Beautiful combination of restored and original components. Believed to be 23,646 original miles. Recent paint and interior, engine just serviced and detailed. Runs and drives like a new 1946 Ford!
Wearing a proper coat of Pheasant Red, this lovely Super Deluxe coupe shows just over 23,000 original miles, a figure we have no trouble believing given the way it runs and drives. It has received just one repaint a few years ago, and that was because it was a clean west coast car that had suffered the effects of too much sunshine—we should all be so lucky, right? Anyway, it was given a full makeover and the result is one of the nicest little coupes we’ve seen in a long time. Obviously it was never rusty or damaged, and the only things fixed during the repaint were a few door dings that required nothing more than a little hammer and dolly work and maybe a skim coat of filler to really make it smooth. The paint is two-stage urethane, so it’ll look this good practically forever—sun or no sun—and they resisted the urge to add metal flakes to the finish, so it looks right. The doors open and close beautifully, the hood fits well, and the stainless trim leaves no room for error when lining everything up.
Speaking of stainless trim, there’s quite a lot of it. The great thing is that it can always be polished, although things like the grille and hood ornament, as well as the bumpers, are chrome plated. All that bright work remains in excellent condition, more than measuring up to the quality of the paint job. This might be the best-looking car in this price range we’ve ever featured.
There’s also a nice bonus inside, where you get a brand new Lebaron-Bonney interior, which uses correct fabrics and patterns to accurately re-create the 1946 experience. The seats are firm and comfortable and the pretty striped wool broadcloth with leather and vinyl trim feels durable and well-made. In typical Ford fashion, the front seat area gets a rubber mat, while rear seat passengers get fresh carpets. Door panels are simple and tasteful, and all the garnish moldings are painted tan to match the dash. All the gauges with their big, red numbers are fully operational, as is the AM radio and heater hanging underneath. Crank the windows and they move with the smoothness and precision that you only find in excellent low-mileage cars like this and we were pleased to note that the ashtrays have apparently never been used. The trunk is also correctly finished using a rubber mat, cardboard side panels, and a matching wheel with what might just be the original spare tire.
The reason these cars are so delightful is under the hood: a 239 cubic inch “flathead” V8. It’s far from slow and the burbling exhaust note makes it a joy to run it through the gears. Recently freshened by noted flathead expert Tony Gullatta, it runs extremely well, smooth and torquey with no fussiness or signs of flathead fever on warm days. There’s fresh Ford Blue engine enamel to really make it sparkle, and you’ll note that things like the Ford script hoses, clamps, and plug wires are all correct reproduction pieces that make the engine bay look right. The only real alteration is a 6-volt alternator, but you’ll be glad to have it when you run at night and see the ammeter showing a small charge, even at idle. No multi-carb setup, no headers, no finned heads, just a rock-solid stock flathead that seems to really enjoy its work. It burbles along at 60 MPH without too much effort and there’s plenty of torque on hand so you can just leave it in 2nd gear around town, it won’t complain. And it’s always accompanied by one of the best V8 soundtracks in the entire automotive kingdom.
The 3-speed manual transmission shifts neatly using the column-mounted lever, and again, this low-mileage car shows its pedigree with a linkage that has zero slop and smooth motion between the gears. There’s no hesitation or sloppiness, and clutch take-up is smooth and positive. Handling is surprisingly crisp and the little Ford coupe loves to dart through traffic where it’s happy to dice with much newer and faster vehicles. The undercarriage is quite original, from the spotless floors to the original spring “gaiters” that keep them lubricated and squeak-free, although service items like the exhaust system, brakes, and fuel tank have been recently replaced. Factory steel wheels wear trim rings and unique 1946 hubcaps, plus a set of easy-cruising 6.70-16 Firestone wide whitewall tires that are just a touch wider than stock but really fill the fenders well.
Look through our inventory and you’ll see that we love flathead Fords. If you’re just starting out in the old car hobby, you owe it to yourself to check these cars out, and if you’re an experienced collector, well, you probably already know why these cars remain so popular. This is a high-quality, turn-key car that’s far better than its price would suggest, making it an ideal place to start if you want a great-driving car that also shows quite well. Call today!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
