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For you Edsel lovers

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Hivolt5.0, May 23, 2011.

  1. I've seen this Edsel for many years and only recently stopped by to inquire about it. This was my first time to really "see" an Edsel and I was marveled at the ingenuity of it. No wonder it was "ahead of its time".

    Anyway, this Edsel has 80k original miles and the owner bought it new. I had such a great time talking with him and his wife; I only wish I had more time. I was on my lunch break and had to hurry back to work. He told me about driving it from California on Rt 66 and the glass "E" falling out of the hood ornament. He told me how he fixed the finicky transmission selector and the the heater/vent selector and other various bits. The Edsel was originally yellow and brown but he said his wife hated the color so he had it painted the current maroon and white. All in all, the car was in great shape but there was some bubbling in the wheel wells and the leading edge of the hood. I bet it would be a blast to drive. I hope to go back and visit with him again.

    Here are some pics, sorry for the poor quality.

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    Spooky likes this.
  2. M.Edell
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 4,179

    M.Edell
    Member

    I have the same car.A 58 Pacer.Great Car, love driving it.
     
  3. JOECOOL
    Joined: Jan 13, 2004
    Posts: 2,771

    JOECOOL
    Member

    I have a 59 that actually drives nice. Unfortunatly it has very little value.Everyone likes to look though , and thats not bad.
     
  4. M.Edell
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 4,179

    M.Edell
    Member

    Yeah thats the crappy part, they arent that valuable..yet..
     

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  5. wow! Nice Edsel M.Edell.

    I have to admit, Edsels have definitely grown on me. Out of the three year models, the '58 is my favorite.
     
    Spooky likes this.
  6. M.Edell
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 4,179

    M.Edell
    Member

    Thanks! Im supposed to tell you its my Wifes car...lol..I never really gave them much thought until I owned one myself.We found this car locally and my wife fell in love with it.Been working on it here and there.I got all the correct interior from SMS.It has some minor rust in the left fender I need to deal with and maybe a repaint.Gotta finish my 34 first.
     
  7. Spooky
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 2,239

    Spooky
    Member

    LOVE THEM!
    Always have.
     
  8. Edsels make badass kustoms!!!!!
     
  9. shainerman
    Joined: Apr 18, 2009
    Posts: 820

    shainerman
    Member

  10. M.Edell
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 4,179

    M.Edell
    Member

    I get a kick out of peoples reaction when I tell them I have an Edsel.They always chuckle or looked surprised, followed by some generic statement about what a failure Edsel was.I ask them if they know why Edsel was a failure and they really dont know why, only that they are programmed to automatically think its a piece of crap.When in fact it was marketing and timing that killed it, not poor workmanship or quality.
     
  11. M.Edell
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 4,179

    M.Edell
    Member

    Very cool shainerman!
     
  12. Agreed. The gentleman I was talking with loves his, although it isn't driven anymore. He stated the only problems he had with it were the electrics for the transmission selector and heater but he finally fixed them himself. He was quite the genius when it came to fixing the little problems he had.
     
  13. Stevie Nash
    Joined: Oct 24, 2007
    Posts: 2,999

    Stevie Nash
    Member

    Love the tail lights on the Edsel's. How much is a decent Edsel worth? If they are inexpensive, I may start looking for one...
     
  14. M.Edell
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 4,179

    M.Edell
    Member

    Yeah the inhibitor switch caused more issues than anything.people remove those and the transmissions works great.They were supposed to prevent a person from hitting Reverse while driving and ruining the transmission.Mine works flawlessly.
     
  15. WildWilly68
    Joined: Feb 1, 2002
    Posts: 1,727

    WildWilly68
    Member

    Personally I have a huge soft spot for them, I came home from the hospital in a 59 Edsel Ranger 4 dr hardtop. The car was at the farm for years rusting away after is was in a barn fire. I've always said if I can find one like it, I will buy it.
     
  16. M.Edell
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 4,179

    M.Edell
    Member

    depends on the Model.You can get a real nice Pacer Hardtop thats damn near #1 show condition for under $20K I theres been a few wagons up for sale and they are ground up resto cars, only asking $19K or so...
     
  17. M.Edell
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 4,179

    M.Edell
    Member

    Mine was built on the day Edsel was introduced to the public Sep 4, 1957 at the San Jose,Ca Ford plant.Kinda cool... My Dad remembers going to see the them when they came out, that was 5 days before his 16th Birthday...He really likes the fact we own one now..
     
  18. i want a 58 soooo bad have allways loved them
     
  19. DRUGASM
    Joined: Dec 16, 2008
    Posts: 2,817

    DRUGASM
    Member

    I dont want mine to be valuable..... I want people to think its a waste of machinery. Who would want radical factory styling, big block torque, and a car you dont see very often if ever???

    I love my Edsel. Its not plagued by teletouch problems. Its an old school 3 spd column shift with an overdrive. It's the best highway car I have driven. It always turns heads.

    I just hate it when someone yells "What year is your Bel Air?"

    http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=10904&pictureid=241697

    It looks a little bit different now. I ran a set of 59 Lancer caps on it for Sac Autorama. I just got the OEM wheels back from chrome. Its rocking a reversed look with new Cokers and spider caps.

    And I will be driving this to Santa Maria at the end of the week.


    <TABLE cellPadding=6 width=750><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>[​IMG]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

    I had an opportunity to sell it awhile back.... in hindsight Im kinda glad the deal fell through.


