Hello This is my first post, but I have been reading this site for a while. I recently picked up a 1955 Ford Fairlane 2door Sedan. I have been trying to decipher the body code so I can order a headliner and have ran into an issue. My title and the physical description of the car all points to a 55 Fairlane but when looking at the body code it is a 70A. All the research I can find says that there wasn't a 70A Fairlane body style. The only reference I can find to the 70A is a 1955 Mercury Meteor Mainline. The body tag matches the title and does not look like it has been changed at any time. There doesn't seem to be any major body work done on the car to think that someone switched the car to Fairlane trim. Any Ideas?

Acording to Love Fords http://www.lovefords.org/tech/production/default.htm a 1955 70A is a Mainline Tudor Sedan.



A 70C is listed as a Fairlane 2-door Club Sedan.



Picture always help in these situations...

BOB

Thanks, I hadn't found that reference before. So I have a Mainline instead of a Fairlane. Besides the stainless/chrome trim and options, is there any other differences between the two? Were they on the same body? I ask because I was told it was a Fairlane and all the molding was removed, and given to me in parts. The car has had the door handles shaved, so I assumed they filled in the trim holes also.

My Ford manuals agrees with Bob’s info in that the 70A is indeed the Mainline Tudor sedan.  Having had a 1955 Mainline, I can tell you that it was deviod of most stainless trim including the external trim around the windows.  Looking inside the trunk area or inside the doors for evidence where the side moulding clip holes use to be but have been filled would be an indication that the car that was originally a Customline or Fairlane.  The basic body shells are the same though.  Verifying that the VIN or data plate is the original to the car would likely be in order as it’s not unusual for these plates to be moved from car to car.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Nice looking car, has a nice stance... based on your picture I would say it is a Mainline. Notice the absence of the stainless trim around the front and rear windows. If it was a Fairlane with the side trim filled it would still have the window trim (unless someone really wanted to make a Mainline out of a Fairlane by replacing all the window seals???).

BOB

I went and looked behind the door and rear quarter panels, no holes there. It's a Maineline, Thanks for the help.