Solid Tu-Door: 1933 Ford Tudor
Parked on jack stands, and looking a bit weathered, this Ford Tudor is a very solid candidate to revive, especially considering it is a native California car. When the 1950’s came about this Ford received a little hot rod treatment with some tear drop taillights, and some custom louvers on the engine covers. With no rot, and a ton of potential, this Ford is currently bid up to $9,900. Check out this awesome roller here on ebay out of Boulder City, Nevada.
There is no drive-train with this ford, but we can certainly see evidence where this car was a part of the golden hot rod age. The added louvers in the tops of the engine covers appear nice and uniform which I think we can all appreciate.
The interior is empty as well, but the seller makes it sound as if he has a great deal of parts for the car as he has described the only missing parts being the engine and the seats. There are a few spares shown in the ebay ad, but I am curious if there is more? Despite being empty, I can’t help but smile, as this Ford is very solid, and even the floors look great.
To be honest, I find this ford rather exciting as it does appear to be very solid, with no rot to be found. There is some evidence of “mud” in the passenger door, and perhaps other places, but as a whole, this body is arrow straight. The fenders and running boards are very nice, posing a controversial question. What would you do with this car? I personally don’t have the heart to chop such a nice car, and I prefer stock body “period” hot rods. For the Ford purists out there, I can easily see where the taillights and engine covers could hit the bricks, and you would be left with an excellent restoration candidate. What would you do with this rock solid Tudor?
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Comments
$10,000.00! Stop the madness…
I own the exact same Ford. In May it scored 972 points out of 1000 and finished second in a Ford east coast show. If that tudor is worth $10,000 mine must be worth a small fortune !!
$10,000 for this 33 Ford — Man U got more money then brains
i think the paint will buff out and just put oil and gas and drive it🤣
This will be bought to make molds for a fiberglass body kits of this car. He’s thinking 30 US and it may very well go beyond. My bestman has an all steel 33 3 window ford with a flattie and spoke steelies (basically original) that his grandfather left to him. He drove it down to “back to the 50’s” car show in Minnesota. They want to make molds from it and the better the car, the better the molds. His last call was for 35K US and a glass body with all modern repop chrome and trim parts to remake it less drive train. He would get the original frame and power train. He said no. He is a purist, dual income no kid family and his grand parents, his parents and him and his wife went on their honeymoon in it.
A lot of potential there. I’d like to see the spare parts he’s got because a lot of interior trim will be hard to come by. A ’33 flatty will be a challenge to find but any flathead will fit. I might add that ’33 still used the Detroit Lubricator 1bbl carb that didn’t work all that well at best. I’ve seen these with a ’49-’53 flathead. At first glance I actually thought it was original because of the front water outlets. But in one case the guy had actually adapted the frontal distributor and chucked that vacuum-only version. I’ve never been a fan of louvers. As far as I’m concerned, that’s where you go to see the ‘Mona Lisa.’ Therefore I’d be looking for an original set of hood pieces. Priced out of my budget but I can still dream….
Far too many have been rodded out already. If there’s enough stock parts for it bring it back or restomod it.
I have to admit I like the suicide doors. Clean it up, add a flathead with Ardun heads and maybe a LaSalle tranny. Quick change rear end. Shoot, maybe even look for a proper supercharger for it to add some additional bling. I’m in agreement the louvers on the hood can go away. Get the wire wheels fixed and that would be a ride.
With $10K and not even hitting the reserve, I think it’s going to be over most peoples price point.
A set of Ardun heads are always appealing. As much of a purist as I am, my standards would be pitched out the window if I came across a set of those….
Its at 10K now, and that’s were it should stop, if you know anything about Model 40 Fords. NG8, what the heck are you talking about, they have been making fiberglass molds of 33 and 34 Fords for at least 30 to 40 years, you think this car is nicer than the ones that came before it. Any part that could be made out of glass or steel and be marketable for 33 & 34 Fords has been done!
