Projects Retractable Hard Top Fords - Are they losing their popularity?

A local restorer/collector has a 57, or did have. The story I was told.

#12 of 14 built as factory F code supercharged cars. The rear bumper had been rechromed and the front seat cushion replaced, both years ago. This one is probably worth something.

A local guy on another site was restoring one. The number of wires, relays, and limit switches on the top was a nightmare. He disappeared before any real results were posted.

 

Trouble with that car is that the actual potential buyers who would hand over 500 so fast it would make his head swim are a lot of miles away. You can bet that there are guys out there who need parts off it that would buy the whole car just to get those parts if they are good. Local guys only see a serous money pit that needs way too many all too hard to find parts.

 

No knowledge as it pertains to retractable hardtops (or anything else actually) but I did restore the retractable soft top on a 66 t-bird...OMG! Why did Ford have to make it that complicated? There was a mile and half of vacuum tubing, another mile of electrical wiring and a crate of actuators, relays, gizmos and levers...the Manhattan project was mere child's play in comparison.

 

Agreed, they look great as kustoms. With the talent we have in the islands that car would sell for $500 in a moment and be a running, working jewel in a year or two. 'Course if I bought it my wife would be pissed at me for bringing it home. lol

 

I have more than enough on my plate focusing only on cars that will fit on a 32 frame so I'm not a player on a retractable Ford parts car. I just thought someone might ask me how to find it and get some use out of the old heap. In my garage, I'm building a model A coupe and I have an assortment of motors waiting for attention in one way or another. A 392 Hemi, a 454, a Ford and a Mercury flathead and a V8 - 60 flathead, so I have enough to play with for quite a while.

 

My dad and I got a 57 retractable for free, the guy said you can have it if you haul it away. My dad wanted the rear end. When we loaded it, the guy said oh yeah there are parts in the garage so we filled the bed of the truck with all the parts and all the glass. The car body basically fell in half on the way home it was so rusty. Stripped of anything salvageable. Took a while but found someone who bought all the parts for $400. That was in 1992, over 30 years ago.

 

i believe it is the same setup. My only experience was with a 65 T Bird, and thankfully, it worked after sitting 20 years.

 

The desirable bits all seem to have been robbed already, leaving a rusty hull and not much else. The frame is unique to the retractable as is most of the sheet metal from the b pillar back. The top and mechanism is probably the only real salvageable retrac stuff left worth saving; the rest is good for guys needing hardtop doors or a convertible cowl.
And, despite being a lifelong dyed-in-the-wool Ford guy, I never felt much for retracs. Ford saddled themselves with a too-large car to build them on and the odd proportions never looked right at all.

 

Still has the rearend as previously mentioned, also has the trim around the rear window (Skyliner specific) and the B-pillar die cast moldings that say Skyliner (these are quite valuable if they're viable cores to rechrome) along with the windshield hoop and the stainless above the windshield which might interchange with convertible but is definitely different than any sedan and hardtop. Hard to say what switches or mechanisms might still be in there, plus it's still got some generic '58 Ford bits on it that would sell.

Wouldn't be hard to make a tidy profit parting this car out, with some effort added of course.

 

Hello,

In 1953, our dad had purchased a two toned 4 door Buick Sedan for his “family” car. Actually, he was the only driver, so it was his daily driver to work and play. By late 56, our mom wanted to drive, so she went to a driving school for a long time every day, to learn how to drive. Our dad would not touch that lesson plan for our mom. My brother had just gotten his 51 Oldsmobile Sedan and would not teach our mom to drive, either. I was not driving age as yet.

Then after learning from the driving school and driving around in a company, Ford Sedan, our mom was ready for her own car. Ha! The late 50’s and a woman having her own car was something. No one on the block or her friends had their own car, for errands and visits. But, our mom was determined.

When the fall of 57 was coming around, our whole family went car shopping. Our dad was going to give our mom his 53 Buick 4 door sedan. She did not want it. But, was getting used to driving it. When our dad came home with a new, two door 57 Buick Roadmaster, it was nice looking, but a big car. Our mom struggled, but never had to park it in the small two car garage. The brothers, including me without a license always put the big Buick in the garage parking spot. I was learning fast…


Jnaki

So, finally, our mom wanted her own car. Then, we all went to look at the local dealers nearby. She saw a (never been driven,) 1956 Buick Skylark Convertible and instantly wanted that car. Women and convertibles… what a combo. Then our dad went on a mild rampage telling stories about lack of safety and easily broken into with the canvas top, etc.etc. All things wrong with owning a convertible was the point.
similar
My brother and I sided with our mom and said it was a great looking car. We actually liked the Skylark Convertible because of the cool wheels. None of his driving friends had a convertible and would not get one due to the connotations connected with being a “woman’s car.” Ha!

