Something else that gets my goat is the early Birds sold with "factory air conditioning". Ford did not put air on the early Birds, though many have had aftermarket kits installed. I understand the need for air conditioning in them, they are hot in the summer with the mufflers right under the passenger compartment and the transmission mounted so high in the tunnel.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Dealer option wires on the Early Birds were Kelsey/Hayes and 52 spoke, the reproductions that people put on their Early birds today are 55 spoke if I remember the numbers correctly. Finding the original K/H spokes is a tough thing to do and anyone with them knows what they are worth. A friend has a set that have been in storage since the '60's and I cannot get him to part with them.

312&85Bird

What?

Dealer option wires on the Early Birds were Kelsey/Hayes and 52 spoke, the reproductions that people put on their Early birds today are 55 spoke if I remember the numbers correctly. Finding the original K/H spokes is a tough thing to do and anyone with them knows what they are worth. A friend has a set that have been in storage since the '60's and I cannot get him to part with them.

312&85Bird

What?

I believe the 50s Chrysler spoke wheels were made by Kelsey Hayes. Did Mopar wheels fit FoMoCo hubs back then? If so, then maybe some Ford dealer who also owned a Chrysler dealership would schlep parts back & forth to please picky customers? Even the factories back then would bend over backwards to custom build what you wanted. When Henry (any-color-if-black) Ford started losing business to GM because they offered more/brighter colors, he eventually gave in.
The current practice of 'packaging' and limited model selection might make some options cheaper, but I REALLY hate having to buy several accessories I don't want merely to get the only one I do!

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

I posted the picture of the car for the wheels. Wire wheels were offered as a dealer installed option, but as far as Ford was concerned they were not a FoMoCo option, because of the liability. I can't see the point of restoring a mid-50s Ford and putting wheels on it that were not available untill 1962, in my view that not restoring it's modification.

I posted the picture of the car for the wheels. Wire wheels were offered as a dealer installed option, but as far as Ford was concerned they were not a FoMoCo option, because of the liability. I can't see the point of restoring a mid-50s Ford and putting wheels on it that were not available untill 1962, in my view that not restoring it's modification.

Found this picture. Has two screws. Chuck



Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

They did have screws at the corners of the panels on the Fairlanes. Mine interior is totally original and unmolested and all the door panels on my Town Sedan have them on the corners.
So I'm not the only one who felt the interior looked like it has issues.

~DJ~ AKA "Bleach"
1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan 30K original miles

Those wires look very much like TrueSpoke wheels from the seventies.

Don

The door panels do not look right and are the pleats in the seats supposed to run in that direction on a 56.

Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio