One of the Certified Classics: The 1936 Ford Coupe

Restoring a vintage or classic car is a hard task. The first thing you have to consider is finding a car that is in good condition. Think about the model you like and then you can search the net, classifieds, etc. for availability. That is hard enough. Imagine restoring a model that is very hard to find. Not only will availability be a problem, part finding will be an equally tougher task.

Ladies and gents, feast your eyes on the 1936 Ford Coupe. The lucky owner? John Mearns. The 1936 Ford Coupe is one of the rarest vehicles in the world today. I haven’t seen one in the flesh. Ever. To top things off, the vehicle was furnished with a new paint job, a new set of tires and a neatly packaged interior.

Where he found it? Well, on the internet of course (These days you can find everything there). It belonged to a retired car dealer. For an interesting side story: this car dealer bought a bunch of vintage and classic automobiles to raise money to buy one particular car. It wasn’t specified what car it was, but I can tell you now it wasn’t cheap. Anyways, Mearns saw the photos and went with his gut feeling. Take note, he bought the car without any firsthand knowledge of its condition. But it paid off. Lucky guy. Before he knew it, the car was being wheeled out on his garage by shippers.

For all you fellow restoration enthusiasts, take note. The first thing John did was to take the vehicle to a shop. It needed mass body work. The car was chopped in more ways than I can imagine. And John winced in terror as he witnessed his investment being torn down piece by piece. This was what kept him anxious for eight months. It was a patience project.

The roof was now better than ever. John continued the body work by installing a ’40 LaSalle Grille and a set of ’34 Chevy Master Deluxe hood sides. He also invested in customized fender skirts, as well as adding ’37 Lincoln Zephyr taillights and ’36 Packard headlights. Then he proceeded to giving it some final touches: modifying the hood, shaving the handles and installing a new pair of ’41 Ford bumpers.

Of course, the Coupe’s restoration is still far from finished. It still needs a new interior paint job. John is planning to take the Coupe to West Coast Customs (Yes, I think that’s the one in that MTV show). But you have to give praise to the man. It seems that the 1936 Ford Coupe is in good hands, and, I guarantee, we will be seeing more of this man’s car in the future.

John also made modifications for the Coupe’s chassis, drive train and wheels. Pending projects include, as stated, a new paint job, as well as other interior designs.

All I can say is that this man is officially a vintage car hero. I wish him all the luck he needs. For now, just enjoy the photos. I’ll keep you posted on what happens to this car.

For the meantime, this has inspired me to work on my 1969 Dodge Charger. The last time I worked on it was months ago. I think I’ll bring it to Henry (The local mechanic) to advise me on what pain I can use. The body has acquired small patches of rust which should be worked on immediately…

I’ll sleep on it for now.

Sources: Rod & Custom Magazine