Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Color Changed: 1955 Ford Customline

Barn Finder Fordguy1972 is certainly living up to his name, having spotted this nice looking 1955 Customline, so thank you so much for that. The car appears to be a solid example that has undergone a repaint at some point in its life, so it isn’t, strictly speaking, original. It is located in Exeter, Pennsylvania, and listed for sale here on Craigslist.

When I first looked at the Customline, I was positive that not only wasn’t it finished in its original color, but the color wasn’t on the Ford color charts for 1955. A bit of investigation confirmed this, so that remains a bit of a mystery. A quick look at the photo of the engine bay seems to confirm that this car rolled off the production line finished in Cameo Coral, which, if I’m honest, is not one of my favorite colors. In its current state, the car looks really good, and there are no indications of any paint or rust issues, while the external trim and the glass also appear to be quite good.

Whoever performed the color change on the Customline doesn’t appear to have rested there. It looks like all of the interior metal-work has also received the same treatment, while the interior has been reupholstered to match. The results look very attractive, and there is really only a small amount of wear on the driver’s door trim to note, and even this may be able to be rectified fairly easily. One other point: You aren’t seeing things. Hanging under the dash is an air conditioning unit, and I believe that it is actually a factory unit. That’s a nice surprise that I certainly wasn’t expecting.

This was the moment where I was initially slightly disappointed, but I’m a big boy, and I’ll get over it. I was really hoping to find a V8 under the hood, but we get a 223ci 6-cylinder engine. I can live with that because the transmission is the factory overdrive manual unit. The engine does negatively impact the value of the car, but this is almost completely negated by the transmission and A/C, so it really is a case of swings and roundabouts. Some of the wiring in the engine bay is also a bit untidy, but this should be an easy fix. The owner says that the car runs and drives well, and in this shot, you can also see evidence of the car’s original Cameo Coral paint.

This Customline is a really nice car, and there isn’t really much to do to finish it to a reasonable driver level. For me, the main thing to do would be to cover that original paint color in the engine bay, as that would tie the whole thing together nicely. As I previously mentioned, the engine does impact the overall value of the car, but the A/C and transmission soon address that. The owner has recently reduced the price on the car, and he now has it listed at $7,500, but he may listen to reasonable offers. That price, coupled with that attitude, tends to indicate that someone is poised to get a nice car at a very decent price.

Comments

  1. Avatar TimS

    May have been a midrange car sixty-plus years ago, but looks like a rolling sculpture in today’s parking lots. The color looks very period and yet authentic at the same time. The factory color would have worked with a white top. And without a closer examination I would’ve lost the bet on whether it had A/C, factory or not.

    Like 5
  2. bobhess bobhess Member

    Coral is just another name for Pink. Blue looks great. this would be a great candidate for a small block Ford V8 with later model transmission. There’s a ’52 here done that way and it works in every way.

    Like 5
  3. Avatar J Liu

    That A/C is not factory..it may have been dealer added or by Sears for that matter but Ford’s factory A/C had upper dash mounted vents by the speaker grille and integrated controls with the heater.
    Nice looking car but the color change devalues it a bit. Still a sharp car.

    Like 7
  4. Avatar local_sheriff

    Though I’m a Chevy guy , I’ll admit 55-56 Fords are among the highlights in vehicular designs of the 50s. The six with overdrive manual trans makes this somehow appealing even though it’ll never be a racer.This is how MANY average cars came off lots back then, not all where V8 powered auto 2dht cars with power everything…

    Great attractive 50s cruiser with nice colors that proves sweet cars are still out there without a premium tag

    Like 5
  5. Avatar Miguel

    They sure went through a lot of trouble to change the color, but not enough.

    If they are going to do all that, they should have taken the engine out and finished the job correctly.

