Anyone know make, model and year of this car ?

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

I don't know the dude in the picture I'm asking for a friend....Thanks ...Smokin'joe 

[RoadKill]

I'm thinking '52 ford. Any one else more familiar with early 50's FOMOCO want to chime in ?
Maybe a Crestline or a Victoria? I dunno ferd stuff too good.

[BF]

I'd say it's a 1952 Ford Customline, Mainline or a Crestline.

[sheets]

I vote '52. Crown Vic would have the Lincoln kit on the rear.

[John Schmidt]

Can't tell real good from the picture. If the tail light has a chrome embellishment around the center of the lens, it's a'54 Ford. Kinda looks like it by the fender chrome, the trunk handle, and what I can see of the left tail light.  The '52's were rather plain in those areas.

Wish he had a shot of the front. If the main cross piece in the grill has an open slot on either side of the center, it's a '54. Earlier models didn't have that, they were a solid piece/bar.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

I'm thinking '52 ford. Any one else more familiar with early 50's FOMOCO want to chime in ?
Maybe a Crestline or a Victoria? I dunno ferd stuff too good.

I vote '52. Crown Vic would have the Lincoln kit on the rear.

I vote '52. Crown Vic would have the Lincoln kit on the rear.

Thanks men ....I did a " Google " and y'all got it    Appears to be a 1952 Ford Meteor Customline.  That's what I'm going to tell my friend anyway 

[eric in md]

what kind of oil you run it that thing? 

[Davemn]

51 Ford Henway

[Fudd]

what kind of oil you run it that thing? 

Probably Sperm Whale oil, I'd imagine.

[Momz]

Has to be latter than a 53. (49 through 53s are called "shoebox fords")

My dad had a 54 tudor deluxe and a 55 crestline and the rear looks very similar. The 1954 and 55s were very similar.

[old2soon]

The 49 50 51 were what was called the shoe box series. The 52 53 54 had very similar body styles. The 54 saw fords first productin O H V v-8. That replaced the flathead v-8 in 54. 55 and 56 started the wrap around windshield and the dog leg in the driver and passenger compartment. The 56 had that deep dish steering wheel that was dubbed the crash wheel. And i am a G M guy!! RIDE SAFE.

[RoadKill]

Can't tell real good from the picture. If the tail light has a chrome embellishment around the center of the lens, it's a'54 Ford. Kinda looks like it by the fender chrome, the trunk handle, and what I can see of the left tail light.  The '52's were rather plain in those areas.

I'll agree. The trunk handle is the giveaway....that's why I was thinking higher end, like Victoria or something.   Looks like "fordomatic" below and right on deck lid.

[Fudd]

51 Ford Henway

WHAT'S A HENWAY??..................OH, I know.....3 to 5 lbs. for a healthy one.

[John Schmidt]

Has to be latter than a 53. (49 through 53s are called "shoebox fords")

My dad had a 54 tudor deluxe and a 55 crestline and the rear looks very similar. The 1954 and 55s were very similar.

Momz is right, it's definitely not a '52, the side chrome on the fender and the rear post doesn't match for one thing. The '52's were the first year for that particular body style, were the same general shape 52 through 54. Ford did a major change of body style in '55. The 1949-51 were the so-called shoebox style, we had two of them. Just look at the boxy body style and you'll see where they got the term "shoebox."

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Has to be latter than a 53. (49 through 53s are called "shoebox fords")

My dad had a 54 tudor deluxe and a 55 crestline and the rear looks very similar. The 1954 and 55s were very similar.

Momz is right, it's definitely not a '52, the side chrome on the fender and the rear post doesn't match for one thing. The '52's were the first year for that particular body style, were the same general shape 52 through 54. Ford did a major change of body style in '55. The 1949-51 were the so-called shoebox style, we had two of them. Just look at the boxy body style and you'll see where they got the term "shoebox."

Since I got the first hint of what to look for I've been wearin' Google out....52 -53-54 they all kinda look the same     I'll tell him its a 54 or 55 Ford Crestline 

[RoadKill]

Definitely not 55.   52-54....

[Serk]

what kind of oil you run it that thing? 

I don't think oil had been invented yet, so not sure what they used... Bacon grease maybe?

[Dogg]

It says custom line on the right side of the trunk lid.lol

[RoadKill]

It says custom line on the right side of the trunk lid.lol

That narrows it down to 54 with all the chrome on the backside (Best I can tell from tonight's research).    

