Hello to everybody on 57 Fords International !
My name is Guenter, 40 yrs old and I am from Austria, Europe. I found your cool forum while surfing the HAMB and I am glad to be here and share our common interest.
I?d like to introduce myself a little: I have been wrenching on American cars for 20 yrs now and among others I just love and have owned a lot of Fomocos from the 20s to late 60s. It was about 1997 when I was originally looking for a 1955 Victoria Coupe, when I first saw a 57 (Courier Delivery sedan) in the flesh and I immediately fell in love for the big taillights, perfect fins , smooth hood and the giant wraparound windshield. 2 yrs later I was able to buy the Courier and had it for about 5 yrs, adding a lot of miles and beautiful summer holiday and RocknRoll festival trips. At that time I got my nickname DJ Fordman Jack, I guess you all know my big idol, the Wolfman.
Even while I had the Courier I always wanted a Del Rio and after selling the Courier I just kept thinking about the 57 again and again, started collecting old ads and after full 2 yrs of searching I finally found my Del Rio on the Yuma Craigslist in Jan, 2013. A decision was made to pick up the car in person with some of my friends in Az and drive it to Cal and the LA based shipping company.
The Del Rio is now in the middle of old Europe and awaiting a full frame off resto. Here it is at my place in Graz, Austria
(http://up.picr.de/17913997ev.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/17913998ls.jpg)
Just a few hundred yards away at my friends place and his 57 Sierra D500 wagon:
(http://up.picr.de/17913999iu.jpg)
With another friend?s 57 Oldsmobile Wagon
(http://up.picr.de/17914000bx.jpg)
This is me :003: :
(http://up.picr.de/17914001kx.jpg)
I have a lot of other pics and if you are interested I will post some more of the wagon?s journey.
Regards G?nter
Welcome to the forum. Thats a nice looking wagon. Are the other cars yours too? I really like the Oldsmobile wagon too.
A frame off resto, you say? It looks pretty cool just like it is.
Nice...welcome!
Love the Oldsmobile wagon roof line.
I am of the rock n roll persuasion, too. My wagon hauls my drums now and then.
Rob
Welcome, sure looks like some fine rides you have there, Mark
Welcome aboard! Very nice ride!
Nice looking rig.Thanks for all the pics,thats a long drive to see it for most of us.Welcome to the site.There are a bunch of really helpful great guys on here. Al
djfordmanjack:
Welcome aboard Guenter. You have a beautiful Del Rio, as a 12 year old I used to throw news papers from the back of my parents yellow/white Del Rio when it was raining too hard to do the route on my bike. At the same time I was getting into my love for Rock & Roll and listened to Wolf Man Jack on "The Mighty 690," broadcasting from Tijuana, Mexico. We could hear that AM radio station from the North end of Mexico over 200 miles to Los Angeles, CA, because Mexico didn't control their broadcast wattage. It was a great time to grow up and yes, the first car I bought was a 57 Ford. 34 years after I traded my 57 in on a 1965 Mustang, I bought my second 57, the one I have now and still love it.
Once bitten by the 57 bug, I guess you just stay bitten.
Bob
57 AGIN
I love the look of the wide whites on chrome rims. I have the chrome rims but with narrow white walls, which is ok, but after seeing yours I'm seriously thinking about going to wide whites.
That is one sharp looking wagon! Welcome to the site. Glad to hear we hauled in another one from the Hamb.You asked about if we were interested in more pics, and of those when you start the restoration. YES, by all means, we never get tired of seeing pics. Well, LOL, the guys are probably tired of my pics, but everybody else's we want more of.
Spent many a night listening to the Wolfman, btw.
thanx everybody for the hearty welcome ! I have become a complete addict to the 57. love all the little details on the car. And although I will be hotrodding/customizing it a little more I want to keep all the factory details.
@57AGIN
maybe your parent's yellow/white is mine :002: mine started out as an Inca Gold/Colonial white and it was rolling in the Ontario/Cal area. Unfortunatley a guy from Huntington Beach had the car from ca 2000 to 2010 and he had it parked within a mile from the ocean, so this took its toll on the drip rails, doors, quarters, floorboards aso. It might look sharp on these pics but it is a sad heap inside.
I will post more details and pics of it soon. It is the car that I plan to keep forever and I want to restore it properly, but it will be a daily driver ! I am restoring cars professionally, mostly German stuff, but also building Customer Hotrods, currently a 34 roadster. A lot of the cars in the pics are mine, but not all (whish they were) the Cad, Camino and 911 on the truck are my friend's.
I have started collecting parts for the Rio, mostly NOS. I extremely dislike the modern Asian repro stuff, it is just bad quality built for maximum profit. And in addition I love the old FoMOCo boxes and bags,and it will fit the applications right out of the box.
At the moment there is a nicely souped 351W/C6 in the wagon, but I am building a bored 292 with an AOD for milage.
