In which Sid and Doris acquire a suitable car for an American road trip.
For our planned trip, we need an appropriate conveyance so people will want to talk to us, as they do when we stop the Mini. Amusing as a mule drawn Conestoga prairie schooner might be we need something quicker.
What are the peak years for Americana? After MASH and before Good Morning, Vietnam? Do we wait ’til the Beach Boys bring us Fun, fun, fun in 1964? Or would it be 1959, the year Grease is set? We’ll take that because although it is pre muscle car and ’60s music we do get fins with fins on them. And don’t forget chrome. Or cart spring suspension and cross ply tires. And definitely that boinnnng…woinnnng…woinnnng wallow of a softly-sprung car with enormous overhangs outside its wheel base.
Sid and Doris are suddenly convinced that peak suburban Americana is exemplified in the 1959 Ford Country Squire as found for us by classics expert Matt Peckham.
The Country Squire is a longer version of Ford’s full size range, not to be confused with a Compact (only European size XL). These were made from 1950 to 1991. By 1959 they were into the fourth generation. We have one of the bigger engines at 352 cubic inches or 5.8 litres, with the top Holley carb giving 300bhp. When new no one was bothered about fuel consumption with gas at 25 cents a US gallon. For all that grunt we get a power to weight ratio about the same as a 2020 Vauxhall Corsa E city car.
It has a three speed Cruise-o-matic (yes, really) gearbox with the change on the steering column, known locally I believe as a three on the tree. Not for us Bruce Springsteen’s four on the floor. There are brakes, drum brakes assisted by a servo which is just as well as it weighs 1750kg. (Those with furry anorak hoods will recall our heavy Mini comes in under 750kg.)
It will seat nine, though we may give some room over to spares. We will keep an eye out for anybody hitching, or perhaps a small choir whose minibus has broken down.
Finally you should know that it is about as long as a narrow boat. Well, maybe a short narrow boat at 17’4″. It would go in our home garage but probably never will because the roads in Essex are both narrow and twisty.
It is being readied for serious mileage. Naturally Sid will provide peak anorak details of the work. You have been warned.
Looks like your both having an awfully big adventure, truck looks a bit of a handful though.