Brad Cline's 1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan - 1 Fine55

When Brad Cline was milling around a local upholstery shop in White, Georgia, he probably couldn't have guessed that the roll of fabric he would leave with that day would eventually find itself covering the interior of a Chevy-powered Ford, or any Ford for that matter. The owner of the shop was closing the doors and the roll of 1955 Cadillac material that Brad was interested in was destined for the dustbin. Brad purchased the material and socked it away in the rafters, knowing his shop, Thunder Valley Customs, would build a car that could utilize the threads somewhere down the road. A few years later and that's indeed what happened.

Across town from Thunder Valley Customs was a polishing shop Brad used from time to time, and he noticed a half-finished '55 Ford sitting out back during one of his visits. Inquiries about the car revealed that it was a shop project that had run out of steam, and, if Brad was interested, perhaps a deal could be worked out for it. Brad had an idea as to how the old Ford could turn out and if he could just sell his father, Lamar, on it, he could seal the deal. Listening to his son describe the car, Lamar just couldn't picture the vision Brad had, but he believed in him enough to take his word and give his approval. Brad returned to the site of the forgotten Ford, a deal was struck, hands shook, and soon the sedan was on its way across town to the shop.

Work began in earnest once the sedan was in Brad's shop. The frontend had already been converted with a Camaro IFS front clip, and an 8-inch Ford rearend sat out back, but Brad knew something had to be done in the suspension department to get the car to sit right. The only option to do that and still keep it drivable was to install an Air Ride Technologies suspension system at all four corners. This meant mild adaptation to the frontend, while the rear would receive a custom four-link set up to let the rearend articulate properly. Wilwood disc brakes were installed on all corners and a Delphi rack-and-pinion steering box was also dropped in place. Although Brad and Lamar chose a Chevy mill to power their Ford, Brad dressed the small-block with a 3x2 Rochester-equipped intake and disguised the 350 with finned valve covers to give it a more vintage look. Backing the Chevy is a 700-R4 overdrive trans that keeps the Ford up to speed with the highway traffic without over-clocking the engine.

Once the drivetrain and suspension incidentals were worked out, Brad got to work on the body mods, which included removing some of the body trim and V-8 emblems, with help from Jimmy Whitten, before the car was sprayed in PPG Black. Once the paint dried, the freshly polished stainless and chromed parts were reinstalled before the car was rolled out into the daylight with its new makeover.

With the latest creation from Thunder Valley Customs complete, Brad and Lamar Cline have been busy with another task-taking the Ford to as many shows as they can! So far, they've hit a handful of national shows, including the Goodguys Nashville Nationals, where we caught up with the Clines and their gorgeous '55.

Facts & Figures
Lamar and Brad Cline
Cartersville, Georgia
1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan