My 1959 Ranch Wagon (AKA "The Pale Whale")

[PaleWhale]

Hey all! I'm brand new to this forum, and I hope this is the right place to post this! Anyway, back in August I picked up my first car, a 59 Ford Ranch Wagon. In the months previous, my dad and I have done a host of things to her. Most of the work done was on the interior, and mechanically. First off, the interior was carpeted (originally was just bare metal floors), and the seats were re-done in Mexican blankets. We stripped down the whole inside of the car, including the dash to paint, remove rust, and clean out LOTS of dirt! We've also lined the floor and walls in sound/heat insulation. The car has a rebuilt Lincoln 460 motor in it, TONS of torque We have rewired the car to get all the dashboard lights and interior lights working again. Pretty much everything was redone expect exterior.
Other parts:
Cherry bomb Exhaust
PerTronix ignition kit
All new wires
Edlebrock Carb/Air cleaner/valve covers
Rebuilt Radiator
New Alt/starter/Dist. Cap/Relays/etc.

Pics will be up soon!

[PaleWhale]

The "manage attachments" window doesn't seem to be able to upload my images.. Any ideas?

[scicala]

If you click on the "Post Reply" box on the left side of the latest post it will guide you to loading the pictures from you're hard drive or wherever.

Welcome to Ford Barn. Lots of helpful people here.

Is you're Ranch Wagon a 2 or 4 door ?

Sal

[bobss396]

Ranch Wagons.. one of my bucket list cars. All RWs are 2-door. My dad had one, factory 312 T-Bird engine, 3 on the tree as well.

[PaleWhale]

My Ranch Wagon is a 4dr. I Thought it was the opposite?

[dmsfrr]

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Originally Posted by PaleWhale

The "manage attachments" window doesn't seem to be able to upload my images.. Any ideas?

At the bottom of this thread is a blank message box with "Post Quick Reply" and "Go Advanced" buttons. The 'quick reply' option doesn't have an image loading function.

Click the 'go advanced' button and it will bring up a Reply message box with smilie face and paperclip icons at the top center.
Click the paperclip one and you'll get a small pop-up 'attachments' window with 7 'browse' buttons where you can go to the photo(s) in your computer that you click on to select, then click the 'upload' button in that pop-up 'attachments' window. You should be able to do 7 at a time.

This sounds worse than it is. Once you get to the message box with the paperclip icon and not the square yellow/grey 'insert image' button with the pretend mountain, that's the only hard part.

The method scicala posted should do the same thing. You just have to make sure you're in a 'post message' window that has the 'paperclip' attachments button.

.

[bobss396]

Originally Posted by PaleWhale

My Ranch Wagon is a 4dr. I Thought it was the opposite?

I just wiki'ed it. Seems there were 4-door RWs starting in 1957 and a 2-door Country Sedan in 1959. Learn something new every day...

[scicala]

Originally Posted by bobss396

I just wiki'ed it. Seems there were 4-door RWs starting in 1957 and a 2-door Country Sedan in 1959. Learn something new every day...

In this case, I think Wikipedia is a little bit on the hosed side.

Four door Ranchwagons started in the '58 Model year and there was never a Country Sedan that was a two door in any model year. Two door Ranch wagons started in 1952 model year and went through the 1961 Model year. In 1954 I believe they started offering a more deluxe version of it. In 1957, '58 and '59 they called the more deluxe version of the 2 door Ranch wagon a Delrio.

Sal

[scicala]

I stand corrected. It looks like there was a 1959 Ford 2 door Country sedan available. Must be pretty rare since it's not listed in the encyclopedia of American cars.

Sal

[bobss396]

Some of the OG 1959 Fairlanes wore both the Fairlane and the Galaxie emblems on them.

[PaleWhale]

I think i got it! Ive resized the photos to 50%. Seems to work now.

[RCM]

Its gorgeous. What can you read on that under dash cluster?

[PaleWhale]

Thank you! Well, at the moment only one of them works. But they are oil pressure, engine temperature and I believe oil temp also.

[scicala]

Great looking car PaleWhale ! I'll bet it moves out pretty good too.

Sal

[RCM]

Could you get a close up shot of the cluster? I've got some vintage marine sw gauges that are itching me eventough theyr in a shelf... Thanks

[PaleWhale]

Thank you scicala! Well, I cant say shes too fast hahah. And sure RCM, also i stand corrected. What i said about the gauges earlier was wrong.

[PaleWhale]

Here are pics of the cluster and the blue LED lights under the dash

[RCM]

Looks good palewhale, thanks. I'm also planing on using volt gauge, oil pressure and water temp, but I''l pest you guys later when I finish building the cluster dash. Just two more questions, sorry for botherin: How "readable" are the gauges while driving? and also How did you fixed the seatbelts to the original loops on the floor (if you still have them)?
Regards

[mercman from oz]

These are great looking cars. Just for the record, Ford Australia released the 1959 Ford Ranch Wagons, along with the Fairlane 500 and Custom 300 4 door Sedans. This was the first time that an American Ford Station Wagon was offered here. For economical reasons, Ford Australia did not release the 1960 Fords, but continued selling the 1959 models in 1960 and 1961. They were eventually replaced by the Compact Fairlane in 1962. What is unique with the Australian 59-61 big Fords is that they were all issued with 15" wheels as standard, complete with Dog Dish Hubcaps and Trim Rings. The attached photo is from the Australian Sales Brochure, but the artist got it wrong, as this car is shown with 1956 Ford Hubcaps. Also, that chrome strip leading to the top Reverse Light was only on the Country Sedans, and therefore should not have been included on this car, which is the Ranch Wagon. Australia never got the more upmarket Country Sedans.

[mercman from oz]

Attached is a picture showing both a 2 door Ranch Wagon, as well as a 2 door Country Sedan. The last illustration is of the Country Squire, which only came as a 4 door.