One of the most iconic faces of ’30s and ’40s, this 1938 Ford Standard Tudor Sedan makes a sporty entrance, especially in this lovely medium blue. This specimen in Mandan, North Dakota runs “like a dream,” according to the listing here on eBay. The seller reports a thorough restoration some years ago that has held up well, albeit not perfectly. A slightly later flathead V8 and original three-speed manual gearbox turn the wheels, and an era-appropriate hydraulic brake upgrade slows them down. Potential buyers can submit an offer or click Buy It Now for $24,500.
The later (1949 or so) 8BA Flathead V8 would have made 95 HP stock, according to Wikipedia, and this one sports some upgrades according to the listing. Flathead V8s made a popular hot rod engine for decades, and they enjoy a rabid following nearly a century later.
While 1938 marked the final year of mechanical brakes, this Tudor has hydraulic or “juice” brakes using factory-style parts similar to those fitted in 1939. Henry Ford favored “the safety of steel from pedal to wheel,” then begrudgingly accepted the advantages of hydraulic brakes that cars still use today. That said, most modern Parking / Emergency brakes use a steel cable for redundancy; don’t forget the “E-brake” if your hydraulic brakes falter.
A prior owner had the entire car restored, according to the seller, and though not perfect, it looks great compared to many of our feature cars. The Standard interior uses this cast steering wheel as opposed to the “banjo” spoked Deluxe wheel. Other differences on the Standard include the dashboard finish and no clock in the glove box. Thanks to lov2xlr8 for some details.
The undercarriage looks great, and the seller describes surface rust on the exhaust from getting caught once in the rain. Research will likely conclude that it rained in America at least once in 1938, a likelihood that factored into the design of this Ford. Does this tidy Tudor make your list of favorite ’30s rides?
Looks like a great deal! Somebody will have a fun summer with this.
Great article, and a great car at a reasonable price!
Rented a 2022 car a few weeks ago. Had an ‘electronic start button’ and ‘electronic brake release’. With an old fashion ignition key and traditional hand brake, I can get going in about two seconds. This monstrous arrangement took nearly ten seconds to achieve the same. Some automotive innovations ‘aint nothing more than worthless bling.
This looks like a very nice example of a 38 standard. The 38 was never in the running for most popular early V-8. But of all the models in 38, the standard was the favorite. The price is very close to what you would suspect a similar 40 Ford to be. I think that is fair. Way more than 40 Tudors than 38 standards as nice as this one. It would be a great entry level car for someone who wants the experience of an early V-8 Ford
Looks like nice work! Even ran the dual exhaust thru the crossmember holes instead of cutting them out like a lot of guys did back then. Looks like a jump in and drive to the car shows type deal.
This is a really nice looking Ford (I like the earlier models over the newer models). Nice job, and someone will really enjoy this one.
Nice looking car, but more of a resto-mod than a restoration – wrong color, wrong color interior and a later model V8
True, but I like the upgrades. If you ever had to deal with the early style distributor on the front of the engine you can appreciate the upgrade to the distributor location. The 37-38 Fords were never the favorites of Ford fans but the seller has made this one into one of the nicest ones I’ve ever seen.
Thanks to Chrysler, all I can think of is “PT Cruiser” when I see this.