EXCLUSIVE: 1958 Edsel Pacer
Seller Description: A Tiro, Ohio man drove this car home 20 years ago, parked it, and it has sit every since in a dark thick woods, so thick neither light nor rain could get in. We have rescued it with the intent of getting it ready to serve as yard art advertising. This 1958 Edsel Pacer is equipped with a 361 V8, Teletouch automatic, radio, spinners, back up lights, dial temp heater, and clock. We are draining all fluids, replacing tires and next will be a clean up and clear coat for protection. However for a week we will offer what is a fairly solid car for $3,900 if someone wishes to put the rare Edsel back on the road. Not running, but clean title, if your interested contact us and ask for Hank.
Edsels are interesting cars, for so long no one loved these badge engineered Fords. As a result, they are quite rare. Sadly, this is a case of rarity not necessarily equating to collect-ability though. They are actually quite cool, with unique looks and some neat features. For the most part, they are just Ford Fairlanes with different body panels and trim. Ford did a good job of making these cars stand out though, they just failed at marketing them. Had they put the Ford badge on them, they might have actually built more than 20k Edsels.
Special thanks to Harold for listing this Edsel with us, hopefully we can find a good home for it with someone who will either get it back on the road or at least put it’s parts to good use on another car. If you’d love to have it, be sure to message him via the form below!
Asking Price: $3,900
Location: Bucyrus, Ohio
Mileage: 63,000
Title Status: Clean
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Comments
Buycrus Ohio – near Mid-Ohio raceway! Non-running more-door Edsel for $3,900? Nope. $1,000 .. maybe. No financial upside here unless you’re emotionally attached to one of these
It looks really straight and pretty solid. Except for the floors… Carpet should not be rust colored! I’m worried what’s underneath that all.
Great color combination too IMO.
Kudos to the seller for rescuing this car and also giving people a chance to buy it to restore. Unfortunately I agree that there’s no upside for some to make a full restoration but someone needing a parts car or just something to mess around with this is not a bad start. Price is a little rich for those scenarios however.
Gotta agree with Jimbot. $3900 is just too steep. Glad they rescued it and hope it goes to a good home though.
The recession that began in ’58 (and continued for several years) probably had more to do with the Edsel’s demise than any failure by FoMoCo in marketing the Edsel brand
The recession certainly played a part, but I would argue the marketing and lack of consumer testing played at least an equal role. There was almost no external consumer testing and feedback done during development, and then the marketing campaign pre-launch consisted of “sneak peeks” to generate interest in the secret new car. The first time anyone saw it was when it was placed on the showroom floor, and its unique styling was not popular.
Wasn’t this planned by the same bean counter McNamara that gave us the “incremental” war in Viet Nam?
The recession and lack of support from Ford executives were big factors, but Ford really did screw up the marketing. They over-hyped the Edsel, and consumers expecting something new and revolutionary were disappointed to find Fords and Mercurys with big noses. Some also blame the market positioning. Edsel pricing ran from just above the Ford Fairlane 500 to just a couple hundred below the top-line Mercury Park Lane. At the time, the brand image carried more weight than the individual model image, so this was a very wide spread for a new brand.
The pricing for the Edsel was a problem in ’58. The smaller Edsel was priced below the smaller Mercury. The larger Edsel was priced between the small and large Mercury. This was confusing for buyers and was discontinued for ’59-60. Consider also, that Ford Motor Co has never dominated the markets above the Ford car price range.
There is on for sale in Knoxville t n in a lot better shape.Always been in the family.They say it ran 4 years ago for $4,000. Bruce.
These make pretty darn good demolition derby cars if fairly rust free.
We put new tires on today and got the hood open. Still working on the trunk. Lots of little critter nests, rusty rockers, very solid trunk floor and spare tire well. All wheels are free and roll, amazing. Carb missing, but I have the factory air breather. Will keep updated.
2nd photo
Final update, I hope. The car is back at our shop. Solid trunk floor, solid floor pans. Rusty rockers, lower quarters and door skins. Tire well does has rust but over all pretty solid. Motor is free, and we hooked up the battery and had lights, radio static, cigar lighter works too. lower radiator hose was busted so we fixed that and now the clean up. Time is running out, once we have it ready to clear coat, were keeping it. Thanks for all the entertaining comments.
Hank (Real name Harold)
There were four series of Edsels, at least in ’58. Two were based on Fords, two on Mercurys. Hey, if General Motors could share bodies among the divisions, why knock Ford for trying the same?
Every time I see a situation like this, I get a little sad. It’s like looking in the future and seeing what my relatives will do with my old cars when I’m gone.
Hi Scottymac, What was sad was to know this car had sat in this woods for over 20 years and with little wrong with the car to get it back on the road. I first saw it a year ago and it’s been in the back of my mind ever since. So rather than have it continue to deteriorate or worse yet scrapped, I decided to re purpose the car and use it to promote my vintage car museum and 12 Edsel collection as an outdoor sign and yard art. This will allow people to see what great works of art they were. First we just decided to make sure there was not someone out there who might want to put the car back on the road. BTW those who scoff at vintage cars because there 4 doors have forgotten the family sedan had 4 doors. Thanks for your feedback,
Hank
Hi Hank, ( why are they calling you Harold?) Don’t listen to the naysayers, we ALL grew up with 4 doors. This is a great place to start with one of the most controversial cars of all time. I like it. So many unusual features. Too many, perhaps. Another problem, was the Edsel was just too expensive. Similarly equipped Ford’s or Mercury’s could be had for much less. Very few cars garner the attention of an Edsel, and you rarely see one today, for sale or otherwise. Great project. Love the color combo. Such nice colors and combinations then.
Wait….Harold rescued a Edsell ?
I have a 08 crown vic p71 that I am planning to put my 69 f100 on. Maybe could do an Edsel. Upside all updated drivetrain, better brakes and ride. Problem might be getting the transmission shifter from edsel to work the crown vic transmission.
I think it was CAR CRAFT magazine that did that in their April issue (with a ’66 F-100) if you can find it. They’re supposed to finish it up in a future issue.
When they came out I was 16 and said to my father, the lesser two are just Fords, the more expensive are Mercurys, why would anyone buy them with that ugly grill?
Ahhh yes it was 1980 and I was 19 years old. Had such high hopes for my 58 Pacer 4 door hardtop. That is until I got it home (after removing it from a 15 year outside sleep) and opening the drivers side front and rear doors at the same time and they fell sideways due to the rot. Thanks for the memories.
WOW, That was some serious rot. I have a Pacer 4 door hardtop, and they are nice cars. Neat picture.
Hank
Never, ever, ever store a car outside over dirt – or under trees either – if you want to preserve it. Dirt holds moisture and trees plug up vents and drains and hold moisture in cracks and crevices. So sad to see people keeping cars like this and know they’re just ruining them, most of the time at least.
Hi RS, it’s very sad, even after 21 years this car is savable but at what cost. When it was parked it only needed minor mechanical work. Edsel people are so passionate about their cars but this guy was not an Edsel guy and not much of a car guy either. We now have it parked in front of my Edsel museum for use as an attention getter and sign. Still hope someone shows interest, but at least here it will be seen. Our local hot rod guy says it will run with work but will need lower door skins, fender and quarter panel work, tire well, inner and outer rockers and all new interior. Stainless is in great condition and the car is amazingly complete. Oh well.