Rod or Restore? 1938 Ford Barn Find
Here is a 1938 Ford 2-Door from Siloam Springs, Arkansas, listed on eBay with a Buy it now option of $12,000. It seems the seller is quite familiar with selling classics, having shipped them to various countries around the world. The seller lists this one as “fresh from the barn” but feels quite confident that it could be used as a daily driver. The car itself looks rust free with an interesting patina.
The engine was replaced with a later model Flathead with slightly more rated horsepower. This was performed sometime in the 1950’s and it looks like turn signals may have been gadded at that point as well. The electrical system has been updated to 12 Volt with a GM alternator, a very common upgrade. Most of the time the original 6 volt starter is kept, making the Flathead whirl super quick during starting. According to the seller, a well maintained suspension makes it drive like it has power steering, but no mention is made of the brakes. If they are original, I would most certainly be a little nervous in modern traffic. Henry Ford insisted on mechanical brakes until reluctantly giving in for ’39.
From what we can see, the body, glass and trim look quite good, usable and presentable as is. At this point the future for the car could lead to either restoration or street rod. There are no underneath pictures, but with no visible major concerns on top hopefully there are no problems below. There are several restoration companies which seem to specialize in these years of Fords, so a minor patch panel should be easily obtained and installed by anyone competent in MIG welding. Also, these companies sell kits to update the brakes to a hydraulic system.
The interior is another issue and would likely require work before you could convince anyone to ride with you. Again, most of the interior could be obtained or updated through the aftermarket. It’s just a matter of how much you want to spend before you consider it drive-able. It doesn’t look like there is a heater, so that may be a necessary addition if the car is driven in the cooler months.
The fact the car still looks original with the original style wheels and hubcaps leads me to believe it should be restored to original and driven as summer toy for local drives and back-road cruises . However quick stopping and acceleration are a required must to keep up with modern traffic even for this type of driving. I don’t know if the originals are capable of these criteria. Perhaps an alternative may be to update the drive train and braking system to modern components, install modern create comforts in the interior and just enjoy it is. The car may be treated as a blank slate for your imagination to show no bounds. Original, Rat Rod, or Street Rod, the choice may be yours.
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Comments
Nice car here. Not very often that you see a ’38 Std. and especially to see one that is in this nice of shape. It could come to my place where I would clean it up and drive it while looking after other things. Eventually give it a complete restoration. I have no problem with mechanical brakes and that is the last thing I would change. If I had this car I sure wouldn’t have changed the electrics to 12V either; 6V has always worked for me.
I disagree with the MIG welding. Oh it’s fast and all that but it also leaves a bead that is much harder than the steel you’re trying to weld. I took a restoration course at the Reynolds Museum some years ago and they do NOT use a MIG for anything other than to quickly tack something into place. They gas-weld everything. And when they’re done they have a weld that they can hammer on and form without cracking the metal. I gas and stick-weld everything, and it works just fine for me. I could MIG weld just like the vast majority but I choose not to.
Every time I see a ’38 Std. sedan I feel that someone wants to rub my nose in it. Well, if this was a slopeback, I might really get that idea. But this one is a humpback so I guess everyone is off the hook. I had a ’38 2-door Slopeback that I earned by cleaning up a guy’s junk pile. I brought the car over to my friend’s place and started working on it. I always kept it by the shop until the weekend came that I was ready to start working more intensively. I drove out to the farm and discovered, to my horror, that it was gone. Having something stolen from you is a real violation; you never quite recover from it. And I’m reminded of it whenever I see a ’38 Std…
You don’t bead weld sheet metal, you stitch it, moving from one side of the panel to the other and back with spot welds. Minimizes warping and if you don’t use the same wire as welding up a chunk of heavy steel it’s a quick smoothing with a disc grinder and soft enough to further smooth out with hammer and dolly.
