Ford spent a fortune on Edsel’s marketing campaign, but even though the brand introduced several innovative features for its price, buyers found its vehicles overpriced and weird.

After losing more than $ 250 million (over $ 2 billion in 2021 dollars) in development, manufacturing and marketing, Ford shut down Edsel in late 1959, just three after its launch.

Needless to say, Edsel cars were never as desirable as other classics of the time, so many of them ended up in junkyards or locked up in barns. But while some have been forgotten, others have returned to the limelight as restored collectibles or unrestored survivors. This 1958 Edsel Pacer experiences a rather different fate, having been transformed into a hot rod after spending 35 years in a barn.

Surprisingly, the car has been owned by the same owner since 1966, when David Meile bought it on the used car lot of a dealership. After a few years on the road, the Edsel found himself in a field near his house. On the advice of his father, David moved the Pacer to a barn in the 1980s, where it remained for over three decades.

Come 2021 and the Edsel rolled out of the shed still with its original charcoal brown poly paint, which looks fantastic despite being over 60 years old. The interior is even more beautiful and it is still original, with the exception of the upholstered seats.

But while it looks like an original Edsel from the late 1950s, this Pacer is actually a hot rod under the skin. These cars were equipped with 361 cubic inch (5.9 liter) FE V8 engines at the time. And they were also pretty powerful at 303 horsepower. But David wanted more oomph, so he ditched the old engine in favor of a 428 cubic inch (7.0 liter) large block mill.

Coupled with a five-speed manual transmission of the Tremec variety, the V8 which can be linked to the iconic Special Interceptor and Cobra Jet engines develops a whopping 450 horsepower.

To go with the added oomph, David also upgraded the Edsel with stock-car-style springs, shocks and stabilizer bars, as well as a 22-gallon (83-liter) trunk-mounted fuel tank. And then he took the car to Byron Dragway to put the Pacer to the test. And the drag racing session revealed that the heavy Edsel is actually pretty quick.

Sure, it’s nowhere near as fast as a modern muscle car, but it has what it takes to cover the quarter mile in under 14 seconds. Not only did he do it in 13.65 clicks at 110 mph (177 km / h), but David also managed to win against a modern Jeep Grand Cherokee. The second outing ended with a run of 13.90 seconds and a loss to a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, but it’s still an impressive result for a car like this.

One of seven Edsel nameplates on offer until the company closed, the Pacer was a full-size model year produced only in 1958. Offered in two- and four-door body styles, the Pacer sits above the entry-level Ranger. Ford produced 20,988 Pacer for the 1958 model, of which only 6,717 were two-door coupes like the rod model below.

Now hit play to see the coolest Edsel Pacer around.