Looks like a pretty decent '54 Ford car, but what's up with the truck license plate? Wait, there's something wrong with the roofline..... Oh, man, it's a '54 Ranchero! The double-walled box is built from flat steel and has no tailgate. The gas tank filler neck sticks too far out the back to allow the license plate holder to close over it. I think the tail lights are from a '59 Ford Galaxie. The builder appears to have no sense of style, and the workmanship, with the exception of the effort put into adapting the curved rear window, is relatively unremarkable. The cab, except for the bucket seats and back wall, is unchanged from its original conformation as a '54 Ford Crestline fordor sedan. The bucket seats are less than comfortable because they are so much lower to the floor than the original bench seat. The drivetrain retains the original 239 V8, Ford's initial Y-block, and the Fordomatic transmission.
Necessity is the mother of invention;some mothers can't understand that. That converstion did what Henry wasn't bright enough to do in this country till '57. I magine how many Utes he could have sold. I was blessed to be poor enough to appreciate this at one time. Maybe this economic downturn can educate others.
Its called necessity . who cares how ugly it is as long as it served its purpose. I see a lot of shit being built just as crude but for no reason. I give the guy credit for utilizing what he had to accomplish the task he was faced with, wether it be farm work or any other type of hauling. as for style, who gives a shit as long as the job gets done.
You'd be surprised how many things like that you can find if you hit junkyards, I've probably seen dozens of cars turned into trucks over the years. Some well done, others only well enough to serve their purpose, and at least one that was done by people who needed to stick to playing with Hot Wheels cars. The actual craftsmanship in that car doesn't look bad. The guy who built it obviously was only concerned with function, though. My guess on the low seats is the driver was tall. When there's no room to move the seat back, if you move it down, then you add some legroom by making it easier to sit with your knees bent. Now what the heck is that big flat back window cut out of? It has to be older than '54 I would think.
What you get when you have one 54 Ford that was hit in the back and work in a sheet metal shop. As Rustynewyorker said these conversions were pretty common back when. And the majority of them were not too attractive but they served a purpose for the owner and usually were cheap to put together.
That rear window actually is quite an accomplishment, because it's curved rather than flat. Initially, I thought a windshield had been grafted in to serve as a rear window, but it's probably a rear window out of something, perhaps the Crestline's original window. I saw several of these home conversions while growing up in rural West Texas back in the '50s and '60s. The process often was done to provide a new degree of utility to cars that had been wrecked or rusted out.
I snapped the picture of this one while cruising the back roads of S.E.Mo., like was said sometimes a truck is way more useful than a car.
here's my old one,,,,made from a crown vic...59 ford rear window,,,, pearl white with red flake roof,,,,,it was a great looking truck in my opinion,,,,kinda miss it sometimes..
Kustom7777 - that's a bang-up job on your early version of a ranchero. You opted to give it some style - most just go with the flat back window, which makes the thing look like exactly what it is. Yours is beautifully done....any idea where it is now? dj
i cant take credit for actually putting it together,,,it was in primer when i bought it,,,thats how it looked when i was finished with it,,,,sold it to some guy from VA through ebay about three years ago.,,,,had it listed here in the classifieds,,but no takers,,,,,,,,,
They made them in Oz ..... called a Ute. Front end looks like the American fords. Cooler than hell in the mid 50's fords. I just about bought a 53 Ute a few months ago. Doug
This is a very cool looking conversion, I just wouldn't have had the courage to cut up a Clown Victoria. Very cool..................... CRUISER
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