1939 Ford Convertible Sedan Custom Rises Again

This car could possibly be named the 'Phoenix', (I just call it the Convertible Sedan, or the House of Hotrods Staff Car) - as it was nearly burned to the ground in the 50's at least once, served as an engine donor several times, parked, Customized with later features, found in a scrap yard, rescued, almost Studebaker powered, almost bubble topped, then in 1963 stuck in a barn for '41 years - but always rose again, and it's life is far from over. This car 'popped up' in 1947 or '48 in Portland Oregon, and it's possible it was built elsewhere (California, or??) from an original black car, maybe brought to Oregon by a returning WWII returnee, we don't know really anything about it from '39 till that '47/'48 timeframe. At that time the car was a beautiful deep emerald green (think Sam Barris' personal car). It was later painted pink - yes pink. Had a turquoise or seafoam color on it after that, then possibly maroon, then red oxide - or as they called it then 'bittersweet', later painted to it's current color in the later 50's. The fellow that parked it in 1963 owned it until mid 2004, and had purchased it from the man that rescued it from a scrapyard who had sold the hood and rear fenders to help pay for it and was collecting Studebaker (!) drivetrain parts for it. This gentleman was also into Studebakers, and his plan was to make a bubble top car out of it, can you imagine..... It was put back on the road, if only temporarily in 2005 powered at that time by a V8-60, which somewhat underpowered the car - it was in the Portland Roadster Show and at Paso Robles that year, and parked once again - this time in a shed. It's been nearly 3 years since I obtained it - seems like a long time to me, but not compared to how long this car sat in a barn in the Willamette Valley - 40 plus years in the good company of several other convertibles - an ultra rare 50's Buick, A 50's Mercury Pace car, a Car Craft bubble top cover car, and a couple of others - not really lost, but not well known either, not seeing the light of day for a long long time. I'm not usually a big fan of 'more doors' - but - these cars just intrigue me, kind of having that 'presidential' elegance, or Army General staff car kind of feel and look to them. Thinking they were one of the more expensive models that Ford offered. Before this I had a 1936 Slopeback Convertible sedan that I felt too nice to Hot Rod or Customize. This car has been there, and done that, and is ready, willing and able to rise to the occasion.
What we do know is that the '39 is deeply channeled and chopped around 3 inches. Most all of the body mods were done in lead, which gives us insight as to when the mods were done, and done to a level that says it probably wasn't really a 'backyard' job. The channel is super deep - almost 12 inches in the rear a little less in front, and most definitely done in the day, there are portions of the frame used in the channeling process - why I don't know, it just was, possibly to keep the body intact and on the original frame. (will post pics of that later) '40 nose and dash - that quite honestly look like they were born there, and the chassis it sits on is a 1040 chassis, wheel wells in front opened (at the time it went primer). It has a top, which could have been padded, was definitely light cloth covered - built from the original top frame, chopped and brazed solid, used as a 'lift off' top, that has evidence of having been on fire, and the cloth flipping back onto the deck lid scorching the paint, so most likely was being driven at the time it 'torched'. There is a hood - but the one on it in the late 50's was louvered, and it went away with the fenders which had had Corvette tailights grafted into them, done in lead also. The chassis is pretty much all stock, using unsplit bones, and stock springs etc. '39 transmission (no sign of having had a '40 column shift), and stock '40 brakes, the wide 5's are gone. Nothing really radical there, just like Henry built it - kinda, sorta. It will be running 16's with full covers either with flippers or without, it sits low enough in the back it probably only needs them up front. The only part that is really missing at this point is some bits of it's history, one rear garnish molding, and some seat springs, which should be easy to find, or just make. The work on the car has been slow going, as time and money allows. This will be more 'preservation' than restoration. The goal - is to make it a driver, make it functional, and have fun with it, not make it something it was never meant to be, and get it back burning fossil fuel and slinkin' down alleys. I will post some pics as we go along, some going back, others going forward, and as as time allows. The key word here- is FUN. The House of Hotrods Staff Car - will rise, I mean ride, again

 

Please more pics...............

 

Can you give a little more detail on wgat the car has. Maybe whats missing. Cool story by the way

 

This has the makings for a great HAMB build, look forward to more photos and details.

 

Very cool old custom! I will add my "more pics please" chant to the chorus !

 

I'm not a fan of mordoors (let's save the drama..not trying to re-open that can of worms), but these are the exception. Good luck with it, well worth the effort. You know we'll want to see pics/progress reports.

 

Awesome!!! More pics please.

 

What a killer killer find! Cant wait to see it come together and see it go down the road...

-Shiny

 

wow, now that is cool! Great story, love that car.

 

Great find!

