1954 Ford Other

Meteor Rideau Sunliner Convertible

255 ci. Mercury Flathead

276BH5415969

Clear

OVERVIEW: This is a stock and very rare 1954 Ford Meteor Rideau Sunliner Convertible. It is one of only 26 built. These were among the last cars built by Ford which still used the flathead V8 power plant. Being a Rideau model it came with the Mercury 255 ci. 125 hp. engine, mated to a Merc-O-Matic transmission, and utilized the Mercury dash as opposed to the Ford. In June of 1948 Ford of Canada announced that their Mercury Lincoln division would be introducing a brand new model to be known as the ‘Meteor’, and that it would be sold exclusively thru Mercury and Lincoln dealerships across Canada. The first Meteors to hit the streets were 1949 models utilizing the redesigned Ford body styling adorned with Mercury style grilles. 1952-54 saw Ford’s brand new look, and by 1954 the former Crestline name was dropped by Meteor in favor of Rideau, which was their top line series. These Rideaus received Mercury’s unmodified 1953 125 hp. engine, the last year they would be used. Total Meteor production in 1954 was 27,269 units in 19 different models over 5 series. Of these, the Rideau series saw 4 models totaling 2,860 units, only 26 of those were Sunliner convertibles. Compare that to the 33,685 Ford Crestline Sunliners built in ’54. The Rideau Sunliner was also Meteor’s most expensive model, and the only one priced over $3,000. Styling-wise the Meteor paralleled Ford, though it has some unique appearance details that make it distinct, sometimes referred to as badge engineering. Unique grilles were given to the Meteor, and in keeping with its cosmic name, the ’54 Meteor had a four pointed star mounted above the main grille bar. The Meteor crest appeared at the front of the hood above METEOR lettering. Chrome gunsight spears adorned the tops of the front fenders, and model names appeared in chrome script on the fender sides. Mercury style chrome spears and gravel shield were used on the forward of the quarter panels. Hubcaps featured a Meteor star. The trunk lid received a unique chrome piece housing the lock, along with the Meteor crest. These were basically the only differences from a Ford in external appearances. All other exterior items such as sheet metal, bumpers, tail lights and stainless trim are Ford. Rideau interiors had the Mercury dash, but with Meteor specific emblems on the horn button and next to the glove box door. Mechanically, the Rideau was a Mercury clone. Its engine was the 255 ci., 125 hp. flathead V8 found in 1953 Mercury cars. In the showroom, Meteors were priced about $100 more than comparable Ford models. Although uncommon in the US, those who know the Meteor, in particular the Rideau, as an enhanced Ford seek them out as something unique for the next show and shine given their rarity and low production. This car is an older cosmetic restoration which has not been driven in the last 7-8 years. It is presently not running but the engine does turn over. It is a candidate for restoration, or could simply be brought back to driver condition. It is very complete. The only items on this car that are not correct are: the hood ornament - Meteor did not use one in ’54 the hubcaps - a set of 4 1953 Meteor caps is included the carb and air cleaner – the correct original Mercury ones are included The data tag on the driver’s door hinge post provides the following info: Style CDBM-76B (1954 Meteor Rideau-Sunliner) Body No. 411 BAC54 – 143 16 – 14 (16=Siren Red, 14=Interior?) The serial number tag has been lost, but the number is on the vehicle registration document, and would also be stamped on the frame. It is 276BH5415969 and decodes as follows: 2 (Meteor) 76B (Rideau Sunliner) H (Windsor Plant) 54 (Model Year) 15969 (Consecutive Job #) The odometer reads 23,133 miles. To simply bring it to driver condition it will require going thru the fuel system, the brake system, some electrical attention, and various gaskets and seals. As a restoration project it will require various rust repairs and metal work in addition to the rest of it. DRIVETRAIN: The drivetrain in this Meteor is the correct original Mercury 255 ci. 125 hp. flathead V8 mated to a Merc-O-Matic transmission. It is complete under the hood and although not detailed, overall it’s in fairly clean and tidy condition with good belts, hoses and wires. The engine has not been run in sometime, but it turns over with the key and without any unusual sounds. It’s running condition is therefore unknown, but the car was being driven less than 10 years ago by the previous owner. There is stale gas in the tank, and an electric fuel pump mounted underneath which is gummed up. Prior owner had removed original Mercury carb and air cleaner and replaced it with a Rochester and different air cleaner, however, the originals are still with the car and will go