1954 Ford Customline

Description

It's amazing what a custom paint job will do, and this 1954 Ford Crestline clearly demonstrates that you don't need radical body mods for a trick look. In fact, it's almost as if the satin black paint brings out the sleek lines of the formerly frumpy Crestline coupe, giving it a period look that's very cool today.

The painter calls it black velvet, and the finish has that suede look that typifies the old-school rods that are being built today. With a 1950s sensibility, the car doesn't seem to be trying too hard to be cool, it's just hanging out doing its thing. But for a car with this paint, it's shockingly straight (usually it's used to hide shoddy bodywork), with doors that fit well and only a few small repairs under the surface. The clean look is accentuated by the single strip of stainless running the length of the body, and it's only with that trim that you notice how cool those bulging rear fenders really look. The headlights look frenched, but they're stock, and the same goes for the afterburner-style taillights, which have tinted lenses with blue dots in the middle. There's also some nice chrome on the bumpers for contrast and a shockingly nice grille up front. The guys who built this car obviously had an eye for design, because just the right amount of trim was retained, giving it shape and substance without being too drastic, and that's an art form all by itself.

The interior remains fairly stock, with 1950s sensibility that belies the custom look. Pleated seats look period-correct and matching door panels are a lot more dramatic than you'd expect with the satin black look. All the original gauges remain in the dash, including the domed speedometer up top, and they're joined by a trio of familiar aftermarket dials hanging underneath. The engine-turned insert adds some contrast, just like the stainless side trim on the exterior, and it works just as well here. The original radio is gone, replaced by a modern AM/FM/cassette head unit that fits right and doesn't draw too much attention to itself, and that is the original steering wheel which has a rather nice heft to it when you're cruising. Three-on-the-tree shifting is fun and there's an overdrive on the back of the transmission, so this is a car you can take anywhere at modern highway speeds without worries. And while the trunk is plain, you can also see that the floor is in excellent condition.

1954 was the first year for Ford's "Y-block" series of OHV V8s, with this one displacing 239 cubic inches. The new engine makes great torque and nice V8 sounds and aside from the chrome valve covers, it's pretty stock. Even the oil bath air cleaner and 2-barrel carburetor are pretty much as it was in 1954. The unique exhaust manifolds wrap around the top of the exhaust ports and feed a throaty dual exhaust system with glasspack-style mufflers, so it certainly sounds the part of a '50s custom. The undercarriage is pretty original, but it has an awesome stance thanks to custom front coils and lowering blocks in back, both of which preserve the original ride and handling. Classic red steelies with hubcaps wrapped in wide whitewall radials give it the perfect period look with modern handling.

This is a stylish, fun car that gets way more attention than you'd expect at this price. All the hard work is done, all you have to do is get in and enjoy. Call now!