Whenever Jim Forbes takes on a project, we perk up and pay attention. It’s not because Jim has been a BangShifter since before BangShift actually existed or because the cars he’s most known for, his ’55 Chevrolet and his “Plan II” Nova, but because the man is blisteringly intelligent, gifted mechanically, and will turn even a questionable purchase into something awesome. At least, we were banking on that last part when he announced that he was taking on the LeMons Hell On Wheels Rally ’16 with a rescued 1959 Edsel Ranger that he located in Las Vegas. The car had been left to rot after remaining fairly original and decent for years, but a quick go-through of the engine, repair of damaged parts and a healthy application of trailer park “wood” paneling brought the Ranger up to snuff. So how did the Edsel do on the road? 

Apart from a wheel bearing that liked to bitch loudly, the occasional cool down requirement, and a thirst for fuel that bordered on “legendary”, the Edsel performed quite well. The Yank Tank managed to make the trip from southern Arizona to Monterey, California and back, plus the LeMons route that took them to Las Vegas and Death Valley among other roads that most cars aren’t too happy to be on, let alone an Edsel that hadn’t been driven in years. Quite an achievement for a nearly sixty-year-old failure. (I’m talking about the car, people…)

And now, he has it on eBay! He’s dropped his price down from the initial $250,000 that he was asking at the end of the rally to a more respectable number, but if the car doesn’t sell, don’t fret. It sounds like the Edsel isn’t going anywhere just yet unless the right sucker buyer comes along. The question then becomes: what the hell is going to happen to this big brick next?

eBay Link: 1959 Edsel Ranger sedan