I really enjoy low to no optioned cars of all makes. I especially like the Business Sedans and Customs. I was wondering how many folks have cars like this here on the forum and if anyone has a '57 Ford with 0 factory options either restored or in original condition.
Thanks
Zero option cars were not practical here in Connecticut, you had to have a heater/defroster in the winter. Most of the 57 I saw as a kid including my fathers 63B had the following options ::: radio, heater, tutone paint, V8, auto trans. A local dealer offered a new 57 Ford custom 2 door for $2000.00 bare bones, not one sold that way, All buyers sprung for a radio and heater, he sold a lot of 57 customs.
My fairlane town sedan is a radio and heater delete (complete with firewall and dash delete plates), no assisted steering or brakes, no air, no seatbelts, no windshield washer sprayers, no side view mirrors... not sure what else was an option, but it dont have much. It does have the 2tone paint, v8, and fordomatic though.
My tudor was minimally equipted... Had delete plates, no radio, no clock nor heater. Single color. 312 w/3 on the tree. When it came to my family, someone had added a sears and roebuck AM radio (two nasty holes in the delete plate) and an aftermarket heater (another ugly hole in that delete plate).
I like it this way.
Quote from: Swank on 2018-10-31 21:02
My fairlane town sedan is a radio and heater delete (complete with firewall and dash delete plates), no assisted steering or brakes, no air, no seatbelts, no windshield washer sprayers, no side view mirrors... not sure what else was an option, but it dont have much. It does have the 2tone paint, v8, and fordomatic though.
The right side sun visor was optional. Guy at a car show I spoke with had the cap that covers the holes up, Iv'e never seen another one.
Mine is looking to be pretty fancy then, it does have the right side visor and a clock.
Quote from: rmk57 on 2018-11-01 09:26
The right side sun visor was optional. Guy at a car show I spoke with had the cap that covers the holes up, Iv'e never seen another one.
I took three of these visor delete trim pieces out of cars in a junkyard last winter. I took them from two '57 Rancheros and one '58 Custom. I couldn't believe it when I found one let alone three!!! One of them is in my '57 Custom now.
I am not sure but I believe the right sun visor was not included with certain models. I know my 70A has the right visor but my 70D does not. I have the build sheet for the 70A there is no place to add the right sun visor. The same is true for armrests, a Custom didn't have them but a Custom 300 did. These cars did not come with heaters, radios, or clocks; these items were specially order so "delete plates" were standard equipment.
I had one. Looks like the corner for the passenger sun visor, just just plain, without the "pocket" for the sunvisor rod.
BTW, my Custom left the factory, as near as I can tell, with just the radio option. Manual everything, one visor, one color, dealer installed heater. 6 cyl std. shift. I've made a few changes.
I'm curious if you oem restoration guys consider dealer installed options to be original.
I never did find a build sheet for mine.
had a ranchero with the rear bed trim was even painted same as body no clock or radio had dealer add on heater 1 visor had 6 stick about as plain as it gets just sold it around 2 years ago it was never re painted no side trim
In 1957 a local dealer offered "1957 Ford for $1957". My dad bought one, a 2 door Custom, 6 cylinder stick shift, heater and two tone paint. He put a Sears radio in it. He worked in the office at Borg Warner, and they put an overdrive in it for him. It would go faster in straight drive than in overdrive. They didn't change the rear gear from the 3.70. As a 17 year old, I hated that car. Wish I had it now. John
Quote from: Hoosier Hurricane on 2018-11-02 07:09
In 1957 a local dealer offered "1957 Ford for $1957". . As a 17 year old, I hated that car. Wish I had it now. John
John
Isn't it funny how people change their minds about cars. I remember when 57s first came out and people didn't like the customs. They were the first cars to get junked, even for small problems. After they became kinda scarce, people started to like them. I especially remember how most people hated those delete plates. Now they are sought after. Jay
Jay
Now that I think about it is possible that the right visor was added to my car (as were the arm rests) I think whoever had the car before the guy I got it from had a donor car, I have several pieces on my car that were originally green, the original color was white.
I was not a fan of Customs "back in the day" either.
I'm guessing the right sun visor was standard on the 300, because I doubt my dad would have paid for one. We were blessed just to get a radio and heater.
Did '57s come standard with a lighter?
Both my 70a's are heater,radio and clock delete....The texas 70a had only one option which was a Fordomatic....long gone....(thank god)
The other 70A has a dealer installed window defroster.
Haha....I had totally forgotten about the lighters. I believe they did, as they all came with ash trays. I can't imagine any car in the 50's and 60's that didn't have lighters. I guess that was one feature I deleted on mine in favor of 12v outlets, and I smoke.
Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2018-11-02 09:04
Haha....I had totally forgotten about the lighters. I believe they did, as they all came with ash trays. I can't imagine any car in the 50's and 60's that didn't have lighters. I guess that was one feature I deleted on mine in favor of 12v outlets, and I smoke.
I know the lighter was not standard in a '57 Chevy, neither was the ashtray... I've seen "lighter deletes" for '56 Fords also. Crazy!!!
