This is but one of hundreds of accessories catalogs that displayed all the available equipment to make your drive more pleasurable. This one is for the 1954 Ford : HRP Back cover. Please feel free to add your factory accessories catalog to the mix. HRP
I'll play. I have had my '51 Ford since 1987. It was a nice original when I got it, but over the years, I have made some changes. The original interior is in great shape, so in all that time I have never had occasion to remove the rear seat. I took it out yesterday to run some wires, and I found this booklet under the seat. I would imagine it has been there since new. It's a little worse for wear, but kinda neat in it's own way. It's 39 pages long and has a lot of stuff in it. What I found particularly interesting is the list of accessories that you could get with them. The booklet was copyrighted by Ford Motor Company in 1950, so I assume it is an original factory piece. I don't think the list is legible on the attached photos, but here is the list from the booklet : Cigarette Lighter Electric Clock Back-up Lamps Road lamps Courtesy and Map Light Map light Glove Compartment Light Spotlights Engine Compartment Light Luggage Compartment Light Turn Indicator - Standard Transmission Turn Indicator - Automatic Transmission Seat Covers Air Ventilation Filters Engine Governors Exhaust Deflector Lock Type Gas Cap Front and Rear Bumper Guards Front Fender Guards License Plate Frame Glare-Proof Inside Rear View Mirror Outside Rear View Mirror (door-top, door shoulder, or clamp-on types) Vanity Visor Mirror Rocker Panel Trim Rear fender Shields Stainless Steel Wheel Discs Wheel trim Rings Window Vent Shades Outside Windshield Visor "See Clear" Windshield Washer Rear Seat Radio Speaker Top Cowl Antenna Undercoating, etc. That's a lot of stuff. Some of it is questionable, like "Governors".. Also, where would "Air ventilation Filters" go? They were really padding the list. I've seen a lot if the stuff mentioned, but always assumed it was aftermarket, but apparently not. The booklet has moved up to the glove compartment from living under the rear seat.
As a kid I recall seeing quite a few of those Coronado deck lids. There was a maroon Ford down the block with one along with mud flaps with lights,skirts and those plastic deflectors on the vent windows. I thought it was soooo cool at the time.......I was probably 8 years old.
I can remember my dad telling me that in the car starved era right after WWII when huge numbers of people were taking a number and getting in line to buy new cars and you didn't as much order a car as take the one that showed up at the dealer when your number came up the dealers loaded them down with every factory accessory that was in the book. My grandparents bought a 48 Fleetline that had way more bells and whistles than my grandfather would have walked in and bought otherwise. The 54 Chevy they had after that was pretty plain by comparison. My grandmother did hold out for the Kleenex holder that was mounted under the dash though.
Don't have a way to scan it, but I have a similar accessory book for '55. I have a '55 Ford that my parents bought new. Trying to get started on it since I sold the '38 Ford pickup I'd had since 1966.
I remember that the local funeral home always insisted that their new cars be equipped with the GM tissue dispenser.
HRP, I get a kick out of the “Mt Rainier Gray” seat covers. Having spent my whole life here, that’s true. About 1/3 of the time we see Mt Rainier, and 2/3’s we just see gray. So they were properly named.
Hello, It was a changing time period for me. Gone were the teenage years, high school hot rods, cruising around and surf trips all over the So Cal coastline/Baja Mexico. A different approach to serious things were fast approaching. Most of my friends had gone on to their spot in the different aspects of their lives, military, colleges across the country, business adventures and getting married. So, the old group only got together when everyone was back in town. Those teenage years were something to remember, but the future was confusing and complicated. So, with the first step, I sold my old 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery, then the relationship of the black 58 Impala since 1957 fall season was now a fleeting memory. As we drove away for one last time with all of the changes done to the Impala and for its new teenage owner, a flashback of sorts was running through my now post teenage brain. I had never bought a brand new car from a dealer’s showroom, although we had been in many different showrooms throughout the teenage years. Our high school was a block away from the major avenue in Long Beach that was the starting of the current Auto Malls we see, today. Every major car dealer had almost a block long property showing their wares. So, I got my chance to decide what was the next car for me. Since camping and desert motorcycle racing was taking its approach into our lives, a truck was the first choice. But, as nice and handy as those full size trucks are/were, it was not for me. Jnaki I spent a week or so going over what I wanted in a new car/truck. Our next door neighbor bought a 1964 El Camino for his daily driver. It looked nice and simple with the driving comfort and handling of a Chevelle mid size sedan. But, the neighbor’s version was a simple businessman’s version with little to none in the “extras” that were around. I wanted a 4 speed, 396 C.I. motor that was in the Chevelle sedans, bucket seats version of the SS sedan and of course, A/C, plus Positraction. When I sat down with the dealer, I was able to get 1 out of 5 choices. The Positraction was available in the El Camino, but the new 396 motor + 4 speed, although in the Chevy lineup, was not for El Camino in 1965. (my friend purchased a 1966 El Camino with A/C, 4 speed and a powerful 396 motor as standard… one more year