1955 Ford Crown Victoria - NE TN - $28,500 - Sold

[Jim Bollman]

Sold

I am posting this ad for a friend and long time AACA member, that tries to stay away from computers.  This is a very nice original car. The first time I saw it I assumed it had been restored.
 

1955 Ford Crown Victoria
Dave purchased this car in 2011 after a long search for a Crown Victoria. The car was stored in a cluttered garage for 30 years. The car had only been driven 749 miles between August of 1981 and when Dave purchased it in 2011, based on the many stickers on the door jamb. It had an easy life in Mobile, Alabama back to 1955. 
 
When acquired, the car was not running. The right and left front brakes were missing. The engine pan was removed for cleaning and all brakes were replaced with shoes, wheel and master cylinders and DOT5 silicone fluid.  The transmission front seal leaked, so the entire transmission was professionally rebuilt. The exhaust system was replaced with new and N.O.S. parts. The front and left fender showed poorly repaired damage around the headlight.  The fender was removed, repaired and broken and a missing trim piece were located at Hershey and replaced.
 
This is a rust-free, unrestored car.  It has been driven less than 35,000 miles.  The tires are like new, but are 40 years old.  The front seat upholstery has been replaced but the rear seat upholstery is original and like new. The radio has been rebuilt. It has power windows and seats. 
 
Service manuals and sales brochures included.

 

Some of the pictures show the 1955 TN license plate and plate frame which are not included
 
$28,500.  Dave Simmering, Greeneville, TN. Phone Four-Two-Three-639-One-Eight-Fifteen. Leave a message if we are unable to answer.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 9 by Jim Bollman (see edit history)

[Fossil]

Wow this is a photo bonanza. Great eye appeal. 

I like these much better than the Chevs that everyone seems to have. This color combination not so much or the price. The owner should be given credit for his photos though. 

Sure glad I don't have to work on that distributor. I'd want a distributor machine to set that one up in. 

[7th Son]

1 hour ago, Jim Bollman said:

 This is a very nice original car.

Original appearing, yes, but not HPOF original. Nice car, well refurbished, but not original.

[Jim Bollman]

I thought HPOF allowed some repairs?  Only parts of one or both front fenders was repainted and the front upholstery.  Since I don't own anything that would be close to HPOF I have never read the rules close.

[1957Birdman]

I think the Tropical Rose/Snowshoe White is a nice 1950s color combination and who cares if it doesn’t qualify for HPOF? Just show it in the DPC area and have fun. I did notice that the data plate is attached to the firewall with  Phillips head screws, which is incorrect. The owner must have taken it off the refurbish and didn’t have the correct rivets for reattachment.  One thing that is unusual is that it has power windows and it seems to be well appointed with power steering and Ford-O-Matic. Is anyone familiar with Ford Crestmark Plate on the car. I have never seen one. Was it Ford’s attempt to keep up with “Body by Fisher”?

Lew Bachman

1957 Thunderbird

[classiclines]

2 hours ago, 1957Birdman said:

 Is anyone familiar with Ford Crestmark Plate on the car. I have never seen one. Was it Ford’s attempt to keep up with “Body by Fisher”?

Lew Bachman

1957 Thunderbird

Found a brochure in pdf form at this link - in case it doesn't work, clipped excerpt in picture form...

https://www.xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1955-Ford.pdf

 

 

[Leif in Calif]

6 hours ago, Fossil said:

Wow this is a photo bonanza. Great eye appeal. 

I like these much better than the Chevs that everyone seems to have. This color combination not so much or the price. The owner should be given credit for his photos though. 

Sure glad I don't have to work on that distributor. I'd want a distributor machine to set that one up in. 

I have a scar on my hand from 40 years ago. I was trying to set the timing on a '69 Ford and the distributor was right under the top radiator hose. By the time the timing was correct, my hand was blistered. 

I love that radio and the state shaped license plate! 

Edited March 19 by Leif in Calif
spelling (see edit history)

[m-mman]

7 hours ago, Fossil said:

Sure glad I don't have to work on that distributor. I'd want a distributor machine to set that one up in. 

Y-block distributors aren’t that difficult to maintain.  However replacing the plug wires is a 2+ hour job!  

They run behind the block and under the exhaust manifolds.   They are secured by 2 retainers on each side and use unique grommets to hold them.  (Fortunately the grommets have been reproduced). 

