Customs So..... I bought a fresh 53 Vicky that I need to make my own....

I have lusted after a 53 Vicky for decades. I recently ran into a couple of them on a recent trip to Oz.... which got the love affair started again. When I returned I did a quick search and found a car on the auction site, a deal too good to be true. It was an impulse buy and I pushed the button and had the car delivered. I was very pleased... much better than expected!





It is a straight rust free Arizona car that had the full body off rotisserie treatment. Every nuts and bolt replaced, all new rubber, chrome, etc. The flattie was rebuilt and balanced ... all new inside. The tranny, steering, rear end all gone through. Edelbrock heads and Fenton headers. Run, drives, and sounds awesome. Only 3 miles on the clock after rebuild. Got a screaming deal... less than half of what the previous owner had invested in new parts and a paint job.

Now I need to make it my own. I ordered the Aerostar front springs for the 3 inch drop. 3 inch drop blocks for the rear. Remove the bumper guards perhaps if the chrome didn't get screwed up on the bumpers.

The interior is not done. An attempt was to do it in gray leather. The front seat was done. Everything else needs to be finished. I'm going to dump the gray and do red/white factory pattern. Also, I would really like to add some wide whites and perhaps paint the top white, but I need to slow down on the outgoing cash for the moment.......

Comments/ideas welcomed !

 

I see a pair of olds tail light lenses in your future. I love these "spaceship" fords and would like to find a nice 54 for myself.
I'd have to do an altitude adjustment if it was mine. I believe the 52-53s use the same front suspension as a shubox ford and I dropped mine down by flipping the spindle supports. I used 3" blocks in the back. Both operations take a little work to accomplish but it was worth it IMHO.
I'd have to turn the hokey whitewalls inside if it was mine and I'd keep the chrome wheels but put a set of center caps on them. I'd keep it all red if it was mine. The thought of red and white paint, white interior and whitewalls is just a little too Christmasy for me. I'd feel good about a white tuck and roll interior but no other white on the car.
I'd keep the flathead and overdrive as long as it doesn't crack the block but I'd need a sweet pair of glasspacs out the back. The included photo is just to show how low the flipped spindles and 1 loop cut off the springs will get you.
The rear lowering blocks weren't in place when this photo was shot.

 

I'm a fan of the 2 tone. For me it would not be a true White top but a cream white. I think the factory color was called Wimbeldon White. Most of the 53 Vicky's were factory Automatic. I see yours is stick shift. Well done and congrats. By all means loosing the 4X4 stance will be a big improvement. As I remember 53 was a ball joint car so flipping the up rights isn't going to do it. Your on the right track with the Arowstar springs.
The Wizzard

 

VERY NICE,,,,but I would get rid of that 2 yards of plastic oil line,,,

 

Nice,just drive and smile.

 

Great find. Definitely some Olds tail light lens, every 52/54 Ford I owned got a set of those. Simple bolt on to the stock housings. Hope you got the Victoria side trim off the door tops, those are hard to find. Not feeling a white top myself but not my car.

 

What a sweetheart that car is.
I agree with the two tone and black walls. Match the same cream color into the interior. Not much to do really. Quite a car as is.


..

 

Drive it for a while and think about it, the right combination will come to you. It is a very nice start of a cool ride.

 

Im not sure of a 52 but 53's use King Pins, and I cant find a mustang II conversion kit. they skip the 53. also I believe astro van front springs will drop it about 3 inches

 

lanny is right 53 was king pin.also what metalman said about door trim

 

what a stunner, I love it all red as well. But make yourself happy and make it yours. I dig the WW addition, hope you don't get to crazy with the exterior as it is spot on gorgeous. Love 56 Olds taillights on these, it already has the greatest factory grill ever. Congrats on a super sweet score.

 

I'd do a white top for sure, lower it with the parts you ordered. I'd be putting full wheel covers on it, very slight nose forward rake (Cal rake) but I think the chrome wheels would look just as good with some era correct rubber. Radials always kill it for me, but that's just me. Olds tail light lenses for sure, and yes put a tastefull two tone interior in it and you will have a great car. I love my 53 and it's no where as nice as yours

 

Pretty car. I like the white/cream top look, also.
When I was a kid, I fell in love with a baby blue version of your car in the neighborhood. It had skirts, sat low, had a continental kit, and sounded great. If I had your car......

