For people who are unable to undertake a restoration project for one reason or another, finding a really nice classic to park in their garage can sometimes be hard, but this 1946 Ford Sedan might just fill that spot nicely. The presentation of the car is impressive, and while it may not be a faithful restoration, it is still a car that will attract attention wherever it goes. The Ford is located in Negaunee, Michigan, and is listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set the opening bid for the Ford at $10,000, although you can hit the button on a BIN price of $12,000.
It appears that the Ford may have started its life finished in a pale blue color but was refurbished during the 1990s. This is when the current Teal Blue paint was applied, which does look very nice. There are a few minor blemishes on the body, but nothing that would be considered to be a deal-breaker. The chrome and trim look to be in amazing condition, with no signs of pitting or damage. The wide white-wall Firestone tires give the Ford just the right look. The floors look to be solid, although the owner does admit that there is some pitting in the trunk. He says that it is still solid, and while there are also some minor pin-holes in the bottom of the passenger door, it looks like these have been treated, and they shouldn’t deteriorate any further.
The interior of the Ford isn’t original, but it is in wonderful condition. It is extremely hard to be critical of any of the upholstered surfaces, and while the carpet may not be original, it is also in great condition. The steering wheel has a few cracks, but this could quite easily be restored. About the only thing that I might be inclined to change would be the color of the dash, but only if I was leaving the outside of the car as it is. It would be tempting to repaint the darker section of the dash to match the exterior color, as I think that it would tie it all together a bit better. Of course, that’s a personal choice.
Under the hood is the 239ci flathead V8, which is hooked to a 3-speed manual transmission. The owner states that this is the original motor and that when it starts, it purrs like a kitten. It is fitted with a chrome air cleaner, but the original oil-bath unit is also included. The car is also fitted with a dual exhaust, which is said to sound really nice. The car runs and drives well, the transmission shifts smoothly, and the brakes, which are all new, stop the car straight and true. If you can judge the mechanical state of the car by the appearance of things under the hood, it doesn’t look like you’ll be laying a spanner on this Ford any time soon.
Tracing the values of the 1946 Ford is actually quite interesting. Since 2000, the values increased at a quite healthy rate. However, these were one car that was hit badly by the Global Financial Crisis, and then the values simply fell off a cliff. They have now rebounded quite strongly, and while you can find pretty reasonable ones for around the same price as this car, really immaculate examples can set you back as much as three times the price. I would class this Ford as being significantly better than you would expect from a car wearing that “reasonable” tag, and that makes it seem like a pretty good car for the price.
That’s quite a color combination…not. But better to buy one that is mostly done, money wise. Redo the dashboard in the faux woodgrain that was factory and repaint it in the original color as well as the engine block and voila…..
It would be hard to find a good solid project car and get it to this condition for $12,000. Nice car. Had a chance to buy one in circa 1965 for a mere $25 but passed because it only had a little Ford 60 in it. :-) Terry J
I have had several 46 to 48 Fords, I have always liked them. Probably because my Dad had a new one after the war and it is the first car ,I can remember. Also, they have always been one the lowest priced early Ford V-8’s, excluding convertiables, station wagons and sportsman (the most expesive). Everyone, I had was a great driver with the flathead V-8 and I had one with a SBC and air, it was the best. I think the most, I ever paid was 5K and the most I ever sold one for, was 17K. I had a 6 cyylider not great, pulled it out and put in a SBC, it is probably one of the simplest engine swaps you can do.
A couple corrections a 46 Ford, not a convertiable ,wagons or sportsman ever had a faux wood dash. Also, the V-8 60 was never used in 1946 from the factory. The car pictured has carpet in the front, also never available ,rubber mats in front, carpet in the rear. The upholustry in the car is nice but not exactly original. Deck lid is a mystery, lower trim is 46, top trim is 47 or 48. The 46 has very distinctive diferences from 47 and 48. The 47 and 48 are almost impossible to tell apart with out very close inspection, or looking at the title, and the title many times is not correct. I have seen allot of 46’s titled as 47’s, the reason because of when they were sold and left the factory. Cars were in such high demand then, that people didn’t care much, they just wanted a new car. My dad and my uncle bought theirs on the same day, one a 46 the other a 47.
Of course that little V8 60 was put in there by somebody. As we walked away from it I said to my buddies “I’ll bet that thing couldn’t even patch out”. Ah the mind of a 15 year old. :-) Terry J