"It's just identical to our first car ... the only thing is, mine had some hail dents in it," said an excited Keith Clark after doing a quick walk-around inspection of his newly purchased '51 Ford Fordor.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Keith and Louise Clark of Lamar, Colo., celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary by picking up their "new" 1951 Ford in Wichita and trailering it home.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
"I'm excited just because he is," said Louise Clark after they bought their "new" 1951 Ford. The car brings back memories of them dating at drive-in movies and traveling between Arizona and Colorado while Keith was in the Army, she said.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The only picture the Clarks could find of their original '51 Ford was this one, snapped the day of their wedding, as friends and guests decorated the car for their honeymoon journey. Ironically, they had car trouble and had to borrow a friend's car -- also a '51 Ford.
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Keith Clark / Courtesy
The '51 Ford carried a completed restyled dashboard and a more modern-looking steering wheel than the 1949 and 1950 Fords. If you look closely, you'll also notice this low-mileage survivor was equipped with the brand new Fordomatic automatic transmission.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
A look from the passenger's front seat shows the amazing condition of the upholstery, original to the car.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Seen here minus the oil-bath air cleaner, the 239-cubic-inch flathead V-8 still wears its original bronze paint job. The air cleaner was installed before the car was loaded on a trailer for the trip back to eastern Colorado.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The 1951 Ford was the first to carry the Fordomatic Drive emblem, coupling a 2-speed automatic transmission to a flathead engine for the first time.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The 1951 Ford also carried a lot more chrome trim than earlier versions of this body style, including the shiny spears extending back to the redesigned bullet-style taillights.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Badging was vital on cars in the '50s, with the Clarks' '51 Ford being identified as a flathead V-8 powered Custom model.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
For safety's sake, Rick Nuckolls installed a new set of radial tires on the Ford, adding the wide whitewall porta-walls for a vintage look.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The car apparently received a fresh paint job several years ago, but showed no signs of body damage. The door seals were soft and fresh and the trim was in surprisingly good condition, with only a few minor dings, 60 years after the old Ford rolled off the showroom floor.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The only thing missing from the Clarks' new Ford were the parking lights. Luckily, Keith had bought an abandoned '51 Ford Tudor several years ago for $50 and that car has the needed park lights.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Louise Clark and Jan Nuckolls discuss car nicknames as the transfer of ownership takes place. "I'm going to miss that girl," Jan said of the car, which she and her husband owned for just a few months before passing it on to the Clarks.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Keith Clark snaps a photo of Jan Nuckolls with the 1951 Ford Fordor that is an identical twin to the car he owned more than 50 years ago.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Keith Clark was impressed with the condition of the '51 Ford. He had been scouting for a decent, drivable car, but said the really nice ones he found on the Internet were priced out of sight.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The Clarks head west with their 1951 Ford in tow. They were looking forward to taking the car to a cruise-in at their local Sonic drive-in in Lamar, Colo.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
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