The $250,000, 7-year restoration was a success. We have a binder of the list and pictures of the prestigious awards it has won. Boyd Coddington picked it as best of show, George Barris gave it a custom award and John Force awarded it best of show. It won a 2nd place at the Grand National Roadster show, that where the best of the best compete. It has been featured in magazines. A restoration photo album is included.
EXTERIOR: Up front a smoothed 59 Thunderbird bumper with custom grill was used. Hood was decked and shaved. It has tri-bar halogen headlights. Down each side the emblems and handles were shaved. It has a unique set of 41 Lincoln pushbutton button door openers. It also has a pair of 57 Mercury cruiser skirts. In back the trunk was decked and shaved smooth. The gas filler was removed and filled. The bumper was cut, smoothed and frenched into the body. More petite bumper guards were used. Taillights were replaced with 55 Mercury’s. We have photos of the body down to a bare metal shell. Every square inch is laser straight. I don’t see any signs of bodywork, cracks or bubbles, it was done right. Painted a gorgeous PPG Mandarin Copper. The metal flake is laid out evenly and the clear coat is polished like glass. All new Solex lightly tinted glass. Every gasket, weather strip and window seal was replaced. Every piece of chrome has show chrome finish. Every piece of stainless is straightened and polished like chrome. It rolls on a set of radial white walls with a set of Cadillac Sombrero hubcaps.
INTERIOR: It was a bare shell. It was lined with sound deadening. Soft, genuine leather upholstery was used throughout. The seats were completely restored from the inside out. In front it has a set of 1967 Thunderbird buckets, driver’s side is power. Custom made side panels, Porsche door handles. It has a 56 dash with VDO gauges. The power window switches, and headlight switch are out of site below the dash. The metal is painted as slick as the outside. Interior chrome is redone to show standards. The Ididit tilt column has a beautiful leather wrapped billet wheel. The headliner and visors are pristine, the overhead light works. On the floor is premium carpet with bound edges and matching mats. It has billet pedals and a Hurst 4-speed sticking out of the floor. It features a stereo and air conditioning for pleasurable cruising.
ENGINE COMPARTMENT: They weren’t messing around; it has a crate 460-540 hp from Ford Racing. It uses D-460 aluminum CJ heads, Blue Thunder dual quad intake with a pair of Holley 600s. The roller cam and the Doug’s headers send some beautiful notes to the exhaust. The front of the motor is full of polished components, power steering, Vintage Air and serpentine belt system. A Modine radiator and custom shroud keeps it cool. The upper hose is a polished pipe with premium clamps. The ignition system, wiper motor, horns and vacuum reservoir were neatly hidden. It has a smooth fabricated firewall; the bay is painted as nice as the car. A custom-made prop rod keeps the hood open for everyone to see the beautiful motor.
TRUNK COMPARTMENT: It’s been completely boxed, upholstered and carpeted to match the interior. A custom fabricated trunk floor was installed. It was lined with sound deadener. The back wall opens to expose more storage and the Optima battery with disconnect switch. The fuel fillers was relocated into the trunk and concealed under a fabricated lid.
UNDERSIDE: An Art Morrison custom-built chassis was all smoothed out and painted body color. It has 3x4 boxed frame with tubular front control arms and Morrison 2-inch drop spindle kit. It has Alden Eagle coil over adjustable shocks at all four corners. Flaming River rack & pinion steering and front sway bar. In back it uses a Morrison 4 link set up with chrome tubular control arms. The bottom of the motor is clean, it has a high torque starter, and a heavy-duty Lakewood bell housing connects it to the trans. It’s a toploader 4-speed, using a hydraulic clutch. It connects to a Cannon Engineering driveshaft. In back is a Hoopers Ford 9-inch rear with 3.50 gears, Moser 36 spline axles. Wilwood 11-inch disc brakes at all 4 wheels, custom e-brake assembly, stainless lines and polished calipers. The power brake booster is under the car. A neatly fabricated 2.5-inch exhaust has glass packs for a 50s hot rod sound. The floors were custom fabricated and sealed in a rubberized sound deadener.
This is an incredible car. Finished 15 years ago and driven 3,500 miles. It still shows and functions incredibly well. I personally drove it home and was impressed. It is ready to be enjoyed – show and go!
I, Jay Grams, take pride in personally writing the descriptions for virtually every car for about the last 30 years now. A significant amount of effort goes into fact checking. What I am offering is my professional impression of the vehicle.
* Note the Odometer Reading of 3,549.8. This is the exact same mileage (and image) used for the 2020 sale. Date Taken: 2020-10-15 at 07:03
The images on Volo show that there are 3,549 miles, is that accurate or were there additional miles since this photo was taken? I wasn’t exactly sure how recent everything was regarding images and video. I recall you mentioning that it was initially listed about 7-8 months ago and purchased by a local collector who had it for a few months?
