Finally scratched a long time itch and last week brought home a '55 4 dr Town Sedan. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=28604 It's an older backyard resto that was going to seed, but it seems solid and pretty much all there. It needs some driveline work, so I haven't decided which way to go with it - part of me wants to drop a 390 w/ a C6 into it, the pragmatic side says to work with what's already there (272 & Fordomatic). Either way I'm looking for a fun driver, and if it goes fast, so much the better. I'm from Fairbanks, where everything automatically costs more and there's a much more limited selection to choose from. That will influence a lot of my thinking. I've already found this place to be a wealth of info, so mostly I'm here to learn and will no doubt being picking a few brains down the line.
Welcome to best group on the HAMB ! there is a ton of information here to help you with anything you want to know about ! I am glad to see someone else also has a 1955 Ford fordor Fairlane Town Sedan like I do ! If I can make a suggestion , a nice 302 or 351w will be the easiest way to go ! You can back that up with a 3 or 4 speed trans , C4 or AOD trans as well . Yes the car came with a 272 with a FoM trans like mine did . You can slide a nice Fe 390 in there but most use a 302/5.0 engine since they are very common and easy to get mounted in your 55 ! There is also a lost of all the parts you will need for a 302/5.0 engine swap . I have a 1984 --5.0 and C4 for mine but the engine is far from stock . If you need any help with what parts to get and where to buy them , just ask away ! We are all glad to help you ! If there is something about your 55 fordor you need to know , you are welcome to send me a PM anytime ! Jim
I just took a look at your 55 and I am really jealous ! The car looks really nice ! If the engine runs good why not just keep the engine and change the trans if you don't like the FoM . You can get a C4 or AOD adapter and then you can still run your Y Block ! For the price and work of changing over to a different engine , you can get a better transmission , get headers , maybe a single 4 bbl or a 3 x 2 set up and still have money left over for what the cost will be for a engine and trans swap ! What I really love the best about your 55 is someone installed 1956 trim on the car which is way better than the 55 trim ! I am also a blue color guy too ! Nice looking ride ! Keeping the Y block is just a thought . There are many times I wish I kept my 272 ! Jim
Thanks for the welcome. The fellow I bought it from moved out of state and left it with his daughter to sell. His daughter just wanted it out of the yard, was using it as a storage shed, and knew next to nothing about it. The story I was told is that it needs a new torque converter, and was otherwise running fine last spring when it was parked. When I went to look at it, the best we could do was get it to turn over a few times (not seized). The oil and fluids looked ok and no obvious leaks, but at this point the true condition of everything is still a mystery. I'm expecting the worst and hoping for the best. I dragged it home Wed night and then flew to Seattle for work early Saturday, so not much time to start digging into things yet. One of the things that impressed me is the gl*** - not so much as a chip. That's kind of a rarity in this part of the world. And then there's also the chromed glove box. I do like the exhaust note of the Y-block, and the idea of running one. Chances are if I were to do an FE swap, it would come from a truck simply because they're more abundant. There are probably more old F150s being parted out than just about anything else in AK. Either way, I intend to keep it all Ford. When I was a kid I learned to drive on two 390s - a '65 Merc and a '69 Galaxie 500 - and that's what my dad taught me to get greasy on, so maybe there's a little nostalgia, too.
Welcome Bruce, from Atlantic Canada. Looks like a nice solid 55 you have there. It seems from the pics that you don't need to do much with it. A previous owner must have preferred 56 side trim over 55.
Since Jim mentioned side trim I did some surfing and ran across this site: http://www.customlineclub.org.au/html/meteors___stars.html How common is it to find the Canadian Fords in Alaska? also saw a picture of a '52 Meteor Customline I really liked the grille for a 52-54 custom touch.
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