Grizzly (2/9/2011)
I'll add to the number. I've had mine about 15 years. It's been off the road for a while but a lots happened personally in that time. It's getting the attention it deserves and will be back on the road this year.
I.
The louts of the 60's liked the Mainlines and Customlines to "make out" and for performance as there weren't a lot of V8's about. No self respecting father would let thier daughter go out with a boy with a "Cusso"
. Between the tradesmen, farmers and louts the attrition rate was reasonably high.
The aussie mainline ute was termed this as it was formed from the 55/56 US Mainline sedans, no screen chrome trim, plain upholstery,no interior light door switches, no interior sunvisors, a real plain jane basic vehicle, then ford Aust carried it on and the cars till 58/59. All were 3 speed manual trans with 4.09 rear end and 16" wheels but there was a limited amount of fordamatic auto trans utes in 58/9 run, they had 3.54? rear end and had the oval hole in trans tunnel for band adjustment compared to manual trans floors without it. In my time i,ve noticed QLD a northern state and big farming area seemed to have the most, due as warren said to being a work truck, when the farmers crops came in each year they would just leave the old ute in the shed or yard and update their equipment. I had US mate that had 55 mainline ute and lic plates read "55 ute m8". regards bill.