1940 Ford Tudor Standard Flathead V8 w/ Columbia Overdrive

Frame Off Restoration of an Unmolested California Car – Year-of-Manufacture Plates

High Quality with Incredible Attention to Detail

Fitted with Desirable Fully Functional Columbia Overdrive

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HISTORY

The car comes to us from a repeat customer as do the large majority of our vehicles due to our 26 year history as a provider of high quality classic cars.  The Ford was part of a large collection and has a history of being delivered new in Northern California and being owned by a local bank executive whose family cherished the car for many years.  The Ford was never modified or abused and always garaged prior to its complete, frame off restoration of the original components.

No expense was spared and, as the photos suggest, the car has extremely straight body panels, excellent chrome, and is in its original configuration down to the functional gauges and working radio!   It has survived close to 80 years and continues to be one of the more desirable model years for the ‘40’s Fords.

DETAILS—THIS PARTICULAR 1940 FORD TUDOR V8

1940 Fords have been very popular with street rodders, so an unmolested one is a rare find. This 1940 Ford Standard Tudor is truly one of those rare finds. It has undergone a comprehensive, meticulous restoration to original configuration.

As you approach it, you are impressed with the shiny black paint, the straightness of the bodywork, the shine of the chrome and the correct wide whitewalls. You open the door to a beautifully upholstered interior in tan, period-correct fabric. The skillfully painted woodgrain door and window frames provide a nice accent to the interior. The flathead V8 starts immediately at the touch of a button and is remarkably smooth and quiet. Both the engine compartment and the trunk are clean and tidy as is the undercarriage. The added Columbia overdrive unit is fully functional and makes the car suitable for road tours.

This Ford is very reasonably priced and can be proudly used as a reliable collectible car, or as a show car.  It can also be confidently driven on antique car cruises and has proven to be incredibly reliable and trouble free. It is truly “turn-key” and fully sorted; ready for use by its new owner.  The car has been recently updated to ensure mechanical reliability and, while the restoration is older, it shows as if it was done within the past few years.

THE NUMBERS

The vehicle identification number is 5518493. The car is currently registered in California though 3/24/20 and bears California Year-of-Manufacture plates 8U1637, 1940 black-on-yellow plates with MAR 2020 tags.

MECHANICAL

• 221 cu. in. flathead V8, 85 hp
• 3-speed manual fully synchromesh transmission with steering column shifter
• Added Columbia overdrive unit
• Torque tube drive line
• Stock type hydraulic brakes
• Stock type hydraulic shock absorbers
• Tidy engine compartment; block & heads painted proper Ford blue/green
• Original type cartridge oil filter
• Original type oil bath air cleaner
• Modern fuel filter added
• Newer 6 volt battery
• Ford script radiator hoses
• New choke and throttle rods in trunk can be installed
• New rubber at rear of hood

The engine starts immediately and is remarkably smooth and quiet, even when cold. The transmission shifts smoothly and both the steering and brakes operate properly. The odometer shows 31,688 miles, but the actual mileage must be shown as TMU (Total Miles Unknown) due to the age of the car.  However, the speedometer and odometer are functional.

INTERIOR

• Period-correct seat upholstery in tan with darker vertical stripes
• New wind lacing adjacent to doors
• Tan carpet on rear floor
• Door panels upholstered with seat fabric upper portion and solid tan at bottom
• Perfect tan headliner
• Tan sun visors
• Black rubber floor mat in front plus individual Ford logo single mats
• Great legroom in back seat with armrests on either side
• Surface of rear package shelf upholstered
• Beautifully light brown wood-grained window and door frames
• All 4 windows crank freely; rears have a unique feature to either roll down vertically or slide slightly horizontally for ventilation
• Two-spoke steering wheel in medium brown in excellent condition
• Dark brown dashboard with a few paint defects
• Ash trays at each end of dashboard
• Three-speed shifter on steering column
• Original South Bend heater
• All gauges operate; oil pressure about 50 psi
• Horn works
• All lights work including brake light
• Radio turns on but stations are difficult to locate
• Vacuum wipers work
• Both doors open/close smartly
• Wind wings on both side doors w/ new rubber
• Newish weatherstrip around both doors
• All glass in fine condition

EXTERIOR/COSMETIC CONDITION

• Shiny black paint with virtually no defects that detract from the cars appearance; no orange peel, cracks, or damage
• Extremely straight bodywork
• Straight, dent-free bright trim down both sides of car
• Excellent bright trim down center of hood
• Good bright trim in center of grille
• Sides of grille and headlight bezels painted black (proper for Standard model)
• Shiny, dent-free bumpers both front and rear with two small bumper guards on each
• Running board rubber looks nice but show some cracking upon close inspection
• Rubber around gas filler cap shows cracking
• Rubber around front bumper brackets shows cracking
• Sealed-beam headlights with 2 beams
• Single left tail light (proper for Standard model)
• Cool-looking split rear window with new rubber seals
• Stock radio antenna above center of windshield
• Cowl air vent
• Driver’s side outside rear view mirror
• Period-correct reproduction wide whitewall tires (3 ½” whitewall) in Firestone Deluxe Champion Gum-Dipped markings, size 6.00-16, 13/32” of remaining tread on each
• Excellent V8 logo hubcaps all around
• New lacing on fender joints
• Very nice black on yellow 1940 California license plates
• Rear plate with chrome frame and rare Columbia Overdrive axle badge
• Both the hood and trunk lid open/close smartly
• The trunk lid has new weatherstrip
• The trunk is very tidy with a new black rubber floor mat and a wide whitewall spare tire with Ford V8 logo hubcap
• The undercarriage of the car is “California” clean

OTHER

• Reproduction 1939 Ford Reference book
• Jumper cables
• New car cover
• Clear California title with current California registration
• Year-of-Manufacture California plates are transferrable to a California buyer in accordance with current DMV rules
• California smog test not required for vehicles 1975 and older

SPECIFICATIONS

• Engine 221 cu. in. flathead V8, 85 hp
• Wheelbase 112”

HISTORY

Ford introduced the flathead V8 engine in the 1932 models and continued it up through 1953. In particular, the 1940 models had numerous improvements over the late 30’s models.

• First Ford with a steering column mounted gearshift
• First Ford with wing vent windows on the driver and passenger doors
• First Ford with sealed beam headlights, 2 beams
• First Ford with windshield wipers at bottom of windshield
• More rear seat leg room
• Hydraulic shock absorbers
• Ride stabilizer torsion bar

Classic Cars Ltd. 925-846-1451