The '57 I have now has no lighter as that's where the choke is located. Original 6 cyc/od, two tone paint, factory heater, radio, two tone paint, NO rt side visor, arm rests, clock or back up lights. This car was last licensed in '66.
It just happens that was the year I bought my first '57 Custom, 312/od, two visors, arm rests, mono paint, fac heater, aftermarket radio, no clock. I changed the pieces that held the air vent controls so don't remember about the lighter. I also added backup lights. I seem to remember that it also had rear armrests.
I have a 59 Ford Custom 300 2 door sedan parts car, and I think it had zero options, other than a heater. 6 cylinder, 3 speed standard, manual steering and brakes, no windshield washers, door light swithes for the dome light, a plastic cover where the cig. lighter would have been, and no back up lights. My project 59 Meteor 2 door sedan, is also pretty bare bones, manual steering and brakes, no windshield washers or back up lights, but it did have a lighter, dome light with door switches, a heater, and kinda oddly, a 332 FE and 2 speed FordOMatic. On the 59s, they all look like they have backup lights, as they all have the clears lens in the backup light housings on top of the fins.But on cars without the backup light option, there was no wiring, bulb socket or bracket behind the lens, only a silver colored cork gasket.
I take it door lights were optional to? Mine has the switches but never any sign of wiring going up to them.
Quote from: troublemaker427 on 2018-11-02 08:45
Did '57s come standard with a lighter?
I know 6 cylinder cars had manual chokes and it was located where the lighter was in the V8 cars; there are 2 different back lit plastic "light bars". There were also 2 different ash trays, and 2 different dome lights for the Custom and the Fairlane series. The Custom dome light only worked with the drivers door.
My Custom has a lighter put into the sheet metal part of the dash. It has a chrome bezel around it that looks factory/dealer. It is a 223 manual choke car. My guess is this was dealer installed. Also the only way my dome light operates is by the switch on the housing, no door jam switch or wiring visible.
Gee........ at this low Price .. Ford Dealers were giving you an air cleaner AND Directional signals......
Where did I put my time Machine.
(https://i.imgur.com/mNqBbsn.jpg)
I'll take three please...
THAT is an absolutely great and fun advertisement. Never seen it before.
One of these days, Jeff, it would be great seeing you do a new made-up 57 advertisement, capturing all of our love for the 57 cars and making it the worlds greatest car advertised EVER ! it could use a little lowering, a little stance, a few hp added... but you know all of that anyways :002: :003:
Quote from: Jeff Norwell on 2018-11-05 11:52
Gee........ at this low Price .. Ford Dealers were giving you an air cleaner AND Directional signals......
And called 'em extras? Doubt they were gonna sell a car without those. Or without steering wheels, door latches, seats, & tires. :003:
BTW, $1799 in 1957 is equal to $16161.49 dollars in 2018.
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
Compared to today's new car prices that's a steal.
I'll take a black Custom with the 300HP engine and 3 speed stick with OD please.
Quote from: Tom S on 2018-11-05 15:49
Compared to today's new car prices that's a steal.
That would be a great price for a car today, ...and for one that we know could still be on the road and looking good 60 years later.
Quote from: djfordmanjack on 2018-11-05 15:44... it could use a little lowering, a little stance ...
Ehh (http://57fordsforever.com/smf/Smileys/default/dontknow.gif)
For some reason, I've always gravitated towards the more "plain" cars. My current 70A only has a heater as an option. However, I did add front disc brakes, dual reservoir master cylinder, and seat belts for safety's sake. I like all of the Fords/Mercs/Edsels from that era, and I always like to look at a high option Crown Victoria, Skyliner, Sunliner, 500XL, etc, but my heart skips a beat for the base models.
Just last weekend at a local car show, there was a 1967 Plymouth sedan with a Hemi as well as a full-on pro-touring '55 Buick. Man, those cars were cool, but not too many lookers. I guess the low option cars are an acquired taste for most people. Me? I've always preferred them. My first car ever was a 1967 Fairlane 500 two door sedan with a 390-4V/4 speed. It was black on black. Oh, how I wished I had that one back!
Quote from: Jeff Norwell on 2018-11-05 11:52
Gee........ at this low Price .. Ford Dealers were giving you an air cleaner AND Directional signals......
Where did I put my time Machine.
(https://i.imgur.com/mNqBbsn.jpg)
Um.... Jeff I think that you left your time machine in the drive in movies back in the day. Maybe they are still holding it for you. When you do find it, get me a few of those 57 Customs. I can't spend much so make them with everything delete. On second thought make them with 312 and 3 speed on the column.
They can keep all the fancy do dads. Jay
My car was built in Dallas, TX, and was heater radio clock delete. I added the stationary quarter glass and will be building the tray for Business Sedan status. I got a passenger side sunvisor delete from Tom Drummond. The only option mine had otherwise was the 272 Fordomatic, which was long gone when I got it. It had been drag raced last in 1968 with a 390 and 4 speed. Now has 427 and 4 speed. Much more fun.