1956 Ford Customline (Fairlane Trim) 2 Door Victoria Coupe. V8 Auto Whitewalls.

First the important details for those of you in a hurry. then the waffle. if you are still interested.

1956 Ford Customline. two door Victoria pillarless coupe. with Fairlane side trim.

The car is in excellent overall condition for the year. She is. however. 60 years old and whilst it has been looked after well by previous owners. she's still an old girl. so don't expect it to drive like. or be in a similar condition to. a new car.

Engine: 292 cu in Y-Block V8.

Carburettors: Offenhauser alloy manifold with three two barrel carbs. Only original centre carb is functional. The others are dummy. but could be made to operate.

Gearbox: 2 speed Ford-o-Matic automatic transmission.

Dual exhaust system. Sounds great.

Excellent heavy duty battery.

Manual steering. Very light. or I would not have bought it. (Arthritis in thumb. which makes gripping painful in wet weather).

Manual brakes. Not a problem. Stops well.

Newport Engineering two speed electric windscreen wiper conversion bought from Real Steel. Old vacuum motor comes with the car. (Conversation piece!) Electric washer pump included. but has to be connected. Once connected it will operate from wiper switch.

Speedo and fuel gauge both work.

Additional under dash gauges added to monitor engine: Oil pressure. water temperature and volts. See picture. Excellent oil pressure!

New brake wheel cylinders and master cylinder installed earlier this year. New front brake shoes fitted at the same time.

All suspension parts checked last winter and reported as serviceable. Virtually no mileage since she returned home.

Body and underside rust free as far as I am aware.

The two rearmost chassis outriggers replaced and the trunk/boot resprayed a few months back.

Body resprayed about five years ago in a Fiat blue which closely replicates and an original 1956 Ford colour. so paint touch-up is not not a problem.

There were some minor paint issues due to a reaction with the primer. Most were sorted last winter and at that time the interior was correctly two toned to match exterior.

Good whitewall tyres. with a decent spare and a brand new whitewall included in the sale.

Seats from a four door saloon fitted by previous owner. Complete front seat back folds forward for access to the rear seats. See photo. taken before the interior was repainted. I was looking for a correct split back seat. but have been unsuccessful so far.

Original rear seats are also included in the sale. (Slightly narrower. with armrests).

Interior could do with freshening up. but serviceable for the foreseeable future.

Some of the heater trunking under the dashboard needs putting back. as does the (non-working) original radio. but as I'll explain later. I'm unable at the present time to work on the car.

It has front seat belts and I bought new seat belts. front and rear to update them. If I can find them. they will be sold with the car.

Good chrome and stainless for the year. Some age related marks. as you would expect. but quite acceptable. I believe the retro-style reproduction hubcaps are classic Olds Fiestas.

Extra front bumper and grille supplied with the car. along with various spares. These include the original cast iron inlet manifold. plus a four barrel carb and matching oil bath air cleaner. The previous owner has a spare 4 barrel manifold he was prepared to sell for £30. 00. I'll provide his details. He also has several unused patch panels which were offered to me when I bought the car at a very reasonable price. I did not need them. but I gather they are still available and they would useful to have in stock.

The windscreen has a crack on the far right of passenger side. which has been there for many years. A brand new. recently imported. windscreen is included in the sale. All other glass is fine.

Now for the detailed bits. (if you are interested).

I've had this car for a couple of years. The previous owner had it for some 27 years. having personally imported it from the USA. after finding it at one of the large East Coast swap meets. This is a mid-range Customline despite the more iconic Fairlane side trim. which was added to the car about five years ago. when it received a respray.  

The Customline is in excellent all round condition for the year. Last winter I arranged for a thorough inspection underneath. I knew when I bought her the rear chassis outriggers were a bit rusty. along with the trunk floor above. I was assured that they had been that way for years. but frankly. I did not want to have to make excuses for the rust when I decided to sell the car. I have had these areas repaired and the trunk repainted.

Whilst underneath they checked all the mechanical parts. replaced all four brake wheel cylinders. the master cylinder and the front brake shoes. They reported all the suspension and steering joints were in good condition. The engine received new hoses and thermostat at that time and a thorough check. The gearbox pan gasket was changed during the service. though there is a still a slight drip. so it probably needs tightening up now. I'd rather tell you than someone use this as an excuse to reduce the price later. Similarly. the differential is dripping slightly. The kick-down has been  disconnected. though the linkage is present as it needs adjusting. I spent well in excess of £2. 00. 00 on this work.

The car drives nicely. though she is obviously of the period. This is no fast-paced muscle car. but a cruiser. I'm selling the car as I have been advised not to work on cars for a period. whilst recovering from a health scare a few weeks back. I'd rather the old girl be used as intended than sit unused in my garage until I am given the all clear.

More pictures can be provided on request. Whilst I am wary of suggesting this. I might conceivably consider a part exchange. cash either way. though I am not interested in any vehicle that requires work.

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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