Here’s a 40 Ford Coupe that was nearly new when my friend bought it in 1955 or 56 in Sioux City, Iowa.  The lady he bought it from had someone put it up on blocks for her in 1941 after her husband passed away.  I don’t remember how many miles were on it, but I remember pulling gunny sacks off of the mohair upholstery that someone had tacked on.  The car was essentially about a year old.  Over the next few months it got a 315 cubic inch flathead engine built from a Ford block and all the mail order parts that Hot Rod Magazine said was appropriate to build a big chugger, four carburetors finned aluminum heads and what not.  I remember polishing ports until we burned out his dad’s 3/8″ drill and my dad’s 1/4″ drill.  With a set of huge slicks it was a real runner.  After a while it got a Chrysler when the flathead went into an A/Altered coupe.  We had to cut a notch in the frame to get the Chrysler in there.  Ouch!  I wish we didn’t know now what we didn’t know then.
Michael Casey