The 1955 Ford Fairlane: A Classic Icon of American Automotive History

YOUR CLASSIC FORD PARTS STORE If you own a classic Ford, you’re used to dependability. You go out, you start the vehicle, and it runs. That’s the way it should be. After all, when it’s an older Ford, it has longevity built right into it. Sometimes, though, things will take a toll on the best ride you’ve ever owned. Could be the weather - or a little ding or two that happens when someone isn’t paying attention and they run into you. Whatever the reason, if you’ve got something on your list that you need for your old Ford, you can find it at a C&G Ford Parts. You’ll find thousands upon thousands of parts that can get your Ford in the best shape, even if you own one from the late 1970's. That’s sure to give you peace of mind right there. Say you’ve got a 1979 Ford F150 pickup. The jet-black custom paint on it just glints in the sunlight. Your truck is the envy of the neighborhood and everywhere else that you take it. You worked hard for that truck and you deserve to show it off. Taking a friend out for a round or two of golf, you park the truck in the lot carefully away from other cars. But you know how it goes. There always has to be someone who parks right up on you. Only this time, they broke your driver’s side mirror up pretty good and took off without having the decency of letting anyone know. When you do a thorough examination, you see that the door is fine, but the mirror can’t be repaired - the damage is too bad. It’s got to be replaced. Besides making you mad, you’re now faced with the task of figuring out where you’re going to go to get one like it. No worries, because you can get the part you need right at a classic Ford parts store, C&G Ford Parts to be exact. Places that have the stock you’re looking for can easily cover getting you that mirror in no time. Best of all, getting that replacement mirror in an exact match for your truck isn’t going to cost you every penny you’ve got in the bank. At C&G Ford parts, not only will you find what you need when you need it, but you’ll find it for a reasonable price as well. You can’t always prevent bad drivers from doing foolish things and ending up damaging your Ford. But you can rest assured knowing that a C&G Ford parts has got you covered. So take that truck out for a spin any time. They’ll be waiting on you when you need them.

Since you buy all your classic Ford parts from us, we thought we would enlighten you to a product that you might find useful! Let’s say you’re cruising around town in your Classic Ford… you’re reveling in the number of folks you see looking at your ride (yes your car, not you anymore). You roll to a stop easily and decide to turn the corner and drive down Main Street to see if any of your buddies have made it to the Burger Barn. Suddenly, you feel “clunk” and you KNOW the old Ford didn’t come that way from the factory, so you begin to wonder “Hmmm, what could the old girl need now?”Finishing the cruise you head home and call it a night. Next day you’re up and at ‘em, headed out to the garage. You whizz past your wife in your grubby's and wonder for a moment why she has a big grin on her face, “Oh well, she musta been on the phone” you figure. With a big grin on your face and a wave to the wife, you whistle out loud as you head out the door thinking, “I’ll be at this most of the day” After organizing your tool box and getting everything ready for troubleshooting you begin to diagnose what could be ailing your “baby”. After troubleshooting for a while, you begin to realize that the bushing in the upper steering tube has worn out. It turned to rock and the steering shaft is wobbling around in the tube causing the clunk you felt last night. “Well, that’s a relief” you gush, “I don’t need to tear apart the front end!” “I wonder if Ford has a warranty recall on those” you chuckle to yourself as you pull your dog eared copy of your trusty C&G Ford Parts catalog off the shelf. You see that there is a replacement rubber upper bushing that often gets worn out over the years. “Just what I need” you think. “Hold the phone, what’s this?” you spot a new- fangled “kit” that only C&G has! This Upper Steering tube bearing kit includes bearing, spring, and bushing sleeve that replaces the original rubber bushing for a longer lasting, easier turning, tight fit. The kit includes a diagram to show you exactly where to install the parts, and in it what order. “Excellent” you whistle. So you pick up the phone, call C&G and after speaking to some friendly and knowledgeable parts folk, you have your kit on the way. A couple days later, your classic Ford parts show up and you’re ready to install the new B-3517-K kit you ordered. Remove the steering wheel. Remove original rubber bushing from over worm shaft. Install in this order- bearing , sleeve , spring. Make sure the tapered ends are facing down on both bearing and sleeve, drive the bearing down the worm shaft about 3/4" with a large socket, then let sleeve follow. Finally, put spring over worm shaft, in-between the sleeve and the steering wheel. Put steering wheel back on and tighten down the steering nut. No more play in the upper part of the column! Steering Tube Bearing Kit B-3517-K

