World's nicest 1940 Dodge sedan! Incredible restoration, runs & drives great!

This is a hobby about passion first and foremost. With all the auctions on TV, the speculators, the talk of cars as “investments,” it’s easy to forget that it should be about fun and doing something you enjoy. It’s safe to bet that the fellow who restored this 1940 Dodge DeLuxe 4-door sedan knew all about doing it for love, because he completely ignored the price guides and the pundits on TV and gave this humble sedan a spectacular, high-quality restoration that would be correct on a vehicle costing three times as much. And that is exactly the right way to do a restoration, because I’m sure he was overjoyed by the results—this car is beautiful all out of proportion to its modest sticker price. If you’re a regular reader, you already know that we’re fans of ‘40s Mopars. They drive better than just about anything else in their price class, including the vaunted flathead Fords, and with superior brakes and tidy handling, they are still a lot of fun on the road. This Dodge’s styling is sleek and modern, too, and if you’re used to seeing Fords and Chevys at every event, it’s a very welcome change of pace. The design was an evolution of the 1939 models, but the fastback styling was all-new and it makes for one sleek-looking 4-door. Basic black is an excellent choice for any vehicle of this era and was probably the most popular color in the pre-war days, and this car wears it rather well. With four doors that fit tightly, a hood that sits right, and smoothly rounded fenders, this car looks great from any angle. And it has a glossy, ripple-free finish that’s far better than any car at this price has a right to wear—just check out the reflections in the surface! There’s also a sizeable investment in the chrome, all of which is in fantastic condition, from the intricate grille to the bumpers to the ram hood ornament up front. It also includes lovely cloisonné emblems front and rear that seem to glow from within, and all the stainless has been properly buffed to a high shine. If there’s any demerit, it’s that the red accents in the trim were painted by hand and are just a little loose, something that’s easy to fix but only noticeable when you’re close up. If you expected a cut-rate interior, guess again, because this Dodge wears fresh upholstery, new carpets, proper door panels, and a taut headliner. It’s all pretty much the way it would have been when it was new, with a period-correct striped fabric on the seats and plain door panels that match the Dodge’s modest personality. On the other hand, the wonderful woodgrained dashboard and window garnish moldings look quite upscale and really warm up the interior in a good way. The steering wheel was restored and most of the 1940s plastic pieces have been replaced so they’re all in very good shape. The gauges are all functional, with an original-style speedometer in the center that uses a neat circular indicator made of clear plastic to make it appear that the needle is floating above the numbers. There’s also an accessory AM radio that appears to be operational, although I’ve only been able to dial up static on it, as well as a dealer-installed “Airflow” under-dash heater that works well enough to bake a turkey. Other accessories include a flashlight clamped to the steering column and a “trafficator” on the dash, which works with the exterior visor that’s also included with the car. Turn signals have also been added for safety, using the fog lamps up front and the taillights in back. The back seat offers plenty of space and luxury touches like a robe rail behind the front seat. The trunk is also nicely finished with correct materials and includes a full-sized spare tire that’s never been used. Mechanically, the Mopars of this period are legendary for their durability. You could probably run the 218 cubic inch inline-six on a mixture of vodka and Old Spice aftershave and it would happily spin along as smoothly as a sewing machine. As it sits, it was rebuilt during the restoration and looks quite accurate wearing its corporate gray engine enamel. The wiring is new, including cloth-covered ignition wires, and even the hoses and clamps are what it would have been wearing in 1940. Up top, there’s an oil bath air cleaner and a downdraft Stromberg carburetor, and a 6-volt generator still makes the electricity. Hit the starter and it fires easily, and while it’s a little grumpy while it’s on the choke, once it’s warmed up it’s ready, willing, and eager to hit the road. Performance is probably about as good as a V8 Ford and the little six just sings along with traffic, never seeming to be working very hard. There’s a nice grumble from the reproduction exhaust system and there’s plenty of oil pressure, even at warm idle. The three-speed manual transmission shifts cleanly once you acquaint yourself with the column-mounted shifter and it’s happy to trundle along at idle in high gear or zip along at 50-55 MPH on the open road. Fuel economy is surprisingly good for an old car like this, too, and thanks to Chrysler’s early adoption of hydraulic brakes, which they’d been using since 1924, this one stops better than most of its peers. The suspension rides well with a big car ride, but it also feels lively and agile, so you never feel like a sitting duck when you’re surrounded by modern iron. The flashy red wheels wear polished trim rings and ornate hubcaps and are wrapped in 7.00-16 BFGoodrich wide whitewall tires that really dress this car up. The only other demerit on the car might be those tires, which, while showing plenty of tread life, have had their whitewalls “touched up” with what appears to be some kind of paint that’s visible upon close inspection. Not a big deal, but on a car this nice, even the little stuff seems to stand out. The car includes a set of accessory steel fender skirts that have been painted to match, as well as the aforementioned exterior sun visor. This car gets just about everything right: it’s handsome, fun to drive, a bit unusual, and beautifully finished. In fact, we dare you to find a nicer pre-war car for under $20,000. It’s the kind of car you can get in, turn the key, and drive anywhere on a moment’s notice. You’ll be as pleased by the surroundings inside as onlookers are with the glossy black bodywork, and it’s welcome just about anywhere. This is a great hobby car at a very affordable price, a car that needs no excuses, and that we’re sure you’ll enjoy for all the right reasons. It’s just right.