Vehicle Description
I bought this cool car from a pair of hotrodders that’s stopped in years ago. Their age told them to call the herd.
This car was sold new to an old maid. His nephew ended up with it when she passed. His wife tells the story. It seems she didn’t want the neighbor ladies bumming rides, so she ordered the car without the back seat. I have a hunch it also had to do with the price. This car is stripped. Originally, it had a six cylinder engine with three speed manual. No radio, no clock, fixed rear windows no chrome or trim. The cheapest Ford you could buy in 1955. She did splurge for back-up lights and the Deluxe heater.
The car only had 17,000 miles on it when Tom bought it in 1993. The interior is original and mint. He took out the old rubber mat and put in carpet. The rest of the interior is original.
Tom drove it stock for 7 or 8000 miles. He found NOS radio and clock and added them. But he wanted a hotrod that would run 80 mph.
He and John stopped here as they were finishing the build. This was about 2006. They were getting an 8 inch Ford from a Maverick with 3.00 gears nearby.
This completed the powertrain. They had already installed a J-code 302, C4 automatic transmission, performance carburetor and dual exhaust.
The 12 volt conversion meant the radio had to be unhooked. A voltage reducer would be an option. Below dash gauges were installed. Radial tires were mounted on chrome wheels. A Granada front suspension with dropped spindles was installed. Power brakes were added. An Aluminum radiator was installed. The engine was dressed up.
Since then, Tom has driven the car another 8-10,000 miles. The current odometer reading is about 33,500. That is the ACTUAL mileage on this car.
When you look at the body, the floor and the interior, the low mileage is obvious. The only rust I could find is in the front floor support on each side. Not rotted away, either. There appears to be some bondo in the leading edge of each rocker panel. The paint shows its age, yet looks decent. The chrome, what there is, is good. All glass is good.
The doors lock via key. There is a spare and jack in the trunk. All features work with the exception of the radio and parking break.
This is a unique car. It has been nicely modified to be a great driver. It looks great and is great fun. yes, todays price is much higher then the $1,900 she paid when it was new!
