Research material

M

Mike Britton

Junior Member
Hey guys,
I'm a noob here, and I need to be pointed in the right direction on research material for my soon to be 47 Tudor.
Specifically, I'd like to know things like deciphering the vin number to determine where the car was assembled,( would be cool to find out the car was built in Dallas) whether the car is correct,(although it really doesn't make much difference now) and also repair manuals like Chiltons.
None of mine go back that far.
What are you guys using? Didn't find much in search
Thanks, Mike
 
Try this book from the EFV/8 Club of America, it will answer most all of your questions about what is correct for a original 41-48 Ford.

https://www.earlyfordv8.org/store-products.cfm?id=2

Try e-bay for old repair manuals like Motors Manual or Chilton or even original Ford Shop Manuals.
Also try the Ford parts suppliers for reprints of the original 47 Ford Shop Manuals, Mac's C&G ect.
 
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Here's one I use a lot: http://macsautoparts.com/early-v8-f...-256-pages-vb24/camid/F30/cp/JS0R3CHL1071947/

And this one: http://macsautoparts.com/early-v8-f...d-mercury-vb222/camid/F30/cp/JS0R3CHL1071938/

And this one: http://macsautoparts.com/early-v8-f...s-36-pages-vb25/camid/F30/cp/JS0R3CHL1093545/

Of course, you ought to have the original operator's manual delivered with the car to first buyers: http://macsautoparts.com/early-v8-f...a-44-pages-vb47/camid/F30/cp/JS0R3CHL1071950/

And, finally, you gotta have a "Green Bible" - the parts list for your car. You can still get the real thing on ebay here: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=1947+ford+chassis+parts+catalogue&_sacat=0&_odkw=1947+ford+catalogue&_sop=10&_osacat=0&_sticky=1&_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A5335&_sc=1
Or, get it on a CD here: http://macsautoparts.com/early-v8-f...s-only-vb120-cd/camid/F30/cp/1P0LSJ0H1000031/

Here's a big selection that I don't have all of but many look good: http://macsautoparts.com/search.asp?sb=0&ls=y&camid=F30&year=1947&make=Ford&ss=manual
 
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Be careful when using the "green bible" as it contains service replacement parts. In other words, the parts may fit and function but won't necessarily be correct.
A lot depends on your ultimate goal / intentions for your car. Nice driver? Concourse?
 
The old girl is about 90% bone stock. I'm shooting for the kind of car you might find in any high school parking lot in the early/mid 60's.
I'll keep the flattie, scrub off the BBQ black the P/O put on it and put back the gloss black with a bit of tasteful striping. Red vinyl roll&pleat. Rake will come from tire size, with Moon discs. That's really about it.
I graduated from high school in 66, and there was a 41 in the parking lot for awhile I was in love with. It was flamed with a white interior, but I feel that would get old fast. Mike
 
Mike Britton said:
...whether the car is correct, (although it really doesn't make much difference now)...
Click to expand...

Mike, It actually does make a big difference now. An original car, never restored, is vewed today as being very desireable. The EFV8CA Concourse has its "Rouge" Class devoted to such cars, where condition is not important at all, and originality has been preserved.
 
I recommend that you join the Dallas Early V/8 Ford Club and the National Early V/8 Ford Club. There are guys in your area that could be of help to you. Charles
 
Mike Britton said:
I'm shooting for the kind of car you might find in any high school parking lot in the early/mid 60's. I'll keep the flattie, scrub off the BBQ black the P/O put on it and put back the gloss black with a bit of tasteful striping. Red vinyl roll&pleat. Rake will come from tire size, with Moon discs.
Click to expand...

Maybe a vintage Sun tach, too?
 
ford38v8 said:
You're gonna scrub off all that primer?
Click to expand...
Yeah. Strip off all that trim that was just put back on and wet sand until I get a good tooth for gloss black.
I know you guys are worried I'm going to ruin an original "patinaed" car, but I have no desire to own a perfect concours correct 47 Super Deluxe Tudor.
Maybe if it was an unblemished 375 California roadster, but not a fat fendered Ford.
 
I would suggest that you move very slowly with your project to 'modernize' the car... If as you have stated in another thread, the car was built when the previous owner was in Jr High School, you might be acquiring a true treasure in it's present state.
It is a fact of life that private garages, back yards and the junk yards are full of peoples good intentions to restore 'Gran-Pa's' trusty old car/truck..
In response to your question about the old Ford VIN's... i.e., origin, etc., Ford VIN's through '48 mean nothing, other than if the number starts with 18, it is a V8.. The rest of the number is just the sequence number of the engine.. Ford assigned the number to the engine/trans combo when the units came together at the Ford engine plant.. When the engine/trans combo was dropped into the chassis, that number was stamped into the frame in two or three places.. Ford did not tract their vehicles by the VIN like the other manufactures did..
Please don't misunderstand what I am trying to say, I am not a purist, a car is only original once, anything after that is a modification, however, great value is being attached to vehicles that are what people call 'old school'..
 
Thanks,Blucar, I won't waste time trying to find out the minute of this particular car.
Don't want you guys to get the wrong impression here. I'm 64, just a little younger than this Tudor. I have no idea how many owners it has had, but I do know it has a later model flat motor in it, Somewhere, it got painted with BBQ black (uhhh) and little else has been done to change it from original. Nonetheless, it isn't original now, and won't be when I get it where I want it. Part and parcel of having your own hot rod.
I don't plan to do much more. It will get a new interior because the mice have found this one, and because of that, no way am I keeping the interior that's in there now.
The chrome reverse 15's will have Moon discs applied. The radial tires will stay, they are safer, and handle better.
Whatever I do, parts taken off will be stowed away, and decisions will be made with the realization that someone in the future might want to "put it back".
I've owned vintage cars and motorcycles that by the time I got them, couldn't be restored to "original" if I wanted to. I can appreciate how short sighted that is.
I've owned 60 cars, and only three of them were new. I get it.
No SBC, no disc brakes, no Mustang front end. There is nothing wrong with the way Henry made it.
Having said all that, I'm going to "modify, customize, change", whatever you want to call it, to make it what I want it to be. and that is what we would all be driving to high school in '62. Whomever comes behind me can do what he/she wants to do with it. It's a car. Thanks, Mike
 
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