Custom 300

RICH MUISE · 2013-09-04 17:30

Jeff..Bob was the one who told me about John when we were talking '57 Fords. He just never told me about what he did. As you know, I've prided myself in the fact that no one has touched my car but me. Hopefully, if I can afford him, that'll change one day. I really want a subtle flame job, or contemporary graphics, on my car. I see maybe one in thirty or so flame jobs at shows that I like, and I understand the kind of talent it takes to do them right would mean I would never be close to happy with anything I produced. So, with any luck, eventually John may add the fiinishing touches on mine. After looking thru his portfolio, I would feel totally at ease just giving him an idea of what I was thinking and letting him have at it. Besides...he has an interest in '57 Fords!

Frankenstein57 · 2013-09-04 20:42

One thing I can't stress enough is body lines, painter #1 on this car did my ranchero, and he would not procede until the piece we were on was perfect. He also taught me how to block sand the right way, and it shows in these cars. Painter #2 I saw at a car show said he inherrited a hell of a nice platform in which to work on. Bill, the owner is a dirt tracker from the Milwaukee area,name is Frank Smith. We had a 3 track curcuit in those days which counted towards area championships, he won 23 consectutive track titles, and 7 straight area titles. Running 57 &58 custom 300's, 312's and 406's. Some dam stout Chevrolet teams lined up trying to get the title away, didn't get it. Mark

Frankenstein57 · 2013-09-05 20:23

Jeff, I hear what you are saying about painters. Always seems to be some drama involved getting a car done. My guy is a pretty good person, one of my best friends younger brother. He's a little out there with the political stuff, but there is lots of that these days. Mark

Jeff Norwell · 2013-09-05 21:49

The last guy that did my last 32 was a big drunk.... he needed a few drinks to get underway..... I waited and waited and waited..... got ugly before I got the project done....
I have a new guy now...reasonable cost...has a stable F/T job(doing his profession.....) and no substance or alcohol problems...... we will see!

And I should not paint bodymen and painters with the same brush...... ONLY 75% of them hahahah
kidding........well.... not really.....

hotroddonnie · 2013-09-06 20:34

I've been a member for a while just never posted till now! I'm near finished with my body guy after two years!!!!! Amazing work but it took forever.

Frankenstein57 · 2013-09-06 20:50

Welcome to the 57 Ford support group, please send pictures

hiball3985 · 2013-09-06 21:28

Body work and paint

I did the body work and paint on my panel truck in 1975, painted it again in 1995, the next paint job will happen when my son inherits it. In 1985 I did custom body work on my 66 Mustang then gave it to my son who never painted it, still primer to this day. One day the light bulb lit that said you are nuts or the bondo and paint fumes made me that way and I haven't touched one since

.

Jeff Norwell · 2013-09-07 07:44

I guess the chemicals in these trades make them they way they are....it is a very hazardous enviroment.
I have seen guys washing up with laquer thinners.... poor masks or no safety equipment at all.
I work in the commercial art biz.. and in the days of big art studios(now long gone)..... we used all kinds of nasty stuff.... there was a women who worked in the biz.and here job at the end of each day was to clean all the art desks...every day she would wash down everything with a big bucket of Rubber cement thinner.... no gloves,nothing.....
one day..after years of doing this.. she just dropped dead.....blood poisoning

very ugly stuff.

hiball3985 · 2013-09-07 09:02

Quote from: Jeff Norwell on 2013-09-07 07:44
I guess the chemicals in these trades make them they way they are....it is a very hazardous enviroment.
I have seen guys washing up with laquer thinners.... poor masks or no safety equipment at all.
I work in the commercial art biz.. and in the days of big art studios(now long gone)..... we used all kinds of nasty stuff.... there was a women who worked in the biz.and here job at the end of each day was to clean all the art desks...every day she would wash down everything with a big bucket of Rubber cement thinner.... no gloves,nothing.....
one day..after years of doing this.. she just dropped dead.....blood poisoning

very ugly stuff.

I'm not surprised more people didn't die, me included. I worked several years as a production painter in manufacturing back in the late 60's. We washed everything in acetone, mek and toluene. We never had gloves, respirators or any of the other safety equipment. And the solvents in the paints where who knows what and we would thin them some more with lacquer thinners..

Jeff Norwell · 2013-09-07 09:30

Wow Jim...... All that stuff produces nasty cancers.... Just like old mechanics with there hands in all kinds of petroleum products daily.... real bad for you on the long term.
Antifreeze is a scary one.
I do remember a very funny story about a studio manager once I worked for..... there was a big pitch and the Agency was trying to get a piece of this business... so they hired all kinds of creative types....Anyhow it's not uncommon to work 24-48 hrs on the final deadlines... this guy had put all the work together in the shop....gluing,spraying all the creative down to boards and foamcore for this massive presentation... were talking 30-50 grand spend to get this business.
Big studio area,20x40 table....all the work is on it and he has been up for a very long time....he diced to clean all the table with thinners(as was the common practice in those days).... I guess the fumes were so heavy after he finished.... he lit a smoke..... and...BOOM!.... ALL WENT UP IN A HUGE BALL OF FIRE.

He got fired.

We would laugh about it.. but at the time it was scary.

anyhow.... sorry about the O/T.

hiball3985 · 2013-09-07 10:56

That is funny now Jeff

but not at the time I sure. Somethings still haven't changed, I have a friend who does painting on sets for the TV and film studios, and what ever other adhesives etc the use. At times she if forced to take months off to detox. I can't even remember how many cars I worked on back in the day that had asbestos brake shoes.

Frankenstein57 · 2014-04-13 20:30

My friend called asking about the rear window, on the customs does the trim go into the gasket before it installs on the car? Similar to the windshield? He also isn't sure about the piece with the screws. I haven't been over to see what he is doing, and I've never put one together. Thanks, Mark

Ford Blue blood · 2014-04-14 07:46

Yes, if you don't you will never get it in place. The screws are just about impossible to line up with the old holes, leave them out. Two 57s I helped finish up still have all the trim in place and the screws were never considered.

Frankenstein57 · 2014-07-06 08:32

Stopped out to check progress on this car, he is in the process of installing the interior panels and various trim pieces. He wants it done by his birthday in late July. He called me last night with a problem, it has the factory power steering, and only turns freely to thr right. He put a new ram on the steering linkage over the course of the build. Is there any bleeding necessary on the ram? I thought I'd run it past you guys for ideas, then I, ll go give him a hand

John Palmer · 2014-07-06 12:18

Quote from: Frankenstein57 on 2014-07-06 08:32
Stopped out to check progress on this car, he is in the process of installing the interior panels and various trim pieces. He wants it done by his birthday in late July. He called me last night with a problem, it has the factory power steering, and only turns freely to thr right. He put a new ram on the steering linkage over the course of the build. Is there any bleeding necessary on the ram? I thought I'd run it past you guys for ideas, then I, ll go give him a hand

Make sure you cycle it first "lock to lock" several times, to bleed all the air out before you start looking for any other problem.

News:

Custom 300