DEUCE HEAVEN: The Secrest Collection ... PICS from 1976

[THE V8 AFFAIR]

Hey FORDBARNers ...

Does anyone know whatever became of William "Seek" Secrest's awe inspiring collection of 1932 Fords?

I've heard rumors that Don Thelen (Buffalo Motor Cars) purchased the entire collection from the Secrest family ... but I've also heard that the collection was broken up after Mr. Secrest's death (i.e., the cars were sold piecemeal) ... anyone know the true story?

Here's some pics taken at Seek's "Barn" in August of 1976:

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[Dennis/Arkansas]

Don't know what happened to the collection but I sure enjoyed laying an eyeball on it! Thank you, Dennis/Arkansas

[THE V8 AFFAIR]

... and here's the "DEUCE HEAVEN" article that appeared in the September 1977 issue of Rod ACTION magazine:

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[Hitchhiker]

Oh my! I never knew. Simply amazing.

[ken ct]

Heavens to betsy,Its unbelievable one man could have soo much.ken ct.

[WHITEY]

It would just have been something to get to build with those nice parts...huh?

Heaven....

Pretty darn close.....

[Steve/IL]

I'm a Deuce guy and have heard about The Secrest Collection from friends that have seen the cars, but I didn't realize that there was an article in Rod Action. Thanks for the pictures!!

[G.M.]

I have his 32 cabriolet. Virgil Sturum did a lot of the body work and told me Bill would send him to Hershey with a big roll of hundreds to buy any NOS 32 parts he could find. When he would come back Bill would ask for his change but Virgil said Bill always owed him more. He said at one time they had 45 NOS 32 fenders. He had at least one of every 32 modle made. The 32 cabriolet has all NOS parts, fenders, running boards, grill and shell,rear, trans, engine and I don't know what else. It may have 50 miles since it was restored and still looks like a brand new car. I'm thinking about selling a few, have to many. G.M.

[Richard (EV8G)]

During the late 70's I was having my 34 Sedan Delivery done by then-partners
Don Thelen (not Thelan) and Ron Jones at their "body shop" (which was next door to an actual mortuary) in Paramount CA. Around that time, Thelen was involved in the purchase/breakup of the Secrest collection, but I was under the impression that there were also others involved, since it was alot ($) for one person to handle. At least some of the cars were brought to Southern California, and I could have bought the Tudor for around $18K, which was not cheap by any means, but the car WAS very nice. (I bought my 34 Roadster instead, which WAS NOT very nice, at least according to my father!)

[Ford46]

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Absolutely gorgeous collection of Deuces, fantastic. LouB.

[Lawson Cox]

Now that is a collection of 32's. Wish I could have seen it in person.

[Randy/In]

WOW, I would love to see that collection.

[jerry grayson]

I was lucky enough to have visited the collection in 1976 I think. It was very impressive.

[Pat/Ohio]

That's IT!! I give up!! You win!! LOL

[Old Redneck]

I hope someone find out what happen to all the 32's. I only wanted one but I guess that never will happen.That blew my mind. Thanks for shareing. I sure did enjoy this very much.I would have love to work there.NOTHING LIKE A 32.

[G.M.]

Hey Ken maybe if you want to trade that P/U and a few of them hogs we may work out a deal. G.M.

[bonesy]

Thanks for the pictures. The Phaetons in a row are perfect.

[Chet/Ma.]

I saw a collection of 32's that came out of an estate sale in Conn. about two years ago. They went somewhere in central Ma. and then to an Action last year in Boston. Most where roadsters and four doors, not one coupe in the bunch.

[barryfromvictoria]

in `94 don thelan told me-- him and some other investors bought a good chunk of the parts collection after secrest died. he mentioned that he took a dozen n.o.s. fenders to hershey and sold them. i don`t know who got all the cars. i met aguy who had a black beautiful original 33 ford 3w for sale at pleasanton in `89. he said it was from secrest collection. is theodore thertito part of secrest or is he another collector?

