Events leading to the “Exchange”
It was mid-June 1969 and I had just had 4 wisdom teeth pulled. After regaining my strength I went to the Parlier Bank. I took 35 twenty dollar bills out of my shrinking account. I went home and put the stack of Jackson’s into a white envelope. A couple hours later I proceeded to the corner of Rose and Marshall, where the trade was to take place. The previous owner of the 1940 Ford came out of the house and we went to his garage. He backed out a beautiful Ford Deluxe Coupe. Then we made the exchange. I gave him a white envelope full of green bills and he gave me a shinny black car and a pink slip.
I must have written this for a class at school, as “Very Well Done” is on the bottom. This was all in cursive.
My brothers and I were all into cars and we got really good at pulling the transmission, after I broke it. This was my daily driver for quite a few years. When I was going to Reedley College I built a warmed up Ford Flathead* and replaced the Chevy motor. I bought other cars and would take turns driving them. It got to a point where I didn’t drive it much, but would make an improvement now and then. I would get it out and drive it across town to the Reedley Street Fair Car Show then a couple weeks later I would drive it to the little car show at Clay School.
I moved it up to the third bay in our garage last year. I have wanted to make it to where I feel comfortable driving it, and to where it doesn’t leave a oil slick every where I park it.
Well now is the time to show it some long needed LOVE! I am starting with the rear end, then transmission and then the rear main seal. My goal is to get the Forty on the road next spring.
Here is a link to the 1940 Album where I will be adding pictures of what I am doing on the Forty. I will continue to add pictures to this album, so keep checking.
*Warmed up Flathead: I found a new block, 4″ mercury crank, adjustable lifters, 3/4 race cam, Offenhauser heads and intake, 3 Stromberg 97 carbs’, headers and had it balanced. I installed the Flathead after I started driving truck.
