Power by Ford (Ford, Mercury, Edsel, Lincoln)

2014-11-19T21:01:00.001-06:00

1956 Fords - Lifeguard Design

by David W. Temple

1956 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria

1956 Ford Customline

Production of 1956 Fords began October 17, 1955. The basic styling of the big Fords, this time consisting of 18 models, did not change very much. Up front a new grille and a wraparound parking light arrangement were distinctive differences. The roof panels were altered to reduce overall height (by 1 ½ inches in Victoria models and 1-inch in sedans) yet retain the same amount of headroom and the 1955 Crown Victoria’s sleeker roof slope was applied to all two-door hardtops. A less noticeable change was the removal of the chrome “eye brows” from the headlight doors. In back, the deck lid molding and Ford crest was deleted from the Fairlane series; a new trunk handle appeared on the Fairlane sedans and a “V” molding incorporating the trunk lock and Fairlane nameplate was applied to the Fairlane hardtops. A revised Fairlane sweep was used to update the profile of the Fairlane series. This trim was also used on the new two-door station wagon model, the Parklane, and the eight-passenger Country Sedan. The Style-Tone paint option was expanded to include the 8-passenger Country Sedan as well as the Parklane. The six-passenger Country Sedan received the Customline body side molding. A two-door hardtop was added to the Customline series. At mid-year Ford added one more model to the Fairlane line, the Town Victoria Fordor. This was a four-door pillarless hardtop model offered to counter the 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air four-door pillarless hardtop.

312 V-8

Various improvements were made in the Y-block to keep in stride with the horsepower race. These included additional cubic inches and better breathing through enlarged passages in the heads and intake manifold along with a higher lift camshaft. The Thunderbird Special this year was the 312 rated at 215 hp when coupled to a manual transmission and 225 with the Fordomatic. A dual-quad 260 hp 312 became available as a dealer-installed option later in the model year as well. Horsepower ratings went up in the six-cylinder and the 272 2-bbl. thanks to a small boost in compression ratios. The 272 4-bbl. was dropped. Gaining a few additional horsepower was the 292 4-bbl. now rated at 200 hp with the manually shifted transmission or 202 with the automatic. All V-8s now had an automatic choke. Minor revisions to the carburetors, distributors, and differentials were made in the interest of improved fuel economy and in some models the transmission was modified to withstand higher torque. Upholstery patterns were altered and the instrument panel was redesigned.

1956 Crown Victoria interior

For more information of the 1956 full-size Fords purchase “Full-Size Fords: 1955-1970." http://www.amazon.com/Full-Fords-1955-1970-David-Temple/dp/1613250703/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_2

1956 Parklane

2012-01-12T23:27:00.001-06:00

Ford Motor Company Full-Size Show Cars 1961-64

by David W. Temple

The 1961 Mercury Palomar ( named after Mt. Palomar where the largest telescope in the world at the time was located) was Ford Motor Company's first station wagon concept car. The silver-blue fiberglass prototype had a some very atypical features; it was a four-door hardtop on the driver's side only with "suicide" type doors, had a so-called flying bridge third passenger seat inspired by boats, and a sliding roof section. This design was proposed as a possible 1966 Mercury, but unfortunately the design got no further than this singular concept car. In fact, it was never seriously considered for production. The Palomar was on display inside Ford's Rotunda building for some months and is believed to have been destroyed when a fire engulfed the building on November 9, 1962.

The Palomar was shown at the Chicago Auto Show where this photo was likely taken.

In 1963 model car manufacturer AMT, customizer George Barris, and Ford Motor Company joined to produce several custom cars to be shown around the country. Ford executives believed this program which came to be known as the “Custom Car Caravan” would bring even more attention to the company’s cars. Others soon joined the effort – Bill Cushenberry, Gene Winfield, as well as Vince Gardener of Dearborn Steel Tubing. Four Ford customs were built for 1963 and 1964 – two of which were based on Galaxie 500s. The 1963 Astro featured a landau half-top covered with white vinyl. A filler panel could be put in place to create a full hardtop or the entire top could be removed to have a convertible. Stacked Lucas headlights set within round pods and a blacked-out grille with a horizontal divider dramatically altered the look of the frontal view. The looping side molding was deleted, rear wheel wells were radiused, and a custom rocker panel molding was applied. Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels were reportedly installed at one time, but in the photo above the Astro is clearly not equipped with them. In back, tunneled taillights similar in style to the frontal lighting replaced the stock units. The body was first painted Aqua Pearl with shading applied to the sheet metal creases, but later it was repainted Sea Blue Metallic. This custom’s interior with four bucket seats was upholstered in white Naugahyde. (Click here for another view of the Astro... http://image.rodandcustommagazine.com/f/featuredvehicles/1312_rod_and_custom_1960s/58570926%2Bw640/ford-astro-cushenberry.jpg)

The Alexander Brothers created the Alexa; it was built from a 427-powered Galaxie 500/XL. Custom features of the Alexa included an extended front end with rectangular headlights mounted behind frosted glass and a custom-built grille. The extended rear end was rounded with no rear bumper. A rich, candy red paint was applied to the body. Inside were four bucket seats and a full-length console upholstered in pleated white Naugahyde.

1962 Ford Galaxie

2011-09-20T23:21:00.000-05:00

1954 Ford Mainline Ranch Wagon

2011-08-25T23:33:00.000-05:00

Worth More

Text and Photography by David W. Temple

As the World War II drew to a close, poorly managed Ford Motor Company was in financial trouble which was a great concern not only to the Ford family, but to the U. S. Government as well; the government had major war contracts at stake. To rescue the company from certain oblivion, Navy Secretary Frank Knox (with President Franklin Roosevelt’s approval) ordered Henry Ford II’s early discharge from the Navy so that he could take control of the company. The board of directors instated 26 year old Henry Ford II as executive vice-president on January 23, 1944. The elder HF was reluctant to step down, but at the insistence of his wife, Clara, he resigned from the presidency on September 20, 1945, leaving the way open for his son to assume the presidency the following day.

The new president quickly found he was in over his head and knew he needed to surround himself with skilled managers and designers. With the internal corporate turmoil and the war at an end, Ford Motor Company’s stylists and engineers went to work on the design of their first completely new postwar car which became available for model year 1949. Its basic design remained in use through 1951. During this period the company’s first coil spring front suspension with parallel leaf spring rear suspension became the standard, thus replacing the archaic transverse leaf springs used front and rear in the previous years. Following archrival Chevrolet’s lead in the low-price market, Ford offered their first hardtop, dubbed Victoria, for ’51 just about one year after Chevy’s Bel Air and additionally the company’s first automatic transmission, the Ford-O-Matic, became available. There was much change for the better at FoMoCo and there was more to come.

After selling approximately three-million copies of the initial postwar offering, Ford unleashed a new lower, longer, wider body design to serve for the next three-year span. For ‘52, Ford expanded their lineup of cars from four to five. Replacing the Deluxe and Custom Deluxe six- and eight-cylinder series were the Mainline, Customline, and Crestline all of which were offered in six- and eight-cylinder tune with the exception of the latter which was available only with the flathead V8. Eleven body styles were divided among these ranks. “Ford’s first with the newest!,” Ford advertising proudly proclaimed as they introduced their first overhead-valve inline six-cylinder called “Mileage Maker;” it provided 101 horsepower at 3,500 rpm and displaced 215 cubic inches. Their ads further boasted of the Ford’s 115-inch wheelbase (up one inch from the previous version), suspended pedals (as opposed to the pedals linked through floor pan cut-outs used up until then which eventually lead to drafts and dust), and of their 110hp flathead “Strato Star” V8 which was an engine design that was actually twenty years old.

Surprisingly, the new six-cylinder proved to be almost as potent as the venerable old flathead. The Mileage Maker had a slightly higher horsepower per cubic inch ratio than the Strato Star V8 and proved notably faster in 0-60 sprints. However, Ford engineers had already designed an all-new V8, but Lincoln got it first before it trickled down to Ford two years later.

The succeeding year brought only mild revisions which included an updated grille, trunk ornamentation, tail lights, hubcaps and wheel covers, as well as side trim on the upscale models. Body style choices now numbered nine and prices for each model rose marginally, however, this was of little concern to most Americans. By this point two car households had started to become the norm and Ford made note of this trend in their ads by mentioning that 400,000 families owned two Fords. Many of these were station wagons. In fact, nearly 116,000 were built for the 1953 model year. According to Byron Olsen, author of Station Wagons, the station wagon “had become an established body type offered by most low- and medium-cost auto manufacturers. Ford remained the leader and would lead station wagon sales into the 1980s…”

With the design of the 1952-54 station wagons, Ford abandoned the use of structural wood used throughout the body type’s existence. Nearly all auto makers had switched to all-steel body station wagons by 1953. Wood remained in use as trim in conjunction Dinoc decal inserts produced by 3M to simulate the look of structural wood for the all-steel body, woody-look station wagon model through ’53; afterwards, the wood trim was replaced by the new wonder material, fiberglass.

In addition to the use of fiberglass for use as faux wood, the ‘54 model year brought other trim updates as well as new color choices (such as Highland Green, the color of our feature car), but more importantly the Y-block replaced the aging, though popular, flathead. The overhead-valve engine displacing 239 cubic inches in typical passenger car applications provided more horsepower and torque, plus improved fuel efficiency. Incidentally, Ford police cars received a 160hp 256 cid Interceptor that could provide a top speed in excess of 100mph. The “Mileage Maker” six-cylinder received an enlarged bore size that raised displacement from 215 to 223 cubic inches and upped output to 115hp @ 3,900rpm. This engine was added to the Crestline series which previously only came with a V8. Another significant enhancement was ball joint front suspension which represented a first in the low price field.

A new instrument panel with an “Astra-Dome” speedometer was yet another update given to the 1954 rendition of this body style. The speedometer’s semicircular glass dial had numerals illuminated in the daytime by light passing through the transparent hood behind it. At night the dial face received illumination from beneath by hidden light bulbs.

In addition to the above alterations, some body types were eliminated and others added. For instance the four-door, six-passenger station wagon in the Crestline series for ’54 was replaced with an eight-passenger version and the two-door club coupe was deleted from the Mainline group. Standard equipment for the latter consisted of the inline six, three-speed manual shift transmission, 3.90:1 rear axle ratio, rubber window moldings, horn button in place of the horn ring used in the upper series, one armrest, and one sun visor with the latter two being located on the driver’s side of course. The most expensive models comprised the more luxurious Crestline V8 series with the uppermost priced examples being the new two-door Skyliner with its tinted transparent roof insert, the Sunliner convertible, and the Country Squire station wagon with faux wood panels. Both the Skyliner and Sunliner were priced at $2,241 while the Country Squire required a payment of $2,415 in base form.

A partial list of optional equipment for all models included overdrive, Ford-O-Matic, power steering, power brakes, radio, rear mounted antenna, heater/defroster, turn signals, electric clock, and whitewall tires. One more option, power windows, was offered exclusively for the Customline and Crestline models. Dealer installed accessories included spotlights, outside rear view mirrors, and continental kit. All these features were said to make Ford’s station wagons “Worth more when you buy it… Worth more when you sell it.”

Despite the new V8 and instrument panel plus the myriad options and accessories Ford offered, its perennial rival, Chevrolet, managed to nudge ahead in the sales race late that year and claimed 17,453 more Chevys were sold by the end of the model year. At the time, some speculated Chevrolet had inflated its sales numbers by getting its dealers to register inventory that had not actually been sold.

The car seen here, a 1954 Ford Mainline Ranch Wagon, was owned by a Tyler, Texas resident at the time it was photographed. The owner handled nearly all of the restoration chores, but hired a professional body shop to apply the paint.

During the body-off-frame restoration, the floors were replaced with rust-free sheet metal from a Customline four-door sedan parts donor which coincidentally also had a very nice dash painted the correct color for his green station wagon. Only the dirt had to be removed from it to make it fresh again so it – instrumentation and all – was transplanted to the project car.

