1952 Ford customline two door club coupe, Introducing overhead valve mileage maker six!

Today on what it’s like 1952 Ford two-door custom line club coupe. Lots of period ads specs take the tour buttons switches and knobs enjoy =)
This absolutely stunning 1952 Ford custom line is for sale at classic automotive click the link below after the show
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[@jon-p]

Is it I love you by the Climax Blues Band?

[@What.its.like.]

Congratulations man you got it you were the first one to do so =) Be sure to tune in next time for 1952 Crosley Farm O road

[@josephgaviota]

2:12 "The _lines_ are ..." I remember as a kid, my dad and his dad (God Rest their Souls) sitting in the garage, having a beer, staring out at the street, watching the cars go by. _Nice Lines on that car ..._ They always remarked about what great "lines" various cars had. You take me back to my youth, bring back these old memories; I thank you for that.

[@josephgaviota]

8:52 I so remember that typeface on the controls. Those characters were backlit (with a sot of green light) when the headlights were turned on at night, so it was super easy to read the control labels, day or night.

[@dicksanders8206]

The best thing about the '50s cars is their 2-tone color combinations. They just look great!

[@josephgaviota]

As a kid, we had a two-door 1954 Ford station wagon (license plate IDA 437; not sure why I still remember _that_ ) ... it had an automatic transmission (as does your example car here). Mom never learned to drive a stick-much to dad's consternation-so she _had_ to have an automatic. My brother and I sat in the very back of the station wagon, and we slid all around as my mom made turns, stopped, accelerated. Of course today, this would all be considered child endangerment, but we got a lot of enjoyment out of it-despite banging our heads on the mechanisms now and then!

[@ROXSTARCorvette4371]

A very nice example of 50s Ford styling. The insturment panel didn't change much nor the styling. It was fairly conservative and rather typical styling until the second half of the decade.

[@What.its.like.]

Very true I like this gauge cluster over all the other ford dashes of the 50s

[@LlyleHunter]

When Ford is at their best their biggest cars look smaller than they really are. That’s opposite of the rest of the industry but it’s common to many of Ford’s most classic designs that worked in their time and endured the test of time as being remembered as classics and for notable great design achievement.

[@josephgaviota]

@@LlyleHunterAgreeing with @llyle, and that's why I so *LOVE LOVE LOVE* the 1961 Lincoln Continental.

[@NickTwisp80]

If it's 1952 & you're buying a new Ford, the Mileage Maker 6 is the better engine choice. They proved to be very reliable, very little power difference from the V-8 at that time, & best of all did not have the Ford V-8 chronic overheating problem in warm climates. Our '55 Ford V-8 invariably overheated in summer temps 80 degrees or more no matter how careful Dad was in maintaining the radiator water/antifreeze level. Turns out the fix was a larger thermostat which the Ford dealer finally recommended to Dad after 2 years of frustration in the summer.

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

The old Ford flat head V8 ended its career in passenger cars at the end of 1953. Your dad's '55 V8 was a Y block V8, Ford speak for an OHV V8.

[@NickTwisp80]

@@Al-thecarhistorian Indeed, I should have noted that we had a Y Block V-8 in the '55. Same problem, though.

[@stephenholland5930]

On the Strato-Star V8, what was the tube running across the front of the engine? Never seen anything like that before.

[@glennso47]

That’s nice that your instruments are all together around the speedometer. Easier to see that way! Nice hood opening for car thieves! 😮

[@glennso47]

I’m a little paranoid about hood openings since I had a few engine parts of a 1970 Chevy stolen while it was parked overnight once. The car had the hood opening just behind the grill so it was easy for a thief to get into the car and steal whatever they wanted. I was thankful that later cars had the hood latches inside the vehicle.

[@norencenelson8111]

What you often refer to as running lights are actually turn signals. Running lights weren't in common use until much later in the 20th century. If you can turn the ignition on and then try the turn signals.

[@What.its.like.]

I call them that because got called out for calling them turn signals when the car didn’t have turn signals

[@craigjorgensen4637]

Those sixes were great engines and 80 MPG is an understatement. A better engine than the V-8’s

[@AlphabetSoupABC]

I would choose this over the other 52 competitors. The Customline just has such sleek and simple style that works so well. A lot of cars from that era just look overly bulbous to me, but this car looks perfectly proportioned.

[@What.its.like.]

