Rebuilding The 1934 Ford Race Motorcar Institute Inwards The Woods, Purpose I
Holding onto history. Hunting downwardly the possessor of a 1934 Ford, flora inwards the woods tin live tricky. It took me 5 years to locate the possessor of the belongings too convince them that I could, too should withdraw the "junk" auto alongside the advert ‘MASSEY’ painted on the roof. That was simply one-half the battle. After fighting trees, a three-legged dog, too a modest mountain, the auto was in conclusion mine. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few months after it would live gone, but that’s non a bad thing. The battered old Ford is directly dorsum inwards the hands of a human being who plans on restoring the auto to its circular rails glory days. Mike Massey, the boy of 1 of the car’s trio of one-time drivers, is good on his agency to reviving the ’34 Ford flora inwards the woods.
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| 1934 Ford race auto shows to a greater extent than than a few battle scars after decades inwards the woods. |
Massey Auto Parts
After tracking a link to a possible one-time owner, I decided to contact Massey Auto Parts in Locust Fork, Alabama. The lady on the telephone gasped when I told her I had flora an old race auto alongside the advert Massey on the roof.
“Mike you’re gonna desire to accept this call,” she said.
Mike Massey, 68, is the boy of Sam Massey, 1 of the Massey brothers trio who took turns wheeling the 1934 Ford "J-2" race car around dirt bullrings inwards the Deep South during the 1950s. It wasn’t long earlier the pieces came together.
I relayed my story. It was a jaw-dropper to them, because the menage unit of measurement believed all the old Massey race cars were dead too gone. This 1 had slipped through the cracks or the trees, every bit it were.
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| Joe, Sam, too Jack Massey took turns racing the ’34 Ford inwards the slow 1940s too into the 1950s. Sam’s advert is visible over rider side door, Jack’s advert over the driver’s door. |
Quick trip
The three Massey brothers, Jack, Sam, too Joe, are members of the Alabama Auto Racing Pioneers Hall of Fame. The extended Massey family, all aware of the historical significance too sentimental value of the ’34, wanted to come across Mike larn the auto back.
It didn’t accept long to determine that I couldn’t move along a slice of history from a menage unit of measurement who wanted to restore it. I was happy to play a modest part, too allow it larn dorsum to the rightful ownership.
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| Mike Massey banking concern gibe out the move done to reinforce the body. |
Steel trunk transformation
To say the ’34 Ford needed assist is an understatement. Massey flora a $250 replacement frame, courtesy of his friend Bobby Varnon, to get-go the rebuild of the race car. Major metallic move was needed to stabilize too strengthen the rusty crunch on top of the new, sturdier frame.
Massey contacted Road Rage Hot Rod Restorations, located inwards Blount County, Alabama, who specialize inwards rat rods. The owner, Kendall W., is an practiced inwards crafting something goodness out of something bad. Kendall reinforced the doors too trunk crunch alongside electrical conduit. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 novel firewall, roof skin, too grafting a 1935 Ford center-section to the dorsum panel of the trunk went along alongside the tons of patchwork that was needed. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 novel coil bar was also welded inwards place.
Road Rage worked on the auto off-and-on over the course of report of half-dozen months every bit Massey’s funds allowed. An acid handling was applied earlier the ’34 was sent off to the trunk store for paint.
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| Restoring the ’34 every bit it was raced inwards the 1950s. Note the force bar. |
Paint, time to come plans
Smoothing out the bumps too bruises on the ’34’s trunk was non a high priority. Massey wants to keep the original, rugged looks of the circular tracker. He plans to receive got it painted the same colors it ran inwards the 1950s. All dark pigment too lettered alongside "SAM MASSEY ‘THE DUDE’ of the SPEEDWAY” across the roof. Period-correct seat, wheels, too powertrain are inwards the works. I tin almost take heed the sweetness audio of a flathead V8.
Never idea this old race auto would live gone this fast. Stay tuned to Junkyard Life for updates.
Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life
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| Sam Massey, Mike Massey’s dad, holds a victory trophy inwards 1950s. |
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| Before photograph of the rotted firewall too flimsy sheetmetal. The trunk crunch survived existence hauled out of the "holler," barely. |
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| Bracing too electrical conduit reinforces the trunk around the perimeter. |
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| A coil bar too sturdier frame were the footing to construct the ’34. Doors receive got novel metallic too bracing. |
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| Shiny novel sheetmetal firewall. |
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| Another shot to compare the "before" beauty, patina, or rot. |
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| New 1935 optic raise window department used to supplant dorsum window. |
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| This is what it looked similar earlier the novel metallic work. |
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| After shot of raise metallic fabrication. |
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| Lines of the ’34 were blended into the unmarried ridge ’35 model Ford. |
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| Mike Massey looks over the progress on his dad’s old race car. |
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| Daredevil is non a rigid plenty give-and-take for the drivers who braved tracks using angle Fe for coil bars. |
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| She looks almost attain to coil from this angle. |
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