 

I like your lowering plans and bumper guard removal, and I think it would look nice with a cream colored top although the red doesn't look bad at all to me as-is, and I'm on board for the '56 Olds 88 tail lenses (that's what my '52 has) and wide whites like you said. I've made so many sets of wide whites with snow seal, if you're on a tight budget you could do that with these tires, but if you want to save up for some real bias tires, I might turn these around blackwall-out and sand off all the modern lettering from the black sidewalls with an 80 grit DA disk. Maybe even a less obtrusive piece of trim could replace the hood ornament, like a little blade/fin that some cars used on the edge of the front fenders, put it in place of the hood ornament like a bullnose basically.

I really do like the car though and I think you're right on track with your ideas so far.

 

I have an NOS 52-54 bullnose...my car has been shaved so I have no use for it

 

Really a great looking car. A few personal changes to make yours and drive it! Congrats on your find!

 

The 53 has the king pins... Is there a big advantage of flipping the up rights vs the Aerostar springs ? I already have the new springs and shocks.

He previous own ran a temp oil pressure gauge in the engine compartment. Has great oil pressure as compared to my other flatties...... The engine sounds awesome.... it should for the $5k he had in it

Yes, got all the parts for the car. A book of receipts for every part purchased. The original bill of sale and owners manual. The car had 98k on the clock when he bought it.

 

I would really like to buy the wide whites, but that is money I really don't have now. The tires on the car are new. I'll flip the black walls out for now. Looking at full wheel covers from another 50's car. Lots of cool stuff to pick from at the upcoming swap meets. For now, I will stick with the red top. I know all Vickys came two tone except for one color (which I can't remember). This car was originally light blue with a ivory top.

 

Looking at this car some more, can't believe how super clean it is. Nothing was spared... way more than I would have done. Here are some shots from the underside....




I think I stole this car and I don't understand why he had such a hard time selling it. The auction was listed several times before I pushed the 'buy it now' button. Sure, it needs an interior and the final touches to finish it off, but 99% of the hard work is done. It's no secret what I paid, you can see it in the completed auctions for $15k. For me it had all the right stuff or I would not have bought it... Arizona car, rebuilt flattie with speed goodies, and manual tranny..... Plus a color that I can tolerate.

 

ya done very good

 

That, my friend, was the deal of the century! I need another car like a chapped ass, but I think I would have pulled the trigger on that car at that price.

 

Some photos I got from the build. Buying 'sight unseen' is always a nervous deal, but when you see a boat load of photos of the build, you can buy with confidence ......

 

So clean! Buyers at $15K are looking at finished cars and probably got scared away by the interior and maybe that missing trim makes it look unfinished, that looks like a hell of a deal you got on it and what it needs is pretty minor in the grand scheme.

 

You did right by letting someone do all the work and pay out for it, then swoop in and buy it. Those cars done are not worth a lot, you can get upside down really quick, which I am sure is exactly what happened to the guy you got it from.

 

Holy shit is that thing nice underneath! Are all of those floor braces original? Don't know if I've ever seen one with such nice floors and inner rockers before. Seems like even more of a bargain now.

Why do I even fuck around with rusty shit?

 

Exactly. I realize that this car will probably never be worth more than $22k done. The previous owner had well over $30k into it and drove it 3 miles. I normally build my own cars.... but I could not build it to this level for what I paid. I bought it to drive, enjoy, and keep for a while. I didn't do it to flip it..... not much of an upside to that with this car even tough I think it is THE the nicest looking 50's Ford !!

 

Yep..... very little rust in the car. Some minor floor rust. He replaced the drivers side rocker. The rest is all original..... including the floor braces ! I have owned several Arizona cars. In my opinion, the best place on earth to by an old car. I probably would not have bought it otherwise.

 

x2

 

Solid.