After thinking about it after shooting the episode I think I would take the Ford over the competition as well dashboards beautiful the lines are beautiful that car is optical illusion there’s more space in the back then what looks to be on the outside it’s just a great package

[@josephgaviota]

I have to agree with @alphabetSoup on this.

[@msquaretheoriginal]

In 1952, this was probably the best choice. Plymouth and Chevy were still pretty stodgy, and would remain so until '55.

[@gene978]

Hey Jay! WOW! Almost 1 MIL Sales in 1952 Damn! CLEAN EXAMPLE! I bet it’s worth over 30K

[@What.its.like.]

Totally agree

[@danielimpastato3466]

Always love Jay's Pros and Cons! This was a real banner sales year for Ford and Chevy battling it out. I think the Ford had much better styling and this is a beautiful restoration. Man, a chimp could swing on that rear bumper guard‼🐵

[@What.its.like.]

That’s awesome =)

[@tigre7739]

The clean line styling is really nice! I think it's a sleek beautiful look without being over done. The interior was very nice, and the instrument gauge was very cool! 😎

[@alanblanes2876]

The big main question: How did it do on the camera in glovebox test?

[@What.its.like.]

I couldn’t get the glove box open to test it

[@alanblanes2876]

@@What.its.like. Thanks for trying

[@asteverino8569]

This year of the two generation body style is my favorite. Still has some of the roundness from the 40's still.. Thanks Jay.

[@glennso47]

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any 52 Ford.

[@Radiowild]

Guy in the next town over from me has a 52 Customline with the flat head. It's 50's style complete with 57 Caddy hubcaps. I agree with you that this was a cleaner, nicer look over the 51. The flathead was on it's last legs (54 went to the "Y" block), and the "6" was a stronger and more reliable motor anyway.

[@What.its.like.]

As far as early 50s go the design is nice.. might be my favorite early 50s design besides a Nash =)

[@stevenhoman2253]

These really take me back, Jay. Down under, the average age of our cars, for the longest time, was on average over 12 years, which meant that people held on to their cars much longer than in the US for example. A lot of the Ford Customlines were still around in the late 70s, with many of them being in restored or even just working condition. The lumpy, uneven sound of the V8 idle is still a haunting sound down here; even with petrol near $2 per litre. If you love your big engine, maybe a second job becomes your only option?

[@stevenhoman2253]

Crosley, fantastic. I recently saw a photo in which a US postal van was parked. I was looking at the car, and I'm thinking, A stretched Fiat 500? Very weird looking tiny vehicle, Never expecting something so small from an American manufacturer. It was a Crosley Hatchback? Coupe.It also looks almost identical to a Minnie Moke, which was likely the most dangerous car on the planet at the time. Think a completely open Mini Minor.

[@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarage]

I like the little "Safety Bear" in the ads. I think the 1952 Ford was the most modern looking out of all of them at the time. They made a model of the 1953 Ford Nice review J!

[@stevenhoman2253]

The equivalent to Meeee paying $17,000 seems a great deal. I remain for ever loyal to your elongations and exaggerations of 'you,' and the other ones, which you could just scatter at random if you liked. Not a single other person does that. Being unique is how catchphrases are born.

[@josephgaviota]

10:48 Wow, 6-volt battery, oil-bath air cleaner, flathead engine ... all very old school. Notice *TWO* upper radiator hoses, because TWO water pumps on those engines. (which you mention, I see)

[@daviddavis4444]

Mrs Hamzy a lady that lived by my Grandmother had a 2 Door Mainline early 60's she'd take my mom and my 2 brothers home when we visited Grandma. That back seat seemed go big to a 5 year old, she'd go from 1st to 3rd skipping 2nd unless she had a big hill to get up if she didn't have her speed up.

[@What.its.like.]

Great story thank you so much for sharing it =)

[@pazzazz1]

Great video and review. I agree with you about the Nash Rambler.

[@What.its.like.]

I want to review early 50s Nash so bad =)

[@stevenhoman2253]

The FIN? It is starting to become a 60 Falcon round tail light, and where I lived none of the roads were sealed, and pretty much where that guard is, was where the pebbles would hit and scratch the paint, I recall. That quiet understated elegance in styling seemed to be the Ford's forte during the 50s, until they hit PEAK CHROME. As a response, I suppose, to the competition? Still an attractive vehicle, not for its garish 'look at me' flair, but despite it. PS, I have never seen the front and rear over riders on the bumpers before, they are hideous to my eyes, destroying the lines. Their nickname of Single and Double spinner relied on the spinners being visible, not hidden behind a weird horizontal add on.

