The mid 1950’s saw the introduction of a lot of iconic cars including the Thunderbird, Corvette, El Camino and Ranchero. The post-war car culture and baby boom were well under way with the Interstate Highway system taking shape. Americans were eager to leave behind the simple and run-down cars of the past in favor of power windows, power steering and powerful engines. This 1957 Ford Ranchero can be found here on Craigslist with an asking price of $1,750 and is located in Pueblo West, Colorado. 1957 was the first year for the Ranchero and ushered in the “crossover” vehicles that are still seen today.
Although Ford introduced the Ranchero two years before Chevrolet introduced the El Camino, the Ranchero never gained the level of popularity the El Camino did. Advertising for the Ranchero used the tag line “More than a car! More than a truck!” This first year Ranchero has obviously seen enough sun to make it look really thirsty for some wax. There isn’t a lot of information in the ad, but it’s clear from the photos there are several rust holes over various parts of the body. In one interior photo, you can see daylight through large holes in the floor pan.
Speaking of interior, the seat has been removed along with various other components. It looks like this project will need a lot of new parts. Without much information in the ad it’s hard to tell what is usable or not. The positive thing about the Ranchero is it shares a lot of the same parts as Ford sedans of the era. The hard part is that the aftermarket supports Chevrolet cars with many more components which makes restoring a Ford more challenging.
The engine looks fairly original apart from the missing air cleaner. If original, this engine is either a 292 or 352 cubic inch power plant. These cars were also available with an inline six. The idea of a car that can haul cargo like a pickup is kind of a love it or hate it proposition. How about you? Do you love Rancheros and El Caminos?
292 Y-block,Autolite 4-bbl not as common as the 2-bbl on these engines. Rust repair doesn’t look like it will be that bad. Rancheros-El Caminos were popular rides around here back in the day. Never thought about it till now,wonder why Mopar never got in the game,or did they and I wasn’t paying attention? Oil field pumpers tried a few of these thinking a better ride than a pickup would be the benefit.Lack of ground clearance and lite load ratings were a draw back.
Volkswagen and Nissan make one and the vw are quite popular in Mexico the vw also have a Chevy cousin with a different grill and badges
Subaru kind-of tried the market in the 00’s.
Thats not a y block in that ranchero which in 272, 292, 0r 312 form would have been available in that car. Thats a 332, 352, or later FE, first available in 1958, none of which were available in a 1957. By the way FE simply stands for Ford Engine.
This Ranchero has a Y-block. Apparently you can’t recognize the difference between a Y-block and an FE, it’s quite simple really, considering they’re two totally different engines. And btw, FE doesn’t simply stand for Ford Engine, it stands for Ford Edsel engine family. Wow, some of you “car guys” need to learn something about cars.
This Ranchero seems to have less rust than most. Seat appears to be in bed. Looks like a bargain price to me.
Looks like a good project to take on. Like KS just said, I would guess the engine to be a 292. I’m a little surprised to see a 2-storey 4bbl carb. I thought they were pretty much phased out by the end of the ’56 production, and the conventional Holley took over.
There was one of these around my hometown. The owner also had a matching Fairlane to go with it. The son still has the Ranchero and is restoring it.
My father had a ’59 Ranchero. He loved it although using it as a farm truck took its toll; a Ranchero (or later, an El Camino) is NOT the same as a truck….
My dad was a true Ranchero guy. He owned a ’57, ’62,’69, and ’77. When they stopped production, he got a ’79 El Camino, his first Chevy. Never owned a car/truck myself until a few months ago, when I bought this ’83. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
This “Chero” looks pretty good for the very fair price,
that it is listed at.These all rusted,no matter where they were..LOL,
this seems to be pretty solid yet.It must have been a plain jane model,
no S.S. side trim, but at least it is a v8 model.
This looks like a great buy,if only for parts..!Nice find..!
It should have a 9″ rear end also…which is valuable by itself..
Our 57 had/has some rust despite being from northern California…,
Tailgates are really hard to find not Rusty…also the bed floor if not sealed well ,, will leak massive amounts of water into floorpan..making
Floors almost un-usable in back behind seat..these will continue to grow in value…and this is pretty good for one of these..57-59 rancheros.
Price.d really reasonable..,.and in mostly good shape…you can’t go wrong with this one….😎😎😍😍😉😉
I prefer the Fords
Most of the folks who bought these were the type who only used a truck for light loads, to big &/or heavy for a car, to light for a truck
I worked in a restaurant during high school, owner had an EC, it was perfect for him
Its only about two hours south of me. I considered going down and looking it over but rust is one thing – this much may be a problem – to me anyway. As for the teapot carb, I just took one off a 61 Galaxie 292 that didn’t run worth crap. Kit for the carb alone was $83 and the replacement 2bbl w/intake and carb kit wasn’t but $100 so I went back to stock. Still have it if someone wants it…
Looks pretty rusty to me both rear quarters, rockers, front fenders, cab floor and roof, as well as box floor. That’s dam near every panal on this think needing some lovin. I’m not saying that it isn’t restorable I’m saying it needs LOTS OF WORK. I hope someone takes it on if for no other reason than its different and cool. This car would be a real jewel restored.
I think 58 was the first year for 352. That Y block, is either 272, 292, or 312. I have seen intake manifolds for the Y block, with 2, 4, 6, and 8 holes in them. My 57 300 post car, had a 272, with a 3×2…and 3 pedals
My guess is that it’s a 292. As Mike said, the 332/352 FE-series engines came out the following year – and, they look nothing like a Y-Block.
