This must be our week for 1935 Fords! After posting recently about a 1935 Deluxe Sedan, today’s post is about a 1935 Phaeton barn find that is listed for sale here on craigslist. The Model 48 Phaeton is located in Somerset, Massachusetts. The sellers are asking $12,000 for the car and they describe the price as “firm”–a far cry from the $575 it originally retailed for (yes, I know that doesn’t account for inflation; adjusted appropriately, $575 in 1935 would be worth $11,701.54 as I write).
I wasn’t even sure exactly what a “phaeton” was until I was researching this post. I found one definition that defined the term as a convertible/roadster sedan without roll-up windows; since that fits this Ford, we’ll go with it until one of you corrects me in the comments. This wasn’t a particularly popular body style for 1935 Fords, with only 6,073 Phaetons produced out of 786,730 total Model 48s. As a side note, the Phaeton was only available as a Deluxe model (higher-level trim). Thanks yet again to Barn Finds reader T. J. for sending in this cool car!
The ad states that the car is an “all-original” barn find still coated in its original paint. The body does look to be in better shape than the sedan I posted about and there seems to be minimal rust at worst. While the chrome is complete, unless you want the patina look you’ll have to have it all redone.
In a similar vein, the interior looks far more complete than the sedan’s, but if you want it to be in nice condition, you’ll be starting over anyway. It is helpful, however, that all the gauges are in place and even the steering wheel looks pretty nice.
It’s a little disappointing that the engine freely turns over but that it doesn’t start. With a powerplant as simple as a Ford flathead, it probably wouldn’t take much to get it running. So what do you think? Is the top-down appeal of the Phaeton worth the premium? Let us know in the comments!
If you get a chance to see or even see a picture of an original or restored Phaeton you will understand my comment on the ’36 sedan.
No edit available. Make that ’35 sedan. I’d would put the wire wheels on this one too.
I just might. I have a spare set……… and a brand new set of tires in the “barn”
This is like the one Jack Nicholson drove in the 1974 Movie – “Chinatown”. It killed me when they crashed it into a tree. The movie car was perfect and then…. Crash! So sad. I’m sure it was repairable but it had a perfect original grill then…. Not.
Just seen running and driving one on hemmings for 26500.00. would be a beautiful car, but a lot of work work to make it a runner and driver for that price. Hope someone restores it.
In that condition, it becomes a money pit! There was a slantback here for sale for 17K and it needed everything done to it! I could see at least that much more put into it and it still wouldn’t be worth a lot more when finished. It would have to be a labor of love for sentimental value.
We have a great B/W picture of our Dad standing next to one of these when he was 16 years old. Wearing a white suit and with one foot propped up on the running board he cut quite a dashing figure.
I’d love to keep it as is – clean up the paint, install period seat covers, hop up the flathead a bit, and just drive it. The phaeton is so much sportier than the convertible sedan. But $12k seems like a stretch….maybe 8-9k?
Not sure how many people are doing nut and bolt restorations on 30s Fords today…there’s quite a few nice ones out there already at reasonable prices.
Bring a Trailer had an incredible survivor quality ’35 convertible sedan earlier this year and it only brought $26k.
The 1939 Buick Phaeton had roll-up windows and a removable center post.
The 1939 Buick was a four door convertable.
The VW Phaeton has power windows and A/C. Rover had a 4-door coupe. Triumph had a Roadster with roll-up windows. When auto manufacturers play fast & loose with descriptive names, it can get confusing fast.
The price is FIRM! That is such a turn off to me. I always want to dicker when buying a car. I personally would never respond to an ad with a firm price.
This could be such a phenomenal car. The market has shrunk a lot for cars of this age, but I know someone will fall in love at the right price.
True, when someone says “FIRM!” it’s usually a red flag that they’re hard to work with.
Not to mention the cost of shipping has doubled lately.
I hate repeating myself when I see these old cars they are not worth restoring today you could have 50k in it, buy a restored car for less.
It has later model engine , what else is not original .
Well boys- I just bought it.
It will be staying as is with a little bit of clean up and getting it mechanically sound. So much more fun then a restoration-which is too costly.
Congratulations, Ronn!!!!
Congratulations, Ronn. I hope you get much joy out of it!
Rare car only little over 6000 built. I have a friend who has one. Not worth the firm price though. This is street rod material
Make a high-end rod out of it. Black, red wire wheels and red interior, black top. 5.0 liter automatic.
I think I have explained the defination, of all terms for early model Ford Cars, more than once on Barn Finds. It is simple and is 100% true for Fords and I would guess 90% true for evey other manufacture. Open cars are very easy. Open is anything that the top goes down. Next ,does it have roll up windows or side curtins? If it has roll up windows ,it will be called a Cabrolet depending on year of manufacture. In the later 30’s the term Cabrolet, became Covertiable. The two door models were Roadsters if they had side curtins. The 4 doors with side curtins are Pheatons. The 4 doors with windows were Convertible Sedans, the first in 1935 and the last one being 1939. The last Roadster was 1937 and somewhere in this time frame the Cabrolet became a Convertible. There maybe some discussion ,but the last Pheaton was 1936 or 1937.. That covers open cars . Closed cars two doors were coupes also designated by windows,not counting windshield, a 3 or 5 window, until 1937, no more 3 windows. The Sedan designation was a back seat and 2 or 4 doors, was a sedan. A two door was sometimes called a Tudor, not exactly a correct term. Then there were Commercial Vehices starting with Pick Ups, Roadster Pick Ups only 32 to 34, Sedan Delivery’s. Panel Deliveies and large Commercial Trucks.
This is not comlplicated, but I would not be suprised, if someone questions my definitions or “spelling”, as this has alway been a topic of discusssion and opinions. It is really not all that important except when you hear about a car for sale and it is described as Phaeton and it is a 4 door Sedan. I never trust a description until I see the car.
My 1950 Jaguar XK 120 was a roadster not a convertable. It also had an all alloy body. She would be worth over $200,000. today.
In high school we had a teacher who had a 1935 Phaeton in Washington Blue. It appeared to my teen age eyes to be perfect. Of course it was 1971. Funny enough between him and another teacher with a collection of Indians I’ve referred to in the past, that school had more than its share of motorheads for the time………..not to mention the teacher with a 1971 442.
Great times if only I had realized it :)