Olds Powered Hot Rod Bargain: 1940 Ford Coupe

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Over 80 years since the last one rolled off the assembly line, the 1940 Ford is still highly regarded by collectors.  Of the many body styles, the coupe version has become an American icon.  Bathed in the legend of Thunder Road, moonshine hauling, and the birth of stock car racing, these handsome Fords have always garnered respect for their good looks and performance when properly enhanced.  If you have always wanted one for your collection, this 1940 Ford Deluxe coupe for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Lowell, Indiana is a solid choice at a surprisingly reasonable price.  All the clues in the ad point to the clearing out of an estate, and the seller seems motivated to move this mildly modified Ford into a new home.  Can you believe the asking price for this Oldsmobile-powered hot rod is a scant $18,000?  Thanks to T.J. for yet another remarkable find!

In the decade before World War II, Ford was one of the three most popular nameplates in America but rarely took first place in sales.  Yet Ford never stopped trying to take the sales title.  By 1940, Ford was in the second year of offering a higher-end Ford with the De Luxe moniker.  The idea was to bridge the gap between a standard Ford and the new (for 1939) Mercury line to help create another tier of automobile for buyers to consider.  While there was little difference between a Standard and a De Luxe regarding the basic chassis and bodies,  there were a few changes in the grille, steering wheel, dash, and gauges, and customers also enjoyed a clock and armrests.  Sales increased to 541,896 units sold over 487,031 in the previous year.  This was good enough for second place behind Chevrolet, with Plymouth in third place.

Ford came out with a new car in 1941 that many felt wasn’t as attractive as the 1940 model.  Yet sales boomed to 691,455 that year.  Perhaps part of this was that war clouds were looming and the Great Depression was relenting as the country took its first timid steps towards preparing for seemingly inevitable conflict.  Forward thinking folks were willing to spend money to secure reliable transportation in case things went poorly.  Yet, despite higher production numbers, you rarely see a 1941 Ford today.  Today, the 1940 Ford has gained almost cult status among car lovers and the percentage of surviving automobiles is high.  With an 85 horsepower V-8 under the hood, a gross weight of around 2,900 lbs, Ford’s newly minted hydraulic brakes, and the availability of speed parts, the 1940 Ford coupe was also the choice of anyone who wanted to go fast.  For some, that meant on the street or the track, for others, that meant anywhere where outrunning the law was part of doing business.

While the American South holds no exclusive license to produce and distribute untaxed alcohol, it is there that the practice evolved into an art form.  The 1940 Ford coupe became the weapon of choice for a serious  “hauler.”  The cavernous trunk swallowed up dozens of containers of moonshine, and the speed parts of the day gave these cars a distinct advantage over nearly everything else on the road.  This article from How Stuff Works  scratches the surface of the modifications made to such vehicles.  Outrunning the law meant survival for a moonshine runner in the Depression-era South and they took it seriously.  The 1940 Ford lived on in this role for a couple of decades beyond when it graced the showroom floors due to its inherent attributes and the willingness of their owners to yank out the Flathead V-8 and install larger V-8s from newer postwar cars.  Ambulance engines were very popular for their slightly larger displacement than regular models.

This example is a great starting point if you are looking for a 1940 Ford De Luxe coupe to make into a moonshine runner tribute car.  The modifications seem to be reversible and the sheet metal has not been cut with the possible exception of the firewall.  The pictures show a car that was customized decades ago by the looks of the white vinyl interior.  The body exhibits no obvious corrosion damage and the overall appearance could be quite presentable with some professional detailing.  According to the seller, this car has been in their family for years.  They speak about the car as if they do not have a direct connection to it, leading one to read between the lines that this Ford is being sold to settle an estate.

There is no evidence that this 1940 Ford De Luxe coupe ever ran a load of moonshine.  Yet, the engine under the hood is not a Flathead.  A 394 cubic inch Oldsmobile V-8 provides the propulsion for this Ford.  This engine was the largest iteration of Oldsmobile’s first-generation Rocket V-8 and was in production from 1959 through 1964.  With a standard two-barrel carburetor, the engine produced 315 horsepower.  The picture above shows what looks to be a pair of two-barrel carburetors on an aftermarket intake manifold and a plastic reservoir that spoils the otherwise vintage look.

