1947 Ford Coupe tips

Hey there.
Thanks for helping.
The justification given to me for not driving the car lies on the fact that the man has (and I saw them) 100+ old vehicles and cannot maintain all of them in turnthekey&go condition. I understand his point but also I said that driving it is fundamental for me to decide, then he agreed on setting a day for me to drive it. Its fine by me so... dont go anywhere & wait for my update in the next few days!

Is the V8 unleaded gasoline friendly?

Thanks
 
Update: I'm going to see the car and personally talk to the owner next Monday or Tuesday. Just talked to him. I feel this is heading towards a final decision, but I still have to drive the car.
I already read that the V8 runs good on regular unleaded gas.
Can you 47' owners tell me what is the expected fuel consumption on these cars? I'm thinking 6,5 gal / 100 miles.
Thanks
 
RCM, You're right on the money with your guess on fuel consumption. 12 to 15 miles per gallon is about average, although some guys will claim 20 MPG with a straight face.

If you cannot start the engine, at least determine if the engine is free to turn over, and the transmission will go through the gears. Check for water in the oil (Light color, foamy on the dipstick) and oil in the radiator. (oil slick on the water surface)

Again, the picture shows very well. The glass looks new, so check the rubber gasket installation for workmanship. Check the floorboard and trunk for rust holes.

Virtually everything you need for this car is available. Much has been reproduced, and some things are still available NOS or early take off, which is always preferable to the reproduced stuff, with the exception of tires, which of course should be new.
 
Thanks for helping Alan.
I'm determined to drive the car out of the parking. That is something I believe the owner should assure. Let's see how it goes next week.
The floor and trunk are practicaly rust free. Some of the first things I did was to lift the floor carpets and to check under the car. It is not in bad shape thatwise.
Do you know if parts for these cars are available / dealed in Europe?
Thank you again.
 
Hi there.
He's not trading the Ford for the Opel. That would be the deal of the century for me... The Opel is just going to be a part of the deal. I'll have to put in extra cash.
 
And also... my opel isnt that bad (I just wanted a reason to post a pic of it:))

I'm going on my second visit to the Ford tomorrow afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed and stick around for the updates.
Keep it up
 

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Mild good news!:
I finally met with the owner and I was pleasently surprised when, while waiting for his arrival, I took a look under the hood of the car and noticed that the water in the radiator had been replaced and all the spark plugs were gone. Meanwhile and old guy (which I later came to know to be a mechanic) arrives with a little gas can, with a pack of spark plugs, and a battery. I felt confortable knowing that at least they were trying. He mocked up his things, turned the key, pressed the ignition and man, it came to life! I was delighted when I heard the V8 roaring back from the dead.
The deal is now at this point: The car will be taken to the shop tomorrow for an overall check (brakes, clutch, ******...) and if all goes well I'll drive it next week. If I'm ok with it, the the owner will take it to a mandatory legal inspection that we are obliged to over here in order to drive any vehicle on the road (it is an evaluation of the car security and mechanicaly wise). If it passes, I'll buy it. If not, well.. then we'll see.
Thanks for being patient and suportive.
Keep it up.
 
If the car has a 3.78 rear and you routinely drive it at speed (i.e., 55 mph and up on the speedo) definitely count on mpg being at the low end of the range - ~12-13 mpg. Those that represent 20 mpg with a straight face either have a Columbia overdrive unit which reduces the end ratio to the low 3's or high 2's, or have a rear pinion set with that ratio (latter hard to find now). Stock/original was either 3.54 or 3.78. I have a stock '47 Merc which burns the exhaust pipe 'whiteish' grey, all cylinders above 115 psi compression, with a 3.78 rear and it is tough to get 13 or above mpg if driving it at or above 55 mph given the high rpms you are turning at those speeds.
 
Thanks for the input 47merc.
On what economy is concerned I guess that firstly, if I get to buy the car, I'll go for a carb overhaul with a full repair kit, check for possible leaks, brake tunning, things running smoothly and free, and that's where "my science" ends. Maybe it improves a bit.
Anyways, there's a lot on my mind before all of that, and I'll ask for help later on.
 
Hey there.
The car is at the shop. Hopefully I'll have news next thursday and will be able to drive it soon after.
Stay tuned.
 
Still hanging on this one.
I hope I'll have some good news during this month.
Keep it up.
 
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