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Blacktop Magazine

Orange, CA View More Vehicles

1956 Ford Fairlane – RIff-Raff

Vehicle Quick Facts

Profile ID: 18457
Year: 1956
Make: Ford
Model: Fairlane
Markets: Classic & Antique, Muscle Car, Performance, Rod & Custom
Vehicle Type: American
Contact: Blacktop Magazine

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Vehicle Story

1956 Ford Fairlane, Club Sedan, Businessmans Edition – “Riff Raff”

We purchased the car from Family Classic Cars in San Juan Capistrano in 2004. The owner consigned the car and worked there. Mike Canipe, local hot rod builder and guitarist for John Fogerty’s live shows. He claimed to bring his daughter home from the hospital in the car. I told him I wasn’t interested in a show car but a go car, and he said let’s take it for a spin. The 390 under the hood felt comfortable reminding me of my ’67 Galaxie convertible I owned in the 80’s. We were cruisin’ north on the 5 when he said slap it down a gear and hit the gas! So I slapped the B&M Quicksilver shifter down a gear and the C6 was quite responsive as I mashed on the pedal. Billy got sent back a bit riding in the raised rear floor of the Businessman’s Edition. After a  year of looking for just the right car, I kept coming back to check on the ’56. Finally one day in early 2004 I gave him my price take it or leave it. We made the deal and I drove that baby home.
A year or so after driving the car putting on around 20K miles, the cam failed. A flattened lobe bent a push rod and messed it up a bit. We took it to Jerry’s Performance Engine just down the street in Garden Grove and he rebuilt the ’68 Ford 390 FE all the while cussing at the Ford engineers. We installed a Chet Herbert mild cam and adjusted the valve springs. New water pump, oil pump and we were rolling again.
As well as putting on tons of miles and several sets of rubber, we have been adding different things to the car. In this season of Project RIFF-RAFF, we are constantly changing it up. We just finished rewiring the entire car with a Ron Francis Express Kit, installed a new Flaming River 170 amp alternator, an ididit chrome/tilt steering column and topping it off with a jewel of a custom steering wheel from CON2R.

ENGINE: 390cid Ford with GT Heads, Chet Herbert Cam, Edelbrock Performer 390 Intake, Edelbrock AVS 2 Series Carburetor, Edelbrock Finned Classic Valve Covers, Edelbrock Classic SeriesAir Cleaner, MSD Pro-Billet Distributor, MSD Blaster 2 Coil, MSD Digital 6AL Control Module, Vintage Spark Plug Wires by ididit, E3 Spark Plugs, Heatshield Products Spark Plug Boots, Flowmaster 2.25″ Stainless Steel U-Fit-It Kit with Dual Super 40 Series mufflers, Doug’s Headers electronic cut-outs, Ron Francis Express Wiring Kit, Optima Battery

TRANSMISSION: C6 Automatic Transmission, B&M Quicksilver shifter, Ford 9″ with 4:11 gears, Eddie Motorsports Billet Shift Boot and Bezel.

BRAKES/SUSPENSION: Dual Diaphragm power brake, Mustang II front spindles with disc brakes, stock rear drums. Jamco Parts’ cut coil spring front suspension, blocked rear suspension with anti-sway bar, Wheelsmith classic Ford Wire Wheels, Diamond Back Classics Auburn Whitewall Tires.

INTERIOR: Black tweed and leather interior, black carpeting, Clayton Machine Works Door Handles and Window Cranks, ididit chrome Tilt Steering Column, Custom CON2R Steering Wheel, Custom Autosound 740 bluetooth capable radio.

PAINT AND BODY: Shaved vent windows, PPG Black with Krazy Roof painted with PPG Enviro-base, Ditzler Big Flake, PPG Candy Blue with Black Lace Panels and infinity line by Hitoshi Umekage at Cambra Speed Shop.

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  • Cambra Speed Shop - Shaved vent windows, PPG Black with Krazy Roof painted with PPG Enviro-base, Ditzler Big Flake, PPG Candy Blue with Black Lace Panels and infinity line by Hitoshi Umekage

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