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Cruising in a 1956 Ford Fairlane

3/29/2017

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By Bill Thorpe

In the early 1950s, Ford’s Crestliner was its luxury offering. But in 1956 the company surprised the public by replacing it with the Fairland in six different body styles in an effort to maintain Ford’s share of the marketplace. Chevrolet continued to press forward with exceptional cars, and Ford needed to stay competitive. 

Ford’s Crown Victoria Skyliner edition could be had with a tinted transparent acrylic glass roof and loads of stainless steel trim. There was also a convertible version known as the Sunliner. Two- and four-door versions all offered the trademark stainless steel Fairland stripe. Standard power option choices included an inline straight six (3.7 liter) or the V-8 (4.5 liter).

As a special more powerful engine option, a select few customers ordered their cars with the Thunderbird 4.8 liter, four-barrel carburetor, dual exhaust, 292-cubic-inch power train, which produced 193 horses. Seat belts were offered as a dealer option for the safety- minded buyer. A factory-installed air conditioner was made available starting with the 1955 models. Drum brakes were increased in size to 11 inches for better control when hard stopping was needed.

An Indiana Hoosier car enthusiast friend of mine from the Northside found this Thunderbird-equipped 1956 Fairlane here in central Indiana. His restoration efforts included replacing all the outside trim and badging, re-chroming the bumpers and replacing the wheels with more modern tire sizes. Minor upgrades to the interior on the dashboard trim and replacement of the radio were needed. The original paint had excessive “orange peel” and required wet sanding and professional buffing to bring it back to life. 
​
My good friend and his entire family have a true love of automotive history and can be frequently found participating in parades and vintage car shows. This time with his reborn Ford Fairlane.
Until next time, happy cruising!
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Cruisin’ in a VW Beetle

3/22/2017

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By Bill Thorpe

​The Volkswagen Beetle, known as the “people’s car,” is the longest running and most manufactured car of a single platform made in the auto industry. The two-door, four-passenger, rear-engine economy car was manufactured and marketed by the German automaker from 1938-2003.

Dentina Ward comes from a family of car enthusiasts and talked her mom out of selling off this 1960 VW so she could continue the tradition of attending car shows and cruise-ins here in Indiana. Her mom had the car rebuilt years ago and then changed the all-black color for something a little more pleasing to the eye. This 40-horsepower, four-speed stick shift has been a daily driver for many years for Dentina and her mom and can cruise up to 70 mph.

When her parents moved to South Carolina several years ago they didn’t have room for another classic car. Her mom drives a 1960 Thunderbird while dad enjoys a 1967 Charger. So Dentina has been taking care of the VW for eight years.

Her uncle is also a car guy and does several shows each season. They typically go to the Edward’s Drive-in shows on Father’s Day and the Halloween event. Another favorite is the all-VW show by the airport in Castleton.

Dentina mentioned that even though she’s always outnumbered by the number of males at these events, there’s no other place she’d rather be than in the company of car guys at a show or cruise-in.
Until next time, happy cruising! 
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