56 Victoria Outside the Barn Find
- Thread starter wunderwerks
- Start date
Lanny
Well-known member
=====================================================
!956 Ford 4 dr. HTs are rare, but '55 4 dr HTs are even rarer
as Ford NEVER made any.,,,,,,just sayin.
.
wunderwerks
Member
The new owner told me the AC system looks complete including the indash registers. The air cleaner was inside the car. Power steering and complete drive train are inplace including the 3 speed w/od ******.
streetdreams
Well-known member
This the same car you were talking about a couple days ago with the factory air, T&C, etc ?
wunderwerks
Member
Yes.
wunderwerks
Member
I personally haven't seen the car so when the new owner said the registers were intact, my mind mistakenly went to in dash. I believe you are right.
34pickup
Well-known member
=====================================================
1956 Ford 4 dr. HTs are rare, but '55 4 dr HTs are even rarer
as Ford NEVER made any.,,,,,,just sayin.
.
You know, now that you have corrected me, I was probably thinking of a 55 2 door hardtop I once knew of. I have seen only a few of those around here. So I guess this is the first 4 door hardtop Ford I have ever seen..
Merc Cruzer
Well-known member
wunderwerks
Member
The owner has confirmed this exact arrangement.
streetdreams
Well-known member
Then it is a true factory air car, not dealer installed under the dash. What are his plans for it ?
wunderwerks
Member
Nothing definite. He has an acquaintance that really wants the AC setup for his own Victoria. I encouraged him to put the whole car including the AC on eBay. Maybe it would be better to pull the complete AC set up out and sell that separate from the sale of the car. Don't know which would be better.
JeffB2
Well-known member
The whole car with the A/C would be best,if he separates it he will take it in the shorts these 52-56 Fords have rust issues but EMS and others have the repair panels available.This was the first year of the four door hardtop only 32,111 were made as opposed to 177,735 Victoria 2 door models so it is rare especially with the A/C option and power steering,can't tell if it has power brakes from the under hood shot but that would be a plus too.
Hot Rod Reverend
Well-known member
A couple of questions: What in the world happened to that hood?
Do you have the VIN plate number at all?
It "may" originally had a 312 also.
IMO, the car is definitely worth keeping/restoring. I don't know how much the owner can do himself, but if he can put sweat equity into the thing then by all means it's "worth it"... if he has to sub out a lot of the work then he is going to be putting a ton o money into it.
Think he might sell this car outright?
Do you have the VIN plate number at all?
It "may" originally had a 312 also.
IMO, the car is definitely worth keeping/restoring. I don't know how much the owner can do himself, but if he can put sweat equity into the thing then by all means it's "worth it"... if he has to sub out a lot of the work then he is going to be putting a ton o money into it.
Think he might sell this car outright?
Motorhead6
Senior Member
That car is very rare and needs to be restored and not parted out. I only remember having seen a couple of them and one of those was in a junk yard many years ago. Hopefully some Barners will post some pictures of their's and prove me wrong. All of the rust can be replaced with EMS replacement parts and much can be repaired with sheet metal. All of the mechanicals are repairable or easily found. Optioned as it is, it may have P/Ws and seats as well. JeffB2, I wonder how many were produced optioned that way.
Ricks56: Do you have underhood braces?
A couple of notes--first, re wunderwerk's Town Victoria photos: Interesting to see that this car doesn't have the 4-door hardtop's usual underhood braces--perhaps they were remove from this car or the earliest examples didn't have them. What's the date code?
Here is an underhood shot of a Town Victoria with its braces in places to compare with wunderwerk's:
Note the radiators in the two shots--there were two tank shapes in '56, the one just above and the flatter-topped one seen in wunderwerk's find--I've always read that the larger, flatter-topped ones were used with 312s. Seems to me I've seen '56s with "factory" a/c, whether on 292s and 312s, with both types. The engine left above is dressed as a 312, but the radiator tank is more common to 292s/272s. Note the shadow of the decal on wunderwerk's engine--looks like it was the kind that reads "Y-8" with "Interceptor" underneath. This was unusual--312s generally had the "Thunderbird Special" decals, while, 292s read just "Thunderbird"-- (also note the aftermarket tubing for the valve-train oiler)
As for "factory" a/c--my understanding is that there were few if any units installed at assembly plants. A car ordered with a/c had the components placed in the trunk before shipping for the dealer to put in. I've never seen any mention of a pre-drilled dash. Somewhere I have the instruction sheet with templates for the drilling and cutting necessary to install the registers etc. Btw, the '56 compressors were he first to use magnetic clutches; the '55s required the removal of the belts in winter.
As for CarlG's comment about the evaporator hanging under the dash--while Ford integrated the design of '55 & '56 units into the dash, as well as the '57's (registers stretched out along the base of the windshield), I believe that starting with the '58s, the SelectAire evaporator unit was hung below the dash. This lasted through '64... it looked like aftermarket units and was very uncompetitive, with GM, even Chevrolet, having had in-dash evaporators and vents on its cars for years. Even before Cadillac, Buick & Olds switched from trunk-mounted units to in-dash in '57, Pontiac had in-dash evap and registers in '54. (So did Rambler/Hudson etc).
A couple of notes--first, re wunderwerk's Town Victoria photos: Interesting to see that this car doesn't have the 4-door hardtop's usual underhood braces--perhaps they were remove from this car or the earliest examples didn't have them. What's the date code?
Here is an underhood shot of a Town Victoria with its braces in places to compare with wunderwerk's:
Note the radiators in the two shots--there were two tank shapes in '56, the one just above and the flatter-topped one seen in wunderwerk's find--I've always read that the larger, flatter-topped ones were used with 312s. Seems to me I've seen '56s with "factory" a/c, whether on 292s and 312s, with both types. The engine left above is dressed as a 312, but the radiator tank is more common to 292s/272s. Note the shadow of the decal on wunderwerk's engine--looks like it was the kind that reads "Y-8" with "Interceptor" underneath. This was unusual--312s generally had the "Thunderbird Special" decals, while, 292s read just "Thunderbird"-- (also note the aftermarket tubing for the valve-train oiler)
As for "factory" a/c--my understanding is that there were few if any units installed at assembly plants. A car ordered with a/c had the components placed in the trunk before shipping for the dealer to put in. I've never seen any mention of a pre-drilled dash. Somewhere I have the instruction sheet with templates for the drilling and cutting necessary to install the registers etc. Btw, the '56 compressors were he first to use magnetic clutches; the '55s required the removal of the belts in winter.
As for CarlG's comment about the evaporator hanging under the dash--while Ford integrated the design of '55 & '56 units into the dash, as well as the '57's (registers stretched out along the base of the windshield), I believe that starting with the '58s, the SelectAire evaporator unit was hung below the dash. This lasted through '64... it looked like aftermarket units and was very uncompetitive, with GM, even Chevrolet, having had in-dash evaporators and vents on its cars for years. Even before Cadillac, Buick & Olds switched from trunk-mounted units to in-dash in '57, Pontiac had in-dash evap and registers in '54. (So did Rambler/Hudson etc).
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jsprengeler
Member
Save it, don't part it out - what a find this is!!! If he doesn't want to save it, sell it to someone that will...