When I first saw American Graffiti at age 16 I got struck by the excellent music and fun comments of the Wolfman rather than the story or cruising action. I loved RocknRoll since I was a kid, listening to Bill Haley or even some Gospel songs. The music is always first and then the cars. But for me there's no better way to listen to some old RnR,C&W or Blues than while cruising in a vintage car
We all seem to talk a universal language...quote: "I extremely dislike the modern Asian repro stuff, it is just bad quality built for maximum profit."
Here are some more pics from last year's wagon roadtrip, we had a blast
Az and Cal deserts through the wraparound windshield of a ford
(http://up.picr.de/13791411uj.jpg)
Salton Sea, Cal.
(http://up.picr.de/13791414ty.jpg)
Bob's Big Boy Broiler, Downey
(http://up.picr.de/13791415mc.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/13791416ba.jpg)
Boyds good bye, hello to white donuts and reverseds at Performance Plus, Long Beach
(http://up.picr.de/13791417yr.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/13791418uf.jpg)
Ruby's, Orange
(http://up.picr.de/13791429sc.jpg)
Doughnut Derelicts, Huntington Beach
(http://up.picr.de/13791430rh.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/13791431mw.jpg)
Anaheim
(http://up.picr.de/13791432lp.jpg)
Tony's Coral Reef Surf, Beach Blvd
(http://up.picr.de/13791433ai.jpg)
Long Beach Swap meet, 6 am
(http://up.picr.de/13791434an.jpg)
Laguna Beach
(http://up.picr.de/13791435bp.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/13791436be.jpg)
Ruby's, Laguna
(http://up.picr.de/13791437xt.jpg)
Chino
(http://up.picr.de/13791438vv.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/13791450tk.jpg)
Walter's West Coast towing, Buena Park
(http://up.picr.de/13791451cu.jpg)
Rinkens Shipping, Paramount
(http://up.picr.de/13791452pj.jpg)
Nice shots, hard to imagine that car is that messed up, it looks to good!
djfordmanjack :
Nice photos, a good number of the places you took photos are right in my neighborhood. Well within 10 miles of it anyway. I bought my Cragar S/S rims & tires at Performance Plus in Long Beach. The Coral Reef wet suit store is where I bought my last 2 wet suits. I believe the Big Boy Drive-in you were at is the old Harvey's Broiler on Firestone Blvd. in Downey, CA. Shortly after it re-opened as a Bob's Big Boy the Car Hops actually took orders and delivered food on roller skates. I don't think they still skate at that Drive-in, though. Another photo in your sequence looks like it was taken in Newport Beach on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in front of an art deco building. The Donut Derelict car show you went to is held every Saturday morning, but in order to get a parking place you pretty much have to be there by 5:30 a.m. or you might not get a parking space. No trophys just coffee and donuts and you are done by 8:00 a.m. Every now and then I still go up to Hollywood and cruise Hollywood and Sunset Blvd.'s. If you remember the Mel's Diner from American Grafitti, my son was an Assistant Manager at the one they opened in Seal Beach, CA. It was a great venue for having local car shows and car club meetings. It really is a small world sometimes and neat when someone from another country shares his experiences in a familiar area with other enthusiasts having a similar hobby (57's).
Bob
57 AGIN
Bob, thanx for your comments. it was a real pleasure to see and take part in So Cal life, even if for a very short time only. the scenery is just beautiful and we met so many nice people. Everday life around LA seems to be quite stressing (probably is in any large town on earth), but while on vacation you sure won't get bored, especially not a car nut like me :002:
I hated to get up that early but the Doughnut Derilicts is such a nice show ( is it a show ?) and worth starting early. Real people with real cars, Sunday morning, hot coffee, gas talk. cool cars everywhere.
funniest thing on earth, while on the LB swap meet, I got back to the wagon, and a guy asks me about my 57. turns out Blair, he's the one who owned and buildt the car firsthand ( in og inca gold/col white) around 1993, 20 yrs ago and he even still had a pic in his new car, he gave it to me. What a small world.
It's a long flight and costs a lot of money to get there, but I hope to be back in future. My dream is, after restoration of my wagon to one day ship it back to the east coast and from there drive the 57 cross country to Cal on back roads. I will have to save some for a trip like that. :001:
While I'm at it, here is a pic of my Del Rio I wanted to post before. It's the one that I got from Blair, the former owner. Maybe someone here remembers the car from 20 yrs ago. It originally came from the Ontario/Chino Cal area. still have the 63 blackplates and they will never be parted from the car.
(http://up.picr.de/17971247qc.jpg)
Here are some pics of my old Courier, sold it to a friend he later on painted it the oxblood candy.
I loved that car. also a SoCal car.My friend sold it to Germany and I couldn't trace it anymore, would've bought it back.
(http://up.picr.de/17971248un.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/17971249yw.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/17971250fk.jpg)
Thank you for posting all the pictures from your trip. I hope you can come back to So Cal sometime in the future. I love that Courier, always wanted one.
Bob: The Big Boys is the old Harvey's. Spent many Friday & Sat nights there in the 60's but haven't been there since.
