First Drive Of Mad Scientist's 1939 Ford Coupe

Between all of our other projects we have started to tinker on our new 1939 Ford Coupe. The previous owner had added dual generators, dual batteries and a ton of extra wires. Matt gets to work pulling all of the extra stuff out before connecting a battery. Once all of the wiring is pulled Matt and Steve get to work getting the engine to turn over and run! We have some fun plans for the 39 this summer! Cant wait to cruise!!
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[@ozzstars_cars]

That car is beautiful. Straight and well maintained for most of it's life. The owner loved it. Good to see you are still getting it done Matt! Good crew you have there. -Glen

[@randomyank7777]

Glad you gents caught a break on something . This car was actually in excellent condition . The wiring was the most sketchy part of it , beyond the fuel supply setup . All of it seemed easily deleted , & returned to original . It sure smoothed out with a fresh carb , & is very quiet . This will be a nice one when you get it all sorted out this summer . Excellent post , & great job Iron Trap Garage . Quite the team !

[@IronTrapGarage]

Thanks for watching!

[@kalinagoedge2777]

Beautiful car.

[@marklevine-es2br]

When I revived my 39 Pontiac (barn find), after I dropped and cleaned the gas tank rebuilt the carburetor. I pulled the the plugs took an eye dropper and wet the plugs so to speak. It helped start this car almost right away after 50 yrs . It shorten the time.

[@danontherun5685]

I've never found an a long stored engine that didn't have cylinder rust, some have nuts, mouse corpses etc in various cavities including cylinders. Checked stem to stern to kick the gremlins out.

[@IronTrapGarage]

Good idea!

[@kimkramer5773]

I've watched you guys for several years now and have noticed that only time Matt has a grin is when he's behind the wheel of a very recent aqucistion of a flathead powered vehicle. this one is no exception. Keep um coming.

[@IronTrapGarage]

It’s one of my favorite things to do!

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

That is a beautiful, classic car: love the styling. When you open the trunk, I was half-expecting to see a flat of gallon jugs full of moonshine.

[@wadepreston5298]

The thin beauty rings are my favorit look for the early cars! Nice find guys!

[@graveydayvee]

Yeah they did!!! Amazing how good they look

[@mythrusthelema]

Great score! Ford actually spent some time styling those late 30s cars. A great start to 2024 keep it up

[@blainehalley2201]

I have watched hundreds of your videos. This a standout! The joy on your face, smile, happy cool, and collected about how great this original, superb '39 Ford drives. Wonderful.

[@lordleonusa]

Pity you pulled all that stuff off, he was getting 128 mpg with that set up!

[@rayfunk5659]

I usually don't watch for the comedy, but discovering the tighty whitey's just after the trunk tried to chomp down on you had me ROFL. The wood spacer and plate under the carb looked to be some sort of effort to keep engine heat away from the carb. Heard of the wood spacer trick for this purpose elsewhere.

[@edwardkosol8891]

That electrical system is what we call a "split system". Common on emergency vehicles like fire trucks. You run on one battery and crank on two. Might tell you something about where the guy worked.

[@frankwebster8365]

Nice car, wow, what a score.

[@Awsom47Merc]

Hey Matt, You sure there wasn't a Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor somewhere on the car like in Back To The Future movies ?!! 🤭👍

[@WACRE44]

LOL that’s what I would do too probably.put them in the stove! Love the car hopefully will see it in the fall or when you guys get time again Thanks for your saving these time capsules and history!

[@user-bf5us7qd7g]

Every time they show a revival, whether it be the 34 or this 39, or even that Pontiac, I fall in love with the car. I grew up with my fathers 47 Ford Super De-lux 4dr. It started right up every time, even in the dead of western NY winters. It was converted to a 12 volt system. Unfortunately it was sold while I was away in the Air Force. But I will some day have me an old flat head for myself... Thank you for your content.

[@GwynnOak1]

What a beautiful original 39 coupe! Spectacular find! Easy to see where the "Mad Scientist" moniker comes from. Another great video!

[@IronTrapGarage]

Thanks for watching!

[@ronaldwyman7580]

A thing of beauty is a joy forever!

