In 1937, Ford introduced its latest array of passenger and light commercial vehicles simply named the 1937 Ford. Available in Standard or Deluxe form, what was called the 1937 Ford would in fact continue for four model years before the 1941 Ford took over. A slew of body styles was offered, including two-door coupe and convertible, two-door one-ton pickup truck, two or four-door sedan, two or four-door station wagon (the Woodie), and two-door van. Incremental upgrades and facelifts were introduced each year. What we’ve got for you here is a 1939 Ford Deluxe Convertible from Connecticut that’s actually a tasteful resto-mod, combining the vintage styling with some modern conveniences. It’s done just 16,500 miles and awaits its next lucky owner.

Exterior and Interior

Thirties Fords came with characteristic styling that can’t be mistaken for any other. 1939 saw the lowering of the front grille for the Deluxe trim, whilst the Standard trim retained the higher front grille of 1937 and 1938. This 1939 Ford Deluxe Convertible looks stunning in its Metallic Silver paint job and rolls on a set of chromed Boyd alloy wheels. The body is reportedly all-steel with original panels and sits on a ‘Fat Man’ chassis. You’ve also probably noticed that it cuts a lower and meaner stance, due to the suspension upgrades described in the next section. The convertible top is in a contrasting shade of black. The interior sports a light gray color scheme and seats two people on gray leather-trimmed seats under the convertible top, while a further two can be accommodated in the exposed ‘rumble seat’ which is situated at the rear where the trunk would be. These seating options give this vehicle a seating capacity of up to 6. The dash in this resto-mod is from a 1956 Oldsmobile, and it’s endowed with digital instrumentation from Dakota Digital, as well as Vintage Air AC and heating.

Engine

When new, this 1939 Ford Deluxe Convertible will have sported a 221ci Ford ‘Flathead’ V8 and three-speed, sliding-mesh manual transmission, but this resto-mod has seen the powertrain replaced with a Chevrolet ZZ4 350ci crate motor driving the rear wheels via a 700R4 Turbo-Hydramatic four-speed automatic transmission and 8-inch Ford rear end. While the original Flathead put out 85hp, the crate motor kicks out a much more substantial 350hp and sings its song through a Magnaflow exhaust. An MSD ignition, Mallory distributor and an aluminum radiator is also installed, as is power steering and power brakes, with disc brakes upfront. The front suspension with coil-over shocks are from a Ford Mustang II, whilst an Air Ride system with air shocks are present at the rear.