1957-1958 Ford Del Rio - Ford's 2-door Sport Wagon
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2024
- Following the short tenure of the luxurious 2-door 1956 Ford Parklane wagon, Ford rolled out the 2-door 1957-1958 Del Rio Ranch wagon (Del Rio for short) which was Ford's effort to market a genuine sport wagon. Initially Del Rio sales were excellent but soon tapered off. Never-the-less the Del Rio has cemented a place in automotive history as an attractive upscale classic sport wagon worthy of a place in any car collector's garage.
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Growing up we had a 57 Country Squire t bird special V8. Fast for a huge wagon! Dad loved to floor it when Mom wasn't in the car.
Just as long as she wasn't standing in front of it.
We had a 1957 Ford Country Sedan, brand new in Coral Sand and Colonial White. Ford outsold Chevy in 1957, yet the '57 Chevy became an icon. Also, Ford didn't go all in on tailfins as Chrysler did and later GM in '59. The '57 Fords were understated yet classy.
My Dad got out of the Marines in 57 and he got muster out pay and he went new car shopping. He got the 57 Ford instead of the Chevy he wanted more because the ford was 100 bucks cheaper😟. But as is pointed out here. 100 bucks was a weeks pay, if you had a good job anyway lol
As a senior in high school in 1963 I had a 57 Del Rio. Unfortunately by the time I bought it she had been through five winters, and had serious rust problems. Being young and dumb I traded it for another rust bucket. If a person only knew back then what some of those clunkers would be worth in the future. Those were the days when you could buy 55-57 Fords or Chevy's for seventy to a hundred bucks all day long. of course that was two weeks pay.
I had a 61 Ranchero back in the early 70s. I paid $200 for it and had to replace the whole floor that had rusted out. Now, looking back, I wish I had it today.
I would love to find one of these. I always loved station wagons.
My dad bought one in 57 off the showroom floor of Stoddard and Wendell Ford in Spokane. It was white over Robins Egg Blue. It had a 292 with with an automatic. It sat for several years after the engine slipped the timing chain in about 1965. May dad and I rebuilt the engine and it was my car until about 1980 when it blew a head casket and I just couldn’t get around to fixing it for a number of reasons. I kick myself to this day for selling it in 1981.
What a gorgeous wagon! I am buying a 57 T-bird as 57 was a great year for Ford. I normally am a bowtie fan, but the 57's are gorgeous!
First off I'm a Ford person, all the tri five T birds were the most beautiful car ever made they were rolling work's of art. and 1957 wasn't all that great a year for Ford. Chevrolet took the number one sales spot away from them after trying for for a long time. I'm sure you have heard the saying I'd rather push a Ford than own something else well it's true. if your a Chevrolet person you will never be happy owning a Ford in fact you will grow to hate them even more. so here's a little piece of advice that will save you some misery and you will thank me for in the end. you would be wise to search out a vintage Corvette and buy it and forget about that T bird.
I was hoping you wouldn't forget the two door Mercury Commuter. No fear, you know your stuff.
Beautiful lines. Always loved the stationwagons, especially the two doors
Oh the memories. My dad had a 57 del rio sport wagon in what I call snot green over a dark green. When I was 4yrs old. It had the 312ci in it. 3 speed on the colum
I grew up in the 1950s and 60s, but don’t remember ever seeing one of these Del Rios. Saw lots of Nomads, and some Safari’s, but never one of these or the Merc Commuter. Really a nice looking wagon. Surprising sales were so much greater than the Nomad and Safari, but few exist today. Would love to see one. Thank you for your interesting and well narrated video.
I lived in Detroit which was where most 57 Fords came from but the ones that had to stay there or anywhere like it didn’t fare so well. I remember we moved to a new house in 1963 and a neighbor had a 57 Ford that was already mostly rusted to oblivion. Most of those cars barely made it through the 60s unless they were in Arizona or someplace dry.
My sentiments exactly. I remember the Nomads, but not these Fords. They are cool looking, especially the 58.
👍thank you for sharing this beautiful video of the ford wagons. Iove those cars
My Dad bought a new Country Squire in '58 ... Red&White, it was beautiful... What I remember the most was the spot lites it had 2 of them , one on each side. On the the back of them, made into the housing of the lights were the side review mirrors... I remember getting yelled at for moving the mirrors so I could see where I'd been.
Life was almost all good back then... GO FORD
The colour schemes on these 1950's cars are the BEST ever, really nice
IKR
We had the yellow and white
When I took driver’s ed in the summer of ‘69 (taught by high school), all the cars were Olds Cutlass Vista Cruiser wagons. They were kinda cool for a wagon as I look back. It was mandatory that you learned a standard transmission as well... column mounted 3-speed (“three on the tree”!)