[@Robert-yp9zs]

I thoroughly enjoy those late 40s through 50s cars; as I enjoyed them growing up.

[@What.its.like.]

Glad you dig this channel sorry for the delayed response

[@stevenhoman2253]

"The almost got it all covered book of collectable cars."

[@What.its.like.]

Hahaha pretty much

[@stevenhoman2253]

Before power steering, the manufacturers used gearing, with ever larger steering wheels to turn.

[@christopherkraft1327]

Hey Jay, you did it again, another gorgeous time capsule!!! This 52 Ford is restored to perfection inside & out. I really appreciate all of the hard work you put into creating these videos!!! You hit it out of the park every time!!! That Buick Centurion parked next to this Ford is pretty nice too!!! Thanks again my friend!!! 👍👍🙂

[@What.its.like.]

Glad you dig this episode =)

[@DSP1968]

What a beautifully restored car! Thank you for featuring it.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you for watching =)

[@johnclements6852]

Love the Customline. They were built by Ford Australia prior to their introduction of the Falcon. I noticed the temperature guage indicated high, and the transmission selector was in neutral, not park, but a great car nonetheless. It's interesting to learn that turn signal lights and reversing lights were optional extras - how the times have changed. Compared to the Chevrolet and Chrysler offerings of the day, the Ford looks more modern. The forthcoming Crosley vehicle reminds me of the British Morris Mini-Moke, and I guess it was a cheap vehicle of that time, I look forward to it.

[@jonathanmorrisey5771]

Ford's King-Seely temp gauges come to rest at the hot position when the key is turned off. Totally normal. The shifter in neutral is normal as the starter will engage in neutral-only, not Park as is normal today.

[@johnclements6852]

@Jonathan Morrisey Thanks, mate, something learned as I didn't realize this. Much appreciated.

[@vikingstorm885]

"I love you" Climax Blues Band

[@What.its.like.]

That’s the song song one just beat you to it

[@stevenhoman2253]

Jay, another ute uber I sometimes watch, is Adam at Rare Classic Cars. He is in a fairly unique position, in that he buys his cars and keeps them in humidity controlled storage. (I mean, how many people can claim that?) He covers the 60s through late 70s era of Ford, GM and Chrysler as far as I can tell. He either picks these up very cheaply or buys a reasonable barn find and restores it if it isn't a wreck. He isn't doing major panel work or anything like that. Most of his are, for example, a 1973 Ford LTD with 7000 miles. Etc. so most of his cars are virtually brand new, and barely run in. But as you'll know, time is still an entropic bitch and components need changing anyway. You might be interested in checking him out, as some of his info. is useful (my idea is to use the shotgun approach, where the more pellets in the air, the more likely it is to hit a point of interest.) You are obviously a professional at this, so I figure the more irons you have in the fire, the better? Cheers Jay.

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

Adam is one of the best as he only buys pristine, low mileage cars. He is probably the most knowledgeable, unbiased individual regarding automobiles on You Tube. Adam's speciality is standard to premium American made cars of the sixties and seventies. Check out Adam. He is the best of the best.

[@What.its.like.]

I watch Adam, Paul Shinn, eds car reviews, vin wiki lol list goes on and on.. I might reach out to Adam and see if he would like to collaborate =) Vice grip garage I’ve been wondering how many nasty comments Derek gets with his made up words.. =)

[@stevenhoman2253]

@@What.its.like. Hey, I'm preaching to the converted here, Jay. I have subscribed to around 700 channels because my interests are highly diverse. SO, I have no idea what others watch. You know, reaching out to Adam might be a really cool idea. I'm with you regarding the car family of interests. Being friendly is the best choice. For example, I am more a motorcycle guy, but in the end it is all engineering to me. ($4000 buys a reliable bike which will outperform a supercar $ for a little extra and a hypercar.) Have you seen Greg's planes trains and automobiles? Mostly WWII military aircraft, but some on cars etc. Very niche engineering, with the full aircraft jargon flying everywhere.

