If the Bug-eyed Sprites looks happy, then what is the expression on the face of these old Fords? This shiny face is listed on eBay in Pelham, Alabama. It was in the same family from 1938 until recently and is almost completely original. It’s been well looked after but most likely had paint and interior work along the way. It’s been used in special events for a few years, so the seller may not have had to do much detail work.
This Ford really looks nice inside. That banjo steering wheel looks well worn and reflects generations of drivers and decades of being driven. The driver’s seat shows some wear, more than it would if it had only been driven after a restoration. This old sedan might really have covered only 76,000 miles.
The back seat looks amazing as well. The wrinkles indicate a little wear, but everything else looks perfect.
The only engine choices would have been a V8 or a V8, either a 60 or an 85 horsepower engine. The new battery (with bungee hold down) and the electric fuel pump are the only signs of anything that’s been added. The engine is said to run “fine”.
The rear view looks really nice as well. It probably doesn’t look as nice up close, but this Ford looks really beautiful from here. Those appear to be reflections of the shop light on the right fender and not scratches.
The lines in the reflection show this Ford to be very straight. There’s no sign of lumpy bondo repairs on this side. This Ford looks so nice inside and out you might be tempted to buy sight unseen. This old Ford might sell for more than you think. It’s worth, as they say, what someone is willing to pay for it, not what you think it’s worth, so the bidding will tell the real story. Hopefully for the seller, it will meet his reserve if he’s not being too greedy. Some of us remember well the sound of a Ford flathead cranking and the sound when they come to life. It makes its own magic shifting through the gears. I would really like to take this old beauty for a leisurely drive down memory lane.
Nice would have to be the understatement of the year. This would be a great car to cruise around. Drive it and have fun. It would have mechanical brakes but there’s nothing wrong with them that a little maintenance won’t fix….
That’s true. This is from the article I’ve linked: . “The three photos shown here demonstrate the lengths that the Ford Motor Company had to go to in the late 1930s because of Henry Ford’s stubborn-ness. He was insistent that the Ford car stay with mechanical brakes, long after most all other firms had changed over to hydraulic brakes. Even his son Edsel Ford could not sway him until finally the 1939 model year, when the change was finally made.” … http://theoldmotor.com/?p=66209
Hi Karl. Henry was pretty stubborn to a lot of things. One thing I heard of, regarding mechanical brakes, was that every design and subsequent tweak was patented and Ford would have to license hydraulic brakes no matter which system was used. And he hated to pay royalties to ANYONE. As far as the mechanical brakes are concerned, they’re not as bad as people think. They’re quite fussy to adjust but once adjusted they work just was well as hydraulic ones—until you have to adjust them again. If you lived in a region with lots of gravel and dirt roads, then you need to adjust your brakes a lot…
In a word. Beautiful! Isn’t it great to know that there are still some people out there that treasure their old cars and trucks, so much so that they don’t feel the need to rod them? Let’s hope the new owner feels the same way.
Hello there ken
Brian wants to get in touch
What else is there to say? Make it work, then make it work!
Oh, yeah: restore the battery hold-down.
The 37,38 and 39 Fords and Lincolns used headlight lenses designed as part of the overall styling of the cars. Other manufacturers used custom lenses as well. Which got me thinking. I can’t picture a GM product that used anything other than round headlights. Am I missing one or two?
Nice car, and I would normally not be critical, but there is a claim that it is original and judging by the extreme wear on the steering wheel I question whether the door panels and seat covers and even the floor mat/covers are original. With a car this old the restoration could have taking place 40 years ago making it difficult to tell if the new stuff is 80 years old or 40. In any case car looks very nice.
Always thought the front of these look like a bald faced hornet. (Those really mean black & white ones.) Beautiful car. And I’ve never been a Ford guy.
That is some truly amazing eighty year old paint. Looks like it has been licked by tigers all its life….
The look of indifference……I really don’t care if I am here or there. (of a bald faced hornet that is.)