[StillOutThere]

Pertronix solid state ignitions, which are invisible to all but the most trained eye, were made for any and all difficult to access distributors.  Of particular note are Ford Y-Blocks, first generation MoPar Hemis, and any '30s-40s car with hood side panels needing unbolted for we old men to be able to bend and reach a low-on-the-block-side distributor.   I have multiple installs!

[TerryB]

Nice car that has a lot of what cars of the era looked like in both trim and color combinations.   I remember as a kid seeing numerous 1955 Chevy cars with the gray and coral color combo yet you rarely see those colors on restored cars. This car is as much 50s vibe as the many turquoise 1957 Chevys that are out there.

[Fossil]

The Neighbors had friends that would come and visit them. They drove a 57 Chev. That was the color below. Even then I thought that car was beautiful and I still do. 

[DrumBob]

OK, Ford experts. Is that exterior color the correct shade of pink for that car? It seems a bit brassy, but maybe it is correct. While I'm a sucker for just about any pink car, that shade is a bit much. I prefer the more subdued Shell Pink.

 

I just scored a Pink Sparkle mid '60s vintage Slingerland drumset. Can't wait to gig them. They were only available for a few years and never sold well, so they don't come up for sale very often. 

[m-mman]

1 hour ago, DrumBob said:

OK, Ford experts. Is that exterior color the correct shade of pink for that car?

Yes it is. Tropical Rose. Yes it is/was intense.  Yes it is the exact shade of Pepto Bismo. 
 

For 1955, Ford also offered Regency Purple. It too is an intense shade. Not lilac, not violet but a purple.  
 

It was the 1950s and the world had been filled with dull colors since the crash of 1929.  Black, gray, dull green, dull blue, maybe a brown or two. 
 

Virtually every manufacturer offered some Easter egg colors.  Some more than others (56 Lincoln had the most). 
 

The thing was that they were VERY FASHIONABLE.  They attracted people who wanted to stand out and wanted the latest. 

People who buy the latest also trade frequently.  The Easter egg cars were typically traded back in within 1-3 years.  Since they were then not the latest styles and they stood out, they did not appeal to used car buyers. They were hard to sell and depreciated quickly. 
 

Dealers in the monied parts of town sent them to auction and they ended up in the poor areas where people would “buy here - pay here”. They couldn’t afford the car but they dreamed that they too were fashionable. They couldn’t afford maintenance they abused the cars and they were junked early. Survival was very low.

 

The few Easter egg cars that stayed with people who did maintain them might actually like the CAR, but the COLORS would quickly become tiresome.  Their friends and neighbors might even object to having it in the neighborhood.  Finding Easter egg cars that were repainted single tone white was common. Connoisseurs always check the data plates to see what was original. 
 

The low survival of an original or mostly original Easter egg car is what makes this example special. It wasn’t for everyone when it was new and it certainly isn’t for everyone today but for true connoisseurs of genuine 50s flashy cars it is a desirable artifact.  

[Twisted Shifter]

43 minutes ago, m-mman said:

Yes it is. Tropical Rose. Yes it is/was intense.  Yes it is the exact shade of Pepto Bismo. 
 

For 1955, Ford also offered Regency Purple. It too is an intense shade. Not lilac, not violet but a purple.  
 

It was the 1950s and the world had been filled with dull colors since the crash of 1929.  Black, gray, dull green, dull blue, maybe a brown or two. 
 

Virtually every manufacturer offered some Easter egg colors.  Some more than others (56 Lincoln had the most). 
 

The thing was that they were VERY FASHIONABLE.  They attracted people who wanted to stand out and wanted the latest. 

People who buy the latest also trade frequently.  The Easter egg cars were typically traded back in within 1-3 years.  Since they were then not the latest styles and they stood out, they did not appeal to used car buyers. They were hard to sell and depreciated quickly. 
 

Dealers in the monied parts of town sent them to auction and they ended up in the poor areas where people would “buy here - pay here”. They couldn’t afford the car but they dreamed that they too were fashionable. They couldn’t afford maintenance they abused the cars and they were junked early. Survival was very low.

 

The few Easter egg cars that stayed with people who did maintain them might actually like the CAR, but the COLORS would quickly become tiresome.  Their friends and neighbors might even object to having it in the neighborhood.  Finding Easter egg cars that were repainted single tone white was common. Connoisseurs always check the data plates to see what was original. 
 

