The 1934 Ford sedan has been in our family for just under fifty years.
The car was originally purchased in 1963 or 1964 by my Dad and his
brother, Ron and Don Abell. They borrowed $200.00 from the National Bank
of Greenwood, in their home town, for the purchase. The seller, who
lived on East Washington Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, decided to
move to California and could not take the car with him. This seller had
replaced the original engine with a flathead engine from a 1953 Mercury
mated to a late 1930's floor shift transmission.The car had the original
spoke wheels on it, but the fenders, radiator, front grill, doors,
running boards, hood, rear backsplash, bumpers, seats, and many other
items rode to their new location in the back of a pickup truck. As the
truck towed the remaining parts attached to the frame, Ron steered the
car while sitting on a milk crate.
During the next year (1964 or 1965), Ron and Don bolted the body parts
to the frame and installed glass on the '34 Ford. When they completed
this, they towed the car to Acton Indiana. Jack Rayburn a local mechanic
wired the car and brought it back to life. The car was driven back to
Greenwood for paint. Harry Wagner coated the car with Black lacquer
paint. This would be the last job completed at his paint shop at the
corner of Fry Road and Madison Avenue in Greenwood as this location was
to become a Shell Oil gas station. Fourteen inch Chrysler wheels
originally put on the car were later replaced with chrome wheels from an
early model International Scout. Bill Hendley sewed a black leather
roll and tuck interior for the car and installed it in his Phillips 66
station in Franklin Indiana.
 |
The car as it was mechanically restored
by Ron Ennis in 2006. |
The car stayed in this condition, including mechanical
brakes, until 2006 (?). During this time the car was always garaged at
either Ron or Don's house and seldom driven. In 2006 (?), Ron and Don
took the car to street rod builder Ron Ennis for a mechanical overhaul.
Ron Ennis replaced the engine and drive train with one from a late model
Mustang (1988-1991). The front end of a Ford Mustang II/Pinto updated
the original front wheel assembly. Ron Ennis also added air conditioning
to the car during the update. With a drive train in the car that was
mechanically sound, Don took the car to Oklahoma City in 2006 (?) for
the Streetrod Nationals. After this trip, the car again mostly sat in
storage. In 2011, Don sold his share of the car to Ron's son. Currently
restoration continues on the car.
