History C'mon! EDSELS as STOCK Cars???

Seriously, back in the early '70s when I had nothing to do in my spare time, except talk ******** about cars and play with my new wife (I meant, go on walks, quiet dinners, play badminton, ya know?), a buddy who was crazier about old tin than even ME mentioned that guys (at least on LOCAL tracks in Athens Co, OH) used to like running the short-wheelbase '58 and '59 EDSELS on the dirt tracks in the early to mid-'60s.

Makes SENSE, since Edsels were worth less than a DeSoto or Packard at that time. Not only were the Rangers short wheelbase, they had TONS of great Merc & Ford parts in them -- skin be damned. LOL !!!

I didn't asked my buddy any questions then, and now I WONDER about the details! I hope this one doesn't get killed, BUT Edsels WERE '58 - '60, which is PRE-'65, right?

ANYBODY have a clue about the EDSEL chapter (if ANY?) in stock-car racing?

 

COOTER! I just KNEW I wasn't crazy! (Well, the wife still says I am, but . . . WOMEN!!!) I really like the HEART shapes in the headlight wells, buddy! THANKS!!!

 

Cooter, I don't know how many Edsel fans might be out there. But I always thought the Edsel body style was a blend of Ford (front end), Packard (off the Predictor show car theme), and the Mercs of the time (spec. the rear end).

I do think the legacy of the Edsel is that it came out TOO LATE (maybe only ONE YEAR), especially after all the FOMOCO bul**** promising a BRAND-NEW car. It debuted as a four-year recession dawned AND was mostly composed of Ford & Merc components.

I love the Edsel, but -- heck -- I'd be the LAST person on earth to say it was an "all-new-car" !!! FOMOCO was full of itself and full of beans at the time.

Now, the '56 Continental, THERE was an ORIGINAL car! The '56 and '57 PREMIERS, now THERE were attention-getting cars. The "56 to '58 Turnpike Cruisers, now THERE were attention-getting cars.

The EDSEL. People said: "THIS is what we WAITED for?"

Nevertheless, it's GOOD to see PIX of the Edsels on the stock-car tracks, as they were sound -- just not original or trend-setting.

 

The EDSEL name is also kind of UNFORTUNATE, since Henry's son, Edsel, actually went behind his dad's back and practically saved the Lincoln Division by coming up with the V-12 Zephyr, then morphing THAT into the first Lincoln Continentals!!!

Whats Edsel Ford REMEMBETRED for?

A monstrous failure car that didn't really happen on his watch.

GO! Edsel Ford! Some of us remember the Zephyr and the first Continentals!!! CL*** all the way!

 

I remember when Edsels were the car to have for demolition derbys, specially the wagons.

 

What killed Edsel wasthat push ****on shifter. There are pictures of car dealers with rows of cars...ALL un-sellable.... because the shifting mechanisms had been removed top replace the bad ones on cars that got sold.
Once they sorted the issue out it was too late to save the car's reputation.
I had a '58 Pacer hard top. GREAT car. Ran good ..handled good.
BUT.... just sitting in the driveway it would decide ON ITS OWN to shift out of park.
I had to chock the tires or I would find it had rolled out into the street.

 

I actually still have one of those shifters, DaBirdGuy. When I found it when helping clear out an old Ford dealer's shed, it had one of the push-pins removed. I wondered if it was really a mechnical problem or a CONTACT point breaking contact. Anybody in HAMBland know the root problem with those crazy Edsel shifters?

 

I have never told anybody this. But it is time to come out in the open. In '58 I liked Edsels. I still think they were a nice looking car. The '60 was ugly.

 

I'm with you, bro. I wasn't around in 1958 but I almost bought one when I was a teenager and I thought it was a beautiful car. Top line model in red and off-white with the big motor. Sweet car!
I'd still take one over a '57 Chevy. (***uming I had to keep the car. Otherwise I'd take the '57 Chevy, sell it, and buy four cars I really like.)

 

The story I have heard on the shifting issue was that when mechanic's would work on the car they had a bad habit of not reinstalling the heat shields and all grounds for the shift relays, then the relays would over heat and cause lots of problems, as would missing grounds.

edsel

 

Sorry I dont know anything about Edsels or their use in racing in the 70's I wasn't even a *****le yet
but here is an Edsel thats for sale, Is this a 58?

 

I think it's a '59. '58 had a much prettyer tailight

 

The national Edsel convention was here in my home town 2 weeks ago...and me without a camera! Aaaagh!

 

Holy ****, Batman! I never dreamed this EDSEL thread would take off like this.

RichFox, you are SO, SO right! The '58 models were the WAY they were supposed to LOOK!!!! The '59 got quickly toned down, THEN the '60 was just a Gallaxy (?) with a different hood.

 

I'm gonna tell you my OPINION (people are already saying, SHUT UP!).

Edsels WILL catch on!!!!!!!!! Everybody loves to adopt the stray, UNWANTED, pup.

Poor thing!!!

 

Seems to me "EDSEL" cleared up the issue about the electro-mechanical stupidly-engineered shifter on the OTHERWISE properly operating Edsel ******.

I hope OMEBODY RECORDS his input on what, for me (perhaps others?) has always been a MYSTERY.

 

Yeah, I think they are both the toned-down '59s -- a Ranger and a Citation. AND the Ranger was turned into a PICKUP?????????

WOW!

 

And don't forget the Comet!

 

RedSled!!! You are CORRECT!!!

The COMET really WAS on the Edsel designers' drawing boards (remember, it was M-E-L Div. at that time?). SO, it was NO problem to adapt the Edsel Comet to the market as a MERCURY Comet, eh?

I have SEEN the Edsel Comet designer's concepts on the 'net, so I didn't have a wet dream or something.

 

The same was true of DeSoto designers' input, as far as the "Plymouth" Valiant and some mid-size Doges in the early '60s !!!

Some of the most TALENTED DeSoto staff just got hired into the Plymouth Division, so naturally their designs helped keep Plymouth and Dodge compe***ive from 1960 on in the early years!!!

 

That 'eddy sport coupe has to be the coolest one I've ever seen!

 

I have a '59 Edsel Corsair waiting in the wings. One day she will see the light of day again. Maybe. They even had there own engine design and bore when they first came out.
Edsel Ford had made another big save for Ford way before the Lincoln. He was the responsible party behind getting his old man off of the "T" and on to the "A". Had it not been for him pushing for a stop gap car between the faltering T and the still under design Duece Ford would have been in the dirt. Edsel incorporated design cues form the Lincoln and shrunk them down and used them,on the A. This is why they have they're called "The Baby Lincoln". Henry never forgave him for putting his Lizzie out to pasture. Gave him full control of the Lincoln Division so he would stop messing with his Fords. He went full bore on the Linc's and they are still today one of the most stylish production cars of the 30-40's.

 

What if this had went in to production?

 

I already got an Edsel-Tell me about that Ranchero,Is that for sale?????

Oldmics

 

I'm glad 1950 Effie posted that photo of the Baja Edsel - I knew I remembered that car, but I figured it would sound like a ******** story without the photo to prove it.

 

yep most everything in the barn is for sale, they are not mine though, I just picked up a few parts etc from the guy and I asked what else he had for sale so he shows me inside the barn.
heres a link with more stuff! ps not everything in the link was at this location.
http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc208/jfmadsen/Farm finds 8-09/


ya I know a barn find and I didn't make a new thread! how selfish of me! he said he wanted $6500 for the Edsel and $3500 each on the Thunderbirds, I didnt ask on the Ranchero's the others seem a bit pricey to me, but??
pm me if you want his contact info

Josh

sorry about thread highjack.

 

Some of us already have. . .