For Sale: 1954 Ford Ranch Wagon in Lithia Springs, Georgia

Wagons have always been useful to car guys, and having one that can do double duty as your cruise night car as well as a grocery-getter is a lot of fun. This 1954 Ford Ranch Wagon delivers a vintage feel with a few upgrades to make it stand out, all without reducing its ability to carry some cargo.

Bright red works well on a wagon, and Ford's 2-door Ranch Wagon has a sporting look that we really like. Someone spent a lot of time and effort here and it shows, with shaved door handles and trim, nice gaps, and a minimum of fussiness that makes for a very clean car. You can still spot that Ford DNA everywhere you look, and the 1954 Fords were thoroughly modern in every way, so there's plenty of '50s flash still in place. Paint and bodywork were nicely done, although this was never intended to be a trophy car and has been driven and used as intended for the past few years. Nevertheless, the finish has a nice shine and you can tell they spent plenty of time getting the gaps just right because it looks great. The chrome and stainless trim that remains on the car is in good condition, although the rear bumper is showing some age. On the other hand, if you're using this wagon as a hauler, it probably won't matter and it does nothing to diminish the car's awesome look.

The interior has had an equally substantial makeover, starting with a pair of bucket seats up front, both flanking a custom console and a 4-speed manual gearbox. All the sets are upholstered in red cloth and black vinyl, with pleated inserts that resemble the factory upholstery, and it's all-day comfortable. Factory pieces like the steering wheel, instruments, and hardware make it feel right, but it's obviously got some upgrades like the auxiliary gauges under the dash and the aforementioned 4-speed. An AM/FM/CD stereo has been built into the top of the center console, but that's one of only a few modern tech pieces in the entire car. It still acts and feels like a vintage 1954 Ford. There's good space in the back seat and the cargo bay is massive, finished with some varnished plywood that is a practical choice for a car designed to move stuff.

For vintage performance, you can't beat a Ford Y-block V8, with this one being a 292 cubic inch "Thunderbird Special" variant. Rebuilt a few years ago, it runs extremely well and doesn't deviate much from the original specifications. There's and oil bath air cleaner up top, a 2-barrel carburetor for reasonable efficiency, and those block-hugging cast iron exhaust manifolds that control noise and heat pretty well. A big radiator up front keeps it cool and jaunty yellow paint makes it stand out in the engine bay. Turn the key and it starts easily and there's plenty of torque available at just about any speed, making it fun to drive. The T-10 4-speed manual transmission is a later addition that simply makes it more fun to drive, and with a Dana 44 rear diff, it's a useful highway cruiser. A true dual exhaust system with glasspack-style mufflers gives it a vintage V8 soundtrack, and chrome smoothies with baby moons and staggered 215/70/14 front and 255/70/15 rear blackwall radials add a traditional look.

Not radical, just fun, this Ford Ranch Wagon delivers all the things you like about the past with a few thoughtful upgrades to make it easier to live with today. A hobby car that does everything well. Call today!