[bassman]

M'be a peek at the licesnse plate for a clue as to year ?  I know it could be a 55 or later plate but m'be the plate was issued  new with this car when the picture was taken?  Only guessing around a little.....

[BigAl]

It definitely has car tires on it.

[Fudd]

It definitely has car tires on it.

By all means, don't get in it Al.  It's gonna be a ball of flames at the end of the road!

[R J]

52 Ford Custom 2 door Hardtop.

[R J]

Hey Joe, here is all of the models of Ford for like 52  to 56.

http://www.cadvision.com/blanchas/ID-Cars/FordModels3.html

I'd say a 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria after viewing this page above.

The chrome on the rear pillar makes me believe it is a Victoria, aka Hardtop.

[Thunderbolt]

We had one when I was a kid.  Could be 53 though, they were a little more rounded.

[Jess Tolbirt]

i had a 53 and a 54 when growing up, at first glance this looks like my old 53...or a stripped down version of my 54...

[olddog1946]

My vote would be a 53,,,but then I am a Chevy guy at heart...

[Hoser]

The Ford emblem tells me it is a 1954, the first year of that style emblem, It also is a crestline 4 door sedan, due to the extra chrome.  1953 had different tail lites, a different emblem, and a lever trunk latch instead  of a push button, 1954 was the first year for the ohv v8 272 cu instead of the flat head v8.  The 55 had the same ohv, and was the last year of the 6 volt electrical system. Also a comepletly different body style.  My dad had the 9 passenger station wagon 53.  My brother owned a 1952 during the same time. My uncle owned a 1954. (pink and white)    And then as now I was a Ford nut!    Hoser  

[da prez]

  I still have the origional Motors Manuals from this year. I have had a few people call me asking questions on the old cars and trucks. I am glad I did not get rid of these manuals.

                                          da prez

[Jess Tolbirt]

my 53 i think was a flat head and my 54 was a 292 Y block...

[Tim H]

To what year is anybody's guess, but from the reference photos linked it looks pretty dead on it's pretty dead on with the Mainline.  The body molding tipped it off for Crest/Custom/Mainline, but the small chrome accent at the front of the wheel looks like all Mainline to me.

If all else fails ask Jay Leno.

A small off-shoot that this thread got me thinking about.  When I was of age to drive, my Dad and I went shopping for a car.  Because of insurance costs I was realistic and didn't really want to pay for it until I needed it.  I lived on a farm, rode my bike to work at a horse farm, and bused to school.  We started looking for a car to restore when I was 15.  I didn't want to do a lot of heavy mechanical work.  Dad didn't have the know-how or the tools.  We started looking for a 53 Studebaker, which was his favorite car growing up.  I feel like my life would have taken a different path if I were to have found one.  There was no internet, so just the basic type of searching.

Along the path we found a '75 Mercedes 300D.  The owners had lots of trouble getting to car to stay running, but had replaced a lot of parts.  I offered them $500 and we towed the car home.  After parking it in the barn we started crawling around to see if we could find something obvious.  Tapped on the fuel tank under the trunk.  Hmm, it sounds empty.  Filled her up with some diesel and cranked her over.  Started up just like she returned home from a roadtrip.  No failure to start at any time from then on.  We needed to head to the nearest town to pick up a few things and took the Benz.  On the way home the engine died, lost power, and pulled into the driveway.  I didn't know the details of what happened at the time, but instincts told us to call for some more diesel.  Later on I picked up a '76 for parts ($250 for that car) and replaced the floater in the tank.  They must have bottomed out and the tank recovered, but the float did not.  It was an aluminum shaft with a floater in the middle that would rise and fall with the fillups.  The way it was dented it would only drop about 3/4 of the distance.

The owners of the car didn't realize they were traveling over the range of the tank.  I replaced the interior with the '76, which was in better shape, and gave her a $200 Macco so she could be back at her original Mustard Yellow.  I had a friend down the street that was a mechanic and had him take the parts of the '76 to fix the leaky turbo, and convert it back to the stock engine.  My cost was giving him the '76 for payment.  Freshman in college I sold the car for $1500 and moved up to an '84 Mercedes 300D which I drove for the next 13 years.  It turned out it was great for my budget.  I love the cars and how well they are built, but I always think that I would have hung on to the Studie no matter what shape would be in.

'53 Studebaker


'75 Mercedes 300D


'84 Mercedes 300D


Okay, back to the cool old picture...