You said something that hits me every time I’m in a junkyard - everything here was once brand new. Sometimes theater of the mind will take over, and I’ll imagine the car coming home from the dealership on its maiden trip. Thank you as always ~ Chuck

Really great to have a guy who works on cars also present automotive information.

Love those old 1950's Fords !!! they were excellent vehicles !!

Great vid Steve and that teachers kit is an amazing piece of automotive history.

We're pulling for you Steve.

Yup, back in the day, there were teaching aids like that. Also, sometimes school trips would be to actual manufacturing companies. I went to Proctor and Gamble and GM's Linden, NJ plant on school trips at least once. P&G gave you samples on the way out and I saw a 1980 Seville Elegante being assembled at Linden when I went. My grandfather's friend worked for GM at Linden and a neighbor of mine was a foreman at the local P&G plant. Yup, with the VIN, we win: B for 239 CID V8 engine, 3 for 1953 model year, S for Somerville, MA assembly, V for Victoria two door and the rest is the production sequence. The Somerville plant operated from 1926 to 1958 and was redeveloped into Assembly Square and Assembly Square Marketplace. When it closed, it was a buzz in the town because the plant contributed over $1 million in revenue to the town. There were 128,302 Victoria coupes made for the 1953 model year. With the tag, we can brag and go all the way, don't you say: 60B for Crestline Victoria, C for Glacier Blue lower exterior paint, L for Sungate Ivory upper exterior paint, M should be for Blue interior trim and the rest of the code has to do with production and scheduling time frames. Ford information of this vintage is sometimes limited, owing to the terrible layout of their parts books and parts system in general. I was never a fan of Mr. Ford II as he was very myopic and the source of the many problems that befell the Ford Motor Company in the 1970s. He made some very bad decisions (including firing Mr. Iacocca) and was a very backward thinking person.

I love these videos! ❤ I like to play a drinking game while watching Steve. Take a shot whenever he: Says, “As you can see” Says, “We gotta remember” Writes on a vintage magazine with a Sharpie. Somehow has a model kit of the car he’s talking about with him. Complains about one of his shows being cancelled. Snorts There’s a dog There’s a rotten animal head Says, “What’s in the box” like it wasn’t the creepiest part of the movie Se7en. I have yet to survive an episode. 😅

Purchased a 53 Courier (sedan delivery) off a neighbor in 2004. 6 cyl/3 on the tree. That was my 1st "old ford" & it was VERY reliable & never had an issue. Drove it on 100+ miles trip all the time. I miss that car!

We have a half 1953-54 customline 70B production number 420 built Jan. 14, 1954, second owner, barn stored since 1967. Has king pin steering, Henry didn't waste anything, he told the factory to build cars until the parts ran out, then change over to the new design.

The lines on these old cars are so graceful and elegant.

As a teenager I remember driving my dad's friend Crestline Station Wagon. I only had a driver's permit but drove from NYC to Lisle,NY. Thanks for the memories 😂

I see the Article about the flatties and 239 Y block was Written by Barney Navarro. He was one guy who knew his flatties and engines in general. He built an AMC six to run at Indy ....!

She must have been a lovely lady the day she rolled off the line.

Thank you Steve for reminiscing

Morning Steve from England.

Back in '87, my in-laws bought a partially restored '53 Crestline, supposedly for my teenage s-i-l to drive to school. I never knew that these cars were originally flathead V8 only! The one that they had bought, somewhere in it's life, someone had installed a 300cid inline six (no idea what year the engine was). My s-i-l hated driving that car. But some of the boys she knew certainly liked it.😁

Motor trend was stupid to cancel your show . Keep up the great videos

Another great educational and entertaining presentation . Thank you Steve 🙂 .

Thanks again Steve 👍

My Father bought a '53 Ford Customline after he came back from Korea. He loved that car until a drunk driver hit while it was parked and it was not fixed correctly so he traded it in on a new '56. A nice looking car for it's time.

I had one of those in the mid 1970's for a short while. Mine had the optional air cooled automatic transmission. One thing about the 53's is they were supposed to have had the overhead valve engine for the anniversary but it wasn't quite ready yet.

I had forgotten about the film strips used in classrooms. What fun that Car is Born would have been to me compared to what we actually did watch in Southern Oklahoma. Your comment about all of the junkyard cars once being new is something I always think when I look at my favorite cars, 61 Thunderbird or 61-63 Lincolns. It is easy to imagine how stunning they were when everything was still new and not faded or destroyed by weather and people.

When I toured River Rouge in the late 60's on a class trip we were told that they drove 1 car off the assembly line every 63 seconds. I dont know how many engine plants they had compared to assembly plants but all of those machine tools had to keep up engine production to match all of the assembly lines as well as make enough to supply replacements. Its no surprise engine machining was scaled up to what is shown here.

My first car in 1982 was a 1954 syliner. v8, three speed overdrive and pink.

Love these videos

Another great vid, really enjoyed!!!!!

