My Favorites

Every once in a while I post about our favorite things….  As you all know I am a big fan of old iron by Henry.. Ford that is.  Now my family was a GM family and most of it is to this day, but the Ford fan club is growing with my daughter owning a Ford now too.  I was even more is awe when I went by the Ford HQ in Dearborn…. talk about big!!! Woo hoo!!!  But, lets look at my favorite iron by Henry Ford….

Of the Ford brand, there is so much to be favorites… the Model T, the 1957 Fords, the Mustang… oh the list goes on.  But my favorite Ford is…

-the fabulous 1932 Ford.  What is so special about this old car?  Well, it had a flathead V-8 om it and it would scoot. If you ever see one of these it will turn your head for it is a handsome looking car that when it goes by has that throaty V-8 sound that will stun you for you will not expect it in a car like this. While Chevy had its stovebolt 6 with low end power and torque these old Ford had speed!  The 32 Ford followed the Model A and the Model T and was Henry Ford’s last big move to save Ford Motor Company.  It succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams and the engine was built until 1953.  While a 32 Ford looks like a car from another era it had a engine that would not be passed until the 50’s.. now that is revolutionary.  They were so popular that many of them became hot rods and that is what the song “Little Deuce Coupe” is about.. a 1932 Ford….. My number one favorite of Ford division of  Ford Motor Company,…..

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-This is a film of one.. the sound isn’t great but when he takes off with it you get to hear a bit of what they sound like… my favorite color too… black….

Then there was Mercury.  This was Edsel’s baby and what a car Mercs were.  From the tear drops, to the Cougars to all their fabulous cars in between I have my favorite….. I am torn for I love the Lead Sleds of 49 which were Jimmy Dean’s favorite and the 56 Mercs….. But the ’56 Mercs ooze power……

-Well, its the 1956 Mercury…. red and black two tone of course…. here I am next to one… 🙂 Below is a film of one… its a ugly color but you get to see the inside and outside of it and hear it run…… 🙂

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Then there is Lincoln… well you all know the 46-48 Lincoln Continental is my favorite.. in White or Black… oh yeah, now this is class…. with a V-12 this car oozed power and yet looked classy…. this was Edsel’s baby also…. and Edsel Ford to me was a genius…. here is a picture and here is a film of one in action…. my favorite all-time car….

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Sort of like riding in one isn’t it.. what a car!

Honorable Mentions…..  loved the ’63 Fords…..

and of course my second favorite Ford.. the 1957….

-I Ginger would look great in a ’46 Lincoln….. the old guy on the other hand would look good ina ’46 Ford tractor being dragged behind the plow… muwahahahaha  er… did I say that? snicker….

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A GENIUS!!!!

A pure collie post will be coming later today……

While I believe Henry Ford was a genius I have come to believe that after the Ford Model T that the true genius at Ford was his son Edsel.  You see, Edsel with Bob Gregorie designed the Model A, then he designed the 32 Ford the famous Deuce!  He developed the teardrop Fords, the Lincoln Zephyr and the Lincoln Continental!  He founded Mercury and his designs are still considered some of the most beautiful cars ever built!

While old Henry was developing a V-8 (no small feat!!!!) Edsel was putting sealed beam headlights into the fenders, creating Continental Kits, designing locking ignition switches on the steering wheel and creating new looks that were copied by everyone in the automobile industry.  While Henry fought four wheel brakes and hydraulic brakes Edsel put them in with safety features!!!  Safety glass… Edsel put that in the low price Fords…. the first low price car to do that!  While Henry was putting hydraulic shock absorbers on the Model A’s Edsel was developing bucket seats and Fords had them in the 1930’s!!!

Henry got all the attention but the guy who put Ford into the fast lane in advancing technology was the unsung hero… Edsel Ford.  Unlike his father Edsel was a all around nice guy who did not agree with his father about much outside of making Ford the tops and even that was a war for Edsel!

