1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Pierson Brothers

Back in the late ‘40s, it was not often that a car could have been correctly described as both a rod and a custom, but this car is an excellent example of one that actually was both. Originally built by the Pierson brothers, Bob and Dick, of Inglewood, California, this 1936 Ford 3-window coupe first appeared on the streets in 1947. With its tail-down stance and full fender skirts, it was a beautifully rendered custom with great eye appeal. It also had plenty of power too, with its 1946 Mercury flathead V-8 sporting the latest in Edelbrock speed equipment, not hard to come by as the brothers were both employed at Edelbrock at the time. In 1948, Bob decided to put that power to the test on the dry lakes. To turn his custom into a hot rod, he removed things from the car that did not make it go faster, like headlights, the spare tire and other items. At El Mirage, the car clocked 117 mph, earning it the cover photo on the August 1948 issue of Hot Rod. Rules for 1949 allowed for one body modification, so the boys chopped the top, went back to the lakes and the car hit 129.12 mph. They retired the coupe in 1950 after one meet, where it was timed at 132.78 mph. It was sold in 1953, after which numerous owners over the years variously raced and then neglected it. It was painstakingly restored in 2010 to its 1947 “street” configuration.