[@tomwesley7884]

Yes, one might call that timeless

[@dinxsy8069]

Moon thinking one day this big large box is going to be full of toys and dog treats, one day....

[@timmmckenny1806]

Man that’s a killer old ford

[@clintonsmith9931]

Wood spacer was a try to prevent vapor lock. Usually that was blamed for other problems long time ago.

[@TrashcanGarage]

That may have been Doc Brown's first time machine before he bought the Delorean. 😆 re - that clothespin light: those plastic / metal clips were used to quickly fasten the flat antenna lead-in wire to the antenna terminals on the back of your tv set.

[@DarkFlamage]

Right on the clothespin thing, our house had those clips on the antenna leads in the early 1960's.

[@dddevildogg]

Matt-that flattie motor is the Ford/Rube Goldberg Edition, not widely installed except on Special Order.what a wonderful find! Put some fresh gas in her and take a spin! Maybe it's the first BACK TO THE FUTURE car with Jim Ignatowski's grandpa's design. That headlight could get hot enough to start the box on fire !

[@stevefaltis8989]

Dang! Whatever this guy did to the car, it’s still perfect.

[@bengone3349]

Great job Matt and Steve.Really put a smile on my face all the while as you undid things and made thing right for the running. You have one of the best channels for reviving old iron. The '39 was a fantastic score and I'm looking forward to new content in the spring.

[@PepeofCalif]

Super Cool Survivor. wow the wiring - guy must've been Howard Hughe's OCD brother...even came with the vintage Grandma Chenille Bedspread on the seat - gotta keep that in there and love those trim rings. - get some Benny Goodman on the radio ! ps my first car was a '40 Merc coupe (1973)

[@tomwesley7884]

Yes, vintage chenille bed spread, either keep it or sell it for some extra coin

[@johnfowler6600]

Makes sense 12 volt charge/start system with 6 volt light/accessories circuit cheap way to upgrade & theft deterent. Outstanding orignal car can't wait to see you cruising neighborhood on a nice sunny day. Thanks guys for another rescue Ford

[@stevefaltis8989]

Look at the body, the front fenders on that thing! Jeeze!

[@tomcarlson3913]

That yellow clothespin under hood lamp clip is actually a quick connector for the old style twinlead TV antenna screw terminals used from the beginning of time until the late 80's. They were designed for TV repair shops to speed up connecting the shop antenna to whichever set was to be worked on. The supply has dried up so while probably only a $2-15 they are desirable. TV collectors who do our own service (like me) typically connect those clips to baluns then to our RF modulator signal sources. That catfood can module had a orange adjustment pot that looked like a convergence adjustment pot out of a late 50's to late 70's color TV...Another part that can be a pain to find replacements for...That whole cat food can module was probably an adjustable Solid State voltage regulator (probably built off a 60's or 70's magazine DIY article).

[@tomwesley7884]

At the very least, the copper in the wires is $$$, not garbage

[@TheCrackerBox]

Thanks for another , Brother !

[@jmartin70]

Just discovered this site. Very nice! Gonna take a break from Full Custom Ian and get into Iron Trap Garage.

[@pollyskirt1]

Very cool car Matt ,Im kinda jealous .

[@jeffroagogo5215]

Tweeker's automotive electrical re-engineers union 714 at it again! lol

[@mattsullivan5274]

Nice car. Mainly for your subscribers, I'm sure you do this, but when I have a "new" project that I just got running I disconnect the battery on it after putting it away, just in case. Keep saving them!

[@jimsmirh2406]

Sweet little ride Matt!!!

[@patmccarthy5069]

Excellent recovery of this classic

[@brianhayes7618]

Excellent find congratulations

[@daveschultz1331]

Awesome 39! Love this car

[@johnkranz4004]

Sounds great Matt and Steve

[@barryhickman6911]

What a FIND!! Lucky guy! Love it!

[@SpankysHotRodsandCustoms]

Cool ride and thanks for sharing

[@stephengent9974]

Sweet ride. Always liked the look of this model.

[@danielbuckner2167]

You never know what's gonna turn up, today I said to myself "I don't think I've ever driven through this neighborhood", a couple sides streets later and I spotted a 37 or 38 chevy coupe through the hedges parked under a pole barn! As if I need another project!