The low survival of an original or mostly original Easter egg car is what makes this example special. It wasn’t for everyone when it was new and it certainly isn’t for everyone today but for true connoisseurs of genuine 50s flashy cars it is a desirable artifact.  

A very good analysis, m-m. When they were new, they were everywhere. Now they are rarities.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 23 by Twisted Shifter (see edit history)

[EmTee]

I agree that these full size Fords ('55 & '56) look nice on the outside, however, the dashboard looks like it belongs in a truck.

 

 

I think the '55 - '56 Chevy dash is much more handsome.

 

[DrumBob]

9 hours ago, m-mman said:

Yes it is. Tropical Rose. Yes it is/was intense.  Yes it is the exact shade of Pepto Bismo. 
 

For 1955, Ford also offered Regency Purple. It too is an intense shade. Not lilac, not violet but a purple.  
 

It was the 1950s and the world had been filled with dull colors since the crash of 1929.  Black, gray, dull green, dull blue, maybe a brown or two. 
 

Virtually every manufacturer offered some Easter egg colors.  Some more than others (56 Lincoln had the most). 
 

The thing was that they were VERY FASHIONABLE.  They attracted people who wanted to stand out and wanted the latest. 

People who buy the latest also trade frequently.  The Easter egg cars were typically traded back in within 1-3 years.  Since they were then not the latest styles and they stood out, they did not appeal to used car buyers. They were hard to sell and depreciated quickly. 
 

Dealers in the monied parts of town sent them to auction and they ended up in the poor areas where people would “buy here - pay here”. They couldn’t afford the car but they dreamed that they too were fashionable. They couldn’t afford maintenance they abused the cars and they were junked early. Survival was very low.

 

The few Easter egg cars that stayed with people who did maintain them might actually like the CAR, but the COLORS would quickly become tiresome.  Their friends and neighbors might even object to having it in the neighborhood.  Finding Easter egg cars that were repainted single tone white was common. Connoisseurs always check the data plates to see what was original. 
 

The low survival of an original or mostly original Easter egg car is what makes this example special. It wasn’t for everyone when it was new and it certainly isn’t for everyone today but for true connoisseurs of genuine 50s flashy cars it is a desirable artifact.  

Thanks for all that information. It's pretty well known here that I'm a big fan of the bright colors that existed in the 50s, and a vocal critic of the dull colors we generally see on cars today. I don't think we'll ever see vibrant colors again. Too many people seem to settle for black, white, grey and silver these days. 

 

I looked at the Lincoln colors and wow, you are right. There were so many amazing colorful choices. That'll never happen again. You could get a violet Lincoln. Amazing. 

Edited March 23 by DrumBob (see edit history)

[Fossil]

I'm still waiting for a color to come out that doesn't show dirt. The best color I've had was the viper red that was on the Jeep YJ. Another color that was good was the Champagne color that was on the 2000 Bonneville. 

I'm not a fan of the "in your face" colors. The older I get "is that possible?" the more dull my taste gets. If you want to get rich invent a paint that dirt won't stick too. Is that asking too much? 

 

 

Edited March 23 by Fossil (see edit history)

[7th Son]

2 hours ago, Fossil said:

 

I'm not a fan of the "in your face" colors. The older I get "is that possible?" the more dull my taste gets. If you want to get rich invent a paint that dirt won't stick too. Is that asking too much? 

 

Have you ever tried the "Stay at Home Blues".  No go, no dirt.    ...also. no fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24 by 7th Son (see edit history)

[Jim Bollman]

I was talking to my friend that owns this 1955.  He said the tires are 40 years old but in excellent shape and he has not been afraid to drive on them but knows that is something many will not feel safe with so he will reduce the price by the cost of a set of new tires if that helps the buyer.

 

I see a person question the color being right.  Most of the car is the original paint only some repair work to the front fenders has been repainted.

[Leif in Calif]

On 3/23/2024 at 4:34 PM, Fossil said:

I'm still waiting for a color to come out that doesn't show dirt.

 

 

Certainly possible. I used to work for the glass company formerly known as LOF (Libby-Owens-Ford). We made a self cleaning glass, which shed certain types of dirt. Typical application was unban glass canopies. It did need rain to work however, and the chemistry was activated by carbon, so it was great on the soot from diesel exhaust, but didn't work at all on the slat spray from the ocean, or dust from a field.  

[Jim Bollman]

Just heard from my friend and he said the 55 Vic has been sold.