E-Mail Dave & Teresa Kump
(Click on thumbnail photos for full resolution version.  Use your browser's back button to return here.)

In their own words......

Life is strange.  A dyed-in-the-wool Mopar guy was one of the reasons I ended up with my '56 Ford Victoria.  I happened to mention one day, how I liked mid-'50's Fords and the Crown Victoria.  Next thing you know, I was inundated with photos, calendars and magazine articles.  It was too much.  I started looking for "The Car".  I got a lead on a restorable '56 Victoria in Hobbs through the Zia Rodders Club (I belonged to the club before CARS was even a thought).  I went to see the car with one of the members. He said, "Wait a minute.  This title doesn't belong to this car."  End of that story.

After a long and frustrating search (an experience most of you know well), I finally spotted "The Car” at the Hobbs Kiwanis Car Show in 1990.  I bought it.  The cosmetic restoration on "Vicki" was not too bad, but mechanically the car needed work (to say the least).  I started off by replacing everything related to the brakes except the master cylinder (so I could at least stop).  Only the front brakes were working and not well, since the rear brake-line was-completely plugged. I had the engine and transmission rebuilt.  I also replaced many of the body trim pieces, some of the originals were in really ugly shape.  I even had some success at doing electrical work (no burning or smoking means a good job) including getting the radio and dash lights to work again. 

I then replaced the anemic 2-barrel carb and manifold with a '57 4-barrel manifold and a new Holley carb (my favorite), and put '58 exhaust manifolds on for mo' betta breathing.  Installing a Pertronix electronic ignition cured the sloppy points problems.  I did some other custom touches on the engine and put on a set of after market Dodge Lancer wheel covers just like we did when we were kids - only this time I bought them (just kidding!) Lots more work was involved over the years, but I don't want to bore with the details.

Just when I got the "Vicki" fun and quite driveable, I happened to mention one day how I liked '66 Ford Fairlane GT’s….

1956 Ford Crown Victoria