Great photos and a great collection of cars. Thanks for posting. Now we'd like to see pics of that car at some Austrian hangouts! We've got a saying here in the US...you must have hired an Indian Guide to find all those SoCal spots.
haha ! no, my guidance came from a German ! :003: one of my best friends came along, he has been visiting the US twice a year for decades now, he knew some good places. but some of the places we simply ran into. that is the beauty with roadtrips.
I will see what I can come up with European spots in future, but you will have to wait until the Rio is a driver again. (still roadworthy, but will not pass our tech inspection and therefore no registration)
to Bob and Jim, you should try Bob's Broiler again ! there is a small car show each Wed. evening starting 5pm. lots of vintage and traditional stuff and nice milk shakes too.
djfordmanjack:
The yellow/white Del Rio is a spitting image of the car my parents bought in 1957 when I was about 12 or 13 years old. During rainy days I often threw my paper route from the tail gate. I was really upset when they traded it ion on a 1959 Rambler Ambassador.
Bob
57 AGIN
Bob, we will probably never know , but it could be your parent's car ?! I'd say it wasn't the best thing to trade a gorgeous Del Rio for a rather odd looking 59 Rambler, but in the end those independent car makers like Rambler or Studebaker, they made teriffic practical wagons and they look so strange, they are yet really interesting. Wouldn't want a Rambler with that dip in the roof but for sure love the 63-65 Studebaker Wagonaires with their sliding roof.
I have started work on the Del Rio, doing little things like repair moldings and stuff.
(http://up.picr.de/20355545ax.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20355547mt.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20355548dh.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20355549ys.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20355550np.jpg)
I will post a question concerning these panels in the general topic.
Beautiful craftsmanship!
Agreed, excellent work, I've always fancied having a go on an English Wheel, I even bought some plans to build one a while ago.
Gary, I actually bought mine from England and it wasn't so expensive. around 400 pds. If you want I can dig up my old bills and look for the business name and adress.
Quote from: Limey57 on 2014-12-15 03:04
Agreed, excellent work, I've always fancied having a go on an English Wheel, I even bought some plans to build one a while ago.
finished the new door panels from marine birch plywood.
while dismantling the old panels I found something interesting. The rear cargo area panels looked more like some homebuildt stuff from furniture board to me at the beginning, but while pulling the naugahyde I observed the hand writen dating, with July 3rd perfectly matching my Aug.1957 buildt wagon. I could see that the panel was diecut with crisp outlines and a few originally cut mounting holes.
Disassembled the lower tailgate today :005:
Here's how I drilled out the spot welds. When done carefully it just touches the second metal layer and you can easily seperate the sheets with a small chisel.
Marine birch plywood? Thickness? Where do I look? I have been looking for a decent material to replace the Masonite panels...that sounds perfect. In awe of your metal working by the way!
Lynn. If you can't find the marine stuff, I used 1/8 oak and it worked out pretty well. After I did all my cutting I gave it two coats of polyurathane, plus glued on a sheet of plastic on the backside after upholstering. You can probably find that at Lowe's or HD.
Yes I will glue a plastic sheet into the inner door and rear quarter areas before putting in the panels. just to be safe.
I got the water resistant plywood from carpenter supplies. a good camper or boat shop will probably know a supplier or stock the plywood. Easy to work with.
Didn't like the thought of more seam rust left so off came all the reinforcement brackets and threaded plate cages too. now 100% apart, not a single spot weld left. next is sandblasting and chemical rust remover for the skin. hopefully will be able to save it.
tailgate lock cylinder will be shaved and I have to improve the inner structure. I feel that when you put heavy load on the open tailgate it sags some, even so much that the skin is touching the bumper guards including little dents in the tailgate. sides of the gate are flexing when heavy load is on the struts. I will tie that into the hinge area with a bracing bracket.
I have yet to see 1/8" plywood (of any kind) anywhere except a hobby store. Their sheets were too small. I will start looking again. Gluing a plastic sheet on the backside is also a great idea. I will renew my search... thanks guys.
Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2015-02-03 22:09
Lynn. If you can't find the marine stuff, I used 1/8 oak and it worked out pretty well. After I did all my cutting I gave it two coats of polyurathane, plus glued on a sheet of plastic on the backside after upholstering. You can probably find that at Lowe's or HD.
Quote from: djfordmanjack on 2015-02-04 14:43
Yes I will glue a plastic sheet into the inner door and rear quarter areas before putting in the panels. just to be safe.
I got the water resistant plywood from carpenter supplies. a good camper or boat shop will probably know a supplier or stock the plywood. Easy to work with.
bad memory, but I'm thinking I found 36" wide oak for reskinning doors....Mahogany would be easy to find...the prefered birch or oak a little more difficult. The door skinning sheets would probably be in a different area than plywood sheets.? Some guys use pcv plastic sheets as well..3/16"...whoops...I just realized I misspoke on the oak veneer...I used 3/16, not 1/8.
