3811 begins her new life

[Doc]

Also, it only starts in neutral. (Good thing I was the one to try to start the car as I left the dealer. If I had just ridden out, later shut it off, and tried to start in park I might have had the car towed to a shop!) Again, is this the norm!

Yes; designed to only start in neutral. I suspect we all have stories about that--when it was in for repairs and unknowing mechanic panicked when it wouldn't start, etc.
There is a conversion available to change it to Park. Personally never felt the need, but we don't have to start on hill frequently.

[Mark II Seeker]

John,

Welcome to the Forum and congratulations on the purchase of your Mark II. It looks very nice in the pictures.

I made a 3000 plus mile one way trip to purchase my Mark II ( suburban Philadelphia PA to suburban Seattle WA) but I never seriously entertained thoughts on driving it cross country. I bought mine in early December and would have been concerned about weather challenges n addition to potential breakdowns or $500 a pop hubcaps flying off onto the side of the highway.

[linmk2]

FYI, the fuel tank capacity is 25 gallons.

[Spike Johnson]

why in the world did they design to only start in neutral ??? Also good to know about gas tank capacity eh john ?

[John Herrell]

350 mile range? Seriously? Wow.

[rickswrecks]

All 1955 and 1956 Ford products with an automatic transmission would start only in neutral. I am not sure about the years prior to 1955 but would suspect they were the same. I know starts in park could be done by 1962 but not sure about 1957-1961. Probably changed when the fordomatic transmission was replaced with the cruiseamatic, which I think was first available in 1958.

Why the fordomatic was designed to start only in neutral is something I have never thought about until now.

[Spike Johnson]

All 1955 and 1956 Ford products with an automatic transmission would start only in neutral. I am not sure about the years prior to 1955 but would suspect they were the same.
.

ok 2cents coming here
My dad bought a new 56 ford station wagon and we had it for 10 years.100,000 miles.
It started in Park
In later life the neutral safety switch was worn and it usually had to be started by wiggling the shifter upwards to engage the neutral safety switch-loose / worn I dont know. BUT my dad was a full blown mechanic and never worried about fixing it. I suppose it became a feature after a while.