Thread: Difference between shoebox ford models

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Hey guys, one thing I must have some day is a 1949-1951 ford. (My dad had a 1950 coupe so that is the ideal). but I see all these different coupe, tudor, custom coupe, business coupe. what the hell is the difference between all the models. I searched google but couldn't find the answer, figure there has to be sombody here that knows.

thanks.

Red

Dago i know there is a club coupe and the roof line is short and drops of fast . I think that may just be different expessions of desciption .

As I recall there was a Fordor, a Tudor and a coupe model that was like a two-door with a slightly shorter cab. Then there was a convertible too but most of the differences just had to do with the trim and they pretty much shared the same lower body. It was/would still be easy to take one year and change the trim and grill to pretty well make it look like any of the '49-'51 models. One of the fancier trims was a narrow chrome side molding that came down the side in a round way one color inside the trim and the rest of the car another color, I think that was the "Customline" model. One of my unfulfilled dreams which was and is still clearly beyond my talent was to section the whole body about two inches all around. I am not sure why that looks better but painted a light color it looked neat to me. Still that would be a MAJOR body work job way, way beyond my ability. The simple things to do were/are to french the headlights, add lowering blockes under the springs, add skirts and replace the crank with a 4" stroke from a '49-'51 Mercury (along with the rods). Then the next adventure was to keep spare three speed transmissions on hand since they were fragile to begin with and the Merc crank was hard on them. Today I guess a lot of them have had SBC350 installations and I recall seeing early 283s under the hood so they should fit with a little trimming for a larger transmision, but you should consult someone who has actually put a SBC with an automatic in there to learn of possible problems.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

We used to have a '49 Ford 2dr custom. I can't tell you the differance. The '49 had all chrome metal balls for all the knobs, in '50 they went to white plastic. '49 had round front turn signals, '50 were rectangle.
I put a Ford-O-Matic in mine from a '52 and the column parts from a '53 behind the flathead.
Sold it about 5-6 yrs ago.

Pat

My dad had the 283 in his and my uncle that is doing the 51' F1 with me is the one that put it in! Just need to find an inexpensive starter. I would love to buy the one my dad had, the guy he sold it to died but I heard his mother moved to Idaho and nobody I know has any idea if she took the car or what???

Thanks guys. I was confused because a guy was selling a business coupe missing the interior but said it wouldn't have a back seat anyway in that model? weird.

Mine came with a sbc 350 but I let him keep all that, and I put back in a '49 flathead with auto, it was all bolt in, no welding was done to put the 350 in or the auto.

Pat