As you all may know, I really like original cars.  A lot.  And this car is so original, and so nice, that it is mind boggling.  Yes, that’s the original paint, and yes, it’s still nice and shiny and in excellent condition. Yes, that’s the original interior, in lovely condition. Yes, the car has been treated wonderfully throughout it’s life, and it shows!

this car is legendary in Ford Circles, and here’s why – It was owned by a farmer in the midwest who was injured just after he purchased it. He put it in the barn in 1936, and covered it up, and there it stayed until 1977, when the farmer’s wife passed on, and Jerry Lee Lewis bought it from the estate.  Yes, THAT Jerry Lee Lewis, the famous musician.  At the time, the car showed about 750 Miles.

As we all know, being a rock & roll legend doesn’t completely exempt you from life’s little rules, one of which is you have to pay your taxes!  Jerry Lee was not fastidious in that regard, so Uncle Sam grabbed his Ford in 1980.  The Revenuers sold the Ford on October 22, 1980, to none other than Don Williams – yes, THAT Don Williams, the famous classic car dealer.   We have a copy of IRS form 2435 “Certificate of Sale of Seized Property” that documents these facts.  at that time, the car showed “approx. 1149 miles”.

A gentleman in Orange, CA purchased the car in 1982,  selling it to the Art Astor Collection sometime later.

And it drives as nicely as it looks – tight, solid, no clunks or rattles – It’s like taking the test drive from the Ford Dealer in 1935.  It is  a revelation to drive it and experience a car that has almost no wear and tear!

This car is astonishing.  Let’s start looking at the details.

the original interior.  It’s as nice as you see it in this photo.

Look at that doorpanel. Look at that door edge.

Steering wheel, dash, instruments and radio look like new, and have never been restored.  I note the absence of the cigarette lighter.

At the upper left we see the heater knob, and at the lower right we see the heater vent – that heater, which was dealer installed, funneled air from the radiator fan over the right side exhaust pipe, and then directly into the cabin.

that box in the background is the radio – also a dealer installed item.

There’s the radio speaker.

Not one single crack in that steering wheel.  When you drive it, it feels like a new steering wheel.

Look at those gauge faces.  They look like new. The temp gauge works, the amp guages shows a charge when it’s running, and I’m not really sure about the gas gauge – it registers, but not sure if it registers properly.   Let’s talk about that 2504 Mileage.  This car looks, acts, and feels like a 2500 original mile car.  However, unfortunately, previous owners sold the car as “mileage unknown”.   So, I am forced to offer it the same way.  I invite you to  look at this car, drive it, and make your own determination.

That is the original floormat, in really great shape, except for the tear and discoloration over by the drivers side.

The driver’s seat has some small repaired areas, shown here.

Here’s another thing I look at on old cars – how do the doors fit?  on this car, they fit perfectly.

Look how nice that toeboard is,  and another view of the heater vent.

The painted grille shell is a feature of the Standard Ford.  The deluxe had a chrome shell.

Here’s a good view of the V-8 Ford Engine, and that crazy heater.  This side has an original “Ford” cylinder head. The driver’s side cylinder head was replaced.

here’s the driver’s side.  This cylinder head was replaced at some point, we see the word “Aluminum”  instead of “Ford” on it. I noticed the left side water pump leaking a bit, too.

The spare tire.

the original headlamp lens

The original horn

Wow !

This is the nicest preservation car I’ve ever seen.  Be the next caretaker of this breathtaking survivor!