I just found some SS dash trim for my '56 Ford Vicky. There are four pieces that make up the trim. One piece goes under the eyebrow of the gauge pod and is held in place with five #6 screws. The other three pieces go under what I call the waterfall of the dash. One long piece that runs from the ashtray to the RH door. One short piece runs from the LH door to the gauge pod. The other piece runs from the gauge pod to the ashtray. I was told they are to finish off the trim at the bottom of the Lifeguard Instrument padding (padded dash pad). The side profile is curved, rounded, sort of. There is a slight difference in the curve, a short edge and a longer edge. This is a side or end profile now. Question is does the short or long edge go up? I know I'm splitting hairs but I would like to install it correctly. I don't have a padded dash but I have the holes where there was once trim. I'm guessing the longer side would go up to cover more of the padding cover. Thanks in advance, kcblueoval
I'm guessing but if the pieces that go on the ends only fit one way then that would tell you how the centers go.
I'm not sure the trim pieces were for padded dash cars. I see there are two "56 Fords listed on eBay. one a wagon & the other is a "needs at couple tons of work" Crown Vic. Both have the chrome trim on their dashes. I'm guessing that it's an interior trim up-grade of some type. Maybe just installed on Victoria's and Crown Vic's plus the upper end wagon models. Although the wagon on eBay is a Country Sedan which wasn't a top end model wagon. So, I'm back to it being an interior upgrade option although I'm not sure. Anyway I did get the trim installed on my Vicky and it looks COOL !
The trim was a 'finish' piece for the padded dash. All the Fairlanes came with the padded dash, it was optional on all the Mainline and Customline models. You also got padded visors with the dash. A lot of padded dashes got removed as the foam Ford used tended to 'melt' over time and the vinyl covering would droop/sag.
Thanks Steve. I had heard the foam dash pad got to looking pretty bad. I wonder if the trim got removed on some of the cars, too. I don't remember seeing other '56 Ford with the trim. But then I have just recently been looking. I got my trim back on. I looks cool. I like you '46 Ford. I have a buddy that has a Red '46 Ford coupe, 302 SBF, C-4, 10 bolt, bulk interior. It's nice, too. Thanks again, Larry
I've got a soft spot for '56 Fords, having owned/parted out a dozen or so over the years (still have a 2-dr Mainline wagon 'project' in the shop). Every Fairlane model (including 2-4 dr sedans) I ever saw came with the padded dash and that trim. The dash pad was missing on most, but they still had the padded visors which was the giveaway as those always came together. There was also a metal clip that screwed into the top of the ashtray opening that kept the ashtray from going in all the way to keep the tray flush with the pad. I know at one time there were reproduction dash pads available, they may still be out there... Ford offered a ton of trim options across all lines, so it's not always easy to tell what you have. If there's no chrome trim on the front fenders (other than a chrome script), it's a Mainline. You could get any trim that was offered on the Customline on a Mainline, except it ended at the middle of the front door. Customlines had full-length trim. The hardtop was offered in the Customline (but extremely rare these days), only the Crown/convertible was exclusive to the Fairlane line. If you don't already know, there's several 'trouble spots' on these cars. The front frame crossmember rots out, a repo is available. If you have power steering, the idler arm is a crummy design (using a rubber torsion bushing to pull the steering back to center), the aftermarket replacements don't last long; I converted mine to manual steering after two failures. If you can find one, MOOG used to make an 'improved' idler bushing that cures the problem but it's out of production. The steering boxes are problematic; the worm gear bearings have the inner race as part of the gear. The race is machined onto the gear, then hard-chromed for wear. Unfortunately, the plating can flake off and your steering will get 'notchy'. There may be repo worm gears/shafts available now, didn't used to be. And last, the temperature control for the heater used a vacuum water valve on the intake manifold. The lever on the dash goes to a vacuum valve inside the heater, then a vacuum line to the heater valve on the motor. There may be repos for these now too, didn't used to be. Check with the T-bird suppliers for these parts.
I have seen a lot of Fairlanes without the padded dash and trim. I thought the padded dash etc. was an option known as the "Lifeguard" safety upgrade. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'll do a little more research.
