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Posted By Discussion Topic: 1937 Ford Pickup Coupe Model 81A -- page: 1 2 3     cherokeeman34 05-25-2020 @ 9:11 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 2 Joined: May 2020 I have what Ford Motors says is the rarest Ford Car Ever, it is a 1937 Ford Pickup Coupe Model 81A. Ford sent me info on it and according to archive material only 14 of these were ever produced and I've searched for 40 years to try to locate another in existence with no luck. This one I have has a unique Military History and Charles Michael Bowman was a Naval Flight Commander at Pearl Harbor where this car was at, it was painted Gelatin Silver and it was used by Naval Supply to run small aircraft parts to the maintenance hangers and at times transported Officers to the Hangers. This car was at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed by the Japanese, the car survived but has a dent over top of the drivers side windshield where a piece of a girder struck it but did not break the windshield, the fenders and hood were struck by flying debris which caused numerous dents, surprising no bullet holes !! During the aftermath and cleanup of the bombing Commander Bowman acquired the vehicle by purchasing it as salvage from the Navy. Up on retirement Commander Bowman decided to go home to Lebanon, PA and had the car moved to his home. The car ran beautifully he said and he was going to give it to one of his sons which sadly never happened as he lost both his Sons in Vietnam. I found this vehicle by sheer luck on my way to the sprint car races and driving through the country side spotted it sitting inside a corn crib barn so I stopped and went to the door and a distinguished man answered the door and I ask him if the 37 Ford in the barn was for sale, he said "son, you are the first person that has ever stopped and asked about it and then he proceeded to tell me story of it in full and it was quiet a story of Pearl Harbor which I loved hearing about, after he finished the story he said let me get you the keys and you can go start it up and look at it, Wow start it? He handed me the keys and said he started it about once a week and let her run. So I went out to the vehicle and was dying to see this "Pickup Coupe", there it was sure enough it was a Pickup Coupe, I had no idea these things even existed !!! I started her up and she purred like a kitten amazing !! I put it in gear and it actually runs great. I looked at all the dings and dents in the fenders and hood and over the windshield, nothing major and all repairable so I went back to the porch and sat down and asked Mr Bowman if he would be willing to sell it and then I got another story of his sons and could tell he missed them greatly and I expressed my condolences for his losses. He looked up at me and smiled and said to me " I bought this as Naval salvage and paid $13.00 for it, he said I figure its worth a little more now" I said well sir give me a price if you will sell it to me, he said I'll take $250.00 for it if that was good with me and smiled, I said yes sir that is fine with me so I got three one hundred dollar bills out of my wallet and said here is $250.00 for the car and $50.00 for a couple of dinners for you as I enjoyed the history lesson of Pearl Harbor First Hand and also thanked him for his service to the country. I carry my tow bar everywhere I go just in case I find a car. Needless to say I skipped the races and drove home with this car and put her into the garage where she has been for 50 years as I bought her in 1970. Now is the delima how much is this pickup coupe really worth restored ????? I collected 37 parts all my life and built several 37's, I have a complete NOS Front End for this vehicle, I have NOS Rear Fenders, a NOS Hood and Deck Lid which it never had. The cab body is solid no rust at all just a dent over the windshield fro the bombing. So if anyone out there could by chance give me their input on what they think this vehicle may be worth fully restored, its what seems the only one of 14 left in existence . I removed the front end and pulled the engine and sent to H&H for a total overhaul but it ran just fine !! I can make this car as good as the day off the assembly line as I have all the NOS OEM parts to do it. Guys give me some in put. MG 05-25-2020 @ 11:29 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1247 Joined: Nov 2009 Seems to me there was an article with pictures in the V8 Times several years back about sedans and coupes being equipped with pickup beds/boxes..... juergen 05-26-2020 @ 6:10 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 254 Joined: Jan 2010 You say it is a Model 81A? That would make it a 1938 Ford. What is the number on the frame? and the title? If I remember right, the pickup box was an accessory, so that the model number for the car would be the same and the box easily fitted into any coupe. So what you have is a conventional Ford coupe with the rare pickup box accessory. I would then think the value would be the value of the coupe plus the value of the box. Hard to say what the box is worth with so few built. Would two bidders go crazy to get this rare accessory? The value of the coupe could be surmised from value guides, although with the present recession, buyers are cautious and so prices on non-exotic vehicles are down. cpipp01@aol.com 05-26-2020 @ 6:51 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 146 Joined: Oct 2009 Photo from “AS Henry Built It” MG 05-26-2020 @ 10:43 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1247 Joined: Nov 2009 Way to go 'cpipp01'!.... TomO 05-27-2020 @ 7:41 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7243 Joined: Oct 2009 Is it just me that finds reading a long dissertation without breaks for paragraphs hard to read. When I see posts like this, I get lost reading them and give up. Tom kubes40 05-27-2020 @ 8:12 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3366 Joined: Oct 2009 TomO, It is not just you. Mike "Kube" Kubarth 39 Ken 05-28-2020 @ 4:33 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 380 Joined: Oct 2009 I agree with TomO and Kube. However, in this case I did persevere and I'm glad I did. Great story! At least, he used punctuation and caps as is often not the case...;>)) Ken ford38v8 05-28-2020 @ 8:39 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2734 Joined: Oct 2009 Yes, a great story, and perhaps a most interesting car to present on any Concourse, unrestored. If the owner believes the story, that's fine, but doubtful if many others could believe it without that key to greatness, provenance. Failing that, the history is only a story, but the car, with the pickup accessory remains unique and in my opinion, should never be restored. Alan bw3240 05-28-2020 @ 7:24 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 17 Joined: Oct 2012 HI Cherokeeman I find your little Ford to be a fascinating look into history. The car speaks for itself. If it were to be restored it would be just another restored old car. If the dents etc. are from its time at Pearl Harbor, this is something that can never be duplicated. I have great respect for those who take the effort to do a correct restoration. But, in the long view the car is much more interesting with its evidence of its use at such an important event in American history. Put it back together, make it run, and show the car as a testament to the boys at Pearl Harbor. As far as value, if your concern is financial, the cost of a restoration will not be recovered when the car is sold. I am confident that it would sell for a higher price as a preserved survivor rather than a restored car from the 1930s. The few younger people I know who love old V8s would not give a second look to a restored 37 coupe, but would be fascinated and thrilled to see it drive up to an event as a ghost from the past.

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