They say if you love something, you should let it go. But, what if the thing you love is too precious and sentimental for you to be torn apart from it? Such is the case of David Novelo and his cherished Ford 3-window coupe, which he bought after the passing of dear friend and renowned car builder Dean Bryant.

We learned the solemn yet spirited history behind the vehicle as we journeyed the grounds of the recent Ink-N-Iron Kustom Culture Festival, which took place in early June in Long Beach, California. Against the backdrop of world-famous tattoo artistry, kustom rides, and lovely pinups, it was the kind of event where you knew something great was on display; all you had to do was look for it.

We struck up a conversation with Novelo and quickly realized that what he had on display was indeed a special gem. Show coverage duty called, but that didn’t stop us from exchanging contact information to get a follow-up interview at the proper time and place. We gave Novelo a ring the other day, and learned about the man, the car, and what brought them together.

Q&A With Dave Novelo–Background On Life To What’s Next For The ’36

Rod Authority: Mister Novelo, how are you?

David Novelo: Hey, what’s up guys.

RA: So let’s start off with the basic facts. What do you do for a living?

Dave: I have a window tinting business called NVLS. It’s in El Monte, where I live, and I’ve been running it since 2004. It started with my brother, who gave me a job when I was growing up. I split off when I was twenty-three and went off on my own and started my own company.

RA: Who are your typical customers? Any hot rodders come looking for work?

Dave: Mostly, we get newer cars. I have a lot of dealer accounts, so whenever a dealership sells a car and the customer wants the windows tinted, they’ll refer the customer to me, or I’ll do it through the dealer. There are a few classic cars, but it’s not too often that I do those.

RA: Would you mind sharing your background with hot rods and how you got into them?

Dave: Well, I’ve always been around cars, and it was always because I wanted to be. I never had a family member or friend who introduced me, I just always remember liking cars as a kid. I was actually born in Mexico, and came over here when I was eight years old with my four brothers and my mom, and just started really getting into cars. They’ve always fascinated me.

My first car was a ’64 Volkswagen that one of my brothers purchased for me. I was thirteen years old, so I would pretend to drive it in the garage, you know how it is. I had a job through the school’s ROP work program at a Ross store, and I only made a couple hundred bucks a month, but I’d put it all toward the car.

And through that Bug, I kind of fell in love with Volkswagens, but I also got into the world of buying and selling cars. Whatever car I liked, I’d buy it, cruise it around, and sell it to whomever could meet my price. So I had Buses, Bugs, notchbacks; at some point, I had basically every Volkswagen that I ever wanted.

After that got too expensive, I moved onto Chevys. My first one was a ’50 Fleetline Sport Coupe Deluxe, and then I got a ’36 Chevy truck and a ’36 coupe. I’ve been through too many cars to count, but right now I have the ’36 Ford, a ’59 Impala hardtop, a ’58 Impala convertible, a ’56 Bel-Air, and a ’39 Chevy coupe. Always rotating.

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One of Novelo's trademarks is the rosary that rests somewhere inside every one of his cars, as a tribute to his mother.

RA: Who would you say is your biggest influence when it comes to cars?

Dave: My mom. She passed away last year in March from cancer. When I was a kid, I would save up the money she gave me for lunch and buy a Hot Wheels car. And when I started my carbuying hobby, I remember every time I looked at a car, I would always get her approval. She would loan me money once she gave it the “okay,” and I would always pay her back a little bit more than she loaned me.

It was also kind of our little tradition that every time I would get a car, I would show it to her and she would bless it for me, because she was a devout Catholic. She’s the reason I have a rosary in every car that I own; I always have to have a rosary in the car to feel safe while I’m driving.

RA: How did you come to own the 3-window?

Dave: It used to belong to a bigtime car builder, guy by the name of Dean Bryant. He used to own Elegant Customs, and I was a buyer for one of his cars at one point. I was going to buy a ’54 convertible from him, and I went down there to check it out, but he’d had it rented out for the time being for a TV show.

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Then I see this sweet little orange coupe in his warehouse and I ask him about it. And he tells me, “No, no, no, this car ain’t going to go unless I go.” So it wasn’t for sale and we left it at that. I wound up buying a ’51 convertible that day. Six months later, I got word that Dean had passed away, and it was a big shock because he wasn’t going through any kind of sickness that anyone knew of. Instead, it was a heart attack that got him. That was December of 2013.

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I got in touch with Dean’s son, Nick, and expressed my sorrow for the loss. Nick let me come down one day to look at the cars, and I let him know I had my heart set on the Ford. He told me I had first pick of the cars, and I found the Ford again and purchased it then and there. It’s been in my safe keeping ever since, and I don’t plan on selling it anytime soon. It’s too precious.

RA: What sorts of changes have you made to the ’36 since owning it?

Dave: Since this was Dean’s car, I’m really tempted to just keep it the way it is. Dean was the kind of guy who liked things a certain way and didn’t want to back down from an idea once it stuck out in his head. I have a lot of respect for that, and that’s why I’ve made only minor changes to it, like a tune-up and changing the wheels and tires to a Cadillac style with whitewall tires. As far as future mods go, I’d like to bag the front suspension to match the rear setup.

RA: What’s the most important car-related lesson you’ve learned?

Dave: Just to be thankful and count your blessings. When my mom got sick, it changed my whole perspective on everything, including cars, and I felt like I had to slow down and appreciate what I had. I used to get ramped up on all the wheeling and dealing, you know, that “What’s next?” kind of feeling. My mother’s last days taught me the importance of being patient and taking stock of my life.

RA: What advice would you offer to newcomers in hot-rodding culture?

DN: I would just say to do a little research, and find out exactly what you want. Never settle; if you have a vision of what you like in your head, just stick with it and get it. Everybody has their own opinions on their own cars and other people’s cars, and I’m not really looking to take home big trophies or get noticed–I’m just in it for the cars and what I love about them.

RA: No doubt. Passion comes first, and the rest will follow. Mister Novelo, thank you for your time, and let’s hope we run into each other again sometime.

DN: Yeah! Thanks for all this, I’ll be sure to keep in touch.