What Model is This 56

[Pech33]

What is this called? A Mainliner? I had a car exactly like this when I was 16 in 1964. 272, three on the tree (for a while) two door post. It was really engine smoke and not burning rubber going out behind it.

[Dobie Gillis]

That's a '56 Mainline.

[robib]

Hey Dobie, I don't think it is a Mainline. I have had two and the brightwork does not go on to the front fender. On the door is a short piece that is about ten inches long.

[yblock57]

Looks like a customline to me. Has the stainless trim around the back glass. Don’t believe mainlines had any there — just the rubber gasket


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[paul2748]

Customline

[mercman from oz]

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1956 Ford Mainline Tudor Sedan.

[mercman from oz]

Illustration of the 1956 Ford Mainline Tudor Sedan from the original Sales Brochure when it was first released. Notice that there is no chrome strips on the sides.

[mercman from oz]

Illustration of the 1956 Ford Mainline Tudor Sedan from the updated original Sales Brochure dated 1/56. Notice the added chrome strips on the sides.

[Dobie Gillis]

Originally Posted by robib

Hey Dobie, I don't think it is a Mainline. I have had two and the brightwork does not go on to the front fender. On the door is a short piece that is about ten inches long.

You're correct, it's a Customline. My bad...

[Lanny]

Originally Posted by robib

Hey Dobie, I don't think it is a Mainline. I have had two and the brightwork does not go on to the front fender. On the door is a short piece that is about ten inches long.

===============================================


Winner, winner=chicken dinner




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[mercman from oz]

Hey guys, this car is a 1956 Ford Mainline, not a Customline. How much more proof do you want?

[Dobie Gillis]

I'm not convinced. It has all the Customline side trim. It looks like someone added the stainless piece below the white paint that leads to the tail light. They did an excellent job of it, too.

[mercman from oz]

Dobie Gillis, Check out this page from the original updated Ford Sales Brochure, and you can see that Ford added this extra Trim part way through the Model Year. What more proof do you want?

[robib]

Both of my two door Mainlines had stainless trim around the windshield and the back glass. My first one had the side trim of the Tudor "Business" Sedan and the second (which I still have) has the side trim of the Tudor Sedan. All Mainlines only had the short spear side trim.

[Dobie Gillis]

Originally Posted by mercman from oz

Dobie Gillis, Check out this page from the original updated Ford Sales Brochure, and you can see that Ford added this extra Trim part way through the Model Year. What more proof do you want?

OK, I'm saying "uncle". I wasn't aware of the mid-year change.

[rotorwrench]

The Customline had a side trim that went all the way to the front where the Mainline did not. Mainline cars started out as trimless early in 1956 production but changed to the abbreviated side trim at the rear and added trim around front and rear glass. There were other interior trim differences and exterior options but the external side trim differences do stand out enough to tell the tale.

I can't say if there were differences in Canadian production or not. This link is a good one,
https://1956-ford.com/1956-ford-cars-all-brochure.html

[KULTULZ]

I wonder ... ... as I often do, if ....

If it would be a good idea to break the car down in question by the PATENT PLATE (SERIES CODE - BODY CODE - BUILD DATE)?

Seems to me as more accurate than, "As I remember" ...

[Pech33]

As I remember, mine did not have the stainless strip across the fenders and doors. I have an old girlfriend who has a picture of the actual car, think I should call her and ask? Ha ha, probably not, she's on husband number three!!!!!!! I could have been number one, just lucky I guess!

[scicala]

Originally Posted by mercman from oz

Illustration of the 1956 Ford Mainline Tudor Sedan from the original Sales Brochure when it was first released. Notice that there is no chrome strips on the sides.

That must have been a very early pre-production brochure. '56 Mainlines did have the bright trim on the front and back windows. '55 had just the black rubber. Also, '56 Mainlines had side trim, but not all the way accross the door and front fender. Also the tailight trim where the back up light would go is '56 Fairlane. Who knows. Would be nice to see if it has just a horn button or a horn ring too. Horn center cap only was Mainline. Would be nice to see what it says on the side trim on the quarter panel. should say Mainline or Customline,

Sal

[scicala]

Originally Posted by mercman from oz

Hey guys, this car is a 1956 Ford Mainline, not a Customline. How much more proof do you want?

With Fairlane trim on the tailights and incorrect side trim ? It's yet to be found what model it is. Would be nice to see the body code on the data plate.

Sal

[scicala]

Originally Posted by Dobie Gillis

You're correct, it's a Customline. My bad...

