Projects 56 Vicky Build

***NOTE***

Sorry about all the dead photo links guys and gals. I will slowly work on fixing them, but it will take some serious time. Photobucket killed all the hosting links when I didn't pay for hosting that was free for a long time. Skip ahead to page 7 or so (PM me if I am wrong, that's what it displays as on my view) for current pics hosted here instead. You can always see some older pictures in the facebook link in my signature.





1956 Ford Victoria 2dr - her name is Abby

So I've known this car all my life, was one of my father's cars that fell to the wayside, and now I'm bringing her back to life.

She's been sitting in this spot for 15 years, uncovered, neglected and forgotten. She was hot rodded some 20 years ago, stout FE motor and a 4 speed, traction bars, nosed and decked, louvered hood, battery in the trunk, etc.


I spent a few days doing to the basics, clean cap and rotor, new plugs, oil down the cylinders, oil and filter, gas filter, battery, clean up the grounds etc. Good bath helped alot, shot some rusty spots with primer to buy me some time.

Surprisingly the brakes still work, it was the steering that was seized, but a can of pb blaster later, she steers, not great, but it moves.

Managed to get her to run off a gas jug, as the gas tank has many pinholes in it and won't hold gas. She doesn't sound too bad for not running in 15 years.

Plans are to slowly repair as I can get time and or money. I'm thinking a matte black paint job, and eventually a ps, pdb conversion, but for now I just want her road worthy.

Major area's of concern at the moment are the brakes, front cross member is rotted out, and it seems to need a clutch.



Motor almost as I found it



Motor after being cleaned and some work done.










Video - Click picture to view

 

very cool car, was that allways a local car?

 

As far as I know, I can tell you for sure it's been here for 20 years, before that I couldn't say anything definitive. have you seen it somewhere else?

 

looks pretty cool , i like it , post some more pics as you work on it

 

Please don't paint that thing matte black.

 

Lol, what color would you prefer? Paint is a long time away, that that is my while doing body work color of choice. Easy to spray on as I take it one panel at a time.

 

Sorry, I have a hard time keeping my opinion to myself. I'm cool with almost any color, I just hate matte/flat paint.

It just ruins the look of a good car. Do what you will.

 

I agree...that is too good a car to paint flat black. Shiny red or black would do it justice.

 

Very nice, sounds great too!

 

Red is def out, I have a red and white Fairlane 500 of the same year.

Ultimately I would love a gloss black paint job, but while I repair the body, which will def take me years, I was just going to do something that comes in a can so I can strip, fix and repaint easily to keep from rusting.

 

my car is going flat black for the same reason as yours.

i get the same comments from people, but they never seem to want to donate money or help the process of getting the car a shiny color.

 

Lol, isn't that strange? Maybe we'll take up a fund.

 

Awesome car! I love 56's! It sounds healthy too! if it were me...I paint it two tone Peacock Blue and White (Ford color for 56, kind of a turquoise) Can't wait to see more progress!

 

Thanks!
What's funny is that is the color scheme it was from the factory. It's all up in the air, and doesn't need to land for many a year.

 

no i havent seen it and ive lived in stratford my entire life lol, thats why i was wondering. good luck with the project.....john

 

She lives in Newtown, and hasn't moved in 15 years, so it might be a combo of those two.

Where abouts in Strat, I'm by Wooster.

 

Great car to start with, There aren't many better looking cars than a 56 Victoria!

Good Luck !

 

Perfect choice. I'm working on a 56 vic myself with a 390FE ready to drop in. I lived my first 40 years in CT, just east of Willimantic. Tough area for old iron. I'm in Arkansas now and it's still tough to find good parts for a 56 vic. A lesson learned: Lots of hard to find "one year only" chrome pieces, so protect yours if you plan to use them. ie. grill, parking light housings, and all side window frames. Most pitted real bad.

FYI, there is a social group (hamb sub-group) on here dedicated to 52-56 Fords, in case you missed it.

Good luck with your project.

 

It's great to know there's another Vicky being restored...incredible car, there just aren't enough of them. Growing up my Dad had two painted bright red and a still has a black Crown and you just can't go wrong with those colors.

 

Great to see another '56 Vicky getting resurrected! And it's also nice to have some history for it.

Link for some great folks and source info - the '52-'56 Ford social group here on the HAMB: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=332

I've owned my Fairlane since the mid 60s. Like yours, it sat for many years unprotected and ravaged by the elements. I recently had it restored, and I love the mid-50s tutones that these cars were designed for and painted. Had mine done in original '56 Ford colors of Peacock Blue and Colonial White:

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Nice car!

Yeah I'm pretty in love with the body too. I've been a member of that social group for a while, I just don't post much.

 

I had a 56 Sunliner in high school, love that body style, you go man!

 

so am i lol, im across from the field.....john

 

Man oh man, what a great project! The icing on the cake is the FE & 4 speed. Which FE is it? Those valve covers kinda remind me of a 427. The 55-56 Fords have been favorites of mine since I was a little tyke and I really want to get ahold of one once my F1 is done.
I don't care what color you paint it, its your car after all, just keep the thread going so we can see the progress. A healthy cam & headers would really wake this car up.

 

I want to say it is a stroked and bored 390, but haven't been able to confirm it. Nobody (like uncles and such) can remember what motor is it, just that it was stout as hell and would burn the tires off in a heart beat.

I'll have to go looking for numbers on the heads, and I can't really make out the ones on the block, I'll see if I can't clean it a little better and read them.

 

Haven't honestly paid attention to them, but they are logs of some kind, not headers.

 

Ok so I took a look fir some block castings on the motor and what found is a backwards 105 under the drivers side head and also "u4te" or "o4te" under the front pass side. Kinda worn at the top, but I'm leaning toward o. Might even be a d, really hard to tell.

Also right by the oil filter is a 1178, 117 is clear but the casting on what looks like an 8 is crappy.

Found two markings between the center two cyls on the drivers side. One is 8090c and the other is c3ae.


Can someone help me decode

Thanks
Brian

 

Great project, especially since it was your Fathers!!
And really a very cool car.
Go with the flat black!
Keep us up to date on your progress.
Cheers.............

 

thanks!

bump for number help.

I'm getting maybe a 390 truck motor with the numbers.


I know the motor is bored and stroked, but I'd like to know what it used to be untill I ahve a good reason to take it apart and measure accurately.