Original price: $505.00 – $575.00
On loan from: Vicki and Stan Staab, Kearney, NE
Previous owner(s): From Sumner, NE and Kearney, NE
Number made: 29,938 (Deluxe coupe); 78,534 (Standard coupe)
Engine, etc.: In-line 8 cyl.; 221 cu. in. (3.6L); 85 h.p.; one-barrel Stromberg carburetor; 3-speed selective sliding gear transmission. Restoration by Jorgenson Rod & Custom, Dynamic Rides, Top Stitch Upholstery
Stan Staab bought this car when he was 16 years old. With some financing from his mother, he paid $50.00 for it. His father, for unknown reasons, didn’t like the car. It sat behind a shed for years. While Stan was attending college, his father sold it.
The family, however, still had the title to the car in a safe deposit box where it stayed for 40 years.
In 2000, Stan’s wife Vicki had news about the car.
It was purchased by a man from Kearney who got it from a man in Sumner who used it in parades. It had been painted pea green and pots and pans were hung on it.
The man in Kearney called Stan and said he thought he had the 1936 Ford. After Stan went to see the car, a title search was done and led to Stan’s mother. With the original title, a deal was made for Stan to buy the car.
Stan tried for five years to find someone to work on the car while it sat with primer on it in his garage. He found someone in Norfolk, NE who said he’d work on it but it was in his garage for 12 years. The mechanic finished some bodywork and put on seven coats of paint. He also made sure the doors closed properly. Putting the engine in was a “trick” also.
Stan wanted a car that interested him, not an original restoration. The restoration included the front end from a Mustang, addition of air conditioning, and details to make it a street rod.
The car features rounded edges Stan likes. The only things that are flat Stan says, are the running boards and floorboards. He put Navigator seats in but removed the head rests so there is a flow with rounded corners. The paint color took a year to pick out. It is Chianti Red, named after a Tuscan wine from Italy. It changes colors when the car is in sunlight.
With all of the modifications, Stan views the car as new. It drives great for an old car. He says, “The engine has more power than you need.” He wanted a reliable car he could trust on the road. The car has only 230 miles on it since it left the shop.
Source: Information provided by owners.