No. 046 of 207
by Dain Gingerelli ~ American Rodder
The Story behind the 1936 Ford - Here's the situation: You're in the middle of building a chassis for a '40 Ford, and you're pretty excited about the project too, because you've been away from the hobby for about 17 years. Those were hectic years, filled with racing modified circle track cars in the dusty bullring tracks of the Southwest. And now that there are no checkered flags to chase, the lay-back life style of rodding is treating you pretty good.
Then, one day, just before heading out to the garage to work on that '40 Ford chassis some more, you browse through the classified ads. And there, in black and white. reads an ad for a '36 Ford four-door convertible sedan Hmm, you say to yourself as you scratch your chin, that sounds interesting. So, you call and make an appointment to see the car, and end up buying it. Next thing you know the '40 Ford is on the back burner, while the '36 becomes the main course.
Such was the scenario that played out for Steve Peters. He says it was the convertible sedan's unique-ness— only about 1500 were made that forced the turn over. That, and the discovery that the convertible's sheet metal was in excellent condition. "It had no rust," said Steve, "It was just in pieces, scattered all over the guy's back yard." So, Steve retooled for the '36 Ford, then continued building his new 'rod, Steve says that the '36 had come from Michigan, the previous owner had brought it to Arizona a number of years ago, and shortly after blowing it apart for restoration, lost interest. Steve gathered the pieces, and two years later ended up with one of the most unique-looking 'rods in the Southwest. "Not many people are familiar with this body style," says Steve. "Rodders who have been around cars for years don't know what it is. In fact, one year at the "Run To The Sun" somebody said, 'There's that four-door with the roof cut off.' I set them straight right away!"
Steve especially enjoys showing off the car's convertible top (a reproduction courtesy LaBaron-Bonney). The rag top can be opened in three positions, he says, the front half can be peeled back to expose only the front seats to the sun and wind, it can be scooted back until only what amounts to the C-pillar remains up, or the entire top can be dropped in the usual convertible-top manner.
Despite the convertible sedan's refined demeanor, it can serve up a big bite. People should thank Steve's racing background for that, confirming that you can take the boy out of the race, but you can't take the race out of the boy. In this case, the "race" is a supercharged Chevy small-block that's been stretched to a full 406-cubic-inches. In fact, the motor's manifest reads like a check list to a race car engine: balanced and blueprinted throughout, Isky cam with roller rockers, Holley 750 carburetor, B&M blower (no longer on this car), block hugger headers, and Mallory dual-point ignition net result is, according to Steve, 500 horsepower. But once Steve closes the four-piece hood, the '36 once again assumes a less intimidating stance. The chrome-spoke Sharp wheels shine with a hint of luxury, while the deerskin-color leather and cloth interior offers the kind of comfort that makes you want to settle back, pull the top all the way down, then cruise to the nearest rod run.
That's exactly the life style that Steve has chosen with his new toy, too. The red convertible sedan is casual in its approach to how rodding should be, yet when the racer inside Steve wants to play, all he has to do is tap gently with the right foot. And when he does that, everybody listens.
Even those who don't really know what a 1936 Ford convertible sedan really is.
Engine: Chevy small-block 406 ci
Transmission: Turbo 350
Frame: 1936 Ford
Front Suspension & Steering: Mustang II
Rear Suspension: Corvette
Pre-War Classics / 1916–1941
