57 Ford Meteors

[Zapato]

Sure, Rich...you call it a Custom.

LMAO!    Anyyone have a dash picture? Earlier Meteors has a few different touches there as well

Zap-

[JPotter57]

One of our members here has a meteor mild gasser. Straight axle, FE etc. It is red and white with slots.  Has a Fairlane grille for now as he is looking for a Meteor setup..good looking car..I think there may be some pics ofbit in the gallery.  Also search the forum for meteor. .it will turn up.

[Jeff Norwell]

They Rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ecode70D]

They Rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeff WHO???
When you new guys come on the site, it would be nice if you introduce yourself.
I going to ease up  picking on HRD  and start  picking on you now stranger. J>>>>-------->.   

[Jeff Norwell]

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hotroddonnie]

Glad to see your back Jeff, maybe we can get some order.   

[Jeff Norwell]

are you buying HRD?

[hotroddonnie]

are you buying HRD?

Sure pal, I'll help out the less fortunate anytime I can!

[59meteor]

Uh, to the best of my knowledge, there were no factory produced Meteor Skyliners. All the 50s Meteors were produced at the Oakville Ontario Ford plant, (along with Canadian Fords), but no Skyliners were built in Oakville. Virtually all other 57 Ford models were available as Meteors, including Sunliner converts, Rancheros, wagons, etc but not retractables. So I`m guessing somebody replaced the Ford grill and trim with Meteor pieces. For those not familiar with Meteor models, and how they align with a Ford, the base model equivilant to a Custom was a Meteor Niagara, followed by a Niagara 300 (Custom 300), with the 116" wheelbase.. the 118" wheelbase Rideau was the Meteor version of a Fairlane, Rideau 500 was the Meteor equivilant of a Fairlane 500.58 was pretty much the same, although the 58 Meteors had the same side trim as a Ford, but still had a unique grill. In 59, there was no Niagara base (or Ford Custom, for that matter), so the Niagara 300 was the new base model, and when the mid year 59 Fairlane 500 "Galaxie", with its thick rear roof pillars and flat backglass was introduced, the same roof treatmant was also avaiable as the Rideau 500 "Montcalm".

[59meteor]

 
By the way, I just looked at the photos of the blue 57 Skyliner, and if you look at the photos, the side trim on the drivers side is Ford Fairlane 500, while the passenger side has the Meteor Rideau 500 trim. The textured gold aluminum panels between the Fairlane 500s upper and lower moldings were not used on the Rideau 500, they were painted white in between, which provided a border for a 3 color combination. A good buddy has several 57 and 58 Meteors (and also sold me my 59 Niagara 300 2 door sedan), and has a 3 tone 57 Rideau 500 2 door "imitation hardtop" that he has owned since 1967, which is gold, bronze, and white.

[Zapato]

Now you have to educate us about ''Niagara'' models. Most o us know a bit about Meteors and Ridaeus but think that's a new one for us.

zap-

[VwDrvFnd]

I ill ask him if it is a real Mercury. He told me last week it is in the shop right now getting the top and a bunch of other little things in shape for the summer show season.

[rmk57]

Here's a nice tri- colour 57 at a local car show from last summer.

[Jeff Norwell]

There are a few Niagara's about around these parts

[59meteor]

Here's a nice tri- colour 57 at a local car show from last summer.

Hey Randy, that shot looks like it was taken at the Hallmark Ford show in Surrey last year. My buddys 57 Rideau 500 has the same side trim, but his has the thin door window frames, while the car in the photo is a hardtop.
As for the Niagara/Niagara 300 Meteors, they were just the base model, similar to the Custom/Custom 300 Fords, with the short 116" wheelbase.
Meteors were first introduced foor the 1949 model year, and were based on Fords, not Mercurys.  From 49 thru 61, they were esentially a full sized Ford, with a unique grill, and usually unique side trim. In 1962 and 63, when Mercury came out with the smaller Fairlane based Meteor, sold in Canada and the US, the Canadian Meteor full size ceased to exist. When the small Meteor was discontinued after 63, the Canadian Meteor full sized car was reborn, but they were now Mercury based, rather than Ford, but after 64, they used a Ford roof, rather than a Mercury, and also used a Ford Dashboard. So a 65-66 Meteor looked like a 65-66 Mercury , but with a Galaxie dashboard, and a Galaxie rooline, rather than the Mercury reverse angled "Breezeaway" roof that were on the US Mercurys.After 68, they looked virtually the same as a US Mercury, with different badging. By the way, the same Canadian dealerships that sold new Meteors, also sold Mercury trucks, from early Econoline vans, and pickups, all the way up to M800 tandem axle trucks, cab overs, and buses. Mercury trucks were sold from 1949 thru 68.