I took my driver's ed in high school in 1972. The car was a Chevelle with the 454, painted yellow with a black vinyl roof and the cowl induction hood with black stripes. It looked like a bumble bee. The instructor warned all of us before driving to take it easy on the gas. Being 15 at the time more than a couple of us chirped the tires when we took off. The next year they used a Datsun B210 because of the "oil crises" in '73.
This is truly a unique car I had a 2 door 57 300 I wish I had back but it would not as desired as this I love it and wish they were still in production or easy to purchase. thank you for your post.
In the early 60's my dad bought a used '57 Del Rio in blue and white. Somewhere he got the dual headlights from a wrecked '58 and swapped them out. All he had to do was cut off the 3 pin lamp plugs and splice in the dual 2 pin plugs. The dual headlights bolted right in. We used to take it to the drive in theater every payday.
Nice story.
My Grampa had a 56 Parklane Wagon. 10 of my family members made a round trip from Vancouver BC to KCMO in the summer of 57.
The Ford wagons where popular in the 50s, 60s and even 70s. The Country Squire became the car mothers drove their kids around in, and groceries.
Dad went to work in his own car. It wasn’t unusual to see 12, 15 year old Country Squires all over the place...
the 66 Country squire was a true icon of the era, classy as all get out.
They became giant land yachts in the end. and a real embarrassment to own no doubt.
@@musicauthority7828 doubt! People were very proud of their Roadmaster Estate wagons and Caprice Classic wagon till the very end.
@@danielulz1640 Yeah, Ford was known as "The Wagon Master in the 50's, 60" into the 70's no body sold more Wagons than Ford... Still great looking cars...
Half the Ford wagons of the seventies were yellow Woodies. I had one.
Reliable gas hogs.
If iacoccas minivans hadn't killed wagons we would still have them.
thanks for the effort and the sharing. thumbs up.
I love your videos... And you have the best music theme of all TH-cam channels!
I don't know why this channel doesn't have more subs. It definitely deserves upward of a million
My first car was a 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser wagon with a 312 engine in 1973. My dad got it from an older woman who didn't want it anymore since it had a bad clutch. I paid a whopping $150 for it and it was in perfect condition - except for the clutch. My first ever auto repair was replacing the clutch following the repair manual. My dad refused to help me saying I had to learn on my own. In 1978 it threw a rod and I just junked it. Huge mistake. It was an awesome car.
So, what exactly was this car you write of ? There were no Turnpike Cruiser wagons,, and the turmpicke cruiser engine was a 368 and was never coupled to a manual trans, so what exactly was this awesome merc?
Station Wagons are so uncool they're Cool !
TWO Door wagons are incredible ❣
It was nice to see the Ford 2 door wagons I owned a 1957 green and white Del rio ranch wagon years ago I bought it with a blown engine. I replaced it with a 312 cu police inceptor engine i bought at a bone yard it was a great ride.
Growing up I had 8 siblings. Before Ford’s 4 door wagon we had Dodge Carryalls. My Dad was a Ford man and we had a 4 door wagons for the years 58,61,63 and 66. He always took fellow workers to work for a fee and it paid for all the expenses of owning them.They all,worked at P&WA.
About 1964 our family acquired a 59 Pontiac Catalina Safari Wagon, but it was a 4 door. It was a beautiful seasprayed aqua color
What an awesome video. Thank you for sharing this.
In 1957 I was ten and it was time for my dad to get his 'every 4 yrs a new Ford' ritual so off we went to Maclin Motors in Calgary. They had a Del Rio on the showroom floor and since my dad liked fishing and camping in the rocky mountains I wanted him to buy that. He bought a 4-dr Custom 300. The entire line of '57 Fords were too low to take off of the highway!!! Get 5 people and enough camping gear for a week and at the first sight of rough road EVERYONE OUT until the car gets over that rough patch. BUT I'd buy that '56 Parklane in a New York minute, even today!!! Better clearance. His '53 never gave that problem and it was a mechanically perfect car, nothing went wrong in 4 yrs.! Try hoping for that today in ANY car!!!
Ford has really came a long ways I will always be committed to Ford I will always drive a Ford
In 1965 I bought my first car at age 17,a 58 Ford 2dr. sedan for $65. The engine leaked oil by the gallon. A friend of my aunt's husband sold me a 57 Ford wagon for $10 to swap it's engine into my sedan. I never did the swap and after I left for the service in Jan 67 my father began using the wagon. He used it for 4 years with no major problems until it rusted away. That was a heck of a bargain.
