http://www.oldcarsweekly.com August29, 2019 ❘ 15Q.
In the article “Doc Boneyard”
(July 4 Old Cars) about Big M
Automotive in Williams, Calif., there
is a picture of a 1956 Ford Mainline
four-door sedan (page 61) noted in the
caption as “late-model-year produc-
tion.” I am curious as to what visual cue
denotes this Mainline
sedan as “late-model-
year production.” Not
being a Ford person,
I am not too familiar
with their model-year
running changes.
I ask because one of
my favorite pastimes is
looking at early public
relations and market-
ing photos and early
auto brochures to note
styling features that
never made it into production, and also
to sometimes detect running changes
made during the model year.
Two of my favorites are early photos
of the 1955 Ford Thunderbird with
Fairlane side trim and early photos
and brochures of the 1957 Chevrolet
Two-Ten without the rear quarter upper
perimeter molding for the production
two-tone paint scheme (as on the Bel
Air to surround the decorative alumi-
num panel). And, of course, early pho-
tos of the prototype 1953 Corvette with
the side trim only on the front fenders.
Regarding the 1955 Thunderbird
with the Fairlane side trim, I have seen
one of these (black) at car shows in SE
Michigan. Being in close proximity to
Ford Motor Co., this Thunderbird is
most likely a very early factory-built
car,perhapsa prototype.Notethat“back then,” prior to today’s EPA and
FMVSS regulations, “one-offs,” proto-
type cars, show cars, experimental cars
and so on could be sold to the public
when the factory was done with them.
— Patrick Bisson, Flushing, Mich.A.
We asked Phil Skinner, author
of the article and an authority
on that era of Ford Motor Co. cars. He
told us that the rear trim on Mainlines
was a late addition during the year, and
that a two-tone option, as on the car in
the article, also became available for
Mainlines. Ford production for 1956
began in September 1955. Two versions
of the 1956 brochure, dated August
1955 and January 1956, show this pro-
gression from monotone with no trim,
to monotone with trim and two-tone
schemes. Phil notes that the parts books
might be able to pinpoint the change
dates more accurately. The Tudor busi-
ness sedan, by the way, was the “sales-
man’s version,” with no back seat.
My suspicion is that at the beginning
of the 1956 model year, Ford product
plannersandespeciallydealersnotedthat Chevrolet’s One-Fifty models,
which had been devoid of trim in 1955,
received side trim and two-tone options
from the beginning of the 1956 model
year. Ford, naturally, rushed to offer its
own version.Q.
In reply to Paul Schmeltz’s
question concerning the Chev-
rolet trademark bowtie on a 1931 bat-
tery cable (July 18), up through 1933 it
was common for the “bowtie” to appear
on various Chevrolet parts. It could be
cast into iron parts or stamped into steel
parts that were used in the engine or
running gear. The bowtie usually was
near the casting number. It can also be
found on some 1934 parts if they were
carried over from 1933.
The reason the battery cable was
found still attached to the frame is
because the ground was changed from
the original location on the frame to
the transmission case or universal
joint housing when a new battery was
installed, as suggested by Chevrolet in
a February 1935 Dealer Service News.
Whoever made the change left the
original cable attached to the frame, as
the new grounding location required a
longer cable.
— Gene Schneider, West Allis, Wis.A.
As I’ve said so many times
before, there is nothing about
early Chevrolets that Gene does not
know. Thank you again, Gene. We are
consistently in your debt.Q&A WITH KIT FOSTER
To submit questions to this column: E-mail
[email protected] or mail to: Q&A, Old Cars,
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