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1939 Ford Deluxe

$44,997

1939 Ford Deluxe

Vehicle Details

Make

Ford

Model

Deluxe

Year

1939

Mileage

4,466 miles

VIN

91A74361

Body Type

Convertible

Transmission

Automatic

Engine

Boss 302

Description

1939 Ford Deluxe Four-Door Convertible Sedan Street Rod — Boss 302 V8, Four Two-Barrel Carbs, Full Leather Interior Why This Car Is Special The 1939 Ford Deluxe was the last pre-war Ford to wear the classic styling that defined the late 1930s. Designed under the direction of Bob Gregorie, the 1939 Ford Deluxe carried a vertical bar grille, sweeping fenders, and a profile that remains one of the most recognizable silhouettes in American automotive history. Ford offered the Deluxe in a broad range of body styles that year, but the four-door convertible sedan was always among the rarest configurations.

Unlike a standard convertible, the four-door convertible sedan retained a full set of doors and a rear-hinged back door on each side, giving passengers genuine access to the back seat without sacrificing the open-air experience. Production numbers for this body style were extremely limited even when new, and the passage of more than eight decades has made intact, steel-bodied examples genuinely scarce. This particular 1939 Ford Deluxe takes the open-air four-door concept and builds on it in a direction that makes the car equally at home on a long cruise as it is at a show field.

The builder chose a Boss 302 V8 crate engine as the heart of the build — a logical and historically appropriate choice, since the Boss 302 is a Ford engine through and through. Topped with four two-barrel carburetors, the intake setup is a serious nod to the tradition of multi-carb street and show engines that defined custom Ford builds for decades. The result under that cream-painted hood is a visual centerpiece as much as a powerplant.

A complete American Auto wiring harness, electronic ignition, and a chrome alternator mean this is not a car that was given a modern engine and left with antique electrical infrastructure trying to keep up with it. The chassis work is equally thorough. HEIDTS supplied the front end, which includes tubular A-arms, coil-over front suspension, and rack-and-pinion steering — a combination that addresses the handling limitations of the original transverse leaf front suspension while maintaining a period-correct stance.

A Ford 9-inch rear end handles the power delivery out back, which is the correct choice for any serious street rod build. The 9-inch has been the default rear axle for custom Ford builds for more than sixty years because of its strength, the wide availability of gear sets and carriers, and its known rebuild path. The finished car presents in cream over a tan full leather interior, with a HARTZ cloth convertible top and blue dot taillights that pay tribute to the accessory customizers were fitting to pre-war Fords as far back as the 1940s.

This is a 1939 Ford Deluxe that drives the way it looks — with purpose, presence, and a long list of thoughtful decisions made by someone who understood both the car and the craft. Features List - Ford Boss 302 V8 crate engine - Four two-barrel carburetors - Automatic transmission - HEIDTS front end with rack-and-pinion steering - Tubular A-arms - Coil-over front suspension - 9-inch Ford rear end - Front disc brakes - Ceramic coated headers - Dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers and Magnaflow exhaust tips - Electric cooling fan - Electronic ignition - Chrome alternator - American Auto wiring harness - HARTZ cloth convertible top with leather convertible top boot - Full leather interior in tan - Power leather reclining front seats - Leather rear bucket seats - Headrests front and rear - Seat belts front and rear - Wood door cap trim - Billet dash insert - VDO 5-gauge instrument cluster - VDO quartz clock - Ididit tilt steering column - Grant wooden steering wheel - Lokar floor shifter - Lokar dipsticks - Billet gas and brake pedals - Aftermarket CD stereo - Leather trunk interior - Leather battery cover - Custom diamond-plate engine bay liner - Custom embroidered floor mats - Coker Smoothie wheels with Ford center caps - Blue dot taillights - Chrome exterior mirr

Classic Ford Deluxe Buyer's Guide (1935–1940)

Full guide
J
Jim Vasquez
Hot Rods
1935–1940
~5 min read
Updated Apr 2026
The 1935–1940 Ford Deluxe put Henry's flathead V8 within reach of working Americans — and gave hot rodders their favorite raw material for the next eighty years. Here's how to buy one right.
This guide covers
12-point inspection checklist
Common issues & what to avoid
In-person inspection guide
Market pricing by year & condition
6 FAQs answered
History & fun facts

Ford Deluxe Market Overview

Based on 175 Ford Deluxe listings currently on ClassicCarsArena.com

175
Listed Now
$35,600
Avg. Asking Price
1929–1959
Year Range
Price Position on Our Site — Average Range
This car: $44,997
Low: $3,500 High: $94,995
Transmission Distribution
Automatic 39% ◄
Manual 31%
Condition Distribution
Excellent 12%
Good 10%
Fair 6%
Poor 2%
Data from ClassicCarsArena.com listings Browse all 175 listings →
💰

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Classic Ford Deluxe Buyer's Guide (1935–1940)

Few cars shaped American car culture as completely as the prewar Ford Deluxe. Between 1935 and 1940, Ford built millions of V8-powered coupes, sedans, and convertibles that were affordable enough for everyday buyers and fast enough to embarrass far more expensive competition. Today those same cars anchor show fields from Goodguys to GNRS, get chopped and channeled into kustoms, or sit glass-encased as factory-stock survivors. The market is broad, the parts supply is deep, and the prices — if you know where to look — can still be surprisingly reasonable. But the buying traps are just as broad. Here's what I've learned buying and building them for thirty years.