Today, more car collectors are restoring and preserving station wagons, thus they are definitely worth more as FoMoCo’s ads claimed about their ’54 line of wagons.

Specifications

1954 Ford Mainline Ranch Wagon

Base Price: $2,106

Engine: 239 V8

Bore and Stroke: 3.50x3.10 in.

Horsepower: 130@4,200rpm

Carburetion: Single Holley 2-bbl.

Compression: 7.2:1

Ignition System: 6-Volt

Transmission: 3-speed manual

Wheelbase: 115 inches

Weight: 3,459 lbs.

Production: 44,315

1956 Ford F-100

2011-08-04T12:39:00.000-05:00

Modernized Truck

Text and Photos by David W. Temple

Ford’s truck series became much more modern with the introduction of a newly redesigned F-Series line for 1953. The F-Series which began in 1948 as the F-1, F-2, F-3, F-4, etc., were updated to become (among others) the F-100, F-250, and F-350 which were the respective designations for the ½-ton, ¾-ton, and the one ton versions in the so-called light-duty category. The F-250 actually replaced both the old F-2 and F-3 trucks. These light-duty trucks were joined by a number of heavy-duty types including cab-over engine versions. Ford’s trucks could be had with a regular bed, stake bed, or even without a bed for those needing to install a specially constructed cargo carrier. A panel truck was also offered. One other vehicle included in the truck group, was the passenger car-based Courier which was a sedan delivery vehicle having very little in common with the F-Series.

Of the 1953-56 models, the ’56 rendition was the most modern in appearance. A wraparound windshield (a styling craze originally introduced by General Motors) finally made it to Ford’s truck line, though it did appear the prior model year on their all-new passenger car line including the Thunderbird. The wraparound windshield forced a reshaping of the 1953-55 cab and doors. Ford’s truck literature boasted of the ease of entry and exit with doors “almost a yard wide.”

The new wraparound windshield was not just for the front; a desirable option for a ‘56 Ford truck was the wraparound rear window. When this feature was ordered, bright moldings were added to all windows. The standard rear window measured a bit over four feet, thus leaving wide pillars at the rear of the cab. The optional wraparound glass of 824 square inches certainly improved rearward visibility.

Other updates that freshened the styling of the F-Series for ‘56 included a new grille, “frenched” headlights, a dashboard similar to the passenger car line, and a 12-volt electrical system replaced the 6-volt system. This model year, running boards were painted to match the body instead of being painted black. Other changes improved upon handling qualities as well as aiding driver and passenger comfort. Ford’s designers concentrated on styling and comfort for the first time when designing the original F-Series and expanded on those aims with the new series; their ads expressed this approach with the marketing term, “Driverized.” This year also marked the first use of tubeless tires on all Ford light-duty trucks.

Another extra-cost option was the Custom Cab. Unless the Custom Cab was ordered, the grille, headlight and parking lamp bodies were painted Colonial White by the factory rather than being chrome plated. The Custom Cab option included the chrome-plated grille, bright metal molding around the windshield, key locks on both doors, side-mounted spare tire carrier, red or copper-tone vinyl seat bolster and facings, foam-rubber filled seat, headliner, sound deadener on the floor and rear cab panels, fiberglass insulation in the firewall, left armrest, twin sun visors, cigar lighter, and dome light.

Earlier inline six-cylinder and V8 engines continued to be offered for the 1956 F-100. The overhead valve six displaced 223 cubic inches and provided 133hp at 4,000rpm. A one-barrel carburetor fed the fuel/air mixture to the cylinders. The optional V-8 was of the Y-block family first available in Fords for the 1954 model year and in its original form it displaced 239 cubic inches – the same as the flathead it had replaced. To emphasize the new Y-block design, Ford’s truck literature called the eight-cylinder engine the “Y-8.” To keep up with the horsepower race of the times, displacement of the Y-block quickly grew to 272 cubic inches for the trucks (though passenger cars could be bought with the 292 or the 312 cid V-8s). The optional 272 gave the owner 167hp at 4,400rpm as well as increased torque. With either engine, the three-speed manual column-shifted transmission was standard. However, five transmission options were offered for the ’56 Ford pickup truck. These were comprised of three helical gear type Synchro-Silent manual three-speed versions subdivided into the standard issue type, a medium-duty version, and one with overdrive. A four-speed Synchro-Silent manual and a Fordomatic two-speed automatic were also offered.

The 1956 Ford F-100 illustrated here is owned by a resident of Westlake, Texas. The truck has been in the family since the owner’s grandfather purchased it new in Hot Springs, Arkansas. His grandfather used the truck for everyday transportation including hunting trips to Wyoming and Montana. The owner has fond memories of joining his grandfather on some of those hunting adventures.

In 1997, the truck was given as a gift and a restoration shop in West Texas was soon hired to perform a total restoration on it. Most readers are probably familiar with the occasional restoration shop horror story and this project soon became one of those. The owner who manages a business had little time to keep an eye on the process, but trusted the shop to do the job right. Unfortunately, patch panels for the cab were poorly installed, the original engine block was dropped from the engine stand, parts were lost, etc.; this was over a four-year period.

When the poor work was discovered, the pieces were packed up, taken away from the restoration facility, and a search for another restoration shop started. This search led to R&R Restoration in Longview, Texas. Over a two-year period they corrected the mistakes of the past and restored the family heirloom to better than new condition and to appear as it did almost from day one. As previously mentioned, the running boards for ’56 pickups were originally body color, but are black instead of Diamond Blue on the pictured truck. Within a week or two of purchasing the F-100, the grandfather had a minor mishap which left one of the running boards damaged. The running board was replaced and painted black; the other one was painted to match. At the time of the accident, black paint was readily available and therefore offered a quicker and less costly repair. Black was maintained for the running boards because this is the way it has appeared since his earliest days. The restoration included a replacement engine since the original block was seriously damaged when it was dropped, another cab to replace the poorly patched original unit, as well as some modifications to make it more comfortable and safer to operate for many years of fond recollections and new memories for the owner’s entire family.

Thanks to its styling and “driverized” design, the 1953-56 Ford F-Series trucks were extremely popular when new and remain so today with collectors.

Specifications

1956 Ford F-100 ½-Ton

Base Price: $1,485

Engine: inline six-cylinder

Displacement: 223cid

Bore & Stroke: 3.62x3.60 in.

Compression Ratio: 7.8:1

Carburetor: Holley 1-bbl.

Horsepower: 133@4,000rpm

Torque: 202 ft.-lb.@1,600-2,600rpm

Transmission: 3-speed manual

Wheelbase: 110 in.

Tire size: 6.70 x 15

Production: 137,581

1957 Continental Mk. II

2011-07-26T23:07:00.001-05:00

Chronology of a Failure

Text and Photography by David W. Temple

At the time this 1957 Mk. II was photographed it had traveled only 62,700 miles

From the start, the Continental Mark II was doomed to failure by a combination of unreasonable expectations, high cost, and bad timing. This was an ignominy for such a well-crafted and beautiful car for which much effort was expended over several years. The origins of the Mark II can be found even before the final run of the original Continental which debuted as a prototype in 1939 and finally as a production car from 1940 to 1948. Its end can be seen in photographs of a clay model named Mark III Berline.

The man responsible for the prestigious Continental, Edsel Ford, died in May of 1943, which left the future of the model in doubt. Edsel’s untimely death led to the departure of a number of talented people who worked under him. Edsel’s father, Henry, had little interest in his son’s work. Furthermore, World War II had to be won before a full scale effort could once again be the focus of Ford Motor Company which was turning out B-24s, the Jeep, armored personnel carriers, etc. As the war drew to a close, poorly managed FoMoCo was in financial trouble which was a great concern not only to the Ford family, but to the U. S. Government as well; the government had major war contracts at stake. To rescue the company from certain oblivion, Navy Secretary Frank Knox (with President Franklin Roosevelt’s approval) ordered Henry Ford II’s early discharge from the Navy so that he could take control of the company. The board of directors instated 26-year old Henry Ford II as executive vice-president on January 23, 1944. The elder HF was reluctant to resign, but at the insistence of his wife, Clara, he resigned from the presidency on September 20, 1945, leaving the way open for his son to assume the presidency the following day.

The new president quickly found he was in over his head and knew he needed to surround himself with skilled managers and designers. With the internal corporate turmoil and the war at an end, a new Continental could now at least be given some serious consideration. During 1945, stylist Bill Schmidt sketched a design that resembled a mid-50s Nash in front and a ‘40s Continental in back; the proposal also featured cut down doors. Apparently, Schmidt’s Continental never got any further than the paper stage. Another attempt – a proposal for a 1949 model – reached the clay model stage, but the car was considered to awkward looking to go into production. The efforts continued, though.

One of the early hires of Henry Ford II was Ernie Breech. Breech had served as an executive at General Motors and HF II hired him to serve as executive vice president for his company. Breech realized Ford Motor Co. needed experienced design talent so he asked independent stylist George Walker and some of his key people – Joe Oros and Elwood Engle – to serve Ford as long term design consultants. Breech also managed to bring in some GM engineers as well which lead to the hiring of George Snyder. Snyder had been working on an advanced design when he left Oldsmobile which he brought with him when he came to Ford. The advanced concept became another attempt at a new Continental. Advanced is certainly the proper term for the car as time would later prove because it looked more like something from the early to mid-60s. In fact, one of its prominent features showed up on the 1965 Mustang – the indented fake scoops. The concept was regarded as spectacular, but much too advanced for the time. Nevertheless, the desire to revive the Continental stayed strong, thus another proposal followed.

Attention to detail is abundantly evident throughout the Mk. II

On January 10, 1952, the Continental 195X made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show. Much interest was shown in the nonfunctional vehicle by those who saw it and for a time it seemed as though the 195X would serve as the basis for the hoped for Continental Mk. II. The following year, the 195X received upgrades and a drivetrain to make it fully functional. The car which was originally named X-100 got the designation back by the time it was ready for the show circuit again. During the time the car was being made operable, a committee (dubbed the Davis Committee) recommended to Henry Ford II that a low volume luxury car be produced; in other words build the Continental. At this point, a survey of prominent people across the country was made. They were shown various drawings of proposed Continentals and the vast majority preferred something called the “modern formal” rather than the 195X. This discovery lead to that car being renamed the X-100 because it was no longer being considered for the Continental program. Finally, FoMoCo executives and designers had something to develop into the long sought prestige car.

The Davis committee’s findings lead to the creation of the Special Products Division which later became the Continental Division in 1955. (Incidentally, the committee also recommended what became the Edsel.) The independent division needed managers, stylists, and engineers. William Clay Ford occupied the top spot while John Reinhart and Harley Copp headed styling and engineering respectively. Gordon Beuhrig (of Cord 810/812 fame) was the chief body engineer. The Continental Division had all the right people in the right places. Their task was to create an American version of the Rolls Royce. Initially, the car was to be a prestige flagship which was not expected to make money, but rather embellish the image of Ford Motor Company. Along the way, the purpose changed. The division was required to make a profit almost from the start – an unreasonable goal and helped to doom the luxury marque to extinction. To make a profit, the Continental Division would have needed to have sold about 10,000 Mark IIs per year over a four year period at $10,000 each. The need to make a profit with the Mark II stemmed from the decision to go public with FoMoCo stock for 1956. Ernie Breech did not believe going to the first stockholder’s meeting with a Ford division loosing money was in the company’s best interest; this belief likely sealed the fate of the Mark II.

During the design phase, the cost is no object approach gave way to reality. Early on in the program a V-12 was considered, but rejected on budget considerations. Developing an entirely new V-12 engine would have added enormous cost to the project. The Lincoln 368 was chosen; it received only cosmetic changes to differentiate it from the lower level Lincolns. However, the 368 was a new engine, plus it was the most powerful ever offered for a Lincoln, therefore it was not a bad compromise for the Continental. Furthermore, each engine was machined to higher tolerances than those for Lincolns, dynamometer tested, and dismantled for inspection before going into a Continental.