The side trim is half Customline and half Mainline. Let's see the data plate.
The car has a lot of mis-matched parts.

Sal

[Lanny]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

The Customline had a side trim that went all the way to the front where the Mainline did not. Mainline cars started out as trimless early in 1956 production but changed to the abbreviated side trim at the rear and added trim around front and rear glass. There were other interior trim differences and exterior options but the external side trim differences do stand out enough to tell the tale.

I can't say if there were differences in Canadian production or not. This link is a good one,
https:<b>//1956-ford.com/1956-ford-c...chure.</b>html

===============================================


rotorwrench, your link is a very good one.
The '56 in question, here, has all the markings of a Customline.





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[rotorwrench]

The additional piece of trim in the lower position on the rear quarter panel looks similar to some of the 4-door sedan Mainline types but it doesn't seem to be common to the 2-door sedan. I don't have any idea what the option in that area might have been but it may or may not be OEM for all I know. The original factory sales literature would likely answer the question one way or the other.

Folks have been customizing these old cars for years so nothing would surprise me much. Most may prefer a Fairlane but those that liked a more subtle approach would be fine with a lower trim grade. I'm sure there are more clones that a person can shake a stick at.

[KULTULZ]

A SALES BROCHURE features an artists rendition of how a car supposedly will look when released.

It also depends on the date of the sales brochure.

[58Yeoman]

That Fairlane could've had the trim added. I did the same thing with my 58 Chevy Yeoman. The only dash trim on the lowest trim level Yeoman was the aluminum trim around the speedometer. I added the BelAir trim to make it look better.

[darrell]

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its a customline that someone added the mainline chrome strip so they could paint that strip.looks good.or you could say its a mainline that someone added the customline trim.i was at a car show and seen a beautiful fairlane vic later i found out it had been a customline vic.you never know after all these years.

[mercman from oz]

1956 Ford Mainline - update model with the extra side trim.

[scicala]

Originally Posted by mercman from oz

1956 Ford Mainline - update model with the extra side trim.

That looks 100% '56 Mainline, except it has the '56 Fairlane trim above the tailight for the back up light. '56 Mainlines had the same upper tailight trim as '55.

Sal

[mercman from oz]

1956 Ford Fairlane Reversing Lights fitted to this 1956 Ford Mainline, as mentioned by scicala.

[KULTULZ]

See Attached -

1ST - MAINLINE TUDOR SEDAN (70A)

2ND - CUSTOMLINE TUDOR SEDAN (70B)

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by scicala

... except it has the '56 Fairlane trim above the tailight for the back up light. '56 Mainlines had the same upper tailight trim as '55.

Sal

... hmmph ...

I did not know that ... !thanx!

[chain drive]

it is a mainline came out in the later year in 56

[Hot Rod Reverend]

Originally Posted by mercman from oz

1956 Ford Mainline - update model with the extra side trim.

To make the waters murkier, it looks like the hood has a Customline/Mainline hood Ford crest emblem but a "Fairlane" insignia just below it? Are my eyes deceiving me?

[mercman from oz]

1956 Fairlane Script on 1956 Mainline, as correctly mentioned by Hot Rod Reverend

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Hot Rod Reverend

To make the waters murkier, it looks like the hood has a Customline/Mainline hood Ford crest emblem but a "Fairlane" insignia just below it? Are my eyes deceiving me?

No, you are correct. The owner took certain liberties ...

[mercman from oz]

Photo added by KULTULZ. Notice that the 56 Fairlane has a small Ford Badge with three gold points like a crown above the FORD name.

[mercman from oz]

The Small Ford Badge used on the 1956 Ford Fairlanes

[mercman from oz]

The Larger Ford Badge used on the 1956 Ford Customline and Mainline.

[KULTULZ]

MERCMAN -

Can you blow-up the below attachments?

[mercman from oz]

This is as big as I can get these Illustrations - Mercman <><

[58Yeoman]

I like the larger emblem better.

[mercman from oz]

1956 Ford Mainline Tudor Sedan update model.

[KULTULZ]

... hmmph ...

Something new learned everyday ...

NOTE Early production-year Mainlines have black rubber windshield & rear window moldings & no body-side moldings. Mid & late production-year Mainlines have bright-metal windshield & rear window moldings & rear body-side single moldings w/ spear tips or double moldings w/ spear-tips (that may enclose a 2nd Tone-Tone paint color & on roof).