[bucknaked]

WOW, what a collection. I sold Mr. Secrest the 32 3 window in the collection.
I was sick when his men picked it up but at 21 in 1969 and child on the way
had to sell. I listed it in the Tulsa Tribune and Mr Secrest was the first call. we set a time to meet and he walked around and run his hand under each fender bead, no breaks, he said I'll take it and wrote me a check for $750. of course I didn't know 40+ yrs later it would bring $25,000 unfinished. I visited many times at his shops, plural, and he was very curtious and always let me look till my hearts content. Big Virg as he is known was always making restoration look like it was so easy. Big Virg hand prepared each part and put it away, hence all the parts hanging and on shelves. Mr Secrest was very
successful at finding large parts stashes. old dealer ships closing would have tons of old stuff in upper floors as most were 2 story buildings. huge stashes of A and 32,33,34 and I guess maybe up to 48, I'm not sure what all he bought but Big Virg knows. alot of the parts were nos bolts and motor parts and gages and parts I would never dream of finding nos. I did witness him buying a pair of 34 nos front fenders at Chickasha swap meet in about 1980 or so for $1500. well enough rambling about my story with Mr. Secrest, He was a Fine Gentleman!!!! Allen Ervin, formally of Sand Springs, Okla.

[JM 35 Sedan]

WOW! Great post! Thanks for posting and sharing! I have to wonder where all those cars and parts are today and what their total combined value would actually be in todays dollars?? Seeing pictures of all of these cars together sorta reminded me of the Nick Alexander Woody collection that was sold off mot too long ago. JM

[chopnchaneled]

WOW!!!!!!!
Thanks for posting this.

[01aford]

I agree with Pat. "I give up" that guy wins.

[Brendan]

cool thread

[hbleadsled]

thanks for sharing ,posting the pic.and the storys,that was GREAT.

[THE V8 AFFAIR]

Originally Posted by barryfromvictoria

... is theodore thertito part of secrest or is he another collector?

barryfromvictoria ... "Theodore Thertito" is just a fictitious name that the authors of the "DEUCE HEAVEN" article (Gary "Goodguy" Meadors & "Deuce Bruce" Olson) used to protect Mr. Secrest's true identity.

[Bruce Lancaster]

And try pronouncing "Thertito" out loud...

[Django]

That is pretty amazing!

The Alexander Woodie collection... Was that in California, or am I thinking of someone else?

[THE V8 AFFAIR]

Originally Posted by Django

That is pretty amazing!

The Alexander Woodie collection... Was that in California, or am I thinking of someone else?

Chad ... not to drift too far off topic ... but yes, The Nick Alexander Woodie Collection was/is stored in a Huntington Park (SoCal) warehouse ... at one time, Nick had at least one of every Ford wood-bodied station wagon made from 1932 to 1957 ... in August of 2009, 51 of his Ford & Mercury Woodies were sold at the RM Auctions event in Monterey (with over $7 million in total sales).

[Django]

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I thought that was it. Does he still have the open house every year with what is left?

[THE V8 AFFAIR]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lancaster

And try pronouncing "Thertito" out loud...

Bruce ... I don't think anyone (besides you) has ever "got the joke" ... perhaps
a phonetic spelling will help:

Thertito [thur-tee-too]

[barryfromvictoria]

and so thats why i never heard of secret secrest till after he died. gee i wonder if his death boosted the price of his thurtee2`s -- lol

[barryfromvictoria]

sounds like the "junction city kansas vintage tin national park story" to hype up the readers, but they told the readers where the real park was in thle next issue

[Bruce Lancaster]

V8 Affair...are you the writer/compiler of that book??
I have it, of course, and it is a special memory for me. When it came out--maybe '72?--I was a starving student, and that book became my entire Christmas list. Getting it was a major event. That kind of information was hard to get in those days!
Here's a link on Vince's site to a different sort of collection dispersal: Auction.

[Huff]

Those pictures are great. It would have been great to see them as they were. A 32 Ford is one of my favorite along with a 49 mercury and 40 Ford.To have one of each I would think I was in heaven.