[@captaccordion]

I too am very fond of the 52 - 54 Ford's and have owned a couple. On whether the grille returned to a single bullet, it sort of depends whether you think of them as bullets or rockets, as it could be construed that they've gone for a triple rocket effect if you include the sidelights/parking lights. And I too don't like the bumper guards which are aftermarket. There are a couple of mods under the engine bay, particularly the exhaust headers, and the radiator doesn't look stock either. Cheers.

[@What.its.like.]

Totally true I like the 52-54 more than the 57-59 =)

[@aaronwilliams6989]

Keep em coming!

[@What.its.like.]

=)

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

Nice video of an important Ford. I'm sure the Nash Rambler was priced similar to the "low priced three", but it was actually a compact vehicle in size whereas Chevy, Ford and Plymouth were larger, standard sized vehicles. I am a bona fide Nash/AMC supporter. I love the Nash Rambler. The Country Club hardtop is beautiful. That being said, I'd pick the Chevy Bel Air if I were buying in 1952. It was a well built, stylish, dependable vehicle.

[@What.its.like.]

I thought about it after recording the episode of a gun was pointed at my head I’d probably take the ford with the 6 =)

[@allenwayne2033]

Maybe I'm Amazed, Paul McCartney

[@What.its.like.]

It’s not that song but Great guess tho think 80s it’s early 80s

[@VintageCarHistory]

Just to let you know, I've decided to give your channel the Shout Out on this Tuesday's episode of Ye Ol' Garage on my channel.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much =)

[@denislandry7577]

Beautiful car , i had a 53 long time ago

[@What.its.like.]

What did you think of the car and what power plant did you have

[@denislandry7577]

Great car , 239 flathead 3 on tree 4 door post .

[@robertberoza2009]

The 1952 Ford Customline was review was excellent. I enjoy your car reviews. I'm a big Mopar fan and owned the Dodge Dart that was next to the Ford. Would it be possible to do a review of that car.

[@What.its.like.]

I just went back there and I did not do the Dodge dart but I will find a Dodge dart to do =) everything was moved around when I was there yesterday same car as weren’t next to that 52 Ford..

[@robertberoza2009]

@@What.its.like. It would be great if you could find a 68, 69, or 70 Dodge Dart Swinger, GT or GTS with the 340. I think viewers will enjoy the mighty little muscle car. Thanks, keep up the great channel.

[@What.its.like.]

I would love to find a swinger and compare it to a mercury comet.. I think that would be an awesome comparison two harder to find cars

[@richardbailey202]

Beautiful car! I'm guessing from the V crest that this may be a Canadian model?

[@gcfifthgear]

May have been a dealer-installed accessory

[@leightonfarms4962]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@user-lk8yh7bu5o]

BEATLES

[@billolsen4360]

Was the trunk really large? I think that was the idea behind Club Coupes where the shortened passenger compartment allowed for more trunk space. Thanks!

[@What.its.like.]

It seemed like a decent size but I didn’t have trunk access I didn’t have the keys

[@richardmorse5307]

Like the styling a lot and would choose this over the competition but without the bumper guards front and rear. Specifically I’d like the V8 with the automatic transmission. Does the over head valve design come out in 1953 or later.

[@What.its.like.]

Depends 52 for the ohv six and 54 for the V8

[@richardmorse5307]

What’s the advantage of the change to the overhead valves for the V8 in 1954?

[@What.its.like.]

Doesn’t overheat like the flathead but has top end oiling issues the MEL and FE engines are better.. they both come in 58

[@richardmorse5307]

@@What.its.like. Thanks. I remember traveling in the mid 1950’s with my parents down in Washington State and hearing and seeing the ads for the OHV V8’s for the 1955 and 1956 model years. They were really great ads back then.

[@stevenhoman2253]

I dawdled on the engine's picture, where the V8 has a balance pipe? Connecting both exhaust manifolds, which I don't know the purpose of. Noting the power output claim amount to 9HP increase with the V8, which makes me think that people must have been wiser about their engines then? Imagine trying to sell a car where the difference between the 6 & 8 was 9HP, people would be laughing, I would guess.

[@captaccordion]

The 0 - 60 times of the 6 and 8 cars shows the 8 to be a couple of seconds quicker, so there was a bigger difference in torque. The crossover exhaust pipe was just a way of making a V8 run with a single exhaust system. It's absent on this 52, which likely means it's running dual exhausts.

[@What.its.like.]

