'Old School' Rods from South Dakota

Jerry Hartnett of Sioux Falls, S.D., bought this
1932 Ford three-window coupe for $50 in 1957.
The highboy was flathead-powered with a filled
shell. Hartnett left the fender braces in place to
mount sealed-beam headlamps.

Old Cars Weekly reader Coy Thomas is always on the lookout for great photos to share with Old Cars Weekly readers. Some of the photos are antique store finds, some come from his friends’ albums and yet more are taken with his own camera.

This group of photos features cars from around the Sioux Falls, S.D., area.

The 1932 Ford in the accompanying photos was owned by Jerry Hartnett of Sioux Falls. Hartnett found the extremely desirable three-window coupe about 50 miles away in George, Iowa, farmland in 1957. Even 50 years ago, a Deuce for $50 was worth traveling to, even if it was more than an hour away. According to Thomas, Hartnett worked on the car until 1962, when he sold it for $300.

The second hot rod was owned by Bob Schriever, also of Sioux Falls. It doesn’t take a Cougar expert to realize Schriever’s candy-apple red Cougar had a chopped top — a very unusual modification on any muscle car at that time. The Cougar was clearly an attention-getter, and the well-done work earned Schriever an award at the 1981 World of Wheels car show.

For good measure, Thomas submitted a photo featuring a selection of other vehicles from Schriever’s family fleet, ensuring there’s something from nearly every taste in this selection of great photographic memories.