There must be some 1930s blood coursing through John Larsen’s veins because he has been smitten with cars from that era cars since the 1960s when he was at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn.

“A friend had an old car that I liked. I think it was a 1936 Chevy. I always admired him for driving that car when other students had cars from the 1950s and 1960s. I remember thinking it would be so cool to have a car like that someday.”

Some youthful thoughts are like seeds planted deep. With time and nourishment, they eventually germinate and take root.

Larsen, of Overland Park, and his wife, Diane, have a weekend cabin near Mound City, Kan., where he tinkers with antique tractors and a Ford pickup that once belonged to his father, Ray.

Five years ago, when Larsen learned from Mound City auctioneer Marty Read that a 1936 Chevy was to be auctioned in Rich Hill, Mo., the latent image of an old car began to come into focus.

Larsen kept bidding until he got his car. He tried to drive it back to Mound City, but the rotten tires wouldn’t hold air, so he had it trucked home.

The Chevy’s odometer reads a bit more than 65,000 miles, and from the condition of the car, those miles appear original. The body is free from rust, the upholstery is in remarkably good condition, and the wood frame inside the body is still solid.

Larsen rebuilt the brake system and replaced the kingpins. He added whitewall tires and had the front fender repainted.

When Larsen called his cousin, Jim Larsen in Racine, Wis., to tell him about his purchase, he was surprised at what he learned.

“When I told my cousin that I bought a ‘36 Chevy, he said, ‘You’re kidding. That’s the kind of car that your grandfather Chris Larsen had. I remember when he bought that car. I was a little kid, and it was so exciting to be in his brand-new car. It was his last car.’”

Larsen discovered his uncle Al also had a 1936 Chevy.

Larsen’s car is a Standard model, whereas his grandpa’s was a Deluxe. Except for the whitewall tires that Larsen added, the cars could be twins.

“It’s a little eerie,” Larsen said. “I never knew my grandfather. He died before I was born.”

Car enthusiasts often joke about the “car gene” being passed down through families, but rarely is there an example like Larsen buying his fantasy car only to find out that 70 years ago his grandfather and uncle each had cars just like it.  

It’s amazing what “seeds” blossom when they get a little gasoline for nourishment.