East Coaster of the Day: 1954 Ford Customline
Dave Lamb’s 1954 Ford is perfectly restored. He bought it that way. Rumour has it that two nuns in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, bought the car new but Dave doesn’t know the rest of the story.
It was Ford’s mid-range model and the first generation of the historic brand’s more modern sedans, coupes and wagons that debuted in 1952.
With a wraparound windshield, curved rear glass and modified grille, it refreshed the look of Ford vehicles.
In 1954, the Ford Customline and its siblings Mainline and Crestline came with either a 223 cid inline six cylinder or, like Dave’s with a 239 cid ‘Flathead’ V8 with 130 horsepower. Dave’s has an automatic transmission and he has added headers.
His nephew and our friend, Luke Thompson, calls him the family’s ‘used car guy’. Whenever anyone in the family needed a car, they talked to Dave.
Dave has only had the pristine 1954 Ford for about eight months. It’s still just a baby to him. Maybe this will control his car fever for a while.
By his count, Dave has owned over 500 cars in his lifetime.
*Thanks to Ralph Hannaberry for the lead photo
