1956 Ford Ranchero?

I have a friend of a freind that claims he has a 1956 Ford Ranchero for sale.

I was very specific about how many headlights it had and he tells me 2 not 4.

I haven't seen it myself yet but he tells me it is indeed a factory built car, not a home built custom.

I was fairly certain 57 was the first year (single headlights) and that they were indeed introduced in 1956.

I also remember seeing an Australian built 1956 Customline Ute as a concept.

Any body have any pics of this weird, rare car?

I kinda think he is talking out of his *** but it sure would **** to p*** up on something this rare.

 

1957 is the first year of production......................must be a ute.

 

Could it be a really well-done custom? Possibly a cut-down Ranch Wagon?

 

Here's a '54 Ute from eBay Australia:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1954-Mainline-Ford-Ute_W0QQitemZ110066816265QQihZ001QQcategoryZ29691QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'd be jumping on the '56 deal if it's legit!

 

Someone on here had a clean '56 that was made into a ranchero. It looked real good, I'm sure it'd fool lots of people, like your friend. 57's have single headlights also you know.

 

57 was the first year.

 

I have a 59 chevy extended cab pickup truck, people tell me they remember seeing them just like that when they were new. right

 

I saw one at a Right Coast ***oc.show in Berlin,Ct. in August .It was purple and white if I remember correctly and ,yes, it was a customized ranch wagon.

 

there's been a 56 ranchero (made out of a wagon) here in riverside for 20 years.

 

Has to be homemade or possibly a funeral flower car from a coachbuilder. They made lots of caddy flower cars. Guess they could have made a ford. Pat.

 

I'm guessing it is a 57 but this guy knows his cl***ic fords and it would he highly uncharacteristic of him to be wrong about a year.

 

57 was the first year,,,,,here's a picture of my 56 crown vic converted to a "ranchero"......sold it last june.......

 

Got any more picts of your car ??

 

dammit. 1965. Ranchero. Yuk

 

So it wasn't a 56' after all?

 

HA! That's nothing, my roommate has a 1977 Ranchero GT in the driveway that he's "selling" for his step dad. It gets worse too, he want's like $12k for it, so it may never go away.

 

I have seen a factory 4 dr crew cab 4WD? pickup from that era. I can't swear what year it was. They were supposedly specially made for a large corporation. I want to say a Western Railroad company. It's obviously a rare piece and was being restored to concours condition. I'd have bet 20 bucks it was a hot rod custom but it wasn't.

I will put 20 on any 56 being a custom and not a factory product.

 

I'll second that bet. Only thing it could be in 56 was a Ute....

 

Tom, i see one of them, they were built for railroad. My Cl***ic Car had a episode on one, they are sharp rides, this was built as a semi lowrider if i recal.

 

dislexia, its gets tseb of us sometimes

 

I know this is getting a little OT, but several years ago, I saw a whole line of Ford Eight door shortbed stepsides coming out of the Claycomo, Missouri plant. I had to do a double take........have no idea what they were for, but four doors to a side!

BTW, love that '54 Ute!

J

 

Many states would ***le a truck by the year sold, not by the model year of manufacture. It could be a 57 Ranchero with a 56 ***le.

 

They may have been airport transit cars used to shuttle p***engers to a nearby hotel.

Used to see ten door 55 Chevy wagons set up for the same thing . . . a few years back of course.

A couple of interesting home-built "Ranchero's" I've seen were a 59 built crew-cab style with 4 full sized doors etc.
Looked to be an extended frame with wagon front grafted to a Ranchero with all the proper Ranchero trim pieces.
Ran a 460 from what I heard.
Last time I saw it was in Visalia, California at the small machine shop/body shop north of Lum Lums near the railroad track.
Down and across from the automotive paint store.
Wouldn't be surprised to find it's stored inside.


The other, a 57 four door wagon with minimal amount cut off the roof and a very short bed set up.
Standard wheelbase.
It had the proper Ranchero bed trim pieces etc. and looked rather factory.

This particular car was set up to haul dirt bikes.
Two went in the short bed - tailgate open for rear wheel support - and two went onto aluminum ramps on top of the rear fenders.
Sounds a little crazy, but was well thought out.
Four dirt bikes, all the gear and four riders, each with their very own door.

This one seen in the Newhall-Saugus, California dirt bike riding areas in the early 70's.

One other commonly done trick was to cut the rear roof off a wagon and make a removable top for the bed of a Ranchero.

Since the Ranchero's were built on a station wagon frame, many guys cut the bed deck in two and hinged it so they could use the spare tire well like the station wagon did.
Course, you know it, the only time these guys had a flat was when the bed was full of stuff....

 

Nope NOT A 56. it is a 65

I guess there was a communication failure and he changed his story.

Regardless, I can't think of an uglier car than a 65 Ranchero

('cept maybe a 79)

 

You do understand that by that time a 65 Ranchero was a Falcon. Not my favorite Ranchero, but they are OK.

 

You think this is ugly???

 

well, I guess that one isn't bad. Falcons in general don't really float my boat

sorry

 

yep, brother-in-law has a 57 chevy 3 door 1 ton that was built for the railroads.....

 

there's a black one that runs around here with dark spoke americans on it...love that car/truck/whatever..

 

There was a custom built "56" Ford Ranchero in this area. It was a pretty good job! The last time i seen it it was setting in a pasture. of course the owner thinks it's a rare factory car and is going to rebuild it someday.