Ford oddities on my car….
 

I’m noticing some oddities on my ‘38 convertible sedan. Hoping someone can shed some light….

My car has the exterior door lock on the driver’s side. Everything I’ve read and all photos show passenger side.

My car also has the hook type seat adjuster handle on the passenger side, while all photos and information indicates it should be a loop style handle on the driver’s side. In fact, every 1938 Ford photo/car I’ve see puts the handle on driver’s side.

I do not see any evidence of the car ever being RHD…

What little I know of car’s history puts it in upstate New York in 2004. I do not have any prior knowledge before that time.

Included in the spare parts that came with the car is a kilometer speedometer…-not sure if that is relevant or not.

Any thoughts/ideas??

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Sounds like a car built as RHD and then converted to LHD. There were four countries that I'm aware of that made the switch after WWII (Argentina, Paraguay, Sweden, and Uruguay), all of which originally had kilometer speedometers.. After the change, some cars were converted, such as yours perhaps, and some were not, as it wasn't mandatory.

Imagine the chaos on the roads on the day of the change and in the months that followed. Further, imagine the extent of preparations before the BIG day. Everything from doors on both side of busses to a complete duplicate set of road/highway street signage.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Left hand drive 1937 Ford Phaeton with right hand drive instrument panel.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

My '40 coupe has an exterior key lock on the drivers door, which folks tell me none did?? Maybe it's related to yours................

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

I’m wondering if my car was RHD at some point as suggested by David G. That would explain the door lock location and seat adjustment arm placement…also having a km speedometer makes sense in this context.
I’m guessing a RHD 1938 convertible dash would be nearly impossible to locate, as would other components needed to complete the RHD swap. It is intriguing to think about, though!!
My car could be the older cousin of the ‘40 coupe owned by 50fordcoupeman!!

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Canadian car? That might explain it.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

I wondered about it being a Canadian car…especially since it was in upstate New York (and possibly not too far from Canadian border). Canadians drive on the same side of road as we do in the States so it doesn’t add up for the RHD oddities, but I guess I can’t be sure.
Also, Canada didn’t change to metric system until 1970’s if the km speedometer is under consideration….

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Both Ford U.S. and Ford Canada produced RHD vehicles for export during the flathead era. The former for the three South American countries that I mentioned above plus Japan and the latter for the British Commonwealth Countries which were almost all RHD. Sweden was served by both Ford U.S. and Ford of Canada.


You are right about the relatively greater challenge in finding parts for RHD vehicles which largely reflects the much larger proportion of original LHD production.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Thank you David G for sharing! My car has a relatively early body number of 143…it’s unfortunate records are not available to trace its history…
Would there be evidence on the body indicating a conversion to LHD?
I believe previous owner did a frame and engine swap so those clues will remain hidden…

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Whether of U.S. or Canadian manufacture, the prefix of the engine number (VIN) stamped on the chassis frame and transmission bell housing will have the letter F as the last character in the prefix of that number.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Some provinces in Canada were still RHD in 1938 - Newfoundland for one.
I'm pretty sure I still have a RHD seat adjuster in my shed.
Chris.NZ.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Only Newfoundland until 1947. B.C., Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and New Brunswick switched to LHD in the late 1920s.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Our illustrious "DavidG" certainly does know some useful STUFF when the chips are on the table, yes?

Coop

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Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

So perhaps this car is from Canada….

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

No matter where it is from, if it was built RHD, its engine number (VIN) will carry the letter F.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Coop,


Thanks, but I cannot take any credit for that information about RHD in some of the Canadian provinces. It's on the internet for the asking. I knew about Newfoundland converting just before confederation, but the other instances were news to me too.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Vehicle id number on title does not have an F prefix.
Engine number indicates a build date between October 4th-29th of 1937.
Glass bug on the one surviving original piece of glass is dated 10-37.
So I’m assuming the car was built sometime during October-November 1937.
The EFV-8 38-39 book states complete number with two stars and prefix is stamped on frame near steering gear support…I’m going to look—but am fairly certain car has replacement frame…

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

…Frame is original to the car (just had a nice conversation with previous owner. He shared it was his belief the car was originally RHD and was converted.