I bet that your 58 had a Y-block V8 The rear main seal was bad about leaking. I had more then one that had that problem.
Been a car guy for years and never knew mercury made a two door wagon, awesome, great vid!!!
Ryan Mallek - I second every word you said! Never knew any of that and glad I do now!
Ryan Mallek bhmm
Jeffrey Reynolds z
Jeffrey Reynolds mjmmn
My parents had a 1956 two-door "Ranch Wagon" when I was a child; it was the first new car they bought after marrying in 1951.
Very interesting car. I remember the 57 and 58 Fords, but don't recall this particular model. Thanks for showing!
That is a good looking car !!
My dad had a 1957 Ford Del Rio in the early 60s. It was his "Work" car.
My first car was a 1956 Ford Customline Ranch Wagon, with 312 T-Bird V8, AC, PS, PB... .
It was great for the drive in movies and Mulholland Drive. I called it my 'poor man's Nomad.
I love all of these, but my favorite is the CHEVY NOMAD! OH MY!
In black please.
🐱🐾💕
The Del Rio looks like a great surf wagon. Wish I had one back in the day.
While not a Del Rio, my first car or project car for that matter when I was 14 was a 55 Ranch Wagon with what I would call the western or branding iron interior. I regret getting rid of it.
I constantly see a 1959 Chevy Brookwood 2--door Wagon at an auto shop and to me I have to wonder if some passenger safety issues were also part of the design changes to 4! That's quite a bit of space to have to climb over from the front seat all the way to the rear! Our 1967 Buick Sport Wagon had the fold down seats in the second row - both a wide and narrow one. But the majority of the time we would flip down the right passenger side seat to access "the wayback seats" as the family called them!
Cargo hauling was an issue too. It's a LONG reach from the back, over the drop-down tailgate, to the front of one of those big wagons with all the seats folded. And the floor-to-ceiling height isn't what you'd get in a tall hatchback like a Honda Fit, let alone an SUV/CUV or minivan so an adult or teenager climbing in back to maneuver the load in didn't work that well. Being able to open the rear side doors to position and lift the front edge of a bulky load is a big help.
That Pontiac Safari was really something.
Excellent commentary on this range by the Ford Motor Company.
Four doors on a station wagon are more practical for the family needs.
As strange as it sounds now, back then many people bought two-door models so the kids would not fall out of the back doors.
@@danielulz1640 - Yep. That is exactly why my folks bought a new ‘58 two door Ranch Wagon instead of getting a four door wagon.
My Dad bought a new 57 ford wagon and had it till 1968. I can remember a lot of good times and lots of things that happened in that wagon and to it. That's the car I learned how to change the oil on when I was in 6th grade. I pulled the plug and drained the oil and changed the filter for my Dad so he wouldn't have to get under the car in the dirt. He then added the new oil and ran it for a few seconds. Shut it off and proceeded to check to make sure the dipstick showed correct amount, and it was way over full. He started checking to see what was going on and found the oil in the drain pan was red. I had drained the trans fluid. He had me follow him back under the car and explained to me the difference in the motor and transmission. He was so calm about it that I remember to this day how bad I felt but he made out like it was not a big thing. He had to go get more oil and filter and trans fluid. Cost him more than double that day but I learned a life lesson. I could write a book about that car but I will only tell one more thing. It came from the factory with a 427 CI motor and two four barrel carbs and an aluminum intake. Dad hadn't owned it but maybe 2 weeks when 2 guys from Ford came to our house and told him he was going to have to let them have the car back because the motor has been installed into that car on mistake. They offered him any car he wanted from Ford to trade and he declined because he had already outrun every car on the road. None of his friends, even the ones that supposedly had soupped up hotrods could catch him. I remember many a time he would come home and be talking to his buddies about someone else he had beat.... Wish I could find that old thing but it more than likely got cannibalized for the motor soon as Dad traded it off.
Now that's a story !
@@Colt-tf6xf Thanks Colt!!!
@@dannywilsher4165 it really was a great story!
The full low-line Ford name - invariably used, as I've always heard and read - was Ranch Wagon.
I love y'alls videos and commentaries! :)
I am a Ford guy and never knew about the Del Rio - I knew about the Parklane, though. We had a '56 Ranch Wagon that had a 292 with overdrive - really hot in it's day.
Sure wish they made these now. I'll take two, one in red and one in blue. I remember when they first came out. They were cool then and still are if you can find them.
I love the 57’s. Family owned 2 1957 customs with 272 v8.
Great video...as per usual.