[@jonathanhenney8364]

Great content and great find lately

[@hankhessig6586]

The wood helps when your trying alternative fuels .... especially alcohol mixes

[@tomwesley7884]

He was sayin' the old fuel didn't smell like gas

[@VintageTinGarage]

Awesome find and car. Enjoy the videos.

[@57Banjoman]

The little circuit board was a solid state charger/ regulator-the tighty whities were a little creepy, but it gave us a laugh!

[@TheKalanTeam]

Just a suggestion, Got this from Vice Grip Garage. Use 2 cycle gas down carb instead of brake clean, gas, etc. the oil in 2 cycle will help lubricate the cylinders. Other stuff will wash the lubricants from the cylinders. Made sense to me.

[@66skate]

With the number of old cars they work on, I was surprised to see them make that mistake.

[@timredford6608]

What a find great little car.

[@MrMadkaw400]

That’s a keeper wow

[@born2soon]

I would nickname that ride "Tighty Whitey"! I could only dream of finding such a great car as a young man in the Air Force 1970's. Imagine driving that to the base every day. Look forward to seeing you detail it back to new.

[@scottpetersen8386]

The firewall paint looks great!

[@robertchristie9434]

Love that sound of a flathead V8. Great find.

[@erniehoffer1784]

Great video. Good, one runner out of six non running projects. Thank you.

[@shaneraven2621]

Man all that was missing was the flux capacitor 🤔 on a serious note, what a beautiful car!!!

[@alecfromminnenowhere2089]

1939 and 40 are my favorite Fords. What a find...the thing is in incredible shape.

[@delgray8523]

You guys are great.

[@rolandtb3]

So quiet. Runs well all considered. Good buy.

[@patjohnson3100]

It was so nice to see and hear that cool flathood fire up after so many years. I was really rooting for you guys. A 39 in this condition is a rare and wonderful treasure. It's also a lesson in automotive archaeology as you figured out the how and why of what the previous owner did. Flatheads can be very quiet when running. I can hardly hear the 59AB in m y 48 Super Delux. Looks like the previous owner put in some kind of DIY heater on the passenger side of the engine bay. Also, I didnt see a period box heater under the dash.

[@steveclark4291]

That is one sweet looking '39 Ford ! I even like the color !

[@richardbrady2818]

Very enjoyable and entertaining video, thanks

[@IronTrapGarage]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@user-dd2vc5cd1p]

Very envious of you, I always dreamed of prewar car, and it's in great condition, unrestored. Very nice!

[@MrJeep75]

Love the 39 ford coupes and 2 dors

[@gregsly1247]

What a great find. I would give vital parts of my anatomy to come across one like it.

[@johndonlon1611]

The '39 Ford is really nifty car and I hope to see you guys work your magic on it before sending it off to a good home. Thanks for sharing.

[@RoadGlider505]

The thing that looks like a clothes pin with metal on it under the hood, is a TV antenna connector for the old style antenna wire.

[@Fordman7575]

The wood spacer is to isolate the carb from engine heat. It also helps with hot starts, by keeping fuel from boiling out of carb after you shut engine off( from heat soak ) after longer trips.

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

Your explanation is very thorough, thank you.

[@donames6941]

Wow a good deal on that one i have a friend that is just like that guy was he has so much stuff going on in his car if you was to ride with him you have to be careful were you set and put your feet we call call it rednecking wiring in missouri that is one quiet running old car.lmao when the trunk tryed to keep you from getting the wires out😆

[@danielkeel9265]

Such a nice quiet idle! When you and Mike got in I heard it crank, then I thought it hadn't started, it was so quiet in the car, the only sound was the square tyres! Great score!

[@tomtribby2309]

That is so cool, It would be fun to drive one of those old cars.

[@huntdowse9727]

Cool to see the hot air heater instead of the more usual hot water heater.

[@gilreynolds9282]

Glad to see that you went back to the 6 volt system

[@vermontguy7692]

Oh, baby, that's a keeper! 👍

[@garagehot813]

excellent

[@ozahmed4523]

Very cool pumping method with the carb to get it started. Have not seen that before. Makes sense because you are allowing air pockets to go inside.

