Art & Inspiration Forgotten Fords - Love for a '59 Custom 300?

There’s so many vehicles I thought were damned ugly when I was a kid, now I wish I had room (and $$) to buy them all.
Kinda like looking at your yearbooks from HS, “man, she really looked good”.

 

Friend’s family had a couple of 59s backi the 65-66 time period. One, a 59 Rose and white 4 door with a big block and sagging rear springs was pretty ugly.

The other, a baby blue and white 292stick shift car I thought looked pretty sweet. Probably because of the lack of chrome and stainless trim. Unfortunately it had terminal cancer. The outer wheel housings, trunk drop off, and quarter were separated from the floor pan. It was destined to become a cylinder head diner for a well used, but solid 62 hardtop.

 

I always thought that the 59 front end looked a lot like what Buick had done in 58.

 

I'm not going to say you're wrong here without doing a little more research, but I know this. When my 59 got a Best Unrestored award at the All Ford picnic the Judge made a comment to me. He said and I quote, "Too bad you didn't get the Factory installed Deluxe tri color Hubcaps and Air Conditioning, that would make it an XL the rarest of them all" end quote. I didn't question him at the time because I just plain didn't care.

 

How many of you know you can have both a Fairlane 500 and a Galaxie in the same car? All stock emblems.

This photo was taken day one after coming off the trailer.

 

I have seen the tri-color wheel covers referred to as 'XL' covers....

 

A quick Google turned this up. Interesting.
Ford Galaxie | Classic Cars Wiki - Fandom
https://classiccars.fandom.com › wiki › Ford_Galaxie

1959 — 1959 saw the introduction of the Galaxie name in Ford's model lineup at mid-year. ... The 292 cu in (4.8 l) V8 was standard on the 500/XL.

 

And yet another reference to XL in 59.

 

I have seen these on an unrestored Retractable

 

Pist-n-broke, that is one beautiful car! It is a shame I am broke at this time in my life or I be on it like stink on a monkey!

 

Mine came up on eBay and the body was very clean, the only rust was on the front lower hood which I fixed. The floors, rockers, trunk were like new. It was born in San Jose and I found it in Colorado. I believe it may have been a police car at some point. The lower part was painted a metallic blue at some point. It had all sorts of extra wiring for lights under the hood and dash.

 

I have liked the 59 Ford ever since I can remember. My uncle had a convertible hardtop. Make great customs.

 

Crazy timing on this thread. A couple of weeks ago I found a '59 Ford custom 300 for sale locally. 6 cyl low mileage. I have no room but, great price. Saved the photos because every time I look at them I think mild custom. Rear tail lights made me wince until I saw the chrome bisecting the top and bottom on a Fairlane (I added a couple of lines to the picture). Have to admit I prefer the '57 but, with a Watson panel job, chrome steel wheels and Wide whites I'm almost a fan. Low and slow. @guthriesmith 's kids car has me wanting an Edsel grill and hood. Car has been for sale for over a month which shows the '59 is not a bucket list car for most.

 

Looks like a clean car! Knowing the price is right apparently, glad it is a long ways from me. YOU NEED IT!

 

My first car (high school) was a worn out '59 Custom. It was missing a parking light lens and when inspection time rolled around, I would lift one off a '59 Ford a few blocks away from where I lived. After inspection, I would take it back to it's donor car in the dead of night.

 

Some solid looking '59's out there for sure...Glad they are far away from me as mine is hungry for attention!

 

The 80s tv show Crime Story featured one

I guess it’s one reason I love these ugly finned beasts. The cars on the show were great

 

always had those referred to as "sunray" centers..

 

@anthony myrick , Thanks for sharing, that was excellent! These boats really floated down the streets!

 

Read the entire story in the link you provided. It clearly is referring to 1962 when talking about the XL, not 1959.

Also, there are a few errors in the text. Namely, the 390 two barrel didn’t replace the 352 in 1961. 1961 was the first year of the 390, available in four barrel hydraulic or solid lifter versions and four barrel carbs, with an optional 3-2 barrel dealer installed 401 hp version. The 4 barrel 352 was (temporarily) dropped in 1961

The 2 barrel 352 continued until 1964, when it was then replaced by a 250 hp four barrel version. The first 2 barrel 390 was made available in, I believe , 1967 when the 352 was finally dropped from the passenger car lines.

 

I don't know about the Y block goodness, but they are good solid cars begging for any v8 out of the ford catalog. My Ranchero has a 289. It's my fifth 59. They are harder to find now than they used to be

 

My dad had a '59 Ranch Wagon with a 292 and a 3-speed. It got totaled out in 1963. My brother dated a girl with a '59 4-door, 2 tone white over that metallic gray. Rusty but it had a cool factor.

 

My first car I owned was a '59 Ford. Had a 292 with a 3-on-the -tree. Added a 312 4-bl carb and intake, dual exhaust with cutouts, and traction bars. It would hold its own against 283 Chevys.

 

My father had a 1959 Custom 300 (here in Oz) which he bought as a used car. I am pretty sure that I was with him when he went to look at it and I think I was encouraging him to buy it. His previous car would have been a circa 1953 V8 Ford sedan so the Custom 300 would have looked a lot more modern to me ... It was grey and white, four door, two speed auto, 332. With Mum and five kids I guess they needed a big car. I remember him having to repair the two speed auto and the engine; he would do most of the work himself except for things he could not do, like getting a sleeve inserted into a cylinder by a machine shop. Once he had to get the torque converter welded by someone; I think that was on a small collar at the front or rear of the converter (a big, round almost pumpkin-shaped thing but without the ribs of a pumpkin). He would have the car up on ramps out in the open.

Once, he bought a Fairlane 500 (blue and white) for parts. That was 40 or so miles away and he towed the 500 home with his brother steering the 500. Where he had the 500 in the yard it was visible from a back street and some local hot rodder got the 9 inch diff out of it for free. The 500 was eventually cut up with an oxy torch and disposed of.

There are still two aluminium auto trans housings sitting there and a couple of very rusty 332 blocks as well. The Custom 300 was sold decadess ago after it had finally broken down again or was worn out. I have fond memories of it but they are tinged with the memory of him seeming to be fixing it too often.

Here in Oz they were referred to as the 'Tank' model Fairlane (whether they were actually a Fairlane or a Custom), I guess because of their size.

I remember once a local cop wanting to inspect the Custom for some reason. There was some rust in the rear left inner wheel well; Dad cut the same area from the 500 and either riveted or welded it to the Custom.

Once or twice on a trip back from visiting relatives 50 miles away, on the return trip I might have got up to stretch out/rest on the parcel shelf.

 

the 59s, they had a roofline that didnt flow as well in my opinion, thats why not as many people adopted them, personally i enjoy the ones on the edsel ranger and 57-58 sedan fairlanes a lot more.
vs

 

making those white walls white instead of blue will make the car pop even when its covered in rust.


a wash, wheels and tires, and wheel covers, changes a car completely.

 

An exact model and color of my very first car in 69. Got caught speeding doing 80 in a 60mph zone at 16.
Judge wasn’t happy. Lost my license for three months. Wish I had it now.