| Nick Alexander Woodie Collection Thursday, August 13, 2009 |
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| 1938 Ford Deluxe Station Wagon | |||||||||
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Model 81A. 85 bhp, 221 cu. in. Flathead V8 engine, three-speed manual transmission with Columbia two-speed rear end, solid front axle and live rear axle with transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs, four-wheel mechanical drum brakes. Wheelbase: 112" The 1938 model year was doubly significant for Ford station wagons. It was the first year that Ford’s Standard and Deluxe series were differentiated by their front end sheet metal. Through 1940, each year’s Standard cars had hoods and grilles similar to the previous year’s Deluxe, with slight differences, while Deluxe cars had a completely different look. Standard model cars had a modified 1937-style grille and hood, while the Deluxe models, the first to be styled by E.T. Gregorie’s new design section, adopted a heart-shaped motif. Sedans also got new bodies, with a curved fastback contour. All cars were available with the 85-bhp V8, while Standard models could be ordered with the economy 136 cubic inch 60-bhp unit, which had become available in 1937. In mid-year, Ford upgraded the 85-bhp engine by adding three head bolts per side – these became known as “24-stud” engines. On station wagons, the spare tire was moved inside, behind the driver’s seat and furnished with a canvas or artificial leather slip-over cover. The body was newly revised, the five horizontal panels of 1935-37 giving way to a two-panel configuration. For 1938, the station wagon was built only as a Deluxe model, with 6,944 built. The epitome of a 1938 Ford Station Wagon, this car is an award winner and magnificent driver. Both the wood body and sheet metal are excellent, the former exhibiting original maple from Henry’s forests. Its varnish is impeccable. The metal contours show no flaws, and the Coach Maroon paint exhibits a deep shine. The brown artificial leather roof, running board rubber and chrome and stainless trim all appear new. All doors shut perfectly, with even gaps. It has glass all around, with only the slightest clouding on rear side windows. The interior is newly upholstered in brown artificial leather, the front seat equipped with lap belts for two. The brown front floor mat has seen some use, but the rear appears new. The dashboard has been restored in correct walnut woodgrain and the instruments are restored; the Deluxe steering wheel is unmarred and attractive in medium gray. There is an eight-day clock in the glove box door. The engine is well detailed in Ford green; it is the later type “24-stud” engine introduced in mid-year, commensurate with the June 1938 date of the body number. The undercarriage and underbody are clean and painted black and the Goodyear 6.50-16 blackwall tires were purchased in 2001. The spare, attached to the rear of the front seat, is fitted with an artificial leather cover. Purchased from Michael Rainey of Beaufort, South Carolina, in September 2000, this car has been completely restored. It earned a Dearborn Award from the Early Ford V8 Club in 2002 at Park City, Utah, scoring 984 points. Registered in California with year-of-manufacture plates 6J9498, which go with the car, it is ready for any trip. The car was driven from Los Angeles to Park City, Utah by Tim Krehbiel, the man largely responsible for the high quality restorations of the cars in The Alexander Collection. It performed flawlessly on the 1,600-mile round trip, cruising Interstate 15 at 70 mph in overdrive. When Tim rebuilt the engine he installed a four-inch Mercury crankshaft and later Mercury camshaft to facilitate the long uphill climbs through Nevada and Utah. The odometer reads 3,793 miles, which have been accrued since restoration. In this condition, the car is ready for many more. |
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