[@steveclark4291]

Thank you Matt , Steve and Mike for sharing this with me ! It's awesome to see the '39 running on it's own in a short period of time ! I'm looking forward to seeing more videos of you getting it running better ! Have a awesome New Year !

[@IronTrapGarage]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jaystruthers4036]

That's a great car!

[@020Dutchy]

The switches and all that wiring in the trunk…,that’s where he had his “blackhole” generator for his “time travels”. The headlight on the floor was for when he was actually IN the blackhole

[@tedhewitt4299]

Nice car Matt.

[@TheBuellerBunch]

My 34's wiring was similar. I am still finding wires as I upgrade/fix things the previous owner had done. The amount of wiring balled up and not connected to anything could have wired another car. I even found a radio antenna mounted under the running boards. How that antenna was suppose to recieve a signal mounted sideways was beyond me. It is a labor of love.

[@wildcycles1]

This was a fun one guys! I just picked up a 39 standard tudor sedan with V8 60. Similar condition car. Fun to drive.

[@MrJeep75]

Gorgeous car

[@lesliesmith2586]

That plastic thing must be one of the early versions of the weather tight connector.

[@836dmar]

What a car! That bundle of wires clearly goes to the owner-installed flux capacitor.

[@notsure8041]

Watch what you cut Matt, you may be dismantling the flux capacitor on this guy's time machine !

[@raymondsprengelmeyer1278]

If I could have any old car I would choose the '39 Ford coupe! Great job, thank you for sharing!

[@wesleypulkka7447]

You guys have found a super sweet ride once you cleared out the mad scientist mods! Congratulations! When I was a young teenager I used build radios, model train controls and wood frame go carts, so I can relate to the former owner of the 39 (though I never used that much wire)! Great video!

[@garyhughes9199]

Glad the 39 found a good home!

[@tomwesley7884]

Wow, nice find! Would have liked to have seen more video of all the work needed to get 'er goin'. My dad and his buddies must've been driving a '40 club coupe to Ball State in the late '50's. When my son was younger, my dad was buying him like 1/24 scale toys of the Ford (I think I still got one). Nice to see one so close to stock.

[@linkedup7346]

A 39 Ford Coupe...Yes!!! It's amazing how many self-taught electricians there are out there. Glad you are cautious...

[@franciscojosepellegrino2553]

Great car, great job, ....

[@motorfreaknew]

Beautiful car!😍

[@davidandrews9670]

when i first started to drive my dads ‘60 chevy he had nylon belted tires and they used to do that every morning.

[@phillipdean9879]

That car is stunning! One of the prettiest cars ever built in my opinion. I hope your just going to basic resto it. A good clean and fix any mechanical issues. What a beautiful time capsule…🇦🇺🍺🍺

[@reneprovencher8395]

Matt, a thought with your headliner. Guys are starting to use “DRY ICE CLEANING”, I’ve seen the before and after cleaning door panels, carpets, and seats. Just a thought. Beautiful coupe. To me these car years are so classy! I love 30, 40, 50’s and 60’s cars. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@dennissheridan1550]

Matt, that's the problem with collecting just about anything, salt & pepper shakers or cars, you end up running out of space. Good luck on finding the room to keep your prizes safe and dry. Looks as though you won't need to buy any alligator clips for a while.

[@allanrichards3752]

That's a nice looking original car that really only seems to need a bit of fettling to get it to be a good 100% usable car. I was hoping when you were pulling out that wiring that you would discover the original 1st Gen Flux Capacitor.

[@tomwesley7884]

Okay McFly

[@joshhall7753]

Love the flat head tattoo

[@Racemojo]

Beautiful car! Awesome how solid that thing is. That upstairs garage you added on Matt is killer! I've always wanted my garage to look like an old barn or service station, you hit a homerun on that! Matt- Mojo Speed Shop and Lounge

[@IronTrapGarage]

Thanks Matt!

[@Huntinghogs]

What cool ole car.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

That wooden spacer is an advantage as it insulates the carh from engine heat. I know you can buy a phonelic spacer for those carbs. Wood does the same job! Plastic filters IF not left laying on hot parts are 100% ok. Rusty old tanks and shitty fuel require them. So another very clean 85 y/o car. Yet so many say they are not around.