im Bobowski is an avid hot rod archaeologist, constantly turning over automotive “rocks” in the hopes of discovering bits of hot rod history. Turns out he’s pretty good at it. Digging through swap meets, Internet sites, and old garages has garnered some interesting bits, but around the turn of the century Jim was in search of a historic hot rod, a car with provenance. And so, when he discovered the famed Bob Pierson 1936 Ford coupe was known to exist, he began the search. It turns out one of his greatest discoveries was hiding under a bright red paintjob and the owner, Frank Nay, along with several other veteran hot rodders, was well aware of this particular 1936 Ford coupe’s storied past. How aware, you ask? Well, he was there when this coupe was setting records on the dry lakes in the ’40s as a fellow member of the RTA. So, the good news is Jim had found the coupe, the bad news was Nay had no interest in selling the car. However, Jim and Nay became friends and stayed in touch.
Jim had busied himself researching the car and he knew if he ever owned the car it would be returned it to its 1949 iteration. But first this coupe would be shown in red paint one last time. The Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) was having a Custom Retrospective in 2011 and Jim decided to backdate the coupe for that show. With help from Jimmy White of Circle City Hot Rods they managed to chrome the windshield frame, locate and mount genuine 1937 DeSoto bumpers, Appleton spotlights, fender skirts, and adjust the ride height to a slight tail-dragger angle. The car was well received. It seems there is nothing the Pierson brothers coupe can’t do; street car, lakes class record holder and salt flat racer, tow car, and now custom show car.
Jim drove the Pierson brothers 1936 coupe onto the GNRS floor, marking the end of one journey and beginning of another. Set up day was a bit surreal and response to the car was overwhelming. Sadly, both Bob and Dick Pierson were no longer with us to see the coupe return to the show floor, but Dick’s widow, Helen, came to the show resplendent in her bright red vintage Edelbrock jacket. Helen had dated Dick in this very car. Veteran hot rodders stopped by all weekend to share stories of the car and the glory days of dry lake racing. Once again, the coupe proved to be a winner, taking home the prestigious 2015 Bruce Meyer Preservation Award.
Our photographer, Tim Sutton, captured the coupe on the cracked lakebed surface. While the car was stunning on the show floor and a perfect fit in the NHRA Museum, it was here, on this timeless patch of dried dirt, that the coupe looked absolutely at home. While this was a homecoming for the coupe, it was Jim’s first time on the lakebed. The glamour shots were taken and finally the time had come. Jim slid behind the wheel, the click of a vintage lap belt, the turn of a key, and a push of the starter button fired the full-race Flattie to life. Slowly he turned and headed across the lakebed, gradually gaining speed. Sights, sounds, sensations, vibrations, all contribute to the moment driving any race car, but suddenly it was 1949 all over again. A creamy coupe was kickin’ up a rooster tail of dust and somewhere two brothers were smiling.