Fairlane Victoria vs. Crown Victoria

I am looking at a car listed as 1955 Ford Fairlane Victoria... trouble is I don't really know tri-5 Fords that well...

What are the major differences are between a Crown Victoria and a Victoria..

My gut is that it is sort of like the Belaire package, but I am not certain...

I also am guessing that one is more desirable than the other... would love some HAMB wisdom.

 

This is a Crown Vic. Same car just more chrome on the top. Desirability is a matter of personal taste, however the Crowns do comand a little higher price.

 

YO
The Crowns also have the same windshield as the '56 cars. It is as if they were chopped, so they are much lower than a stock '55.
Da Flash

 

55 vic is a high roof car with no halo band (teara) crown vics in 55 are low roof with teara (crown).

 

How about the glass sunroof, is that an option or part of the Crown Vic package? I like the look of the halo band, but never thought much of sunroofs on any car.

 

Ah this is some helpful stuff... I am seriously thinking about the turquoise one in the photo, and was trying to nail down a value for it... helps to know the differences in what they are so I can know what I am getting into...

 

Would they have come stock with coil springs in the rear in 55 this one has coils and discs all the way around. It has a 302 and aC4 but my guess is that it would have come stock with rear leaf springs... probably an easy answer...

But did they come stock with coil springs in the rear?

 

55-56 vics are low roofs same as the crown but without the tiara

 

Leaf springs in the '55 Ford...

 

Coil in front and leaf in the rear. I'm not sure what year they went to coils on the rear but I think it was mid 60's

I've no idea of the value of those cars but have always liked the looks of them better than the tri 5 Chevies.

 

The only thing I know about 55-56 Fords is the fact that the front crossmembers rot out of them. Check that area out on ones you are thinking about buying.

 

As others have said, leaf springs in rear, coils in front.
Drum brakes were original and the auto would have been Fordamatic. The engine options would have been 272,292, 6 cyl, and 312.

the car you are looking at has been modifed. Look for how modifications were made. the 302 and C-4 are better upgrades as are the disc brakes and 4 corner coils, asuming whomever made the mods knew what they were doing.

 

disc is a conversion, usually ltd in front, easy conversion and the rear is prob a lincoln mid 80's unit. which were coil in the rear, y block or six would've been the flavor of engine originally. oh Howdy preacher!!! been awhile. having a baby boy due feb 20th!

 

For sure I will pay close attention to all that... My gut is that whoever did the mods must have had a good reason to swap out the rear to coils and even if only to get it lower, this one has a really great stance. Great tip on "rot" in the front cross member, I never would have imagined that (on a Chevy that part is bomber tough)

 

Slider congrats on the kid! AWESOME news... bout time!

 

Yeah, the more I look at this one the more they are growing on me... I have looked past a ton of them on my way to looking at Chevy's....

But all of a sudden, I don't know if it is because I see more fords where i am or what... Maybe it's knowing that the Fed's own GM now, but I am starting to really like these cars.

 

The front crossmembers had enough holes in them that they collected dirt and moisture. Try to find a car from a dry climate. New crossmembers are avaiable. The cheap and easy front upgrade is Granada spindles and discs.

 

55 Fords were 6 Volt. Ford switched to 12 volt in 56

 

The Fairlane Vic is a hard top and the Crown Vic is not. The side trim on the Crown Vic Wrapped over the top like a targa band on a Porsche. Some Crown Vics but not all had a Plexi sun roof in front of the trim piece. The sun roof was an option.

My personal taste leans towards the Fairlane Vic. Our first drag car was a '55 Fairlane Vic. I sure wish racin' was still like it was when we had that car.

 

Rear coils appeared on '65-up Full-size...

'55-6 Crown Vics were available solid-roofed...glass was an option...

 

Nice looking car, I like the hardtop. Make sure you use a screwdriver to pry out the silicon and undercoating on the crossmember like this one. It will either be rusted out or repaired because the factory didn't put drain holes in the bottom.

 

some of the the crown vics had glass tops in the front not plexi as was posted

i was looking for a 56 when i found my 57

 

The plexi option was the Skyliner and the Merc version was the Sun Valley hdt.54-56 model years

 

Always loved the '55-56 Ford hardtops. Some of the cleanest lines from the mid 50s.

I gotta say, one thing that drives me NUTS on those cars is the headlight buckets being painted one color on the two-tone cars. I just couldn't have one with an ugly, glaring headlight bucket that doesn't match the inside fenders and hood.

 

That's funny, but oh so true.

 

Thanks for that photo of the cross member it really helps to give me and idea of what I am looking for...

 

any Hamb user Ford Victoria user groups?

 

No, it was not glass. ALL 54-56 Fords and Mercury's that had the 'glass' top were a form of plastic type plexi, none were made out of glass.

 

Preacher,
Here is our corner of HAMB http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=332

Don't let a crossmember problem be a deal breaker. Just keep it in mind in negotiations.

 

The Plexiglas front roof section was an option on both the VICTORIA and CROWN VICTORIA.

Shown is a 56 CROWN VICTORIA, A 56 CROWN VICTORIA SKYLINER (w/ Plexiglas front roof) and an interior roof shot of a 55 CROWN.

While the CROWN is technically a sedan (B-Pilar), it retains the HDTP door and frame-less door glass.

PMS or BTW-

The No.1 x-member is reproduced and readily available.