with it. Cranking the engine on a battery revealed that there are also leaks related to the engine, transmission, and power steering. So at the very least there would be seals and gaskets to replace. For these reasons no further attempts were made to get the car running at this time. Everything else under the hood is there and appears as correct original equipment. Components like the generator and voltage regulator look new or rebuilt, and the rad and upper tank look in very good condition. The rubber sleeve connectors on the vent and fan ducting are all intact. It has an original windshield washer option. The car retains its 6 volt electrical system, and all wiring harnesses on the car are original. There is no battery included. CHASSIS: This car rides on a 115” wheelbase Ford chassis. The frame appears totally solid and straight, with no signs of any collision damage. Although the sheet metal on the car has rust out issues, the frame still retains much of the original undercoating and there are no signs of rust out, rot, or weak areas as far as the frame is concerned. All suspension, steering, driveshaft and rear end components are original without modifications. The exhaust system is intact. This car requires restoration of systems such as fuel and brakes at the very least to get it drivable. There are no brakes, the pedal goes to the floor, but the hand brake works. This was the first year that power steering became available on Meteors, and this car has the correct flathead arrangement and triple belt crank pulley. The car is riding on original 15” steel rims and the tires are a matched set of Remington Cushion Aire Poly 4 bias ply wide white G78-15’s. They have very good tread remaining but some minor age checking noticed on front right. The hubcaps on the car are not original, they look like ’57 Plymouth, but there is a set of 4 1953 Meteor hubcaps included. The correct ’54 Meteor caps have a smaller gold star with a curled tail. BODY & PAINT: This car has had a previous cosmetic restoration of body and paint, the body and sheet metal are fairly straight, although there are some ripples in the original rear quarters, and a few small dents along the top of the left fender. Hood and doors are quite straight, bottoms of doors solid, skin flanges tight. The hood hinges on this car are in very good condition and the hood opens and closes evenly and as it should. There is no evidence of collision damage. Body and paint can be left as is if you just want a driver that looks good from 20 feet, but if you want this to be a real nice car it will require full restoration of body and paint. The bodywork and paint are likely 20 years old, give or take, and are of average quality. It’s a good 20-footer, and curbside presents as a driver. The paint is smooth and has good shine, but also has stone chips, nicks and scratches from age and use. The repaint was single stage paint in a shade slightly lighter than the original red, still found on the firewall, jambs, and underside of trunk lid. Some rust repairs were done which included a replacing the right outer rocker and patching the inner rockers and rear drop down panels. A quick patch was also put into the rusted out spare tire well, but the trunk pan itself and the rear wheel tubs are solid. There are blisters along the lower front portion of the left quarter panel. The left outer rocker appears to be the original. There are a few blisters starting to show on the left quarter above the rear wheel. No problems visible at the bottom of the front fenders, at the lower rear quarter areas, or the rear tail pan. Inspection from the underside shows the majority of the floor pan retains its original undercoating and is solid, but there are 2 rust holes in the floor which will require patching, the front passenger area, and under the left side of the rear seat cushion. Three of the five body mounts down each side are rusted out and will require repair or replacement. INTERIOR: The dash and instrumentation are factory correct 1954 Mercury, and everything appears in good original condition. Steering wheel in nice condition with only slight hairline cracks. Nice original horn ring with only very light pits, and Meteor horn button. The seats have been reupholstered in a nice grade of vinyl, the door and rear side panels are original. There are no rips or holes but some of the stitching on the front seat cushion is fraying. All garnish moldings, handles, Meteor dash emblem, and hardware in place. All door and weather seals, window channels, and glass sweepers are originals, aged but somewhat serviceable. Front and rear floor mats are original in good condition with just a couple of splits at the gas pedal. Door sill plates are decent originals. The clear windshield is good except for 2 wiper blade scrapes on the driver side. The door and rear quarter windows are all