Ruthy is in the building!

classic restoration

Tim and his grandparents with Ruthy, a 1939 Chrysler Royal

We’d like to introduce you to Ruthy, a very special 1939 Chrysler Royal. This was Tim’s grandmother, Pat’s, very first car that she drove when she was 17 years old. It’s been kept in a storage building in Upstate New York for the last 60 years!

1939 chrysler royal restoration ruthy

They don’t make horns like this anymore!

Over this past Thanksgiving weekend, the car was brought down from New York to TD Customs’ shop in Mills River, where we will be giving it a full restoration, painting it back to the original dark blue, and getting her looking brand new again. You know there will be a lot of love put into the work done on this car, and what’s really cool is that every aspect of the restoration will be done by family members.

Tim’s Aunt Barb of Barbara Jean’s Custom Upholstery is doing all the interior  work. Her shop is located in Castile, New York. She’s going to get to work on the seats, door panels, and carpet, which will be redone in the factory-original grey fabric.

Tim has been wanting to restore his grandma’s car for years now. He loves keeping these old classics on the roads, and is especially excited to get to bring Ruthy back to her former glory for his grandma.

“This restoration means a lot to me and the whole family,” says Tim. “I can’t wait to see Grandma’s face when she gets to drive her very first car again.”

Ruthy is in great condition for being a 1939. Tim’s grandparents took great care of her. She was kept inside and away from the elements for the last 60 years, which helps a lot! There is actually very little rust on the car, just some surface rust that will be easy to remove and a couple small patches that we’ll repair. There isn’t a whole lot of body work needed on it either, just some minor dents. And of course a beautiful new paint job is in order.

1939 chrysler royal restoration named ruthy

Pat named the car Ruthy after the “nice, little old lady” she bought it from back in the day. Sixty years later, she is still affectionately known as Ruthy, and is getting a well-deserved face lift. Everyone is really excited for this car to be restored, and to be kept in the family for many more generations.

Before we know it, Ruthy will be back to her beautiful old self again, and Grandma can take her out whenever she wants. We’ll be posting progress updates along the way on the blog and Facebook, so check back for that!


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