So, I suggested we go across the street to the Ford Dealer and see the flip top hardtop convertible to solve the “easily broken into the canvas, excuse” for convertibles. Our dad was heading into a trap. My brother liked 57 Fords and wanted that weird flip top convertible, with the possible supercharger that was in the sedans and T-Bird.
Oldsmobile sedan in the small garage.
Needless to say, the trip was an eye-opener and we did not get the Ford flip top convertible, despite my brother and I telling our dad that it was like a sedan with the hardtop and lockable. But, his parental voice came out and said… it was a Ford. Ha!!! That was a surprise. Plus, his reasoning was that there was no where to park any car in a two car garage. Since the Oldsmobile Sedan/then the 58 Impala and his Buick took up the two spaces.
Buick with chrome Impala rear roof vent in the garage.
So, it ended up a great advantage for us. I was selected to teach our mom to drive the Impala and that she would share it with my brother. No car for me, yet. Two cars for a family of 4 with two parking spaces. The Ford flip top? Well, it was a funny looking style, but the designers did something no one else dared to do back then. A hardtop convertible.

These days, the idea has been modernized and there are a bunch of flip top, hard top convertibles from a lot of manufacturers. My wife has been “eyeing” several models for her final car… “women and convertibles…” still in the minds of So Cal drivers…

Just to keep reminding me of her choice for a possible future hardtop convertible, she took some cool Iphone photos of a pristine Ford flip tip convertible for my files. She and her sister were in “women in convertible heaven” when they saw this cool convertible.

For some, it is always popular…YRMV

 

I presently own a '57 black and white retractable, probably a # 2 or high #3 condition.
I have not had any trouble with the top, only replacing one limit switch.
Parts are difficult to find, a used replacement limit switch to replace the bad switch
was worse than the one on the car. I just rebuilt the one I had.
An amusing ( not at the time ) happening was at Cruisin The Coast at Biloxi, Miss.
We were careful to only put cargo in the tub when lowering the top.
This time the top was not lowered, but a suitcase was put in the space outside the tub.
When the deck lid was lowered, it wedged the suitcase handle. The motor to raise the
deck lid was not strong enough to raise the wedged lid. Out came the back seat,
but the wedged handle could not be reached. Plastic pry bars were borrowed from
a near by car. A pry bay was inserted on each side of the deck lid and pressure was
applied as the motor was activated. It worked, up came the lid.
I like the photos of the red and white '58 retractable Jnaki posted.
Maybe because my first new car was a red and white '58 Ford convertible ( not a retractable).
Ernie

 

my daughter has a 58 skyliner, complete, just sits in my backyard, doesn't want to sell but she has no time to work it

 

Oh man... a 59 retractable is my dream car!!!!
Would love for the prices to drop...

 

Really..... What would one be worth to you..that needs buffing out and a little TLC?(Truck Load of Cash) It's been gently used or as I like to say "Previously Loved"



I could even offer to deliver it to you... if you could cash a two party check for me from Zimbabwe.
For a small fee, I could even store it for you until your wife's birthday or for Christmas!

 

Good used parts get scarcer by the day, also the guys who knew them are no longer with us. I see a lot of restoration parts for them, wiring controls, cylinders, etc. I have always liked them, the first I saw as a kid was a '57 and I was around 8 at the time.

 

One of the few Fords I would happily own

 

This thread just reminded me that there is a 58 retractable sitting in a garage in my town. The owner recently passed and I am not sure what they are doing with it. It is actually parked next to a 56 Olds convertible too. Both cars are very amateur restorations, but might be for sale at some point.

 

One question I read was, does the top leak at the roof hinge.
My top does not leak when parked. It does leak at the windshield
header while driving down the road. Overall the tops seal
better than you would expect.
Ernie

 

Really makes you think how hard he is trying to sell it? does he have it advertise someplace? or is he just telling people that walks thru his yard and makes idle talk about it that really has no interest in it? I know guys that claims stuff is for sale when you talk to them but never seems to put any effort in it besides telling a few buddies or just the wife, it is for sale. Don't even make it to the front yard with a for sale sign on them. those same guys always have time to hang out at the tavern or watch a sporting event but have no time to let you go look at it even when you have cash in hand. later gator, too busy drinking with my buddies and that day never comes that they have time, but cry that no one wants to buy it!

I would think around here it would be gone if it was parked by the road with $500 on it.

 

This guy doesn't really care if anyone buys it or not. He just junks cars by the hundreds and is just giving an old Ford a break. Unless a buyer falls out of the sky and asks the guy if it for sale, It'll go for scrap in the next 60 days

 

Wished that would have showed up at our scrap yard.
I’d turn a bunch of students loose on it with cutoff wheels and a plasma cutter

 

Now that makes more sense than a retractable hardtop. The trunk on the T-bird is in proportion to the rest of the car.

 

I have never liked them. I think they are ungainly and out of proportion. I would rather have a regular convertible or hardtop

 

Cooler interior

 

Ford should of put all that money and engineering into building a 57-58 that didn't fall off its frame from rust a couple months after purchased..

They could of put more into the Ranchero that was a hit..

 

I must admit I don't love the cars styling either. And I'm a Ford guy.....

 

58s are polarizing to begin with but for $500 its worth it for the rear and fenders

 

Truck bed for an interesting custom truck?

 

After being reminded of the retractable in my town because of this thread, I contacted my buddy that is the step son of the owner that passed. Anyway, sounds like he is going to get both it and the 56 Olds convertible up and running and use them for what these old cars are meant for. So, that was good news.

 

That rear bumper I believe is retractable only as well, I don't remember exactly how they're different but I'm pretty sure they are, probably due to the different shape of the tail end of the car. Even as a core for re-plating, that could be pretty valuable. This thing really should get stripped of useful parts before it sees the crusher.