1949 “Shoebox” Ford Restoration Project

What I learned about the process of bringing back a 1949 Ford

By John Emmering

The idea of getting another 1949 Ford like the car I owned as a teenager came to me while working as a contractor for the U.S. Army Education Center in Kuwait back in 2005.   Removed from family and friends and with little to occupy me in my free time I started to view pictures and information about everything I could find on 1949-51 Fords.  After being introduced to eBay, I suddenly had the possibility of buying one of those cars once again.  Having delved into some old issues of Auto Restorer Magazine, and through experience I see that there might have been some more optimal procedures I could have taken.

First, I bought my 1949 Ford sight unseen. This of course is not the best way to go.  Fortunately, my car, while rough in places had a good running engine and solid floors.  Even for its shortcomings it was worth the purchase price. However, I really could have walked into a disaster and there are many horror stories out there. It’s best to check out the car personally or at least have a trusted fellow Ford V-8 club member living nearby give an opinion.

Also important is the body style.  It’s always best to try to find the most desirable body style to make the most of your restoration investment.  Had I known how much I was going to spend in restoration work I think I would have sought out a more desirable body style than a Fordor.  It has grown on me and was the same body style as my earlier ‘49er but it has less resale value.  In considering a car to restore we are warned to try to find a vehicle needing as little bodywork as possible as body repair can be quite costly.  Mechanical repair is often less costly than extensive body work.

When I went up to McFarland, Wisconsin to view my 1949 Ford while on leave from Kuwait, I learned that the seller bought it from a farmer from Winslow Illinois.  The 1966 Illinois plates it bore belied the fact that it had sat idle for about 40 years.  The man I bought it from had planned to fix it up but lost interest. So, I had sort of a barn find on my hands.

I arraigned for a restoration shop to get the car operational during my next term in Kuwait. The first thing I should have seen to was the gas tank.  A car sitting so long is bound to have rust and debris there.  Removing the tank and using a tank sealer kit would be a really good early step. In my case I purchased a new gas tank after trying to drive the car a while with a dirty gasoline tank which gave me plenty of trouble.   The new tank has the drawback of needing a replacement sending unit, which in most cases are not accurate. Mine indicates “empty” when I am only two thirds down, so I never run out of gas. Also, my car had really bad motor mounts. It was a wonder the engine didn’t fall out. A good early step would be installing a new set of quality motor mounts.  New water pumps might be installed at this point also. When I finally returned to Illinois after working overseas the 1949 Ford sat once again in storage for three years until work began in earnest in 2009.  Glaring problems were the rusted-out rocker panels and rusted through places on the left front fender and left rear wheel well.  Also the left front door was in poor shape.  I was back on eBay where I located a pair of full rocker panels for a 1949 Fordor. Dennis Carpenter Ford Parts supplied patch panels for the lower front left fender and rear wheel well.  The body work and paint would have been out of my price class had I tried a professional shop but my brother’s friend Rich, a temporarily unemployed body man, offered to do the body and paint work at a very affordable price.

While working overseas I had been buying trim pieces from eBay for my 1949 Ford project and having them sent home.  I picked up all the NOS side stainless trim, a used hood orniment, trunk handle assembly, a complete NOS grill piece by piece and several NOS accessories, including the unusual vacuum rear window wiper. My best deal was an NOS driver’s side front door for $45.00. These all looked good when applied to the car after it was painted. 

After the body was complete, I had some interior work done since the interior was a wreck. It might have been good to purchase a full interior kit, but I had the interior done piecemeal. First the door panels, then the headliner.  My car is unique as I was able to locate a set of NOS FoMoCo original accessory seat covers which I installed rather than having my seats reupholstered. A set of new Coker Classic whitewall tires also improved the 1949 Ford’s appearance

My 1949 Ford was looking good with its new body panels and shiny paint.  Once again I went on eBay and located a pair of re-chromed bumpers and NOS bumpers guards which improved the car’s appearance. Soon however mechanical troubles arose.  The transmission wouldn’t go into third gear at one point and turned out to be worn out.  Some talented members of our regional group helped me out with obtaining and installing a new overdrive transmission.  Overdrive is probably the best stock upgrade for a Shoebox Ford if it isn’t already equipped with it.  It has made a great difference in drivability on modern highways.

My ‘49 Ford came with a Custom radio and my friend Ralph did a great AM-FM solid state conversion.  Ralph has been a great help with many aspects of the restoration. The last major work done on my 1949 Ford was the replacement of the engine.  My car had a 1953 flathead V-8 installed, which ran well. The engine was a bit tired however and was burning some oil.  When I saw a used 1949 Ford V-8 engine advertised in Road Chatter I purchased it and hauled it over to Bill Holteman at Built-Rite engine rebuilders in Lombard. It took several months but soon I had a brightly painted blue rebuilt 1949 engine in my car with the distinctive four blade fan and wide fan belts unique to the 1949 models.

This summer there will be a few improvements made in preparation for the Central National Meet in Auburn Indiana this August.  I bought a new steering wheel I plan to install and I will see what other enhancements I can make. Hopefully the judges will find fewer flaws than they found in my 1951 Ford last year in Dearborn.  

It generally is less expensive to purchase a fully completed Ford V-8 but it is a good feeling to know that you have brought one back that probably would not be on the road without your work and investment.