1940 Ford Coupe

Description

It's kind of strange to be so taken back by an almost totally stock 1940 Ford coupe, isn't it? We see so many of these cars hot-rodded and modified that when a really clean, honest, restored one shows up, we take a few extra minutes to look it over. The verdict? You don't need a small block Chevy to have fun in a 1940 Ford.

Basic black is always the right color for these cars, emphasizing the elegant look and contrasting against the bright trim that makes it special. The restoration is recent and the workmanship is of a uniformly high quality, making this Ford stand out in a crowd. As you undoubtedly know, black is a tough color to work with, but it helps to have good base stock and this car shows off decent fit and finish, especially with the long, pointed hood that's sometimes problematic to fit properly. The 1940 Ford's proportions are exactly right, and they nailed the front end's look with just a few splashes of chrome and those beautiful teardrop-shaped headlight rings with built-in parking lamps. This car is loaded with accessories, including a front grille guard, rear bumper guard, fog lamps, and bumper ends which are especially difficult to find. Chevron-shaped taillights are actually correct for this car, which is easy to forget because they're so popular on hot rods of every kind, and the blue dots give them a traditional custom look.

The interior is pleasingly simple, with wonderful cloth seats and a gorgeous two-tone dashboard. The vertical pleats on the otherwise plain-faced seats are pretty close to the way the factory did it in 1940 and only serve to accent the Ford's no-nonsense personality. Nicely finished door panels feature original hardware and chrome-plated garnish moldings that add some sparkle to the serious interior. The plastic gauge pod is in excellent condition and it appears that all the instruments have been restored, including the odometer, which was reset to 0 when the engine was rebuilt 209 miles ago. A factory AM radio lives atop the center stack and uses a single speaker stashed behind the lovely chrome grille in the middle, right above the secondary controls for lights, throttle, and choke. Fold-out temporary seats handle two extra passengers for short trips, as these cars were ostensibly designed for travelling salesmen who would carry samples of their wares with them. This also explains the cavernous trunk, which is neatly outfitted with a correct rubber mat.

The 221 cubic inch flathead V8 is rated at 85 horsepower, but that really doesn't tell the full story. With a bubbly 8-cylinder sound and a willingness to run, flathead Fords are delightful machines that feel nimble on the street and competent on the highway. Rebuilt 209 miles ago, the highly detailed flathead engine uses a proper Holley 94 carburetor and oil bath air cleaner, fabric spark plug wires, and reproduction hoses to feed the two cylinder banks. It starts quickly and easily and you'll find that it feels like more than 85 horses at work. The 3-speed manual transmission shifts easily and with highway-friendly gears out back, it'll run at 60 MPH without complaints. The lone upgrade is a set of bolt-on disc brakes up front, which is really a smart modification in today's day and age and it's virtually invisible unless you're under the car. Twin glasspack-style mufflers offer a traditional V8 sound, and the stock leaf spring suspensions provide that nimble Ford V8 feel. Handsome burgundy wheels with trim rings and full hubcaps are capped by a set of gorgeous wide whites.

This coupe reminds us that you don't need to do radical alterations to have a competent, reliable, attractive, and downright fun old Ford. Call today!