HomeAutoHunterOld-school custom Ford Crown Vic leads this week’s AutoHunter picks

Old-school custom Ford Crown Vic leads this week’s AutoHunter picks

Diverse group includes a low-mileage Corvette, Lincoln Continental and a Porsche replica

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This week’s AutoHunter auction highlights feature a mixed bag, focusing on a full custom creation, a street rod, a muscle car, a low-mileage sports car, a full-size ‘70s luxury coupe and a Porsche racecar replica.

1956 Ford Crown Victoria custom

Some skilled customizer spent a lot of time, effort and imagination modifying this vintage Ford into a stunning showpiece that’s ready for the car show circuit. 

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The unique two-door has been finished in 2-tone Deep Purple Metallic and Pearl White with a matching interior. Power is provided by a Y-block 292cid V8 with an automatic transmission.

“The body features a nosed and decked hood, shaved door handles, shaved tail fins and generous brightwork for the tubular front grille, windowsill trim, dual Frenched antennas and smoothed bumpers,” according to the seller’s description. “Additional custom touches include white taillight lenses and hand-drawn etching on the bumpers.

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“A continental kit has been added at the rear with swing-away access for the fuel filler, and dual polished exhaust outlets are located below the bumper.”

Overall, a showy assemblage of ingredients that, although purple, would be unsuited for a shrinking violet.

1934 Ford street rod

Here’s another custom Ford but of an entirely different sort, a fiberglass-bodied hot rod with a big-block 540cid V8 that’s ready to dust any comers. 

Built from a Gibbons fiberglass body that replicates the ’34 Ford 3-window coupe, this screaming yellow zonker with a brightly flamed interior contains all the elements for cruising fun or drag-strip action. The classic design speaks of a joyous era of hand-built performance cars.

“The Chevrolet 540ci Dart Big M big-block is a build from Motor Machines Super Shop, and has received custom headers, Hilborn electronic fuel injection, and a hydraulic roller camshaft,” the seller says. “Power, which is reported to be in the 700-hp range, is sent to the rear wheels via a Turbo 400 3-speed automatic transmission with Gear Vendor overdrive and a Ford 9” rear end.”

This would be such a cool machine for rumbling down the avenue on cruise night.

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1959 Porsche 718 RSK replica

While we’re on this fiberglass kick, how about a good-looking replica of one of the greatest “giant-killer” race cars of the mid-century?

Built by Thunder Ranch of El Cajon, California, the Porsche replica is mounted on a specially modified TR550 space frame with coil springs and power provided by a tuned 1.5-liter Volkswagen engine linked to a 4-speed manual transmission.  The replica is painted Burgundy Metallic with gold Porsche emblems and a tan interior.

While the original 718 RSK, launched in 1958, was a formidable race car that managed to beat bigger, more powerful competitors, this replica is set up as a sporty roadster ready for a backroad drive.

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1965 Ford Mustang fastback

This is yet another great-looking Mustang offered on AutoHunter, restored and painted bright red with GT-style white stripes, a black bucket-seat interior, a functional hood scoop up front and dual chrome exhaust tips in back. 

“This 1965 Ford Mustang fastback harnesses power from a rebuilt 289ci V8 that features a Holley Sniper electronic fuel injection system, all-new wiring, and a T5 5-speed manual transmission with a hydraulic clutch,” the seller notes. “The restoration checklist incorporated custom touches on the interior, including a wood-rimmed Ididit steering wheel and a touch-screen digital display showing engine RPM, coolant temperature, and other vital vehicle information.”

All in all, this looks and sounds like a pony car that’s been done right.

1981 Chevrolet Corvette T-Top coupe  

With just 37,000 miles driven since new, this Vette is a numbers-matching car in Beige with a 350cid V8 and 4-speed manual transmission.  The 3-owner sports car is essentially in all-original condition aside from a paint respray on the front and rear bumpers, and it looks very good indeed.

“The 350cid V8 features a chrome-finished air cleaner, an Edelbrock intake, performance heads and upgraded components for the timing chain, water pump and radiator,” the seller says, adding that the car comes with “extensive service records.”

The coupe is fitted with removable glass T-tops, a ducktail spoiler and Super Turbo mufflers.

Interestingly, the speedometer provides reference to those troubled automotive times of fuel uncertainty and early emission controls: the numbers go up to only 85 mph.

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1975 Lincoln Continental Mark IV

This seems to be my go-to method for wrapping up AutoHunter choices of late, with a 1970s behemoth luxury car.  Last time, it was a Cadillac Eldorado from the same era.

Actually, the Mark IV recalls some fun memories.  When my future wife and I were first dating, her dad had one of these in red with a white vinyl top and white leather interior.  Quite posh in terms of ‘70s kitsch, and we loved driving around in it as we often did.  My own car was some dinky econobox.

This Mark, offered with no reserve, has its original Maize Yellow paint with white Comfort Lounge leather seating for cozy cruising on the boulevard.  It’s powered by a massive 460cid V8 and 3-speed automatic, and the seller says there are only 60,000 miles on the drivetrain.  Unclear about the rest of the car, though it looks like a preserved original in the pictures with the listing.

The Lincoln is a 2-door hardtop, what the marketeers at the time dubbed a “personal luxury car.” Some of the luxury features include a Cartier clock, automatic climate control and woodgrain trim.  The covered headlights and faux spare-tire bulge in back add to its dramatic styling.

Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

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