Description
Lovely unrestored condition with just over 25, 000 miles and three former owners. First registered in December 1950, the car still has its original flathead Ford V8 so engine and chassis numbers match.
The original dark brown leather upholstery looks amazing for its age and backs up the low mileage. The headlining is also original, but the tan carpets are new.
Converted to 12V by the previous owner, I had a new battery, new WOSP high-torque starter motor and electric fuel pump fitted, so she fires up on the button with that lovely V8 burble. Gear changes are smooth, and on the road she runs and drives perfectly.
She also stops properly after a major overhaul of the braking system including new master cylinder, hard lines, hoses and wheel cylinder.
I also had safety features upgraded including new lap belts, wing mirror, new front and rear indicators, indicator switch and fire extinguisher.
Bills for parts and labour come to over £3. 5k with all work carried out by Royal Kustoms in Dorset, the go-to guys for all things flathead V8 (early Fords prepped by Jim and the team came second in this year's Peking-Paris Rally and the Islands of Japan Marathon).
A real crowd-pleaser at shows, especially with its Michelin whitewalls, and a rare car on the roads these days.
A couple of small jobs needed to make perfect (wiper cable needs replacing, passenger side window needs new rubber), but nothing a competent home mechanic couldn’t sort in a weekend.
Paintwork is well-preserved for 75 years old and polishes up well, as do the chrome bumpers, and crucially the body is rust-free.
Ideal for film or tv work. Also, the Pilot was a decent rally car, competing in the RAC, Monte Carlo and Tulip rallies, winning the latter in 1950, so if you’re looking for a different but reliable entry to historic events here’s your chance.
Comes with V5, owner’s manual, Ford V8 OC magazines, a stack of bills and a box of spares. Private seller. Viewing welcome, priced to sell at £8, 750 ovno as garage space needed for another car.
Just taken her for a 30-mile round trip to cars & coffee at Upton Bridge (see last photo) and she ran beautifully at 50-60mph all the way bar a clicking from the speedo cable, which I will investigate. Otherwise all the gauges incl the tacho work fine.