That is some nice woodwork, Rich ! I haven't been doing this since my days of model plane flying and building.
I like the 1/8" (3mm) boards, they are more flexible and about the thickness of the cardboards, so you won't run into trouble with the interior moldings, windlace and lower panel chanels. I hate using the cheap furniture boards and they get stuck everywhere because they are too thick. Here in Europe we get the plywood boards 5' x 10' (1.5x3 meters) so I managed to cut ALL the panels from that one board. I had it pre cut into 5 pieces from the supplier, so I already had all the perfectly straight lower edges of the panels.
I will be customizing the rear cargo area panels with small 8"x8" doors to get access to the inner rear quarters. quite some unused space there for tools, oilcans, small parts, maybe a small compressor for rear air shocks. otherwise it will get cramped in a wagon, since I don't want to carry anything in the cargo area and want to use a full size spare wheel in the compartment.
3/16" makes more sense to me, luan plywood is easy to find, just too thick to me. I am using a fiberglass composite, it is a little too thin, not as rigid as I would like and it's textured on one side.
A quick google, 3mm 30" x 48" birch sheets $15.99...thanks for the info. I didn't even know there was such a thing!
Whether you go to Lowes or HD ,be careful when you are leaving and watch out for those Girls we read about on here a while back!
I've been going more often since I heard about this scam. No sign of these ladies so far! :003:
We ain't got not Sears or HF here, not even Auto Zone or Pep boys....what a shame... :003:
Did repairs on the speaker cuts in the rear tailgate
(http://up.picr.de/20913528ng.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20913529pf.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20913530ir.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20913556ty.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20913531nf.jpg)
fitting the stainless strips. that is soul candy.
(http://up.picr.de/20913532yo.jpg)
Jay told me I rather have a handle, so here I am...( and he might be right) :002: :003:
(http://up.picr.de/20938003az.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20937999ak.jpg)
working on taillight to make it into a fuel filler door. the og filler door got to go, it is just plain ugly :003:
(http://up.picr.de/20957820iy.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20957821qt.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20957822ce.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20957823ys.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20957824rd.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20957825ij.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/20957826ru.jpg)
Clever design on the hinges along with your normal excellent workmanship. Your last few pics would be a few weeks work for me.
Thx Rich. I had a loooong day yesterday to come up with that. I had been thinking about this before, since I wanted to improve on the design from my first 57. That was a pull design like on Caddies and Lincolns, but this time I wanted the light to swing inside. looks much cleaner and it's easier to reach the filler neck. I will only attack the rear quarter on the car in spring, that is a major task, removing and cleaning the filler door and inner structure, repair the wheel arches and lower rear quarters and the rear corners.
I second Rich's comments, except it would take me forever! Awesome concept BTW.
Wow,Your skills are outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanx alot, Jeff!
I finally managed to pull the body today. no big issue, just took my time and being careful not to ruin anything or hurt myself. can't await the day it'll be going back on ;)
(http://up.picr.de/21481262kb.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/21481263sa.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/21481264nd.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/21481265iz.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/21481266nt.jpg)
Günter
I like the way that you made use of those two long pieces of stock that you placed on top of the four posts. You must have a good feeling of accomplishment with the body off. Now there's nothing in the way from getting that frame back to original specifications again. Have you made your appointment at the frame shop yet? Jay
Jay, that was the safest way to pull the chassis from underneath rather than lift the body. I had supported the body with 4 wooden beams and it didn't do any damage to the roof structure or floors. I left the doors in for better strength and alignment and all was well. now that the body is back on stands the doors open and close the same way as when the body was on the frame, so nothing has moved.
I am using those long rectangular steel tubings to build a subframe for the body, so I can roll it around and put it in my rotissery. all the rockers and front body mounts will come off and I have to do a lot of alignment work on the A and B pillar.
I remember this point well, when I took the body off the Ranchero my first thought was where has all my free space gone?". It's also the point where you realise there's no going back or half-measures, but you can't beat it for underside access and finishing everything "properly". You seem to have plenty of room which helps and that 4 post lift is a lot safer than using axle stands, bricks and anything else to hand like I used!
Nice work, looks good
Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2015-02-10 18:05
Clever design on the hinges along with your normal excellent workmanship. Your last few pics would be a few weeks work for me.
Can you please tell me what the Spring / Pivot Assembly is that you used.
Thanks
John
John I used an old cabinet hinge. you can see it in the first pic. probably any from a home improvement or hardware store will do, as long as you can make it fit. the little lift springs came from my friend. he builds those radio controlled 'crawler' scale car models. you will get those springs and shocks in many different sizes in the model hobby stores. you can even get shims to get the spring rate you need.
My setup is all homemade.
G.
Thanks for that information. I now know what to look for. I really like what you did.
John
Thought it's about time to update this one a little. My heart and soul is in that wagon, but it's still apart. I did a lot of refurbishing small parts and purchasing spare parts but still nowhere. It's somewhat sad to know that this will take another 5-10 years to complete. I have yet to start metal work on the body and realigning the twisted and bent frame.
here's a few things that I thoroughly cleaned, ground smooth, rounded the edges aso and had them powdercoated.