would have done the selection…) But, there were things that I could select to get put in my 65 El Camino. And things I wanted, but could not order from any Chevrolet dealer in So Cal. 1965 "The 1965 Chevelle Malibu Super Sport (SS) could be ordered with either the 6-cyl or V8 engine. The Malibu SS series could be identified by the VIN with the 6-cyl sport coupe starting with 13737, the V8 sport coupe starting with 13837, the 6-cyl convertible starting with 13767 and the V8 convertible starting with 13867. The Malibu SS was a separate series and not an option on the Malibu." "The famous Z16 optioned 396/375hp Chevelle came with many mandatory options such as rear seat belts, custom deluxe front seat belts w/retractors, instrument panel pad, power brakes, M20 4-speed, power steering, tachometer, dash clock, stereo with AM/FM radio, and remote control outside mirror. Only three colors were offered; red, black, and yellow; only black or white interiors; the optional vinyl top only came in black. Convertible frames were used as well as suspension pieces from the Impala passenger car lineup. A real Z16 can be identified from the body number plate (trim tag) by looking for option "M" in the 4th group. ALL production Z16 Chevelles were built in Kansas City, the two prototypes were built in Baltimore. There are commonly reported 201 Z16s being built, 200 sport coupes and one convertible. Whether the prototypes are counted in this figure is unclear." "To date, this single Z16 convertible has not been found (but reportedly seen long ago). One rumor is was built special for Semon 'Bunkie' Knudsen, a GM executive at the time. In a published interview with Vic Edelbrock, Jr. he stated he helped design and supply the famous Holley 3310 carburetors and only 200 were done for production. It's also been reported that this convertible was Sierra Tan in color with a fawn interior, not one of the three mandatory colors for Z16s of Red, Black, or Yellow. GM's own press releases state that "...only 200 (all coupes) are to be built" and all were to be built at the Kansas City final assembly plant. Another, more substantiated rumor, is the convertible was a production run car at the Kansas City final assembly plant but later in the year well after the Z16 introduction and the letter below." I could have ordered one of these SS versions of the Chevelle sedans, but they could not hold a longboard(s) or two 250cc Greeves Desert Racing Motorcycles that we had. This is what I eventually ended up with, a 327 v8, no A/C, bench seats, heavy duty running suspension, an automatic transmission, factory air shocks, and of course, Positraction. 12 years of ownership, 125k miles of total Westcoast cruising from Northern California into Baja Mexico, as well as the local mountains plus countless So Cal desert miles. It was worth the effort and wait back in the fall of 1964. Plus, in 1965, I was able to see the factory (near my Northern California college) where it was born in 1964. To be nice, the local dealer threw in a new AM/FM radio, but no rear behind the seat speaker.
@miker98038 I know what you mean about Mt Rainier. I had basic training @ Ft Lewis in Jan 1971. I was there 28 days and didn't even know Mt Rainier existed. We had a smoke break in the morning and went outside and it just blew me away. I looked forward to the next smoke break but it was cloudy again by then.
My '41 has three GM options: day/night rear view mirror, reverse light (one, bumper mounted by Guide) and a hat holder that is affixed under the dome light bezel. Photos later!
I looked up the options for my truck from 1948 and the only option on the truck was the deluxe fresh air heater. It was built as bare bones as you can get outside of that.
I always hated, and still do, all the chrome bling, both factory or aftermarket, that seems obligatory for owners of 55 Chevys to add. Fuel door trim, tissue dispensers, rocker moldings. Just my opinion.
My dad ordered my 55 Sunliner new and was suprised what the radio cost and it was not the best one and the deluxe fresh air heater was not too far behind.
It has some illustrations, and a ton of parts pictures and numbers, this I expect was an accessory or option.
I was looking through my shop manual for my '39 Chev and saw an option I never knew was offered in '39, and have never seen on any '39 yet! It's listed as the "Sunshine Roof" and was a 24" x 48" sliding sun roof, much like what we see today, except it's manually operated. The description in the manual states it has a handle like the trunk lid to unlock it, and tracks that lower it slightly as it's slid back. It has notches in the side to hold it at various points so it doesn't need to be fully opened. It describes it having a water trough around the perimeter that has steel tubes and hoses to direct water from the 4 corners down the two A pillars, and the two B pillars. Pretty rare option, and I wonder if anyone ever ordered it?
J......I know you've seen my posts about my 65 El Camino before but I really was fortunate to have had a factory 327/300 hp/4speed/12 bolt car. When you post a photo of your El Camino I really get nostalgic for those days, bought mine around 1974/75, was in auto tech school and was pretty focussed so can't quite remember. That Elky was not only a good looking car but being a 4 speed it really was a fun driving car too, it was also very versatile, having the aluminum Gem Top canopy made it really handy as a grocery getter, also used it many times for camping, fishing etc, though I had to remove it once to bring home a big China hutch for my mom. I did have a problem when I first got it as the original 4 speed shifter started locking up, but I got lucky and was still able to get a new replacement shifter body at the local Chevy dealer, man that was a sweet shifting car with the new linkage.
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