SOURCE - https://1956-ford.com/1956-ford-cars-all-brochure.html

[Dobie Gillis]

Ford may have been using up the Customline stainless since the upcoming '57s were a completely different body and the '56 trim wouldn't fit. Just a guess. This was well before "just in time" manufacturing so they may have had several months of inventory on these items which represented an investment that might go to waste otherwise.

[mercman from oz]

Early and Update models of the 1956 Ford Ranch Wagon. This "entry model" was based on the Mainline Series.

[mercman from oz]

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It was just pointed out to me that the above picture of the updated model has 55/56 Mercury front fenders and tail lights.
Here is a picture of the true Updated model of the 1956 Two Door Ranch Wagon

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Dobie Gillis

Ford may have been using up the Customline stainless since the upcoming '57s were a completely different body and the '56 trim wouldn't fit. Just a guess. This was well before "just in time" manufacturing so they may have had several months of inventory on these items which represented an investment that might go to waste otherwise.

My thought was they had to jazz up the series as it was too PLAIN JANE and suffered in sales. They wouldn't have produced more than they needed for scheduled assembly.

[Dobie Gillis]

Unless Mainline sales were so dismal they wound up with "extra" trim. Sales forecasting is somewhat of an arcane science and I'm sure wasn't any easier back in the day.

[mercman from oz]

1956 Ford Mainline Tudor Sedan. While these Updated models are rare, a few still exist, mostly Tudor Sedans.

[Pech33]

I still have the original dog dish hubcaps as shown in the above picture. I replaced them with baby moons of course. The 56 is long gone, but the hubcaps remain! I also have a set of the “full cover” hubcaps for another 56 I had for some time.

[Daves55Sedan]

Don't know if you were aware of it but the '56 Customline models had the triangular-shaped bright metal trim stamped with the word "Customline". The Mainline models had this same triangular shaped stainless between the upper and lower trim strips, but it was blank.

[Daves55Sedan]

Originally Posted by Dobie Gillis

Unless Mainline sales were so dismal they wound up with "extra" trim.

Nope. The Mainline trim is different than the Customline trim, in that the Customline trim had the word Customline stamped into the triangular shaped flat portion.
My speculation is that Fomoco may have planned to introduce the Mainline with body side trim from the beginning, but maybe they couldn't get enough of all the pieces needed in the beginning of the model year, so they went ahead and produced Mainlines without the trim, then went ahead and quickly generated a new sales brochure showing the car illustrated without the trim for the beginning of the model year and saved their original version with the trim for later, after the plant started getting in full sets of trim pieces. Just wild speculation.
I doubt it had anything to do with low sales due to lack of pizzaz. The Mainline cars went faster than hotcakes, trim or no trim.

[mercman from oz]

1956 FORD - CUSTOMLINE TUDOR SEDAN (70B) EXT TRIM and MAINLINE TUDOR SEDAN (70A) EXT TRIM - Factory Drawings supplied by KULTULZ

[35 TN project]

Originally Posted by mercman from oz

1956 Ford Mainline Tudor Sedan. While these Updated models are rare, a few still exist, mostly Tudor Sedans.

My grandfather had the same car, color and all. That picture takes me back. Thanks for posting!

[Lamar Wadsworth]

The car in the picture has '56 Fairlane backup lights. Customline and Mainlines that had backup lights used the '55 style backup lights. Most had the delete plates same as '55 instead of backup lights.

[Daves55Sedan]

Originally Posted by Lamar Wadsworth

The car in the picture has '56 Fairlane backup lights. Customline and Mainlines that had backup lights used the '55 style backup lights. Most had the delete plates same as '55 instead of backup lights.

That is true. Only the Fairlane models had the fancy backup light housings with the red reflector. All other '56 models that had backup lights used the '55 backup light housings and lenses.

[mercman from oz]

Touring Mt Rushmore in an "updated" 1956 Ford Two-Door Ranch Wagon

[Reg M]

Originally Posted by Pech33

What is this called? A Mainliner? I had a car exactly like this when I was 16 in 1964. 272, three on the tree (for a while) two door post. It was really engine smoke and not burning rubber going out behind it.

Is that a 39 ford in your avatar?

[Fairlane56]

Still hasn’t said what the data plate on the left door under the windshield says. The end of the vin will give how late in the year. Also color, and model.

[ms fowler]

Originally Posted by Fairlane56

Still hasn’t said what the data plate on the left door under the windshield says. The end of the vin will give how late in the year. Also color, and model.

This would end the speculation.

[mercman from oz]

1956 Ford Six-Passenger Country Sedan with late model revised side trim