1955 Ford Customline- Legacy

The best hot rods are the ones we build over and over in our minds. They become better when we let the idea simmer until finally there's an epiphany--"I know exactly what I want." For Dick Price Jr. of Wichita, Kansas this moment came in 2006 when reading a copy of the NSRA's StreetScene. He noticed a 1955 Ford Customline for sale and it was listed as a 30,044 mile car that looked new. All of us know what comes next and the rest of this story is in front of you.

Dick comes by way of his Ford roots the old-fashion way--genetically. His family is deeply linked to the Blue Oval beginning with his grandfather who opened in 1916 the first automotive dealership in Wichita, Kansas--Ford. After World War II his father Dick Price Sr. opened Dick Price Lincoln Mercury on the same block as Price Ford. Dick Jr., while working in 1958 as a service helper in his dad's dealership, bought a '55 Ford Customline. It didn't take long before his ride was parked at Star Kustom (Daryl Starbird) where it was nosed and decked and then pinstriped by King George. After a stint in the service, which included visiting South East Asia, he came home to the family business, Price Brothers Equipment, where he resides today as president.

Devlin Rod and Customs receives the nod for the outstanding workmanship seen on this Customline. Tim Devlin, Ryan James, Kevin Carr, Clay Hoberecht, and Tommy Gibson form the crew at Devlin Rod and Customs in Wichita.

The two-door post is chopped a subtle inch, emblems deleted, door handles shaved, and other mild custom touches include the frenched tri-bar, blue dot headlights plus Mercury wagon taillights with custom fitted LED lighting. The front and rear bumpers are stock however smoothed, narrowed, and tucked tightly to the body. The brightwork was handled by the pros at Sherm's Custom Plating (Sacramento, CA). The accompanying bodywork fell to the gang at DR&Cs including Ryan James who sprayed on the RM Blue Onyx Pearl paint. The tasteful graphics were painted by Juice (Justin Cline) of Augusta, Kansas.

The stock frame was modified by DR&Cs, first outfitting it with a Fatman Fabrications (Charlotte, NC) Mustang II stub featuring Fatman 2-inch dropped spindles, Air Ride Technologies (Jasper, IN) ShockWaves, Wilwood (Camarillo, CA) 12-inch rotors, calipers, and master cylinder. The stock brake pedal assembly is modified. Steering is a power rack-and-pinion controlled by an ididit (Tecumseh, MI) tilt column. The rear suspension is centered on a Strange Engineering (Morton Grove, IL) 9-inch equipped rearend with 4.11 gears, limited-slip differential, Strange axles, and more Air Ride and Wilwood goodies that include a four-link with Shockwaves and a 12-inch disc brake package.

Propping up the chassis at the corners is a set of Billet Specialties (La Grange, IL) Vintec wheels measuring 18x7 (4-inch backspace) in front, while the rears are 20x10 (again 4-inch backspace), all wrapped with Toyo Proxes 4 rubber coming in at P225/45R18 and P275/40R20.

Surfacing as the powerplant is a vintage 1969 Ford 429-cubic-inch stump puller. Bob (brother) and Josh (nephew) Price handled the assembly and they made sure to include loads of power in the 10.5:1 compression V-8. A Comp Cams (Memphis, TN) stick along with Blue Thunder Auto (Palm Springs, CA) cylinder heads, intake, and valve covers are also employed. Resting on top of the intake is a pair of Edelbrock (Torrance, CA) Performer 500cfm EnduraShine carbs while sitting under a Billet Specialties air cleaner. Other engine compartment accessories include a polished Powermaster 105-amp alternator, an Edelbrock water pump, a single 16-inch electric fan working in conjunction with an AFCO (Boonville, IN) aluminum radiator, MSD (El Paso, TX) ignition and wires, a pair of modified Ford Powertrain Applications (Puyallup, WA) headers and MagnaFlow Performance (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) polished stainless exhaust, and a Billet Specialties Tru Trac serpentine system.

Now, Dick and Tim Devlin will tell you that maybe, just maybe it would have been easier and probably smarter to install a Ford engine of some other configuration rather than the 429. It took some shoehorning between the fenders and firewall mods to pull off the swap. Well, maybe but "we" wouldn't want to see it any other way! Gettin' the nearly 600 hp to the rearend falls to the Ford C6 built by Flip-O-Matic in Wichita while gear selection comes by way of a Lokar Performance (Knoxville, TN) shifter.

The interior is a blend of stock, not-so-stock, and custom applications. For instance, the stock dash was modified by moving it away from the firewall an inch and a half. Inside the original glovebox is now a panel that houses the Custom Autosound Secretaudio, which powers the Pioneer speakers. The gauges (tach, clock, fuel, oil, temp) appear to be stock and to some degree they are, but modernized via Classic Instruments custom touch. The custom center console houses switches for the headlights, Air Ride system, windows and several Hod Rod Air (Selma, TX) HVAC ducts. The '66 T-bird seating is a nice custom touch that works well with the '55 Ford; buckets in front and the bench/bucket combo in back are wrapped in Scottish leather. All the upholstery stitchery was accomplished by Scott Downey of Downey's Auto Upholstery of Wichita.

The best ideas are the ones we work at. Dick Price Jr. proved that with his '55 Ford Customline. Looks and performance--now that's a hot rod.