1948 Ford Other

Convertible

Ford 5.0 H.).

Automatic

Clear

Gasoline

I would like to get this very nice 48 Ford Resto mod convertible sold before the snow flys, and being 70 years old, need to get on with life, so am again listing it for sale, and have lowered the reserve to the south side of 30K, so grab this drop top at this low winter price. Please read the entire description to the last paragraph, and view all photos before asking questions, because your questions might not be answered until the last paragraph. If you still have questions, I will be very happy to answer them and also send you any specific photos you might want. Bidders with less than 5 feedbacks or have any negative feedback must call me at 502-839-8556 before bidding, or I will CANCEL your bids as I did in a previous listing, and to all bidders, I have had inquiries on this car outside of e-bay, so I reserve the right to end this auction early if I should secure a buyer thru other avenues. I have also changed some of the photos to hopefully better show the quality of the paint and chrome on the car, but still not really happy with the photos, because the car looks better in person that the photos. PLEASE Do NOT bid if you do NOT have readily accessible FUNDS to purchase or not serious about owning this car, and also I am not a dealer and can NOT finance this sale. This vintage convertible has some interesting history as it's had only 2 long term owners in the last 58 years. I purchased this car while living in Missouri in 1983, and the seller's mother purchased it for her him in 1958 when he was 15 years old, He was always going to fix it up but never did, so the car being only 10 years old at the time, sat in mom's garage for 25 years until I purchased it in 83. It was a typical hot rod of the era. The flathead engine was equipped with Edelbrock heads, DA dual carb intake, tubular headers, and an aluminum flywheel. The body had some customizing done, such as frenched in upper grill surround and headlights, and much of the trim removed. Shortly after purchasing the car, I began a body off frame restoration, and discovered that the body was 99% rust free. The body was chemically stripped and painted with Dupont Centari enamel with hardening agent which allowed it to be color sanded for a slick deep shine finish with no orange peel. The color is matched to the original 48 Ford color called Monsoon Maroon. You won't find any rust or paint bubbling due to rust anywhere on this car. The Vinyl convertible top on the car now was installed about 3 years ago, replacing the canvas one originally installed in the restoration.The top cylinders were replaced. The pump was changed to a late model style and moved to the rear under the top well. There is also a boot that snaps in place to cover the top when it is lowered. The frame and mechanical components were sand blasted, and also painted with an enamel chassis paint. All the chrome parts were re-chromed and have a smooth very high luster jeweler's type finish. Much of the stainless moldings are n.o.s pieces,and all the moldings have been restored and highly polished. The flathead was rebuilt with the same vintage speed equipment that was originally installed years ago. The seats are original, and covered in a heavy smooth grain leather like vinyl. It took about 18 months to complete the restoration. The 1986 Missouri inspection sticker is still on the windshield. After the restoration I drove the car sparingly for a short time attending mostly local shows and eventually found I wasn't real excited about driving a stock 48 Ford, so the car sat in the garage rather than being driven for several years, while I became involved in other vehicles and interests. After moving from Missouri to Virginia in 94 and bringing the 48 with me, it again sat idle until 97 when I decided I was going to make it a more fun and reliable car to drive. So the restomod conversion began, and took me about 4 months to complete. In the coversion, my objective was to use as many Ford parts as possible, so I started with an H.O. 5 liter Fuel injected roller cam engine, removed from a wrecked 26000 mile Mustang, coupled to a rebuilt Ford C-4 automatic trans from a 81 Mercury Cougar. The 8" Ford rear axle assy came from a 77 Granada, and the front suspension from a 78 Mustang 2 mounted on a Chassis Engineering bolt in cross member. I did convert the front discs to the larger 11" ones from a Granada, and the front calipers are (whoops) late 70's Nova. This setup seemed to work out real well. The car runs, drives, and stops especially well. All the modifications were accomplished without doing any welding to the frame. The rear springs and brackets are from a (whoops) late 80's Mopar mini van, and the front sway bar from a ( double whoops) VW Vanagan bus. The wheels are American Racing Torque Thrust D's with 15X6 on front and 15X8 on rear. The cooling system consists of the reconditioned stock 48 radiator with a 7 lb. cap and a thermostatic controlled electric fan. Never any over heating problems. The tilt steering column assy is from a mid 80"s LTD. The windshield is new, but all the side glass is original Ford script glass, and very nice. The front quarter glasses has some minor bubbling, but I felt too good to replace. The car still retains it's very nice working original speedometer and very nice clock. All the working gauges are from a fox body Mustang. Radio is a JVC with cassette, and has one speaker in the dash, and two speakers in the back seat riser, and nothing was cut in the dash to install radio. Back in 48, the option list wasn't very long, however this car does have an optional fresh air