Of course lets not hot rod it, because it is a very rare 33 2-door, that needs to be spared, the dreaded fate of a small block Chevy. Or like 86 Corvette lets just throw a hundred grand at it, and see if we could sell it, for a third of that. Like suicide doors, buy a 32 3-window or a 33 or 34, that’s what they had, until Ford discovered what a bad idea it was! Geometric it is really obvious you know allot about Flatheads, or just enough to ay something that sounds correct and isn’t
As always I have my rant and then a disclaimer, I have had a 34 Ford for 55 years, it is a HOT ROD. I am not an expert on anything, everyday I learn more about automobiles, their history and nuances, and much of it comes from Barn Finds, so when I see people make statements about something they obviously know nothing about, I get this terrible urge to correct it. I know it doesn’t really mater, and people don’t care, but I see posts here and when it sounds like the person is knowledgeable,I believe it, if some one knows it isn’t, I would like them to say so. I know you can’t believe everything you read, or half of what you see!
Oh I say good sir, oh harumph. But I digress. All I am saying there are still guys that feel the stuff available is garbage with wavy panels, twists, delamination from sitting so long, and yep still using the molds and tooling from 40 years ago. The guys want to make a better product that won’t require so much time in prepping before paint. This might not be the best example to do molds and tooling from but if the price is right. A skilled metal worker, can get it pretty close. But yeah why would somebody want a body, that when it got to the body shop it needed 15k of finessing to get to the base coat? That’s all I’m saying. The steel you speak of is thin Chinese crap. Look up ElderyIron on the west coast, he has a huge hoard of real Ford steel that he is going to auction. No harm, no foul, never owned a 30’s car, never will. I will leave it to the experts and never mention it again.
Hi Joe. In addition to flatheads of my own I have worked on a number of them, enough that I can usually navigate my way around one. However, I readily admit that I’ve got a long way to go before I could ever be an expert. More than once I’ve had my backside handed to me. I love the tempramental old motors. They can be just as cantankerous as I am.
OK, maybe this is blasphemy, but I see something like this and I would want to make it into a vintage dirt track tribute car – no need to track down a bunch of parts. Although the coupe configuration was more common, I used to see Tudors like this racing at the Reading, PA fairgrounds back in the day.
You asked what I would do with it? I would take this complete drive train from a 2012 Mustang GT that I have it only has 18000 miles on it! 5.0, auto, rear end the whole works and put it in this car! Yes, complete premium Mustang interior and all! Probably might even just put the Tudor body on the Mustang frame! I placed a bid, and we will see what happens!
Uh, the Mustang is a unit contruction vehicle with no frame?
You are wrong sir! A Mustang definitely has always had a chassis!
Good luck putting a33 Body on a Mustang frame. I wonder why nobody has ever done that!
You should know that in this world and in your mind anything is possible with 4 wheels! LOL
Sorry Wrong Way guy but no Mustang ever has been built with a separate chassis. They have always been unibody construction right from the beginning in 64, crawl under your’s and take a look …… No frame.
dang…that grille….do die for if you know 33/34 grille’s…….
Funny the louvers in the hood disappear in the first photo. Almost look deliberately photoshopped out. I kept looking for something saying a second hood comes with the car. Love this project, not $11k love, but love nonetheless. I also like the panel truck shown next to it on the eBay listing. Yummy.
Geomechs, Your comment is correct Cantankerous is a nice way of saying it. In my 34 Ford I have had 3 flatheads, and I liked them all, the last one being a 48 Merc, 3 3/8 with a 4″ crank, and all the good stuff with it. It burnt a piston on a road trip to California, and I came home and put a 350 Chevy with roller cam, and now I go any where I want. I still love flatheads, but if you want one, as you know, they come with some limitations, depending on the car and what you want to do with it. I do enjoy your comments, just excuse me for being a cantankerous old Fart!
<> a Lincoln-Zephyr tranny … a close-ratio box