Frame Reinforcing? 1955 Victoria

A

alt63bird

Senior Member
I'm curious if any others have seen this or know why. I have a 1955 Victoria hardtop that originally was a 272/F-O-M dual exhaust car, built late January 1955 at St. Paul Assembly. Was crawling under it last night to evaluate what outer body braces need to be replaced (all 10 of them!). While looking at what it would take to lift the body off the frame in order to replace them correctly, I noticed a 2-inch wide strap of metal welded to the bottom of the frame running from the cowl to just forward of the frame kick-up at the rear wheels. I'm familiar with Ford doing this to early '56 T-bird frames due to the additional weight/lever action of the exterior spare wheel carrier, but I don't recall seeing anything in my literature collection or mentioned in the Crown Victoria Association's "FoMoCo Times" about frames for hardtops being reinforced this way. Has anyone else seen this?
 
That big steel strap is welded to the bottom of the frame on my 55 Crown Vic. Ford put that on hardtops and convertibles, I believe.
 
it was used in 55 and a few 56s.as you said hardtops and crowns to stifin the frame.in 56 they made the framr 1/32 thicker and done away with it.
 
a friend had one with the straps on it i dont know if they were leftovers or someplace was still putting them out.
 
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