How to Spot a fake 1955 Convertible???

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Chuck Kuntz

Well-known member
How can you spot a fake 1955 convertible that is made from a tudor or hardtop? I was tempted to buy one at Carlisle several years ago and a bystander warned me that it was a fake. He said you could tell by the back edge of the body where the top is attached as I recall. The seller was really pissed off that he had misrepresented the car and got caught. Any help on this would be appreciated as I am looking at another one now.
 
Would think it would depend on how far someone tried to go to fake one. In the serial plate if it wasn't changed the body code would tell. I have not seen one for years but I believe the convertibles have a full X reinforcement and the others have a K. Hope someone here that owns one can tell you for sure.
 
I found this pdf copy of a fuzzy old document on the the Crown Vic Assn website. It shows the 4th character of the serial number is a letter "C" for the convertible cars.
In addition to being on the ID plate for the car, the serial number is also stamped into the top of the frame on the right front part of the car, usually forward of or behind the suspension/control arm mounts, depending on the yr and model.
So look for an unmolested letter C as the fourth character.
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... and aren't paying a premium 'original' price for a clone.

If the car is one you really like and the price is right, consider it.
 
2-dr hardtops and convertibles have steel plate factory welded to bottom of frame rails. Sedan models do not have this.
2-dr hardtops and convertibles have a separate chrome plated wing window frame mounted on the doors. Sedans don't have a separate part, it's part of the window frame stamp when they stamp the door skin.
VIN plate has a "C" for convertible. I think it is the fourth digit.
If it is a sedan, you should be able to tell by looking at the top of the windshield, (unless they actually cut the windshield frame out of a convertible and retained all it's original bright metal trimmings).
Hardtops and sedans have a window channel stamped into the body forward of the deck lid. That would need to be cut out and re-worked to make it look like the convertibles.
If a sedan was used, I guess you could knock down the belt riser around the base of all the windows, maybe cut it out completely and weld in new pieces, but that would be a lot of additional work, then I suppose they'd have to steal all the side windows out of a 2-dr Hardtop (Victoria).
 
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Here are pictures of the 1955 and 1956 Ford Sunliner Quarter Window Frames. You will notice that the top of the frame extends past the vertical part of the frame on these two illustrations by a slight bit. On the Hardtops, the top part is flush with the vertical part. Only on the Convertibles does the top frame extend slightly past the vertical frame. I don't think that builders creating a "made up" Convertible would go to the extent of locating convertible Quarter Window Frames. To clone a convertible from a Victoria, swapping a body Tag would be much simpler, but still a very big undertaking. So, to see if it is genuine, check out this detail
 
This is a '55 Victoria vent window.
 

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Guess that I was wrong for the 1955 Fords, as this 55 Victoria clearly shows the extended top on the frame of the quarter window. Thanks for clarifying.
 
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You have to excuse me, as I live in Australia and the only body style that was offered here was the four door sedan. However, I have tried to educate myself with these other body styles. Regarding my comment in my earlier Post, while I have been proved wrong regarding 1955 Fords, what I said stands true for the 1956 Fords. The above photos are of a Customline Victoria and Fordor Victoria.
 
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While doing research on this subject, I found this picture on the AACA Forum. It makes sense if you leave out the two "is" from the description. I hope that this clarifies the situation.
 
Also be aware that the '55 Victoria (NOT Crown) has a taller vent window frame and windshield than the Crown and Convertible models. The windshield in a Victoria (Body code 'V' / Model '60') is the same as for the pillared cars (Tudors/Club Sedans, Fordors/Town Sedans, wagons, etc.). Same tall vent window frame also used on '56 Four-door Victorias.
 
What would be a fair price for restored convertible. I would say it is a strong 3 or marginal 2 condition. It is not strongly detailed and perhaps a 5+ year old restoration.
 
Chuck Kuntz said:
What would be a fair price for restored convertible. I would say it is a strong 3 or marginal 2 condition. It is not strongly detailed and perhaps a 5+ year old restoration.
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We don't even get any pictures? :(
They're nice to look at if nothing else.
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Chuck Kuntz said:
What would be a fair price for restored convertible. I would say it is a strong 3 or marginal 2 condition. It is not strongly detailed and perhaps a 5+ year old restoration.
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There's convertibles and Crown Vics for sale on epay all the time. Prices are unbelievably high though. Probably posted by consignment places around the country.
I've been eyeballing a '55 Skyliner listed on epay now. Its gone thru a few listings and reposted because the bid reserve was not met. So I went on to the consignment place website to see what they are asking for outright. Around $13,000. The car had all the options you can imagine (PS,PB, Fordomatic, power seat, power windows), but it has been converted at some point to standard brakes (vac booster gone). Major rust bucket and car does not run. Acrylic plastic transparent top in real bad shape and I doubt you could get a replacement for that. I'm just looking to see who's crazy enough to bid $13k for a parts car.
 
Daves55Sedan said:
There's convertibles and Crown Vics for sale on epay all the time. Prices are unbelievably high though. Probably posted by consignment places around the country.
I've been eyeballing a '55 Skyliner listed on epay now. Its gone thru a few listings and reposted because the bid reserve was not met. So I went on to the consignment place website to see what they are asking for outright. Around $13,000. The car had all the options you can imagine (PS,PB, Fordomatic, power seat, power windows), but it has been converted at some point to standard brakes (vac booster gone). Major rust bucket and car does not run. Acrylic plastic transparent top in real bad shape and I doubt you could get a replacement for that. I'm just looking to see who's crazy enough to bid $13k for a parts car.
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A few years ago, none of these cars would have been given a second look.
 
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