Although it may not look like much to the uneducated eye, Gary B.’s ‘56 Ford is nearing completion. This is not Gary’s first Ford. While his first car was a ‘51 Ford, it was a four-door sedan and engendered no great love from Gary. It was simply cheap transportation. He was still in high school when he decided to buy a newer, classier ride. The ‘55 and ‘56 Chevies were popular and had a high-revving V-8 engine, so Gary was drawn to them. But their popularity also meant a higher price than their main competitor, the ‘55 and ‘56 Ford. Both had bold, straight lines and good performance for their day. Since the Ford was in his price range, Gary opted for it and has never looked back. That first one had a 292 CID engine and three-speed manual trans and, with a little work, was made, drag-strip worthy. Gary’s Fords have performed well for him, even being his ride to the NHRA B/Stock championship for a couple of years. Through the years, he has had many high-performance Fords in his garage, but in 2000 he decided to build his “dream car:” a ‘56 Ford like he owned in high school, but in Pro Touring style. A Pro Tourer is an older car rebuilt with all the modern technology for performance and handling. In Gary’s case, he literally has taken the body off of a car and gotten rid of the rest. This ‘56 Victoria two-door hardtop had been sitting in a garage for twenty years and was in rough condition. Gary had a custom frame and front suspension built and dropped his Ford body on it. Then he added the engine and trans from a ‘97 Ford Cobra. The engine is 4.6L with a double-overhead cam and electronic fuel injection and the auto trans is an ADO four-speed overdrive. Not being satisfied with the stock 320 HP of the engine, he has added a Procharger supercharger and intercooler, which boost the horsepower to about 500. The rear end is an independent-suspension Mustang limited-slip one in a 3.73:1 ratio. Gary will depend on four-wheel disc brakes for stopping. Gary’s nephew, a professional paint-and-body man, has done what he does best: the paint and bodywork. While there is still a ways to go on the Ford, Gary can see the headlights at the end of the tunnel now. He hopes to finish within a year. Fortunately, wife Jeanette has been very tolerant of his passion, even though she is not really a “car person.” But she does want to ride in it rather than see it sitting in the garage. They will definitely cruise with other Roamin Angels in their Ford in the future.

While things like doors, hood and grill are not yet installed, the Wicked Merlot Jewel and Silver Nickel paint give and idea of how Gary’s Ford will look.

The seats or six-way power ones from a Jeep Cherokee. The gauges are from a ‘97 Cobra. The rest is yet to come and will include A/C and custom sound.

This supercharged Cobra engine has the advantages of modern technology to get an expected 18 or 19 MPG while delivering lay-you-back-in-the-seat power.

Ron Cherry ©2010