Calgary’s John Price was holidaying in Arizona about seven years ago when he first spied this Sun Burnt beauty. Even in a crowd of hot rods, the car jumped out at him. “There’s three or four car shows a week down there and about 300 to 500 cars at some shows,” says Price, who with wife Sandy have proudly owned this well conceived California-built Ranchero for three years. “I like mid-’50s Fords, but I though this car was pretty terrific.”
     Price continued to vacation in Arizona and each time he would see the car at shows he could only admire it.  Then during one vacation he was flipping through the local Auto Trader and there was the Ranchero needing a new home. “I made the guy an offer and he said ‘no’,” remembers Price. “I said ‘fine’ here’s my number.”  Four weeks later, Price got a phone call and after the call, the Ranchero was his.  He had to drive to California to buy a trailer so he could bring the car back to Calgary with him when his Arizona vacation ended.
     “I was driving a white Suburban with a white trailer and a red car - I was getting the thumbs up from little old ladies all the way back to Calgary,” says Price. When this member of the Foothills Street Rod Association returned to Calgary, he sold the trailer and began to drive his new ride.
   Price figures the car was customized about 10 years ago, though he found the 289/C4 tranny combination not to his liking. He had renowned Alberta engine guru Kenny Gilmore put together a 351 c.i. engine with reworked 302 heads being ported, relieved and stuffed with bigger Chevy valves. A Edelbrock 4-barrel carb mixes gas and air while perched on a Edelbrock intake.  Behind the 351 is a Gary Savage built Ford AOD 4-speed automatic transmission, which keeps the revs down and the gas mileage bearable. A 9-inch Ford rearend with “reasonably tall” gears transfers the ponies to the pavement.
     While the power under the hood was now more to his liking, the car’s driving manners were still questionable. The problem turned out to be reversed lower A-arms. Courtesy spindles from a Ford Granada, the Ranchero has disc brakes up front but out back the stock drums get the job done. Though the car does have power brakes, it doesn’t have power steering, but true to its desert roots, it has A/C to keep things cool.
     Price believes the interior was upholstered in Arizona, so a craftsman there gets credit for the flame-pattern door panels and the tuck and roll vinyl on the stock bench seat. Price removed the stock dash bezel and had it machined and the stock gauge panel was reconfigured and stuffed with aftermarket items. The tilt column and steering wheel are also both aftermarket items. The manual window cranks have been turfed and the glass now moves electrically.  The doors are also electric.
    The car’s exterior modifications begin most noticeably with a 1954 Chevy grille replacing the stock Ford grille and a Camaro hood scoop grafted into the Ford’s hood.
    All the chrome has been removed, headlights and taillights have been frenched and corners rounded and the license plate has been recessed into the tailgate.  A 1956 Ford rear bumper with exhaust cutouts replaced the stock ’57 bumper.
     The combination makes for a soundly conceived old school custom with enough modern conveniences to make it a pleasure to drive.   Its desert roots might have led to its Sun Burnt moniker, but this Ranchero is Calgary cool.