• Seller: Ann J ackson (Contact)
• Location: Rancho Cucamonga, California
• Mileage: 56,434 Shown
• Chassis #: W8RR703457
• Title Status: Clean
• Engine: 400 Pacer V8
• Transmission: Cruise-O-Matic

I think it’s safe to say that the Edsel has gotten its revenge for all those years of jokes; after all, I can guarantee that at least a handful of Barn Finds readers are calculating costs and planning garage sales to clear out space for this long-dormant but California-solid 1958 Pacer Convertible. It belonged to the seller’s late husband, who was the third owner and clearly a bit of a fan of the 1958 line of Ford Motor Company convertibles; we recently sold his ’58 Fairlane Sunliner. Like the Fairlane, the Edsel is being listed as a no reserve Barn Finds Auction in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and even though it doesn’t run and will need dollies to winch it onto a trailer, it looks like a fun “get it running” project or an excellent start for a restoration.

To the casual fan, all Edsels look the same with their upright grille, but there were actually two distinct bodies: the Ford-based Ranger/Pacer and the Mercury-based Corsair/Citation. The Pacer had the “E 400” engine, which did not indicate its cubic-inch displacement but rather its torque rating (similar to Buick’s engines of the late ’50s through the mid ’60s). In reality, this was a 361-cubic-inch FE (Ford-Edsel), which was fundamentally a 352 with an extra .05 inch bore (the same as the later truck 360…same bore and stroke, different cubic-inch marketing). Edsels of all stripes were factory hot rods in their day; the 361 punched out 303 horsepower, while the big Edsel Corsairs and Citations had an MEL 410 with 345 horsepower.

The engine in our auction Pacer has 56,434 miles on the odometer, but it looks like it may have been suffering from a bit of blowby; notice the rubber hose from the oil filler to the air cleaner. The intention was to draw crankcase fumes into the air cleaner to be ingested by the engine, and it kept those same fumes from entering the interior; it didn’t take many miles for an engine to start smelling a little enginey. Being that this one’s painted Ford Blue, it may have been rebuilt at some point; the E-400 was originally painted yellow (!) with white valve covers. It also could have been subject to a rattle-can rebuild some time in the ’70s.

Speaking of which, check out this upholstery. It’s clearly not original, but it’s in such good condition, and it’s so NOT what you’d expect in an Edsel, that I’d be inclined to leave it. You won’t have to worry about a shifter getting in your way while you’re out cruising with your date either, because this car has the optional (on the Ranger and Pacer, standard on Corsair and Citation) Teletouch Drive, an electromechanical shift mechanism for the three-speed automatic. Being that the system is almost 70 years old, you may want to grab a Teletouch repair manual online, just in case. The car is equipped with factory air conditioning, power windows, as well as the optional underhood and trunk lighting.

I think history has unfairly maligned the Edsel for its looks (I don’t think that happens too often these days). The “boomerang” taillights, the deep draw of the trunk lid leading to a large embossed piece of “EDSEL” trim beneath the rear window, the (I’ll say it) clean-for-1958 bodysides…it’s actually quite a nice-looking convertible.

And it’s painted in about the most beautiful shade of blue I’ve ever seen; it looks fairly close to the original Edsel color “Horizon Blue.” With its white top and and basic hubcaps, this convertible must win over even the most time-honored Edsel basher. Of course, you never know what’s lurking in a car that’s been parked for a very long time, but longtime car fans have an innate sense of what they’re in for based on their experience, and this Edsel looks pretty solid. Chances are decent that you could change all the fluids, replace the brake hydraulics, and get the engine running reasonably well with a few months’ effort, maybe weeks if you can draft a few friends to help. If you agree, bid now!

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