Hi guys, I am new here and looking for information. I recently came across a 57 2 door Ranch Wagon which I believe is a Del Rio. It has been sitting for years, but appears to be very complete and original. I am pretty sure I am going to buy it, but would like to know if there are any things that I need to look out for that would be a deal breaker. Is there anything that I really need to check before handing over the cash?
I haven't done a 50's ford before, but I am in the middle of doing a 67 Cougar so I am hopefully not completely out of my element. I am figuring that if the 312 that is in there is toast, I will swap in a 302 or 460 with appropriate transmission. If the motor is solid but the automatic is toast, can the 312 be bolted to a c4 or c6 or maybe an AOD?
Also, when looking for parts, are they usually shared with other 57 fords or unique to the station wagons?
I really appreciate all your help, thanks!
Welcome to the forum. There are tons of experienced guys that can and will help you out, you will be amazed at the folks here. There lots of info on total rebuilds, engines/trans swaps,ets.,... you name it. Some guys are great metal workers, some like me not so much. 57 Fords tend to have rusted out front floors because the cowl area actually drains though the interior through rubber hoses known not to last. From my perspective rust is a major issue so look for that and what may have been done in the past to repair it. A desert car? Lots of common parts between all 57 models. Good luck!
Welcome to the forum. A Del Rio or Ranchwagon is one of the most sought after 50's Fords. 2 drs are always in demand!
It's hard to give an honest judgement on what a deal breaker would be for you not knowing details or your willingness to learn, but the biggest concern would be rust areas. Floorboards are common rust areas in all '57's, but relatively easy to replace, so in my opinion seating area floorboards not a major issue. Other areas can be depending on your willingness to take on an adventure...rear quarters, inner rear quarters, tailgates, ect can be more of a challenge depending on how bad the rust is.
With that said, and realizing your from Nevada, if it is pretty much a cancer-free Del Rio, jump on it!!! If you decide against it, post the info here please...they'd be some interested parties for sure depending on $..... LOL....most of us here don't have much.
Hello from another Del Rio owner. You be warned, once you get into that thing you will become addicted to it. There is no way to get away from these beautiful 2dr wagons :002:
engine swaps can be done. Bendtsen speed gems makes an adapter to bolt an AOD to the Y block. As Lynn mentioned, many parts are the same in a lot of 57 passenger cars. few are Del Rio only and rare=expensive. the chassis is a little different in wagons. rear axle too. the wagon has the favorite 9" hot rod axle. so be careful in checking if it's still in there. Rust is a major issue. I bought a Cali car and it still is rusted out badly. check the roof and drip rails. these cars have no drain holes inside and a lot of them are rusted out all around the rain gutters from inside. the tail and liftgates are prone to rust, very difficult to repair. rear quarters almost always rust out because of bad drain design. the rear corners and overlaps under the tailgate rust out ( where the factory lead was). front floorboards and rears are often rusted. be careful at door and fender alignment. those a pillars get easily twisted in crashes or when rusted out. the frontend often sags due to the design with only one spring under the radiator support. BTW that easily rusts out as with all 50s Fords.
same goes for lower front fender quarters. If all of that sounds bad- IT SHOULD !!! take a good look in what you are buying, so you will know exactly what you are getting into. Not trying to talk bad about our beloved Fords, it's just the way it is. EMS makes excellent quality USA patch panels for a lot of those areas mentioned.
That said, (to me) the Del Rio is the most beautiful 2dr wagon ever built, and they are getting rare and expensive.
If you could show pics, that would help a lot. It would be great to have another Del Rio and enthusiast owner on the forum, Welcome !
Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I will get a chance to closely look it over soon. It has been a big challenge to coordinate with the owner. I will post some pics when I get to see it next and definitely some more if I can close the deal.
I got to look it over much closer, and was looking for what areas you guys suggested.
The body appears very solid. There is no carpet, and I can see the floorboard is rust free. The body panels are straight and appear to have the original paint. The side trim is all there, and appear to be in good condition. The engine is the 312 with a holley 4 barrel, looks stock, but very dusty. The license plate is tagged from 78.
Now the down side, the door panels are pretty bad, front and rear. The headliner is shredded. The seats are not horrible, but they are ripped up. So are interior parts hard to find for a 57?
I will see if I can post some pictures here.
Here are some pics...
And the engine...
What you are talking about is SMALL STUFF!!!...compared to average rebuilding . I'd jump on that car. A rust free body and floorboards is worth thousands more than a rust bucket, and that's only considering replacement panels, not the many hunderds of hours labor to get it done.
I'm not sure about wagon upholstery, but Fairlane and Custom stuff is redily available from place like Labarron-Bonney. If you are like the majority of us, and not concerned with a factory oem restoration...any good upholstery shop can take care of anything inside.
Well ok...I just saw the pics, and If I were you, I'd pass on it and send me the contact info so I can get that eyesore out of their way for them.
Just kidding!!!!~
That is one of the best '57 anythings I have ever seen as far as barn find/field finds/ what ever you want to call it....never mind the fact that it's a Del Rio!! Trtust me, you have no idea what you have the opertunity to grab there, or you'd already have grabbed it.