    Like 4
  6. Avatar Vance

    This was the first car that I can remember being in at the tender age of three. It was a 55 Ford Custom with a six cylinder and 3 on the tree. My Dad’s previous car was 1953 Desoto Firedome so the drop in luxury was pretty drastic. They ( the dealer ), had not filled the coolant system on the Desoto and it over heated. It never ran right and my Dad swore off Mopars for life. He put 200 k on it which was rare in those days. We had the Fairlane until it was replaced by a Mercury Comet in 1963. I think he got he money’s worth.

    Like 2
  7. Avatar PatrickM

    Ummmm…. Where’s the master cylinder? Not where they usually are.

    Like 0
    • Avatar cyclemikey

      It’s there. It’s mostly obscured in the photo by the air cleaner.

      Like 0
  8. Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

    Nice car and a great family cruiser. The badge on the front fender (mudguard for those of us in Australasia) is a giveaway that it’s only a six-banger under the hood (bonnet).

    A friend of mine in SoCal scored a one-owner, Coral & White ’55 Customline Fordoor Sedan back in the mid-1970s: original paint and interior, 272 with a three-on-the-tree. With a bit of waxing and cleaning, it came up beautifully and ran like a Timex.

    Sadly, some drunk slammed his car into the left front quarter and the poor Ford was never the same. The solo-mom owner soldiered on with it for a couple of more years until it just wasn’t worth keeping on the road.

    Like 1
  9. Avatar DanaPointJohn

    I get it this Ford is 63 years old, but is that why the radiator is so beat up?

    Like 2
  10. Avatar Kennyboy

    Looks more like a 56 than a 55?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Saul Member

      What makes you say that, Kennyboy? Definitely a 55 with the round parking lights up front. I believe the air conditioner may not even be from the year this car was built. Looks more like an add-on from the later 1960s. Definitely not factory. I think the asking price is top money for a Mainline sedan. Solid looking machine, though.

      Like 1
    • Avatar cyclemikey

      Same basic body in 55-56. The trim and grill are different. this is definitely a ’55.

      Like 2
    • Avatar Lawrence Ragans

      The parking lights are more oblong on a 1956. This is definitely a 1955.

      Like 2
  11. Avatar Y block Bill

    Beleive it or not I have that exact color scheme on an original 55 customline. its Pine tree green with snow shoe white roof.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar cyclemikey

    This car is a long way from original. Paint, interior, trim details, AC, etc. The original Coral is not pink, it tends more toward the brown. Ford did offer a bright pink in ’55, you see it a lot on Crown Vics, but this wasn’t that color. The color it’s painted now is not blue, nor is it Pine Tree green. It’s a dark Turquoise that was never offered stock. Looks ok, but again, not original. I don’t mind the six-cylinder engine; the 223 was a good motor. The overdrive is rare now, and a big plus.

    Like 3
  13. Avatar Darryl

    Colour looks like Gulfstream Aqua. Late 60s Ford Colour that’s on my ‘70 Mustang.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Tom G

    Its a great looking car. As a matter of fact i am looking for one like it to match up with my family’s car back in the fifties. It is most definitely a 55, no question about that. The dash is unique to that year. The only one i know of with a round radio. The original color was Buckskin Brown a very popular color on 55 Fords. Most likely the roof was white. I got a picture of the VIN tag and the color code is K which verifies it. It looks super solid and I’m sure whoever gets it will enjoy it. I just wanted one that was stock original. One other thing, the AC is definitely not stock or factory. Its an add-on. Nothing wrong with that. This car most likely spent most of its life in a dry climate. I believe it is advertised as an Arizona car.

    Like 1
  15. Avatar Harvey Schletz

    I have a 1955 Ford Customline I got in 1972 from my Great Aunt that bought two light blue Fords at the same time she gave one to her son and kept the other one the color you are looking at is the inside window trim and dash trim that i have I’m looking for the color name, My data plate shows color X and trim shows C I can’t find a X light blue.
    Also the front splash pan should be silver………

    Like 0

Leave a Reply to bobhess Cancel reply

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.