Sep 12, 2018  •  For Sale  •  8 Comments

Complete With Parts Car: 1959 Edsel Villager

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This 1959 Edsel Villager has been hiding away in a barn for the last 40 years. It has been brought out into the sunshine again, brought back to life and is now ready to move on to a new home. Located in Bucklin, Kansas, you can find it listed for sale here on eBay. The Edsel is offered with a clear title and bidding has reached $4,050 but the reserve hasn’t been met.

Overall the condition of this car appears to be quite honest. The seller states that he believes that it has received a repaint at some stage in its life, and that there appears to have been some rust repairs to the rear quarter at some point. If those were done before the Edsel went into storage and they still look solid then that’s a fair indication that the work was done properly. There are a few rust spots in places around the car such as in the bottom corner of the passenger side door, on the front fenders and in a couple of other areas, but these look quite minor. There is a rust hole behind the rear wheel well in the back floor, but once again this looks like it is a spot that could be repaired by someone who is handy with a welder. The seller provides plenty of photos of the rust, but most of them are hard to decipher due to lack of contrast. The Edsel also has one cracked side window and one of the wing windows is also cracked.

The interior exhibits the sort of condition of a car that has been sitting for a while. The door trims and dash appear to be in pretty fair condition. The rear seat looks like it would benefit from a deep clean but the front seat is going to need some work. There is seam separation on the driver’s side as well as a tear lower on the seat. It also looks like it needs a really good clean. It may actually be more viable to have a new cover fitted. The carpet is also looking pretty sad and should be replaced. The rear cargo area has its share of wear and tear, but I think that it would probably restore okay. This Edsel has also been fitted with the optional “Dial-Temp” heater.

The seller has undertaken a reasonable amount of work bringing this Edsel back to life. It now sports a new aluminum radiator along with a new master cylinder and new wheel cylinders. The car now runs and shifts well, but there are a couple of leaks in the transmission that need addressing. One leak is from the pan gasket and the other is from the rear transmission seal. The bonus with this sale is that it comes with a complete but rough spares car that has a motor and transmission. Sadly there are no photos of the engine on this Edsel.

This Edsel has the potential to be quite a nice car. It appears to be a solid car that could be driven as is while a restoration was undertaken. What rust there is doesn’t appear to be too severe, and the inclusion of a parts car is a real bonus. For someone who has the desire to own an Edsel I think that this car represents a great opportunity.

Comments

  1. Dovi65
    Sep 12, 2018 at 6:26am

    Wow; take note BF sellers … see what a difference a bath makes?

    Always loved Edsels, wagons, & convertibles being my top faves

    Like 9
  2. Kenneth Carney
    Sep 12, 2018 at 7:03am

    Don’t let the name Edsel scare you folks, this car is nothing more
    than a re-skinned ’59 Ford. Look past the outside sheetmetal, and
    you’ll see that the innards are standard Ford fare here. The engine
    could be anything from a 223 cube I-6 to a 352 police interceptor V-8,
    and tranny could be a 3-speed, 3-speed with overdrive, or a C-4 automatic. Looks like the frame and suspension parts are standard
    Ford wagon fare here too. End result: you have a gussied up Ford
    Country Sedan or Galaxie wagon here–nothing more, nothing less.
    Would love to own both of these cars if we didn’t have to re-plumb
    Mom’s kitchen. Plumbers in this part of Florida charge as much as
    these cars cost for just 1 housecall! Hope they find a good home
    though. Too bad it’s not mine!

    Like 4
    • Jeepster
      Sep 12, 2018 at 7:32am

      same story here in Nashville…
      Remember that old Jerry Clower routine about the doctor and the plumber ??

      Like 2
  3. Don H
    Sep 12, 2018 at 10:17am

    It could not be a c4 ,that came out in 1964

    Like 4
  4. dweezilaz
    Sep 12, 2018 at 10:37am

    Kenneth: you could say that about almost any Mercury.

    Lower level 58 Edsels used the Ford body, upper level Edsels shared with Mercury.

    They’re all Fords down deep. Far less differentiation than with GM’s Chevy and B-O-P marques.

    But yeah, I’d love one too. With the six and 3 speed manual !

    It’s a sickness.

    Like 2
  5. JagManBill
    Sep 12, 2018 at 10:50am

    For 1959 as an Edsel it could be one of 3 engines – 223 I-6 (Ford), 332 FE or 361 FE (FE is Ford Edsel). For trans, standards would be 3 speed column, 3 speed column w/OD or autos – “Mile a Matic (Ford o Matic) or Dual Power (FMX).
    I have a 58 Country Sedan with the 223 and 3 Speed OD and Edsel front brakes (same as Ford but ‘finned’ drums). I have been toying with an engine upgrade to the Edsel 410 that a friend has (if I can get it away from him). Nice wagon

    Like 1
  6. chad
    Sep 12, 2018 at 4:54pm

    fam moved in one frm Baltimore to Boston in 1960.
    I believe it wuz a 2 speed auto Adam.
    Thnx 4 da memories.

    Like 0
  7. Tim
    Sep 12, 2018 at 5:40pm

    I own the same car but with a red roof and red inside the body mldgs. It is my shop truck. Bought it from an old fellow who did a amateur restoration on it with his grandson. He needed to sell it as a divorce was headed his way at 72 years of age [go figure]. Paint was new semi gloss, due to inexperience. Engine was brand new 223 six with a 3 speed manual. I thought I would go through the car, new v-8 engine, paint etc. The six was new but ran like crap. I adjusted the valves on the six and then it ran great. Added a Clifford intake, header and a Holley 4 bbl. Put a t-5 behind the six and kept the exterior and interior the same. Put on some smoothies with trim rings and wide white radials. The wagon is an absolute blast. Grind out the rust bubbles once a year blow in some white being careful not to make it too glossy and enjoy the ride.

    Like 4

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