[Stubljumpr]

That article was fantastic. WOW

[dude]

Didn't know there was another Ft Knox. Thanks for the pix.

[Lawson Cox]

Sort of reminds me of Dave Rehor's shop with all of the restored parts hanging from the ceiling, and cars on the floor being assembled. So clean you could eat off of the floor.

[THE V8 AFFAIR]

Originally Posted by G.M.

I have his 32 cabriolet. Virgil Sturum did a lot of the body work and told me Bill would send him to Hershey with a big roll of hundreds to buy any NOS 32 parts he could find. When he would come back Bill would ask for his change but Virgil said Bill always owed him more. He said at one time they had 45 NOS 32 fenders. He had at least one of every 32 modle made. The 32 cabriolet has all NOS parts, fenders, running boards, grill and shell,rear, trans, engine and I don't know what else. It may have 50 miles since it was restored and still looks like a brand new car. I'm thinking about selling a few, have to many. G.M.

G.M. -

I just noticed your post ... this is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for with this thread!

I assume your '32 Cabriolet was the restoration that Mr. Secrest recently acquired (and "Big Virg" & "Mr. Brown" were restoring) in August of 1976?

Please post some pics of your '32 Cabriolet.

[THE V8 AFFAIR]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lancaster

V8 Affair...are you the writer/compiler of that book??
I have it, of course, and it is a special memory for me. When it came out--maybe '72?--I was a starving student, and that book became my entire Christmas list. Getting it was a major event. That kind of information was hard to get in those days!...

Bruce Lancaster -

Nope ... I'm neither the author (Ray Miller) nor the photographer (Glenn Embree) of "The V8 Affair".

As a teenager in the 1970s, "The V8 Affair" was one of my favorite reads ... it (as well as a couple of Lorin Sorensen books) was really the impetus behind my love of Early Ford V8 cars & trucks ... and probably the reason I'm a member of this forum ... hence my strange Ford Barn user name.

NOTE: I'm actually one of your friends over on the H.A.M.B. ... I helped you pick out the digital camera that a bunch of us chipped in to purchase for you.

[Carl]

...brought back a lot of memories, I was there in about '75, pretty amazing. Since, at the time, I did'nt care about 32s, I sold Bill all the 32 NOS stuff I could find. I'm into 32s now and sure wish I had some of that stuff back. Bill had a nice 34 roadster I wanted but I did'nt have the $3500 he wanted.....

[G.M.]

V/8 I still have the 32 cabriolet and doubt it has 10 miles on it. It has been kept in an air conditioned building and still looks like a fresh restoration. There is a picture on my web site www.fordcollector.com I talked to Bill about buying the last car he had, it was a 34 roadster pick up and fooled around a couple days and he sold it to someone in Georgia. G.M.

[Tim]

Originally Posted by THE V8 AFFAIR

Which one doesn't belong?

[LukeDahlinger]

I remember reading about Mr. Secrest in an old V-8 Times my dad had laying around when I was a kid. Those pictures........ wow- just wow!

[Manuel]

The 1st looks like a 34. The next 5 I cannot see clearly [very dark].
A couple of A's maybe??

-=-=-=-=-=-

V8 Affair, The V8 Affair answered a lot of questions for me when it first came
out. The Silverado books were wonderful as well.


Manuel in Oz

[THE V8 AFFAIR]

Originally Posted by G.M.

V/8 I still have the 32 cabriolet and doubt it has 10 miles on it. It has been kept in an air conditioned building and still looks like a fresh restoration. There is a picture on my web site www.fordcollector.com ...

G.M. - Very, very nice!

[48Flyer]

Originally Posted by tim

which one doesn't belong?

the sexy one on the end!!

[hotrodcbx]

Excuse me while I have a heart attack..Never seen such a great collection of 32,s in my life, which will soon be over!!!

[felix37]

Neat! Thanks for posting!

