Classic recollections: 1956 Ford Fairlane Sunliner
Exposure to perilous weather isn't the only threat to old vehicles. Ron Grove and his dad quickly learned this during their search for a father-son restoration project in 1989.
That's when they found this 1956 Ford Fairlane Sunliner tucked away in a Plymouth, Ind., barn. While the cozy inside stall had protected it from the harsh elements, it did nothing to ward off the disastrous effects of the amateur and hasty "repairs" that had been made on the vintage cruiser.
“The car had been stored since '70 and briefly pulled out in '79 for a ‘restoration.' When we saw it, the rocker panels were nothing more than duct sheet metal riveted to the doorjambs,” Grove said. “A real estate sign comprised part of the floor and Bondo body filler was caked everywhere.”
The Wauconda resident recalls that covering all this bodywork muddle was an incorrect red paint, that “looked like had been applied with a wall roller.” Unfortunately, this cutting of corners carried over to the interior.
“The door panels were from another year car and the homemade vinyl seat covers were installed over the originals.”
As for the powertrain?
“It ran — well, sort of. It smoked like crazy, which did a fine job of keeping the mosquitoes far away. Frankly, nothing was done right,” Grove said.
At this point, you'd expect the two Grove men to have packed up and headed right home. Which they did, albeit with the shoddy Ford jumble secured on the trailer behind them. The ramshackle mess was pushed into the family garage and, armed with a can-do spirit, the undeterred pair set out to right the guerrilla modifications.
The carbon-spewing 292-cubic-inch Thunderbird Y-block V-8 was yanked and rebuilt along with the Ford-O-Matic three-speed transmission. Bodywork repairs commenced with the guys welding in a new floor pan and cowl structure supports. Once they mended the cobbled together rocker panels and rear quarters, the duo ran out of talent and put it into the very capable hands of Old Coach Works Restorations in Yorkville.
The project lost momentum a year later when, in 1994, Ron's parents moved to Arizona. Given the distance and with Grove finishing college, interest — and funds — waned. “It sat untouched until '97, when I mentioned to my dad about interest in my own project car. He said if I finished the Ford, I could have it.”
With renewed passion, Grove quickly moved to conduct a proper frame-off restoration on the classy droptop. His wife, Amy, was a big boost to the project. She dove “right in the project alongside me. Working on the car was our date night for a very long time,” he said.
Completion occurred in time for the Fiesta Red and Raven Black classic to be driven in a July Fourth 2002 parade. Since then the couple ensures it stays out, heading to the McHenry, Mundelein and Wheaton car cruises during the summer months. “It's evident that it was clearly designed during a time when there was romance for the open road,” Grove said.
You never know what you'll get with a barn find, but Grove's majestic Sunliner serves as a stunning reminder that given enough determination, even the direst of conditions can be returned to factory splendor.