Vehicle Description
Older restoration in great colors. Smooth flathead V8, 3-speed with
overdrive, desirable 2-door club coupe body style. Extensive
documentation going back decades. Iconic good looks with great road
manners! The 1949 Fords saved the company. Despite a strong market
after the war, Ford was struggling in the post-war era by offering
pre-war designs in the face of ever-mounting competition. New
highways promised faster travel and with more women drivers than
ever, the cars had to be easy to handle and sized right. That's why
this 1949 Ford is such a remarkable car-it does everything well. It
was thoroughly modern with a clean-sheet design that neatly broke
with tradition and shone the light on the future of automobile
design. The 'bullet nose' grille became a symbol of Ford's
resurgence and the cars were wildly popular with a buying public.
With this one dressed in handsome Birch Gray paint, the bodywork
looks especially sleek and the smooth curves of the all-new Ford
are emphasized. Panel fit is quite good and the finish shows well
for being an older restoration that's probably 25 years old or so.
Note details like the accessory bumper guards front and rear, which
were probably dealer-installed, as well as the delightful hood
ornament that resembles a Roman helmet with a Plexiglas crest. In
back, the taillights are part of the design rather than simply
bolted on as an afterthought, and this car carries optional back-up
lights. The chrome and stainless trim is quite nice with no major
demerits, again suggesting someone spent good money on this
restoration. We have receipts for the interior restoration from
1996, and they did a nice job. It's not 100% authentic, but the
blue fabric does look period-appropriate, especially with the gray
piping and darker gray carpets. Matching door panels wear OEM trim
and hardware and the dash was painted metallic gray, as original.
The big steering wheel makes the Ford easy to handle in traffic or
tight maneuvers and the column-mounted shifter is light and direct.
The simple single-gauge design houses all the important
information: speed, fuel level, temperature, oil pressure, and
ammeter, as well as the turn signal indicators. All the auxiliary
gauges are operational, keeping an eye on the engine's vitals,
although the car is not equipped with the (still optional in 1949)
turn signals so those lights are not connected. It does have an
optional Magic Air heater/defroster unit as well as an AM radio and
clock, the latter two of which are sadly not working. We believe
the headliner might just be original and it's in great shape, and
at some point most of the weather seals have been replaced so it
seals up well. The coupe also offers a massive trunk, complete with
a rubber mat, full-sized spare tire, and jack.Ford's 239 cubic inch
V8 really needs no introduction, and in the 1949 Ford it's just as
smooth and torquey as ever. It's the same hardware that's been
beloved for decades, so it's easy to service, parts are plentiful,
and knowledge is easy to find, so you'll have no problems keeping
it healthy. It's wearing a coat of Ford corporate blue engine
enamel, as well as a correct oil bath air cleaner and Ford scrip
hoses, all of which make it look very proper under the hood. It
fires up easily with a little choke (Ford was still using manual
chokes in 1949) and idles nicely with an awesome V8 burble from the
exhaust. The heads are marked 8BA, which is good news if you're a
flathead fan, and it still runs its original 6-volt electrical
system that has no problems turning it over. The 3-speed manual
transmission offers crisp shifts and an overdrive for highway
driving, and there are 4.10 gears out back that make it feel quick
around town. You'll note that the undercarriage is tidy but not
show car perfect, and the critical areas like the rockers, body
mounts, and floors are solid. Even the spare tire well, a notorious
place for rust to start, is completely intact. Nice! The brakes are
effective and ride quality is excellent thanks to modern tube
shocks, a welcome innovation for 1949. Steel wheels are painted
dark red for a bit of contrast and wear a set of 6.00-15 wide
whites and correct Ford hubcaps.Extras include a set of
color-matched fender skirts, owner's manuals, and extensive
documentation dating back decades-the original owner was still
having the car serviced at the dealership as late as the 1980s!The
1949 Fords are some of the best hobby cars to own-they're reliable,
fun to drive, handsome, and easy to maintain. With a great
ownership history showing only two owners and lots of paperwork,
it's a fascinating glimpse into the past, too. These have always
been popular and it's easy to understand why. Call today!Harwood
Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional
inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.