I think I went a little overboard with the Granada spindles.
and the chassis is tucked to the rear of the shed waiting for its turn.
Let's say something got inbetween. Something like 3 1934 Fords maybe... ::)
That's how the project is tucked in the corner of the shed for future action, I just don't have the time for it right now. Hopefully I will get it back out again in a year or two.
One of the main things distracting from the build is parked right behind it, my beloved 34 sdn.
The story with that car is so unbelievable that I think I have to tell it right now. I bought it in person from another very active person here on the forum. When I got on this forum here 2 years ago we found that we have lots in common with our 57 Fords interest and also family heritage, which lead to an email friendship which at some point turned out we both had an incredible affiliation with Model 40s (33/34) Fords and about 1-1/2 years later I was flying to beautiful Massachusetts, enjoying the time hanging out with good frineds, lots of vintage tin and returning home with that very special 1934 Ford sedan and a true friendship with one of the greatest car guys I ever met - Thank you so much Jay !
Coming to think that none of that would have ever happened without this forum, so many many thanx to James for keeping this going!
(BTW maybe you could move this topic to the project build chapter, James? )
Who's that sinister gang of hoodlums on vintage Route 58 anyways ? :003:
since we were talking about daily driver and beater cars in Jeffs 300 thread I thought I post some pics of my last daily driver, a 62 Comet. I just loved that thing. looks clean in the pics but paint job was a mix of 30 year old paint and freshly sprayed-in-the-backyard truck white.... :003: including a little plastic and other cheap tricks like cut coils, reversed leave springs and stuff. Of course it got the 57 treatment in the rear. It's incredible how much fun a cheap but reliable old daily driver quality car is. I sold it when I thought I would make the 57 Del Rio my daily driver, and things got overboard somewhere and I started tearing into the wagon instead of just fixing it. Didn't listen to the many people here who said I shouldn't do it. So now I am not driving the 57...which I regret much. let's see what the near future might bring. In the meantime I love to remember that little Merc.
DJ...had no idea you bought(one of) Jay's '34's. cool.
In the pic, your on the right, Jay's in the middle..who's on the Left?
Your comet...I think that's the first time I've seen '57 Tailights on something else.
Rich, the other person is my friend Baumi from Germany. He is also an active member on the HAMB for many years, you might know him. He bought a 1934 Ford hotrod recently from TX but is mostly into 'Communist' cars, ie the wrong side of Detroit.... :003:
I have no idea why people are not using 57 taillights in custom applications, as they seem to be the most beautiful thing to ever have come out of Dearborn. I have never seen 57 units on a Galaxie, but many the other way round.
I might add that I used the 34 as my daily driver this year and I put more than 5000 miles on the oddometer. It's just really a nice car and sometimes it's nerve wrecking to use such a nicely finished car in daily traffic. Of course I am not driving it in winter.
Wow G.!... I almost did not recognize Jay.. he did not have his hat on!.... What a great Model 40!!!!!!!
DJ - did I spot a Mercedes 108 in the picture? Is that yours?
absolutely correct - W108, that is my 1966 250SE - my winter daily driver. You see, I am somehow stuck in driving these cars and I haven't owned nor driven a car younger than 1967 in 21 years.
I have three W123 cars, a coupe, sedan and wagon that are all pristine. I let one get away a few years ago - 1971 280SE 3.5 coupe with 42,000 actual miles.
DJ Where abouts in Calif. did you buy your red '57 Courier? I knew a gentleman whose name was Bob Cambell that just finished a red '57 with a 302c.i./c-4 and black interior that lived in Winchester,Ca, who was asking $12,000 for it. He might have taken it to Pomona or Long Beach swap meet.Next time I saw him he said a fellow bought it and shipped it over seas to Germany or Austria in that area.Looking at car shows over seas I saw a red one but it had white scallops on it ,I always wondered if it was the sameone. KidKourier
Bill, since you have 3 of those fine German cars I guess you like them as much as I do. I once had a 123 230 HT Coupe also, long time ago. The T model wagons are very sought after especially with the US specs bumpers and lights. Unfortunately MB didn't make wagons back in the 50s and 60s except for hearses and ambulance cars. Those V8 W108 make terrific cars, especially since they came with factory airride. right now in our local classifieds there is a dark green W109 SEL 6.3 ...wow....glad I have spent my money on my latest purchase, or I'd have to go get that one.
@ KidK, yes the red Delivery came from Cali and I think from Pomona. That was a long time ago, possibly 1996 or -7. That was the year I first saw it here in Austria and had to have it, bought it in 98. The car had very recognizable 14" chrome wire wheels and all black leather interior with I think Cadillac seats. 302/C4. I put the whitewalls and white scallops on.
