We bought this '50 sedan in '21. The story goes, a friend we bought it from, got it from an estate of a gentleman that had a couple of finished '50s and this one the, that was never finished. It is a fairly solid car, a couple of spots in the floor about the size of a dollar bill is about the worse of it. It is pretty complete as well. It has a stock flathead V8. I have lowered it with blocks in the back and I cut some coils and put spacers in the lower control arms in the front. I've thought about putting a small block Chevy in it, I've thought about getting the flathead running. I'm not a custom car guy, I'm a hot rodder and drag racer, so the white walls need to go! I've thought about painting the wheels black and I've thought about getting a set ET 5 spokes. Its not my dream car, we got it for a great price as a Covid project with the kids and then life and other things have gotten in the way and here it sits! I'm asking for ideas, pictures and or opinions to help get me get a direction and motivated to get going on this project again.
Get the flathead running and then you could look for flathead speed parts and make it a mid 50’s hot rod or like a moon shine runner.
Had a buddy that had one of those fall off some jack stands and sent him to his maker . I remember it had a engine transplant but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. I do remember it had a Volvo steering box and the steering was a mess and oil pan clearance problems. The body had been heavily and badly modified. I was in part of a flat head engine build of a classmate in tech school. His car was a shiny black restored 50 2 door that was bought out of a museum and really nice. Head the engine machined and found a bunch of NOS HP parts for it in the old down town KC area. I remember the cam install, it was some big Isky and with the Edlebrock heads the valves would hit them. Sorry that may or may not have been a motivational post.
There is one in town with a for sale sign on it. Maybe you have motivated me to park my car and read the sign. Never spend money on a car you can't flip quickly.
This, a thousand times. If you're not motivated to do anything with it, sell it and buy something you WILL be motivated to work on. It's hard enough to find the time and money to do what we love...
Moving it could be your answer, but,, that body needs some sort of side trim. The mild customs from the fifties all used somebody elses spears to highlight the body length. A stock flat head likes straight full length pipes for that performance characteristic. In this era it need not be fast just look it. Any thoughts on paint? Some body on this page needs to read the question... Wake up you
I have a 50 ford 2 door and i just pulled the steering box to do a rebuild. It is my my last build because i am getting to old to be able to work on projects. They are good road cars, drive ok and ride nice. Build it and drive it.
While I love flatheads and have built a lot of nasty ones, seems you're more of a modern style hotrodder. I say put an engine, trans, rear that aligns a bit better to your higher-performance genetics and then really enjoy it. You haven't sunk a bunch into it yet, so either make it something that appeals to you - or get rid of it. Maybe a high-horsepower LS swap (Yes, I said it!), a modern OD automatic, 9" rear with 31 spline axles and a posi, etc.. You'll need some suspension work anyway, maybe bag it with a new front-end as well. Make it something that really speaks to you - then you'll be motivated!
How can we make you like your car? You give several reasons why you don’t like it. Rusty field project cars that are complete bring surprisingly good money. Of course runners bring decent money. Half done projects that need assembly. In my opinion they do not sell well. Half assed custom mods on a car car that needs assembly.....not good. The modifications you made are reversible. My advice is to assemble it, get it together and sell it. Don’t do any more “upgrades” as this limits buyers. Basically, put it together and sell it. It’s going to be a slow mover unless priced right.
Everyone’s replies are much appreciated and each one actually hits home in some way. Selling it has been mentioned around the house a time or two. Even though we don’t have much in it at all, I don’t think I want to sell it for a couple of reasons. One, if I tripled my investment in it, I’ll still have less in it than what I could buy most HAMB friendly drivers. Secondly, I guess my saying it not being my dream car, wasn’t well explained on my part. I have several dream cars that I’ve built in my head many times and know exactly what I want to do with them, this car, I’m all over the place on. Lastly, it’s not keeping me from my dream car, I’m still looking for the right ‘46-‘48 Ford coupe or sedan as a driver. I’m collecting parts for a sedan race car. @big duece posted A picture of a blue one, which is the factory color this was. And @Grumpy ole A mentioned moonshine runner and flathead speed parts, maybe combine those thoughts and either painted wheels or ETs?!? It already has the flathead and trans. I have several SBC and BBCs, but I don’t know if I really want to do that deep of a dive in a full build. It’s got decently newer straight duals on it. I’ve got all the chrome, I just need to drill out some holes that someone filled.
