Being a fan of two-door wagons, I got pretty excited when I ran across this 1952 Ford Mainline Ranch Wagon. The seller says that it’s basically original right down to the paint, at least as far as things other than regular maintenance items. They have it posted here on craigslist in the Roseville, California area and they’re asking $6,700 or serious offers. Let’s check it out.
There’s something about an early-50s two-door Ranch Wagon for me, maybe because I have had some hardcover “Ford Times” books for decades now and they’re from this era. They show these cars when they were new and people actually used them as wagons, remember that era when people used their vehicles as they were intended? They camped with them, hauled things in the back, etc. You can see what appears to be some rust here on the rockers but the seller says that the rockers are solid and the only rust is in the floors.
The photos were really small in the craigslist ad so my apologies that they’re so pixelated here. It’s hard to tell what’s going on with the rocker panels but as I mentioned, the seller says that they’re ok, rust-wise. Our friend, The Wonder From Down Under: Adam Clarke, wrote about a nicely-patined 1955 Ford Country Squire wagon recently here and this two-door Mainline Ranch Wagon looks a bit rougher than that one did. The Ford Mainline was the base model in 1952 and the Ranch Wagon was the two-door version of the wagon. The following year saw the Ranch Wagon add another level of trim in the Customline models, named the Custom Ranch Wagon.
The interior photos are few but from what is shown, it looks pretty good other than the rusty floors that the seller mentions. There’s no fancy padded dash here, just real steel from the era when people had thicker skulls, or at least died in greater numbers in head-on collisions. We don’t see the front seat but the back seat looks pretty good, sort of. This car has a three-speed manual with a column shifter but a four-speed was available as was a Borg-Warner-designed Ford-O-Matic three-speed automatic. We saw a much nicer, instantly-usable ’52 Ranch Wagon a couple of years ago here.
The seller says that this car hasn’t been registered in 25 years and hasn’t been used in two years, or they say that it ran and drove two years ago. The engine should be Ford’s 239 cubic-inch flathead V8 with 110 hp and 194 ft-lb of torque. Yes, they have the original air cleaner. Hopefully, this one gets saved and restored in some fashion. How would you bring it back?
What a nice car to have. A v8 2door 50’s wagon.
Makes me wish I had children so I could haul them around in this. Well, not really…
I’d love to have it, fix the floors and drive it
I would like to know more about the four speed transmission that was offered at this time even though it was not on this car. Some one in the past has installed later model tail lights. Anyone else catch that? As for the car, just another one I would love to put in my garage.
They are 53 taillights.
Probably the 3 speed with overdrive.
Cool car to Betty boop around in. Car has been 4-sale for a few years. I would of thought it would have sold by now. Somethings not right?
Ford didn’t offer a 4 speed until years later. 3 speed with overdrive, yes.
I would restore this one. Unfortunately, my wife would have a much different idea simply because it’s a wagon. Strangely enough, if it was a panel delivery she would be all over it. I like both versions personally…
Fix floor, done. Or… does this car “deserve” a full restoration?
This was Moms first wagon, grew up in norcal too so has me wondering….my older brother thinks ours was an automatic, though. They had to trade it for a ’54 4 door sedan wagon with 3rd row seat after they brought me home, the 5th out of 6 kids.
A four speed was never offered, unless you mean overdrive.
Neat car. I hope someone saves it.
My parents owned a 1956 base Ranch Wagon three speed with Thunderbird V-8 engine, not even a radio. Nicely trimmed out with ranch brand vinyl upholstery and black rubber floor mats. I learned to drive in it and passed the test in 1960. That was a very nice car to drive, plenty of power for western Pennsylvania hills and snowy roads in winter. It was in the family until 1963 when it was traded for a 1963 Corvair Monza,
CL update: the seller has lowered the price to $4,970.