good. The side vent glass has some minor delamination along the edges. TOP: The top is an older replacement showing its age but has no tears or rips. The back window hangs sloppily as the zipper is broken. It has a parade boot which has shrunk and is too tight to snap down. The top bows are intact with no broken pieces, and are painted black. They fold and unfold easily and smoothly without binding. The top motor is not working, the problem has not been investigated. For purposes of these pictures the top was raised and lowered manually. Typical of these, the top release handle is broken. BRIGHTWORK: The front and rear bumpers and guards have all been re-chromed. Other re-chroming on the car included the main grille bar (wavy) and end pieces, the grille star, fender top spears, front park lamp housings, tail lamp surrounds, trunk emblem, door handles, and Merc-O-Matic trunk script. All this chrome work is only driver quality, and would have to be redone if you want show quality. All other pot metal items on the car are original chrome in restorable condition, some with minor pitting. These include the hood crest bezel, METEOR hood letters, Meteor Rideau fender scripts, quarter panel spears and gravel shields. The chrome side window frames are nice original with no rust or chrome peeling issues. All stainless trim on the car is in original condition ranging from fair to very good, all of it is restorable to show quality. There is one snap missing on the right rear beltline molding. The front park light lenses are cracked, the tail lamp lenses are good. SUMMARY: This car would really be something different and special at any Ford or Mercury meet. Consider this; it’s the only model that will gain you entry into all of the following; The Early Ford V8 Club of America (by virtue of its Flathead V8 engine) The Crown Victoria Association (by virtue of being a ’54 Meteor and Sunliner) The ’54 Ford Club of America (by virtue of having a ’54 Ford body) International Mercury Owners Association (by virtue of its Mercury Flathead V8) If you are fan of 1952-54 Ford styling, or a Meteor or Mercury enthusiast, then this is your opportunity to bring home a very rare example and worthy project. Whether you are considering a restoration project of a low production car, or just want to make a driver out of something quite special, then this may be the car. These sporty convertibles have withstood the test of time, they are much admired and are always sought after. Your investment will be secured not only by the rarity of this car, but also by the broad appeal of mid-50’s Ford convertibles, and the Mercury flathead V8 engine. Having to allocate resources to other projects at hand, the owner has somewhat reluctantly decided to make this car available. It is being offered with a reasonable reserve. PAYMENT TERMS:This rare ragtop is being listed on behalf of the owner. Please email ‘carsgoneby@telus.net’ or phone Rick at (403)534-2222 for additional honest and accurate information from a professional auto restorer. All information listed has been gathered from discussions with the owner and a visual inspection. Over 130 pics are available for viewing at www.carsgoneby.com/PhotoAlbumsPro/1954Meteor . Additional specific pictures are available upon request. No warranties expressed or implied. Successful bidder to make a minimum payment of 50% of closing bid amount (US funds) within 5 days of auction closing, with the balance payable upon vehicle pick up within 21 days (international) or 14 days (US/Canada). Payment must be in certifiable form such as cash or wire transfer. Other forms of payment only acceptable with time allowance for instrument to clear bank prior to vehicle being released. Any deviation from, or changes to the preceding terms must be reasonable, and should be requested, discussed, and agreed to prior to bidding and auction closing. IMPORTANT OTHER:Please submit all inquiries prior to bidding, and please only bid if you are able and willing to conclude the transaction should you be the winning bidder. This vehicle is being sold with a Bill of Sale and a 1995 Alberta Antique Vehicle Registration Certificate (title). The car is located in Mossleigh, Alberta, Canada, about 3 hours north of the Montana border. Please be aware of your shipping costs before bidding, quotes can be provided upon request if necessary. We can help make this a smooth, hassle free experience by arranging all-inclusive international transportation and brokerage for you. References relating to similar transactions are available. Cars Gone By has sold and shipped numerous collector vehicles to the USA and worldwide, the majority through Ebay transactions. Please do not ask us to disclose the reserve price. In fairness to all bidders we will not do so and request that you simply place a bid that is comfortable for you. Thanks for looking!