56 Customline Police Interceptor

[Farm Finds]

I just came across a barn full of 50’s-early 70’ Fords. All were pickups, except for this one 56 Customline Police Interceptor. The owners is not interested in selling at this time (and I’m not looking at buying), but I’m curious about these cars. I would assume they are fairly rare.

Does anyone have experience with these old police cars? I’ll be publishing a video on his collection next week, but I found this cruiser especially intriguing.

[56sedandelivery]

So gonna keep them till they turn into a pile of rust. Sad

[Daves55Sedan]

I doubt it is a police car. All the '55/56 police cars I've ever seen were Mainlines, which had no body side trim and they had the usual tan colored bare-bones interior Ford used in fleet cars back then.
A '56 police car probably would have had the 292 Thunderbird Special V8 which had 4-bbl intake and dual exhausts.
Just because an old car has an accessory spot light on the front fender doesn't mean it is a police car.

[Daves55Sedan]

Originally Posted by 56sedandelivery

So gonna keep them till they turn into a pile of rust. Sad

Back in the mid '80's there was a '54 Ford tudor wagon in a junkyard that had a tree on one side of it and a shed on the other side. The car looked pretty much complete, but when I brushed the decades of dead leaves off the hood, it was corroded beyond repair and started getting pin-holes rusting through. Same for roof. Huge shame.
Then these proprietors die off, leaving the junkyard to their relatives who could care less. They send a salvage crusher in and sell the vacant lots. Seen it happen many times.

[scicala]

looks like a Customline 2 dr. sedan to me. If you have documentation of it being a police car, or special police equipment on the car, that's another story.
According to the tag on the front fender, it was a 272 V8 with a two barrel carb.
The police pacakge came with any engine you wanted, including the 6 cyl., 272, 292 or 312.

Sal

[mercman from oz]

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That is amazing that this survivor is so complete after all these years sitting deserted in bushland

[mercman from oz]

1956 Ford Customline Tudor Sedan Police Car
Original Ford Advertising.

[58Yeoman]

As deep as that Ford is sitting IN the ground, I'll bet the frame is gone.

[5851a]

Interesting find. Small towns around here usually would just buy a cheap regular car from dealer and add lights, siren and police radio. Emblem on door. I noticed the car has AM radio antenna hole in fender, maybe added by next owner. Small town tongues would wag in a small town and the matter of an AM radio would be brought up at the next council meeting.

[mercman from oz]

Cover - 1956 Ford Police Car Brochure showing a Mainline Police Car

[scicala]

One clue as to if it really has the police package, is if it has 6 leaf rear springs. All other pass cars had 5 leafs. Wagons and Courier had 7 leafs.

Sal

[rotorwrench]

A retiring Sheriff from my old home town purchased one of his old police cars back in the late 50s. He was an old hot rodder at heart. A friend of my older sister bought the car from his estate after he died. The guy lifted the hood for me after he got it and showed me the three Stromberg 97s that the old sheriff had installed. It had a Mallory distributor on it with centrifugal advance. This was a 1956 fordor but it ran pretty strong. The exhaust really sounded good on it.

[mercman from oz]

Most Modern Engine in America - Interceptor Y-8

[Farm Finds]

Originally Posted by 56sedandelivery

So gonna keep them till they turn into a pile of rust. Sad

I hope not. Based on the condition of the owner, they will be available within the next 5-10 years... maybe less.

[Farm Finds]

Originally Posted by Daves55Sedan

I doubt it is a police car. All the '55/56 police cars I've ever seen were Mainlines, which had no body side trim and they had the usual tan colored bare-bones interior Ford used in fleet cars back then.
A '56 police car probably would have had the 292 Thunderbird Special V8 which had 4-bbl intake and dual exhausts.
Just because an old car has an accessory spot light on the front fender doesn't mean it is a police car.

If you take a look at the large photos below, you can see where some sort of identification was removed from the doors and above the windshield. not irrefutable proof, but a good indicator. I was also able to find some old Ford marketing materials online that showed Customlines for police use. Unfortunately the doors were locked and I wasn't able to get any photos of the inside.

[Daves55Sedan]

Originally Posted by 58Yeoman

As deep as that Ford is sitting IN the ground, I'll bet the frame is gone.

I'd bet that the front crossmember is 50% gone at least, but the rest of the frame is probably pretty structurally sound, unless the area where the junkyard is was once an old coal mine. Very acidic.

[Farm Finds]

Originally Posted by Daves55Sedan

I'd bet that the front crossmember is 50% gone at least, but the rest of the frame is probably pretty structurally sound, unless the area where the junkyard is was once an old coal mine. Very acidic.

Once I get the video produced and posted on my YouTube channel, I plan on going back to share it with the owner and encourage him to consider letting someone save them from any more deterioration. I already offered to help him find new owners when he’s ready.

[JeffB2]

Originally Posted by mercman from oz

That is amazing that this survivor is so complete after all these years sitting deserted in bushland

Right hand Drive ?

[scicala]

Originally Posted by JeffB2

Right hand Drive ?

I think all right hand drive Ford cars were 4 doors, except for cars like the Ute of course.

Sal

[FoMoCoMIKE]

Cool car!