Ford convertibles from 1940 – 48 have always been a favorite of mine and I have owned several over the years. I have always thought of them as high school hot rods and great date night rides. My early hot rods didn’t have much room in them but were really cool lurking through the Steak & Shake and Perry’s on Friday and Saturday night. My date liked to be seen but really wasn’t very comfortable at the drive -in movie theater during the show. Somehow we all endured those years and still have those wonderful memories stored away in our minds and hearts. Your first Hot Rod probably still is in your mind and you think about that special car often.
Fast forward to the golden years and my longing for something stylish but a little more comfortable for the wife, children and grandchildren to ride to beach for the day. I found my convertible through a friend of mine who knew of a restored Dearborn 1948 Ford convertible that was for sale. He called me and told me he had purchased a car for me. Jane and I drove to Sonoma and drove it home the next day. The car was completely stock with a Columbia Overdrive, which allowed highway speeds on the freeway. I drove the car that way until I retired and then converted it to the standard 350/350, dropped axle, nine inch on parallel leafs and made it a super nice driver for Jane and I. I also purchased a couple of 40 Ford convertibles during the next few years and enjoyed the both cars as did Jane.
In recent years, I have not owned any convertibles but still like them for the obvious reasons — comfort, style and ease of building when you buy a restored one to start. You save big money on paint and upholstery which is almost prohibitive in our area. Your build time is cut by two-thirds and your stress level reduced to a minimal.
I must admit since I have been the caretaker of Poppy, that Jane and I are living our youth again. And enjoying the roadster without fault about any of the constraints imposed by the small confines of the Deuce. Having said that, I did run into a 48 convert for sale at the Outriders and started me thinking about convertibles.
Lets take a look at some of the convertibles that I have in my files.
Stay Tooned!
Lynn
click on photo for a larger image
1940 Ford Convertibles
This happens to be one of my favorite tops on a 40 convertible.
A very nice photo of the top down convertible.
A very subtle Folkstone gray grabs me when I see one. Plain and regal!
The smooth look is not as popular but still appeals to some owners.
Chopped tops and standard models are the exception in these beautiful forties.
Black is always a nice combination for a 40 convertible and combined with the whitewalls adds that early look.
I call this one a perfect high school hot rod —Dropped axle, SBC hooked to the stock driveline.
A perfect fall photo of the flamed 40 rag top. Five spokes have always been popular on these cars.
Here is another nice example of a resto 40 rag top. Nice stance and top on this one.
My high school buddy, Dave has owned this one for many years. He chopped it 4″ and painted purple when he first purchased the rag top. Never any rust!
1946-48 Convertibles
Jane’s favorite was Sunshine, a Maize Yellow 48, restored and converted by Walsh Restorations.
Basically a stock interior converted to 12 Volt gauges and a new leather interior made this a standout driver.
Your basic 350/350, nine inch with power steering was added for the dependability aspect of this cruiser.
My retirement project was this Dearborn 48 convertible.
I left the stock leather interior alone and added square weave carpet to replace the rubber mat.
I added a lumpy 327 and 350 transmission for the high school Drive -In sound.
I used a 56 F-100 steering column to keep the stock look but with the indicator on the column.
Ford had some great colors in 46-48 that stand out from the rest.
Lover’s Lane is what they are known for in my era. Great convertibles with class and a heater for this Drive-In movies.
I have always liked the early custom look on these convertibles.
They make a nice tow vehicle for you race car.