Why This Car Is Special

The 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon occupies an interesting place in American automotive history. It was the entry-level model in Ford's full-size station wagon lineup that year, sitting below the Country Sedan and Country Squire but riding on the same 118-inch wheelbase platform shared across the entire 1959 Ford full-size range. What made the 1959 Ford particularly significant was its complete redesign — Ford debuted a lower, wider body that year with a bold horizontal grille and distinctive quad headlights stacked in pairs, a look that was a direct response to the fins-and-chrome excess of Chrysler and GM. The result was a cleaner, more modern silhouette that held up better over time than many of its contemporaries.

Station wagons were serious business for Ford in 1959. The Ranch Wagon was the two-door version of the lineup, which made it lighter and sportier than the four-door models. The panoramic rear window — a feature that wrapped around the upper corners of the cargo area — was a genuine selling point at the time, giving the Ranch Wagon a sense of openness that competing wagons could not match. That rear glass treatment remains one of the most visually distinctive features of this body style.

This particular 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon has been built as a pro-street custom. It is not a stock preservation piece — it is a driver built for the road, with modern drivetrain upgrades and suspension work done to make it more capable and comfortable than any factory Ranch Wagon ever was. The red exterior is sharp against the tan vinyl interior, and the attention to detail throughout the build is evident from the undercoated undercarriage to the color-matched door handles. This is a car that has been thought through, not just pieced together.

Features List

- Small-block V8 engine swap - Ford Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission - Coilover front suspension - Rear sway bar - Upgraded shocks - Lowered stance - Power steering - Dual exhaust with side-exit tips - American Racing wheels - Air conditioning - Grant Classic wood rim steering wheel - Front and rear tan vinyl bench seats - Red seat belts - Custom door panels with color-matched red handles - Custom carpet - AM radio with factory-style dash integration - Clock - Tinted glass - Panoramic rear window - Custom pinstriping - Chrome front and rear bumpers - Fender-mounted chrome side mirrors - Custom valve covers - Open element air cleaner - Column shift selector - Undercoated undercarriage

Mechanical

Under the hood, this 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon has received a small-block V8 engine swap backed by a Ford Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. The Cruise-O-Matic was Ford's top automatic offering during this era — a three-speed unit introduced in 1958 that allowed the driver to select between a full-automatic mode and a manually controlled two-speed range, which Ford marketed as giving drivers more control on grades and in traffic. The fact that this build retains a Ford Cruise-O-Matic rather than substituting a later overdrive unit is a thoughtful choice that keeps the powertrain consistent with the car's Ford identity. The transmission pan is finished in red and clearly stamped with the Cruise-O-Matic name, visible in the undercarriage photos.

The engine bay shows custom valve covers in a polished finish and an open element air cleaner that feeds the carburetor directly. The air conditioning compressor is mounted on the driver's side of the engine, and the system has been plumbed cleanly through the firewall. The engine bay itself is painted red to match the exterior.

Underneath, the suspension has been completely reworked for street performance. The front end uses a coilover setup in place of the factory ball-joint suspension, which improves both handling and ride height adjustability. The rear carries an upgraded sway bar — visible in the undercarriage photos as a blue-painted bar — along with upgraded shocks. The car has been lowered to sit closer to the wheels, which tightens up the wheel-to-fender gap and gives the wagon a purposeful stance without looking slammed. Power steering is fitted, which is a significant practical benefit given the size and weight of a full-size 1959 Ford body. The dual exhaust exits at the rear beneath the chrome bumper, and the entire undercarriage has been sprayed with a black undercoating that protects the floor pans and framing.

Interior

The interior of this 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon is finished in tan vinyl throughout, covering the front and rear bench seats, door panels, and headliner. The upholstery is in clean condition, with straight vertical pleating on all seating surfaces. The red seat belts are fitted front and rear — a practical safety addition that also provides a visual contrast against the tan vinyl that ties back to the red exterior.