I REALLY liked the 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum wagon (yes, it was a four door - but very sporty).
I thought the Magnum was much better looking than the 300 sedan. Wagons are supposed to look boxy, and it had a nicer front end
My first Car[1973] was a 1955 Ford 2 door Ranch wagon. 312 4bbl with T bird rocker covers and a T--10 4 speed transmission that popped out of 2nd gear.........
Awesome cars.
you can say that the the two door ford wagons lived on through the bronco and bronco II and even the explorer sport until the early 2000's
Even though the 1957 Chevy is “THE” collectible ‘50’s car, I think the 1957 Ford car line was the sales leader for the year. And 1957 was an all-new design with perimeter frame and a new body. Same design 57-58-59. Hartley ever see these anymore. They rusted out in about 15 minutes.
Wow - thanks for thisone! I bought a 1954 Ford two door panel sedan in 1968, one of my early cars- it was stove white with hippie flowers when I got it, it was Sears Roebuck green under it and had leaks in the roof where Sears had put a sign down the middle of the roof- the old repairs leaked! Loved the look of it, and the history, but it rode like a cart and handling braking was sketchy! I learned at lot from that one!
My Father had a 1950 Ford woody wagon and that car looked like a Monster . so he got a 1956 Ford Fairlane I remember that 1950 woody wagon I got my fingers broken in the car door when it slammed shut.
Thank you.
Hate to say it, but nothing says station wagon like the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. Mind you, my father, in 1970, bought a new Plymouth Sport Suburban with genuine vinyl wood grain on the sides, the new style rear hatch which opened as a door or drop down hatch, fully equipped interior and 383 ci Magnum engine. Boy, what a driver that was!
My dad had a loaded 1973 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser with the rocket 455, vanilla yellow with simulated wood grain siding, it even had the comfortron, I think that was what it was called, a/c system. one heck of a car.
RoadRunner station wagon
@@Colt-tf6xf no such thing!
@@danielulz1640 you and I know that, but there are many Satellite wagons that were Roadrunner clones, and they looked very cool, I've also seen 66 Tempest wagons outfitted with GTO trim, very cool also, it stands to reason you could find a Chevelle wagon SS396 at show somewhere, but no Corvette SS.
I have a 58 Edsel "Roundup" 2 dr. wagon--work in progress. The 58 Roundup was exact same body & car as the 57 Del Rio--different grill, trim & engine. It was Edsels' bottom of the line "plain Jane" model. Mine is stickshift with Overdrive---very rare!
My first car was a 1956 Ford Customline Ranch Wagon, with 312 T-Bird V8, AC, PS, PB... .
There was a '58 Roundup at a nearby wrecking yard that I lusted after and someone not far from where I lived had a '58 Ranchero that had a '58 Edsel front clip - looked great.
Excellent as always. I would love to see a video exposé on the 1967-1971 Thunderbird
I also have an interest in the '67 - '71 T- Birds - I especially like the '70 - 71 models with the protruding beak at the center of the grille. I know that those two years were not especially popular when new; thus,they are seldom seen today. IMHO,I think that their styling aged much better than the hulking,overgrown '72 - 76 models. Maybe I will start looking for one;not many around!
I love these '50s Fords, and these wagons most most of all. Never seen one in person, though. Heck, my Wife and i went for a walk last weekend and saw a '55 Nomad drive by. For the amount that was made its sorta sad.
That 57 is a real beauty. I'd rather have that than the Crown Vic. The variety of different body styles must have been a real challenge for the assembly plants and body repair shops to keep up with. Just think of the assortment of sheetmetal, trim pieces and glass required for each model and sub-model, all different, all of those part numbers to keep track of without computers. It must have made for a REAL day on the job.
Not as bad as when there were multiple car lines under the same Banner. Such as Corvair, Chevy II, Chevelle, and full-size Chevrolet.
The Pontiac Safari was sharp. I've actually seen a handful over the years.
Great job , love them Ford wagons , definatly a breed of thier own
Well done. I really liked that 2 dr Mercury Commuter sport wagon.
Postless "hardtop" wagons were a big deal at GM in the late 50s.
Mercury made a few.
@@hotrodray6802 hardtop wagons were only made by GM in the Buick and Oldsmobile divisions and only 57 and 58. Chrysler Corporation and Ford Motor Company made many more hardtop wagons than GM, Chrysler up through 1964!
@@danielulz1640 Rambler had a hardtop 4-door wagon from 1956 through 1960.
@@Al-thecarhistorian yes, and I would love to have a 59 Ambassador hardtop wagon.