Mon, Jun 21, 2021 – Buyer
The miles shown are accurate.
Mon, Jun 21, 2021 – Erik Haugaard from Volo Auto Sales
It’s a beautiful car and it drives. I drove this car the other day, took it home, drove it around it is, it’s spot on, excellent car.
You look up at the motor it’s clean, it has a high torque starter, it’s all Ford driveline.
Completely custom new Ford nine inch rear end with… the specs are on our website.
This car was restored in 2005 so it’s got about 15 years and it has about 3,500 miles on it so it’s still an outstanding beautiful show car but now it’s time to get in and drive it and enjoy it.
So this is the real deal folks. This is a high quality, very tastefully done, very dialed in, ready for show and go.
It has a smooth fabricated firewall; the bay is painted as nice as the car.
The roller cam and the Doug’s headers send some beautiful notes to the exhaust.
It has 3x4 boxed frame with tubular front control arms and Morrison 2-inch drop spindle kit.
Exterior Color: Mandarin Orange
In back is a Hoopers Ford 9-inch rear with 3.50 gears, Moser 36 spline axles.
Wilwood 11-inch disc brakes at all 4 wheels, custom e-brake assembly, stainless lines and polished calipers.
At Volo Museum Auto Sales, we love classic cars. We love them so much that we built a museum for them. Unlike other dealerships, we care about the history of the cars we purchase and ensure that we only sell vehicles that have undergone rigorous inspections.
Note: Bold Underscored Emphasis Mine
This 1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria Custom was purchased from Volo Auto Sales (VAS) located at 27582 Volo Village Road in Volo, Illinois 60073. The date of sale was Monday, June 28, 2021, the salesperson was Erik Haugaard.
The vehicle was advertised as… It is ready to be enjoyed – show and go!
in the written sales description and video.
The written description, pictures, and video provided by Volo Auto Sales depicted a beautiful car with an appraisal performed by Jay Grams (VAS) who appraised the vehicle at $80,000 and rated it 98 out of 100.
This vehicle was grossly misrepresented in the VAS June 2021 written description, video, images, and appraisal by Jay Grams of Volo Auto Sales.
This vehicle was received in California on Thursday, July 22, 2021, with a host of mechanical issues that are currently being documented and addressed.
As of Sunday, May 22, 2022, it has been 328 days since I purchased C8DENCE. She has been out of service for 304 days and in the shop for 286 days with an estimated completion date of Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
I will have an article published about my experience with Volo Auto Sales once all of the issues have been documented, photographed, repaired, and all unexpected “AS-IS” costs have been tallied in June 2022. Emails to Volo Auto Sales about the issues are being ignored.
2021-09-01 – Email received from Jay Grams of Volo Auto Sales. Communications timeline and image gallery to follow.
You obviously have a much different opinion of the condition of the Ford than we do. Return the car and we will give you a refund for the purchase price. Otherwise do what you need to do.
Wed, Sep 1, 2021 – Jay Grams from Volo Auto Sales
The above comments from Jay Grams were received after I sent an email on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 showing the condition of the items we’ve discovered to date. The engine and most of the drivetrain is disassembled. Parts have been ordered and/or are in house. Schedules have been planned. Monies have been transferred. The offer to return the car at this point is not a viable option.
I’m sorry you are not happy with your purchase of the Crown Victoria. I disagree with your assessment of the vehicle. You purchased a customized classic car which comes with the understanding and I’m sure you agree while doing your research prior to buying the Crown Victoria it isn’t the same as looking after a brand new car. Older cars need quite a bit of care that isn’t required with new vehicles.
Wed, Jul 28, 2021 – Erik Haugaard from Volo Auto Sales
The above comments from Erik Haugaard were received after I sent my first email to Volo Auto Sales on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 showing the condition of the items we’ve discovered to date. This was after the first inspection performed at Crevier Classic Cars in Costa Mesa, California.
A second more extensive inspection/repair was/is being performed by Cambra Speed Shop in Orange, California which is where C8DENCE resides as of Sunday, May 22, 2022. There have been five more emails sent to Volo Auto Sales (no response to first four) outlining damages uncovered on a weekly basis while she undergoes surgery.
On Tue, Mar 15, 2022 I filed a 55 page complaint with the Illinois Attorney General Consumer Fraud Bureau. On Thu, Mar 31, 2022 my complaint was accepted, assigned file number 146031, and was forwarded to the Chicago office for further investigation. I am currently awaiting communications from the AG’s office.
These are the individuals I dealt with (in this order) during the sale of this 1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria Custom.
Volo Auto Sales aka Volo Auto Museum
27582 Volo Village Road
Volo, Illinois 60073-9613
1-815-385-3644
It appears that others have had similar experiences with Volo Auto Sales. Don’t be misled by the 4 and 5 star reviews, the majority of them are for the Volo Auto Museum portion of the business.