The door panels are custom pieces finished in the same tan vinyl as the seats, and each features a color-matched red door pull handle. The chrome window cranks and door lock pins are in good condition. The overall effect is a clean, two-tone interior scheme that keeps the cabin from feeling too busy while still having custom details throughout.

Behind the wheel, the driver faces a Grant Classic wood rim steering wheel mounted on the factory column. The Grant Classic is one of the more recognized names in aftermarket steering wheels — the company has been producing wood and leather-wrapped wheels since the 1960s, and the Classic model with its polished aluminum spokes is a natural fit for a late-1950s Ford. The column shift selector remains in place, operating the Cruise-O-Matic through the factory-style P-R-N-D-2-D-L gate visible on the dash below the instrument cluster.

The factory dashboard is finished in red to match the exterior, and it retains the original instrument cluster with its horizontal speedometer sweeping from 0 to 120 mph. Oil pressure and generator warning lights flank the odometer window. The AM radio is integrated into the dash in the factory location with its original-style push-button tuner and a period-correct clock positioned to its right. Air conditioning vents have been integrated below the dashboard. Custom carpet covers the floor throughout the cabin, and the panoramic rear window brings in a significant amount of light, making the interior feel larger than the dimensions suggest.

Exterior

The 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon wears a red exterior that suits the body style well. The 1959 Ford's body lines are relatively clean for the era — Ford avoided the most extreme tailfin treatments of the late 1950s and instead focused on a wide, low stance. The Ranch Wagon body takes that proportioning and extends it with the roofline running all the way to the rear, giving the car a long, purposeful profile.

The car rides on American Racing wheels, a brand that has been producing performance wheels since the 1950s and whose multi-spoke designs are a natural fit for a custom build of this era. The lowered suspension brings the bodywork closer to the wheel arches and gives the wagon a pro-street appearance that reads immediately as intentional. The tires are modern performance rubber that fills the wheel wells properly at the lowered ride height.

Chrome bumpers are present front and rear in good condition. The front bumper carries the 1959 Ford's characteristic horizontal bar grille beneath it, and the quad headlights — two stacked on each side — retain their original housings. Fender-mounted chrome side mirrors are fitted on both doors, a period-correct accessory that improves visibility without looking out of place on the body. Custom pinstriping has been applied to the hood and front fenders, a detail visible in the front-on photos that adds a subtle custom touch without overwhelming the exterior.

The panoramic rear window is intact and in good condition. Looking in from the rear of the car, you can see all the way through to the windshield, which is one of the most appealing design features of the two-door Ranch Wagon body. Tinted glass is fitted throughout, reducing interior heat and glare — a practical choice for a car in the Florida climate.

Conclusion

The 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon is a body style that custom builders have been working with for decades, and it is not hard to understand why. The proportions are right, the chrome is in the right places, and the two-door configuration gives it a leaner look than the four-door wagons that most people remember. This particular example has been built with a consistent vision — the small-block V8 and Cruise-O-Matic drivetrain, the reworked suspension, the coordinated red-and-tan color scheme inside and out, and the undercoated undercarriage that tells you the builder cared about the parts that buyers do not usually look at. It is a usable, well-sorted custom that covers the practical bases — air conditioning, power steering, modern suspension geometry — without losing the character of the original car.

To schedule a viewing or ask any questions about this 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon, contact Skyway Classics in Sarasota, Florida at 941-254-6608.

Disclaimer Information found on the website is presented as given to us by the owner of the car, whether on consignment or from the owner we bought it from. Some Photos, materials for videos, descriptions and other information are provided by the consignor/seller and is deemed reliable, but Skyway Classics does not warranty or guarantee this information. Skyway Classics is not responsible for information that may incorrect or a publishing error. The decision to purchase should be based solely on the buyers personal inspection of the vehicle or by a professional inspection service prior to offer or purchase being made.