A lifelong car fanatic, Mike Reid has owned hot rods, customs, race cars, musclecars, and everything in between. His stable has housed a Dick Dean-built Merc, a '50 Chevy with a blown Jimmy six that he ran at the San Gabriel Dragstrip, the Tony Nancy tribute Deuce built by LimeWorks Speed Shop (SR, July '08), and his newest hot rod, this '55 Ford Courier sedan delivery.
About a year and a half ago at a car auction in Palm Springs, California, Mike and his wife, Sharon, and another couple were enjoying a weekend away. After a mediocre morning at the auction, the group peeled away to enjoy a little gambling and some fun in the sun. Later that afternoon, Mike returned to the auction to scope out a red and white two-toned '55 Ford Courier with a Ford 302ci engine. Caught in the heat of the moment, and impressed by the Ford-in-a-Ford setup, he decided to bid on the car, eventually winning it, and before the Reids knew it, they were headed back to their Carlsbad, California, home in their new ride.
The Ford 302ci engine remains...
The Ford 302ci engine remains basically stock, with the exception of the Ford Racing aluminum valve covers and a Holley 700-cfm carb. The engine is mated to a C4 trans and breathes through a pair of Hushpower mufflers.
The return home, however, was not without incident, for about half way back to Carlsbad, Mike decided to check the engine's vital signs and discovered it was low on oil. Four quarts later, the dipstick was finally measuring full and the couple was back on the road. It was not until Mike started cleaning up the car that he discovered the dipstick was actually too short and that the engine oil level was fine before he added the extra quarts. Suffice it to say, that was one of the first things to be replaced when Mike took ownership of the Ford.
With the small-block Ford installed by the previous owner in good running order, along with the C4 transmission and Currie 9-inch rearend, Mike decided instead to concentrate on upgrades to the suspension to achieve a more proper hot rod stance. Starting at the front, 4-inch dropped spindles were slid between the stock control arms along with a new disc brake setup, and out back a pair of lowering blocks was installed between the parallel leaf springs and rearend. Since the Reids also planned to tow their Airstream trailer with the wagon, air shocks were added to the rear to help maintain proper loaded ride height. Inside the wagon, Mike did a simple cleanup job to the interior, adding a Mooneyes tach above the GM tilt column and a trio of Mooneyes gauges under the dash to keep a closer eye on the Ford engine than the original gauges did.
A GM tilt column replaced...
A GM tilt column replaced the original Ford unit, adding a bit of creature comfort to the otherwise stock interior. A LeCarra steering wheel tops the column, fronting a column-mounted Mooneyes tach.
While the majority of the Courier remained unchanged after Mike purchased it at the auction in Palm Springs from the original owner, Bob Fair, one major change altered the car's overall aesthetic even more so than the dramatic ride-height adjustments. Like many car guys, collecting vintage tin doesn't end at the cars themselves for Mike. Everything from models to old signs to neon clocks to vintage, restored gas pumps adorn Mike's garage, and it was those old petroliana items that influenced Mike to commission Bob Iverson to paint that famous "Roar with Gilmore" logo along the sides of his wagon.
Four short months after Mike purchased the wagon in Palm Springs, his short list of upgrades and personal modifications were complete, including the side murals. Starting with a solid foundation, Mike took a perfectly good street rod, gave it a personal twist, and made it his own.