A new chassis on a 126-inch wheelbase with a “cowbelly” frame to keep the car within a low overall height of 58 inches was designed for the “American Rolls Royce.” Other special features included extra attention to the fit and finish. Great care was taken in making certain all body panels were aligned to near perfection. The painting process involved a surface seal coat, a primer coat, water sanding by hand, another surfacer coat, another water sanding by hand, baking, followed by two lacquer color coats, oil sanding, which in turn was followed by two more color coats of lacquer which were baked, hand buffed and polished. Chrome plating exceeded SAE specifications. Even nuts and bolts received special attention. The pursuit of perfection meant the price tag expected to be around $7500-$8000 was far from accurate. The originally projected price was stratospheric for the time, but the actual price of about $10,000 was astronomical.

A 300hp 368 cid V-8 was standard.

The price of the two-door hardtop Mark II meant that a planned Mark II retractable was deleted from production plans. The added expense of such a model would only increase the price well beyond $10,000. The retractable program which got as far as a functional prototype cost nearly two million dollars to develop. Luckily for Ford Motor Co., the steel retractable roof proved to be adaptable to the 1957 Fords being planned at the time, thus it was transferred to that program. Amortizing the cost of the retractable program with the Mark II production would have meant even greater losses; as it was, Ford lost $1000 on every one sold. Most of the Mark IIs had to be discounted to around $8500 in order to sell them.

Despite the termination of the retractable model, Ford contracted Derham Coachworks to construct three Mark II convertibles from factory stock; the order was later trimmed to just one. The car was first displayed at the Texas State Fair in Oct. of 1956, but by then the handwriting was on the wall for the Mark II. Sales were dismal; less than 3,000 Mark IIs were built for ‘56 and ‘57, before the plug was pulled on the operation in May of 1957. The Continental Division was being absorbed by Lincoln well before that point.

Another factor in the demise of the Mark II, was the decision to build the new 1958 Lincolns as unibody cars. In early 1955, work commenced on the Mark III Berline, a chauffeur driven model. A little over a year later it was very apparent the Continental division was in trouble. However, there were last gasp efforts to save the car. Styling studio chief John Najjar asked one of the stylist to update a Mark II with stacked headlights; the car was proposed as a continuation of the Mark II for 1958. There was no interest in it. There was consideration given to building the Mark III Berline along with the new Lincoln line, but the costs associated with tooling for the two different cars was simply too high. However, Ernie Breech recognized the Mark III Berline was a better looking car than the planned Lincoln and wondered if it should become the new Lincoln for 1958 instead. He wondered too late. Much of the tooling had already been developed for the new unibody Lincolns; they had gone beyond the point of no return. These final efforts placed the final period in the saga of the classy Mark II.

The Lincoln Continental Mark III, IV, and V models that followed were not much more than badge engineered versions of the lower echelon Capri and Premiere series. The sales of the 1958-60 Lincolns were poor, as well, and the cars were forgotten by the time a true follow-on to the Mark II appeared in 1968, as a Mark III.

The Mark IIs are not forgotten, though. They are prized possessions of collectors lucky enough to own one. The 1957 model pictured here was owned by a Grand Rapids, Michigan resident and a Lincoln & Continental Owners Club member at the time it was photographed several years ago. The car was photographed at the club’s national meet in St. Louis in September 2000 shortly after it had received a total repaint. Then it had logged only 62,700 miles and retained its original upholstery. The long list of standard equipment for Mark II meant the options list was a short one; this one has the extra-cost air conditioning.

The Mark II was a failure where it counted the most as far as Ford Motor Company was concerned. Collectors have a different view – what a fabulous car this failure is. The Mark II’s timeless elegance and graceful lines is what is meaningful today.

Specifications

1957 Continental Mk. II

Base price: $9,966*

Engine: 368cid V8

Horsepower: 300@4,800rpm

Torque: 415@3,000rpm

Compression: 10.0:1

Bore and Stroke: 4.00 x 3.65 inches

Carburetion: Carter 4-bbl.

Exhaust: dual

Transmission: Turbo-Drive two-speed automatic

Wheelbase: 126 inches

*Most had to be substantially discounted in order to sell them.

1954 Mercury Monterey Sun Valley

2011-07-16T17:58:00.002-05:00

The Sky's the Limit

Text and Photography by David W. Temple

SOME HISTORY

By the late-30s, Ford Motor Company found itself with a $500 price gap between its most expensive Ford and its cheapest Lincoln. There was a medium price market to fill and Mercury was the one to do it. Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Dodge, DeSoto, Hudson, and Studebaker already had entries in this market. In Roman mythology, Mercury was the swift messenger of the gods as well as the god of commerce and travel. His powers included the ability to change anything to gold; FoMoCo hoped their new Mercury would prove to be a golden opportunity for the company. The decision was a good one; approximately 150,000 of the inaugural 1939-40 models were sold. Sales went up from there in the forties and fifties.

During the fifties, stylists were quite adventurous with their ideas; a “sky is the limit” attitude prevailed. Bubble top designs were often seen in their sketches and show cars – especially at Ford. The bubbletop idea led to two new FoMoCo models for 1954 – the Ford Crestline Skyliner and the Mercury Monterey Sun Valley. Neither model was tremendously successful in terms on production for Ford Motor Company, but they served their purpose by creating publicity and bringing traffic into the showrooms. Ford’s Skyliner brought 13,344 sales while the more expensive Mercury Sun Valley received only 9,761 orders.

The Sun Valley models are uncommon finds today which makes them a standout at car shows, but other than having a plexiglass roof insert, they are the same as other two-door hardtop models in the Mercury line-up which were sold in greater numbers. Unfortunately for restorers, many components were not shared between the Ford and Mercury of the 1952-54 period, plus further complicating matters is that the 1954s had several one year only components. Being different means getting noticed, but it also brings some extra challenges.

EXTERNAL PARTS INTERCHANGE

Most of the ‘54 Mercury body panels are not an area of great difficulty for the restorer. The front fenders are alike on ‘53 and ‘54 models. If fenders are needed, be sure to check for rust in the head light area. Many cars of the ‘50s were prone to rust formation in this region and the Mercury is no exception. (The rockers, floors, and quarter panels need to be inspected, too.) The doors and quarters interchange on like models without much alteration needed on the 52-54 Mercs. There are trim variations, thus holes may need to be drilled or filled as required. The most significant problem on the ‘54 body involves the quarter panels which incorporated unique tail lights. Should an entire panel from a ‘52 or ‘53 be used as a replacement, the rearmost portion of a 1954 panel would need to be grafted in place. (One bit of luck for the restorer is that the tail and backup light lenses are reproduced for these cars.) The hoods on the ‘52, ‘53, and ‘54 Mercs are all different in some way, so each of these is unique panels. The air deflector (the panel above the grille where the hood latch is mounted) does not interchange either. If a prospective restoration project needs body panel replacements it will make for a very expensive restoration. Cutting, welding, hammering, and stretching sheet metal is time consuming and, if farmed out to a professional, expensive. Fit and finish on the 1952-54s was not as good as on subsequent Mercurys, thus more time is needed for panel straightening and aligning panels.

The Sun Valley does not share its plexiglass panel with any of the 54-56 Ford Skyliners, or the 1955 Sun Valley. The plexiglass crazes under long term exposure to ultraviolet light, therefore, for the best appearance it must be replaced during a restoration. The problem with this is that these are not reproduced for the ‘54s and new obsolete stock must be found; if one is going for a 100 point restoration this is the only choice. At least the plexiglass inserts can still be found with some patient hunting.

Other unique exterior parts include the bumpers, some side moldings, and emblems. None of the moldings is reproduced.

MECHANICAL INTERCHANGE

The sole powerplant for the 1954 Mercurys was a the new Y-block with a displacement of 256 cubic inches; no six cylinders engines were offered. Ford’s version of the Y-block measured 239 cubic inches. (Incidentally, the Y-block name resulted from the frontal cross sectional view which has a Y shape.) The old flathead V-8 powered the 1952-53 Mercs. The change to the updated engine brought with it several other alterations including a new radiator and core support.

Also adding difficulty to a restoration is that many 256 V-8s tended to wear out a bit early. Many were replaced with a more powerful and improved 272, 292, or 312. These were bored out Y-blocks first used in Fords between from 1955 to 1957; the 292 was employed in passenger cars through 1962, and on trucks through 1964. If one locates a project car, chances are it will have one of these engines. When one looks at the situation from the perspective of the late-50s or early-60s, it makes sense that a 1954 Mercury owner would select an easier to obtain and more powerful replacement; in the case of a 312, as much as eighty extra horses could be had. If a 256 is still in place, finding overhaul parts will be more difficult than is typical for other Y-blocks. As if there is not already enough complicating matters, there is the issue of single and dual exhausts on the 256. A single exhaust was standard and the most common on these, but duals were offered at extra cost. When duals were ordered, a different mounting bracket for the neutral start switch was installed to make room for the left side exhaust manifold. (Single exhaust cars employed another type of left side manifold which presented no clearance problem.) This fact must also be considered if an engine swap is to be performed since the larger Y-blocks had larger exhaust manifolds. Even though the 256 was part of the Y-block family it did not share many components with its later variants. The most obvious external differences are the crankshaft pulley (which had no vibration damper due to its short stroke), fuel pump, thermostat housing, water pump, timing cover, and water bypass tube and hose. The lack of a vibration damper means a spacing difference for the fan pulley as compared to those later engines that have the damper; the 1954 generator and power steering brackets do not align on the newer, longer stroke Y-blocks. An upgrade to a later engine will necessitate the use of all the accessory drive components for that engine instead of those on the 256.

If the restorer is faced with the restoration of one of these Mercurys then a choice regarding the engine will likely need to be made regarding originality or practicality. Based on the above information, choosing originality will be the more difficult and, therefore, the most expensive route. Substituting a later Y-block will be simpler, but of course not quite authentic. The latter option, however, is not a bad one since only an expert will be able to detect the alteration due to the simple fact that a 256 is a Y-block, too. Only subtle differences are present and few will ever notice them. For instance, the fan will be about a half-inch closer to the radiator due to the presence of the vibration damper. Unless the restorer is a hard-core perfectionist, then do not let authenticity be a major concern if engine replacement is needed. Of course if the restorer is lucky enough to find a car with a good 256 there is no reason to do an engine swap.

If an engine switch is the route selected then another choice must be made – 272, 292, or 312. The 272 and 292 will be a little easier in terms of parts hunting and a bit less costly while the 312 offers more horsepower (the 1957 version offers the best performance). There are two problems associated with the 312 in terms of parts availability. A rope seal will need to be used for the rear seal because no one yet reproduces the original equipment rubber split-lip seal – a two-piece component. The main bearings are not the same as on the smaller Y-blocks and are much more expensive than those for the 272 and 292. Another consideration is that there were passenger car and truck versions of the Y-block. The most notable variation between the two involves the heads; compression and valve sizes differ. Truck engines had a lower compression ratio and smaller valves, thus lower horsepower. If the restorer is faced with needing heads, make sure the casting numbers on each head match. Simply put, make certain a matched pair is obtained. Matching parts is actually good advice for the entire drivetrain. For instance, if, for example, a 1955 model 272 is to be installed, use a 1955 or newer torque converter and bell housing in the case of an automatic equipped car. The ‘54 torque converter and bell housing are smaller than subsequent versions. Simply stated, the ‘54 engine has significant unique characteristics and if using the original engine, don’t mix components from newer models. The reverse is true as well; don’t use ‘54 components on a newer Y-block. This applies to the distributor, too. The 1954-56 distributors have an all vacuum advance while the ‘57 and up employed a combination vacuum/mechanical advance. The combination of a ‘57 carb and ‘54 distributor would provide for poor performance. If a 1957 model carb is used then install a ‘57-’62 distributor. (A bit of trivia that could prove useful is that the distributor from a Lincoln/Mercury 368 V-8 fits the Y-block although the drive gear does not interchange between the two.) For further information on rebuilding a Y-block engine see the resources section for publications on the subject.

An automatic transmission was an extra-cost option even on the more upscale Mercury; standard issue was the three-speed, column shifted manual. The Ford-O-Matic and Merc-O-Matic were virtually identical for the ‘54 models, but for 1955, the flywheel and torque converter were changed. Incidentally, the rear axles on the Ford and Mercury were shared components.

For ‘54, Mercury as well as Ford adopted ball joints for the front suspension. Lincoln made the switch two years earlier. Again this complicates matters for the restorer. The switch to ball joints necessitated a change to the frame from the firewall forward and forced the use of modified inner fenders which represents one more case of 1954-only pieces. The Lincoln, Mercury, and Ford parts are different from one another, too. The restorer does get a break here, though – the newer 1955-56 Ford front suspension and brakes can be adapted to fit. Using the spindles, backing plates, drums, wheel cylinders, wheel bearings, and brake shoes from the ‘55-’56 Fords is an easy switch and provides improved braking. The change is not easily seen either which is an advantage to those concerned with car show competition.

The electrical systems for the 52-54 Mercurys are not alike; therefore, instrumentation does not interchange. (Furthermore the dashes are different making instrument interchange impossible anyway.) A switch from the stock 6-volt system to a 12-volt arrangement is strongly recommended. Starting is easier and 12-volt batteries are much more common. If the change is made then it will be necessary to use a resistor on the gages to drop the voltage from twelve to six. Also, the ammeter will read backward with a 12-volt setup unless the wire is run through the metal supporting loops in the opposite direction. A new wiring harness is recommended as well since the originals used rubber for insulation; after more than four decades the rubber will very likely be rotted. Short circuits have accounted for the destruction of many cars over the years including vintage ones. Better safe than sorry. New wiring harnesses employ more durable vinyl insulation.

INTERIOR

As already mentioned, the dash on the ‘54 Mercury is unique. The steering wheel usually cracked over time and most likely will require restoration. A do-it-yourself kit is available through Eastwood Company. The kit includes a two part PC-7 epoxy and a 20-page booklet detailing the steps involved. Professional services can be employed, too, but expect to pay plenty. Check listings in magazines such as Hemmings Motor News for information on this.

Upholstery for these cars was originally produced by U.S. Rubber (now Uniroyal). The headliner and door panel material for these cars was also used by General Motors in ‘55 and ‘56, and at least for some colors, is currently reproduced. The seat material, though, is not. The grain for the seat vinyl is different than that on the door panels. One must settle for something that is a close match, or seek NOS material.

THE FEATURE CAR

The feature car was owned by a resident of Mineral Wells, Texas at the time it was photographed by the author. As of that time, this Sun Valley had undergone two partial restorations – the first in 1983, and the latest in 1998.

The history of this Mercury is unknown up until about 1983, when a dealer in Cleburne, Texas, purchased it. The car sat in long-term, indoor storage without being driven, however, which led to some cosmetic decay of the vehicle. The paint cracked and the chrome deteriorated. However, the Merc-O-Matic transmission survived the long storage surprisingly well; no new seals were required.

Much work was still necessary, however. The car was repainted, the bumpers replated, weatherstrip around the doors was replaced, all hoses were replaced including those for the brakes, the gas tank cleaned and sealed, exhaust system replaced, new tires installed, carb, radiator, and main bearings replaced, power window motors received new gears (same as those on the Ford), and upholstery for the front seat was replaced with a close match.

High-Performance 1957 Ford Fairlane 500s

2011-06-26T21:36:00.001-05:00

A Pair of 1957 Ford Musclecars

Text and Photos by David W. Temple, Historical photos from author's files

By the time the 1957 model year cars hit the pavement, the post-war horsepower race had been well underway. Automobile manufacturers were backing race teams with performance equipment because racing was becoming a popular sport and helping to sell cars. As noted in an article which appeared in the 1958 annual issue of Motorspeed, “If the car wins frequently, there is publicity that follows naturally. That publicity is often better than advertising, so dealers sell more cars.”

By the mid-fifties some in authority began to notice the rising highway death toll. Seeking an issue upon which to capitalize, it did not take long for the politicians to point at the way cars were being made and advertised. Such talk got the attention of the rule-making body of the National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing (NASCAR).

1957 Fairlane 500 Club Sedan with the F-code Y-Block

In April 1957, NASCAR prohibited the use of fuel-injection, multiple carburetion, and supercharging – all of which were in use on the speedways. This action proved too little, too late. Because they wished to avoid the kind of scrutiny the feds were starting to give auto manufacturing, the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) banned factory-backed racing the following June. Officially the Big Three complied with this decision; however, Ford was the only one to take it seriously.

A secondary reason for the AMA edict was the tremendous cost involved in staying competitive. The same 1958, Motorspeed article stated this opinion:

“Stock car racing was a highly expensive venture. It diverted the interest of the engineers, the public relations people and the sales executives away from their principle reason for existing – selling automobiles.

“To be kept in its true perspective auto racing should have been one of the sales aids, but it became an all consuming monster.”

The “all consuming monster” did not go away in spite of the AMA ban. Pontiac basically ignored the ban. Chevy went a bit further by disguising its performance equipment under the banner of “for police use only.” Chrysler Corp. had already dropped out of speedway competition, but continued to be involved with events such as Daytona Speedweeks. Taking the ban seriously, Ford sold all of its equipment to race team Holman-Moody.

340hp superchardged 312

Even without factory involvement in the last part of the race season, the teams racing Ford cars managed 27 Grand National victories. Runner-up, Chevrolet, succeeded in obtaining 18 wins. In USAC competition the supercharger set-up was legal for the entire season and Ralph Moody drove one to victory in four races. Overall, Ford managed 12 USAC wins for ‘57. This season had been the best to date for Ford – greatly exceeding the 14 NASCAR wins of the previous year and the lowly two NASCAR victories achieved in 1955. Ford was on a roll; then the politicians got involved.

Post war hot rods started appearing from FoMoCo for the 1952, model year. Lincoln became involved in the Pan American races at this point and continued through 1954. Ford began competing with its 205hp, Y-block[*], 292 Interceptor-equipped racers in 1955. Pete Depoalo, an ex-race car driver, was hired by Ford to assist in making its cars competition ready. For 1956, Ford provided an enlarged version of the Y-block (sized at 312 cubic inches) with dual four-venturi induction. About this time rumors began circulating that rival Chevrolet might offer a supercharged Corvette. Depoalo recommended that a supercharger be made available for the 312 and hired Curtis Turner and Joe Weatherly to drive for Ford. Ford acted on the advice and made a deal with Paxton to supply superchargers. The supercharged 312 became available in January 1957, on any Ford passenger cars (including the Ranchero, Skyliner, and station wagon models).

Factory shop manual for F-code engine

The 312 was offered with a single four-venturi carburetor and 9.7 to 1 compression giving 245hp, as a dual four set-up (and the same compression rating) with 270 or 285hp depending on the cam and heads used, and of course the blown type with 8.6 to 1 compression delivering either 300hp at 4800rpm or 340hp at 5300rpm – again depending upon the cam and heads attached. Any transmission (three-speed manual, three-speed manual with optional overdrive, and the Ford-O-Matic) could be specified with these engines.

To show off the new '57 Fairlane, a blown version lapped the Indianapolis Speedway at an average speed of 117 mph in the Stephen Trophy Trials. Furthermore, for twenty-two days starting September 9, 1956, two Fairlanes were run continuously at 110 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Pit stops lasted an average of 17 seconds. The cars ran day and night until the 28^th when the 50,000 mile mark was reached, thus proving the car's superior durability. Prior to this event, the same Fairlanes broke 458 national and international performance records.

Ford advertising banner

The results at the annual Daytona Speedweeks event were impressive, too. The supercharged Fairlane driven by Fran Hernandez finished third with a 130.058 mph Class 7 two-way flying mile speed run. Class 7 was the over 350 cubic-inch displacement category. The 312-powered Ford had to compete with a 392 hemi-equipped Chrysler 300C, a 364 outfitted Buick, and a Dodge with a 354 V-8. The top five results were as follows:

1st	1957 300-C	134.128mph
2nd	1957 Buick	130.766 mph
3rd	1957 Ford	130.058 mph
4th	1957 Dodge	129.753 mph
5th	1957 Buick	129.683 mph

In the Class 7 acceleration, one mile, standing start event the same blown Fairlane managed an average speed of 85.066 mph placing it behind a '57 300C and '57 Mercury (equipped with a 368 cid engine) with average speeds of 86.873 and 85.511 mph respectively.

A twin-carb 312 Fairlane driven by Bud Wilcox placed fifth in Class 6 competition. The top five finishers were as indicated:

1^st	1957 Pontiac	131.747 mph
2^nd	1957 Pontiac	131.531 mph
3^rd	1957 Pontiac	128.434 mph
4^th	1957 Plymouth	126.205 mph
5th	1957 Ford	125.239 mph

The charged-up Fords proved to be just as fast as the "fuelie" Chevrolets. Both were capable of 130 mph top speeds. The Fords seemed to have the advantage on the fast speedways while the Chevy did better of the short tracks.

A '57 Ford at Daytona Speedweeks

A road test performed on a 245hp, four-door sedan Fairlane 500 and reported on in the January 1957, issue of Hot Rod showed the car to be a relatively good handling vehicle. Pushing the car into some serious turns at 55 mph at “near-full power in the Ford’s intermediate gear” resulted in the car going “around as if on rails.” At 60 mph chassis roll “reached its limit” and at 70 mph “the car rounded the turn ‘way wide despite the fact the front wheels were fully cramped into the turn.” The article referred to the improved (compared to 1956) front ball joint suspension, the more rigid one piece upper and lower A-arms, and improved weight distribution. Their tests did reveal faults in the Fairlane, though. Changing the sway bar from the standard 5/8 inch type to the 11/16 inch version used on station wagons or to a 3/4 inch bar was recommended. Also, stiffer shocks and torque dividing differential were mentioned as other desirable features to add to the chassis.

In analyzing the steering the same article stated, “It is both light and accurate ... but the overall steering ratio of 27 to 1 is entirely too slow for quick and easy-made corrections.” The report noted the Ford-Bendix power steering unit had “a reassuring feel” and “is responsive though slow, and continues as one of the very best power steering units available.”

Braking was evaluated and considered to be good during normal operation, but when things became livelier, brake fade took place “sooner than expected”. The brake system was carried over from ‘56.

The final observation in the Hot Rod report was, “Mechanically, the ‘57 Ford is a very sound automobile. It isn’t without faults, but it contains a minimum of bad ones and most of these were due to compromises made for the sake of styling. It performs well, is quite roadworthy and driving it can be a real ball ... I’ll bet they’ll sell a jillion of ‘em.”

Production amounted to 1,653,068 units which was good enough to edge out Chevrolet. Of those, 39,843 were the Fairlane 500 two-door Club Sedan model like the examples illustrated here. Production breakdown for the 2x4 barrel (E-code engine) and supercharged (F-code engine) equipped cars is not available. Interestingly, though, is the fact NASCAR rules of the day required an automaker to advertise the engine and have a minimum of 100 units delivered to dealers by January 1, 1957. Additionally, 1,500 units had to be scheduled for production by January 15. A total of 208 Thunderbirds were assembled with the F-code engine. If this figure is included with the 1,500 required units, then 1,292 full-size, supercharged Fords were needed to meet NASCAR rules. The NASCAR ban in April along with the AMA agreement in June certainly precluded such a production total. In fact, the actual figure probably did not come anywhere near 1,292. Most likely only a few hundred were built. The same would apply to the E-code engine, although they were probably more common due to the lower cost of the option.

A 270hp E-code 312 Y-Block powers the Flame Red and Raven Black car.