I remember seeing my first Ranchero back in late 1957 outside Farmdale Elementary School in El Sereno, CA. I thought it was the coolest truck on the planet! (still do)
Of course, the Aussies have been building ‘coupe utes’ since the 1930s… ;-)
This is the only pic I can find of the 1973+ 3rd generation Chrysler Pick-Up that were very popular in South Africa.
Funny, that looks an awful lot like a late 60’s-early 70’s Falcon/Torino Ranchero by the styling. Interesting. Grille looks like a 1970 Buick Wildcat.
I had one Ranchero and I really liked it. 1970 GT, 351 Cleveland, auto, posi, factory a/c, buckets and console. Fast enough as a few BMWs and ‘Vettes found out. I’d like to have another at some point.
Hopefully, someone will bring this ’57 back to life; original or with a modern drivetrain. It’s cheap enough, that’s for sure.
I grew up in Pueblo, Colorado and actually can remember when this was still on the street ! It was back in the late 70s but it was polished up and still looked good ! Cars don’t rust out the same as they do in the Midwest, back in the 70s and early 80s , the local junkyards were full of cars people would die for today ! More than once I bought cars from a junkyard for less than a hundred dollars, from the 30s and 40s , and put gas in and drove them home ! The local steel mill put in an electric arc furnace in the early 70s , which ate scrap steel, so the local wrecking yards were methodically emptied ! The end of an era !
It is a Y block no question about that period. And most likely a 292.
I really think these elcsmino and rancheros should return to sell again.
Let’s face it how many 45-65 thousand dollars trucks are in suburbia and never haul a thing and get 12-16 mpg?
These rancheros and Caminos has full frames and looked decent with better mg and less weight .
The two are missing the boat as those non big dollar f150 folks buy frontiers and Tacoma’s instead .
The Colorado does good but give me a retro Camino any day !
I’ve always liked these. IMO it’s well worth the asking price. If it was closer to me I think I’d jump on it. I still might.
ROAD TRIP!!!!!
The author needs a little education on old Fords. The aftermarket supports Fords every bit as well as chevrolets. This is a 292 or 352? How bout 272, 292, or 312. It’s hard to say, as the Autolite 4100 is a later version. Someone who commented earlier seems to have these confused with the Holley Teapot, totally different. Lol. My god, let’s all read before we write.
I had a light blue 1961 Fairlane Town Sedan (lowest trim level, very little chrome, three on the tree) with a 292 I bought for $750 in 1981. Sound high? You would have bought it too. 35,000 original documented miles with a perfect interior and an engine so clean you could have eaten your lunch off of it. A guy inherited it from his grandmother in Iowa, and he drove it to eastern Washington where he promptly sold it to me. One unique feature was its clutch pedal pad, which was thicker than a normal one. Seems granny’s left leg was slightly shorter than her right. The only thing wrong with the car was the fuel gauge, but then I’ve rarely found an old car with a properly functioning one. Super car.
This is a great find. So much of this stuff here, still. I see something like this every day I venture out. ( and haven’t even checked out the alley’s yet) It’s like they never junk a car, it just gets put in the back yard. This is about 50 miles from me. If the “gestapo’s” in my housing project allowed working on cars( strictly forbidden) I’d jump on this. Amazing to see one with it’s headlights intact.
I love the Ranchero I had a 1974 Ranchero GT in the 2 tone colors brown and tan with the orange strip down the sides with GT on the ends of strips. I loved the thing it had been souped up a little but damn if you goosed it at a take off it would spin you around so easy beant many factory sport rims got costly after a while and it burnt through gas more then it mileage. Wasn’t MPG was GPM but it was fun to drive. Many memories. But toward the end shifter brokeoff and had to use vise grips clamped on shifter part in the calum. And final straw was when I got on it the last time spun around 3 times and I hit a curb so bad on the drivers side it literally bend the rim and broke something under it and whole whell was bent into top of fenderwell. So I just traded in.
Built this 57 a few years back and sold it at auction. Regretted it ever since.
Dale, I never cared much for Fords but these Rancheros are great looking and you did avery impressive job on yours. I would even drive it, if it had Chevy engine, just kidding lol.
Great job
That’s definitively a Y- block ! Notice the two studs with rubber washer and lock nuts on top of the valve cover ! No other Ford V-8 had those and notice no other bolts around perimeter! I rebuilt a number of these back in the 60s in auto shop class in high school ! But I eventually built a side Oiler 427 with medium riser heads, 11 to 1 pistons on LeMans rods , forged steel hollow throw LeMans crank , 330 degree cam and two 600 cfm Holleys On a factory 2x4bbl manifold , so I know what a FE engine is, as well !
I like the ‘middle yrs’ when they shrunk it down ( ’60 – ’66 & particularly the ’round bodies’ pre ’64) esp the “Falcon” or ThriftPower motors (not 144 but 170/2.8, 200/3.3, not oe but when installed the 250/4.1). U can keep the 255 or no, I guess it wuz 260 bent8 some of them were optioned with.
Thanks 4 da article/pic/post!
There is a collector in Sonora Mexico that has a lot of ’59s. He has every model with the exception of the wagons.
His Ranchero is immaculate.
He said he chased the car for 20 years. The owner died and left it to his son.
One day this guy asked the son if he would sell it. The son finally said yes because it was not running and he wanted it gone.
This guy bought it cheap and found it was a minor fix on the engine. He did drive it back to say thank you to the son.
The car is an off white with factory air which is indicated by an emblem on the top of the right side door.
Nothing has ever been put in the back of the car so the bed is perfect.
The car is all original just as it came out of the factory.
I like it better than either his Skyliner or thee Sunliner, both ’59s.