I sold the SD in 2004 to a friend who repainted it and sold it on to Stuttgart in Germany. I just recently found and talked to the current caretaker and he still has and cherishes the car so much and his wife won't let him sell it. :003: So I am without my old Courier for now. That's when I had to take a different route.
Sorry I don't have any pics of the SD in 1997 condition on my computer, I will scan some old photos soon and post them here.
Love the Comet and understand how you feel, I wish I had kept my 61 Falcon. A great turn key daily driver.
Yes Jim, they built milestone cars with those 1960s compacts. easy maintainance, low cost, great reliability, perfect roadkeeping (On those winding Alpine roads here), light bodies, bullet proof engines, good design. only the early transmissions were a little weak. And then they put in a great Dagenham 4 on the floor in 64. drove one and it shifts nicely!!! The mpg rate of these cars are unbelievable even at todays standard. I was getting around 30mpg in the 62 Comet 2dr (I used tall 15" wheels for better looks and taller gearing). When you tell that to people who believe in their modern plastic trashcans, they are shocked. 2 of my friends still drive them daily. one has a 62 Comet 4dr wagon with the 170L6 and the other has a 65 4dr Comet wagon with 289/c4. He adds over 15k miles a year.
I was looking a lot in pre 65 Falcon and Comet wagons this year but hey have become really hard to find, especially good ones. They got pricey too.
Mine was a 3 speed and you are right, they weren't the strongest trans but if driven normally they were ok. Mine was the bare bones model, only option was an AM radio and heater. I think I use to get 25-26 mpg. It finally ended up just sitting in my back yard after I acquired some other cars, then my dads VW was involved in an accident and I gave it to him and he drove it for a couple of more years. I originally bought it used for $300 so between me and him we got 6 years use out of it.
I've seen Bills cars, they are beautiful..
Joan, my wife, drove a 1962 Mercury Comet station wagon to high school. She had surfer decals all over the side windows yet never owned a surf board. I think the wagon was a 2 door, automatic. Speaking of Mercury Comets, as a high school kid I used to walk to Sachs & Sons Lincoln Mercury in Downey, Ca and had several great conversations with Jack Chrisman, who at the time was running a Comet funny car sponsored by Sachs and Sons. Jack stored the car there and quite often would work on the car at the dealership.
When I first met my wife in 1966, I was not only delighted with her, but was also delighted that her best friend was Judy Black, daughter of Keith Black. What a treat to talk to the legend Keith Black and visit his shop in South Gate (which is still operated by his son, Ken). Keith is gone now but we are still good friends with Judy and her husband as well as Jane Black, Keith's wife.
Jim - thanks for the compliment on my cars.
Jim, I don't know when you had that Falcon, but $50 a year makes it a winner 1960s and 2016 all the same.... :003:
I cannot understand why cars like these are out of production. fairly simple, economical and nice looking. they make terrific drivers.
On the other hand, when you can have a 57..... :002: :003:
Bill, your memories and connections are priceless, to say the least. :119:
I have lots of window stickers and yet need to catch a wave... :003:
Those are also my cherished memories, cruising Downey (now Big Boy) and hanging out Laguna Beach after a night at Don the Beachcomber...
I think it was around 1970-71, the car only had 30,000 miles and was pristine, thats why I paid top dollar for it :003:
Thanks to the government and all their regulations we will never see cars like this again.. :005:
I have a SD with the only thing of value is the roof and drips. The stamping of the roof leaves the metal thin and brittle. A buck would have to be built to support/protect the roof skin and find a sea box with enough room to make shipping affordable. The roof skin comes off first and the drip rail is sandwiched under it. Somewhere I've seen repopped drip rails for rust repair...maybe for '41-'48 Fords.
Never got back to Gary about the wgn roof you have, because obviously efforts stalled on the project since. Not sure at all if or when I will restore this DelRio, see also this topic: http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?topic=8093.msg73843#msg73843 (http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?topic=8093.msg73843#msg73843)
At the moment I am just weighing my possibilities and what I have here. Of course there are many sweet memories connected to the wgn which has some sentimental value for me.
I made a lot of mistakes on this one, first in buying it at all, not fully understanding its condition, then trying to prepare for European inspection, digging deeper. then I did not stop, to just do minimal repair work when I still had a chance. after sanding into Bondo and seeing the rot, I still did not stop and at this point, while I could have kept it in roadworthy condition I made my greatest mistake in fully disassembling it in preparation of a full restoration I had hoped for. I could have stopped many times, but did not, so I am really the only one to blame for this szenario happening. There is nothing to gain or lose at this point so I thought I'd show some older pics and what the problems are about. this is the main, problem, the roof.
(https://up.picr.de/37581895fz.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581897bn.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581898yo.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581899ex.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581900ut.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581901ta.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581902jg.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581905ox.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581906xi.jpg)
older repairs, floors, rockers, all corners were just a mess. Bad repairs are worse than simple rust on og metal.
(https://up.picr.de/37581937et.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581938ct.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581939vd.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581940gc.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581941mo.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581942rb.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581943sy.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581990hk.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/37581992td.jpg)
More than I could have handled. I think maybe I'll never again say mine was a rust bucket.