This engine is backed up by an unidentified three-speed manual transmission with a conventional floor shifter.  All Ford De Luxe cars came with a column shift in 1940, but many cars were later converted to floor shifters due to driver preference.  This was done using an earlier transmission or one from a pickup, and in the case of an engine swap, the aftermarket provided many different adaptors to mount your Ford transmission to the engine of your choice.  The seller tells us that the car was last on the road 20-25 years ago and estimates that it will take little to get this Ford back on the road.

Have you always wanted a 1940 Ford De Luxe coupe?  Do you think this one is a good deal at the $18,000 asking price?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.

 

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Comments

  1. bobk

    Ah, from the days before when every hot rod had to have a big block Ford or Chevy motorvation.

    Takes me back to my ‘tween summer when Mom allowed me to stay up waaay past my bed time to watch my Dad and Uncle stuff the biggest Cadillac mill that they could source into a ’40 Ford.

    Like 15
  2. Rw

    Very cool, won’t last

    Like 8
  3. Doone

    Looks more like a pair of 4 bbls to me.

    Like 14
  4. Steve R

    Looks to be gone.

    Steve R

    Like 7
  5. Big C

    Is it still $18,000 if they pull the GM anchor out of it?

    Like 1
  6. Franco

    Nice coupe, Back in the day Honest Charlie (Tenn) sold adaptors to swap out most anything into anything. Problem was the 3speed Ford transmission only lasted through a couple of races or “power shifts” and it would needed to see the dentist or local bone yard. It was all a lot of fun,I can smell the gear oil now. Hated pulling the rear end back to remove the trans but got real good at.

    Like 7
    • bobhess bobhessMember

      We ran ’39 transmissions in our ’32 coupe. Anytime we found one we grabbed it up to keep as spares as Franco said, they are pretty fragile. It was easy to change out by pulling all the front end pieces off and dragging out both engine and transmission at one time.

      Like 4
  7. James Martin

    First off the 394 is no boat anchor! It probably pumps 345 hp out of it! The three speed is probably olds too. They did put three on the tree behind the 394 in the dynamic 88!

    Like 9
  8. Blu

    Looks like a good one for the money but it looks like it sold.

    Like 4
    • Gary

      18 thousand is a steal for the condition of that 40 that is what a 40 sedan needing work goes for.

      Like 1
  9. Ken Smith

    Can see why this would already be gone. Offered at a bargain price!!

    Like 5
  10. Roger Carlton

    It didn’t last long, Either that or the link is broken. I would have enjoyed having it live in my garage.

    Like 1
  11. V12MECH

    Perfect swap of the era. That is actually quite a time capsule, someone got a gem, T- bucket in background!

    Like 4
  12. HCMember

    What gear head never dreamed of having a 40 Ford coupe? The previous owner made a great choice on using this 394 Olds V8 as a power plant. Old school builder style. I wonder what trans they used? Not surprisingly, this beauty is already gone, and hopefully, it will be on the road again soon.

    Like 5
  13. Paul

    To bad that GM motor got stuffed in that beauty

    Like 3
  14. Joe Haska

    Someone got a real deal ! Golly I wish you people would stop saying negative things when Hot Rods in your opinion have the wrong engines. You are just showing everybody how little you know. What you don’t know is the definition of a Hot Rod. It is different than the definition of an original car. Deal with it! It is what it is. If you don’t like it buy it and change it ,or just shut the up!

    Like 8
    • HCMember

      Right on Joe, and someone did get a screaming deal on this 40 Ford coupe. In the 50s and thru the 1960s, this is what hot rodders did with a custom builds like this. It was common for that era. I wish I were the one getting this 394 Olds back up and running again.

      Like 5
    • Blu

      So true, Cadillac or Olds power in a 40 coupe was what it was all about back in the day.

      Like 0

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