The Parker’s Fords

The Parker Family has long been a Ford family, going back to W.D. Parker in New London, Texas. in the 1920s. As a young twenty-year old oil field worker, he bought a 1927 Model-T on payments. Grandson Steve Parker. found the original paid note while going through family documents, as well as the families WWII ration coupon book. W.D. continued to purchase new Fords every few years. until the mid- 1970s. Family photos always included cars in the background and surviving photos include several Model-Ts, As and Fords from 1941, 1946, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1957, 1962, 1965 and 1968. After W.D.’s son Kenneth (Steve’s dad) returned from the service, as a crew chief in the US Air Force in 1953, his first purchase was a used 1950 Ford 4-door Sedan, to serve as the family car for him and his wife. Ken could not leave anything as the factory made it, so he modified the car to fit his desires. Changes included the grille, chrome and a continental kit. This is the car that he brought Steve home from the hospital, when he was born in 1954. Ken was a hobbyist mechanic all his life and taught Steve the hobby as well through the years. They built/fixed up several cars during Steve’s time at home.

As the years went by, Steve who was always a car guy, started restoring cars including Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Corvettes and British sports cars. Steve also enjoyed driving tours with car clubs. The one car that he decided would be a great road car was a shoebox Ford. Much like the one his Dad brought him home from the hospital in. He eventually found a 1949 Ford Custom Convertible, at the Dallas Mecum auction and after the car did not sell, he negotiated the purchase.

Prior to the purchase, Steve did research on the car and found that a gentleman in Longview, Texas named Gordon Fenner, had purchased the car in 2004 to serve as his fun car, only to find out that the “restored” car was a total mess. He then hired R & R Restoration, in Longview, to properly restore the car. It turned into a full ground up restoration, that took three years. The car is painted Midland Maroon and the interior is from Lebaron Bonney.

The car’s restoration woes were the subject of an article titled, “Pandora’s Shoebox Ford,” in the May 2011 issue of Hemmings Classic Car magazine. The car was also featured in the February 2020, Collectible Automobile Magazine photo feature.

Steve learned from R & R Restoration that not long after the car was finished, Mr. Fenner’s declining health prohibited him from driving the car much. He passed away without really enjoying the car. The estate asked R & R to assist in the sale of the car and that is when Steve purchased it through Mecum.

Since then, Steve has worked to make the car more reliable. He has fixed several electrical glitches such as headlights, turn signals, radio, along with several other small fixes. The car now drives well and is a pleasure on the highway. He believes that Mr. Fenner never had time to work through the normal shake out issues with the car after a restoration. He recently purchased and rebuilt an original overdrive transmission that will soon be installed. The car gathers a lot of attention when Steve drives it around town and generates many discussions with admiring folks.

Unfortunately, Steve can’t remember the ride home in his Dad’s 1950 Ford when he was born, but driving the ‘49 still brings back memories of his grandad and dad’s Fords.

V-8 TIMES MAGAZINE

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