1949 Ford abandoned for 48 years in the desert is an important piece of automaker’s history that endures against all odds

A father and son duo found an old 1949 Ford that had been sitting abandoned in the middle of an Arizona desert for 48 years.

Half a century is a lot of time for any machine, and cars usually don’t fare well against the test of time.

This Ford, however, shocked everyone when the duo tried to see if it was salvageable.

What’s more, this car was not only built like a tank, but it was also a crucial part in the automaker’s history.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie

Historical 1949 Ford rotting away in Arizona desert

Travis and his dad, Rick, from the Theetravisb YouTube channel, found this 1949 Ford abandoned in the middle of nowhere — well, the base of Mount Lemmon, Arizona, to be precise.

The car had been off the road for almost half a century, but it was still in one piece.

Before we get into its condition, it’s time for a quick history lesson.

This 1949 Ford was the automaker’s first car released after World War II, and it instantly became a hit because the American carmaker beat GM in launching a car after a long break.

Interestingly, that was the same year as the Oldsmobile Rocket 88, America’s first muscle car.

Powered by a 3.9-liter flathead V8, the Ford featured an already iconic engine Ford debuted before the war.

While there were multiple variants of the sedan with V6 and V8 options on two-door and four-door variants, the YouTubers here found the more powerful example.

Moreover, it was also given the ‘Shoebox’ moniker that many enthusiasts would remember even today.

That was solely due to Ford implementing a new design that combined the front and rear fenders into a single body form.

As for this Shoebox, everything inside it was either rusty, crusty, or suffering from corrosion.

Someone, however, had repainted it not long ago — but that didn’t change the fact that everything else was stock.

Rick and Travis attempted to see if they could get the engine running again.

Will it run after 48 long years?

They put a combination of acetone and diesel inside it and left the car as is for three weeks.

After a new battery and more than a handful of attempts, the engine looked like it would budge.

Furthermore, they hooked it onto a truck and drove it around in gear to try and free the engine.

The engine finally started, and it was a moment of pure satisfaction.

Rick even took it for a mini-test drive, and the V8’s 48-year-long drought came to an end.

“Look at that, after 48 years. It’s nothing short of amazing, huh,” Travis said.

It’s not the only engine to survive for that long because someone opened an 80-year-old military crate hiding a working motorcycle engine.

Although this Shoebox’s fate was as remarkable as it gets, we’re unsure about its future.

While you can restore almost anything these days, this 1949 Ford was beyond restoration.

Perhaps they could salvage the engine and use it someplace else.

Case in point — this rust bucket proved how well-built these old motors and vehicles were.