Styling of the ‘57 full-size Fords received influence from the Ford Mystere show car which was completed in late 1954. The hood and scalloped front fender design was taken virtually unaltered from the unique show vehicle. The Mystere’s large round tail lamps appeared in subdued fashion as well.

The two Fairlane 500 Club Sedans pictured belong to Z. T. Parker of Henderson, Texas. The Inca Gold and Raven Black F-code Ford (minus its engine and transmission) was discovered in nearby Jacksonville in the mid-80s. Other than through the “F” in the serial number, Parker was able to authenticate his find by the three-inch wide brake shoes (as compared with the standard 2 ½ -inch shoes), the larger axle retaining bolts, and the assembly plant code for Dearborn. All of the F-code cars were built at this plant. Both the 300 and 340hp cars shared the same engine code.

Fortunately, the lack of the powerplant did not present a problem for Parker. Z.T. drag raced a Ranch Wagon equipped with a transplanted 340hp 312 back in the '60s. After his drag racing days ended in 1971, he removed the engine and placed it in storage. Over the years Parker manually rotated the crank and supercharger once a month to prevent seizure of the internals. Even so, he opened the engine during the restoration just to be sure everything was in top form. New bearings and rings made certain of this.

The date codes (August) on both the block and the car’s data plate match, leading Z.T. to suspect the engine is probably back in the car from which it originally came. Further supporting his suspicion are the facts that August was the last month of production for the supercharged engine and very few of these cars made their way into Parker’s area.

Turbine wheel covers were optional.

Parker and friend, Al Richards handled every aspect of the restoration except for paint, upholstery, and replating the chrome. The effort consumed nearly three years. Z.T. drives the car to nearby shows, but has logged only a few hundred miles in it since 1986. Parker says that with the stock 290-degree cam, “It doesn’t idle very smooth. It’s not a smooth performer at low speeds either, so it by no means could qualify as a daily driver. This type of engine is designed to run best when wide open which isn’t practical around town.”

Later in 1990, Z.T. received a call that led to the acquisition of the E-code Fairlane. The call originated from an Alabama resident who had seen an earlier article on Mr. Parker's supercharged car in a musclecar publication. The man explained he had ordered the twin four-barrel Fairlane in 1957, and although it now needed a total restoration, it was complete and most importantly, for sale. A purchase agreement was achieved shortly afterwards and Z.T. soon hauled the rare 270hp sedan back to Henderson.

Inspection of the data plate revealed an "S" for the paint code. Research revealed the code designated special order paint. The Flame Red and Raven Black two-tone scheme proved to be original, but was reversed from what would commonly be found. In other words, the sides and roof would customarily be black and the hood, fender tops, and rear deck, red. As you can see just the opposite is true here.

As was the case with the other Ford, the 270hp car was nearly rust-free. Light rust had infected the front floor pans; only sandblasting was necessary to remedy this problem. This time Al Richards performed the paint application. The body-off-frame restoration concluded in early 1995.

Mr. Parker says that the E-code engines had a tendency to backfire through the carbs leading to a fire. He experienced this first-hand shortly before taking the car to its first show. Luckily, the fire was snuffed out quickly and only some paint on the air cleaner received damage.

Both cars are identically optioned with two-tone paint, three-speed manual transmission, heater, whitewall tires, turbine style wheel covers, and AM radio.

The E- and F-code Fords of 1957 represent some of the first serious musclecars produced in the United States and are also significant because they ultimately led to the big block-powered Fords of the '60s.

[*] One persistent myth about the Y-block is that its cross-section provided strength to the main bearings. Actually it gave strength to the transmission mounting points – an area of weakness with the Flathead.

1949 Ford Custom Convertible

2011-06-19T13:33:00.003-05:00

Pandora’s Shoebox Ford

Text by David W. Temple

Photos by author except as credited

Soon after World War II ended, Ford Motor Company was facing the prospect of bankruptcy. The difficult financial problems of Ford Motor Co. at that time meant the newest Ford models since the Model A would have to be designed as cheaply and quickly as possible yet meet the expectations of buyers. A crash program ensued. As a result, the ’49 Fords were not very good and their deficiencies are a problem for restorers of the model today. Even so, the 1949 Ford most likely saved the company from extinction.

Today, the 1949-1951 Fords are known as the “shoebox Fords” and are popular with the customizing crowd. Restoring a 1949 model to its original condition presents challenges the other two model year Fords do not.

A floor from a sedan replaced the badly rusted original.

(Paul Bergthold)

The1949 Ford Custom convertible shown on these pages was bought sight unseen based on photos and a description by the seller. It was described as restored, though the seller noted the car’s frame did have a rust issue. Upon its arrival at Gordon Fenner’s home in Longview, Texas, the Ford seemed solid enough and was seemingly drivable. Dummy spotlights and the “fire engine red” paint were not particularly appealing to Gordon, but those issues could be remedied later. “Later” came after about three years of ownership.

In 2007, Gordon decided to have his car repainted in a factory shade, Midland Maroon. He took the car the short distance to a familiar restoration shop, R&R Restoration, where they had beautifully restored a 1949 Cadillac convertible for Gordon about a decade earlier. Gordon explained to them he wanted a repaint rather than a major restoration. Seemingly, a professional repaint and some detailing would be enough. However, the staff soon noticed the lack of door weatherstripping and the doors did not close as they should. They suspected serious rust in the body. The Ford was in the process of being sanded for a repaint when underlying problems began to be fully revealed. Upon using some compressed air to blow away the paint dust, a large section of paint peeled away. To get the repaint right, the body had to be stripped to bare metal which typically requires a paint stripper to perform. In the case of this car, though, compressed air got most of it off. That which still adhered was sanded with 80-grit sandpaper. With the paint removed the sloppy bodywork was very evident – sheet metal patch panels were found to have been placed over rusted sections of the lower body. A “Pandora’s box” had been opened. Rust had taken a severe toll on the body. Nearly the entire interior floor, rocker panels, lower quarters, and trunk floor needed replacement. Even the frame was worse then expected. In short, everything below the level of the bottom of the doors needed new metal. Furthermore, the engine was found to have problems. The previous so-called restoration was a patch job at best. If the phrase, “lipstick on a pig,” was ever appropriate, then it was certainly applicable for this car. A simple repaint clearly would not suffice. In fact, the car was not even safe to drive. Gordon opted to have his car restored to the point of having an eye-appealing appearance, being mechanically reliable, and structurally sound. It would not be made into a 100-point show car.

The rear clip awaits reattachment.

(Paul Bergthold)

Problems with the 1949 design were and are numerous. Panel fit was not very good; hood hinges and door latches were poorly designed; the trunk support was clumsy; window regulators wore out quickly; water leaks were a problem especially for the convertible; floor pans received only primer so they quickly began to rust; brake drums were not sealed well around the backing plates allowing water to get inside reducing braking efficiency; fuel often spilled out on the quarter panel due to the design of the filler which stuck through the quarter panel and had an exposed chrome cap. The latter was fixed through a dealer accessory known as the gas neck whistle. When fuel reached the device it literally began to whistle to warn the tank was full. This accessory is still in good supply in NOS form from Shoebox Ford Parts. (The problem was eliminated on the 1950-model Fords by employing a recessed filler pipe.) Other deficiencies were solved along the way. Door latches had no simple fix. They sometimes failed in a turn leading to more than one person falling from the car.

Styling updates make the ‘49s and ‘50s somewhat easy to differentiate. Parking lamps were greatly altered and a Ford crest replaced the chromed “FORD” letters on the hood for ‘50. A Ford crest was also mounted on the trunk lid. For these and other more substantial reasons, the 1950 models would be advertised as “50 ways finer” though in reality there were much more than 50 modifications. According to Chris Whittington, owner of Shoebox Ford Parts, the ’50 models are the best of the 1949-1951 Fords to own due to the many refinements engineered into them. (The ‘51s should have been at least as good as the ‘50s, but shortages of copper and nickel due to the Korean War resulted in poor chrome plating. He is sympathetic to those restoring the ‘49s, but thinks a better idea is to restore a ’50.

Chris noted that replacing the door latching system on a ’49 Ford can be a major problem. Used parts are no better than the originals and NOS components are very scarce and expensive. Updating to the 1950-model setup requires the installation of the 1950-type doors and door jambs which are needed for the much improved latching system. Of course this is major bodywork, but this is what a restorer faces. In the case of the subject car, NOS components for a ’49 were found. Furthermore, the striker’s original style aluminum retainers located inside the door jamb were replaced with custom-fabricated steel pieces which were of course threaded. As per the original design, the screws would eventually loosen; periodic re-tightening of these screws wore out the threads of the weaker aluminum units. The original pieces were installed prior to the quarter panel being welded in place. Once that was done, access to them later became a problem. A slit had to be cut to install the new steel retainers on the subject car.

Chris offers the 1950-type hood hinges to replace the poorly operating 1949 versions. The problem with the original hinges is the hood can shift side-to-side and its geometry is wrong; if not pulled forward while lifting it will drag the cowl and scrape the paint. The ’50-style hinges push the back of the hood up first before arcing toward the cowl and eliminate the side-to-side shifting. Window regulators have a fix, too. The original soft, center gear of the regulator which easily chipped can be replaced with a modern CNC gear. In terms of the drivetrain, says Chris, the 1949 Fords were reliable.

Midland Maroon, a factory offering, was the color chosen. (Gordon Fenner)

By the time this ’49 was dismantled the body was in three major sections – cowl, floor & rockers, and rear clip. And the frame… to say it had a rust issue was an understatement. This car had spent much of its existence in New York and then later went to Beaumont, Texas along the Gulf Coast, so the reason for the severe corrosion was obvious. A contributing factor to the rusted frame was its boxed design. Though drain holes were provided, eventually dirt and debris collected within thus trapping water. There are five body-mount points on each side of the frame between the wheels; only one did not need to be recreated. Cost considerations made obtaining a replacement frame not a viable option, so the original had to be repaired. The frame was reinforced with plate steel MIG-welded with a Millermatic 180 Auto-Set.

A 1949 sedan floor pan was located and purchased to replace the original; with some relocating of floor braces it fit perfectly. Inner and outer rocker panels, floor braces, and lower quarters are reproduced so these components are readily available. EMS Automotive, suppliers of 1935-1951 Ford (and Chevy) body parts, was the source of the patch panels used on our feature car. As is typical with reproduction patch panels, these needed some work for proper fit. To make the multi-piece body whole again, the cowl and rear clip were bolted to the restored frame followed by the installation of the doors. The door hinges have no adjustment; they are bolted to the cowl and doors with countersunk bolts. As per the shop manual for these cars, the hinges must be bent to obtain the proper alignment. Once the correct door gap was obtained a strap was welded between each door and quarter panel to secure it. At this point the rocker panels were welded into place, and then the straps between the doors and quarters were removed. As with the frame repairs, a MIG welder was used to butt weld all the sheet metal together.

The process of preparing a paintable surface began with two coats of DuPont DTM 2580CR primer. Next was the application of a skim coat of Rage Extreme filler first roughed out with 40-grade followed by 80, then a final sanding with 150-grade. The next step was applying a single coat of DTM sealer. Three coats of ChromaPremiere 2K 32430 primer went on next. This was block sanded with 150-grade then 320-grade sandpaper and sealed with ChromaPremiere 42460 (value shade 6) primer. It is designed to minimize the amount of the color coat needed. Minimizing the amount of paint used reduces the cost of the paint and reduces the chances of problems (such as the paint cracking) later. Three coats of base coat followed by three coats of clear 72200 were sprayed on and allowed to air dry. In the Texas summer this almost amounts to baking the paint literally. Once dry, stick sanding with 1000-grade, then progressing to 1500 and finally 3000-grade sandpaper resulted in a glass-smooth surface. Buffing with finer and finer 3M Trizact compound provided a high-gloss surface.

