Wheels counted more than 70 cars jamming the lot and grassy spaces by 6 p.m., with a huge variety of cars. The unusually warm weather and sunshine added to the evening.
While there were lots of shiny paint and chrome to be admired, a number of folks were gathering near a ’36 Ford hot rod with plenty of patina. Let’s try original paint, along with original rust and a few battle scars and dents. A closer look and a talk with the owner assures us not to judge the car by appearance only.
“It was my father’s first car,” said Joel Puterbaugh. “He was the second owner of it and drove it up until the mid 1950s. The car is in lots of our old family photos, and my dad and his buddies drove it to the recruiting station when they signed up for the Korean War.”
Puterbaugh said his father just stopped driving the car and let it sit outside for a long time. Then it was shoved into a barn at the family home in Gettysburg.
“I’ve got a couple of other cars: a ’65 Buick Gran Sport and another ’36 Ford, but a couple of years ago, I figured, the rat rod look is sort of cool, and I wanted to keep the car in the family but have some fun,” Puterbaugh added.
“As you can see, I haven’t fixed up the body, and I don’t intend to, but there’s more here than meets the eye,” he said. “Up front I dropped in a 350-cubic-inch Chevy with a hot cam, and three deuces. I also put in a 350 turbo automatic transmission.
“But before I could do all of that, I had a ton of chassis work to do. My friend, Rick Hicks, dropped over one evening when I was just getting started on this project. He seemed to just get caught up in it and helped me with all kinds of work,” Puterbaugh said.
“I wanted to be able to really drive and enjoy the car, so we put in new floor pans and all-new, updated front suspension. We also put in a Granada rear end and suspension and added four-wheel disc brakes and radial tires,” Puterbaugh said.
“She runs and drives great, and maybe one of these days, I might cover the open roof and put in some side windows, but I’m not gonna paint it.”
Puterbaugh plans to drive the ’36 Ford to the Good Guys event this summer.
The Steak ‘n Shake Open Cruise-in is every Wednesday, from 4:30 pm until dusk at 9150 N. Main St. in Englewood.
To nominate your special vehicle for Wheels of the Week, contact us at: Wheels, Marketing Publications Department, Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton OH 45409 or via e-mail at arollins@coxohio.com. Include your name, daytime telephone number and a photo of your vehicle. Read this story and others like it at DaytonDailyNews.com/Wheels.
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