1948 Ford Deluxe

1948 Ford Deluxe Coupe

For consignment is one such car. Restored in the 90\'s and freshened up more than twenty years later, here\'s a shining example of what some creativity and ambition can do to a car from the 40\'s. It showcases some quintessential hotrod elements and has an interior that would make owners of some modern cars envious. This is a fun and unique build using a popular car as the palette.

Exterior
Looking at the color codes for Ford, 1948 yields a list containing some blues, greens, gray, black and the outlier, maize yellow. And with single stage paint, gloss just wasn\'t a thing. Imagine this car on the road in 1948...shiny Mint Green paint covering the car like a vat of melted nonpareil candy. Even the grille is mint green. It\'s almost as if the car is illuminated! The sea of green is split from nose to stern with a charcoal flame on each side and etched with an elaborate pinstripe design on the massive trunk. The headlights are frenched while the marker lights are hidden behind slits in the frenched bumper. The taillights get the same treatment on the back bumper. Shaved door handles and hidden hinges render the body smooth. Polished wheels with knockoff spinners are staggered by two inches with 15\'s in the front and 17\'s in the back, each tucked under the wide fenders. We note some paint imperfections along the way including some cracks and scratches and with some curb rash on a wheel. At 20 feet, you\'d be hard pressed to find these things.

Interior
The door opens in reverse suicide style and reveals a highly stylized and modern door card in leather and other material with a geometric shape surrounding a speaker. Billet handles and levers prevail, and a nicely detailed armrest is present. Beige and black is the color palette on the inside and the tall front buckets are modern and well cushioned. The back bench accommodates two and repeats the two-tone theme. The four-spoke steering wheel is wrapped in beige leather and the stalk has a billet knob. Vintage style gauges are mounted on a metal backer, lined in mint green and repeated on the foot pedals for a slightly art deco feel. Under the dash is fan, choke, and some other switches mounted on a leather-wrapped box and the words \"fan, light, and choke\" are embroidered into the leather...a nice touch we don\'t see often enough. The main metal dash is painted as the exterior including a pinstripe design under a Ford blue oval. A Sunpro tachometer is mounted on top of the dash while a Kenwood Excelon HD AM/FM radio is mounted in the center tower and provides a big screen display. The raised, floor-mounted shifter has a beige leather boot while the shifter knob is a miniature billet piston, a favorite choice of hotrodders. A thin gray material covers the floor and is protected by matching mats. The headliner is beige suede and appears in good condition. The trunk is finished, lined with yet more beige leather and covered by the gray interior floor material. Our consignor states the entire interior was redone in 2021 and it does indeed look fresh.

Drivetrain
The tried-and-true Chevy 350ci V8 sits under the big hood, topped by a Holley 4-barrel carburetor. The transmission is a 700R4 4-speed automatic sending the spin back to a Ford 9\" rear. Power brakes, front discs and rear drum that join power steering and power windows in the \"power\" department. The car has air conditioning which emanates from a polished, belt-driven pump just behind an aluminum radiator. The valve covers are finned as is the air intake scoop. Various shades of polished metal under the hood add to the car\'s appeal.

Undercarriage
As we peer skyward, we\'re not seeing anything of overt concern. Some minor surface rust on bits here and there, most notably on the inside of the back fenders. The exhaust starts at headers and flows through the X frame and into Flowmaster mufflers, exiting out back through some chrome tips. Pretty dry under here too with just a spot of oil on the flexplate cover and oil pan. Coil sprung independent suspension up front and leaf springs in back.

Drive-Ability
The modern interior is so inviting it\'s like the adult version of a tree fort, a place you just want to hang out away from the world for a while. But we only had a few minutes so we pumped the gas and cranked the pistons into action and off we went. A tall ride with smooth acceleration with a great sound, this version has been spared a chop so visibility is great although the small back window takes a bit of getting used to but with side mirrors on both sides, all is well. Mind that front end, it\'s big, and the turn-ins accomplished with ease \"look at where you want the car to go\" my race instructor once told me. The rear tires are two inches fatter than the front but they\'re about the same height and handling is not encumbered in any way by the staggered width.

Okay, it\'s time. You\'ve been saying it fo

Read More

Read Less