[bluardun]

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Don Thelen bought the PARTS from Mr Secrest. Don used and sold some of the parts.
After Dons' death the rumor is there were several simi trailers with parts stored in them. All is history now, as the parts have been consumed. It was wonderful to buy parts from Don. The quaility of brand new 32/4 Ford parts is unmatched.
Something of note: Some of the NOS parts were used by Vintique and Drake to copy for their reproductions. This was a great for our hobby and interest to expand the availability of parts.

[THE V8 AFFAIR]

Found a couple more pics taken that same day in August of 1976:

[jim1932]

That is my goal...to have that much 32 stuff and that organized before I go....LOL

[jerseyboy]

I just would like to get my one wagon finished, never mind all the rest!

[gerrald meacham]

lot of eye candy,

[fourtydlx]

Awsome: A dremers world. Thanks les

[HOTROD_WILLIE]

I hope one day I can get to heaven

[perrysmith]

Wow! Thanks Affair, but nobody has answered whether it still exists as a collection.
Where was this located?

[THE V8 AFFAIR]

Originally Posted by perrysmith

... but nobody has answered whether it still exists as a collection...

From what I have gathered (from the replies in this thread and from elsewhere on the Internet) ...

After Mr. Secrest's death in 1995, the collection was broken up (i.e., the cars were sold piecemeal) and Don Thelen purchased most (if not all) of the remaining parts from Seek's wife Corrine & only son Ronald.

NOTE: Ronald passed away in 2000 (at age 49) ... and Corrine in 2009 (at age 90) ... so there's a good chance that none of the collection remains in the Secrest family.

Originally Posted by perrysmith

...Where was this located?

In the Tulsa Oklahoma area.

[barnfind08]

Don Thelen has passed away also. He was selling parts from the collection at swap meets in california.

[Gumpy]

like stepping into a time warp,,,could spend a week there!!

[Tinwolf]

I worked for Don Thelen for a six months in -94 , he was great to work for ! I worked on a chopped -50 Mercury woodie and straightened a bunch of his for sale fenders 1932 - 1951 . He was already then in the process to move to ?Colorado , one funny thing was he always complained about his wifes inept son , one time the son hacked the ice out of the fifties fridge and damaged the aluminum releasing the freon , boy he was mad that day ! Sorry for getting off track , Don was a great guy !
Wolf

[19Fordy]

Simply amazing!

[barryfromvictoria]

TINWOLF--- I was down for the L.A.Roadster show in June `94. I was on my way in the evening to see Don Thelen. The freeways were blocked off and people were sitting on the guard rails. This was the evening that the cops were chasing O.J. Simpson down the freeway after the murder of his wife. I finally made it to Don`s shop and he asked me what took me so long. i said the cops were chasing some black guy who murdered his white wife. he didn`t believe me at first. i ended up buying three N.O.S. forty fenders and he sent me a conv door later when he went to colorado . he had over a hundred N.O.S `40 right front fender braces but no lefts and he gave me three. he told me that he had a lot of money invested in L.A. real estate and the market took a real dive so he was in the proceess of selling what he could and moving to colorado. At that time there were more people moving out of California than in. This was a night i will never forget. this was the last time i saw don. ---Barry

[bluardun]

Thanks for the "YEARLY BUMP".
These people shouldn't be forgotten. Especially for all they did to set the standards, and contribute to our hobby.

[G.M.]

Originally Posted by THE V8 AFFAIR

G.M. -

I just noticed your post ... this is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for with this thread!

I assume your '32 Cabriolet was the restoration that Mr. Secrest recently acquired (and "Big Virg" & "Mr. Brown" were restoring) in August of 1976?

Please post some pics of your '32 Cabriolet.

I talked Vergle Stirum when I was looking at the 34 roadster pick up and he told me he used NOS engine, trans, rear, front end, fenders, steering and I don't remember what other parts when he did my 32 cabriolet for Mr. Secrest. I bought this 32 about 28 years ago. Virgle also told me Bill had 43 NOS 32 fenders at one time. The 34 roadster P/U was sold to Bruce Church in N or S Carolina. G.M.

