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Ford Tudor - Collector CarsI have an old newspaper photo from the Cleveland Plain Dealer on my desk at home showing a somewhat overwhelmed-looking 3-year-old boy standing behind a 1934 Ford sedan holding a toy car of his own. The caption explains how that little boy’s father had just purchased that 1934 Ford sedan at the auction where the photo was taken, and that it was the father’s first-ever antique car. If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably guessed that the little boy is me, the car is my father’s 1934 Ford that started the two of us in the collector car hobby, and the date was sometime in July of 1973. My father knew nothing of old cars and couldn’t have imagined what he was getting himself into. He just liked how that old Ford looked. When this 1934 Ford tudor sedan showed up, I was instantly transported back 35 years to that day, and to the many fun hours thereafter spent in that neat old Ford. In fact, I invited my father to visit Best of Show this afternoon just to see this car, and we ate lunch reminiscing about that car, both of us regretting that it was “the one that got away.” It was an absolutely fantastic hobby car in every single way—reliable, quick enough to keep up with modern traffic, big enough for the entire family, and incredibly stylish. Will anyone argue with me that 1934 was a banner year for Ford designers? This very nice 1934 Ford tudor sedan has had a modest restoration sometime in the past, but was clearly never destined to be a trailer queen. Instead, it is a super-clean and functional driver with great paint and a gorgeous original-style interior. Of course, it’s black with black fenders, Henry Ford’s favorite color scheme, and it is in very presentable condition today. The wheels and pinstripe are Tacoma Cream, which is a nice compliment to the tan cloth interior. The body work was done to a good standard several years ago, and it has aged well. A few of the friction points such as the hood latch mechanisms have some wear, but overall—especially for a black car—it looks fantastic. The doors are flat and wave-free, the fenders are solid, and the paint is glossy. The fabric insert for the top is in excellent condition with no signs of tears, rips, or shrinkage. Up front, you’ll find those great-looking stainless steel Ford headlights augmented by a pair of aftermarket driving lights that were a period accessory. The bumpers front and rear have been re-chromed, and the bumper guards are correct (I seem to recall that our ’34 had the wrong ones and the correct ones were virtually impossible to find). The single horn is under the driver’s side headlight and works properly, as do the dual taillights, with the driver’s side also sporting a clear lens to light the license plate. Some of the glass has been replaced, but I have a hunch the glass in the doors is original and it’s in very good condition with little delamination and bubbling. And that gorgeous 1934 grille is in excellent condition from top to bottom with no bent bars. Mechanically, this tudor still runs an original style flathead engine. Because Ford never really matched engine and frame numbers, we can’t say for certain whether it is a numbers matching car, but on these it doesn’t really matter. It’s a correct 221 cubic inch early 21-stud flathead with what I believe are factory replacement cast iron heads (casting 68-6050B with a tag marked 10-19-45 on the driver’s side and 68-6049B with a tag marked 6-13-45 on the passenger’s side).