In terms of high end 2 door sport wagons, Ford beat Chevy to the idea if you consider the '49-'51 Woodie and Country Squire. These were all 2 door and definitely the top trim available.
Very nice car!
I think Ford had a nicely styled car in 1957 compared to anything GM or Chrysler had at the time.
In those days in was generally known that Ford made the best wagons. A bit stronger perhaps. They made a few 57 wagons with superchargers also I have read. used to win lots of drags in stock class .
Very nice. She’s a cruiser.
Excellent video
My Mother had a black and white two tone with a six cylinder manual transmission. She let me drive around the neighborhood and to the store using back streets. I was 15.
They had some purdy nice old rides in those days
My brother had the 4 door...I loved it
thank u, thank u, thank u brother. awesome vid keep em coming!
The green '57 restored model had amber parking lights. Amber wasn't introduced until 1963.
My first car was a 53 Chevy convertible, that I got in 63. The amber turn signals had just come out on the new cars and JC Whitney had special translucent amber spray paint to "upgrade" your old car. I used it on my 53 Chevy and when I took it in for PA safety inspection they failed it for that LOL! Luckily lenses were glass back then so paint remover took it right off. Then I painted the wheels and grill red (on a blue car). Well, I was 17 and it was just a $300 used car.
More streamlined rear window 3:10 ? Back in the day those were called "hardtops".
Ur rite on the money bro!...thank u for ur vldios.
actually not terrible looking.
really enjoy the intro.
Very cool car, Del Rio is a cool name too.
THEY WERE NICE. WISH I HAD ONE NOW
In Europe, station wagon cars most often rode as ambulances, police cars or cars of small businessmen - painters, restaurateurs, tilers, vegetable sellers, etc. Until the 1980s, they did not arouse much interest from consumers. This has changed a bit with the spread of diesel engines, in particular 1.9 TDI. At the moment, estate cars are being replaced by SUVs...
Nice video👍👍👍 you should do one of these on the Buick sportwagons
You forgot the 58 recession, which hurt all car sales, including the first year Edsel.
Everybody had a cool new 57 Ford or Chevy and nobody wanted anything from 58
GOOD LOOKING OLD CARS!!!
I had a 1957 six-window Fairlane 500 Town Sedan in two tone light blue and white. I've seen a conventional station wagon and a Ranchero version but never a sport wagon.
Awesome, until just now I never knew that ford had wagons for those years. Never have seen a real one.
My dad had a 57 Del RIo with a Thunderbird 312, automatic, power steering and brakes. It was a lemon from day one. From then on it was 6 banger, stick, heater, and two speed wipers. I only found out about the Del Rio in the early 70's when I a teenager. He used it as an example of not getting wrapped up in all the bells and whistles. I didn't talk to him for a month I was so pizzed. He was like... but the engine and tranny were junk. I was like, I wouldn't have kept the old stock engine and tranny in it anyway!!!
If i had one i would certainly drive it across the country and camp out of it, sadly almost nobody that owns one today uses them for that, and that is what they're meant to be doing.
I remember when almost every carpet installer around had a station wagon with a roof rack on it. They used 'em until they were all used up, years after they were no longer produced.
I love two-door wagons. Always want to French those headlights or something, though, they always looked kind of ungainly to me. :)
Merci pour cette video 👍
Very nice :)
nice.
My father had a 1961Ford 2 door station wagon back then.
Just found two of these 57 2 door ranch wagons in a grown on junkyard !
Cool car
Unique looking car. It would have been cool if an awd option had been available back then
My favorite
The engine you call a 352 with the White Valve covers is realy a 302 or 351 W engine with a thunderbird Special sticker.
Yeah, it's not a FE 352 V8... actually same size in cubes and same bore and stroke as a 351W, 351M, or 351C... but a Windsor design engine...
@@BuzzLOLOL For you guys that cant tell one ford engine from another Ill give you a hint
If you cant tell by the design of the engine, Count the bolts that hold down the valve covers. If it has 2 bolts it is a Y block, 5 is an FE, 6 is a Windsor, 7 is a lima and If it has 8 bolts it is a Cleveland. the only time this will fail you is on the 429 460 lima engines with Ford motor sport Valve covers they Skip the center top bolt making the count 6 bolts instead of the stock 7
@@mylanmiller9656 isn't it cute how kids born in the 80s and 90s think they know more than people who can remember when these cars were new on the showroom floor!
💕👍 love it
Trying to recall reading whether the two-door wagon model was also offered by Mercury in these same years. My dad would likely remember. If so, they'd probably be a pretty rare sight today.
Mercury did not offer a two-door wagon 1952 through 1956 but did 1957 through 1960.