Rear end gear or final gear wasn’t specified, and that will definitely play into it as well, but yeah crazy it’s only 9 hp difference I’d take the ohv 6

[@captaccordion]

@@What.its.like. Yes, you're right about the rear axle ratio, though of course in my experience, all cars of the period need to have the optional overdrive to be any good for modern freeway driving. On the 6 vs V8, it's torque which counts, and power is torque x RPM. Even assuming they were rated at the same power, if the V8 made maximum power at 3500 RPM and the 6 made it's maximum power at 4500RPM, then for normal driving, the V8 would feel more powerful. With that all said, it sounds like the 6 is the better motor for a warm climate, with the flathead V8's notorious propensity for overheating.

[@What.its.like.]

All great points peter Anderson =)

[@stevenhoman2253]

Do you know which model year, Ford introduced the green acrylic, panoramic roof in their sedan/coupe range? The one that made everyone look like they were diseased. I don't want to rummage through my library, which covers every interest and literary style imagined. Nothing can be categorised or given a system. I just know that any sane person would never have bought one, or Ford Australia would not have imported them? The weather and sunlight are simply ridiculous here, even in winter, it would boil a jug of water left on the seats. This was the time period where Ford were chugging along with new innovations, like the solid electrically folding roof. This was before Chrysler became the figurehead for innovation and poor build quality simultaneously.

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

They introduced the Skyliner in 1954. The Mercury version was the Sun Valley. In 1955 Ford's glass top hardtop was the Fairlane Crown Victoria Transparent Top model. In 1956, the same model was the Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner. The model was gone after 1956, but the Skyliner name was used from 1957 through 1959 on the retractable hardtop model.

[@captaccordion]

I'm thinking 54. Not sure about the Ford, but pretty sure the Mercury could be had with it then.

[@What.its.like.]

1954 I’ve been looking for one the review they are hard to find

[@stevenhoman2253]

@@What.its.like. I have a theory about older cars and what happens to them. This one involves the kids of the returned soldiers, who became teenagers during the 50s. To keep ahead in the street-rodding scene (think Spielberg: American Graffiti) a lot of young guys would beg borrow or steal a certain model like the 54? And chop and rat rod them? The theory is dependent on when they came of age and when their dads got back from the war. The core weakness of my thesis. A trend I noted in Australia with cars and M cycles. Wasn't there a shortfall of 32 Ford bodies because of rodding?

[@msquaretheoriginal]

Mileage-Maker Six? That car clearly has V8 badges on it. And sure enough, that's a flathead under the hood. Ford didn't introduce an overhead valve V8 until 1954. A year ahead of Chevy, but the small-block was a far superior engine to the original Ford Y-block. My mom had one of these in the same color and configuration.

[@stevenhoman2253]

Yep, the Nash, then Ford. The remaining 2 are Mehh.

[@craigjorgensen4637]

I would get rid of that ugly rear bumper guard bar!

[@glennso47]

Did Harley Earl have any thing to do with the design of this car? With the bullet design of the front end?

[@danielulz1640]

Harley Earl worked for G M !

[@glennso47]

@@danielulz1640 thanks

[@danielulz1640]

@@glennso47 you're welcome. Many designers worked for multiple companies, but Earle only worked for G M.

[@glennso47]

@@danielulz1640 who designs cars now? They all seem to look alike. No matter what company makes them, they all look like they are designed by the same people.

[@danielulz1640]

@@glennso47 they are, effectively, all styled by the Federal Government. There are so many safety standards, pedestrian protection, bumper height and function, roll over standards, etc. and etc., that there is not much left to style.

[@glennso47]

Ford beat out Chevy with a one piece windshield. Chevy didn’t have that till 53.

[@What.its.like.]

That’s true

[@glennso47]

@@What.its.like. Just curious what did the 52 Plymouth look like? Compared to the fords?

[@danielulz1640]

@@glennso47 the box that the Ford came in. LOL.

[@glennso47]

You got 15 gallons per mile?😬

[@What.its.like.]

Miles per gallon it actually didn’t do that bad

[@glennso47]

@@What.its.like. Sorry I was just joking that. In those days mpg didn’t matter much. But I think the mpg you quoted might have been pretty good for the time.

[@sking2173]

@@What.its.like. - The cars from back then all got crappy mileage, especially when compared to current-day standards. The poor mileage was also somewhat surprising given that most of those engines were anemic as hell. Look at this car. Even the V-8 would only do 85 (and that was about right).