I did not find a serial number stamped on frame near steering box…nothing there….

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Now you know with reasonable certainty.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

I have two 1937 frames. One frame has the serial number stamped between the two large rivets that attach the steering box bracket to the left frame rail. The other frame has the serial number stamped between the group of three rivets and the inner edge of the frame flange. The group of three rivets are the rear rivet for the steering box bracket and two rivets for attaching the “X” frame to the outer frame rails. I hope this helps your search for the serial number.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

I have only looked for (and found) serial numbers on left hand drive cars. Is the serial number on the other side frame rail, near the steering box, on right hand drive cars?

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Some, but not all, of the Canadian-sourced RHD vehicles had their engine numbers stamped on the right side frame rail. The U.S.-sourced RHD vehicles seem to have pretty well followed the Dearborn directive to stamp the number on the left side regardless of the steering orientation.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Oh yes indeed !! Oh how I envy you guys with your supply of LHD parts

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

So I stripped paint along entire driver’s side (left side) frame rail from firewall to front crossmember…and no identification number is present.
Could it be on passenger side?
Were F prefix cars stamped on the right frame rail?

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Yes to the right side rail

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Hmmm… stripped right side frame rail from firewall to just pass crossmember.. no ID number on this side either. I had easy access to this side and clearly there is nothing.
??!!
Is it possible no ID number on front frame rails?
Perhaps I missed it on driver’s side??
Weird…

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Is there a bracket on the inside of the right hand frame rail that is the mirror image of the bracket for the steering gear box on the inside of the left hand frame rail?

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Passenger frame photos…I’m starting to see stars and serial numbers in my sleep.
Just realized first photo is reversed…

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

NOT sure on 1938 BUT my 39 is way forward almost at the front cross member.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

David-I do not see the bracket on right side.
It looks as though the bracket was removed when LHD conversion took place to accommodate exhaust pipe. There are holes where rivets once were located…

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Ok…just rechecked driver’s side from firewall to crossmember…went over entire area with 0000 steel wool…not even a hint of any stars, numbers, letters, or anything else. Are there any instances where the number is located past the crossmember toward front?
Are there any frames that were not stamped?
How difficult is it to remove the body and check other locations?(JUST KIDDING!!).
Any ideas/suggestions??

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Based on your third picture of your post #29, on my 39 Merc the number was partially obscured by the brake line running along the frame about where the "hole" and the "rivet" are in your photo!!! I had to clean pretty good to get it to show through!!!

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

I could never find a stamped number on the frame rail of my '36 3-window. I thought I was pretty thorough, although I didn't go to the effort you did. This was about 30 years ago, so it wasn't a big deal.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

It sometimes helps if you hold a light source at a very low angle and sort of cast a shadow across the surface.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

If it was originally RHD there will be 3 holes on the RH side of the cowl where the hand brake was attached.They may have been filled.
SwoopNZ.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

The passage of time makes things complicated But they certainly didn't all come from the factory equipped as the books say-
My early RHD 1934 Fordor Has a 34 Grill, Shock arms and most other 34 fittings but has a Two piece dashboard (with a 34 insert) plus 33 Bumpers and cowl vent- All of it original -I'm sure they were just using up the available 33 parts

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

SwoopNZ…Yes..those holes for hand brake have been filled…

Re: Ford oddities on my car….
 

Hey there, I'm like Mart, in that I think I see the faintest of numbers showing through in your photos, between the rivet and that 1/4" or so hole. Keep cleaning and I think you'll find some numbers. I went through the same process as you, swearing there was nothing there on my '48, but there it was, faint but stamped on the left rail near the radiator mount.

Al H.

Re: Ford oddities on my car….