Thank you Steve

I know flathead engines aren't as powerful. But they have a cool sound. And they look like they're easier to work on. I'd love to have something with a flathead and a manual transmission. I don't really care what kind of vehicle. Or even what size engine. I just want something old and simple to tinker with and cruise

Not a Ford guy but those mid to late 50's are the exception

Thanx katie for allowing the dog haterman to do his crawling in the muck class in your yard.

My folk’s ‘53 four door had the same colors. My dad said it had a six. They had two cars prior to this but this one was the first I remember. I read that this was Ford’s first overhead valve six, so cool to have this engine too.

They did make a 4-door 50th anniversary crestline model I have an Australian version factory right-hand drive they were brought to Australia in the early 50s

Hi Steve. Great video again. I had a thought going thru my head when you said " where did all those cars go ? " My morning coffee must have had philosophical grain in it because this thought poped out. Metal is recycled all the time. So the cars of yesteryears are still among us in all the metal things that surround us. Toasters, tools and of course are newer cars. It's a bit like all of us. We recycle DNA from one generation to the other. Next time you use a metal product think of the history it can carry. Maybe your hammer was once part of your grandpa model T.

Hey, Steve! Thanks so much for the videos... Dale was awesome to meet in person. Huge property!

Morning Steve.....

We had a ‘51 Crestliner - Fordomatic and first year for the 100 HP flathead. Fun car!

Crusty Crestline sounds like a character in an animated Cars movie. And then his friend Ramon helps him out with a few bucks for a trip to Earl Scheib. 😀

When, in a collision, the passenger's forehead hit the V-8 Emblem, it left a scar that was symetrical left-to-right.

What a Beautiful car that was once! I always loved the styling from the late 40s and 50s. Just absolutely beautiful with their Chrome and space age designs! Great video Steve!

Hi Steve, love your videos.😊

Yup. Year I was born. Marilyn on the cover of Playboy, Corvette, H-Bomb and this car. When I was five my dad had a 54 Merc, He bought my sister a Crestline. Then he got a 58 Belvedere for himself. Fun times.

Mr. B. Here ! Morning Mags ! ☕️☕️🍩 Saw few of those as kid in NYC very cool to see it again! Very informative & interesting, thanks Steve ! That one ⚰️⚰️

I always thought the '53 Ford was the most handsome car for that year. Maybe because my folks had a dark green Customline 4-door. Several others in our district had the same cars, different colors. All V-8's by the way.

Another great video, thanks. It's a sad nostalgia trip to when America was the king of manufacturing.

Steve you need to look up "Ford Town USA" in Flora Illinois. Sept of 1960. Very interesting Ford history.

Steve I really enjoyed you going through in explaining to us with the book it was very delicious for me!!! I'm just lovin it man all over and over again!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😻😻😻!!!!!!

Very Interesting! good work Steve!

Loved when you said they sent that kit to the schools to indoctrinate the kids into working in the auto industry. I'd rather it be that than what is being done in our schools today. Do they still have auto shop in high school today? I know we had wood shop,metal shop, mechanical drawing, home maintenance shop. No auto shop in my school, so I took adult continuing education courses at a vocational school. Automotive powerplants, chassis, etc. Just enough to be dangerous 😂.

The one salvage yard I worked at back in the 90's. Someone dragged in a 48-9 ford green 2 door . Had flathead 3 carbs and aluminum valve covers . Been out in the woods car was rotten. My boss at time did chop engine out and we stripped all useable pieces and put rest in pile with other cars to be pressed out

I am of the 1% ers.....mine is a Victoria old California DUKE car from LA .... lowrider... ... all flamed out and full of Fun ... Thanks Steve ... love your Channel 👍

Awesome video

Thanks for a great video Steve. Really liked the teaching aids that you showed. Carry on, really like the junkyard and hubcap series.

Enjoy your videos! Still can’t believe Motor Trend canceled Junkyard Gold, what were they thinking!

Thanks to you I learned that there were many Ford models prior to the "T".....always wondered about that, thanks!

My dad had a 1954 crestline. It didn’t run much and he never got around to restoring it but I’d love to have it In just the shape it was in. It was good enough to drive.

The memory of a teacher rolling the big cart with the film projector on it into my 70’s era elementary school classroom is still strong - always a big day in my book! The only problem was that if the subject matter wasn’t particularly interesting, the combination of the darkened room and the steady, distinctive sound of the projector wheel turning would sometimes lull one to sleep! Fortunately, I was usually woken by the flapping tail of film when the end of the reel was reached - no sense incurring the wrath of Sister Michelle or ending up on the “business end” of her ever-present wood ruler……..😂

I have a '53 4dr sedan in my yard with both Crestline & Fordomatic scripts on it as well as the V8 badge on the dash, the jubilee steering wheel is intact as are the jacking instructions. It was also originally Glacier Blue & the roof is faded to an odd green which may have been dark blue but I need to check the VIN. Unfortunately the flatty & automatic are gone & the previous owner was in the process of putting in a 302/AOD from an F150. I want a flathead in it again, but probably with a better & easier to source auto trans.

