History "Lavender Blue" - What's Her Story?

Had the priveledge of meeting the owner of "Lavender Blue", a 50 Ford customized back in or around 1959 (according to the owner).

He believes the car was originally in New York state (he's originally from Long Island), but is not completely sure. The car was found in its present state several years ago, backed up to a tree, with the original interior and trim IN THE TRUNK! I'm sure that's why it's in such good shape.

Does anyone (cough, Rikster, cough) have any information on the accurate history of the car? Let me know and I'll try to get it to the owner.

 

Really great.

 

Nice lookin' piece of history...

 

aesthetically very pleasing...

 

A sweet "Time Machine" to return one to the fabulous fifties!

 

Maybe it was recently built and is all fake patina.

 

^^^Don't think so! It would take WAAAAAY too much effort to recreate this aging. I've talked to a couple people since and this car is legit! Just trying to track down some history for the owner!

I did find out it sat in a field in NC for almost 20 years before it was purchased and resold to the present owner.

Anyone with more info?

 

how 'bout a bump for the evening crowd?

 

Way too cool!

 

That black shit on the quarters comes from sitting under a tree. It can be scrubbed off with care, I'd go easy on the lettering.

 

I asked my Dad about it who was in Long Island,NY at the time this car would have been built. My dad was also in a Ford/ Merc club out in Long Island NY for a while, while also being in a club called Vintage Tin.It is a survivor car. The owner also built a 70's show car called the " Wine Peddler". It is currently being restored to show quality condition. The shoebox was at least around in the early 80's if not before from what I could gather. The owner was a member of the Long Island Hot Rod Association. Owner currently lives in N.C. The owner is tied in with the Grucci family who makes fire works. I did get to speak to him for a while at the show.

Hope fully someone will chime in and straighten out my facts and hopefully add to them.

 

not fake! REAL DEAL AND WAS TOO COOL!

 

Very cool!

 

Cool car but why not wash it and clean the interior with a mild soap?

 

Paul, thanks for the input. Respectfully, though, I am not the owner, nor was I requesting restoration/preservation advice. I'm merely trying to assist the owner to uncover some of the car's history!

If it were mine, I would be asking all kinds of advice on cleaning and preserving the finish as-is!

 

Brett i know i ment the owner

 

All is cool, Paul! Thanks for the chime-in, though!

 

First let me start by saying that the car may have been built as a custom in '59 but the current version sure looks like something that was done in the late 70's to early 80's. It's hard to tell from the pictures but it appears that most of the dash plaques are from the 80's which may also be a clue to the history. If the car was built at that time, that's roughly 25 to 30 years ago which is plenty of time to acquire the patina it has now if it has been sitting outside unprotected. Either way its a cool little ford!


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I think so too. Those taillights are the giveaway. In 1959 they would have used some crazy big taillights from a newer car, rather than frenching in the stock rings and lenses. Those frenching cans are ala' 1985.

 

That, and the lettering style seem to be from a later era.

 

Thanks, guys! Whatever the era, I just want to get it right!

Any other information out there? Someone's got to have the scoop on this one....

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I've been reading car magazines since the mid-50's and this car REALLY looks familiar. Back in the '50s it became very popular to name your car after a current song, and the lettering style looks like it came right outa the '50's.

Lavender Blue was an old song that had been covered many times before, but Sammy Turner cranked out a hit version of this song in a '50's R&B style, the year - 1959.

My guess is that this car was indeed built in the late 50's, was still picking up dash plaques at shows into the 80's, then got parked under the tree to deteriorate to it's present condition. And, as far as the taillights go, it was Detroit that was making wild and wacky taillights in '59, the customizers for the most part stayed with what had worked well in the past, frenched stock headlights and taillights.

Here's a link to the song I believe the car was named for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRKM0mLKJDE

 

My thoughts as well, and post #11 seems to confirm that. Time will tell i guess...

 

Yup, the lettering and pinstriping style scream late seventies/early eighties to me.

 

Pop a bit of that flakey paint off one of the customized areas, and see what's underneath. If it's lead, there's a good chance it is old work. If it's black plastic filler (Blackjack) then it's probably old work. If it's pink plastic it might be kinda-old work, but probably not 1959. If it's blue or green or tan plastic it's probably fairly new.

 

I remember it from the late 70's/early 80's, it was at every Nassau Coliseum and mall show for a few years. There was another car with or near it all the time called Crystal Blue Persuasion, they both had lots of mirrors and lights and played either Lavender Blue Or Crystal Blue Persuasion all day long.

 

Damn it went from mirrors and lights to living under a tree! It's amazing how cars go from pampered to neglected. It sure would be neat to see a pic of it in it's heyday. I was pretty intrigued by it at SIM.

 

Or look at the welds inside. If you see sloppy wire from a MIG poking through, it ain't old stuff.

 

Check post #97 in this HAMB thread:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=146459&page=5

Looks like the same car to me!

 

I love the paint!!!!!