[Old Redneck]

Now I won't be able to sleep again tonight thinking about all those 32 Fords. GM I would love to have that 32 you have. I know it out of my price range. You are a hard man GM. That will be another night without sleep.

[Krylon32]

Every time I look at this I realize how lucky I was to have had a chance to tour his collection in person.

[Old Redneck]

I will never forget those pictures. They are the best. I have gone back to them several times to see them again. Each time I enjoy them very much. GM wants my poor little pick up and what else I am not sure. He tough!

[okiedokie]

"I talked Vergle Stirum"

Virgil Statum, foundly known as Big Virg.

[Deuce-Addict]

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Was this the tudor from the Secrest collection?

http://deuceheaven.com/page-5.html

[DavidG]

Keith,


If you open your link you will see the history of the car, which I bought from the original owner. Mr. Secrest wanted it with a passion and I eventually succumbed to his entreaties. When his collection was sold off, Bob Everts bought it. Later it ended up in Gene Hetland's care. (When I saw it at Gene's, I could not believe how it had been mistreated by the previous owner.)

[38bill]

Gene Hetland purchased a transmission from me a few years back. I delivered it to him and he was gracious enough to give me a tour of his collection. I believe that at the time he had something like 17 32's in his collection. He has been big into '32's since he was a young kid.

[rockfla]

Great thread, it would be interesting to see some sort of collection of photos of truly great Ford collections.....I was fortunate enough to see two of them....Ron Thorne's in Utah (Of which I have pictures) and Nick Alexander's.....I have heard and seen pictures of the Secrest Collection from someone who was there at the 75/76 visit.....but is there more out there that we don't know??? The former Towe collection comes to mind too!!!! Not discounting GM & DavidG's fine collection either!!

[Krylon32]

I was lucky enough to get a tour of the Secrest collection in about 76 that was arranged thru the Mid West Deuces. It was an experience I will never forget.

[Deuce-Addict]

Originally Posted by rockfla

Great thread, it would be interesting to see some sort of collection of photos of truly great Ford collections.....I was fortunate enough to see two of them....Ron Thorne's in Utah (Of which I have pictures) and Nick Alexander's.....I have heard and seen pictures of the Secrest Collection from someone who was there at the 75/76 visit.....but is there more out there that we don't know??? The former Towe collection comes to mind too!!!! Not discounting GM & DavidG's fine collection either!!

Robert - would love to see them too. The Secrest pics and those on Gene Hetland's Deuce Heaven site are brilliant.


The Den Hartogh museum in Holland was superb, all recently cleared in a big auction by Bonhams. For now you can still do the virtual tour on their website; http://www.fordmuseum.nl/ford If only that technology to do a virtual tour existed back in Mr Secrest's day.

[rockfla]

Keith
I beg your forgiveness in leaving Gene and Den hartogh out!!! Most definitely are deserving..... I have "heard" there is a fellow up in the Northeast trying to collect "all" the V8 convertibles????? Don't know how true or if SO but would be quite a collection to see!!!!!


ALSO quiet interesting that in the "mass" collection of 32's not one Euro bodied 32??

[Old Redneck]

Never give up Pat. You have a nice 32. I did get to ride in it. What a nice car. Wish My 32 was as nice as yours. Maybe someday down the road.

[3949tl]

Hindsight! Hindsight! Hindsight! So many ways of reflecting on this magnificent collection. Did he foresee the future or live only in the present- or both? It's obvious; it was not only a hobby but a "love affair' that generated this endeavor. When I think back (way back) I loved 32-40 Fords and had several but never more than one at a time. Now I only lament that I didn't have the foresight to anticipate the future. Back in the 60's and early 70's, there were so many complete cars and parts available that you only needed a place to store them if you had the inclination. My only remaining "treasures" are two 32 grill shells that have been hanging up in the rafters for many years. I did manage to acquire a 40 coupe a couple of years ago and now I'm hoping time doesn't run out before I can do something good with it. If not, I can only hope my son will carry on the torch and give the 40 a good home. Hindsight can be a wonderful thing but don't let it get to you.