1951 Ford Custom Club Coupe

Description

Introduced in 1949, the Ford Custom was part of Ford's new post-war lineup, positioned above the base models but below the more luxurious offerings — although Ford marketers claimed the mid-range Custom set "new standards for luxurious beauty." Featuring a "shoebox" design characterized by slab-sided bodies and integrated fenders, Custom models had a distinctive front grille and could be had as a two- or four-door sedan, two-door coupe, and convertible.

The 1951 Ford Custom Club Coupe was available with either a flathead V8 producing 100 horsepower or an inline-six. Inside, the dashboard was redesigned for better functionality and aesthetics and featured a more modern layout with a centrally located speedometer. In addition to being touted for its affordability and value, the 1951 Ford Custom Club Coupe also included advanced features for its time, such as a “Magic Air” heater and improved suspension.

The owner of this one painstakingly restored it about 15 years ago to match the first car that he ever owned. Upgrades included a professional engine rebuild, repairing the body, re-chroming the bumpers, fresh Sea Island Green paint, and two-tone green cloth interior.

Highlights 

• Powered by a 239 cu-in V8 rated at 100 horsepower 

• Column-shifted three-speed manual transmission

• Restoration 15 years ago included: 

  • Body repaired and refinished in Sea Island Green paint 

  • Interior metal refinished in Sea Island Green paint 

  • New interior upholstery using original fabric pattern and colors 

  • New glass all around 

  • Bumpers and trim re-chromed 

  • Engine and transmission professionally rebuilt 

  • Original style exhaust system and muffler 

  • New 12V starter (replacing original 6V starter) 

  • New 12V electrical system 

  • New front-end suspension 

  • New radiator 

  • New water pump 

  • New heater 

  • Rebuilt wiper motor

• The chassis number (B1LB136072) decodes as: 

  • B – 239 cu-in V8 

  • 1 – 1951 model year 

  • L – Long Beach, California, assembly plant 

  • B – Custom/Deluxe 

  • 136072 – Sequential production number 

• The data plate number decodes as: 

  • Body: 72B - Custom Club Coupe 

  • Color: A – Black (now Sea Island Green) 

  • Trim: D - Gray Broadcloth (now two-tone green cloth) 

  • Date: 14H - 14 August 

  • Trans: 1 - Three-speed manual 

  • Axle: 73 - 3.73:1 axle ratio 

Features 

• Independent front suspension and a live rear axle 

• Four-wheel drum brakes 

• 100 mph speedometer and odometer 

• 15-inch steel wheels with “F” hubcaps 

• Coker tubeless 6.70-15 4-ply wide whitewall tires 

 Known Imperfections 

• Multiple paint chips and imperfections 

• Transmission is equipped with overdrive, but it is not hooked up 

• Driver’s door needs to be repaired 

• Rear passenger-side corner of the hood does not fit well with the body (indicating frame isn’t straight, but the front end can still be aligned to specs) 

• Steering wheel is cracked 

• Small hole in the upholstery on the back of the driver’s seat 

• Wheels and tires are worn 

  Included 

• Spare tire 

• Four-way lug wrench 

• Original oil bath air cleaner 

• New unused front windshield (fits both right and left side) 

• Ford Shop Manual: 1949-50-51 

Ownership History 

The consignor of this 1951 Ford Custom Club Coupe has owned it since 2008. “I never got over selling my first car, a ‘51 Ford Coupe V8 like this one. When I bought this, it was a rolling chassis — no engine, no interior, rusted out floor pan — but it was a V8 Coupe with overdrive.  I restored the car as original, with the only exception being the 12V alternator rather than the original 6V generator.  I’ve driven ‘Otis’ regularly since 2011 and put 8,000 miles on it. It’s a delight to drive and gets a lot of thumbs up. A fill up at the gas station occasionally turns into a spontaneous car club meeting, starting with, ‘My dad had one of those.’  

“There’s a stat that says 9 out of 10 auto restorations are never finished. Could be the long hours on nights and weekends, could be that the expenses out strip the budget, but I was determined to be one of the 10 percent that actually drove and enjoyed my finished project. About halfway through the restoration, I was inspired by a blog that kept me going. It was by a guy named Jonathan Klinger (from Hagerty), and the blog was 365 Days of A. His blog was a journal of his goal to drive a Model A every day for one year. That sounded a lot like my goal: To build and use my 1951 Coupe as my daily driver. After working out the bugs, I sold my 10-year-old Mustang, and Otis became my primary source of transportation in 2010. Now it’s 15 years later, and I’m still driving Otis. The car has aged remarkably well (better than its owner), and I have never been stranded or had a breakdown. I don’t excel at auto mechanics — I just don’t give up until the problem is solved. That and Henry Ford's legacy of automotive engineering are the reasons for this car’s remarkable reliability and driving enjoyment.”