Morning folks, just re-checking in after a long absence.  A one time regular poster but I hit a real bumpy road when I finished my Ranchero build.  2020 was a real odd year for me with so many ups/downs, good/bad events that all happened as I got the 57 finished.  There it sat looking mighty fine but I just completely lost my enthusiasm so I shut the garage door and there it has sat for FIVE years!  Until now, I dragged it out, washed it and am now going through it to try and iron out the last few niggles.

It's hard to describe, but after 6 years and a lot of money spent on its restoration, I just lost my spark for it when it was finished.  I had trouble with the rebuilt AOD slipping so it was swapped for a rebuilt C4 which decided to randomly spew out the transmission fluid over the garage floor, I discovered that the breather pipe was blocked so hopefully that's now sorted.  The aluminum heads has corroded badly (I forgot to put inhibitor in the coolant.....) which I think were the root cause of the over heating so these have been changed for some standard iron heads.

Hopefully now the weather is on the turn I'll be able to put some miles on it.  Covering just 100 miles since it hit the road just isn't on!

Welcome back, Gary !    Glad you and your 57 are still around! I clearly remember your detailed restoration. Extensively restoring our 57s from top to bottom can really take a toll on the nerves and purse, add 2020 and following...not a good combo.
Your Ranchero is looking great, please keep us updated with pics !
greets Guenter

Funny how that very feeling hit me.  Car (Ranchero) was "finished", life events and sitting turned it into a pain in the butt.  Got fed up with all of it, sold everything and turned them into a 2024 F150 Lariat, except the 36 and was lost for a good solid six months! Now I have a 56 Crown Vic project and a 61 Comet running/driving tinkerer car.  I was lost and am now found......just need to finish my sisters MGB!

Welcome back. You have been missed! I think we all hit that bump. My latest "bump" was last year. After replacing my 4.6 for the second time, for 4 or 5 months, something would go wrong every time I drove it. All minor stuff like flat tire, serpentine belt, gauge showing low oil pressure (turned out to be just sending unit for the gauge),etc etc., This year no issues at all. 83k miles on it now since build complete.

Yep, I have thrown in the towel for Betty. I talked to guy who works on cars and am trying to get him to take her on to replace all of the floor pans. If he does, that will take a HUGE load off my shoulders. Not to mention saving me about a year in welding time, plus he will do it correctly and nice and pretty like. Then I can get back to the fun stuff-mechanical things.

Mike

Welcome back!!!!! I wondered about what may have happened, as you can tell we have all been through similar phases at one time or another.

Welcome back.  Oh no! To Mike l... don't loose steam.  You gotten so far. 
I have always been an on and off member with a 57 hardtop custom and a wagon from a fellow member here. 
Also on a bit of an ups and down in life this year.   
At least you found some hope to get back on with it. 

Welcome Back Gary..... I have gone through the same thing... on every car. as some of the fellows here can relate.
You spend years and years and when you are done(if they are ever done) you get failures and troubles.
I think because we sit and dream how wonderful it going to be..... and then at every turn.. it's not.

Keep pushing forward and remember.. we are all there..... the Ranchero is stunning!

Keep punching.

Jeff

here is a  seriously important statement of our late friend Gene Winfield, EXACTLY addressing this topic. starting at 0:40 !

Quote from: GeneHang in there and you will be happy. HANG IN THERE !

Very nice!  His drive and talent were second to none!

I think most of us have had periods of lack of interest during a restoration or build. I have owned my 59 Meteor since 2002, and for far too long, it`s construction dragged on far longer than I originally could have imagined, (Not to mention consumed much more $$$ that I ever imagined OR told the wife it would!). Between finding and buying parts, finally taking the car all apart, and towing the shell 4 hours away to the body shop, interest ebbed and flowed several times. Even after I got the car back from paint, and I thought that I was all gung ho to finally get it finished, between working 10 hours a day, plus the 1 hour commute each way, plus all the other things that life hands you, it took 4 long years of on again, off again false starts to get it driveable. And then, when the engine needed to come apart twice in the 1rst 3 years (bad valve guide the first time, an almost spun rod bearing the next), really knocked the wind out of my sails. But this will be 3 years since I had to really do anything major, so now it is just enjoying driving it around, and attending as many car meets , cruises, and car shows as I can, and a trip to the dragstrip at least once a year. THAT has made all the time, money, and frustrations all worthwhile. Before the car was painted, I had tried on a couple of occasions to sell the car as a project, with no luck, but now I am so glad that I hung in there, and finally got it done. I have attended a few  estate auctions the past few years, where the unfinished project cars, and tons of parts , were sold off, usually for pennies on the dollar, to strangers, like vultures fighting over some roadkill on the side of the road. Seems that a lot of guys (usually older guys), bite off more than they can chew, and despite their best intentions, never get to see their dream car completed. So if one is able to see their vision come to completion, take some satisfaction and pride in the fact that you did, since many others do not.