It’s the eternal question faced by car enthusiasts; At what point does a classic reach the stage where it ceases to be a viable project and becomes a candidate to end its days as a parts car? The owner of this 1956 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria feels that time has come for this old girl, also floating the idea that it may be an ideal candidate for yard art. It undoubtedly looks sad, but has it reached the point of no return? The Crown Victoria is listed here on eBay in Mill Valley, California. Two bids have pushed the price to $2,650 in a No Reserve auction. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting this sad and sorry Ford.
Ford introduced the Fairlane to the waiting world in 1955 as a replacement for the Crestline. It marketed the car as its range-topping full-size model, initially offering five body styles before adding a sixth in 1956. Many enthusiasts believe the most desirable was the Crown Victoria Skyliner, and current market trends support that fact. Our feature car isn’t a Skyliner, but it is a Crown Victoria that would have turned heads with its color combination of Raven Black and Colonial White. Those days are far behind it, with the paint faded and worn and the panels sporting surface corrosion and penetrating rust. The listing suggests that what we see is the tip of the iceberg, with the seller indicating it is beyond being a viable restoration. Of course, that’s a matter of perspective because there are always potential buyers with a passion for a model that runs deep enough to throw caution to the wind. They will ignore the financial implications and tackle a restoration, regardless of the cost. If the frame hasn’t deteriorated, replacement steel to address any panel or floor rust is readily available and is surprisingly affordable. A complete floor pan retails for around $500, but so much hinges on the frame if this Crown Victoria is to take its rightful place on our roads. If considered purely as a donor, the glass is good, the stainless trim is excellent, and many chrome items may respond positively to a trip to the platers. If potential buyers already have a Crown Victoria project on the go, this car offers many of the parts required to see the project through to fruition.
Powering this Fairlane is the venerable 292ci Y-Block V8 that produced 202hp in its prime. The original owner left shifting duties to a three-speed Ford-O-Matic transmission, adding power steering to lighten the load behind the wheel. For a car from this era tipping the scales at 3,495lbs, its ability to cover the ¼ mile in 17.8 seconds was considered impressive. Today, it’s a very different story. The seller doesn’t indicate whether the engine runs, but I believe it probably doesn’t. The accumulated corrosion leaves me wondering whether it even turns. However, it is complete, and the new owner could “harvest” a wide selection of parts suitable for restoration.
This Crown Victoria is nothing if not consistent. Its interior appears complete and would have looked stunning in a combination of White vinyl and Black cloth. Once again, it’s pretty trashed. All the necessary parts are available to return it to its former glory, but the process wouldn’t be cheap. Potential buyers would need to budget at least $2,500 to achieve perfection, and when we consider the possible value of this classic, it is hard to justify the expense. However, there are plenty of salvageable parts, and any pieces the new owner doesn’t require could find their way onto an online auction site to recoup some of the original purchase price of this Crown Victoria.
So, project, parts car, or yard art? Those are the questions posed by this 1956 Fairlane Crown Victoria. The harsh reality is that even if restored to a high standard, it would struggle to achieve a value far beyond $20,000 in the current market. That suggests it isn’t financially viable unless the new owner has the necessary parts and tackles it as a DIY. If it were a Skyliner, the story would be very different. However, it isn’t, meaning its ultimate destiny is probably as a donor or a piece of modern art. Do you agree?
What a shame.Probably beyond realistic repair.
While it does need a lot of work, it doesn’t look any worse than some of the other cars we’ve been seeing lately…
Don’t junk it, restomod it! Since the
purists out there would say it’s too
far gone, that leaves the door open
for a guy or gal to take what’s left and
build it to suit them. In my case, a
late model 302 and a modern automatic transmission would power
it while most of the other stuff could
be done either by me or farmed out
to local repair shops whose work would make it good enough to be a
daily driver. How soon we’ve forgotten how the old car hobby really
got started–by guys and gals who
took dead hulks like this and brought
them back to life again.
It sure is a shame. This was probably the coolest Ford offered in ’56.Top of the line, I think. It cost a whopping $2802,( ironically what they are asking now) compared to a lowly Fairlane, at around $2grand. That was a hefty difference in 1956 and this car clearly set you apart from all the others. The glass top was not a favorable option, and I think these were much more popular.
