1947 Ford Coupe

Description

Fat-fendered Fords like this 1947 Ford coupe make for some great hot rods. With room for a potent V8 under the hood, lots of creature comforts inside, and a cool stance that stands out in a crowd, this satin black coupe is a street rod that is polished enough to be a daily driver.

Aside from the very cool stance, this handsome Ford looks quite a bit like it did when it rolled off the assembly line seventy years ago. The handsome lines were a pre-war design with a facelifted nose, and you can't argue with the results. Satin black paint is always an easy choice on a vintage rod, and it's no secret that it was Henry Ford's favorite color (mostly because black paint was cheap). There are clearly a lot of hours invested in the bodywork and even with the low-gloss paint, the workmanship is evident. The nice thing about the suede look is that it's low maintenance: no polishing, no waxing, and while it's not perfect, that might be part of the appeal, too. There are a few custom touches, including the louvered hood and a few blacked-out trim bits, but there's enough chrome in place to give it an ornate '40s look that will always look right, from the simple horizontal grill to the wonderful Ford emblem on the trunk lid. The car has a great look that's built to put on the road.

These Fords work so well because they're downright HUGE inside. The wide split bench seat wears simple black leather upholstery with a perforated insert that looks a lot like something Mercedes-Benz might have used. The billet steering wheel looks suitable in the '40s cruiser and it's parked on top of a tilt steering column. The original the dash was woodgrained then neatly finished with lots of chrome and fresh white-faced VDO gauges. The grille in the center of the dash was originally the radio speaker, and there's a modern AM/FM/CD/Bluetooth head unit underneath. Controls for the A/C system, along with some discreet vents are below that and it blows cold. The back seat is spacious enough for real-sized adults and the trunk is neatly finished using black carpets, so it's functional and ready to use.

The Ford offers a lot of comfort and a lot of room, so moving it around is a strong-running 289 cubic inch Ford V8. With an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor and intake up top, a reasonably-sized cam, and a pair of block-hugger headers, it is the ideal choice to power a street rod like this. A few dress-up parts like the chrome air cleaner and finned valve covers remind you that this is a Ford in a Ford, not brand X. A big aluminum radiator lives up front to keep things cool and it appears that there's a lot of new equipment, including the master cylinder, A/C system, and wiring. A C4 3-speed automatic and an 8-inch Ford rear end with highway gears inside are reliable additions to the menu. The front suspension consists of a Heidt's setup complete with power rack-and-pinion steering and disc brakes and there's a sway bar at each end. The exhaust sounds great and is tucked up into the frame so you'll have no ground clearance issues. Simple red steelies with V8 hubcaps and trim rings are a traditional touch and carry staggered 215/75/15 front and 275/60/15 rear blackwall radials.

A handsome, powerful car that runs and drives like it should, this Ford lives up to its billing and delivers a great ride at a reasonable price. Call today!