Deluxe Phaeton, Columbia 2-speed, hydraulic brakes, side curtains, ready to tour

Even from the comfort of the 21st century, he flathead Ford V8’s contribution to motoring can’t be overestimated. It wasn’t the first V8, s many mistakenly believe, ut it was the first one that was available to everyone at a reasonable price. The result was that the world discovered that going fast was really, eally fun! The ideal combination of power, layful handling, easonably effective brakes, nd gorgeous styling, ll at an everyman price, ell, here was just no way the V8 Ford wouldn’t have succeeded. If you haven’t driven one, ou’re missing one of the great treats of the collector car world, nd it has been my personal experience that even poorly-kept flatheads are good and the good ones are truly great. It’s virtually impossible to drive one of these cars without a big smile on your face. Go ahead, ry it yourself!

This 1935 Ford Deluxe Phaeton is one of those great flatheads that has only gotten better with time. The phaeton was originally designed as a low-cost car, ut in the fullness of time, he attractive styling, pen-air experience, nd room for the whole family have made the phaeton among the most highly-sought body styles, opped, erhaps, nly by the roadster. Ford’s 1935 styling was clearly an evolution, nd you can see both the echoes of 1934 in its grille and horns and the immediate future in the rounded, reased fenders that envelop the wheels rather than merely shielding them. The result is a handsome car that has an old-fashioned look that will simply never go out of style.

This particular phaeton was restored in the early 1990s and built to do one thing and one thing only: hit the road. Starting with a very clean, olid original car was certainly an advantage, nd the honest look works as well today as it ever did. The Slate Green finish is correct for 1935 and while it shows some signs of age and use, he overall look is quite appealing. The paint has a lovely soft shine that works best on vintage iron like this, ll the doors fit well, nd the hood opens without too much effort. You’ll note there’s a jaunty Apple Green pinstripe along the belt molding, stripe that even goes through the door jambs, ndicative of the painter’s thoroughness and care. Other details include a neat crest on each of the front doors (who or what it represents, owever, s lost to the sands of time), n accessory greyhound hood ornament up front, nd a handsome metal spare tire cover for the rear-mounted spare. The chrome ranges from good to excellent, ith very nice bumpers, clean, traight grille, nd beautifully polished trim like the windshield and horn domes. Experts will spot the sealed beam headlights up front, hich throw plenty of light for safe nighttime driving and blue dot taillight lenses add a period look (a set of original taillight lenses is included with the car). As I said, his is not a perfect car, ut it has the look of your favorite pair of jeans: comfortable, ell-used, ut still very presentable.

The interior was likely restored at the same time as the bodywork using correct Ford “leatherette” materials. Both front and rear seats were reupholstered using standard patterns and are holding up rather well, ith the back seat in particular looking almost untouched. The door panels may very well be original, s they’re slightly darker and the material is a bit heavier, nd they certainly suggest a car that has led a good life. In typical Ford fashion, he front seat area uses a tan rubber floor mat, hile the back seat area is carpeted (also protected with a rubber mat). For an affordable car, he Ford is quite nicely finished, ith a woodgrained dashboard, ig, legant instruments, nd a handsome banjo-style steering wheel. All the gauges work except the temperature gauge, hich was still a capillary-style thermometer setup. This car is also equipped with an accessory Ford AM radio, nd the system is complete albeit non-functional, ith a speaker box, ead unit, nd tubes in their own enclosure under the dash. There’s even an antenna mounted under the driver’s side running board! The car does include a large cache of spare parts, ncluding a number of radio tubes, o it may be possible to get the radio up and working once again. Other accessories include wind wings, custom handle on the emergency brake that matches the shifter knob, nd a switch for the 2-speed Columbia rear end. Aftermarket turn signals have been added in the name of safety and the car is outfitted for touring with a set of new side curtains and a new top that looks fantastic.

In 1935, ord V8s still used babbit bearings, o when the car was restored, hey made the conscious choice to swap in a 1937 flathead instead, hich offers modern insert-type bearings for easy service and long-term durability. As a car designed with touring in mind, hey knew it would see a lot of driving and thanks to the Columbia 2-speed rear end, ts outstanding highway manners make a trailer almost superfluous. The balance of the engine bay is quite stock, rom the familiar Holley 97 carburetor to the high-mounted generator and cooling fan, o the twin radiator hoses coming out of the center of the cylinder heads. A factory coil lights the fires using a front-mounted distributor, nd aside from some peeling engine enamel, he engine bay is in excellent condition. Most of the time it runs just fine on its mechanical fuel pump, ut there is an electrical pump down on the frame, ust in case. We’ve never had to use it, r the choke, o get this car started, hich bumps to life with a familiar flathead starter sound and idles well even when it’s cold. It would be a mistake to judge this car solely on the cosmetic appearance of its engine bay, ecause the mechanical operation of this car is absolutely first-rate.

The transmission shifts beautifully and the clutch is light and easy to modulate with zero chatter or grabbiness. As with all great flatheads, t’s easy to get acclimated when you’re behind the wheel and within minutes you’ll feel like you’re driving an old friend. Synchros on second and third gears mean seamless shifts and that Columbia 2-speed rear end is a highly desirable option for touring. Using the electro-vacuum mechanism from a 1942-48 Ford, here’s nothing more than a toggle switch on the dash. Flick it to the up position, ngage the clutch, isten for the clunk, nd you’re in high range. At that point the car will happily cruise at 55-60 MPH without breaking a sweat. Around town, o the opposite: flick the switch to the down position, ngage the clutch, nd you’ve got punchy acceleration and great hill-climbing. It’s a great way to travel and the system has proven its reliability over the decades. This car has also been upgraded to 1939 Ford hydraulic brakes, o the system looks very authentic under the car and offers improved performance over the original mechanical brakes. The underside of the car is grungy and dirty, f course, ut there’s exactly zero rot in any of the critical areas and not even any surface scale on the floors and support structures. And it’s not even much of a leaker! It currently wears a set of correct 16-inch welded wire wheels painted Apple Green to match the pinstripe, ut we also have a set of accessory General “Jumbo” wheels and 14-inch radials that are available.

In fact, his car comes with a significant cache of spare parts. In the trunk you’ll find a tour-ready kit that includes tune-up parts, pare radiator hoses, replacement generator, fuel pump, nd other necessities for life on tour. The larger group of parts includes things like fuel pumps, arburetors, rim pieces, adio tubes, askets, ater pumps, nd dozens of other items that will surely be useful in the future. There’s also a factory owner’s manual and sales brochure from 1935.

You already know we love this Ford. Our next old car purchase for our personal collection will likely be a flathead Ford V8, nd a car like this is exactly what we would want for our permanent collection. Reliable, mooth, asy to drive, nd an absolute joy on the road, his handsome phaeton delivers on the promise of Henry’s greatest achievement. You already know you want one, hy not get one that doesn’t ask for anything from you but a tank of gas and a quiet country road?