To me it does matter as I am putting this back the way it was when it left the dealership lot to preserve the history of the car.

I already know the etchings in the glass does not add up as per the glass shop I talked to that does the oem etchings.  They claim they never seen any with the codes mine has as it should be a letter and a number not two letters like mine are.  Like wise these were never replaced but I am tracking down a line to a place that can make the stenciles for me so I can reproduce this as the glass has to be replaced.

As far as the paint goes, I could go argent silver on the panel but I highly doubt this one was as the color is just a simple diamond blue mono tone exterior.  I also do not even know if I will stick with the blue painted frame as it will not be as durable as some of the black frame paints I can get but I also hate the thought of erasing history like that like it never happened.

Now as far to it being shown I would like to win a couple trophies with the car and I do not know how I will show it as either way I go will result in me not really winning either way I cut it as non concourse shows always tends to go to the ones with the most money and most chrome and modern features in a vehicle as they don't have sub classes to the ones Ive been to.  Then you have the concourse where people spend ones life savings on procuring NOS parts to put their trailer queen together.

So you are right long as I am not going concourse showing I can paint it how ever I want.


1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi

I worked at a Ford dealer from late 60's to late 80's. We did a lot of minor painting and touch up work to new cars that either made it past the factory quality control guys, or more often were damaged in transit. It would not be unusual to buy a new car that had paint work done to it at the dealer. Buyers would not necessarily be told of it unless they asked.



Tom from the chiggerfarm located in the beautiful Heart of Central Texas

When you cannot dazzle others with your brilliance, baffle them with bullcorn!

I beat they painted the frame at the same time they painted the splash shield, since the paint is on the front of the car. Never bothered to mask the frame...

Túlio Lazzaroni "FORD", Florianópolis SC Brasil.

'74 Ford Galaxie 500 292 V8

'82 Ford Galaxie Landau 302 V8

'98 Chevrolet S10 4.3 V6

'01 Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec

Rusty,

As long as you are not concours showing the car, it doesn't matter.
I do know from personal ownership of no less than 3 1956 Fords.
First was a Fairlane Sunliner I purchased in 1962 it had a silver gravel shield and black frame.
Second was a 56 Fairlane Club sedan original painted white at factory, two toned at the dealer. This was quite common. It also had a black frame & silver gravel shield.
Third  car a 56 Fairlane Club sedan. It was also white from the factory. It was also two-toned by the dealer. Gravel shield silver and the frame was all black.

That's my 5 bucks.
Jim


  Jim Rowe Elkhorn, NE

It is possible, but everyone that I asked that knew of the car since new said its never been wrecked and never been in for body work/paint.  Just general mechanical maintence is what everyone has told me.  I asked a few people that goes to the reunion about it and that's what they told me today.

I would have to agree with them because if it was simple over spray why is it such a thick amount of paint.  Further more it is on the back side of the front most cross member which wouldn't have happened that thick if it was simply over spray.  I still haven't decided I am leaning towards Eastwoods Chassis black to do the frame in but I do believe some factories might have did things a little different than others.


1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi

I tend to agree with others that the paint you see is not from the factory.  My vote goes for some paint and/or body work being performed to the car prior to 1963.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

No I was not born till Dec, 1985.  But my mother and her two brothers (my two uncles) which was my grandfathers kids know the car back before 1963.  They said nothing was done to the car paint wise.  But I do agree body paint can only get on the frame via overspray.  But this does not look like overspray from how thick it is.

Below is a few pictures of the blue paint on the frame and one of the photos you can see its in an area where overspray couldn't reach.  The only thing I really wonder is if maybe the paint got on the frame via hitting a paint can in the road for instance.  But what are the odds of it being blue like the car.  Further more what are the odds that it will get on the frame but not on the gravel/splash pan that sits under the front of the engine.  I have to rule this out though and as far as how I will refinish this I might just go back black with it because I honestly do not know how I could get a durable basecoat/clear coat on the frame that will last with the abuses the frame receives from actually being drove.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s8/Rusty_S85/1956%20Ford%20Fairlane%20Town%20Sedan/1956FordFairlaneTownSedan40-1.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s8/Rusty_S85/1956%20Ford%20Fairlane%20Town%20Sedan/1956FordFairlaneTownSedan39-1.jpg

I circled the areas that have blue paint on them.  The paint does appear a little dark for Diamond Blue, but due to age and being on the frame its hard to say if the tint would have changed or not.


1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi

That is really unusual about the body paint on the frame. Not to nit pick since you don't have records before '63, but were you old enough to remember anything about the car before then?
I mean the only way body color paint gets on the frame is by overspray. My 56's frame is all black where the original paint still sticks on it. There is no other color on it anywhere.


~DJ~ AKA "Bleach"
1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan 30K original miles

Well my grandfather bought the car new.  He drove it till he passed away March 1986 then the car sat till I got a hold of it.  I have all records of work done to the car back to 1963 ontop of it.  The car was never repainted and no body work ever done.  There is parts on the frame even that has body color pain still clinging to the frame even though everyone claims all frames were painted black.  If that was the case then how does mine have blue paint on the frame.  Some have told me its over spray but the car was never repainted and the bodies were already painted when they were installed from all the research I have done.  Not to mention if it was just over spray with the amount of rust on the frame, there should be zero evidence of blue paint remaining but there is still and its thick enough that it was intentionally done.

I would have to say the factory did it because I know the history of the car.

1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi

Rusty are absolutely sure that no one painted it body color. Unless you've owned it since new, there's guarantee it came that way from the factory or it wasn't done by the dealer by special request.
There seems to be a general consensus that they all came in argent from the factory.
As far as it being the same color as the air cleaner, it's hard to say if they were. The argent of the air cleaner appears to have a dull finish to it.


~DJ~ AKA "Bleach"
1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan 30K original miles