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Jim La Baugh 1939 Deluxe Woodie - A Ford legacy Page 2 My father passed away just before the New Jersey restorer decided to close shop. The car then was picked up by a Pennsylvania restorer, who was a friend of the first restorer, and took on the continuation of the restoration. The '39, however, did not get much attention in PA as many other vehicles were ahead of it. At the 2007 Eastern National, fellow NVRG member and woodie enthusiast Bob Wild inquired about the status of the '39. He mentioned that his son-in-law, Ben McDonald was restoring Early Ford V8s. After checking with Ben and some discussion with the PA restorer, Ben, Bob, and I were on the way to retrieve the '39 in September 2007.
Once safely in Virginia, Ben checked the engine, brakes etc. and made needed repairs from the car sitting so long and not having run in a decade.
Not all the parts were with the car however. The rain gutters disappeared somewhere in the pre-Virginia journeys. Yet others, incredibly, were still in NJ. Even though the restorer there had gone out of business, he still had the bumpers and hub caps! A road trip to get them was successful and in early November got them down to Ben's place. In the meantime Ben had reassembled sheet metal that had spent many years in the back of the wagon, along with other vital parts, and made the car road worthy. So in November, I got to drive the car for the first time! It was a bit brisk as the roof is not covered and only the windshield glass is in but I know my father would be very glad it is finally on the road.
With the hubcaps repainted, and the addition of road lights and so forth, it will not be long before the '39 will be on the road as Henry intended. None of this would have been possible without Ben McDonald's work. Some of the new wood needs attention before the glass and roof can be finished and I feel fortunate that wood and woodie roof experts, such as Dave Westrate, Hank Dubois, Cliff Green, and Ken Burns are in the club to provide me with advice on the work I will need to do to complete the car. Created: 02/28/08 |
