Projects Picked up a neat 1953 Ford convertible old mild custom yesterday

The annual Spokane Swap Meet was this weekend and I spotted this 53 Ford convertible. The tube grill and avocado color drew me to it. I saw the price and new I needed it. These cars are not worth a ton but even so it was less then a lot of guys pay for a model A body. It has sat for 10-15 years. I got it home and with a battery, some gas and filing the points she fired up and runs like a watch.

I think it was restored in the 60's-70's. It is a ver dry car but does have some funky patch work from rear quarter rust and repaired radius rear wheel wells. But otherwise a very nice body. I plan on fixing the "old home repairs" down the road but for now will not hurt anything. The tube grill, filled hood, floor shift dual exhaust and old radius wheel wells show evidence to being an old hot rod or custom.

I have been looking for a sort of "turn key" family car that was neat but does not need a full resto and was affordable. This fit the bill perfect.

The engine is a stock 8BA with a stock 3 speed with a Hurst floor shift. The Hurst manual was in the trunk and dated 1964. The car came with a parts car with an OD trans so I may put that in along with back to column shift down the road...maybe.

For now, I need to get the engine tuned up, do the brakes, gas tank, some other monkeying around and get a top on it. The top is pretty bad. Probably tires too. These look good but are ancient. I want to lower the rear a little, and back at the swap got a pair of old fakey Caddy caps and NOS Foxcraft skirts (although the skirts don't fit but you get the idea)

So here it is, the new family truckster.

 

Cool!

 

Great find, looks like you can have a lot of fun with that car . Good luck with it.Keep posting.

 

Nice acquisition, and at a reasonable price has to have made your day.

 

That is a great car. Tune up and run it. I haven't been to the Spokane swap meet for years

 

Nice convertible Chris!

 

Chris,I swear you have got to have a horseshoe hid in the nether regions of your anatomy,you just keep fining great looking cars. HRP

 

very nice, looks like a great family truckster.

 

Yes, nice convertible!

 

I have always found that 53 Ford convertibles go well with 34 Fords - a 53 convert is the only old car I own other than the 34's. So good find!

 

like.....

 

neat little rag top congrats ! the skirts and different caps look great... you find some great cars...

 

Very nice, looks like it has an old soul feel

 

That'll clean up real nice.

Great score, top down cruisin' for the family!

 

That's awesome chris........you did it again.......can you use this uncanny power you have and find me a 36 coupe trunk lid?

 

Cool ride....I'm liking it.

 

Nice!!

 

Wow....I would think those are a pretty valuable piece....so what's something like that go for? I rarely see them up for grabs. Nice car

 

Cool

 

That's one Sweet looking ride!

 

Love it. I agree, drive it like it is after ck'n the brakes, lines, etc. Great to see
people enjoy rides w/o having to spend their entire life savings.

 

Hell yea , I'd rock it !!!

 

very cool car! I'd be damn happy with that, heck, I smile every time I drive my 51 ply, I think my face would hurt from grinning so much if I had that!.

 

Great looking convertible! That should make a great family car!

 

Very cool. I looked at a very similar one at the Iola swap meet this weekend and was trying to get the owner interested in a trade, I love these cars.

 

hell yes
M2 ,vortec, drilled discs,rubber bands and a great big presto log of a tilt column and you'll be set
haha
great score
B

 

Congrats -yep, focus on basics like good brakes, etc first

 

Looks like a cool find Chris. You guys should have fun in that one!

 

Wow, that's insanely cheap in my opinion, the one I was looking at had me all excited for $12,900 and I don't know that it was any nicer than this one. That's really crazy cheap for any functional 50's American convertible, really.

 

Nice score. It looks like it will be lots of fun.