In 1949 Ford did a major overhaul to their cars. With the exception of the drivetrain, very little from the previous model remained. That was just the beginning. Over the next few years a number of changes were introduced to push the Fords forward and, to be honest, give the Chevy BelAir something to think about.
By 1953 the top of the line Crestline series included a convertible called the Sunliner. By this time Ford’s L-head straight 6 and Flathead V 8 had proven themselves as power hungry engines that weren’t afraid of running in any situation. That was proven when a 1953 Sunliner, driven by William Clay Ford, Sr., was the pace car at the annual Indianapolis 500.
Eleven years ago Pat Sebastian of Owensville, OH bought a similar ’53 Sunliner at an auction in Auburn, IN.
“It was in rough shape,” Pat said. The car had been chopped about 3 ½ inches, according to Pat, “But it was a bad job. We had to go in and fix it.” The fix included re-doing the custom Carson top.
That wasn’t the only thing he did. Over a four year period the car was totally renovated from the frame up. That included all new wiring and a brand new drive train. He also dropped a 351 motorsport capable of pushing 362 horse power.
“I got it up to 130 on the Speedway and it wanted to do more,” Pat said.
The race track isn’t the only place Pat runs his Sunliner. “We’ve put 50,000 miles on it,” he said, “11,000 since the engine was re-done.” Those miles include long trips to Florida and Philadelphia as well as just driving around and taking it to car shows.
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