1949 Ford Custom for sale $29,900

1949 Ford Custom $29,900
Car Ad from: Hemmings View Original Ad
Price: $29,900
Contact: View Original Ad from Hemmings
Location: Cleveland, OH
Details: Incredible frame-off restoration all out of proportion to the carandrsquo;s value. Full-race 59AB flathead, Edelbrock heads, dual Strombergs, Isky cam, factory overdrive. Incredible vintage sleeper thatandrsquo;s 100% operational from top to bottom. None better!

At first glance, this humble 4-door sedan presents as a handsomely restored 1949 Ford. Starting with a super solid car form out west, they brought it home, disassembled it down to bare shell, and set about rebuilding it from there. We have restoration photos showing the whole process and they also show that thereandrsquo;s not a single patch, hole, or rough spot on the car and it was all refinished to a very high level. The doors fit so well that they close with just your fingertips, the hood opens and closes without a slam, and when youandrsquo;re inside, it feels so tight that youandrsquo;re afraid you might run out of oxygen. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, restores a 4-door sedan to this level, yet here it is. Youandrsquo;ll be shocked and amazed by the level of workmanship thatandrsquo;s obvious the first moment you see the car. Thereandrsquo;s also plenty of bright trim that was likewise fully restored. All the stainless was polished and buffed until it matched the fresh chrome on the bumpers. Thereandrsquo;s no pitting, no waviness, no discoloration on any of the chrome pieces and the bullet in the middle of the grille is beautifully detailed and crisp. New weather seals, new glass with a soft tint, and fresh lenses in the taillights make it look at least as good as it did when it was new. This is an extremely impressive car.

Inside, thereandrsquo;s a completely stock and very accurately restored interior. No modifications, no shortcuts, just factory-style gray striped cloth upholstery with matching broadcloth trim and door panels. Correct carpets with bound edges were installed throughout and the original sweeping chrome trim on the door panels was refinished as well as the knobs and handles. The big steering wheel looks new and probably cost a fortune to restore all by itself, and all the factory gauges were rebuilt and are fully operational today, including the clock. This car does have several options, including an original AM radio (it works, of course), Magic Aire heater and defroster, and a very desirable factory overdrive for the three-speed manual transmission, making this a legitimate 70 MPH cruiser. Seat belts and floor mats were added, because this was a car that was going to be driven, and the trunk was outfitted with a matching fifth wheel and radial tire, so itandrsquo;s actually usable as a spare.

Under this staid, conservative Royal Maroon exterior, however, youandrsquo;ll find a full-race flathead V8 built by noted expert Tony Gullatta. Itandrsquo;s a 59AB block topped by Edelbrock finned aluminum heads, a matching intake with a pair of Strombergs on top, and a lopey mechanical cam inside, so it has that hot rod idle youandrsquo;ve always admired. Fully balanced and tuned to run right, itandrsquo;s quite streetable and starts easily with just a little choke and one or two pumps on the accelerator. A few chrome dress-up items like the traditional air cleaner, generator, and oil filter housing really add some sparkle and the red MSD ignition system components are just the right touch. Itandrsquo;s still six volts, so everything works properly, and itandrsquo;s detailed with things like Ford script coolant hoses and correct hose clamps, factory cloth-covered wiring, and even period-correct fittings on the fuel lines. Someone really cared about getting this one right, and it looks like it might have in, say, 1950 when hot-rodding was really taking off. Talk about a sleeper!

Underneath, it was likewise detailed for show. Body-colored floors are a great background for the satin black chassis, which is pretty stock. Overdrive means 4.11 gears out back, so the car feels extremely punchy around town, with great torque and instant

Analysis: Poor Deal, 24.0% above market avg. What's this?