The 1946 Ford Super DeLuxe coupe was, in reality, a mildly restyled 1942 model, as it took a while for new models to develop following the end of World War II. That isn’t to say that engineering and development had stagnated because the 1946 model year brought with it a couple of significant development updates. Barn Finder Ikey H has had his eagle eyes open and referred this 1946 Coupe to us. Thank you so much for your help there Ikey. The Ford is located in Belle Plain, Minnesota, and is listed for sale here on Craigslist. This old classic can be yours for $10,995.

This is a pretty clean car, but it isn’t perfect. The body looks to be free of rust, and the black paint generally looks to be quite good. There are a few dings and scrapes present, but there’s nothing there that is likely to cause you to have sleepless nights. Some of the external chrome and trim, most notably the front bumper, could use some restoration work. The glass also looks like it is quite good. It just looks like there is nothing that requires urgent attention on this one.

The interior is an interesting proposition because while it looks pretty good, there are some details that, if attended to, would really bring it up a notch. The dash looks to be in good order and features the great looking factory radio. The headliner appears to be original, and while it is free of rips and tears, it has developed that “dirty” look that is so common for cars of this era. The upholstery on the seats and door trims isn’t original, but I don’t think that it looks out of place. The car is missing its kick panels, and while this isn’t a major problem, it does detract from the general cleanliness of the rest of the interior. I honestly think that a set of kick panels, coupled with a new headliner, and this would be a great looking interior.

For the 1946 model year, it was what was happening under the hood that signified one of the major developments for the Ford. Gone was the 221ci flathead engine, and in its place was the larger 239ci version. This resulted in a negligible increase in power, up from 96hp to 100hp, but it did provide the car with noticeably more torque. The Ford was now a car that was more at home in heavy traffic and performed better on steep roads. Those horses were then sent to the rear wheels via a 3-speed manual transmission. The owner says that the Ford would be a perfect candidate for a restoration, or it could quite easily be driven as it is. To assist with the latter option, the fuel system and carburetor have undergone some significant maintenance to ensure that the car runs properly.

Decision time. Will the next owner take this 1946 Ford and perform a partial or full restoration, will they use it as the foundation for a custom project, or will they just drive it as it is? Any of these options would seem to be feasible, and the car would be a good thing either way. I’d probably fix the few dings, restore the external chrome that needs it, address the few details that I identified inside the car, and then get out on the road. How about you?