Never saw this before.

[kb426]

I went to Hooker Ok. for a show yesterday. Great day in many ways. I saw this in a 58 retractable hardtop. First time for me.

[enjenjo]

The bucket, or the luggage? Fitted luggage was sort of common years ago, particularly on higher end cars. Ford was the only one I know of that included the bucket.

[Carnut]

Yep the bucket was for Fords Retractables. It was deemed the best way to put luggage in the trunk without interfering with the top retraction mechanism which filled up all that open space around the bucket.

Heh, heh, I have a friend who's dad owned a local Ford dealership back in the day and he still has a bucket. Makes for a charming conversation piece.

I never considered the 57/59 retractables as one of Fords better ideas. It was an electrical nightmare for one thing having an enormous number of limit switches that all have to be working and in agreement.

[tomslik]

Yep the bucket was for Fords Retractables. It was deemed the best way to put luggage in the trunk without interfering with the top retraction mechanism which filled up all that open space around the bucket.

Heh, heh, I have a friend who's dad owned a local Ford dealership back in the day and he still has a bucket. Makes for a charming conversation piece.

I never considered the 57/59 retractables as one of Fords better ideas. It was an electrical nightmare for one thing having an enormous number of limit switches that all have to be working and in agreement.

aaand they used that stuff in lincoln convert's, too....

[jaybee]

Dad was a Ford dealership mechanic when they were new...he's firmly a Ford man and has been his entire life, but he counts the retractable as Ford's worst idea ever.

[58 Yeoman]

I had a '57 in HS, and I liked it.  Of course, it was a rust bucket, but it was unique...no one else had one.  There were times when I had to put a soda can between the switch and the arm that hit it, so it would go down.