Request: will you show still images of what the car looked like when it was launched in dealerships? That would be helpful and entertaining. Thx SM!

I always thought that same thing every time I've seen an old car on TV or in pictures, I wonder if this one of the ones we restored or rebuilt over the years. Chances are they're not, but I've seen a lot of pictures of the past from local areas and even postcards with tons of cars, just something I like to think about

Lol, I remember filmstrips.. and that signal to change the frame! Ancient history, loo.

Interestingly Harley-Davidson also began the same year as Ford-1903. Unlike Ford , Harley did nothing special on their products to recognize the 50th aniversary. However after seeing what Ford to commemorate its milestone I think they decided to do the same even though they were 1 year late. In 1954 Harley put special badging and a Jubilee horn on its products despite it being the 51st year.

Steve you be da mon!

My Grandmother had a 53 Crestliner only it was a convertible. She had bought it new. She sold it in the late 90's. It was low mileage since it was not a daily driver. The first two digits of the production code 1F is the build date April 1. Funny thing My Grandmother's car was also built on that day. Only it was built at the Chester Pa. plant.

keep em coming

Great video, I picked up on the mention of jubilee just like the tractor, great video,thumbs up

Even the VIN tags were classy back in the day.

Thanks Steve! MISTER Automotive!

I have the Ford 50th anniversary coin, has the 3 heads that are at the beginning of the book on it, very heavy coin.

Hey preisach , I like your fur lined moccasin slippers on high octane classics 76 transam edition. Like being at grandmas on Christmas morning , real cute

Steve you need a Bell and Howell projector 🙃

My friend Kevin, fresh out of college, would have been working at a drafting table at Ford around the time of all of this (about 1957 or so).

Two door HT just might be worth saving, seems to me that I remember that book too just can’t remember where I saw it

The film strips had an accompanying record that had to be synced with projector. The teacher would give the film strip advance button to a kid, so they could go have a smoke break while it was playing.

Most factory workers didn't press buttons, back then, because most things were mechanical. They pulled levers. ;) The computers weren't exactly the same as now, either. No internet, no minesweeper, & no transistors until 1953. Until 1952 a computer was a person who did math.

In Summerville when the weather was edsels

miss those kingpins. those cars still driving ford quality.

Now, it's a Crustline

Always seems a bit strange to see or hear of a six cylinder ohv in one of these cars. In Canada they were all V8 until 1955 when the six first became an option. Mercs got the y block in 54 but Fords kept the flathead right until the end of 54.

I have an all original, other than paint, 53 with the flathead V-8 and automatic tranny, I've had her about twelve years now and love it, she's color code C, light blue, and someone painted the roof a dark blue, so she's two toned, a real chick magnet, I've had many a lady pull up at a set of lights and say these four words, "I love your car", to which the wife reply's with, "another one!", ha. Anyhoo, the automatic tranny in these are truckish, first gear is low and only used for getting out of mud or snow, and maybe a hill or two, in drive they start out in 2nd gear then slip into high at around 20 mph. Thanks Steve for getting me to look at the vin again and mine was assembled in Mahwah NJ, didn't know that yet now I do. Steve, love the crawl, reminds me as a kid my dad and I would do the same thing when bored on a Saturday.

Steve could have additional careers as an auctioneer and or comedian...quick thoughts words and wit!

Back in the day when it was ok to encourage kids to grow up and get a job. Grow up and support themselves. Rather then live off their fellow citizens. Great video Steve. Sure wish someone could have saved that old girl, but she looks to be pretty far gone now.

My first car was a 55 Ford 4 door that needed a transmission. My first trip to the junk yard😄

No Y blocks in 54 Fords in Australia. Still ran the flat head.

I used to have a 53 I thought I remember it being a crestline. However it was a 2 dr sedan. It's been a while since I sold it but I could swear it said crestline on the emblems and tittle. Maybe not though

Man, that horn ring was stuck to the seat upholstery!

The most important thing about Fords then was that they rusted out very quickly A ‘56 generally lasted 3 years before rust got too bad.

I have a running original 55 ford truck in my driveway. 272 V8

Ford even named a tractor model Jubilee.

Power steering was first available on 53 Fords

That book and teaching kit were more interesting than the car...😎

I gotta know ! What does the small print say on your shirt please? It’s driving me nutsLOL Great videos I watch them all !

Interesting, had a 41 Ford Coupe that when I bought it had a 53 Flathead. After overheating, replaced with a 312 T-bird engine.

Start her up!

I wince every time you call a "C" pillar a "B" pillar because it's a hardtop and the "B" pillar doesn't exist. You may are right but I've not seen another description like that.

So was GM the first manufacturer to use pillarless door glass.......what we call, 'hardtop styling'? Steve seems to imply that for 1949.

We don't like the video we love it

Funny to think that an “old T in the yard” in 1953 is comparable to a ‘90s Escort or Corolla today. The difference is that no one is saving Escorts.

Props to Steve as he fights the mosquitoes to do this days presentation.

KZfaq has “A Car is Born” videos.

😊