When Ford Motor Company changed its production line in September 1935, most of the models introduced for the 1936 model year were basically '35 Fords with a redesigned nose. This was, and still is to this day in some regards, standard automobile manufacture practice. But by April 1936, ol' Henry Ford surprised the public by unveiling not only a new model, but also the most expensive model for that year. Dubbed the Convertible Touring Sedan, if featured a bustle-back trunk that replaced the previously nonexistent trunk of the Convertible Sedan. By moving the spare tire inside the trunk, it was possible to incorporate a trunk door in the new design, enabling trunk access from the rear of the car, similar to the Touring Sedans of the same year, but with the trunk space and convenience usually relegated to the coupes and roadsters of the era.
It's been nearly 70 years since the last '36 Ford rolled off an assembly line, but John Pifer recalls his as if it were yesterday. The year was 1947 and John was a young student at the time, and his daily driver just happened to be a 1936 Ford Convertible Touring Sedan. Life forced John to part with the car, a regret he's carried with him ever since, and he swore that someday he'd find his long-lost love and relive his youthful days. For years he searched, fruitlessly looking for a replacement '36, when he happened upon an older restoration for sale in Central California. The restoration was going on 20 years old but had some very desirable attributes. The body was straight and in good shape and the car was a driver, complete with the 21-stud Flathead equipped with Eddie Meyer heads and a dual-manifold that's still in the car. John knew that something like this only came along once in a lifetime and jumped at the chance to purchase the '36.
After enjoying his reunion, John decided that a full restoration was in order. John Pickle of The Toy Store in Ramona, California, was put to the task of bringing the car into the new millennium, while retaining all the classic attributes. The stock '36 chassis was in good shape, so it was decided they would upgrade the suspension components as necessary. The duo also decided that the car should retain the stock Flathead while upgrading the oil and cooling system to better suit today's driving needs. A modern C4 automatic replaced the early box and out back, an 8-inch Ford rearend sits on Air Ride Technologies airbags. A Mustang II IFS also rides on Air Ride airbags and utilizes a rack-and-pinion steering box, 10-inch disc brakes, and 2-inch dropped spindles. This combination ensures that neither reliability nor style is sacrificed.
John wanted to keep the integrity of the original '36 body style in tact, but decided that there did exist a few areas that could use some minor modifications. Up front, the hood was pancaked and converted to the later, cowl-hinged style. The front and rear bumpers were modified to better follow the contour of the body, while many little changes, such as the relocation of the stock taillights, license plate, trunk emblem, and hood side vents all contribute to the overall aesthetic. When all of the body mods were finished, John Pickle and Martin Soto sprayed the car in-house using PPG Velvet Red Metallic over a Black Lava Red base.
One of the major changes not immediately obvious has to do with the convertible top. The original convertible roofline was rather bulky and the rear side window lines were too square for their liking. A chopped folding top was fabricated and the aforementioned window lines were modified more akin to a Tudor sedan. The top was also extended over the windshield and laid forward at the rear. While the Convertible Touring Sedan featured roll-up windows in all four doors, John Pifer's 'vert took it one step further by having Ron Mangus stitch up a full headliner, making the interior fully upholstered, similar to a closed car. From there, Ron also built custom seats and panels before covering the entire cabin in camel-colored leather and light brown plush carpet.
With the car complete, it made its first big debut at the Grand National Roadster Show in January 2005 where an invitation to attend the Fresno Autorama was extended its way, further exemplifying the fact that John Pifer and The Toy Store crew had crafted a winner. And so, almost 60 years in the making, John Pifer is finally reunited with his old alma mater.