1946 Ford Super Deluxe Four Door Sedan
The pent up market created an unprecedented demand for new cars. Ford's advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson, created a brilliant teaser campaign: "There's a Ford in your future". Until July, it showed only parts of the "new" Ford in a crystal ball; then there was a publicity blitz culminating in "V-8 Day" on October 26, 1945. More than a million Americans flocked into showrooms for the public introduction, and nearly half a million promptly placed their orders.
For consignment, a 1946 Ford Super Deluxe 4 door sedan our consignor describes as a "running barn find." Relatively straight panels and a fantastic rounded body makes this a fantastic canvas for your vision, or grab a bottle of Vice Grip Garage's Shine Juice and wrap the patina in a glossy coat. Either way, there's a ton of potential built into this big 63,121 non verifiable mile Ford.
Exterior
Gray and black alternate on the uneven coverage on the car along with bouts of surface rust, a natural patina people pay big money to recreate. The robust front bumper and grille strakes between shelf-like wide fenders that present quite the face as the marker lights reside near the nose and below the headlights. The metal, including the hood ornament, would need restoration if that's the route you go but as they are, fit the barn find vibe of this car. And if the metal is addressed, don't forget the fantastic shoulder detail that flows the entire length of the car and artfully hide the door handles in profile, while thinner trim piece break up the real estate of the enormous flared fenders. 15-inch aluminum slot wheels look great at distance and the red hubs stand out like a cardinal in the snow. All the lights are there and the glass, including the V-style windshield, is intact. Major imperfections include a rusted patch on the right rear fender and some rust where the rocker panel trim meets the body.
Interior
The window frames are colored by surface rust and the cloth and vinyl on the doors is tattered, water stained or cracking. That said, the suicide style opening rear doors are epic and give this car a flare that not many cars of the era had. The bench seats front and rear are covered with an Indian blanket and that leaves us questioning the condition of the seats. The gray steering wheel, while replete with patina, is still cool with horn ring and center badge intact. The column has surface rust, of course, as does the shifter, and it all leads to a wonderfully aged dashboard with small, square gauges to the left, and a large round Waltham speedometer to the right. It plays one side of a bookend where a clock on the other side flanks an AM radio and down below, some auxiliary SunPro gauges have been added. Tattered rubberized mats cover the floor and the headliner is in what you would expect on a barn find and will need to be replaced. The trunk has a clean floor but the walls are colored by surface rust.
Drivetrain
Under the big hood is a 226ci L-head inline 6 cylinder looking like it's been mostly untouched for years, although the 1-barrel carburetor and air cleaner case stand out as clean, as does the battery which our consignor states is newer. He also mentioned there are new points and condenser and electric fuel pump. Meanwhile, a 3-speed manual transmission, rowed on the tree, sends power to the rear axle and 3.54 gears. Drum brakes are supplied front and rear.
Undercarriage
Completely coated in surface rust, it looks otherwise structurally sound with the husky X-frame taking center stage. Much of the surfaces are rust pitted and there's plenty of oil and grease underneath, including on the wheel components, caked on the rear differential, and coating the belly of the transmission. On a positive note, we're not seeing major invasive rust and the single exhaust with a Cherrybomb muffler is intact. Transverse leaf springs front and back are noted for suspension.
Drive-Ability
We've had beautifully restored Deluxes, heavily modded examples, and barn find condition models and the feeling is always the same. Ford did many things right with the design of the cabin and it's very people oriented. Other than the smaller rear window, you are surrounded by the greenhouse and have more than ample head and leg room throughout. We roll this Ford onto the test loop where it speaks up with some creaking underneath, but the I-6 carries us forward, and backwards and the brakes bring us to a stop. That's important stuff, but naturally there are some things that don't work including the turn signals, the wipers, the horn, the speedometer/odometer, the clock, and the heater blower. All other functions operate as they should. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Lots of potential in the straight '46 and a clean palette to paint the picture of your dreams. It runs and drives, needs obvious TLC, and is a fantastic body style. There's plenty of room in the engine bay if you want to "go big or go home" and a ton of room in the trunk if you want to carry a small car with you, (not really). Here's a "father and son" project in the making, or a patina cruise night special!
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
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