A rare 1968 Ford coupe had been sitting in a garage in southern France for roughly 40 years. Nobody could remember why it was parked in 1986. Now, with just one day to work on it, a mechanic was determined to find out whether the forgotten car still had some life left.
Alex from Roadtrip Revivals traveled to the Lot-et-Garonne region to help his friend Damian, who owned the Ford. Despite its long stay in storage, the car looked surprisingly complete. Even the interior had survived without much damage.
Getting it running was only part of the challenge. If things went well, the pair hoped to drive into a nearby village and buy a baguette. That meant waking up the engine, checking the brakes, and making sure the Ford could move under its own power.
For a car that hadn’t turned a wheel in decades, there were reasons to be hopeful. Most of the body appeared solid, the trim was still in place, and the garage had kept it fairly dry. Unfortunately, a promising exterior couldn’t tell Alex what lay beneath the hood.
A Different Ford
Known as the Ford 12M, this 1968 coupe was quite different from the classic Fords many Americans know. Its 1.2-liter Cologne V4 engine produced about 50 horsepower, with power going to the front wheels through a four-speed manual transmission.
Even the gear shifter was unusual, mounted on the steering column rather than the floor. Ford’s period specifications confirm the front-wheel-drive layout, which made this little coupe especially interesting to Alex.
Before worrying about fuel or ignition, though, he needed to know whether the engine could turn. His first attempt brought bad news. The crankshaft wouldn’t budge.
Rather than force the crankshaft bolt and risk breaking it, Alex removed the flywheel cover to gain better access. Working carefully against the ring gear, he finally got a little movement.
With each turn, the engine became easier to rotate. Soon, it completed full revolutions without hitting a hard stop.
Back From The Dead
Although the engine was free, turning the ignition key still produced nothing. Alex traced the problem to the starter circuit and worked around the faulty connection so he could continue testing.
Next came the ignition system. After replacing the points, cleaning the electrical connections, and fitting fresh spark plugs, he finally had a strong spark. A check also showed that the oil pump was moving oil.
With fuel supplied directly to the engine, Alex tried starting it. The old V4 struggled at first, but after several attempts, it suddenly fired.
“She’s a runner,” he announced.
That first burst of life was encouraging, but the Ford still needed a working fuel system. Luckily, its tank was remarkably clean inside. Alex replaced the cracked fuel hoses, installed a filter, and checked the mechanical pump.
Once fuel reached the carburetor, the engine settled into a smooth idle. To Alex’s surprise, the original carburetor worked without a complete rebuild.
One More Problem
With the clutch working and the gear linkage freed up, the Ford was finally ready to move. Alex eased it out for a short drive, and the little coupe handled the road better than expected.
Its gears shifted smoothly, and there were no major rattles or bangs. The brakes, however, were another matter. One wheel became extremely hot as the brakes kept sticking.
After freeing the troublesome brake, Alex tried driving again. This time, the engine began overheating before they could reach the village.
Back at the garage, he traced the trouble to a cooling system packed with hardened debris. One passage near the water pump was completely blocked, preventing coolant from circulating.
Clearing that blockage helped, but another connection at the water pump had corroded and broken. With only one day available, Alex couldn’t complete the repairs.
Further work would likely mean removing the cylinder heads and cleaning the engine’s internal coolant passages. The brake hoses also needed attention, along with the aging tires.
Their planned trip for a baguette never happened. Instead, Damian was left with a Ford that could start and move under its own power, plus a list of repairs needed before it could return to regular use.