It comes as no surprise for seasoned car collectors that placing a car out of sight for a long time is not a good idea.  Anything can happen when it is not under your watchful eye.  Take for example this 1948 Ford Deluxe coupe.  Found during the handling of the seller’s parental estate, this once handsome Ford has been subject to neglect and the depravations of some unspecified animal who turned its interior into a humble abode.  While the few pictures we are given reveal a complete and restorable postwar Ford, there is no photographic evidence provided of the animal apocalypse that took place inside.  Are you ready to take a chance on a possible restoration candidate that desperately needs some good luck?

The seller tells us that they are in the process of cleaning out their parental estate and that they ran across this 1948 Ford Deluxe coupe in one of the barn buildings.  In the way that they describe this experience, it seems that the parents must have owned a sizeable piece of ground complete with a collection of structures.  It also seems that discovering this Ford was a surprise of sorts.  Sadly, these clues and the condition of the car add up to quite a bit of benign neglect.  We are also told that the interior was severely damaged by some animal that found its way into the car and fashioned a nest.

A close look at the pictures above and below reveals a car that has plenty of surface rust where the paint has lifted and on the trim.  While unsightly, the body panels on these old Fords are rather thick.  Rust-through on these cars is usually limited to areas where water would collect if stored outdoors for long periods.  It would be nice to get a few snapshots of the interior to see if the animal residency program has damaged the metal floor of the car, or if that destruction was largely limited to the upholstery.

Interestingly for a Deluxe model, this car came from the factory with Ford’s inline-six cylinder engine.  Designed to replace the V8-60 as the lower-end powerplant option, this engine was known to be reliable and easy to work on.  It also offered comparable horsepower numbers to the venerable Flathead V-8.  When it debuted in 1941, the engine put out 90 horsepower.  The introduction of a higher compression head in 1948 bumped the output to 95 horsepower.  With the introduction of an overhead valve inline six in 1951, this remarkably underappreciated engine was finally discontinued.

The one you see here is sadly locked up.  The pictures show that someone has removed the cylinder head and is working on bringing the car back to life.  We are told that the car rolls freely and that the clutch works properly.  We are also informed that shifting the transmission reveals no issues either.

One of the most alluring parts of the ad is the price.  There isn’t one.  The seller encourages interested parties to come and inspect the car and make an offer.  As part of an estate liquidation, there is surely pressure on the seller to get this car in someone else’s hands so cleaning up and selling the property can occur.  There may be an opportunity to get this vintage Ford at a low price.  Parts are available, club support is fantastic, and these cars are easy to work on.  It looks to be solid enough to be a good restoration candidate.  You just have to wonder when you will be able to stop buying air fresheners due to the animal inhabitant’s magical work.

If you are willing to take a chance on what could be a restorable postwar Ford, then this 1948 Ford Deluxe coupe for sale on Craigslist in Barnard, Vermont may be worth looking at.  This rough but complete Ford is part of an estate and no asking price is given, though there seems to be some urgency in finding a new home for the car.  The seller states that any offer is welcome, so bring a trailer when you visit.  You may get lucky on this one!