It’s time to be honest with yourself. Dream cars are just that, dreams, meaning they are not really real. Oddly enough there is something really safe about a dream car. You can do anything to it and all works out. Why? Because it’s a dream. The real stuff...... You can’t dream it together. The real stuff is uncomfortable because you find out right quick all those “dream accomplishments” are dang hard execute if they can be realistically accomplished at all. Dream cars are easy because they are dreams Real ones are not because they are real. It’s kind of like a young man pining for a girl. Wanting / dreaming for one, is one thing. Getting one...that’s a whole different ball game. Be honest........ If your 50 sedan was a 46 coupe would it suck too? Familiarity breeds contempt if you let it. When you look at something every day, especially if things are not all peachy, it’s easy to forget what it really is. It has value, but because enthusiasm has waned it’s easy to take that value for granted. something that’s priceless becomes worthless at least in your head. Most car projects die this way. Those cars.....49-51 Fords in my opinion were the best car of the post war period. By far the best car all round in it’s time.....1945-1955. Vs Pre-49Fords, those are Pre-War cars..... Vs post war Chevy Chevys top out at 50 mph they have Huck brakes till 51 and torque tubes Vs Pontiacs are cool but I have to give the edge to the Ford V8.vs the Pontiac straight 8 Vs Olds 88 The Rocket was great car a legend but early auto transmissions and the 88 is just not right without the 303. Vs Cadillac Cadillacs are not what I would consider a jalopy. They are...well Cadillacs and all the stuff that goes with that Luxury brand Buicks......all the dis advantages of the Chevy, Pontiac, Olds and Cadillac... Vs Dodge Plymouth Chrysler.... Early Hemis are cool but..... Good little flat 6s but odd brakes and stuff like that. The Shoebox is the best of that period. It’s just a good simple little car that in my opinion, stock it can mix it up in traffic today. If you keep it..... Stay close to stock. That’s where it got it’s reputation. If you don’t like the car, bail. Now if you really do like it and it’s a gumption issue. Put your big boy britches on and walk into the garage with the right attitude.
I was in a similar situation. Back in the '90s I bought this old drag car '51 Ford, not because I loved it, but because it was cheap ($500). Didn't know what I wanted to do with it...but one drunken night (and a sawzall) cut the roof off. Reinforced the frame (3/4" plate), built a buck and made a fiberglass roof. Threw in a 289/C4, some other custom touches and drove the wheels off it.
So you bought it because it was a good deal? Be honest with yourself. When you first saw, what were you thinking? You mentioned you bought it as a Covid project. Clearly that didn't happen and apparently that was the original dream. What killed that dream? What did that dream look like if it had played out all the way? I'll go out on a limb here and guess the dream was build it into a dependable clean mild mannered hotrod looking car that the kids would be vested in and want to drive and call their own. Not sure how old they are now, but I say build it the way you saw it back then. Seek input from them, if they buy back in, your dream lives again. If not, build it anyways. Around these parts they say "if you build it they will come." If you keep asking for input they will come around. Regardless, if you build it right, they will definitely come and ask for the keys and drive it. So build it right and make it fun and safe.
Don't fuck it up! IMO at least 75% of customs made from 49-51 Fords are ugly, 15% are not better looking than stock just different and 10% are pretty nice when some of the original lines are kept. I am sure you picked up what I am saying from the previous posted pics. Post #16 is good too.
I agree with you and @F-ONE I'm thinking for now, get it running and stopping, patch the floor and assembled. I've bought a wiring kit to convert it 12v. As luck would have it the tires are dry rotted so new rubber can be on the way soon.
Hello, As 20 somethings, we were motivated to get our advertising program going and also incorporate a hot rod into the whole scheme. We missed out on a yellow SBC powered woody, so we were looking at something that would hold an 8 foot 6 inch surfboard in the trunk. No racks in this case. The Ford coupe was long enough and had room for two with a couple of surfboards inside with a tail and red flags sticking out. but, as we went to see a black coupe, it was ok, but not for us. So, we saw a sedan version of the Ford. It was slightly larger and if we took out or dropped the rear seatback, the surfboards would fit inside, adding to some security when we left the sedan alone, parked. But, as we got into the search, up popped a project car that could be finished within a year or so. Working on it off and on, while still able to drive it on the streets. Jnaki But, as nice as the sedan delivery worked out for us later, a sedan or coupe was what we wanted. It would be simple to work on and get it running right. It is/was not a “working car” and implications that went along with it back when I drove my high school Flathead sedan delivery. they were around, but not as beach cruisers or hot rods. Only as neighborhood delivery vans or trucks, however one saw it being used. So, it was a 50s coupe or sedan that still rang in our minds… that is before we finally decided to go test the sedan delivery. The A/C sold my wife on the whole project. We had always wanted a station wagon or truck, too. We had a 65 El Camino and it worked out for our motorcycle adventure, so it was a practical utility vehicle. Here is something that could be done with an empty shell to a one of a kind creation, no one has. There are Ford Sedan pickups, but the side windows and top make it look awful or a clay model that went haywire on the final shaping. An old hot rod sedan made into a nice looking functional pickup. YRMV
@jnaki I'm totally in for a surf wagon! There was a guy that build a truck out of one on here, a few years back, pretty cool actually! @65pacecar We almost came over for Somernites!
It was a hot one, only about 630 or so cars this month, usually double that. My favorite is MoPars in May. I usually skip July and August, I may hit one of the fall shows though. Its a great evwnt.
@65pacecar We talked about hitting one of the fall ones, with the Street Rod Nationals, Frog Follies and US Nationals, August is used up! Last time I was there was with Cindy Williams and Paul (?) were there.
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