A soft spoken man who liked to remain in the background Edsel loved life and boats, cars, airplanes, art, music, animals and his family.  Dogs, Edsel’s family had lots of dogs and yes they had at least one collie!!!  His daughter Josephine loved animals and was a big supporter of taking care of animals during her lifetime!

Edsel gave money to Admiral Byrd for his polar expeditions,  for Amelia Earhart and other explorers.  He supported the arts and his main love after his family were cars.  But, he loved beautiful cars and he had up to 18 cars in his garage at any time.  Oh yes, Fords, Mercurys and of course Lincolns.  But, he also had some beautiful European cars and even had some American makes like Cadillac!!!

Edsel Ford’s son, Henry II took over the company in 1945 after his father died and old Henry could no longer lead. He saved the company and took on Chevrolet for almost 40 years and made it a powerhouse once again after old Henry almost wrecked the company.  Benson another son did wonderful research in many areas and while we mentioned Josephine his other son William Clay Ford is still alive today and owns the Detroit Lions.  The William Ford who is in charge of Ford now vows they will be number one again and in most countries they have passed GM in sales and last month total company sales came within 6,000 total vehicles of catching GM in America!

If it hadnt been for Edsel Ford would not be here now….  he saved the company and was a wonderful human being who no one spoke badly of.  He was overshadowed all his life by his father……  which is too bad.  But, I dont think Edsel would’ve had it any other way other than his father being nicer to him.  Edsel was the force behind Lincoln being bought by Ford and from that point on he designed one beautiful car after another…… each a legend in the automobile world.

With my busy schedule I have decided to take one day off to rest….. no collie business, no tractor business, no school, no work… just a day to recharge.  What am I going to do?  Well, I am heading off to Ford House.. the home of Edsel and Eleanor Ford….. I can;t think of a better way to just get away from it all.. and by the way… look up Ford House and take a look at his home.. this guy had a gorgeous home!

So, a salute to Edsel Ford!!!!  May God Bless his soul….

Edsel Ford and His Family!

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Edsel and Eleanor

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The 1932 Ford…. the Deuce which is my favorite Ford of all time….

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The 1939 Mercury, Edsel’s creation comes to life!

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To me, the most elegant and beautiful car ever built the Lincoln Continental, Edsel’s greatest creation……

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SALUTE to you Edsel!!!!!

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What A Day!!!

We went to the Car Museum today….  saw lots of wonderful cars and had a great time with my father and my son.   It was a great time…. then we came home and we tore the head off the old Case Sc tractor and found it has a cracked head… sigh…. what a shame….. not cheap to fix and now I have to make the decision to pay the money to fix it… to part it out or to scrap it….

During the week I finished the bedroom, fixed and polyed the living room floor, painted the collie’s hallway, got my books for college and fixed a few more things around the house….

So, I have been busy and its about to get busier with a garden to plow and plant with work and college for job retraining… sigh.. and a chance of puppies coming….

But, back to today…. I saw in the Model A Ford Museum a old Model T Ford that hadnt been restored.  So, I looked it over and did what any old country kid would do, I climbed under to look at mechanical parts to see what made it tick… as I was under there I took a picture and was looking up at the leaking rear end and I heard two people walk up and the following happened… “Is that part of the display?  Sort of like someone got run over by the Ford?  Do you think?  Um.. he just moved.. do you think he is okay.. perhaps he had a heart attack…”  I slid out from under the old Model T and grinned at the shocked lady and her man friend….  “Just looking under it to see what makes it tick.”  The lady said; “Oh thank God.. I thought perhaps you had a heart attack or something….”  My reply?  “I don’t think God would be so thankful..”  hehehe  They laughed..

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-“Do you think he had a heart attack…..”

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I will post more on here and at another of my blogs about our trip but I did see this 1956 Mercury!!!  I fell in love… hehehe….

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I even saw my favorite car… you know what that is…. but more later….

 

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Let me in the drivers seat of that old Tin Lizzie… I will run him over.. Muwahahahaah

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