1955 Ford Fairlane

1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner By 1949, the convertible was now the second most expensive body style. Only the wood planked Country Squire cost more. The convertible's climb in the pricing hierarchy was complete in 1955, when the Ford Sunliner finally eclipsed the Country Squire. The 1976 Cadillac Eldorado was to be the end of the line; the last classic American convertible. Proposed federal rollover regulations, (that never fully took effect), also had a role, but car makers couldn't justify spending the money to tool up new models when sales had dried up. Thx curbsideclassic.com For consignment, a 1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner with a title verified 122,457 actual miles, is a classic color combination that is quintessentially 50's. This excellent example probably excited its first owner in 1955 and has been exciting people ever since. And here's the opportunity to own a fine piece of American culture. Exterior You can call it purple and white, but Ford gave it more creative names with Regency Purple Poly and Snowshoe White, a combination that would be a standout, even in the 1950's. It's purple over white on this car with the colors being separated by a distinctive trim piece that rides the front fenders before diving down on the body, creating a wide V, then firing back to the edge of the rear fender. This adds visual interest to a shoulder line that is arrow straight while fender skirts add some sleekness to this big car and obscure almost half of the back wheel and its lovely white wall tires, but the wheel openings in front allow us to see the Ford branded wire covers. Its white canvas top is in very good condition, and the plastic window is only slightly hazy. A Continental kit dresses up the back that also features an attractive pair of round tail lights with cone shaped reverse lights above and a grille like ventilation panel, along with decorative exhaust deflectors. Imperfections include some fraying on seam edges of the top, edge paint chips throughout, and some peeling paint on bottom of skirt. Interior The colors flow into the cabin of the car and this time, white vinyl makes up the low panel of the door, separated from the lavender insert with a canted piece of metal trim and a window crank is housed on the purple armrest. The split bench seat is white vinyl surrounding lavender tuck and roll inserts in decent shape but showing some age in the cushions and whiteness of the material along with a tear, while the rear bench is in wonderful condition. A white steering wheel fronts a two tone dashboard with a domed speedometer wearing white digits that's a great design cue to pick up on the mid dash which houses black knobs and round control panels for vents, AM radio, and the clock. A modern triple gauge pack has been added. Black loop carpet is in mint condition and covered with Ford branded mats, and the trunk shows some use and is covered with a plaid mat cut to flow around the upright spare tire. Drivetrain Under the hood, we have what would have come with the car, a 272ci V8, putting out 162 horsepower and fueled by a 2-barrel carburetor. It is tied to a Ford-O-Matic 3-speed automatic transmission that routes power to the rear axle and 3.31 gears. Power steering is noted along with a bright green Interstate battery adding some modern coloration to the orange blocked V8 in the clean bay. Undercarriage Some typical surface rust and oxidation on an otherwise clean underside that feature dual exhaust with Cherrybomb mufflers, front disc and rear drum brakes, and suspension that consists of coil springs up front and leaf springs in the rear. Drive-Ability This is a very clean driver and so that's just what we did, drove 'er! The V8 idles smooth and provides good power, tracking is straight and we take turns gently on these 22 year old tires. Things that don't work include the horn, heater below, brake lights, and clock. Not bad for a 71 year old! All other functions operate as intended and we