Elite Dealer

1951 Ford Custom Deluxe

Riverhead, New York

$29,995 $39,495

Vehicle Details

Make

Ford

Model

Custom Deluxe

Year

1951

Body Type

Convertible

Transmission

Manual

Drivetrain

RWD

Fuel Type

Gasoline

Engine

Flathead V8

Condition

Good

Description

This 1951 Ford Custom Deluxe convertible carries genuine rock and roll history—it was owned and nicknamed "Chickie" by Billy Joel during the 1990s. Under the hood sits the classic flathead V8 paired with a three-on-the-tree manual transmission, backed by dual exhaust for authentic period sound and performance. Recent mechanical work includes new hoses, plugs, wires, cap, and a chrome alternator and battery, ensuring reliability.

The Polara caps, hand-painted pinstripe, and beautifully preserved chrome and stainless trim showcase meticulous attention to detail. Power convertible top operates flawlessly with matching boot. Skirts and continental kit complete the iconic look.

Inside, a lofty bench seat awaits. This convertible runs and drives great, combining the soul of an American classic with genuine celebrity provenance and enthusiast-grade restoration work.

Ford Custom / Custom Deluxe Buyer's Guide (1949–1956)

Full guide

Mike Sullivan

Muscle Cars

1949–1956

~4 min read

Updated Apr 2026

The postwar "shoebox" Ford is one of the most beloved American cars of the early 1950s — clean styling that aged gracefully, a flathead V8 through 1953, and the new overhead-valve Y-block from 1954. The Custom and Custom Deluxe trims were the volume-sellers of the generation. Honest, plentiful, and still reasonably priced.

This guide covers

✓ 10-point inspection checklist

✓ Common issues & what to avoid

✓ In-person inspection guide

✓ Market pricing by year & condition

✓ 4 FAQs answered

✓ History & fun facts

Read the Full Custom Deluxe Buyer's Guide

Ford Custom Market Overview

Based on 84 Ford Custom listings currently on ClassicCarsArena.com

Listed Now

$26,187

Avg. Asking Price

1932–1972

Year Range

Price Position on Our Site — Average Range

This car: $29,995

Low: $1,750 High: $76,895

Transmission Distribution

Automatic 30%

Manual 36% ◄

Condition Distribution

Excellent 10%

Good 13% ◄

Fair 8%

Data from ClassicCarsArena.com listings Browse all 84 listings →

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What is this car worth?

Check sold prices for the 1951 Ford Custom Deluxe

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Ford Custom / Custom Deluxe Buyer's Guide (1949–1956)

The 1949 Ford was a genuine revolution. After years of wartime design freezes and prewar styling, Ford unveiled a completely new low, wide, integrated body that made every competitor look old overnight. The Custom Deluxe was the top trim of that generation — the car that most buyers stretched to afford. What I appreciate about these cars is that they're still findable at prices that make sense. You can buy a good driver-quality 1950 or 1951 Ford for what you'd spend on a mediocre late-model used car, and it'll be worth every bit of that and more in ten years.

What to Check Before Buying

✓

Lower rear quarters — Inspect bottom of rear fender panels — primary rust zone on these cars

✓

Trunk floor corners — Remove mat and probe all four trunk corners for rust penetration

✓

Floor pans — Lift front seat carpet and check for rust or patch repairs

✓

Lower door seams — Check bottom edge of door skins for seam rust

✓

Cowl channel — Probe windshield base area for rust in drainage channel

✓

Flathead head gasket check — Inspect coolant for oily film and oil for milky appearance

✓

Cold start — Start from cold, verify stable idle and no knocking

✓

Victoria seal check — On 1951 hardtop: inspect window seal condition at sill for water intrusion

✓

Chrome trim inventory — Document all trim pieces — 1950s chrome is expensive to restore

✓

Electrical grounds — Test all lights and gauges on 6-volt cars — issues trace to grounds

Common Issues

Lower rear quarter rust and trunk floor corner deterioration are the defining issues on unrestored examples. Floor pan rust from trapped moisture is common. Flathead V8 head gasket failure between cylinders and coolant passages is the classic flathead problem — caused by overheating and age-hardened gaskets; compression test and fluid inspection are essential. Y-block engines are generally more robust but leak at the rear main seal when O-rings harden. The 6-volt electrical system on pre-1956 cars requires correct grounds throughout. Hardtop window seal deterioration on 1951 Victoria cars causes water intrusion at the windowsill. Chrome trim on 1955–1956 cars is expensive to replate when pitted.

What to Look For

Lower rear quarters at the bottom of the fender panel — primary rust zone. Trunk floor corners — probe after removing mat. Floor pans under front seat. Lower door skin seams along the bottom edge. Cowl channel at the windshield base — probe through vent slots. On flathead V8 cars: check coolant for oily sheen and oil for milky appearance indicating head gasket failure. On Y-block cars: check for oil leaks at the rear main and timing cover. Verify the 1951 Victoria hardtop window seals are intact — the pillarless design leaks at the window frames when seals are deteriorated. Test all body trim for completeness — 1950s chrome trim is expensive to restore.

Price Guide

Driver-quality 1949–1953 sedans/coupes: $12,000–$20,000. Show quality: $25,000–$38,000. 1951 Victoria hardtop adds 20–25% at any condition level. 1955–1956 cars trade at similar prices with strong chrome content. Last-year flathead (1953) carries a modest premium among flathead enthusiasts. Hot rod–built shoebox Fords price on build quality, not year — a quality flathead build on clean steel commands $30,000–$60,000.

Did You Know?

The 1949 Ford design was so successful that it is credited with saving Ford Motor Company from near-bankruptcy following the troubled postwar years. The 239 ci flathead V8 in the 1949–1953 Fords was fundamentally the same engine Henry Ford had introduced in 1932 — continuously refined but architecturally unchanged for over 20 years. The 1955 Ford outsold Chevrolet for the first time in years, triggering the heated annual sales battle of the late 1950s that gave us some of the best-looking American cars ever built.

Elite Dealer

$29,995 $39,495

Price Cut! -$9,500 (-24.1%)

1951 Ford Custom Deluxe

Riverhead, New York

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