A previous article on a 1938 Plymouth states that the market for a prewar driver quality car is filled with opportunities. If you can apply a little elbow grease and throw in some folding money for parts, the car for you is out there waiting. However, which one may be the best choice? If you are a fan of having available parts and a fantastic club support structure, then this 1940 Ford Deluxe Tudor for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Martinsville, Virginia may be the car for you. While this is a presentable vehicle that is in good running and driving condition, a few areas will need attention. However, those issues should not be too difficult to handle. With a $9,500 asking price, is this 1940 Ford the perfect way to dip your toe into old car ownership? Thanks to T.J. for the tip!
Unfortunately for this 1040 Ford, none of its previous owners have ever completely carried through on their plans to restore it. The current owner purchased it from two brothers who started a restoration on the car. From the pictures, it looks like it was painted and all of the parts and pieces on the exterior were cleaned up. The seller purchased the car intending to finish the restoration. As we all know, life got in the way and the car has sat with only occasional attention paid to it since the purchase. With the seller having to change professions after retiring, it has been decided to send this Ford down the road.
When it was purchased from the brothers, they had already done some mechanical work to the car. They went through the difficult process of replacing the wiring harness and some switches. They also replaced the brake shoes and the exhaust system.
The seller’s list of improvements to the car can be broken down into sections. The braking system received new brake lines, wheel cylinders, and a master cylinder. For the fuel system, a new fuel line was installed along with a rebuilt carburetor, a rebuilt fuel pump, and a new throttle return spring. Ignition-wise, the car has benefitted from a new battery, battery hold down, battery tray, ignition lock cylinder, and the usual spark plugs, ignition coil, rotor, points, and condenser. The suspension and wheels received a tie rod, a set of hubcaps, and a full set of Ford script wide whitewalls purchased and used. New radiator hoses and clamps have not been installed but will come with the sale.
Inside, it is hard to understand what is going on with the seat covers. Is this a vinyl upholstery kit that has been unboxed and displayed on the seats? Are these seat covers? Did someone forget the seat stuffing? At any rate, plan on at least replacing the headliner and door panels, and maybe getting the seats reupholstered. One issue you will need to repair before tackling the upholstery is the floor. The seller tells us that the driver’s side floor pan and the spare tire tray have been replaced. With the seller commenting that they would recommend redoing the repairs, it appears that that the metalwork leaves a lot to be desired. We are also warned that other minor places on the car will need to be tended to if you intend to have a perfect car.
The picture above shows substandard floor repair in faint detail. We can also see that the door panels and the rubber floor mat are missing. The radio is also gone from the dash. That may be a difficult item to find. Also absent is the optional clock that fits perfectly in that hole in the glove box door. The clock I assure you will not be cheap to replace. Hopefully, the seller has it.
Under the hood is Ford’s ubiquitous Flathead V-8. There is some good news about this engine according to the seller. This engine runs so well, that the seller speculates that it may have been previously rebuilt. They wrote in the ad that “It cranks easily, runs good, doesn’t smoke, clutch feels good, shifts good, and brakes work as they should.” We are also told that the radiator in the car is without issue other than a repaired section from long ago. Another original radiator will go with the car regardless. The car also has a clear Virginia title.
In all, this is a nice start on a very useable old Ford. The Early Ford V-8 Club of America is a tremendous asset to anyone who has a love for these cars, and there is likely an active chapter near you to help sort things out. Parts for 1940 Fords are not hard to find either. With some work and some cash, this should turn out to be a great driver and a fantastic start in the old car hobby.
Love the old two door sedans, Started on a rebuild of a Chevy two door while in college but another car got in the way I wanted worse. That’s been happening to me all my life. Don’t know if the price is right but the car sure is.
Id like to see the seat covers pulled up and see whats under those.
Not me
I think its a slammin deal for someone @ $ 9500.00. I dont think that clocks were an option on these , I’m thinking they were standard equipment on the Deluxe, in the picture of the additional parts and pieces it shows a radio, no mention of it or if it even works in the FB ad. I wish I were in a position to buy this, I miss the ’40 I had. I think the instrument cluster on this car may be from a ’40 Standard. It’s different from the one in my ’40 3 owner car.
“New radiator hoses and clamps have not been installed but will come with the sale.” Are you kidding me? What is the current owner going to do with the hoses and clamps? Will the old ones be installed??
Say what?
In retrospect, I guess the owner bought the hoses and clamps but never installed them. In that case, since he’s already purchased new hoses and clamps, why doesn’t he include them in the sale?