Anyone disagree?
As I said, jump on it before someone else does.
Billd...PM sent
Excellent find! I've seen cars on the road that didn't look much better than that does.. Uphlostery replacement is a given, and I sure wouldn't let that get in the way. I paid a ton of money on a 2dr ranch wagon that was so far gone that I couldn't finish it. they are hard to find and expensive so unless they think it is worth Barrett Jackson money I would jump on it.....Welcome aboard
Welcome to the site.
From what I see, that 2dr wagon is in great shape. Interior work is to be expected..
You are going to save lots of money on body work with this one. Don't let it get away from you.
Buy it before somebody else whips it out from under you!!!!!!
Wagons and Rancheros share some major components (frame, rear axle assembly, fuel tank, rear bumper, rear bumper guards, license plate lights, tailgate (lower portion, etc.). Like the majority have said, Grab It Quick.
those pictures make me totally speechless. :icon_cyclops_ani: I really hope you get it asap!!!! I wouldn't argue over the price too much. The moment you buy it, you save $20k in patchpanels, sheetmetal work and paint anyways. Good Luck !
btw not original paint. overspray on some rubber parts like on lower tailgate gap and rubber plugs on firewall, I think what looks like dust on the lower panels is clearcoat coming off above.
Great eye, as usual, DJ! agreed...not original paint. what I looked at hard when I first saw the pics was the glass....is it posible the original glass is that good, or as good as it looks in the pics?
The glass just looks too good to be original, especially for desert glass...sandstorms, no bubling from heat, etc.
Did anybody notice the license plate, btw? What's with the reversed embossing...don't think I've ever seen that before.
I suspect the car has been in use much later than '73. Note the battery also has side terminals...when did they first come out?
I'm just plain speechless. All I can say is jump on it ASAP!!!
I'm pretty sure you're right about the paint. If I'm reading the data plate correctly, the car was originally just white, and both the Ranch Wagon emblems are off the car, but I saw one sitting in a box in the back (hopefully the other is there too). Also, the data plate itself is now white - I'm assuming it was painted over.
I'm hoping I can close the deal this afternoon. The more I see about it, the better it looks.
Definitely, buy that car! I wish mine had been in that good shape when I got it. Like has been mentioned many times, you are a bucket of money ahead with this car, not having to buy all replacement sheet metal for it. Good find!!
an all white Del Rio makes it even better! those scripts on the rear are Del Rio pieces only, they are rare and expensive. they don't interchange with the base model Ranch Wagon scripts, which are mounted on a different crown on the front fenders.
Quote from: billd5string on 2015-10-29 09:11
I'm pretty sure you're right about the paint. If I'm reading the data plate correctly, the car was originally just white, and both the Ranch Wagon emblems are off the car, but I saw one sitting in a box in the back (hopefully the other is there too). Also, the data plate itself is now white - I'm assuming it was painted over.
I'm hoping I can close the deal this afternoon. The more I see about it, the better it looks.
I hope you get there before I do :003: Just kidding, good luck don't let it get away.
Repaints can cover a lot of sins but looks quite complete. Depends on the price.
Build5
We are waiting to hear how you made out yesterday. Did you get the Del Rio??????
She's agreed to sell it to me, and she knows I have agreed to buy it, but we weren't able to hook up yesterday to do it. Hopefully this afternoon after I get off work. I will definitely let you guys know when I get it. I'll be quite the happy dog when that happens.
Okay - here's the update, she's all mine now. :burnout: :burnout: :burnout:
I'll be bringing it home tomorrow - it's just across the street from me now. :003: :003: :003:
Excellent, really looks sound and solid!
This car keeps getting more interesting the more I learn about it.
I thought the car had belonged to the nice lady's husband who passed away, but it actually belonged to her son who is alive and well. He got the car in 73. They gave me a file full of records on the car going back years, with pictures of it along the way. This car had been babied up until 93 when it was parked. Good thing the high desert doesn't rust cars. I am astounded that this car isn't far more faded. They drove it into the yard, and she says it was gorgeous at that point, and it has sat there since October of 93.
I used to know a guy who found a legit 69 trans am under a tree, and later he found a 68 shelby KR500 somewhere - I am tickled that I finally get my own amazing find, and here it is. :001: :001: :001:
I 'm very happy for you. If they drove it in there, there is a good chance that you will get it running after you get it home. Keep us informed and we like pictures on this site. Jay
She is home now. I had to put the wheels from my Cougar on it, but the 10 inch rear wheels of course wouldn't fit on the rear, so I had to out them on the front - and it still looked cool. :003: and the amazing part is, they didn't even rub!
Thanks for all your help, I am sure I will have more questions as I evaluate the condition of everything.... For now, I am too tired to dig in.
Hi five, congrats to you!!!!!!
Awesome that you were able to get it. I love hearing finds like that, very similar to mine, parked for 35 years, found in a shed, now tidying it as I drive, but going to keep it unrestored as it is so good. Keep us posted as you go through it.
Very nice catch....seams dreams can still come true!
great !!! looking forward to that wagon coming back to life!