1939 Ford Deluxe

VIN: 185165481; Sedan; Green / Brown; 221 Flathead V8 / Manual; Mileage: N/A; Barn find, no keys, 221ci Flathead V8, good bones, 3-speed manual

1939 Ford Fordor Sedan

Offered at auction is this 1939 Ford Fordor Sedan showing 26,755 miles on the odometer, but the true miles are unknown. This car is in barn find condition and has part of the engine under the hood, and there are no keys associated with it.

Exterior
It's not difficult to imagine the classic lines of this green example as it would have been, fresh and new in 1939. It's a pure people mover with tall doors, a vast greenhouse, coach style doors, and a wide running board between the wide fenders. Despite the poor condition of the paint and trim, this is a wonderfully sculpted car on which the side trim, window trim, deco style light bezels, and robust ornament hood opener are still in place. We've got full patina here from faded paint to missing paint, surface rust, dents, broken windows, rust colored chrome, patches, filler, dry rubber on the running board, exposed steel, and real rust through.

Interior
Striped broadcloth on the door panels shows obvious age, exposure, and staining but once again, there's enough there to spark the imagination for what a restoration might look like and all of the hardware including door openers and window cranks are still in place. The material is used on the bench seat which shows plenty of age, especially on the passenger side, while the rear bench shows a series of smaller imperfections. The once handsome dashboard has oxidized and the banjo steering wheel is now cracked but the original gauges are present and fantastic with a rocket shaped needle on the speedometer. Our tattered floor also has surface rust and is missing the shifter and the mohair headliner above is ripped and stained. The trunk is full of engine parts including pistons, intake, and crank.

Drivetrain
Under the hood, remnants of the 221ci flathead V8 are present with other parts, as noted, in the trunk. This car would have been good for 85 horsepower and is tied to a 3-speed manual transmission that routes power to the rear axle with 3.78 gears.

Undercarriage
Awash in surface rust, the underside represents the barn find condition as expected with rust through reserved for body panels and old grease gunk on the rear differential and wheel components. There is a single exhaust with a stock style muffler and broken tailpipe that hangs at a downward angle. Drum brakes are at all four wheels and transverse leaf springs are used for suspension front and rear.

Drive-Ability
A torn apart engine and no keys means there's no driving this Ford.

Overall, we have to say this one has decent bones and might be the basis for a restoration or street rod conversion. If you consider it worth saving, be sure to put your bid in when bidding opens up!