I love original cars. Of course, there’s something whimsical about a car that remains exactly as Henry wanted it, but more than that – they represent a sort of blank canvas in waiting for the right guy and the right idea to make them something more. Something custom. It’s an allure so powerful that often times I think this potential aesthetic outweighs the eventual reality of the custom itself. Does that make sense?
Regardless, what we have here is a bone stock 1950 Ford Coupe that was in a museum collection from 1969 until 2022. The flathead V8 backed by a 3-on-the-tree was exercised occasionally during that time, but mostly the car just sat in its assigned spot while enjoying the attention of patrons and climate control.
At some point during its stay at the museum, the paint was redone as well as all the brakes – using new wheel cylinders and a fresh master cylinder. The current owner complimented these efforts by adding brand new Firestone wide whites on all four corners.
The interior is excellent as well… The headliner is damned near perfect and all of the original upholstery shows very cleanly. The owner spent a lot of time getting all of the gauges and lights working to much success – reporting the dim gauge lights due to Ford’s original “black light” covers as the only real annoyance. Even the radio works… though it’s not hooked up at the moment.
A simple pullback of the carpet reveals perfect floors with no signs of rust. In fact, the car appears to be entirely rust free and solid. As previously mentioned, the paint is relatively new and the body is very nice. On top of that, much of the chrome has been redone and all of the bright work shows well. The car also comes with pre-painted fender skirts if the new owner chooses to go that way.
But this one isn’t entirely original. The current owner upgraded the car to 12-volts and, as a result, replaced the generator with a modern alternator. Also, the stock exhaust was replaced with Red’s Headers and new 2” pipes all the way back to 24” Porters and tips that exit in the stock location. The result is a more reliable car that sounds great.
Questions From The Jalopy Journal:
What’s the best aspect of the shoebox?
“The overall appearance of the car. It’s clean, really rust free, and so original.”
What’s the worst aspect of the shoebox?
”The rear spring bolts sometimes make a clunk sound if you go over a bump. I have new replacements I was going to use when I lowered the car that will be included in the sale. See photo of the spring bolt.”
Thoughts From The Jalopy Journal:
An original ‘50 Ford coupe in the right color with the right options… If I was the owner, I wouldn’t do much to this thing. In fact, I think all I’d do is give it a bit of a stance and call it done. The reserve is low too… For the price of a well used Camry, you can get in this old Ford and just drive off. No regrets.
