1936 Ford - $49,900 - Orange Village, OH - Restored by former V8 Club president with unusual factory cloth interior. Spectacular black paint and fully detailed throughout. Rare AM radio.
Already fairly uncommon, this gorgeous 1936 convertible sedan carries a correct and extremely rare cloth interior, which was a factory option. Restored several years ago to show-winning condition by a former president of the Early Ford V8 Club, it still presents as one of the nicest ‘36s we’ve ever seen. Finished in Henry’s favorite basic black, the bodywork is exceptionally straight, as you’d expect. Red and cream-colored pinstripes decorate the body moldings, perhaps not totally correct but certainly a welcome addition, and all the chrome was restored to show standards. Accessories include a pair of driving lamps up front, a side mirror, a Ford script locking gas cap, and a metal spare tire cover that’s been painted and striped to match the body.
As a semi-closed car, cloth was available as an extra-cost option, replacing the standard leather. Pleated patterns mirror those found in leather-clad cars, and the door panels were upholstered to match, again simply mimicking the leather found in standard cars. All the door hardware was restored, the dash and window moldings have been properly woodgrained, and all the gauges were rebuilt. The odometer shows 308 miles, and that is since the restoration was completed. There’s also a very rare and desirable Ford AM radio with a speaker under the dash and the control head mounted in the center where you would ordinarily find the ashtray. The tan canvas top fits snugly and has never been down, so it remains in outstanding condition.
The engine is a correct 1936 flathead V8 with proper heads and intake. Fully rebuilt during the restoration, it starts quickly and settles into an almost imperceptible idle that’s typical of flathead Fords. All the wiring is correct cloth-covered stock, and the only possible demerit in the engine bay are the modern hose clamps on the upper radiator hoses, an easy fix if putting this car back into competition is your intent. The three-speed manual transmission features synchromesh on second and third gears, so it happily runs down the road without any extra attention, and despite Henry’s insistence on mechanical brakes, the binders on this convertible sedan are effective and confidence-inspiring. The chassis is as detailed as you’d expect from a car of this caliber, although it does show some signs of use that could be wiped away with a rag on a Saturday afternoon. Four color-matched “spider” artillery wheels wear correct trim rings and hub caps and proper 16-inch bias-ply wide whites.
An excellent V8 Ford with no stories.
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