What to Check Before Buying

Frame rails — Probe rear kick-up sections with screwdriver for corrosion — soft metal is a deal-breaker
Floor pans — Check from underneath with flashlight; assess patch quality and extent of any repairs
Cowl area — Open cowl vent, inspect firewall and cowl channel for rust and water damage
Body panel filler — Run magnet across all panels — non-magnetic areas indicate filler, assess thickness
Flathead compression — Cold compression test all 8 cylinders — minimum 100 psi, consistent across all
Cooling system — Verify re-cored 3- or 4-row radiator; check thermostat type and coolant condition
Trunk floor — Lift spare tire and inspect trunk floor and spare well for rust penetration
Electrical system — Confirm 6-volt positive ground is intact and unmolested; check grounds for corrosion
Torque tube — Inspect driveshaft housing for cracks, especially at rear axle union
Title and trim verification — Verify body style and trim level match the title and any claimed original spec
Engine oil consumption — Drive at least 20 minutes and check for blue smoke — indicates valve or ring wear
Cold start behavior — Start from cold; should fire within a few cranks and idle without significant smoke

Common Issues

Flathead V8 overheating is the most common mechanical issue. The cooling system design puts the water pump on the engine block rather than the radiator hose circuit, and the early thermostats are often replaced with incorrect parts. Make sure the radiator has been re-cored with modern three-row or four-row copper/brass — the original single-row units are inadequate for modern driving conditions. Cylinder head cracking is the consequence of repeated overheating; the thin walls are unforgiving. Frame rust at the rear kick-up is structural and expensive — a car with a compromised frame is not a deal at any price until you know the repair cost. Six-volt positive-ground electrical gremlins: corrosion on grounds is the most common cause of intermittent starting and lighting issues. Floor pan rust is almost universal on cars stored outside; assess severity carefully before committing. The torque tube and rear axle seals commonly weep gear oil. Windshield glass on the earlier models was single-pane flat glass — cracks are common and correct replacements are expensive reproduction units.

What to Look For

Check the frame rails first — poke both sides at the rear kick-up section with a screwdriver. Soft metal means frame repair and a renegotiated price or a walk. Run a magnet across all body panels; thick non-magnetic areas indicate lead or filler over rust. Open the cowl vent and look down into the firewall area with a flashlight — water traps here and rusts from inside out. Pop the trunk, lift the spare tire, and check that area closely. Pull the door sill plates and look at the floor pan edges where they meet the rockers. Start the engine cold and watch for blue smoke on startup (worn rings or valve guides); let it reach operating temperature and check for oil seeps at the valley cover and the timing cover. Verify the transmission shifts cleanly into all three gears and that the torque tube (the driveshaft housing) is not bent or cracked — cracks are typically found at the rear axle connection. Confirm the body style and trim level match the title; swapped firewalls and dash panels are common in the hot rod world and may affect value.

Price Guide

As of 2025, a driver-quality original in presentable condition with a solid body and running flathead V8 trades in the $18,000–$28,000 range. Full show-quality stock restorations with documented history push $45,000–$65,000, with concours-level cars occasionally reaching $80,000. The 1940 model consistently commands a 15–25% premium over equivalent 1935–1938 examples. For project cars — complete, all-original, not cut up — expect to pay $6,000–$14,000 depending on body style (coupes and convertibles carry premiums over sedans). Hot rods and customs are priced on quality of build rather than original condition: a correctly executed period-style custom with professional chop and running flathead can reach $90,000–$120,000 at major auction. Convertibles (cabriolets) carry a 20–40% premium over closed cars across all condition grades. Be cautious of cars priced well below market — hidden structural rust and bad "restorations" are common at the lower end.

Did You Know?

The flathead V8 in these cars is the same basic design Ford introduced in 1932 as a response to Chevrolet's six — the first mass-produced V8 in an affordable American car. Hot rodders immediately recognized the potential: with simple modifications the engine could produce nearly double its stock output. The Beach Boys song "Little Deuce Coupe" immortalized the 1932 Ford, but the 1935–1940 models benefited from the same cultural halo. Edsel Ford personally signed off on the styling direction for the 1940, considering it the most beautifully proportioned car his company had produced. The 1939 Ford was the first production car in the world to offer sealed-beam headlights as standard equipment.

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