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Former Hot Rodder? 1947 Ford Sedan Barn Find

This 1947 Ford sedan was stored in an Oklahoma barn for an unspecified length of time. It has been pulled out and cleaned up and can be found for sale here on Facebook. With an asking price of only $6,000, it seems like this car might be a diamond in the rough. It also may be a former hot rod. Take a look at the clues and decide for yourself.

Even if the ad doesn’t have a lot of information, some investigating can begin to paint a clearer picture of the car’s history. The flathead engine doesn’t look like much now, but if you look closely you can tell there used to be some shiny chrome bits under the hood. Chrome won’t get you home, but it might indicate some aftermarket performance goodies. There is also a performance sticker in the rear window indicating this car may have had a bit of a hot rod past.

The dash design of these cars is stunning. With almost an art deco influence, the symmetry, lines, gauge placement, and overall design is very appealing. You can tell this car hasn’t been touched for years. It will take some elbow grease and upholstery work to get the interior back into shape, but it appears to be a good starting point. You might have noticed what appears to be aftermarket gauges under the dash. Another clue to a hot rod past?

Here she is all cleaned up. It’s pretty amazing how vibrant the paint is. Overall, this looks like a great project that isn’t a big up-front investment. While it isn’t as desirable as its pre-war cousins, this car certainly deserves another lease on life. What do you think?

Comments

  1. Avatar bobhess Member

    The twin carbs might help you sell the hot rod thoughts. Nice car, decent price. Second round in a couple weeks of seeing portawalls.

    Like 3
    • Avatar 370zpp Member

      Bob, I didn’t even know what these were called (portawalls) when I was a kid, but I remember thinking the idea of add-on whitewalls was cheezy back then. And still do.

      Like 3
  2. Avatar CVPanther Member

    I love this thing. Question – would this cruise at or near highway speeds?

    Like 6
    • Avatar Mountainwoodie

      If you had a 2 speed Columbia rear end, it would certainly cruise at hiway speeds. My Woodie does. In third gear without an overdrive it wili run at pretty high rpms and sound like its lugging at 60.

      You can fiind a Columbia 2 speed rear end for around three grand give or take.

      I’m trying to figure out what the cylinder shaped thing bolted to the drivers side head behind the radiator is. With all the pil pressure gauges under the dash I wonde.

      Like 0
      • Avatar C.Jay

        The (coffee can sized) cylinder most like likely is a remote canister type oil filter. Remove the center bolt from the top to remove the lid and then cartridge filter from the center.

        Like 3
      • Avatar CVPanther Member

        Thanks, Mountainwoodie, good information.

        Like 0
      • HoA Howard A Member

        Hey MW, how you been? I think it’s an electric fuel pump.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Lance

        Canister oil filter

        Like 2
      • Avatar james l rogers

        It’s an add on oil filter. A lot of the flatheads had them.

        Like 0
  3. Avatar bobhess Member

    The only one I ever drove was road tested on an interstate and we rolled at 70mph with no effort. As for hot rod, also notice the bumper guards aren’t there and bolts in their place. More evidence of this being a mild street rod.

    Like 2
  4. Avatar Clayton Ellis

    Only had one spring in the rear going from one side to the other. Not very good for cornering!

    Like 1
  5. Avatar Johnmloghry

    This car so the same age as me, but looks to be in much better shape. The price seems fair and I love the color. Green is my favorite color, it reminds me of my dads 48 Dodge from the early 50’s.
    God bless America

    Like 5
  6. Avatar Mountainwoodie

    @C.Jay: I was inarticulate. The cylinder by the firewall is indeed the oil filter. Up by the radiator on the same side is a smaller 4? sided piece with what looks like a hose coming out of it. It is directly under the driver side radiator hose. Almost looks hydraulic but for what?

    Like 1
    • Avatar TouringFordor

      It’s the ignition coil. The “hose” coming out of the bottom is the high tension lead.

      Like 0
  7. Avatar bobhess Member

    This might be a stretch but with hoses going down the left front and coming back up toward the rear it could be an oil heater that plugs into a 110 outlet. It does get cold in the winter in Oklahoma. Tough to say with the fuzzy picture. Had an oil heater that looked like an electric stove piece bolted to the bottom of my VW panel van in Labrador. Without it the oil turned to a rubbery substance that wouldn’t lubricate anything.

