| |
1936 Ford Standard 5-Window Coupe
Provided by Hemmings
 Values Today:
Low: $1,500
Avg: $6,500
High: $10,000
For 1936, Ford put their cars through a mild facelift, since the 1935 lineup featured all-new styling. Gone was the bright grillework, replaced by a wraparound-style grille and a new rear fender shape. Mechanically, the cars were virtually unchanged from 1935 in all areas. About the only thing that was really different was the price structure-1936 Fords cost a bit more than their previous year's counterparts.
Speaking of price, at $510, the car seen here carried the lowest suggested retail price among the entire 1936 Ford lineup. This body style was the fourth most popular seller during 1936, with 78,534 examples finding customers. Best seller among the '36 Fords by far was the Standard Tudor, which sold nearly 175,000 units. Starting in 1935, Ford customers could only have cars powered by the reliable and rugged flathead V-8 engine, which was introduced in 1932 and would carry on, powering Fords through 1953. Combining a lot of low-end grunt with smooth, quiet operation, the flathead offered more performance than the sixes of Ford's low-priced rivals, while being a bit more thirsty for gasoline. The brakes, however, were a weak point. Old Henry stubbornly clung to the misguided idea of a mechanical braking system's superiority, not trusting the reliability of hydraulic lines in place of metal rods for brake actuation. It would not be until the 1939 model year that Ford finally gave in to competitive pressure and equipped their cars with juice brakes for the first time. With today's traffic conditions, most early Ford V-8 restorers and owners opt for converting their braking systems to hydraulics as a safety measure, and club judging does not deduct points for this sensible and necessary modification. One of the reasons Ford coupes of this era are somewhat scarce today is because of their previous use as early-day hot rods and as low-buck entries into local stock car racing events. From the early postwar years through the mid-'50s many of these coupes began a new life as a cut-fendered, hopped-up, stripped-out, gaudily painted stock car-and many of them could turn some very impressive times on the dirt and concrete ovals of the day. Of course, once they were crashed or worn out, they were junked out and these vehicles-a lot of them-have been lost to collectors forever. The 1936 Fords were popular when new and are popular among collectors today. There is an abundance of parts specialists for these cars, so mechanical restoration is not a problem. Body parts, as on most cars, are a different story but even these show up in good used or NOS form at swap meets and in the pages of Hemmings. Owners and restorers of 1936 Fords are also fortunate to have an excellent nationwide club, The Early Ford V-8 Club of America, devoted to these cars. This organization has a very attractive and informative magazine, a large cadre of specialists in various years of V-8 Fords and a full slate of activities in all parts of the U.S. So once you restore your 1936 Ford Standard five-window coupe you'll have plenty of seat time attending V-8 oriented events.
Fords like this one-much like their earlier Model T and A counterparts-have become a part of four-wheeled Americana and, much as they did when they were new, they offer an economical, easily maintained answer to collector-car ownership and enjoyment.
| Base price: |
$ 510 |
| Base weight: |
2,599 lbs. |
| Body: |
Steel with roof insert, two-passenger coupe |
| Frame: |
Ladder type frame with cross members |
| Wheelbase: |
112 inches |
| Length: |
182 ¾ inches |
| Track (f/r): |
55 ½ / 58 ¼ |
| Suspension: |
Single transverse leaf springs front and rear |
| Brakes: |
Four wheel mechanical internal expanding |
| Engine: |
L-head V-8, cast-iron block, 3 1/16 x 3 ¾ |
| Transmission: |
Three-speed selective sliding, floor-mounted lever |
|
|