It says they are included in the sale, don’t really see anything to question.
This is one of the times that I wish we hadn’t sold our place near Martinsville. I would definitely go check this car out.
I love the looks of these cars, but not the suspension. We called them “Turtle back” when I was a youngster in the 50’s. My friend Larry’s dad had one. Mr. Dobbs was an explosive expert and was paid quite well but cars weren’t his thing, I never knew them to have a new car, but he built the family a really nice house on acreage and hand dug 2 water wells over 180′ deep each. As far as this old Ford is concerned it will be the perfect car for a starter in the hobby to learn about the evolution of car technology. They were simple cars designed for easy maintenance. Drivability is another issue as they had standard transmissions, armstrong steering, and master cylinder under the floorboard.
God Bless America
180 feet deep?, ok……..
The other day it was 4 degrees and neither my 4-Runner or Dodge Ram would start. Guess what started first crank? My ’40 Ford flathead.
Looks real nice for the price ! Mine’s close to this one but I bought it without a motor….
i have had two 40 Ford 2-door sedans, one a 40 Deluxe and one a standard. Both had small block Chevrolet engines, the Std. had the stock 40 running gear and the Deluxe had 350 turbo and late rear end. I liked them both and they were equally fun to drive. I drove them a lot locally and on the highway. They would both Cruz at 70 to 75 MPH all day long. The std had NO extras the deluxe had A/C and stereo and was just like a new car.
To johnmloghry: I had a 1946 Ford Super DeLuxe Tudor for many years and drive it every day. No problem. That “buggy” (transverse leafspring) suspension, dating back at least to the Model T, was one of the NICE things about that car! It was comfortable for driver and passengers, with lots of rear seat leg-room, and you could drive it in deep snow or on sheet-ice, without skidding or losing solid footing! — try THAT on a 1949 or later Ford. The standard transmission was a breeze: a frail 89-year-old lady with arthritis could easily operate it — it wasn’t like these later “sport” manuals! And, if operated properly, that standard transmission will not give you any back-chat, neither require the re-builds which automatics too often do. I still occasionally find my foot reaching for the clutch that isn’t there on my 1988 Mercury — standards are simple and natural, intuitive to drive. Yes, the car is really easy to work on — even if something happens on the road on a long trip. Just remember to oil the generator and the fan exactly on schedule and in the correct amounts: your owner’s manual will give you Henry’s specified information on that. Mine had Columbia Overdrive — which I strongly recommend for turnpike driving. But I would take a Ford like this on the road anywhere — no problem. If you want an antique car you actually can DRIVE as you would any automobile, safely and reliably — then this 1940 Ford is a good bet. But get a turn-signal kit for it: many people no longer understand hand-signals. If you can find a passenger’s side mirror, that’s also a good item to add for regular driving. But you can take one of these anywhere without fear or trepidation, if it is in sound mechanical condition, exactly as Ford made it. One more caviat: make sure of those windshield and rear window gaskets! — they tend to dry out and crack, leaving gaps to invite rain in. And rain is most unkind to vintage interiors! Those vacuum-drive tiny windshield wipers are…well…”interesting”. By the way, I never found having the master cylinder under the floor to be a problem. And I still can’t get entirely used to not having the headlight dimmer-switch as a foot-button on the floor. If the 1940 is like my ’46, one cannot steal this car: when it is shut-off, a dead-bolt locks both the steering-column and ignition-switch. Turning the key on, then flipping the ignition-switch, then pushing that button under the dash to start the car, adds to the “experience” — as does the concerned astonishment of a passenger at the slow reliable cranking of the six-volt system in any weather, and the rather pronounced ticking of the clock. And when they call the radio “long distance”, they MEAN it! DAYTIME reception can extend hundreds of miles! — try THAT on a modern AM radio.
Great review, Harrison. Mine was a 4door and I loved driving it but I was only 16 and had not yet spent a year in motor-mechanics shop in high school. The right rear suicide door had a tending to fly open at any time so back seat passengers had to be wary. The steering got real stiff on mine and I didn’t know how to fix it, then I got a fire under the dash that burned quite a bit of the wiring. Frustrated, I sold the Ford to a neighbour kid who said he would fix the problems.. The locking ignition and steering was a brilliant idea but the guy I sold the car to lost the key and tried to hammer the lock off the steering column. I think the car ended up at a wrecker. I was so disgusted I never talked to him again.