In my usual demeanor, I say no hope for a car like this, parts maybe, although I think most is reproduced anyway. With only 2 bids,( one the seller, 2 the sellers significant other), there is just no interest. You’d help put the owner of some body shop into a bigger home, having this restored.
Drag car potential.
A tarted up 2 dr post. Pass. Give me a genuine pillarless hardtop
” but so much hinges on the frame if this Crown Victoria is to take its rightful place on our roads. If considered purely as a donor, the glass is good, the stainless trim is excellent, and many chrome items may respond positively to a trip to the platers. If potential buyers already have a Crown Victoria project on the go, this car offers many of the parts required to see the project through to fruition.”
That is one mouth full of a description !
I’m sure the seller knows its beyond hope. All the body panels are rotted and the rockers are completely gone , and I’m sure the floors are trashed. The rear moldings are held down with tape as the steel clips have rotted away . The trunk is popped open backwards, so its possible the hinge areas rotted away, and who knows how long the open trunk has been letting water inside the car ? plus something went bad enough on the car to have it parked (junked) for all these years – was it the motor or transmission ? It seems at one time it was looked on as some ones hot rod , with the tach on it , maybe it was beat on until something let go . If someone has one of these , its a perfect parts car , but this Ford isnt going to ever be on the road again except on a trailer
Point of clarification…steel does not rot. It rusts.
Either way, its junk
the tach is worth large bucks
My heart jumped and smiled at the prospect…..then I looked at the rust….Just like another heart throb, I’ve learned to stay away. Yet, I still yearn…if only they could self-heal and not want ooodles of money.
If you look closely at the pass side photos, the door skin was so rusty that it has been secured to the door frame with sheetmetal tabs and screws. That is extreme rust caused by setting outside in one spot and never being driven and aired out
If you look closely the car has a clutch pedal and a floor shift knob – would be a lot of work to restore – if the frame is solid I would make it a ratty driver hot rod.
Yes it needs a lot of work and a restoration is really not viable as a strait out restoration. However I do think it is a candidate for a resto-mod. As a resto-mod original parts ar not critical especially if you have a drive train for it. I’ve seen some resto-mods bring much higher than dollars than original restorations. A couple of years 2017 I saw a 56 resto-mod with a Lincoln Mark VIII interior go for more than 40K so to the right buyer this is a great starting point as long as the frame has integrity.
Not a kali car but orygone or wash is where it rusted away. With so many of the original parts and a 50’s tail car maybe worth the time.
The frame would have to be rusted away to not rescue this car. 351C 4 Barrel heads and you have a mover. And with the top loader already in it, add the 9 inch, sky the front and maybe a blower and it is fun, fun, fun.
Does anyone remember the Cars & Parts magazine project car, Miss Vicky? They restored a Skyliner over the course of a couple years. Great series…I read it as a kid and it was a good introduction into the restoration world.
Shame this is such a “wet” car…That motor is probably locked solid.
I followed that restoration and bought the resulting book, “The Resurrection of Vicky” I read that the car was raffled off to a subscriber. Considering how many people followed that restoration, I would love to see a project undertaken that would track down the winner of that car and then feature the car in an examination of how well various parts of the restoration such as welds and bondo work have held up since 1988. I have the names of the publishers and editors .I might try to look them up if they are still alive,
I followed the story and bought the book. The car was given away in a contest to a lucky winner in 1988. I wish a publication like Hemmings would track down the car and do a follow up article after all these years. I would like to see how bodywork and paint held up,
That’s a Crown Victoria! It will always be worth something. These are very fancy cars when restored properly.
I wonder if this is one of those cars that sat outside in the elements for decades with a “Not For Sale” sign posted on it . Have witnessed finds like this melting into the mud. There was once a salvage yard in Tulsa full of 50’s and 60’s cars. The business owner was mean and ran most people off until he became old and sick . By then the cars were very rusty and most had caved in tops from goats in the yard. At the auction most cars sold for crusher price. What a shame Over 700 cars.