[Can't Shift My 1939 Business Coupe]

On my '39 Business Coupe The column shifter travels fore and aft but does not travel up or down.

 

The cable is free and the linkage appears to wiggle and want to move at the transmission, but I have not yet checked this while another person operates the clutch & lever.

 

When moving onto and off of the flatbed clutch pedal depressed = free wheeling.  Clutch pedal out engaged the engine.

 

This would make it appear to be stuck in gear, but the selector lever movement appears to be stuck in neutral.

 

This is a non-running "ran when I backed it into the garage 30 years ago" vehicle.

 

I have tried gentle effort throughout the lever's range of motion.  In & out is fine but I don't even feel detents in any gear position.

 

Does the ignition/column lock key position have any impact on lever motion?

 

I am open to any insight that does not start with "Well, first you have to drop the trans......"

[WHAT IS THIS, IT WAS IN GLOVEBOX]

Possibly an article of athletic equipment worn during spirited contests on the field?

 

Now go wash your hands 

[Why Is My '39 Engine Black?]

As I begin a weather-slowed scrub down of my '39 Business Coupe I have found that the engine is black instead of grey.

 

The serial number is a year appropriate number, and I learned that factory replacement engines were black, but I don't see any "R" for replacement stamped on it.

 

I also thought a previous owner just painted it, but the decal remnants are on top of the black and there is no gray apparent on any layers flaking off.

 

Was the "R" not always present on the replacement engines?

[Need Assist With Decoding VIN]

It's time to work up a parts list for the first steps of re-awakening my '39 Business Coupe.

 

Part of that is making as sure as possible what I'm working with and am mindful of mid-year parts changes, etc.

 

The engine number is 43772391.  It's a 34,000 mile car so that should be the original 248, single carb engine.

 

Someone had also mentioned a "later appearing grille."  What is the difference amongst '39 grilles?

 

The VIN is 33582025

 

The trim plate shows the following:

 

1939 Mod. 46

Style No. 39-4427B

Body No. L1658

Trim No. 794

Paint No 531

 

Body by Fisher

 

The Month, Day & Year are either not stamped or are illegible at this time.

Any decoding and "watch out for's" are greatly appreciated.

 

John Haelig

Bridgewater, NJ

['39 Business Coupe Day 2]

Thanks, Dave -

 

I could see them fine.

Our Ford forum allows you to insert photos in the middle of the post, so I tried that.

 

I could see them even when returning to the page.

 

I tried another recommended method here, but the all stacked up at the bottom of the post....is that the only layout possible?

 

Next reader - please post confirmation that you can see the photos.

 

Many thanks -

['39 Business Coupe Day 2]

Well Day 2 was fantastic!  

Lots of time with a shop vac to clear out the old tenants.

 

Met one

 

Applied liberal doses of soap & water plus a little Bleche White & those 40-year old white walls look pretty good for shop rollers!

 

Used a garden tractor as a tug and got my wife to steer and baddah-bing the old girl looks great in her new digs!

 

 

[New Member Introducing a '39 Business Coupe]

Greetings, All

 

After a few years of enjoying a family heirloom '63 Lincoln and cutting my teeth on resurrecting a slumbering '39 Ford pickup, I have gotten myself a '39 Business Coupe.

 

As usual, it was dumb luck that brought us together....One of my staff called off and I could not get a replacement.  That meant that I had to drag my most irritated self 40 miles to finish a 4 to midnight shift.  While there I wandered through Craigslist and found the posting.  I sent it to my wife as a joke & she told me to go for it!

 

The owner didn't respond to 2 emails so I figured it was taken, but then I saw an updated post on the 3rd day.  I sent him a note from my office & he replied....seems he had so many inquiries that he didn't know who to call.  His wife leaned over his shoulder and said "Call that John fellow....he seems nice."  The next morning I was there & sealed the deal.

 

He was closing out his parent's estate and this was a car that he and his father had played around with in the early '70s.  It is a 34,000 mile car with all of the pieces, just no interior.

 

Today we pulled her out of the 40-year garage slumber to start the trip to her new home in NJ:

 

With a brief layover at a rest stop on the NJ Turnpike:

 

 

Now I'm ready to get to work - as much as I can in an unheated garage - and see if I can't get that long tall rack of pistons to start singing!

 

John Haelig

Bridgewater, NJ

'63 Lincoln

'39 Ford

'39 Buick