Bargain of the Century: Four Decades Ago, Someone Bought This 1953 Ford Popular for $16

While it seemed like many good things happened during this era, the automotive industry was picking up from a hangover that was World War II ending in 1945.

The 103E 1953 Ford Popular was ideally a pre-World War II car sold post-war (based on the E494A Ford Anglia). And like most cars developed during that era, it wasn't the best fit for what we'd describe as the pinnacle of automotive technology.

Here's why. Since all resources had been used to fund the war, the Ford Popular was in its most basic state. A few design queues point that out, including the lack of a heater, single wiper blade on the windscreen (vacuum powered), and the conservative use of chrome bits.

1953 Ford Popular is based on the Ford Anglia

While the 1953 Ford Pop borrowed a lot from the E494A Ford Anglia, there are visually noticeable differences. The Pop came with smaller headlamps at the front and a single taillight mounted at the center. Also, the bakelite dash popular on the Anglia was swapped out on the interior for a flat steel panel.

Consequently, the 1953 Ford Popular was relatively cheap, retailing for about £300 ($317), and at the time, was a lot of people's first car post-war.

Under the hood, the 103E Ford Popular packed a 1,172 cc four-cylinder engine good for 30 hp (30 ps).

Jonny Smith of the Late Brake Show YouTube channel recently got wind of a neatly preserved 1953 Ford Popular sitting in a garage for the last 40 years. That's not all. The owner of this iconic car, Murray, bought this 70-year-old relic for a measly £15 ($16).

Like most classics featured on the YouTube channel, the objective is to pull them out of hibernation and get them running again.

The Ford Pop Came with a wooden floor

While neat on the exterior, Murray's Pop needed some TLC on the interior. As you probably already know, the 1950s, like in the United States, were a period of steel shortage in the United Kingdom. And as a result, the Ford Popular came with a wooden floor.

According to the owner, while doing some maintenance on the classic, the wooden floor panels in this car sank to the ground, leaving a hole in its place. In its current form, it'd make the perfect beater for Fred and Wilma Flintstones.

This 103E Ford Popular has been sitting for 41 years. According to the owner, the last time it ran was in 1982. Therefore, getting it to run wouldn't be a walk in the park.

If you've been following our barn find stories, you already know that vehicles sitting for a while often present several challenges. For starters, battery power will be non-existent. Also, there's always a likelihood the gas in the tank is stale, the engine might be seized or stuck, and in some rare cases, the hoses might be rotten.

Some of the basic checks getting such a car running include checking for spark and testing to see if the engine would turn over.

Well maintained over the years

Fortunately for Jonny, and his crew, Murray manually turned his Ford Pop's engine from time to time to prevent it from getting stuck. He also drained the radiator to avoid corrosion.

Sadly, Jonny and his team could not get the classic 103E Ford Popular running on this episode of the Late Brake Show.

"The problem is, this is a side valve engine which means if we get to the tappet chest, as it is called, to unstick what we think are stuck valves, that is underneath the inlet manifold, the fuel pump down on that side, it's quite inaccessible. And it's not something we can do today," Jonny explained.

Murray's Pop had the heart to run, but the engine compression was too low to get it chugging to a point where it'd fire. The only solution at that point was to check the tappet chest.

Still, it's pretty phenomenal the amount of care given to this classic despite how long it had been stored in a garage. For a car that's been sitting for four decades, the owner ensured it had new tires. He also turned the engine regularly and changed fluids ( flashed fuel in the tank two months ago) even though he hadn't run it for 41 years.

Murray is a true OG post-war car enthusiast. If you love classic cars or currently working on a unit, we recommend catching some of this revival action in the video below. Murray and Jonny spit a lot of classic car facts that could be beneficial for your build.

What's the cheapest bargain you've ever got on a car? Murray's was £15 ($16) for a running 1953 Ford Pop. It's arguably the cheapest classic car in Britain.