    Like 1
  8. HoA Howard A Member

    Well, well, an actual BarnFind. I think the staff probably said, “oh, oh, people are becoming leery of our intent, better get a real Barn Find in here”,,,just kidding, but you have to admit, Aston Martins and 308 Ferraris are a bit out of our realm. This car was all the rage for returning GI’s, and wouldn’t it be fun to hear the stories?

    Like 6
  9. Avatar lbpa18

    This is a car Id be happier in than the DB5 or 308. I could go to the feedstore for a cup of coffee in this and it would get respect, as it should because its still a cool car. Id know everyone there too. I wouldnt know anyone at Pebble Beach even if I owned those others. Besides, their coffee wouldnt be better and they’d probably frown if I spit tobacco juice on the floor there.

    Like 6
  10. Avatar Steve Clinton

    “Oh, oh, people are becoming leery of our intent, better get a real barn to put this in.”

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Richard Van Dyke Sr

    What a beauty this is more like it.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Brian Curtis

      Richard Sr. are you from TN?

      Like 0
  12. Avatar Joe Haska

    I have had several of these fat fendered Fords 42 to 48, I have always liked them. I had a 46 2-door , several years ago ,about the same as this one, maybe a little nicer and a paid $5,000 for it, so I would say this car is certainly priced right. The comment about highway speeds is somewhat correct the came with 2 different ratios, one 3:78 and the other 4:11, the 4:11 is way too low for 70 mph, the 3:78 much better , but with a Columbia you had the best of both worlds, but they aren’t that common. Under the hood the oil filter is definitely an add on and the piece on the head is part of it, I have seen it before, but that’s all I remember. It is also interesting that they put a heater in the back seat, must get cold in Kansas. I certainly wouldn’t call this car a hot rod ,it is just a sign of the times ,2-2’s, add on gauges and ad on oil filter. Nice old Ford for the money and with some modifications,big or small, they can be great drivers.

    Like 1
  13. Avatar bobhess Member

    370zzp. In total agreement.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar robert lewis

    fat-fender whale…..cool car!

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Johnmloghry

    The one leaf transverse leaf spring did allow for considerable sway in corners, but I remember there was a overload coil spring kit that could be mounted to each side that restricted the amount of roll and also allowed for less body drop when hauling extra weight, as in moonshine or more legal cargo.
    God bless America

    Like 1
  16. Avatar David Scully

    The rear leaf spring on this one had at least five leaves. The factory shackles were about two inches long. You didn’t get a lot of sway, but there were many after-market anti-sway bar parts available to tighten up movement.

    Looking again at that strange little box ahead of the radiator hose; do you think it might somehow connect with the after-market heater shown in the interior view?

    My dad had a ’46 Merc tudor (I’ve only seen two more like it since then – a rare model) with a Columbia – sweet!!! (and LOUD Smittty mufflers) We drove from San Diego to central Nebraska in late 1948 with no problems except the dreaded vapor locks in the Rockies (always a flat motor problem…)

    Like 1
  17. Avatar Maestro1

    When part of the family moved to the Midwest the neighbor lady next door to us had this car in Black, and would wash and Simoniz it every week, it
    seemed. The car was always immaculate.
    To all Barn Finders Happy Holidays and stay well.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Stonecamp

    That can on the firewall is the oil filter. It used a thread waste filter similar to the packing in a RR car journal box. Those lines on the intake may be the fuel line for the gasoline heater. I think the grey blob under the center of the dash is the gasoline heater.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar CARL MAHAR

    I’d take it if it was free shipping to Maine. Had 48. Had to push it to get it started a lot…lol

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Barney

    The heater under the dash is a radiator feed hot water heater as is the one in the back seat. You can easily see the heater hoses connected to the rear one. The South Wind gas heater looked much different. The “square thing” at the front of the engine is the ignition coil with what appears to be an ignition resister attached to it

    Like 0
  21. Avatar Kenn

    When we couldn’t afford a filter to put in the aftermarket canister a roll of toilet paper was used instead. Perfect fit.

    Like 1
    • Avatar David Scully

      Referencing Ken’s note; the finned aluminum filter on that red ’32 pick-up truck a few viewings ago used the toilet paper oil filtering method instead of a conventional oil filter. I remember JC Whitney carried that item (a Stillco oil filter?) – about $20 IIRC.

      Like 0

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