FORD F100 HISTORY In 1953, Ford launched a fresh era of F Series pickups. The 1953 pickups were officially called F-100 and featured sleeker designs with an all-new cab and front end design. This generation of F Series pickups had larger measurements that included 55% larger windshield glass due to its curved design. With the wider cab you can seat 3 full size adults. 1953 Ford also improved chassis now available in 110” and 118” wheelbase (1948-52 is 114”). The gas tank was moved from behind the seat and now mounted on the outside of the frame below the driver’s side of the cab. The upgrades were designed to foster toughness and driving performance. The F Series pickups also took on new names. The F-2 became the F-250. The F-3 was renamed the F-350. Options included a dome light, cigarette lighter, ashtray, sun visors, radio, recirculating air heater and hot water heater. The new name was retained by the F-100 until Ford discontinued production of the F-100 after the 1983 model-year. In 1954 the all-new 239 CID "Y" block engine became available. The 1956 F-100 was celebrated for its perpendicular windshield pillars and its wraparound windshield. Available on the Custom Cab model is a wraparound rear window. The “Y” block 272 was now available as was the 223 6 Cylinder. The gas tank was moved back into the cab behind the seat. Assembly of the F-100 in this time took place mostly in Dearborn, MI. Ford also made approximately 101,000 to 184,000 models of the F100 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. SECOND GENERATION The second generation of the Ford F-100 ran from 1957 through 1960. The important styling change for this generation was a lower hood sitting flush on top of the front fenders. Ford launched its tradition of providing two different pick up box styles in this generation. Separate rear fenders were featured on the traditional Stepside design. The new released Styleside layout featured smooth sides as well as a far more streamlined look. New for 1958 was the use of four headlights, Ford continued this until 1960. In 1959, Ford began making the F-100 with a unique four wheel drive. Ahead of this new development, outside makers such as American and Marmon-Herrington and Coleman occasionally converted normal Ford trucks to four wheel drive. The next generation of the vehicles also marked an increase in sales of the optional eight-foot bed for the F-100, the typical length of the bed was six and a half feet. The eight-foot bed eventually eclipsed its smaller counterpart in popularity among F-100 motorists. Assembly continued to take place in the Ford plant in Dearborn, MI. THE 3RD GENERATION The new pickups were lower to the ground and wider than earlier versions. 1961 F-100 offered the optional uni-body, which combined the cab and box into one body. Ford discontinued the unibody design at the end of the 1963 production after it fared dismally in the marketplace. 1961 and 1962 Ford still used one piece hood side emblems. In 1963 new body side trim was now available on the styleside trucks with a red painted stripe in the center of the trim. The all new hood side emblem now included a plastic insert with the size of the truck “100”, “250”, “350”. In 1965 designers lowered the cab floor enhancing interior room. 1965 Ford also launched the first of its all new front suspension the "Twin I-Beam". 1965 Also offers a 352 "FE" motor instead of the “Y” block 292. The 6 Cylinder engine is also upgraded from the 223 to the new 240. Ford offered the Ranger option in 1965. The designation referred to your field of options that included an interior optional bucket seats with console and carpeting instead of a rubber floor mat. Ford changed some of its own assembly in this time to a plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico. FOURTH GENERATION Ford engineers continued their emphasis on pickups in 1967 that offered a degree of comfort which was similar to a car. 1967 Has new unique hood side emblems. 1967 offered new exterior trim, the body side trim is also new 1-1/4” wide with thin black line top and bottom as well as, available rocker trim. With the new designed cab now includes a new cargo light for the bed at the back of the cab above the rear window. 1968 Changed the hood side emblem to include a reflector. Lower bed side reflectors are standard. The exterior trim is now wider at 1-1/2” wide with the black thin line top and bottom. The Ranger option now includes a grille emblem. New for 1968 is interior door lock knobs. The exterior trim is changed again for 1970. The grille is all new with a plastic inert for either side of the grille. The front of the hood now has a trim going from side to side. The bed side reflector is moved from the lower bed side to the end of the body side trim and now has a light in it. The new Ranger and Ranger XLT trim is now 3-5/8” wide. The new wide trim is available with either black for the Ranger option or woodgrain for the Ranger XLT. 1971 The steering wheel is changed to a two spoke wheel with optional black or woodgrain horn pad. FIFTH GENERATION OF THE F100 AND INTRODUCTION OF THE F-150 The F-100 underwent major refinements for the fifth generation of the F Series, which ran from 1973 through 1979. Ford released the F-150, a fresh version, in 1973. The F-150 was essentially an F-100 with a spring package in the front and back that enabled the vehicle to carry a heavier load. Ford stopped production of the 4x4 F-100 in 1978. New grille with new plastic inserts for 1973 with the plastic insert now going around the headlight. The XLT option now included a grille emblem. The side trim was now available with a rubber insert down the center of the trim. The side reflectors now had light sockets with the front ones mounted in the front fenders and the rear still at the back of the bed trim. With the all new dash design trucks optioned with factory air conditioning now had vents in the dash for the air to go through and no longer was the air conditioning unit hanging from under the dash. 1974 Ford offered the new “Super Cab” with had a back bench seat and quarter windows behind the door. The new quarter windows were available fixed and with a pop out version. 1977 Offered a new exterior rim called “Race Trak” trim. The trim was a thin molding that started on the front fender at the grille and went down the side of the truck and curved up the bed side to meet the body side trim. Mid year 1978 Ford switch to square headlights which became standard for the F series trucks. Ford stopped producing the venerable F-100 entirely following the 1983 model year. Fans of Ford F-100 pickups and Ford automobiles in general are motivated to see cgfordparts.com. The site is an excellent resource for locating thousands of old Ford parts now in reproduction. The expert staff members are prepared to answer questions and share their knowledge of Ford restoration.