Thanks Steve, I have fixed the steering problem, I hope. I has converted to the Fat Man Fabrications Chevy Cavalier Rack & Pinion steering. The previous owner has repaired the front crossmember, not pretty but reinforced. I am also replacing the original heater with an A/C kit from Classic Auto Air. So the original dash mounted heater control panel is retained but everything else is now electric. I have also added disc brakes with a Drop N Stop disc brake conversion. I have owned the car about 10 years but have never got around to doing anything much until the past few weeks. I replaced the original 272 & FOM with a 292 with COM out of a '61 Sunliner. I'm using the "B" model intake and plan to use an Autolite 4100 1.08 4-bbl carb. I am also replacing all the gauges except the speedometer. I have yet to drive it but about 8 miles. The 272 had been rebuilt by the previous owner but the driver's side head gasket got flipped in the rebuild so it overheated. That's when I found the 292/COM. I just replaced that about three weeks ago so have now focused on getting everything else done so I can start driving it. I am also installing bucket seats out a 90's Sebring conv. 3-pt. seat belts & the buckets fold including the seat belts without strangling the passengers getting in and out of the back seat. Something to think about on your 2-dr cars if you want 3-pt seat belts. Larry
My last 'driver' was a '56 Fairlane Club Coupe, nice car; bought it from the original little-old-lady owner with 66K miles and she parked it when the crossmember went bad. Originally a 292/4V/auto car, I replaced the Y-block with a 351W/FMX when the crank broke into multiple pieces in the Y (taking out 3 of 5 main bearing saddles in the block!) at about 80K. Very easy swap by the way.... Drove that for about 5 years. Oh yeah, it had the factory seat belts in it too, the only set I've ever seen...
But if I replace the Y-Block I will loose that awesome Y-Block sound thru a pair of glasspacks. I had pink & white '57 Merc 4-dr (312, 4-bbl, auto) back in my HS days. Yeah, pink & white. Gotta love that sound. Yeah, a 351W has been a thought. a little bigger, more efficient engine, more possibilities of speed equipment, transmission choices, greater sources for replacement parts, etc. that's part of the reason I stepped up to the newer 292 Y-Block & COM. The HP is about the same, but a few more cubes. plus, I think the COM is better than the '56 FOM. (FOM was water cooled) It's a cruiser, not a racer. I want reliability. Was the FMX attached to the 351W? Why did you chose the FMX over a C-4 or AOD? Did you change the rearend or are you still running the stock '56 rearend? Ratio? mine is the stock 3.22:1
At the time (mid '80s) this was my daily driver. I needed it running ASAP, couldn't find a Y-block (other than a core, and couldn't afford the then-$1200 rebuild cost or wait for it anyway) so I hunted up a decent running, cheap '71 LTD 351W/FMX hardtop out of the local paper. I picked the LTD because it had exhaust manifolds that would fit better than the intermediate car versions. The LTD had some serious cosmetic issues (caved-in pass side) but ran good. I salvaged almost every part I needed off the LTD; I built my own motor-mount-to-chassis adaptors to use the LTD mounts, used the cable throttle linkage and front half of the driveshaft off the donor, retained the stock 3:31 rear. The only parts I bought was an upper radiator hose, fan belt, new head pipes to the existing mufflers, driveshaft mods, and a new custom-built speedo cable (the FMX used a different end). I already had a radiator with a trans cooler, I swapped that for the original. A bit of fiddlin' with the trans linkage and wiring for the alternator, and I installed the Y-block fuel pump on the W so the vacuum wipers would work (yes, they fit fine). The entire swap was done over the course of two weekends and one week of evenings after work, nine consecutive days, for a total of $650 including the price of the LTD (the good ol' days... LOL). Car was dead-nuts reliable with the swap, got about the same mileage, no more tea-pot Holley to hassle with, and had more power. It sounded the same, but I didn't have glass-packs either. Exterior was dead stock, down to the fender skirts and full wheel covers... a sleeper. Drove it another 5 years, motor finally got tired and I sold it.... Another one I should have kept..... LOL.
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