Stitch, that’s the word I was trying to think of. That’s exactly what I do with the gas welder. You’ve actually been able to work a MIG weld with a hammer and dolly? Maybe they’ve changed the formula for MIG wire since I first struck an arc with it. It used to be around 85,000 psi tensile strength. Ordinary mild steel is 60,000, and most frames are 70,000. I never saw MIG wire under 85K and I definitely could not do anything with it but grind it. I asked the welding supplier about it and he told me it was the nature of the beast. Apparently the lower the tensile strength, the more unstable the arc becomes. So, I choose to weld sheet metal with steel rod and acetylene, or stick weld brackets and other fabrications with 6013, or if I need a lot of penetration, I use 6011. I do frame repairs with 7018. It’s slower but it works for me. And I’m not trying to convert anyone back to the dark ages. But–I’m still going to find out if they now have MIG wire that’s down to 60K, because I’ll admit it’s a lot faster…
….. Last sentence disappeared … no filler after stitching this panel in.
geomechs. You’ve got to know that I absolutely love acetylene welding. Exhaust systems, brazing, etc. Can’t do without either one of them. Don’t have the wire numbers handy but it’s something that wasn’t available several years ago.
I like acetylene welding too. It’s quiet and I start feeling like a real craftsman, which I leave something to be desired. But the end result is worth it.
Re: mechanical brakes- there is an unavoidable hill in my town that I would never consider going down in a car with them – would be suicidal. My experience with them: 1919 Chevrolet 490, and Ferguson TO20 tractor.
I had a 38 deluxe. 85 hp flathead. It was in exactly this shape with no rust thru. A friend of mines father bought it in the 60’s and last drive it in 1976 in a 4th of July parade. I got it for money owed me. Trailered it to Idaho. Got it running. Couldn’t get 6500 out of it 4 years ago. Should have kept it
As part of the population heading towards (and man it moves faster it seems with each passing day) the age when retirement is factored into your decisions, I would expand the question of “Rod or Restore”?
…….how about “Rod, Restore, or Refresh and Run?” Too many cars in shows and not on the road. Life is short. Make them as safe as possible, get behind the wheel and enjoy them.
Totally agree with your addition. There’s a lot of us looking at the road back and comparing it to the road ahead. The road ahead is a lot shorter. It’s time to get those cars out and have some fun.
Mechanical brakes might work marginally on country roads,you won’t survive so-cal traffic with them.
The biggest problem I find with mechanical brakes is getting them adjusted properly. Once that’s done I find that they’re just as potent as hydraulics; I saw a ‘37 Ford do an emergency stop and the owner was thanking his lucky stars he did NOT change to a hydraulic system. One thing I do NOT like about hydraulic brakes is if you lose a wheel or blow a hose you lose ALL your brakes. With mechanical brakes you lose a rear wheel or snap a cable you still have a chance of stopping and saving yourself. But it’s each to your own…
…nor in the Washington, D. C. area. I-495 around DC is like a NASCAR track. I-270 N, out of the DC area, is like NHRA. We take our lives in our hands every day. Posted speed limit = 55. Actual speed is around 70 mph. Best brakes, please.
This was posted last Dec. Short memories here?
https://barnfinds.com/ready-to-drive-barn-find-1938-ford/
As we get older, our memories are just as good, they just don’t last as long. Sometimes our memories improve with age, we remember things better than they really were! I’ve heard that as you age, your memory is the second thing to go, but I don’t remember what the first thing is. Enough? Ok I’ll stop.
Brilliant !
A not so good friend often said : “Sorry memory full”.
2nd listing. All comments appreciated. But, I just don’t think lister will get the 12 G’s. Original price plus all the work needed…somewhere around $7,500 for car as is, is my guess.
Still for sale. Seller must be firm on price and not really interested in selling. I still say, $7,500.00 is about as good of a price as he will get. I wish I had the money and place to re-do this one. I have visions of a sweet ride…. Okay, that’s enough dreaming.
The correct model designation for pre-war Fords is Tudor (and Fordor).