Vehicle Description
1953 Ford Crestline Victoria
"In the 1953 Ford you will enjoy personal transportation expressly
designed for the modern taste and the all around needs of today's
American family. The '53 Ford brings you the longer, lower, wider
look that sets the new styling trend." From the 1953 Ford sales
brochure
For consignment, a 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria with an upgraded
powerplant and features that are a long way from the cover car in
1953. This one has been chopped, stretched, sectioned, tunneled and
customized in ways that make this a one of one configuration of a
once common car.
Exterior
Striking metal flake red makes this car look like a candy apple
with wheels, and those wheels are staggered sized Cragars with
white wall tires and bullet center caps. The chopped top rides low
and the car opens with amazing gullwing doors taking with them the
narrow side windows. A custom grille has been formed by precisely
bent metal, like ripples from the center under deeply tunneled
headlights. It's been nosed and decked as well and the molded in
third brake light is mirrored by the trunk lid's custom body lines
which waterfall into a license plate cove between heavily smoked
LED taillights from a 1956 Chevy. The shoulder line shoots straight
back from the tip of the headlight tunnel to the finned tail lights
and the entire body sits low over the wheels which tuck up into the
wells. Intake ducts on the hood and square exhaust tips exiting
under the body add subtle aggressiveness to this custom ride. Red
LED lights create a showy, somewhat devilish display at night. The
only imperfection we note is some of the metal flake unevenly
distributed in the paint.
Interior
No door handles, no worries! These are power doors that open with
the push of a button and they rise gullwing style to welcome
occupants. Chesterfield style button backed design in black painted
velour lines the doors above your head and repeats on the low back
front bucket seats and the two rear seats which are separated by a
custom center console that flows from the front and is prominent in
the back. The steering wheel and dash cover also wear this charcoal
soft cloth and buttons and the custom center console houses an
AM/FM/Cassette player and equalizer and where it goes horizontal
between the seats, numerous unmarked toggle switches and two white
faced gauges. Low pile black carpet covers the floor loosely and
more velour makes up the headliner. The trunk, which also is power
operated, is covered with black carpet and houses the battery.
Drivetrain
Press a button and the hood opens automatically toward the front
and reveals a chrome filled engine bay where we find a 350ci V8
with three 2-barrel carburetors. A TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission sends power to the Ford 9" in the rear. Drum brakes
occupy all four corners.
Undercarriage
Super clean underneath where the fuel cell shines brightly and
includes a cut off switch. The dual exhaust travels the length of
the car and has no mufflers before exiting at those rectangle tips.
The rear axle has been shortened and fat tires fit into the tubs.
Coil spring and leaf spring setup occupies the front and back
respectively. We note some residual oil on the pan and a few drips
at the rear differential which may be emanating from the fill hole.
No rust and no grease or road build up.
Drive-Ability
As you might hear on Monty Python, and now for something completely
different. There's something batmobile like about this car and the
inside feels like a well padded bat cave. The big low car slithers
onto the test loop, reflecting the sun in the metal flakes causing
it to practically illuminate in broad daylight. The engine runs
well, the automatic shifts are smooth, and with the exception of
the A/C not working and the radio going on but not producing sound,
all other functions on board operate. While Classic Auto Mall
represents that these functions were working at the time of our
test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at
the time of your purchase.
Custom cars like this are truly works of art, the interpretation of
someone's vision being realized in a three dimensional feast for
the eyes. You will have the only one like this and be ready for
crowds to gather wherever you go. In the battle of gullwing
equipped cars, this one would garner more attention than a
DeLorean, a Bricklin, and maybe even a 300 SL.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
