Thread: Looking into buying a 1938 Ford

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I am looking into buy a 1938 Ford from a guy,said he is not ready to sell yet.In his garage just sitting there for 2 years and everything is there.Ran out of money on this project.He is going through a divorce and luckily his estranged wife is not going after this one.He started this project 2 years ago and I offered to buy it from him 3 weeks from him,said not yet.Has an aftermarket frame set up for a small block Chevrolet which I plan on dropping in a 350 Chevy with a 700R4 transmission if I ever get to buy it.I offered $3,500.00 cash for it and he turned it down.Most of the hard work is done,floor board is rusted out in one small spot is the only rust area left and most of it has been fixed right.I am giving him time and not pressuring him at all.Said I am #1 on his list to buy if he decides to sell it.

Cool! Is it a coupe or sedan? What aftermarket frame setup? I have a '37 tudor humpback with mustang II, small block Ford, T5 trans. It's turned into a long term project but wouldn't sell it. Hopefully, I'll finish it before they throw dirt in my face! Hahaha!!! Welcome to CHR!
Randy

It is a TCI frame powder coated black already and he has every piece of paperwork,is a sedan.The engine machine shop I deal with said I was better off with the small block Chevrolet for reliability reasons.This machine shop I deal with is building a 383 stroker for a 1937 Ford currently.I am going to build the engine and transmission myself.

Almost any engine is reliable if properly built and maintained. SB Chevys tend to be less expensive to build. You might want to consider a 200-4R trans. Although I have a 700-R4, I wish I had thought about the 200-4R. The gear splits are a little more friendly. The low gear in a 700-R4 is a real stump puller.

You can build a 383 for about the same. I was kinda looking around for something like that, just the body, I was wanting to build something fenderless. A body that was workable started out at $4000 unless you could run upon something that they didn't know what they had. A guy asked me $2500 for a 42 chevy rough cab, and frame with 2 very rough doors!

Sure, most people put Chevy engines in these because it's easy but I kinda wanted a Ford in a Ford just to be different. Actually, if I had the money, I'd snag a low mileage Coyote 5.0/6spd and fit that in there.....

I don't trust the 200R4,a pile of junk.Transmission repair shop owner I am good friends with said void this transmission.The 5.0 Coyote,going to be real expensive to fix when it breaks and I don't need that.This one is all original all steel body.

BEWARE of the Coyote, his bark is as bad as his bite!

Originally Posted by skylerc

I don't trust the 200R4,a pile of junk.Transmission repair shop owner I am good friends with said void this transmission.The 5.0 Coyote,going to be real expensive to fix when it breaks and I don't need that.This one is all original all steel body.

A lot of folks thought that about Powerglides in the 60's until Art Carr almost made them bulletproof and they've been one of the mainstays in drag racing ever since. It's all in who does the rebuilding.

And, Art Carr builds the 200R's the same way, bulletproof..

Originally Posted by 36 sedan

And, Art Carr builds the 200R's the same way, bulletproof..

Thank you, my point exactly.

I still don't trust the 200R4s,last one kicked my butt rebuilding one.He called me tonight and realized he needed to save money up to pay his lawyer,said it's mine.Offered me $4,000.00 for it and I agreed on the price.Has a title and he is going to take it to my place.I know the 700R4s very well.Plus I have a 350 sitting around worth rebuilding,came out of a 1989 Chevy truck that ran good

Cool that you wound up with it. Photos please!

Originally Posted by skylerc

He called me tonight and realized he needed to save money up to pay his lawyer,said it's mine.Offered me $4,000.00 for it and I agreed on the price.Has a title and he is going to take it to my place.

Wow! If you're getting the whole car with a TCI chassis that's already powercoated for $4K, that's a great deal!! That chassis alone starts in the $10-12K range from TCI!
Congrats!! Add me to the "anxious to see pics" list!

Congrats on getting the '38! The '38 sedans are my favorite of the late '30s Fords. If it were not for the frame being set up for a SBC, my drivetrain of choice would be one of the last generation flathead V8s with an AOD...or to be really strange, a 300cid inline 6 with an AOD