ok i´m very pleased that this is coming my way as soon as i have the space...it has been knocking around various people but they´ve all been too scared to tackle it because of the bodywork rust...i went to see it and its nothing special.. the floor is shot, and the other usual places but nothing thats not fixable...apparantly the straight 6 is low on compression for 3 of the cylinders..is that tricky to fix?...i hear lowering is relatively easywith those modern ford springs up front and blocks out back...anyone ever done a channeling..as the floor needs redoing could be an opportunity for a bit of subtle channeling?? used to belong to a nunnery !..used up until the 80´s open to suggestions...the green with white is a great combo i think...all the doors , and trim is there and chrome is pretty good
They're pretty straightforward cars. Other than the usual rust that's visible, look below the headlights and at the underbody supports and particularly the front crossmember. The latter is known for rusting out even when nothing else does. If that's a 6/overdrive car, running well it will give great fuel economy and spritely performance. Look for a blown headgasket on the low compression if the three low cylinders are next to each other. The vacuum wipers suck on long hills, and the bearings on the steering box worm gear go bad. Wagons dressed in Fairlane trim are a bit rare, most were Mainlines or Customlines. I don't recall any '56 Fords getting channeled, but a lot got sectioned....
It is a big plus not needing to chase trim parts, etc. Wagons are a icon of a long gone era in American autos. Most of us older guys spent many hours in the back seat of our parents wagon. Leave it stock appearing and update the chassis/suspension and drivetrain. But it is your dream.
ahh he said it was the front 3 cylinders.. i hope its just a gasket problem, that would be great !!..i even think hes got a gasket set