So I'm looking at a 1948 Ford Super Deluxe Coupe which is a barn find--more like a garage find. I met an older gentleman through some of my wifes family at a party who was telling me about it. I went to look at it and couldn't really get a really good look because it's in a garage with lots of stuff around it and you can tell it's been there a long time. The plate was last registered in 1987 and the man has owned the car since 1961. I'm new to this era of cars. I've messed with many chevys and fords in the 60's but never anything this vintage. It is a Flat head 8 that was rebuilt some years ago and the car is supposed to run. The gl*** is good except for one and the car doesn't seem to have any rust or dents. It was repainted black imron sometime in the 80s and the main thing I noticed that it does have pretty good damage to the stainless trim pieces on the fenders. The original cloth material was covered over with some vinyle because he didn't like the feel of it but is supposed to be in good condition under there. The headliner is redone in vinyl and is a mediocre job. What is this car worth? I can likely get it for around $6500 but I don't want it to be something I get myself in over my head as I know how cl***ics can be if you ever decide to sell and I'm not sure on the desirability of this car? I believe the car has 57k original miles. Thanks!
If you can clean it up, do the fluids, tune up, etc, you'd be good. I'd want to hear it run though, otherwise, to me, it's not a runner and I wouldn't bring my running car money to the table. A gutted beater/parts car in my neck of the woods would be about $600-$800, for a baseline.
Well I live about 30 miles away from the guy and he offered to drive it to my house to get a good look at it so I guess that might qualify it as a runner. I could clean it up like you say but my intention would be to re paint the car black with a decent bc/cc and buff and get the interior to as close to stock as I could. I wonder if that stainless is repairable? The one on that back fender looks pretty damn bent in.
Old Cars Report Price Guide says $6500 for a #4. Should be worth that if he drives it to your house and it isn't beat up or rusted out. Not running, parts missing, damage or rust out depreciates value.
If it makes it to your house 30 miles away, that's a driver. If a 48 SD coupe is the car you want, I'd say that sounds like a good deal. I don't think you could build one up out of parts for that easily. If the paint is good, that should make the respray a lot easier.
Don't know where you are from Krazy, but around here a coupe like that is worth $6500 all day long. When he pulls it into your driveway, make sure to look underneath for rust through on the frame, floor, or sub rails. If all good, hand him the cash before he changes his mind.
Thanks for the replies guys. It's not exactly the car I've always wanted or anything like that but I love all cl***ic cars. I've always wanted a Tri Five Chevy Bel air but you're lucky to get a pile of parts for $10k. If it drives to my house I'll jack it up and take a look at the trunk. The drift I get is that I could remove the trim, sand this car down then primer and block and primer and block and primer and block you know the drill and spray it in a bc/cc black and color sand and buff and spruce up the interior and I'd likely have a $20k car. Not sure if I'd ever get that back but I think it would be a solid $20k car. I really don't know for sure until I take a really good look at it. The steering wheel and gauges is in amazing shape. I find the fact that it's an original flathead 8 as a very very cool factor.
If it turns out not to be your thing later, that car won't be hard to get rid of. Those 46-48 coupes have a strong following.
you should be able to find trim pieces at swap meet, etc. it is a desireble body style, for Ford guys. that is quite a jump from $6500 and doing a repaint and expecting it to be worth $20K. before he goes through all of the trouble to drive it to your place you need to decide if you really want to to spend the time and money on a car you do not really want, and will not be the Chevy you want. He may be dreaming that a car that has been sitting for many years is going start right up and just drive it down the road without some work.
Well, the price is $5500 at this point. No I'm not thinking I'll get $20k with a paint job. A full restoration might or might not. Although I love the tri fives I've also gotten to the point where their pricing is so annoying for something there's so many of. In other words what's turning me off about tri-five cars is that $30k-$40k later you have a car that 3 dozen other people have at the local car show. This 48 Ford I can't say I've seen many of around here. I'm actually thinking that if I get it I'm going to likely keep it. Possibly drive it as is for a while and restore as I see convenient.
I'm in New Mexico. I will take a very thorough look at the car before I lay out the cash but sitting inside a garage in NM is unlikely rust habitat. I talked to him and he said he'd take $5500. I'm going to take a good look at it and if it indeed runs I'm afraid I'll regret not getting it for that cost.
Stainless trim available from MAC's for 47/48 Ford- if trim as banged up as you say- fender may be crunched a bit as well- not hard or expensive to lower these cars some- Post photos when you get them- IMRON paint is tough stuff- Clean up a bit spending labor time not cash and flip it- many options for you-
Stainless trim is repairable; just takes some tender time. you could get the trim presentable on your own. I did mine, although it wasn't mangled, it did have some dents. As far as lowering, you can replace the front crossmember to get some drop, longer shackles in the back and tire size adjustment. These will give you a modest lowering with out spending a lot time or money. For now.
I paid $5,000 for my 46 coupe sedan 3 three years ago up north. running, driving and stopping 6 cyl. I had to replace some sheet metal (behind doors and trunk) and also had to replace inner rockers. so I think that is a fair price for the one your looking at.
$5500 is a very fair price for a running, driving car. If little or no rust repair is needed, that's a bonus. Almost all of the exterior stainless trim for the '48 is being reproduced now by Drake (but not for the '46-47) so that shouldn't be an issue. Typical top values are currently around the $14-17K range for a 'very nice' mostly stock driver, you'll need 'show quality' if you expect to get more. Still one of the better bargains in a vintage Ford IMO, but I'm prejudiced... LOL
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