Vehicle Description
1948 Ford Deluxe Convertible
The most famous car to appear in the Back to the Future movies was,
of course, the DeLorean. But it wasn't the only automobile in the
cult-classic films. One of the most memorable scenes from the
original was when Biff drove his convertible into a truck full of
manure - covering himself, his cronies, and his car with the stuff,
(actually it was shredded peat moss, cork, dirt and a food
thickening agent). Of course, Biff's drop top Ford was a 1946. But
then again, his car also started life as a fixed roof coupe that
had its top cut off. I guess convertibles don't look like
convertibles on the big screen?
Let's go back in time and see what this 48 Ford Deluxe convertible
has to offer up. Its on consignment in the Hallowed Halls of our
beloved Classic Auto Mall and a great candidate to be restored. A
great color combination, and if you are like me, a sucker for the
post war pontoon styling, you'll need to take a look at this late
40's piece of automobilia.
Exterior
A bit simpler than its sister car the Mercury 8, this Deluxe has
just the right amount of chrome, curved steel and orange paint. A
horizontal ribbed grille framed by single headlights and small
round turn signals along with 2 bumper mounted fog lights fronts
this machine. Nicely curved fenders with simple chromed spears and
a just above the belt line spear runs from stem to stern and is in
good condition. Mostly straight steel panels maintain decent gaps
and are bathed in orange which shows a few faults overall along
with very notable surface rust and fading but invasive rust is kept
to a minimum. Body matching steel wheels with FORD logo moon caps
are wrapped by Firestone wide white bias tires. A tan canvas
convertible top is up top but will need replacing due to tearing
and separation from the top frame.
Interior
An orange vinyl split bench with cloth inserts is up front and a
full bench is in the rear and is in need of recovering on the front
seat more so than the rear, which can be salvaged if necessary.
These float on camel tan carpeting that is in usable condition.
Matching orange vinyl, cloth and camel tan door panels are also
seen but are in need of replacement. An orange body matching steel
dash, with a cream metal insert in the center which houses
rectangular gauges on the left, and a center dual round speedometer
and clock flank a center mounted radio which is falling back into
the dash. A worn original steering wheel sticks out from the dash
and has a circular horn ring in the center.
Drivetrain
A 239ci V8 is within an unrestored and patinaed engine bay. It has
a single 2-barrel carburetor, and a 3-speed manual transmission in
back. This pushes power back to a 3.78 geared rear.
Undercarriage
Matching the body, interior and engine bay, we see an unrestored
undercarriage complete with patina and a healthy coating of surface
rust. While the frame and floors remain solid, we note invasive
rust in the inner rockers and aft section of the trunk pan. We see
transverse leaf suspension and drum brakes on all 4 corners.
Drive-Ability
This car is a non runner, but our consignor did have it turning
over. The consignor is presently looking for the key, so more
information may be coming...
Overall a complete fairly good condition car, with all of its
chrome, and a fairly rust-free body. Overall, a diamond in the
rough and a great candidate for a restoration or let your
imagination run wild and build the hot rod of your dreams.
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.