How good is a stock 48 Ford??

Looking at a 48 Ford sedan that has all the stock running gear rebuilt in it and it is a driver that needs the body finished.Was wondering if this running gear is good enough for today's highway speeds.I am looking for a traveling rig/daily driver and want to hear from people with 48 Fords to find out what they are like on the road. I wounder about brakes,power on the hills and just what type of average speeds can you get on the highway.

 

fitzee,
My stock 46 Ford is all in at about 65 mph- 104 kph. Check your gear ratio, there are numbers stamped on the differential. My ratio is 3.78 but there are also 3.54's.
Check threads by Bruce Lancaster for ANY related subjects.
The brakes have been rebuilt and it stops- straight but not on a dime!
My vacuum wipers need a kit - but I'm sure you know about their function - more throttle less vacuum-slower wipers.
6 volt system works but not as bright as modern automobiles. I drive mine around town and on the highway...I just stay off the freeway.

Good luck-

 

What your saying is what I expected.Most cars from that time frame are fun but have there limits. I don`t know the gear set,have seen the car up close yet,still finding out detail on it to see if it will be worth the 3 hour drive.I am not one for speed,I like cruzen at highway speeds,problem I have here in Newfoundland is our hills.It can kill a car with low power. Still I think it would be a ride I wouldn`t forget.

 

It's great for any road that is 1948 or older. Seriously, it's a 60+ year old car built to handle driving conditions of the time and will require improvements in power, handling, and brakes to accommodate today's driving conditions.

Bob

 

I have a 47 ford .I sold the flatty and put a sbc in .its was great on adding hp and I cruise 65 on the highway nice .my 47 drives nicer than any new car on the road .the front seat is like a couch .my 2 cents

 

You could always put a Columbia rearend in it to give you overdrive. That helps on the highway.

 

If you're going to be driving a lot on hilly 2-lane roads where you rarely have occasion to get over 55-60 MPH, along with a lot of local running around, you'll love it. If you're going to be running 75 MPH on Interstate highways, you'll find it's geared too low unless you have the 3.54 ratio rear. Most of them were 3.78's. The 3.54 will have you hooking second gear on some of the hills, you'll seldom have to downshift with the 3.78. Rear end ratios are always a compromise. You can run a little taller tires than what it came with, which has the same effect as a higher gear ratio in the rear end.