How many layers of half-baked patch panels are on that rear quarter? Looks like a 1/2 dozen. What is that circled on the frame pic...a buckle?
correct Rich, as mentioned many times before the frame is twisted even to the point where it buckled on the pssgr frt kickup from front impact. What makes this worse is that all the rough repair and patchwork on the floors and A pillars has been done on the twisted chassis. Now you can imagine the door gaps, rocker panel alignment aso.... The replacement floors would be solid, even if not pretty. But there is no way to realign the doors and pillars without having to remove all of the repaired areas and start all over again. That, and add the roof rust. it's the reason for my hesitating on this project.
Could you take it to a frame shop and have the frame straightened? I don't know IF you have frame shops there but there are a few still left around here.
As talented as you are, if you could get the parts, the roof repair wouldn't more than a bump in the repair process!
Thank you Terry!
Yes a longtime friend of mine even owns a large body shop and they have very nice equipment like an 18ft frame jig, hydraulic equipment, electric/torch heat and whatnot. we already discussed the project several times and we think it is absolutely feasable. I have allready cut the torn and bent rear crossmember and frt crossmember braces from the chassis so it will even be easier to realign all of it and weld back the reworked crossmembers after straightening the main rails.
As you said, it is not a question if and how it can be done, but rather if it is worth all the trouble and all the hundreds (thsds) of hours needed to make this a nice car again. so that is really why I am hesitating and going back and forth on my decision. over the past years, several times I was motivated to get going again, but it stalled again, because other things were more important. I guess it is the same story as we hear it so many times from car collectors and how their projects get delayed, and delayed...
...BUT! I have read about many projects that had been stored for years and even several decades, and at some point were actually built and completed. I guess we never know. so that is the reason I still hang onto my 57DR.
Hey DJ, just a couple of swipes with the ol tiger hair, a rattle can and it's as good as new!
Man what a mess. The "rust free" wagon I got a few years ago was solid as a rock compared to yours! I would like to think they are all worth saving but sometimes ya just got to cry UNCLE! Good luck, actually, one way to eat an elephant, one bite at a time....
For me personally I'd throw in the towel on that one. Between your family, work, and other stuff life throws at you that is a huge, huge project just in bodywork. You for sure have the skills necessary to do the work it's just the time it takes. I prefer driving type projects, where you can tackle one part of the car at a time. Suspension one year, engine rebuild the next on so on. It doesn't become so over whelming that way, plus I don't have the room for a full blown restoration anyways.
Good luck which ever way you decide to go.
I honestly appreciate to hear all of your opinions! It might help me in making a decision sooner or later. I admit that it bothered me alot when I took it apart 5 years ago and realised the amount of work needed. Luckily I found my 4dr Country Sedan 3 yrs ago and was able to do the necessary rust and mechanical repairs on the 4dr over a very short period, when I had the time. the 4dr still needs a lot of smaller things and possibly an engine update, but in all, is a pretty solid, driveable car. I am very thankful for having that and that's why the Del Rio project is not that much of a burdon for me. I'll be working on my decision and appreciate hearing more of your thoughts, negative or positive.
I don't know if I would even try to salvage that one. I think the needed time and money required would be better used searching for a different one and save what parts you can. JMHO
The old saying of making a silk purse from a sows ear.. Many of us have had a similar situation, I remember a few years back when my son bought a Comet and I finally convinced him it just wasn't worth it..
I know all the forums preach "save them"...........I can't believe some of the saves and made from scraps we often see on the Hamb forum, but there's a big difference in saving a simple 20-30's body and saving a more complex 50's. LOL, I think maybe your waiting for our blessings to let that one go, Gunter.
MHO..........I think it needs to be a parts car....or yard art. If it were here in the US, where a possible roof from a donor car may be had with a day's drive, I'd maybe think differently, but there can't be too many of those in Austrian salvage yards, and shipping an entire roof over the pond would be a logistical nightmare.
thanx boys. lots of 57 experience in your words ! I have discussed this project with Jay ( Ecode) a lot of times as well.
haha, Rich, yeah I am just going to call the scrapyard now, take a video and the text will read, ' it was Rich advise...' ....hahaha.... :003:
no. not at all. Really do appreciate to hear your opinions. Most of it just confirms my own thoughts. Now - I am not going to dump this tomorrow. maybe it just needs time. Maybe a good, very solid and reasonable priced one will turn up, or maybe even the white Robinson built Del Rio will come up for sale again in Germany. who knows. Of course I could put all those restored and powder coated parts into the 4dr wgn.
shipping a donor roof is out of question unfortunately. shipping has become so expensive and difficult, I probably could buy another car over here for what's involved with that.
Funny, Rich, as you mentioned it being yard art, I definitely thought about putting it together again, (at least the body parts and bumpers on rolling chassis) and put it in one corner of the property. A friend of mine had a 57 Fairlane next to his pond for several years. it looked sweet. but then again I have the Country Sedan and it's parked under the carport and I can see it all the time from my living room, kitchen, first thing in the morning when I get up - even in winter....I like that a lot ! Not a single day I don't see my sweet Country Sedan !
