When I read the December article on the 1935 Plymouth rumble seat coupe, I could see the heritage of my ’41 Dodge. Here’s the story of my car:

While my wife Margaret and I were attending a car show in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, in 1995 I saw this 1941 Dodge club coupe for sale. The first car I remember my dad having was a 41 Dodge four-door. Still, I didn’t buy the coupe then.

The next year I was at the same show and so was the car with the price reduced. This time I drove it. Margaret said, “You should buy it.” We all can guess what happened next, and a friend hauled it home to La Grange, Kentucky, on his trailer a week later.

After some brake work, hoses and a few repairs I was going to local cruises and shows. But after a year and a half with 108,000 miles showing on the odometer, the engine started making bad noises.

On Sept. 6, 1997 I backed the car into the garage and started to remove the front end so I could remove the engine. While the engine was out I started to clean the areas I could reach. One thing led to another and this ended with a bare frame on the floor of the garage and parts all over the house and shed. I’m still not sure how that happened.

Two trips to the Hershey swap meet and looking for parts all over the US was a lot of fun. Then a man in the nearby town of Shelbyville who rodded a ’41 four-door was selling some parts. He had the drivetrain from the radiator to the rear end, tires and much more. The engine had been “overhauled.” So I cleaned out his garage with the help of my friend and his trailer. The engine turned out to be good.

Seven years later the old Dodge was back on the road. My job at UPS took me out of town many times during this period so it was a slow process. I had other people with the space and equipment paint the exterior but I did most of the rest of the work myself.

It’s Meant for the Road

I made this car to be a driver and we have been many places, shows and cruises over the years. I have driven it several times to shows in Indianapolis and Evansville, Indiana; Somerset, Kentucky; Lebanon, Tennessee and Springfield, Illinois. We even went to a family reunion in Vandalia, Ohio, last summer.

I attend all the local shows and cruises each weekend, have been in three Concours shows, and in 2010 won a First Junior in the AACA 75th Anniversary National Show in Louisville, Kentucky.

In addition, I still enjoy driving the back roads and listening to “oldies” on the local radio station when I can. Last summer I drove 6200 miles between April and November. Even in the winter if we have a few nice dry days I'll go for a drive. I have now driven over 40,000 miles in the last 10 years.

Jeremiah Is a Popular Bullfrog

I also have a mascot who has been with me almost as long as I’ve owned the car. His name is Jeremiah. He is a bullfrog. He is a good friend of mine. He sits in front of the radiator under the hood while the car is on display. When people walk past the front of the car he says “Ribbit Ribbit.” As you might expect, the reactions from passersby are fun to watch. (By now that well-known song by Three Dog Night should be playing in the back of your head.)

Also, I have a drive-in tray on the window and under it on the running board there’s a flower pot that plays “In the Mood” by Glenn Miller when people walk by. Kids love both of these features and it is fun to watch all their reactions. DJs at shows often play “Joy to the World” for Jeremiah.

During the winter of 2011, I took the original engine to a good machine shop for a complete overhaul and I reinstalled it in January of 2012. That old flathead runs like a top.

For 14 years I looked for the optional turn signals on the Internet and at Hershey, and called all over the country with no luck. Then in Evansville, Indiana, at the 2011 Frog Follies rod run, I found two sets available. So now the car sports the optional turn signals and I feel a lot better on the road. The following year I found a Fulton sun visor that had been ordered for a 48 Dodge. The car was long gone but the owner had saved the sun visor for some reason. Disassembly, clean-up and a little paint, and what a good addition it was.

Next, I may put the spare transmission in as it only has around 50,000 miles on it and I cleaned it up last winter. (Cars are never really done, are they?)

Here are some details for my 1941 Dodge Custom Club Coupe: Engine: 217.8 cid (flathead 6), 92 horsepower Transmission: Dodge Fluid Drive (3-speed with Fluid Coupling) Equipment: radio, heater, turn signals, sun visor, automatic choke, running boards (optional in ’41), 2-speed electric windshield wipers

Neil White AACA KYANA Region