One area of the car which was not a mess was the suspension system. After everything was checked for tightness, only cosmetic work and the installation of new grease seals on the steering linkage was found to be required. Even the shocks were good. The rear end was drained of oil, checked for problems (with none found) and reinstalled. Chassis black paint made the undercarriage fresh looking again.

All brake shoes, wheel cylinders, and spring kits were replaced with new parts sourced from Shoebox Ford Parts. New steel brake lines (as was the fuel line) were custom-fabricated by R&R Restoration from tube stock.

There were other problems to remedy. The original flathead V-8 had never been rebuilt. Someone had simply replaced the rod and main bearings. Fortunately, Gordon had barely driven the car prior to bringing it to the restoration shop. The oil galleries were plugged as were the water jackets. Sludge inside the oil pan was extreme. Additionally, the block had multiple cracks. A short block (with an old remanufacturer's tag) was acquired to replace the unserviceable unit; it needed to have one cylinder sleeved due to a bad score. (Some will undoubtedly cringe at the thought, but when properly installed a sleeved cylinder is a reliable fix.) Cylinders were then bored .030 oversize. Prior to reinstalling it, the engine was bench-tested for faults and fortunately none were found.

The manually shifted three-speed transmission needed only its oil changed and a fresh coat of chassis black to renew it. Incidentally, overdrive was an extra-cost factory option but this car was not equipped with it.

The interior is one of the easier parts of the 1949 Ford to restore. Lebaron Bonney makes a complete kit including ready to install door and quarter trim panels just like the originals. A local shop, Action Seat Covers, handled fitting these and the reproduction seat covers including new padding. A convertible top, also obtained from Lebaron Bonney, was also fitted by the same shop. However, before the top material was ready to install, the top’s framework and pump had to be restored. The mechanism was sandblasted clean and the right side rail was welded to the header (it had cracked). New paint was then applied. Hydro-E-Letric, well-known to hobbyists, rebuilt the convertible top pump.

After nearly three years of work, this '49 was finally ready to be enjoyed. Gordon takes his Ford to local cruise nights and car shows where it draws its share of admirers, though few of them know what was required to get it there.

1966 Mustang Sprint 6 Convertible

2011-06-03T22:28:00.001-05:00

A Perfect Match

Text and Photos by David W. Temple

The competition between automobile manufacturers for sales of their products sometimes has some unexpected results. Chevrolet’s rear-engine Corvair revealed a market for a relatively cheap sporty car – specifically their Corvair Monza with bucket seats showed the way to the competition. Ford’s first Mustang, the mid-engine 1962 Mustang I was the company’s first experiment with a personal sporty car. This styling study, however, was not something which would be cost-effective to mass produce. Their next one, the 1963 Mustang II show car, foretold the styling and design approach Ford had chosen for their production version.

Ford’s managers estimated the new Mustang released for sale in April 1964 as a 1965 model would account for 100,000 sales per year. That total was reached even before the actual 1965 model year started. By the end of the run of the original design, a total of nearly 1.3 million Mustangs were sold! To say the original “pony car” was popular would be an understatement; clearly it was popular in the extreme. The same is true even after more than four decades. What made the car so desirable to buyers beyond its great styling were its price ($2,368 for the hardtop less options) and its lengthy list of options and accessories to enable buyers to custom tailor the car to their personal tastes. For instance, an inline six-cylinder engine coupled to a three-speed manual transmission was standard while a V8 could be had for a little more than an additional $100 and an automatic transmission added less than $200 to the base price. The majority (see table) were equipped with an optional V8 and the Cruise-O-Matic three-speed transmission. Interestingly, a four-speed was also available, but relatively few were so ordered.

For many of those nearly 1.3 million buyers, the Mustang was their first car. Our featured Candy Apple Red example was the first car for a sixteen year old living in East Texas. His father, who probably deliberately avoided a V8 equipped version, bought it new for him. The streets may have been much safer by his action, but his son was terribly embarrassed by having to drive a car with a six-cylinder – so much so that the car had V8 badges installed on the fenders. However, that was not enough to relieve the “pain” brought on by the small engine; the Mustang was sold within one year. The second owner, Bart Robinson, bought the car for the older of his two teenage daughters. On December 26, 1973, the youngest daughter, Beverly, got her driver’s license and the Mustang became hers. Upon going to college, she got a Camaro and the Mustang was sold by her father to a family friend with the understanding that if and when it became for sale again Mr. Robinson would have the right to buy the car back. The agreement was sealed with a handshake. Unfortunately, the family friend with whom the agreement was made suddenly passed away not long afterwards and Robinson assumed the agreement was lost with him. Then in 1997, the widow of the deceased gentleman called Bart asking if he still wanted to purchase the car. He did not, but his daughter Beverly did. She had long wanted to get the convertible back and often made the point to her husband, Ron Hyden. When she learned the car was for sale again she asked Ron if he would object to buying the Mustang and getting it restored. As he put it to us, “How many wives out there would suggest to their husbands let’s get a classic car and restore it? Life is good!”

After searching for someone Ron trusted to restore the Mustang, he found R&R Restoration in Longview, Texas. He explained that he wanted the car restored to match the way it came from the assembly line, but not too nice to keep it from being a driver. At the time, the Mustang wore a bright orange paint job applied many years earlier; Ron was not even sure of the original color which was soon learned to be Candy Apple Red after a little inspection of the car.

Between the two daughters and the two sons of the prior owner, the Mustang had acquired its share of scars. Fortunately, the main body did not need any panel replacement; only the fenders, hood, valance panels, and deck lid were replaced during the restoration. Bob Lorenz, who operates R&R Restoration, noted that when owners are trying to restore their Mustang they tend to select reproduction parts since they are less expensive and clearly more common than NOS or good used replacements. However, the pitfall here is that in some cases reproduction components have poor fit and/or finish and therefore must be corrected. In the process of making the part fit, the cost advantage is negated. Bob noted that this was certainly not true of the majority of reproduction parts, but if the owner of a Mustang wants a very high-point show car then the best course of action is to seek NOS or good used parts. However, for a nice driver, reproduction parts should still be fine.

Ron and Beverly Hyden’s Mustang was ready to go back home in December 2004. On the 26^th, exactly 31 years to the day she got her driver’s license, Beverly had her old car back. Ron noted that when his wife, who is a brunette, first sat within the black interior, he thought “no person and their car ever matched so well.” Life is obviously good for the Hyden family.

FEATURE CAR’S OPTIONS VS. POPULAR OPTIONS FOR 1966 MUSTANGS*

Options	289 V8	Automatic Transmission	Power Steering	Tinted Windshield	Radio	Whitewall Tires
1966 Mustangs	58.3%	62.8%	28.9%	29.1%	79.3%	85.3%
Feature Car	NO	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES

* Source: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975, Third Edition

1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser

2011-05-30T22:59:00.001-05:00

Space Age Design for Earth Travel

Text and Photos by David W. Temple

Tom McCahill could not say in a sentence or two just how different the Turnpike Cruiser was from the previous cars to come from the Mercury Division of Ford Motor Company. His road test report in the January 1957 Mechanix Illustrated devoted significant space trying to describe his reaction to the new ride: “This is a car with no nostalgic qualities and it won’t have any for at least another 25 years. Beyond a question of doubt, the 1957 Mercurys are the most different cars of the year…

In fact, the easiest was to describe this car is to state that it is a totally new automobile going under the name ‘Mercury’… For those who’ve been shouting against the warmed-over hash and crying, ‘Give us something new!’, the answer is simple: This is it – a Space Age design for earth travel.” Evidently, Tom McCahill was impressed with the new Mercury line as were the editors of Motor Life who reported in August 1957 that, “You don’t have spend much time behind the oddly-shaped steering wheel of a Mercury Turnpike Cruiser to learn this is something more than just a distinctively styled car. Equipped with all the pushbutton and power-operated gadgets you could ask for, this middling big car offers plenty of comfort, luxury, and performance in town and on the highway.”

Model year 1957 brought major changes for Mercury. The nearly twenty-year old division of Ford was moved into the upper-medium priced market to compete with cars like Chrysler’s New Yorker, Buick’s Super, and Oldsmobile’s Ninety-Eight, plus the cars were dramatically restyled so they bore no resemblance to anything they marketed in the past. The public liked the new look, but the attempt to compete in a higher market was ill-timed and therefore, not seen as successful, even though Mercury did gain a little market share and their station wagon models sold very well.

This 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser showcases the flamboyance of the late 1950s with its wild Sunset Orchid and Tuxedo Black "Flo-Tone" paint scheme, anodized gold trim, and a ton of chrome.

In 1955, Francis “Jack” Reith (a member of the group who became collectively known as the “whiz kids” hired after the end of World War II by Henry Ford II) persuaded the executive committee to split the Lincoln-Mercury division and move Mercury up-market for ’57. Reith was then appointed head of the Mercury Division. This same committee had already given the go-ahead for the Edsel, which was set for debut for ’58. This really made the move upward necessary since Edsel was to be marketed above Ford. To help make the point that Mercury had moved up-market, it no longer shared its body with Ford. The decision to not share bodies with Ford gave Mercury more individuality, which of course, was meant to help it compete in the upper-medium priced market.

Another move to place Mercury into this arena was producing a gadget-laden, top-of-the-line model called the Turnpike Cruiser, which was largely based on a one-of-a-kind show car dubbed XM Turnpike Cruiser. The show car foretold the styling direction for Mercury and it looked like its inspiration came from the pages of science fiction. It featured concave, side-channel rear fenders that terminated into canted V-shaped tail lamps; compound curved, wraparound front windshield; three-piece wraparound rear windshield whose center section could be lowered; a flat roof lacking C-pillars; flip-up, transparent plastic roof panels and lots of bright trim. Inside the radical car were instruments clustered in pods, four bucket-like seats and a full-length console. A dual-quad 312 powered the XM Turnpike Cruiser.

The production Turnpike Cruiser was very much like the XM show car version, but lacked the unconventional roof treatment, the individual seating and console, plus had a more conventional, though unique, dashboard. The Lincoln 368 V-8 with a small compression drop provided the power to move the 4,450 pound car. The Turnpike Cruiser debuted in December 1956, in two versions – a two-door hardtop and a four-door hardtop. A convertible was added to the line the following February after negotiations with Indy racing officials resulted in its selection as the pace car for that year’s Indianapolis 500 race. All the Turnpike Cruiser convertibles sold were pace car replicas (although many never had the pace car lettering applied by the dealer).

Among the features of the 1957 Turnpike Cruiser were the 290hp 368 V-8, pushbutton-controlled "Merc-O-Matic" automatic transmission, the optional "Seat-O-Matic" memory seat, and the "Breezeway Ventilation" retractable rear windshield.

Besides the 290hp 368, the Turnpike Cruiser possessed a long list of other standard equipment such as Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission with push-button controls, power steering, power brakes, unique steering wheel, special wheel covers, tachometer, average speed computer clock, “Breezeway Ventilation” (a retractable rear windshield), padded dash, and sun visors, dual exhausts, and “Skylight Dual-Curve” windshield with twin air scoops at the corners. These scoops could be opened and closed via individual levers inside the car. The scoops also housed the horizontally mounted dummy antennas. The steering wheel was flattened on top to, “provide maximum visibility and greater safety,” claimed by Mercury’s sales literature of the day. The “average speed computer clock” reported average speed at any time during a trip – that is, if one wanted to learn how to operate it. If all this did not give comfort, convenience, and entertainment, one could order a number of other interesting options such as a more economical 255hp version of the 368 (optional at lower cost), power windows, air conditioning, “Seat-O-Matic” power seat, and “Multiluber” chassis lubrication system. The Seat-O-Matic was also known as the memory seat. With it, one could dial in a preferred seat position. When the door was opened to exit the parked vehicle, the seat moved back to facilitate the process. Upon reentering the car, one had to merely turn the key to get the seat to return to its previous position. The Multiluber option provided an easy means of lubricating the chassis with a dash-mounted, push-button activated system. No wonder Tom McCahill exclaimed the Turnpike Cruiser was a car with “space age design for earth travel” and Mercury literature boasted that it had “dream car design!”

