Bob Bean's 1951 Ford

As it appeared in Car Craft July 1956. Photo by Bob D'Olivio.

Photo by Bob D'Olivio.

Photo by Bob D'Olivio.

Photo by Bob D'Olivio.

Photo by Bob D'Olivio.

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1951 Ford Victoria restyled by Bliss Custom Shop and Gordon Vann's Body Shop in Fresno, California for Bob Bean of Brainerd, Minnesota. Prime requisite for Bob's Ford was functionalism. He employed cars for everyday transportation and stated that the typical under-slung custom cars of Southern California did not mix with the snow banks of Minnesota. He designed many of the body modifications and built many of the small incidental items. The car was nosed, decked and shaved for door handles, the doors and deck lid was now activated with an electrical push button system. The headlights were rendered by installing 1955 Chevrolet headlight rims, a small round rod was used to form the edges of the shades diminishing into the side of the fenders. The grille opening was molded, and a 1954 Chevrolet grille bar and parking light assembly was installed, modified with teeth from a 1953 Chevrolet. The custom tailights were made by mplding round tubing and sheet metal to the body, to form a lens contour to fit the 1955 Mercury taillight lenses. The stock trim was removed, and replaced by 1954 Buick units. The rear wheel openings were radiused to match the trim. The front bumper was cleaned for guards and bolts, and a Kaiser bumper guard was installed in the rear. The car was lowered 3 inches. Once the bodywork was done, it was painted in a triple-toned color combo starting at the bottom with Gulfstream Blue, then Bahama Blue, and Alaskan White. The interior had a full complement of rolls and pleats installed by Moderna Trim Shop in Tijuana, Mexico.

Magazine Features and Appearances

Car Craft July 1956