    Shainermans turned that car inside out in a matter of weeks. It was nice before he got it but I am loving the direction he has taken with that car. Lace top, T Bird interior, lifts, shave, and old school wheels and tires. Bad ass.

    Wheres MissPrint? She's got a gaggle, or is a murder(?), of Edsels
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2011
    Spooky likes this.
  20. M.Edell
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 4,179

    M.Edell
    Member

    I was waiting for you to reply Drew! Wish I was going to Santa Maria this year..the 34 has drained every spare dime i got..
     
  21. DRUGASM
    Joined: Dec 16, 2008
    Posts: 2,817

    DRUGASM
    Member

    I think I am into mine for under $10k now. It was an abandoned finished car with "serious mechanical problems" that the p/o didnt know how to fix. I am no expert wrench but just going over the basics it was running in a few hours and a free dizzy.

    I've lowered it and cleaned it up. It has an XM stereo hidden with one speaker in the factory grill. Seatbelts were added in the back for the baby seat and thats about it.


    That one in the first pictures wouldnt take much. It looks like it is pretty original still too... except for those wire hubcaps. The E400 engine is an FE 361cu. Mine sat for a long time. After a little work it fired right off. It looks like a "higher model" than my Ranger. Looks like power steering and air conditioning. And power brakes. Mine is a base/base/base model. Only option it has is the factory tach on the guage cluster and overdrive.
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2011
  22. M.Edell
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 4,179

    M.Edell
    Member

    I paid $7500 for mine, guy before me just rebuilt the transmission for $2500 in October 2010 two months before I bought it and rebuilt the front end, new carb,radiator,new carpet. has had rocker panels and front pans replaced, has some rust bubbling on the drivers fender bottom, broken driver door glass and rear glass.Came with the fabric from SMS to retore the upholstery,new correct exhaust system in the trunk,in dash factory compass,and spare parts, I bought the correct headliner material,new glass,new shocks, gave it a tune and portawalls,found correct side view mirrors in which I had cosmichromed,good used door sills,new bumper guard rubber..into it about $9500 so far..
     
  23. Stevie Nash
    Joined: Oct 24, 2007
    Posts: 2,999

    Stevie Nash
    Member

    I'm envious! Love that green... seafoam?
     
  24. DRUGASM
    Joined: Dec 16, 2008
    Posts: 2,817

    DRUGASM
    Member

    It's a green. Not sure on the exact color code.

    The previous owner had painted, rechromed, and tuck n rolled the car before its break down. It was garage kept after the break down. Everything was about 15 years old or older when it died. The car photographs really well. Like anything though, the longer you own it the more chips and scratches you find.

    The one nice thing about these is they are really easy to two tone or ever tri-tone with the distinctive stainless trim.











    Hey, this thread lasted almost as long as Edsel production. Ha.
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2011
  25. Drugasm, I love the look of your Edsel too. The lowered stance just works really well. The Edsel I posted pics of is in nice condition and wouldn't take much to make it even better. I wish I had the money to buy it (assuming the owner would sell) but I have more enthusaism than money.
     
  26. DRUGASM
    Joined: Dec 16, 2008
    Posts: 2,817

    DRUGASM
    Member

    Enthusiasm is the best place to start. Finding a jewel like that is always fun... sets the mind racing about what possibilities are. Sounds like you have a good relationship started with the owners... I read too many stories on here where someone is crying because they got chased out of someones yard for trying to buy up cars. Establishing that you are interested in the car and are willing to talk about the memories helps strangers warm up to you.

    It certainly looks like a good find. The more I look at those pics the more I see. It has a traffic light viewer on it. I almost need one in mine,....I am always leaning forward at lights. I wonder if that was a factory option? If you did grab it that radio has to go... plastic face plates look wrong on old cars. Its just as easy to wire it somewhere out of sight. My glovebox was too shallow but the CD player I bought had a remote... all out of sight and clean.

    Being the higher model that one also has extra stainless/mouldings on front fenders and doors. Plus those reverse lights. I go back and forth on whether I like them or not... mine doesnt have them and it looks smoother but they are a cool accessory.

    I am digging that two tone dashboard, too.
     
  27. shainerman
    Joined: Apr 18, 2009
    Posts: 820

    shainerman
    Member

    Drew. Ive decided. You have the best looking Edsel in America. I want chrome wheel pics already.
     
  28. I asked the owner about the radio, he has the original, and at least one spare of the speedometer and lots of other "extras" he's picked up along the way. I asked him about the traffic light viewer and he said I was the first person to actually know what it was. After sitting in the car and looking at the viewer I can "see" how helpful it would be. Works quite well (although I was looking at the ceiling of the car port at the time. haha)

    I definitely plan to go back and visit some more with him. I'd like to drive my Ranchero over and let him look at it. He seems like quite the car guy.
     
    36taildragger likes this.
  29. DRUGASM
    Joined: Dec 16, 2008
    Posts: 2,817

    DRUGASM
    Member

    Awwww shuuuuuuuucks Shaine........ you got me all blushing and shit over here. I think you and BruceVE are pretty stiff competition. We may need to have a "dance off" Edsel style and put it to a public vote ha ha.

    HiVolt --- making friends is what its all about.
     
  30. shainerman
    Joined: Apr 18, 2009
    Posts: 820

    shainerman
    Member

    but whos Edsel can actually dance... ;)

    haha. that was gay.
     

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