If the frame can be straightened, you could turn it into a ranchero.
So...just as a point of reference...my '69 Fastback Mustang had to have the following:
New corners (all 40) in the engine compartment
cowl vent base
cowl top
radiator support
battery box (DUH!)front-rear-trunk flooring
both quarters (complete)
bot door skins (have not yet done those...may just opt for new doors)
right side exterior rocker
right side interior vent panel
The only piece not replaced...LOL...the roof!
Now...in all honesty...with the exception of the quarter panels, the rest came off of one donor car, a coupe. also used some front suspension parts on a Maverick for an article on disc brake conversion I did for Mustang Magazine back in '04.
So...I understand what you are looking at. Guess my question is (one that has not been asked) is there a solid auto works shop in the area with a very competent metal shaper who could make you a roof in say two pieces that you could then either butt-weld together, or as Cobra Joe has about convinced me to do with some of my work to be done on my Courier..panel bonding glue/cement?
I bring this up...because i suffer from a disease that you may also have...(MANY of us probably have)...a disease for which there is no cure..."It CAN be saveditis"... :006:
Gunther..I just resisted this thread and now see the obstacles.... you have immense talent... if anyone could fix it... it would be you.
I felt the very same way when the horrible past repairs were made on the Dirty Bird....
At any rate. your final decision will be the right one.
Gunther I missed this thread some how, but man, you've got your work cut out for you. I may have tackled a project like this years ago, now, not so much. God bless you brother as you are definitely going to need it....and you told me not to pull my chassis..... (http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sign/sign0082.gif) (http://www.mysmiley.net/free-rolleye-smileys.php)
(http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/happy/happy0006.gif) (http://www.mysmiley.net/free-rolleye-smileys.php)
The Del Rio is as much part of my everyday life as the Country Sedan. It is parked in front of the CS. I see it nearly everyday and it's not forgotten. I often get tempted to get going again but not at this point, I have to tell myself. I just don't have enough time now and I cannot justify putting hundreds of hours in a car that I will still not be able to drive nor ever sell for a decent amount. I know this wagon needs anywhere from 1000 to 2000 working hours to get it driveable and presentable again, and at this point I'd rather spend the money and especially time on cars that I can drive around with much less efforts involved. But... who knows. Taking an example in our member Hugh (mustang8469) who held onto his Couriers for decades before actual work started ....well some of these days, maybe.....and I need to make use of Joe's quad headlights ! :003:
Have been rethinking the Del Rio project and posted a question about engine/transmission choice over in the tech forums, would be nice to hear your thoughts please !
->
http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?topic=8559.0 (http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?topic=8559.0)
Wow !
An old friend just sent me this pic with my old 57 Courier SD. that must have been around 2003.
HI PEOPLE. New here & not even sure I'm getting this to operate properly?.. (computers are not my forte') But not new to 57 Ford stuff or Y-Block engines. Re the "Del Reo" project; when it gets down to engines selection, while I don't have any particular beef with a 351 engine, I'm wondering why since you have a partly done Y-block already, why you wouldn't go that route? For one thing it would preserve more originality in the car & possibly retain it's value more down the road ?. You may or may not know, that there has been some resurgence of interest in those engines in the last few years. Contrary to past negative history, much of it coming from some in the Bow Tie brigade & in certain Rod magazines, Y-Blocks can be made to perform well with out going overboard on mod's. And in comparison, Ford's 289-302 std engines don't really have the down low torque of a good Y-Block, nor do they have the unique sound of a good Y-Block.. For references; check out "John Mummert's" great site, www.ford-y-block.com & the site "Y-blocksforever.com" & link to the site,"Ted Eaton Specialty & Balancing." those sites can be a real eye opener.. Just trying to be helpful & preserve more originality in our "57 fords..
Welcome P.F. and, all valid points; in the end, I think it just comes down to personal choice, availability and finances.
Welcome to our site, Mr Arcand, and thank you for your speaking in favor of the Y block. I think you have also come to the right place here since there are lots, or most, or all die hard Ford people here.
I am still thinking which direction to go with this project, but it's certain that it will be Ford powered. I have nothing against the Y block either. As a matter of fact I have a second 57 wgn that still has its original 292 and 3spd Fordo, and like you mentioned it really has good torque and reliable power output and certainly is no slouch even at higher rpms even with a 2bbl carb only. Probably the 3.56 wgn gears help. But they also cause less mpg. which is a concern over here in Europe. Another point for me is that I have a running 351, but the 312 project motor is cobbled together from 5 or more different engines, so will need some real thorough work and blueprinting, which takes time and possibly even more money for detailed machine work. so these are the reasons for my thoughts.
I agree with your last line, that a Y block just fits so well in a 57 Ford !
Now let's see or hear about your own cars, former or current projects !