Tom Flynn's 1934 Ford Fordor Sedan

Tom Flynn of Austin, Minnesota, has fond memories of his 1934 Ford hot rod, which he built in 1962 with the help of his friend Rex Macheck. He painted the car with ½ dark gray primer and ½ black lacquer, which gave it a "nice dark satin look." The wheels were 15" red rims with white walls and baby moons. The tires were 5.90s in the front and 8.20s in the back. He sold the car to James Ginn int he Autumn of 1963, and this photo was taken the day after he sold it. Photo courtesy of Tom Flynn.

Flynn and Macheck finished the car in 1963. Flynn's Ford was a period-correct Minnesota hot rod for that time. "We built them for fun, not for profit," he told Kustomrama in 2023. Photo courtesy of Tom Flynn.

The engine was a 1948 Mercury with a ¾ race cam and a Stromberg 97 carburetor. "One time, while I was drag racing, I tore up the rear end. I couldn't find parts to fix it, so I welded the spider gears together, making it a solid axle (positraction)." Photo courtesy of Tom Flynn.

In 1973, ten years after he first sold it, Tom Flynn bought the car back again. "The Merc engine was gone, but it had a nice Naugahyde interior. I put a 1959 Big Block Ford engine in it, an automatic tranny, and chrome wheels." This photo shows Tom's pastor John Lanferman and his family with the car on Old Fashion Day at their church in 1976. Photo courtesy of Tom Flynn.

Another photo of pastor John Lanferman with the Ford in 1976. Photo courtesy of Tom Flynn.

1934 Ford Fordor Sedan owned by Tom Flynn of Austin, Minnesota. In January of 2023, Flynn told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that he had fond memories of his old hot rod, which he built in 1962 with the help of his friend Rex Macheck.

Mercury Engine

"I bought the 34 Ford for $125.00 in July of 1962," Flynn recalled. "Rex Macheck, one of the guys I worked with, found it for me. He helped me build it up, actually, I helped him. He knew everything about cars and how to build them." Flynn and Macheck started by installing 1948 Ford backing plates for the hydraulic brakes on the car. They then put in a 3-inch dropped front axle, a 1939 Ford transmission, and a stock rear end. The engine was a 1948 Mercury with a ¾ race cam and a Stromberg 97 carburetor. "One time, while I was drag racing, I tore up the rear end. I couldn't find parts to fix it, so I welded the spider gears together, making it a solid axle (positraction)."

Red Rims and Dark Satin Paint

The car's interior was in good shape, but Flynn had to replace a few windows and do some bodywork. "The body wasn't too bad," he said. "I just had to weld up the fenders and do minor bodywork using body lead as in those days there wasn't any Bondo produced." He painted the car with ½ dark gray primer and ½ black lacquer, which gave it a "nice dark satin look." The wheels were 15" red rims with white walls and baby moons. The tires were 5.90s in the front and 8.20s in the back. Flynn also added homemade dual exhaust.

Built for Fun. Not Profit

Flynn and Macheck finished the car in 1963, and Flynn drove it for a while before selling it for around $500 in Autumn1963. Flynn's Ford was a period-correct Minnesota hot rod for that time. "We built them for fun, not for profit."

Sold to James Ginn

Flynn sold the car to James Ginn. Ginn took it up to the drag strip in Anoka, Minnesota, where he got a 1st place trophy but blew up the engine on the way home. "He belonged to the Thumpers Car Club here in Austin."

Flynn Buys it Back

In 1973, ten years after he sold it, Tom Flynn bought the car back from someone else. "The Merc engine was gone, but it had a nice Naugahyde interior. I put a 1959 Big Block Ford engine in it, an automatic tranny, and chrome wheels." Tom ended up selling it to his best friend Bill Engle. Engle sold it to someone in South Dakota in about 1978. Bill passed away and never told Tom where it went.