Ford Model 40 Buyer's Guide

Jim Vasquez here. People always talk about the Deuce — the 1932 Ford Model 18. And it deserves everything said about it. But the 1933 and 1934 Fords are where the flathead V8 program actually matured. The 1932 was an engineering debut that had its rough edges. By 1933, Ford had two years of production data and the engine was significantly more reliable. The body was updated into a cleaner, more streamlined form. These are better cars than the Deuce in most practical ways, and they cost considerably less — which means more of them are available for people who want to actually build something rather than just own something.

The 1933–34 Ford culture is tight. Goodguys, GNRS, SEMA show circuit — these cars show up with serious builds and nobody looks twice at the non-Deuce status. They're legitimate hot rod material and they always have been.

The Model 40 in Ford's Evolution

Ford's annual model designations in the early 1930s followed a numbering system: the Model 18 was 1932, the Model 40 was 1933, and the Model 40 covered 1934 (the Model 40B was the four-cylinder version). All shared the flathead V8 that Ford had introduced as an industry-changing innovation in 1932 — the first V8 engine available to ordinary American buyers at an ordinary price.

The 1933 update was significant. The body was completely redesigned with a longer, lower profile, the headlights were positioned at the leading edge of the fenders rather than on separate stanchions, and the general appearance moved toward the streamlined direction that was dominating American industrial design in the early 1930s. The engine received reliability improvements that addressed the overheating and oil consumption issues that had plagued the first-year 1932 production.

The Flathead V8: Year Two and Three

The 221ci flathead V8 in the 1933–34 Model 40 produced 75 horsepower, an increase over the 1932's 65 hp claim, which was understood to be conservative, and officially corrected in 1933 to 75 hp. The more significant changes were internal: better water passages, improved valve guides, stronger connecting rods, and a revised cylinder head casting that addressed the propensity for warping under heat stress that had caused 1932 owners difficulties.

This was still a young engine, and problems remained. But the 1933–34 flathead was substantially more reliable than the 1932 unit, and two additional years of engineering experience by 1934 produced an engine that could be trusted for extended driving rather than just short trips.

Body Styles

The Model 40 was available in more body styles than the 1932 Deuce — Ford expanded the lineup to serve a broader market. The two-door coupe, the three-window coupe, the roadster, the phaeton, the fordor sedan, and the tudor sedan were all offered. For the hot rod and custom builder, the three-window coupe and the five-window coupe are the primary targets; the roadster is valuable for open-car builds; the tudor sedan offers more interior space at lower prices.

Building on the Model 40

The 1933–34 builds I see at Goodguys and GNRS are serious work. The flathead V8 gets the Edelbrock high-compression heads, the triple-carb manifold, the Evans or Spalding ignition. The suspension gets dropped spindles and the front buggy spring geometry that puts the car on the pavement the right way. The body gets channeled or sectioned depending on the builder's taste — the 1933–34 proportions respond differently than the 1932 to these treatments, and the results are distinctly their own aesthetic.

The 1934 grille is one of the most beautiful prewar Ford elements — a chrome V-shaped grille with horizontal bars that is clean enough to leave unmodified. Many 1933–34 builds retain the stock grille precisely because it works. The 1933 grille is slightly more vertical and less refined; the 1934 is the one to have for visual correctness.

"The 1934 Ford is the one I'd build. The grille is right, the proportions are right, and it's a genuine connection to the early hot rod tradition without paying Deuce prices. Chop the top four inches, channel the body two inches over the rails, build the flathead with period-correct Edelbrock heads and a two-carb manifold — that's a car that belongs at the GNRS and nobody's going to question it."

— Jim Vasquez

What to Look For

Pre-Purchase Checklist

1. Lower Door Rust
   Probe lower door skins and sills — universal rust location on 90-year-old steel regardless of storage.
2. Cowl and Firewall
   Inspect cowl and firewall for rust — water accumulates in these areas over decades.
3. Flathead Cooling System
   Warm to operating temperature — overheating from blocked scale means serious engine work.
4. Engine Casting Numbers
   Verify casting date and numbers against 1933–34 production records for matching-engine premium.
5. Mechanical Brake Function
   Test all four brakes — mechanical brakes require balanced adjustment for safe stopping.
6. Transmission Engagement
   Test second and third gear synchronization — first is non-synchronized (correct condition).
7. Body Panel Condition
   Assess all steel body panels for rust, pitting, and prior repair — metal work is expensive on this vintage.
8. Glass Completeness
   Verify all glass is intact — period-correct 1933–34 glass profiles are difficult to source.

Common Issues

Pricing Guide

Fun Facts