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Dedication, that’s all you need!

After reading your recent article on the Captain America film I decided I’d finally get in contact. I actually owe you thanks, as it was an article on page 8 of your March issue that in part led to my ownership of the ’41 Ford (my car is actually the one centre page).

I’d been after something older for over a year after selling my ’73 Gran Torino with a 351CJ and four-speed. Originally I was looking at Fifties Yanks, but I fell for this Ford the moment I got to the auction. It’s in pretty good shape, and to be honest wasn’t that much trouble getting it through the MOT...

I say that now, but looking back there were several movie company ‘repairs’ that were not too fun. It seems whoever did the prep work for the movie was not mechanically minded; one of the worst bodges was the fact that they fitted Ford wheels to the front, which has had a GM disc brake conversion. Instead of wondering why the wheels didn’t fit they bent all the studs out and oval drilled (hacked) the holes on the wheels to make them fit.

Anyway, there was a pretty long list of little jobs and repairs (including a partial re-wire), but once I’d fixed them I took it straight for its MoT. Next was registration, which once I’d finally received the correct US title (I was given the wrong one from the auction house) it was a really simple three day process.

So now I have an on-the-road Captain America ’41 Ford, which resides at my house under a cover at the moment. At my house we have a fair few cars, and although it’s a small three-bed semi, we managed to squeeze on six cars, with a few more dotted about in various locations. Having already taken on the Ford, I’ve just recently decided to indulge in another yank, an ‘85 Corvette, which I ended up buying as a joint toy with a friend.

Other cars of interest that reside with us are my brother’s ’60 Buick LeSabre and his ’75 Dodge Tradesman. He’s also just bought a gold ’40 Ford Gasser, though that’s staying in Texas for now. So you could say we’re into our cars, and I do mostly all the work myself, so the ’41 Ford is now a rolling restoration.

Although I pretty much missed the show season in the end, it should be doing the rounds next year. At present the Ford doesn’t look too different, but I have a lot of plans for this car, including a couple more carbs, whitewalls and headers.

Well, this has already turned out to be a bit of a long email, but I have lots more stories about the Ford, so please contact me if you want to hear more ramblings, or if you would like to do an artical in a future publication I’d be more than delighted.

Robert Oliver
Writtle,
Essex

It’s great to hear in these times of austerity Britain and all the current economic gloom, that there are still young people out there getting stuck into Yanks. As the late Roy Castle used to sing: “Dedication, that’s all you need...” Hats off to Robert and his brother; six cars and a semi, you don’t get much more dedicated than that.