Vehicle Description
Cruisin Classics is proud to present this outstanding 1951 Ford
Country Squire Wagon. 1951 was the final year that Ford produced a
true "Woodie" wagon, and the Country Squire was the first Ford
automobile to break the $2K mark when new. The Country Squire
featured Mahogany plywood panels trimmed by Birch or Maple, and it
was the top trim package station wagon. The genuine wood body
panels were manufactured at the Ford Iron Mountain plant in the
Michigan Upper Peninsula from lumber owned by the Ford Motor Co..
The wagon before us today is one of just 29,017 produced in '51,
and it still retains its original wood panels! Let's dig a little
deeper into this gorgeous Woodie....
This Country Squire was originally sold in California and lived
parts of its life in Arizona and Ohio as well. While we do not have
restoration receipts for the build, we do have a photo album with
pictures of it being removed from a 36-year slumber in storage and
treated to a fresh coat of paint, a new front clip, a new
drivetrain, and an extensive interior refurbishment. The wagon
comes to us today with a high-quality paint job done in a lovely
shade of maroon that accents the wood panels perfectly. The paint
is slick and lustrous with very few miniscule imperfections.
Looking at this Ford from the front, the chrome is the star of the
show! A mirror-finish chrome grille with "Dagmars" (bullets) sits
above an equally nice chrome bumper with vertical bumper guards.
Turn signal indicators are housed in ornate fixtures, and the round
headlights are ringed with bright bezels. The bulbous hood still
wears its factory center spine, but the hood ornament and Ford
crest badge have been deleted. The hood spine leads the eye to the
2-piece split windshield framed in chrome trim and accented by
bright wiper arms. Just ahead of the windshield on the passenger
side, you'll see that a power antenna has been added. Looking at
this Country Squire from the side it's hard not to focus solely on
the beautifully figured and well-preserved wood panels! Chrome
accents continue on the sides with dual side mirrors, door handles
& lock covers, vent window trim, panel fasteners, and belt-line
molding. In keeping with the de-badged front end, the "Country
Squire" emblems are no longer on the doors, and the "V-8" badges
are absent on the fenders. A close look reveals that all of the
glass was replaced with crystal clear new pieces during the
restoration. This bi,g beautiful package sits atop Halibrand Sweet
Swirl wheels with knock-offs wrapped in staggered Cooper tires
(front: Cooper CS4 Touring 195/60R15, rear: Cooper Cobra Radial GTs
255/70R15). The rear of this wagon keeps the style going with an
indented tailgate panel that has been wrapped to appear that it too
is wood paneled. Mounted in the center of the tailgate is a full
spare (body-color steel wheel with beauty ring and Ford moon-cap)
in a body-color steel cover. The upper tailgate with split rear
window lifts up with one hand and latches securely, while the
tailgate drops down flat to allow easy access and maximum storage.
The tailgate is outfitted with rotating taillights that swivel to
continue pointing rearward when the lower gate is in the down
position - an ingenious idea! The rear bumper, like the front, is
gleaming chrome with vertical guards. Peeking out from beneath the
bumper is a set of chrome exhaust tips. Also on the rear of the car
is a AAA National Award badge just above the bumper. The
undercarriage of this wagon is very clean, and at some point, it
was undercoated to keep it looking nice for years.
Under the hood, you'll find an exceptionally well-presented
body-color engine bay. Ford fans will be pleased to know that
someone didn't just shove a 350 SBC under the hood - instead, they
wisely chose to go with an all-Ford powerplant and drivetrain. The
engine is a 351 Windsor V-8 that's mated to a 3-speed FMX automatic
transmission with an 8" Ford rear differential (2.36:1 rear gear).
The engine is topped off with a polished Edelbrock intake manifold,
an Edelbrock AVS2 4-barrel carburetor, finned Edelbrock valve
covers, and a finned oval air cleaner. Other Edelbrock enhancements
include a cam, fuel pump, and timing chain set. Ahead of the block
are a Street and Performance polished bracket and pulley set-up, a
chrome alternator, and a polished A/C compressor. Keeping things
cool is a Griffin aluminum radiator equipped with an electric fan.
Exhaust travels through headers and newer Flowmaster mufflers
before exiting at the rear with a hearty rumble. Underneath, a TCI
front end has been added to accommodate a new rack and pinion with
power steering and upgraded front suspension with tubular A-arms
and sway bar. Stopping power comes courtesy of power front disc and
rear drum brakes with new lines (the booster is mounted under the
car on a frame rail). Other upgrades of note include a Pertronix
ignition with Flame-Thrower coil, an American Auto Wiring kit, a
battery cut-off switch, and new hard fuel lines.
Swing open the driver's door, and the working dome light pops on to
illuminate a lovely brown and tan interior with seating for eight
passengers. The simplistic wood door panels are in excellent
condition, and they feature correct armrests, door handles, and
window cranks. Front kick panels and rear side panels match those
on the doors. A Ford crest on a bright sill-plate welcomes you
inside for a drive. The front, center, and rear seats are all
original to the car, and they've been restored, re-stuffed, and
re-covered in brown vinyl that looks quite attractive. Ford
designed this wagon so that with no tools and in under 3 minutes,s
you can easily remove the rear seat and fold down the center seat
to create a continuous flat loading deck from the front seat to the
end of the tailgate, over 9 feet long. The whole interior is
outfitted with a very nice tan carpet kit, complete with matching
carpeted mats. Overhead, you'll find a tight, high-quality brown
vinyl headliner. The front windows crank up and down with ease
while the rear windows slide backward for more airflow. The driver
is treated to a banjo steering wheel with a working "V8" horn
button on a tilt column. Both the steering wheel ring and the main
dash have been artfully painted to resemble real wood. The steering
wheel frames a single round gauge unit from Dakota Digital that is
a speedometer with integrated gauges for oil, battery, fuel, and
temperature. It also offers a digital tachometer and a digital
screen with a multitude of functions accessed with a control button
under the dash, just to the left of the steering column. The
odometer reads 7,014 miles, and the title claims those to be actual
(though they are likely the miles since the restoration took
place). The dash features a row of bright pull-knobs with a radio
at the center and a working quartz clock above. The knobs offer an
electric fan override, lights, working wipers, a cigarette lighter
input (currently with a Santechi SoundFly aux unit in it), an
ignition cut-off, and power antenna control. The stereo is from
Antique Automobile Radio Inc. and it combines a vintage look with
modern electronics. It plays your favorite AM and FM stations
through a speaker at the top of the dash that sounds quite nice.
The Santechi unit offers the ability to play music from a device or
thumb drive through the stereo on a predetermined radio frequency -
very cool! Mounted beneath the dash is a vintage-look Southern Air
Conditioning unit that offers cold A/C and heat on demand. On the
right side of the dash is a glovebox that contains a 1950 and 1951
owners manual and a remote for the Santechi unit. The rear-view
mirror is attached to the windshield center-bar, and so is a
compass. Looking...for more information please contact the seller.
