There’s still time. The colder months are approaching, but there’s still time for the right enthusiast to grab themselves a classic convertible to enjoy the top-down motoring experience. If that prospect sounds too tempting to resist, maybe this 1954 Ford Crestline Sunliner could be what you are looking for. It is a stunning three-owner classic that the current owner has treated to a complete restoration. He has recently had the engine and transmission rebuilt, which means that it could offer years of enjoyable motoring for its next owner. Located in Baldwin, New York, you will find the Sunliner listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $16,500, but this remains short of the reserve. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting this stunning Sunliner for us.
The owner of this Sunliner discusses its history, and it seems that it has led a pretty sheltered existence. He is its third owner, and it has been garage stored since new. This sort of life has allowed it to remain rust-free, which is always positive news in a classic of this age. He claims that he treated the car to a nut-and-bolt restoration in the late 1990s, but I am more inclined to class it as a refurbishment when I examine the supplied photos and information carefully. He uses the word “custom” in his description, which seems fair to me. The restoration included a fresh coat of paint, and that brings us to the first area where the owner has deviated from the car’s original specifications. The shade of Blue that he has used does not appear on any Ford color charts for the 1954 model year, but it looks like a 1955 color called Aquatone Blue. It shines beautifully, with no evidence of significant scratches or chips. The panels are as straight as an arrow, and the car remains rust-free. The White soft-top shows no signs of rips or other problems, but the lack of a rear window makes me wonder whether the owner has fitted a top with a zip-out window. The trim and chrome shine as impressively as the paint, while the Coker wide whitewall tires add the perfect finishing touch to the exterior.
One area where the buyer won’t be spending a dime is on this Sunliner’s interior. More than 20-years have passed since the owner performed his restoration, but it presents as if it were completed yesterday. The seats wear a combination of Blue and White vinyl, which complements the exterior color scheme. This theme continues onto the remaining upholstered surfaces, and there are no signs of any physical damage or stains. The painted surfaces are perfect, the gauge lenses are clear, and there is no wear on the wheel. Ford didn’t offer an abundance of factory options in 1954, but this car comes with a clock and an original pushbutton AM radio.
Lifting the hood potentially reveals the most significant change that the owner has made to this Ford. The 1954 model year marked the introduction of the Y-Block motors, with the venerable flathead V8 finally being placed out to pasture. The first offering in the Ford range was the 239ci unit that produced a peppy 130hp. In the case of this Sunliner, the Y-Block is bolted to a 3-speed automatic transmission. However, this car is a bit of a mystery machine. The owner makes no mention of an engine change in the text of his listing, but he does mention the figure of “312” in the Item Specifics section. Identifying the engine from the supplied photos is not that straightforward, but I can spot a few things that make me tend to believe that this is the larger motor. If so, it should offer a welcome performance boost. The owner has managed to accumulate about 5,000 miles since he treated the V8 to a rebuild. The transmission and torque converter received similar attention last year, and apart from the occasional drip of fluid from the speedo drive o-ring, there are no faults to report. The owner says that the Sunliner runs and drives exceptionally well while the transmission shifts smoothly. I have included a video at the bottom of this article. It provides a walk-around, as well as affording us a chance to hear the motor start and run. It sounds crisp and clean, with no signs of smoke or unwelcome noises.
Some people are hesitant when it comes to buying a turn-key classic. They feel that there will be people within the classic community who will feel that you aren’t a true enthusiast unless you have experienced the trials and tribulations that are an almost inevitable part of a project build. I don’t subscribe to that belief because everyone’s circumstances are different. There are times when undertaking a project is not a viable proposition, and that’s where cars like this one fit into the big picture. The next owner of this 1954 Sunliner can slip behind the wheel confidently, knowing that they will be driving a classic that is guaranteed to draw plenty of admiring looks and positive comments. When you consider its overall condition, it also holds the promise of years of enjoyable motoring. For those with more than a passing interest, I would expect that the bidding on this classic will need to go beyond $22,000 before the reserve is met. I also wouldn’t rule out seeing the bidding pass $30,000. With those thoughts in mind, this is an auction that could be worth watching closely.
Ford had some nice looking cars from ’49 through ’57 and this is certainly one of them. Nice, any way you look at it.
Adam there is a quick glimpse of the rear window laying open in the video.
My goodness this is one gorgeous machine. This car has some clean styling compared to the glitter boxes later in the decade.
If this car is as gorgeous as it appears it would be well bought at 20k imho.
That is one beautiful piece of machinery. Beats me why anybody would want to buy a 1954 Chev instead of this Ford.
I agree. Even when this style came out in 1952, it was more advanced than Chevys. They still had the late 40s pontoon fenders.
A gem. But, those of us who lusted after them are now in our 80’s, ten years from now most will be in the nursing home or dead. So, not a lot of upside for a non-numbers matching, wrong color, maybe wrong transmission, wonderful car in its day.
I’m 82 this coming Monday and I would love to have this beautiful convertible. Who cares, at this stage in life, whether it is a matching numbers car, wrong colour, gearbox etc. and I have always considered myself a purist after more than 43 years in the Vintage car movement. I would love it!!
Unless he installed a C4 transmission this is a 2speed FordOmatic trans they didn’t have a 3sp until the C6 came out for the big block motors followed by the C4 a year or so later
The 54 Cast iron Cruso-matic was for all intends was a two speed. In 58 the MX/FX 3 speed came out along with the FE engines. The old two speed could easily be converted into a three speed as it is basically the same transmission as the FX. So no the C4 and C6 were not the first Ford three speed automatic.
cruise o matic didnt come out till 1958 1951 to 1957 only ford o matic. you people must be young all of us 70 and 80 year old where there we know the real facts not stuff you find on google
ford in 1954 was a 3 speed chevy powerglide was a 2 speed in ford you could put shift in low than to drive to use as a 3 speed had many of them
Ford O Matic from 51-57 was a three speed transmission that started in second gear. Starting in 59 a new Ford O Matic 2 speed was introduced for Falcon .
cruise o matic didnt come out till 1958 1951 to 1957 only ford o matic. you people must be young all of us 70 and 80 year old where there we know the real facts not stuff you find on google
Right Al someone always keeps calling them 3 speeds they weren’t any more a 3sp than the Chevy PG i was there too
No Camaro Guy, the ford-o-matic was a three speed but in drive it only used second and third, to get first you had to shift it manually into first. it was basically the same as the later iron crus-o-matic that came out in 58 except for having a manual fist gear and no roller clutch it only had a manually controlled band for low gear. I rebuild several of these back 40 years ago when I did transmission’s for a living. If you put a FX planetary in it a valve body from a FX you had a FX fully three speed trans. I never did it but I am sure it would of worked
When I was young, my parents had a 1954 Ford Country squire station wagon with power steering, power brakes and power seat control, all very rare on a 54. It was a very nice car, was hard to see it go to scrap, but was beyond repair.
Very sharp car! A friend of my dad had a red one, possibly a year or two older, at my late parents’ 1955 wedding. I’ll try to post the pic if I can find it.