The Turnpike Cruiser and the move to the upper-medium price market failed. Mercury did gain market share, but not nearly what Francis Reith had forecasted; he was removed as head of the Mercury Division as a result. Rather than take the offer of becoming head of Ford of Canada, Reith resigned from Ford. Bad timing of the move up-market may be mostly to blame for the lower than expected output. An economic recession was beginning to take effect for ’57, and would get worse the following year. As a result, buyers were increasingly interested in economizing at that time. The decision to change the marketing strategy for Mercury was made well ahead of the recession, though. Ironically, Motor Trend later reported the 1957 Monterey hardtop was among the best selling used cars of 1959.

After disappointing sales results, the Turnpike Cruiser was demoted to the Montclair series for 1958, and the Park Lane took the high road for Mercury. With the end of the 1958 model year, the Turnpike Cruiser quietly faded into the history books. The reasons often cited for its disappointing sales performance include poor workmanship and troublesome electrical systems. Whatever the reasons for its demise, road test reports indicated mostly satisfactory results. The writers for Popular Mechanics surveyed Turnpike Cruiser owners and reported in the August 1957 issue that the majority of them gave generally favorable comments about their distinctive automobile. Styling ranked as the most liked feature while handling ease and riding comfort ranked second and third respectively. Not all was viewed as perfect, though. The most frequent complaint was poor gas mileage (anywhere from 10-13 mpg), but poor workmanship and body rattles were also mentioned by 18.8 percent and 18.3 percent of owners, respectively; balancing these discrepancies is the fact that nearly 22 percent found no faults at all. (Worth noting is Mercury’s early factory air conditioning units for ’57 were troublesome.) Interestingly, these are about the same figures obtained for the ’57 Buicks and Oldsmobiles. Apparently, the upscale Turnpike Cruiser was on par with the competition.

Another aspect of competition was racing. Bill Stroppe was in charge of Mercury’s experimental racing division. One of his specially built Mercurys was the “Mermaid.” The car had numerous modifications designed to decrease weight and air resistance of the Monterey from which it was built. During Speedweeks at Daytona, the experimental Mercury ran a best one-way speed of 159 mph with a 154 mph average. Later, the car ran an unofficial speed of nearly 180 mph, but a radiator hose ruptured making the result invalid.

The owner of the car pictured here at the time it was photographed by the author was Jim Hollingsworth of Dallas, Texas. When these cars were new, Jim would have much preferred the sales performance predicted by Francis Reith. Mr. Hollingsworth was a Mercury dealer in Beeville, Texas from 1955 to 1958. The Tuxedo Black and Sunset Orchid four-door hardtop was advertised in Hemmings Motor News a number of years ago; Jim went to Colorado to buy the car and later performed a partial restoration of it. This one is equipped with air conditioning, Seat-O-Matic, power windows, radio, power antenna, “Flo-Tone” two-tone paint, and the Multiluber. Hollingsworth has also owned another Turnpike Cruiser (a black two-door hardtop), a Monterey convertible, and a Colony Park four-door hardtop station wagon – all ’57 models. As a former Mercury dealer, Jim knows the faults of these cars very well; regardless of their faults, nostalgia is blind and there is no other car that Tom McCahill proclaimed to have “Space Age design for earth travel.”

1962 NASCAR Galaxie 500 Starlift

2011-05-23T14:10:00.009-05:00

A Replica Revives the Memory of an Unusual Race

Text by David W. Temple

Photos by Derik E. Lattig except as credited

(This article was partially compiled from the author’s book, “Full Size Fords: 1955-1970.”)

No, Ford did not build a Starliner for 1962, but did ostensibly offer a detachable "Starlift" roof for the Sunliner.

Model year changes for the 1962 full-size Fords went beyond fresh sheet metal, dimensional differences, and mechanical tweaks. One of the several notable changes was the elimination of the Starliner, and with its departure, the sleek roofline. All closed non-wagon models had the T-Bird inspired “box top” roof which soon created a problem for those who were racing Fords on the super-speedways. An unusual solution to the drag-inducing boxy roofline was developed for the racecar drivers, but it lasted for only a very brief time during the model year and resulted in what is said to be the only officially “illegal car” to win a Grand National event.

The Starlift top was a detachable fiberglass roof for the Sunliner, the name for the convertible model. The roof was shaped basically the same as that of the steel-topped Starliner of the preceding two model years. It really was not seriously intended for typical owners of the Sunliner, but in order to qualify for use in NASCAR competition it had to be available to the general public. The idea behind it was simple – aerodynamics. Air flow over the boxy Galaxies became turbulent on the super-speedways where the speed was higher, thus top speed was reduced. To solve the problem, Ford created the Starlift as an option for the Sunliner. It worked well for those who were racing Galaxies, but it was not a great item for the general public as the rear side windows did not fill the opening and there was evidently no filler panel included with the top. NASCAR officials allowed it for just one race then banned it. Ford had a special brochure printed detailing the option and reportedly showrooms of dealerships near major racetracks had Starlift equipped Galaxies. Whether or not any were actually sold to customers is unknown as is whether or not any survived, though some years ago one Sunliner was rumored to exist with the Starlift top.

The year 1962 was not a good one for Ford’s factory-back racing activities. In addition to the engine failures encountered during the early part of the race season, formal roofed Pontiacs were getting 465 hp from their 421 and setting record speeds. Plymouths were downsized and powered with the 413. Chevrolet grafted the 1961 bubble top roof to the Bel Air for 1962 and ran with the 409. The additional horsepower provided by the new 406 was not enough to overcome the drag of the T-Bird roofline. Ford estimated a three mile-per-hour loss in top speed with the box-top Galaxies being raced by Holman & Moody drivers Fred Lorenzen and Nelson Stacy and by Wood Brothers’ driver Marvin Panch as well as independent Larry Frank.

When the three-time weather delayed Atlanta 500 race finally took place in June, Ford had the Starlift-equipped Galaxies ready. Officials with NASCAR, however, had great difficulty making a decision on whether to allow the Starlift-equipped cars to run or not. As explained in the September 1962 issue of Motor Trend, “… NASCAR Chief Inspector Norris Friel declared the slopeback-topped Fords which Lorenzen and Stacy entered ineligible for further competition the day before the race, but allowed them to run the Atlanta event ‘because they had no other cars to drive.’

The actual Starlift raced by Fred Lorenzen is shown here. (Author's collection)

The 385hp version of the 406 powered the '62 NASCAR Fords. This replica has a 390 rebuilt to 406 specs.

This weird turn of events actually began in May, when the Holman and Moody team built two true convertibles for Stacy and Lorenzen to drive in the Rebel 300 rather than cutting the tops off regular sedans, as is the custom at the Darlington convertible race. The strategy was this: Ford had made available a sloping top that could be bolted onto Ford convertibles. The boxy-topped 1962 Galaxie had proved most difficult to handle at high-speed Daytona in February due to the harsh aerodynamic effects which the unstreamlined top produced in 150-mph traffic there. The plan, then, was to run the true convertibles in the Rebel 300 and bolt on the new slopeback tops for the following late-model sedan events.”

With the aid of Photoshop we can see how a regular Sunliner with the Starlift roof would have appeared. (Photo and artwork by the author)

The next event scheduled was the World 600. This plan could not be executed, however, because the required 45-day period between the announcement of a new component such as the Starlift and the race had not been met. Instead, Lorenzen and Stacy ran with sedans built for the USAC dirt track; Stacy won and Lorenzen finished third. The sedans were sent back to the USAC circuit and the convertibles with their Starlift tops in place were rushed to the Atlanta 500. Then Friel declared them illegal until convertible-type X-members which had been removed from the frames were put back in place. The ruling was complicated by the fact that no other “bolt-together” automobile had been run on the Grand National circuit in the past. Without such a precedent in place, the ruling became “hazy” as expressed by the writer for Motor Trend. In Friel’s judgment, the convertibles raced at Darlington were permissible without X-members, but as sedans they had to have them. So the X-members were welded back in place. Then Friel consulted NASCAR’s Bill France about the issue. A decision was made the day before the race. The cars would be allowed to run in the Atlanta 500 race, but until NASCAR was satisfied that the bolt-on tops were “sufficiently available” and proper notice was given of a “new model” Ford, they would be ineligible for future races. Perhaps the rule-makers would have taken the Starlift top more seriously as an option if the quarter windows of the convertible actually filled the opening. The Starlift was not used again in NASCAR, but it helped to give Fred Lorenzen a victory in the sole race in which it was allowed.

Builder/restorer of the Galaxie 500 Starlift, Tom Kitchen, took his car to the "Historic Darlington 2010" show. (Photo by Tome Kitchen via Derik Lattig)

Without quarter windows or filler plates to fit the large opening left by the arcing C-pillar, virtually no one would have wanted the top for their personal car. Those running in the Atlanta 500 had the openings filled with plastic side windows. Obviously the top was really intended for racing purposes rather than as an option for regular Sunliners. Even if the roof had been allowed beyond the one race it would have been for the remainder of the 1962 race season only as this was the final year in which convertibles would be raced.

The car pictured here is a tribute version of the Holman & Moody/Fred Lorenzen Starlift racer. Owner, Derik Lattig, explained to the author how this car came together:

The car was built/restored by Tom Kitchen of Florida and is the only “tribute” car of this model out there and it is street legal!

The interior very closely resembles the design used in NASCAR stock cars of the era.

After building numerous NASCAR “golden era” clones, Tom pondered what could top his last build, a 1957 Ford Grand National Fireball Roberts NASCAR Replica? The car got plenty of press around the world for its attention to detail. Tom finally decided to build the infamous 1962 Ford Holman & Moody team Galaxie “Starlift.” Tom took a 1962 Galaxie 500 convertible, installed a rollbar, aluminum interior, racing seat belts, and Stewart Warner gauges.

As for the top, there are few if any survivors of the fiberglass tops used on the real Starlift, so Tom found a junked ‘61 Starliner, cut its top off and installed it on his replica.

Under the hood, Tom had a Ford 390 bored out to the specifications of a 406, installed a 427 cam, and tweaked the car’s four-speed transmission.

This Starlift replica made its Texas debut at the Lone Star Roundup in Austin, Texas earlier this year. Note the simulated "wheel rubs" on the side of the car. "Tradin' Paint" goes way back!

On the outside, Tom had the proper lettering painted in place, covered the front lights, placed exhaust ports on the side, and even created “wheel rubs” on the side.

The final result was a car that fools nearly 99 percent of the Ford folks who think it is a real ex-NASCAR racer. Although that was not his intent, it shows his attention to detail.
Tom took the car to “Historic Darlington 2010” and while it did not compete in class racing, Tom did open it up on track making numerous laps at well over 100mph.
Texan, Derik Lattig, bought the car and took the fuel cell out and had a gas tank installed so it could be driven to rallies and to car shows. Lattig also had glass packs installed as Tom sold the car “NASCAR ready” and it was loud. (The glass packs can easily be unhooked for that true NASCAR sound.) Additionally, Lattig had a prop maker for the movie “Star Wars” recreate the pushbutton, toggle switch starter control panel used by NASCAR at the time. To make his Starlift street legal, lights were installed on the inside of the grill.

The car made its Texas debut at the Lone Star Round-Up show in Austin, Texas recently and was a crowd favorite. Many pictures were taken of the car, and some told Lattig they had seen “that car raced back in the day.”

Special thanks go to Derik Lattig for his contributions to this story.