" built from the original top frame and brazed solid, used as a 'lift off' top, that has evidence of having been on fire, and the cloth flipping back onto the deck lid scorching the paint, so most likely was being driven at the time it 'torched'. "

With the seat springs being MIA; I envision a Guy and Gal driving along having a drink and a smoke and thoroughly enjoying each others company.... Then suddenly, a cigarette cherry falling through a seat crack. Possibly fueled by some spilled booze and the car quickly became a rolling torch.

BTW, other than the open car doors and windshield frame, is the factory body essentially a roofless 4 dr. sedan?

 

Thanks for posting the story and pics Tim, looking forward to seeing you bringing this one back to life!

 

That was at Hot Rod A Rama a few years back I believe

 

HRTA - I don't know a lot about the Convertible sedan lineage, but I would think it possible that maybe Murray made the bodies, or? There's quite a few differences, the convert sedan has roll up windows with chrome frames, cool little parts that remove to separate the front and rear side windows, specific tops, and quite a few pieces that seem to belong only to a convert sedan. If memory serves me correctly there were 3561 produced. I would consider it more of a 'hybrid' than a sedan with the roof cut off. Would love to know the specific stories of the car being on fire, but probably never will.

 

Yeah, my Pal Lenny's car has a lot of unique (or convertible like) features. They are truly unique, and a bitchin car to load full of people and bomb around

 

I waaaay dig that Chris - but you knew I would!!!

 

There was a '39 or '40 "Barn Find" in a trailer in the Chocolate Field at Hershey last month, somebody must have a photo.

 

Thanks for the posting of the car. I am a big fan of the convertible sedan. I am aware of the one at Hershey but don't have a photo yet. I am looking for one myself but yours has the history to go with the car. I will follow this build. They make great cruisers with lot of room and you can go topless if your that kind of girl.

 

Way cool!

 

Here are some of the ones around LA. I know of two more being built in home garages. The first one is a famous old 38 custom and the others are the same car before and after paint. Yours being channelled is really going to be cool.

 

Yeah, Lenny REALLY needs to get some Firestones on it! His car had evidence of a spotlight, sp he bought a 115 Appleton and installed it, and he just got another for the other side. He also just scored some real flippers that are now on the car. It's cleaning up nice, he's doing a Merc cranked 59AB for it now, the original engine is tired.

 

pretty cool car , and the story was real interesting , cant wait for some work on it as you bring it back

 

Looks like a great project hope you post pictures along the way. I have one in my shop. I have been gathering parts for 7 years. Hope get her on the road in a couple of years. I say Lenny's car at two different shows this summer. His smile was a full face every time I saw him driving it!

 

So how is this coming along? I am prepairing to bring mine back out for this year.

 

Anymore info on this car. I would like to know how they got the top to go under that cover. Or is this with out the top attached to the car?

 

The top is a Carson style and does not fold. It is a lift off top. The top is and old custom top that has been redone. The stock 39 irons are tough enough to fold without having them chopped and redone. Here is one that folds down but not under the cover.

 

Bad ass. I love convertible sedans.

 

Thanks I know they are a pain in the ass. My 39 top was welded up and it hade chicken wire and batting in it along with a headliner I think that all I am going to do is have it recovered and use it as a lift off as well. Thanks again That green one in its primer stages reminds me of mine

 

Slow but sure. It's been fun as we gather information and stories about the previous owners, and contacting those who remember seeing the car around Portland as early as the late forties! We have been documenting as carefully as possible the previous colors, as we do prep for paint - there were a lot of previous colors, so this is slow going. Not trying to reinvent the car, but being sympathetic to it being an old Custom with history. The hardest thing (for me) has been deciding which era to go with, as that entails specific engine/paint/interior etc. - but now that that's decided we are movin' forward.
We have the engine in the car and fired it just the other day, now to get the radiator gone through and with proper outlets, clean the fuel tank, and moving forward with prep for paint. The car is channeled so hard and uniquely we have decided to not split the body from the chassis and keep a lot of the spirit in which the car was built, not bring it up to what would be considered standards of today. The car will be done in a mid 50's trim and paint - and as the car was last remembered. Maybe someday someone can do it up as a late 40's early 50's, but that won't be me! The hope here is to have it up and running and driving by early spring, probably not 'done' but at least mobile. It will be fun to have this parked next to my chopped '36 Coupe eventually. Will post pics as I take 'em!

 

Here's a picture showing all the old lead work, and a hint at just how deep the channel is.


Another showing the chopped and fixed (no longer folding) top frame. Most of the cloth is long gone, but some bits remain on the bows.


All of the red paint was done around 55/56 as far as we can tell, and it was over several previous colors.

 

A couple of older pics taken before being awakened from one of its long 'naps' -


A previous coat of 'pink' paint is evident here.....

Compare this to a stock '39 cowl - and check out the frame in relationship to cowl. Can you say deep channel?