heater and a lighted hood ornament insert. In today's collector car world, restomods are becoming quite popular since you still retain the timeless beauty of the stock body complete with all the stock trim, and mostly original interior, but also have a car that is mechanically updated with a modern drive train with independent front suspension, power rack and pinion steering, power disc brakes, and a more efficient 12 volt electrical which makes an older car like this more dependable and a pleasure to take on a Sunday drive or car shows and cruises. Summing things up, I would rate this car to be in very good condition, or between a #2 and #3. It is more of a driver than a show car, but would definitely fit in at any show you wish to take it to. I have given it excellent care for the 32 years in my possession, but you can't expect a 32 year old restoration to be perfect, and it is not. It has a few quirks and issues that have crept in during the years, and I have kinda slacked up on my repair duties. I think it's a result of getting old. Some that come to mind are: You have to hold up on the gear shift lever to remove the ignition key. Both rear quarter window regulators need some work. The windows still go up and down they just need a helping hand in a couple spots. It needs quarter window weather stripping. The trunk lid supports are weak, and possibly other small issues that I can't think of of right now, and I have taken these into consideration in setting my reserve. Many other fine antique and collector cars, including a couple other restorations, have come and gone in the 32 years I have owned this car, but this one became a part of the family moving with me to Virginia in 94 then later to Kentucky in 2008, so it's been a tough decision to post it for sale, but at 70 years old, I feel it's finally time to move on to something else. As I stated in the beginning of the listing, I have again lowered the reserve on the car, and if this is the type car you are looking for, I do not think you will find another this nice for a better price. Here is something to think about: Old Fords, especially open top cars have always been desirable collector cars, plus this is a car you can drive and enjoy just the way it is. It has very nice but not perfect due to it being on the car 30+ years, beautiful chrome and trim, newer top, and the updated drive train which make it a car that anyone would enjoy driving. If the above description and photos aren't enough to help you make an informed decision on the car, please do not hesitate to ask questions thru e-bay or call my # listed at the beginning of the description. or better yet, if close enough, come view it in person. I also have more pictures I can send you. E-bay only allows 24 pictures in a listing. I can also take any specific pictures you might want. As with most cars listed on this site, It is being offered and sold as is and as described as I see it, and I might have omitted something in my description. There are no guarantees expressed or implied, so I stress again to ask questions and do not assume anything. To initiate the sale I expect a $500.00 non refundable deposit be sent to my pay pal account within 48 hrs. from end of listing, and the remaining US funds for the balance of the sale price be presented to me via bank wire transfer or bank cashiers check, within 7 working days from end of listing. The car with clear Kentucky title in my name, the seller, will not leave my possession until my bank assures me that all funds are deposited in my account.The buyer is totally responsible to schedule and pay all shipping charges. I will help the shipper any way I can to get the car safely loaded. I would like it to be picked up within a 2 week period after funds have cleared, but if problems arise can hold a little longer. As a side note: I still have the original flathead V8 engine complete with vintage ( American made) Edelbrock heads, a DA dual carb aluminum intake, aluminum fly wheel,and all the other parts removed from the car in the 1997 makeover. You could mechanically put this car back to stock condition if you wanted to do so, or they would be a great start for a vintage old school hot rod. They are NOT included in the sale, but if you think you might be interested in this stuff I'll offer them to the buyer at a very good price. I failed to mention in the description that the the front suspension height is adjustable without removing the springs. The spring pockets on the upper control arms can be be moved up and down about 2 ". I believe they are now set at the lowest position. The rear height can also be changed by removing lowering blocks and/or airing up the air shocks. Also if your looking for a more stock appearing look, I have a set of vintique 15" steel wheels with stock 48 reproduction caps and beauty rings that I decided to INCLUDE with the sale. Two 6" wide and Two 8" wide. If I were going to keep the car, I was going to install a set of wide whites with the steel wheels. I think the whites would really stand out on this car. I will also INCLUDE a binder with numerous pages of receipts and a parts list of the years and parts descriptions used in the restomod conversion. I will also send a copy of the original hand written receipt that I received from the owner when I purchased the car 32 years ago, and incidentally, talked with by phone about 2 weeks ago. . Thanks for looking On Nov-23-15 at 07:52:45 PST, seller added the following information: I have just lowered the reserve price significantly on this car. The reserve now is set at $7,500 below the original reserve on the first listing of this car. DON'T MISS OUT!!!!!!