Damn Jeff, give me that wagon just the way it was and I would be one happy guy! To each their own....
Looks like they started with a very nice wagon, it's going to be over the top. I'm sure the owner will be proud of the car but he is missing the pride of building the car himself. HRP
I'll be surprised if it gets driven more than on/off a trailer. Nice to see the big bucks put into a Ford though!! Yeah, I was going to put a Coyote into mine at one time, but then the alarm went off and I woke up.
As an owner of a 1956 Ranch Wagon (4 door, that this article concludes was never made) I found this build interesting, of course. Another person's idea of what they like. I'd love a Coyote under the hood, but way too much work and expense for me.
This might be more fun than the Coyote engine. https://www.kbb.com/car-news/v8-for... F-150 Raptor R,retuned for muscle truck duty.
That is a work of art. Coyote, 6 speed manual, I mean that's cool! I'd love to work in a shop like that and spend other's money. Some people don't enjoy the build, and that wagon will be a driver for sure! To each their own, and if I had the money that'd be in my garage along with my mostly stock 50s Fords. Tastefully done if you ask me.
There were no 4-dr Ranch Wagons. Ford used two body codes for the wagons; 59 for all 2-drs, 79 for all 4-drs. The letter suffix designated the trim line. 59A was the base Mainline and had 'Ranch Wagon' script on the front fenders. Most of the Customline trim could be optioned onto these, just no side trim on the front fenders or base of the windows. This was a change from '55, as those only came sans all 'extra' trim. 59B was the Customline, and had 'Ranch Wagon' embossed into the side trim spear. 59C was the top-of-the-line Parklane that interestingly enough used Fairlane trim but didn't say Fairlane anywhere on the car. You'll see these incorrectly restored occasionally with the small hood crest and Fairlane script, OEM was the larger Mainline/Customline hood crest, no script. The 4-dr wagons followed a similar coding. 79B was the 8 p***enger Country Sedan and trimmed as a Customline model. 79C was the wood-grained Country Squire, also 8 p***enger. There were also a limited number of 79D wagons built, also a Customline-trimmed Country Sedan but without the additional rear seat. There was no Mainline 4-dr wagon offered.
The wagon in my avatar is a 79D 4 dr Customline and had Ranch Wagon script on rear fender above gas fill area. Took all trim off wagon but do have it all in storage.
I was under the impression. Del-Rio and Ranch were 2doors. Country Sedan and Squire were the 4 doors. At least on 57 models. dang 56longroof is correct good info! Cool checked my book. 58 had a 4 door.
I have one of the limited 79D wagons, 4 dr, 6 p***, Country Sedans. This was a highly optioned wagon, and had the Western Motif seat covers, maybe someone added the Ranch Wagon script at one time. Don't know, from here on its a Beachwagon to me.
I had to leave the house before I could make an apology to Crazy Steve and the group, he is absoloutely correct. I didn't imagine someone would add those emblems ( both sides) to an otherwise bone stock wagon body. Hadn't planned to, but maybe I will put that script back on when finished and see who catches it . A conversation starter and I'll relate how I got fooled and schooled.
What happened is Ford changed model/trim designations after '56. Up to then, a Ranch Wagon was a 2-dr regardless of trim level (except for the '56-only Park Lane, meant to compete with the Nomad) and shared trim levels with the rest of the line, i.e. Mainline and Customline. Ford deleted the Mainline and Customline trim designations in '57 but for whatever reason didn't use the Custom, Custom 300 and Fairlane trim designations for the 2-dr or 4-dr wagons, instead changing Ranch Wagon to the base model (the previous Mainline) trim designation rather than body style and Del Rio for the upscale model. The Del Rio was essentially Fairlane trim but was not identified as such; the mid-range trim (Customline) was gone. The 4-dr wagons remained Country Sedans, or Country Squires with the woodgrain. Up though '56 Ford hadn't offered a base model 4-dr wagon, you had to step up to the mid-trim level, in '57 there was no lower-level trim option in the 4-dr, just upscale Fairlane or Squire style trim. Ford added a base model 4-dr wagon along with the 2-dr for '58 for a lower price entry point identified as a Ranch Wagon, again as a trim designation. The last year for an actual 2-dr Ranch Wagon was '61, but the name survived on 4-dr wagons until 1975.
There's a good chance that what you have was a special-order fleet car, not sold to the general public. Ford did this occasionally. Those 'branding iron' seat covers were usually only found in the Mainline wagons, but wore like iron so were popular with fleet buyers. On a hot day you can fry eggs on 'em too... LOLOL
quote Steve: "The Del Rio was essentially Fairlane trim but was not identified as such" (ref: in '57). That was mainly because Ford didn't build any wagons on the longer wheelbase platform, in other words, no Fairlane wagons whatsoever, even the Country Squire. No cars built on the shorter wheelbase frame were designated "Fairlanes".
Pretty sure it was a special order, or had all the dealer installed options of the year, backup lights, interior, etc. Just putting my front suspension back together after rebuild, and found 1956 stamped on the power steering cyl. Of course, this could have been installed later in life too. Wish I had the time to trace its history more deeply. I do appreciate all the info you've given, thanks.
That's a great synopsis of the system used and since it is unlikely I will remember that, I'll print that for future conversations when the script goes back on. Not trying to fool anyone, just interesting to see who notices it. I would really like to know who put the script on originally. Would you know if there were script style design changes through the years? Now I 've got a growing curiosity on this projects history.
The '55 (all 2-dr models) and '56 Mainline got 'Ranch Wagon' script on the front fenders. The '56 Customline had Ranch wagon embossed into the side spear, no die-cast script. The Park Lane was the only model that had the script on the rear quarterpanel in '55-56. Ford moved the script in '57 to the rear if equipped with full-length trim, still on the front fender otherwise. '58 through '60 had the script in the rear, in '61 the script disappeared off the sides and just one script was installed on the tailgate. The '59-61 scripts were different from the earlier ones, not sure about '57-58 but I think they were shorter than the '55-56.
I have all my trim wrapped and sealed in pvc tubing stored in my attic, and no pics of that area before stripping the body, So I cant compare it to others to determine if script is a later year. Somewhere down the line it would be interesting to follow up. Good info, thanks.
The Jalopy Journal