This story was partially compiled from the author’s book, Full-Size Fords: 1955-1970, available here: http://www.amazon.com/Full-Size-Fords-1955-1970-David-Temple/dp/1934709085/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263768810&sr=1-3

1967 Ford Galaxie 500 - A Family Heirloom

2011-05-16T15:53:00.011-05:00

1967 Ford Galaxie 500

Photography and text by David W. Temple

The Galaxie nameplate is renowned with Ford enthusiasts. It first appeared at Ford with the creation of a show car dubbed LaGalaxie. (Note the French spelling. Galaxie, in this case, means a collection of brilliant persons or ideas.) Its far-out appearance did not contribute much to the styling of production Fords, but its name made its way onto Ford’s top-of-the-line model in ‘59. It supplanted the Fairlane 500 in the hierarchy about a month after the introduction of the other Fords that model year.

By 1962, the Galaxie became the Galaxie 500; the numerical addition to the name reportedly was to influence the public to more closely associate the car with the 500-mile super-speedways of NASCAR. At the midpoint of the year, the Galaxie 500/XL (supposedly meaning “eXtra Lively”) was added to the line. The sportier model was distinguished with a V-8, bucket seats, and console as standard equipment. During the ‘60s, the Ford Motor Company began a campaign they called “Total Performance.” Winning races on the banked ovals or the drag strips was good advertising because it helped sell the cars. Even if the car that won on Sunday afternoon was powered by a 427 with 500+ horsepower, many customers were happy to have a car with a 289 or 352 because it resembled the one that won the big race. Ford Motor Company put a lot effort into winning and it showed. They did especially well in ‘64 and ‘65, with their NASCAR drivers such as Fred Lorenzen, Marvin Paunch, A. J. Foyt, and Ned Jarrett often taking the checkered flag. Ford’s had success in NHRA competition, too. For example, Bill Hoefer took Junior Stock Eliminator class honors with a light weight ‘65 Galaxie powered by a high-performance 289. The Mopars dominated in USAC competition, however. For ‘66, Ford wanted to pull out all the stops by competing with their monstrous SOHC (single overhead cammer) 427 that produced well over 600 horsepower. NASCAR would not legalize it, however, and Ford dropped out of competition in protest at the mid-point of the season.

Around this time, some independents started competing with the lighter Fairlanes and did well, so Ford officials decided the SOHC was not needed for NASCAR and returned with Fairlanes for their racing teams. The big cars had finally been overtaken by the intermediates and those would carry the performance banner for Ford into 1970, at which time Ford terminated their support for racing programs.

The 1967 Galaxie 500 two-door hardtop featured a sleeker looking roofline than the prior model year's counterpart.

The ‘67 full-size cars actually began with the introduction of the practically all new 1965s because succeeding year models through 1968 were based on this design although major sheet metal updates each year kept the big Fords looking fresh. Ford’s full-size bodies sat atop an all new perimeter frame with coil springs supporting the load front and rear. The 1965 full-size Fords were almost as different from their predecessors as the 1949 Ford was from the ‘48, and were said to be “new from road to roof.” About the only major components carried over were the V-8 engines. Homer LaGassey who came to Ford Motor Company from GM in ’55 was one of the stylists involved in the design of the full-sized 1965-68 Fords. When interviewed for this story, he expressed the opinion that people who bought these cars got a “very good family car” and that Ford “got its monies worth out of the tooling” needed to build them since so many were assembled over the span of years they were offered. He noted that the long wheelbase allowed “us to take the boxy look out of it” in reference to the two-door hardtop’s sweeping roofline. One other important change that year was the addition to the lineup of the luxury oriented Galaxie 500/LTD. For model year 1967, XL was separated from the Galaxie 500 series – it simply became the Ford XL. The same had happened with the LTD the previous year. The big Fords became a bit more rounded for ’67 after a couple of model years with crisp, squared styling. The hood, grille, and bumper came to a point which broke from the previous ’65s and ’66s which featured flat designs. Rooflines of two-door hardtops were sleeker which, along with the rounded lines and pointed front end, followed the design trend of GM, or more specifically, Chevrolet, Ford’s long-time archrival.

Even though the Fairlanes and Mustangs were more appropriate for the sporting types, the full-size cars maintained a dose of sporty allure. The ‘67 two-door hardtop and convertible body styles retained the bucket seat and console equipped, V-8 powered XL model in the line-up. Furthermore, the big Fords could still be ordered with one of the 427s offered – a single 4-bbl. version rated at 410hp, or a dual quad type that delivered 425hp. If that was not enough power to satisfy the buyer, Ford still offered the SOHC version of the 427 through the parts department. This monster was rated at 616hp with the four-barrel carb and 657hp with the dual quads; either way the SOHC was extremely expensive and absolutely unsuitable for routine driving.

Also available was one of two 428s – one with 345hp and the other a police interceptor with 360hp. That is a lot of horsepower, but the main purpose of the 428 was to run the accessories like power steering and air conditioning while providing plenty of low-end torque, thus for serious performance one had to select the 427; few buyers did. The standard engine for the full-size line (except for the LTD and XL which came standard with a 289) was the 150hp 240 cubic inch Big Six, however, most ‘67 Galaxie 500s came with an extra-cost V-8 which was typically a 289 or a 390 2-bbl.

390 2-bbl. V-8

For 1967, there were essentially two versions of the 390. One was fed fuel with a two venturi carb and the other with a four. However, 390 2-bbl. engines received codes of Y or H depending on whether a manual or automatic transmission was bolted to it. This engine was officially rated at 270hp (though some sources show 265hp with the manual transmission and 275 with the automatic).The Z-code 390 was topped with a four-barrel, had a higher compression ratio, and got dual exhausts; these features upped the output to 315. As for transmissions, Ford offered a variety of them – three-speed column shift, four-on-the-floor, plus the automatics C4, C6, FX, MX, and XPL. The type installed depended upon such factors as engine selection and whether a trailer towing package was ordered.

Center seat belt was a dealer-installed accessory; deluxe seat belts were optional.

Headrests were a dealer-installed accessory. An 8-track stereo (mounted under center dash) was an option.

The March 1967 issue of Motor Trend provided interested readers with the results of a comparison test of the Galaxie 500, Impala Super Sport, and Plymouth Sport Fury. In terms of handling and roadability, the Ford impressed the MT evaluators the most “due to its quietness more than its handling characteristics.” They elaborated that, “With windows closed, the Galaxie interior is almost completely sealed from all road noises and those of passing cars. It didn’t handle the best of the three, but we could learn to live with this a lot easier than leaking window seals and noises emanating from mechanical parts.” They also noted that the Galaxie 500 is “...an equal performer to Chevy and Plymouth in all but the most severe cornering and rebound conditions – an area where most Galaxie owners won’t research.” The Motor Trend report indicated the three cars were very similar in all areas.

Standard features on the quiet riding Galaxie 500 two- and four-door hardtops, convertible, and four-door sedan included a choice of 15 monotone paint colors, five interior colors for the combination vinyl and cloth upholstery (all vinyl on convertibles), in-line six cylinder coupled to a three-speed column-shifted manual transmission, two-speed electric windshield wipers, heater, bright lower body and wheel well moldings, carpeting, and illuminated ash tray, glove box, and trunk. Optional features included the aforementioned engines and transmissions, wheel covers, extra body side molding or pin stripping, rear bumper guards, choice of radios including AM, AM/FM, and AM/8-track stereo, power steering, power brakes (all drum or front discs), power windows, electric clock, tinted windshield or tinted glass, air conditioning, two-tone paint (except convertible), all vinyl upholstery (standard on convertible), plus a large variety of dealer installed accessories such as headrests, litter basket, compass, etc. Numerous special equipment groups were comprised of various combinations of these options, too.

One of the ways FoMoCo promoted its new 1967 full-sized cars was with a couple of show cars christened XL Interceptor and Magic Cruiser II. The XL Interceptor had abundant modifications such as magnesium wheels, special tires textured appliqués on the lower bodysides, floating design taillights, reflector slots in the quarters, a modified grille, and plastic lens covers over the headlights. A 428 resided under the hood of the light blue Murano Pearl show vehicle. The Magic Cruiser II (built by George Barris) was, as Ford described it, a "super fastback” that could be turned into a station wagon when the fastback section of the roof and two special window-side panels were electrically raised. The two unique cars were shown nationally at various events that year such as the Chicago Auto Show.

The author posed (evidently reluctantly) with his dad's new Ford.

The most popular model in Ford’s line-up for ‘67 was the Galaxie 500 two-door hardtop – an example of which is illustrated here. It was purchased new by my dad during the early summer of that year. He evidently had a preference for Fords in the ‘60s; his first new one was a Tuscan Yellow ‘62 Galaxie 500 four-door sedan which was replaced about two years later by a Pagoda Green ‘64 two-door hardtop. Others followed in ‘65 and ‘66. During ‘67, mom and dad were ready for another new Ford. A Pebble Beige two-door example with the 289 had gotten my dad’s interest. However, my mom had her eyes focused on a Candyapple Red car with a black vinyl top. She probably did not notice the 390 emblem on the fender nor the window sticker, but my dad did. He was practical and did not want to pay the extra cost added by the 390 ($78.25) and vinyl top ($74.36). Mom was less frugal; she wanted the red and black car which is what she got. As I said, dad was practical!

Mom drove me to school in it until I was old enough to drive myself; at that point I got my own car. However, the Ford became my daily driver in August 1983, when it had just less than 50,000 miles on it. The Ford served my transportation needs until May 1995, and nearly 94,000 miles later when another vehicle assumed that duty. During those dozen years, the car was repainted, the radiator was recored, the transmission rebuilt, the compressor, carpets front and rear, and vinyl top were replaced, the front seat cushion was reupholstered, the bumpers replated, the suspension rebuilt, dual aluminized exhausts were added, plus several more factory options and accessories (AM/FM, reverb, power antenna, head rests, etc.) were installed.

The vinyl top which was replaced in 1989, decayed enough over the succeeding years to allow water to collect underneath; as a consequence severe rust infected the entire roof panel. (At the time the vinyl top was replaced, the steel underneath was flawless.) The vinyl hid the growing severity of the rust; upon removing it, though, the ugly truth was revealed. A roof transplant was mandatory to save the old Ford. Also, the 390 was very tired at just over 143,000 miles (with much of the mileage consisting of in-town driving during the first 20 years of operation) and the paint was bad again. Even the AM/FM radio was not working well. About the only consolation in all of this was that at least the old Ford did not require a total, body-off-frame restoration and locating a donor car would be an easy task.

The rusted roof panel had to be replaced.

The restoration of the body spanned about one year.

A local shop, R&R Restoration, handled the body work which was obviously a bit different than usual; after all, quarters, rockers, and floor pans are the panels commonly infected with rust and cutting off roof panels is generally associated with customizing (chop-tops). Once the replacement roof panel was attached, the idea of another vinyl top being applied was rejected. Besides, the lines of the car appeared to me to be much smoother without the vinyl covering and the chrome divider trim. Code “T” Candyapple Red paint in clear coat/base coat brought new radiance to the formerly dull, weathered body.

All 1967 Galaxie 500s were equipped with this trunk ornament.

The 390 rebuild was handled by another shop. The block was bored .040 in. oversize which resulted in the displacement increasing to 397 cubic inches. A new cam and rocker arm assemblies along with hardened valves and valve seats helped put new life into the engine – or so it seemed. For reasons unknown, the block had cracked badly in a water jacket area. It was welded by shop personnel without my knowledge. Unfortunately, when the engine was reinstalled and started for the first time it began leaking coolant profusely. Another block had to be located and was bored to fit the new pistons. The C6 transmission was also rebuilt. Replacement of the rear wheel bearings and seals renewed the 9-inch rear end.

Today, the 40-year old Galaxie 500 is in a state of semi-retirement with occasional outings adding about 1,500 miles per year to the odometer. There were 197,388 of these two-door hardtops built for ‘67, but in my opinion this car is one-of-a-kind because it is a family heirloom.

For more on full-size Fords purchase my book, "Full-Size Fords: 1955-1970," published by CarTech. It can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Full-Size-Fords-1955-1970-David-Temple/dp/1934709085/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263768810&sr=1-3