After WWII, Ford got back to production with what was basically the new 1941 Ford which came out just before the war started. Or, started for the US, I mean. How this 1946 Ford Super Deluxe Coupe Sedan is still for sale is beyond me. It looks solid and complete and it has a flathead V8. The seller has it listed here on craigslist in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and they’re asking $4,000 or best offer.
Ok, there’s some metal-massaging to do but I can’t think of a better car to learn on than this ’46 Ford. The design was new for 1941 and then came World War II and US automakers put vehicle production on hold in early-1942 until 1945 when the war ended. The “new” 1946 models were basically the same as the 1942 models with a few styling updates. There were two-door coupes and sedans, four-door sedans and wagons, and a convertible. A Coupe Sedan is a six-passenger car as is the Tudor Sedan, but the Coupe was a three-passenger car, or what I could refer to as a business coupe. Some people call this Coupe Sedan body style a Club Coupe.
This car seems like a bargain to me, but the seller says that it’s a shed find and it hasn’t been driven for years and is currently not running. I have no doubt that most Barn Finds readers would have it running again after a weekend of tinkering. It’s hard to argue with the two-door coupe body style and the Super Deluxe was the top trim level.
We don’t get too much information as to the rust situation but at least for me, that’s always the very first concern that I have about any vehicle. Having grown up in Minnesota and lived with rusty vehicles my entire life, I always look for vehicles that are rust-free or at the very most have a tiny bit of rust somewhere that’s easy to fix. I can see at least one side of the windshield is broken as is the passenger side window. The trunk is huge and it has heavy surface rust but hopefully that can be treated. The back seat area will also need work and the driver’s door panel appears to be missing.
A big selling point, as if a black 1946 Ford Super Deluxe coupe wasn’t enough of a selling point, is the 100-hp 239 cubic-inch flathead V8. This one turns over but isn’t currently running due to sitting for several years. This really looks like a fantastic and reasonably-priced project. Hagerty is at $6,500 for a #4 fair condition car. Any thoughts on this one? Good buy or good-bye?
Such cool car sales back then!! The price is right but I need to sell some stuff before I buy another project!!!
Nice ’46. Let ‘er rip! I sure wouldn’t turn this one down although I would do my best to try to swap out the engine for what’s supposed to be in there. I look under that hood and count only 21 studs, which tells me that it’s a ’37 or a ’38. Plugs look kinda big, like 18mm so I’m going to have to go with a ’37. That’s OK, it all fits, although I’d also swap out the Third Brush generator and install the newer one so it will hook up to the regulator on the firewall (well you could actually run a 3rd brush with a regulator). It’s running the B94 carburetor so that part is correct; the ’37 engine would feature the Stromberg 97 which was introduced that year. The 24 stud engine was a 239 and rated at 100 hp. Obviously someone needed an engine and found this one. Interesting that there was something similar featured in BF a short time ago…
Wow. Look at that corn! It’s early June for cryin out loud. Minnesota corn must get 15’ high in a season.
Neat old car. Might do an engine upgrade to a modified flathead but not much else other than paint and interior. One of the best of the ’40s.
Regardless if it’s the correct engine or not this is a very cool car. If it were in Texas I’d sure be going to check it out.
God bless America
I had a 46 Business Coupe, the roof is shorter the doors are the same as a 4 door that makes this a Club Coupe with the tudor sedan doors and longer roof for easy rear access, the Business Coupe had no back seat, the engine would of had a 59AB on the heads…
I have several of these and really do like them. The 4K asking price for this is OK, but not fantastic. This car could become a real money pit, very fast. A real nice example is15 to 20k, you could reach that number and not even be close to having 15K car.