to say the least.
'da Hui no ka oi
