57 convertible, in project jail since 1996

[Rancher]

Suggestion in Brushwolf's reply #43 sounds like a great way to get  exact fit-up.

[brushwolf]

Here is another version of what I currently want to do once the LTD mounts arrive. Not sure if these are pickup mounts or LTD, but the idea is the same.

But I will use the old Y block mount bottom section with the 2 studs in it and perhaps build it wider with an enclosed top cuz the studs in the original mount are not going anyplace or turning. Put a tube in it for the crossbolt similar to that one.

Cleaned up one old Y block lower mount section and put another aside in case it works. Will start putting insulation on the firewall and/or start getting the dash or heater together while waiting for parts.... And I could probably install the gas tank now too..

[Rancher]

If you'll excuse a quick jump back to "pedal leveling"  around reply #25, while smuggling a hacksaw into project jail, I stumbled into a pedal assy, in the junk drawer.

Seems to be from AT car with  "concertina" booster.
I sort of (but apparently not exactly) recall the parts car that I removed it from decades ago, by the nearby spotlight. I would've sworn it was an OD car.

The "mousetrap" linkage is a lot different than I had recalled.

Anyway, maybe this pic sheds some light on the pedal leveling project.

Guess I could drag it out of solitary confinement and get a better glamour shot. Lol

[brushwolf]

Hard to tell from a single angle pic, but that looks basically the same as all mine.  Doubtful it came from a stick car unless you changed it to the wide pedal sometime after that.

Appreciate you checking it out anyway.

[Rancher]

Right, I agree.
I'm sure I was mistaken on recalling the car as MT, and I was so sure.
What's odd is that there's also a MT column filler bezel in the stash. But... no sign of clutch linkage.
Who knows? And after all I didn't even recall the arm being cast.

[brushwolf]

Motor mounts and clutch linkage completion wore me down a bit.  Only part of clutch linkage that didn't have to be modified was the pedal and rod going through the firewall.  But, it all seems to work fine as extensively modified and has multiple adjustment points available if it doesn't work as well as it appears to.

Trying to get motivated again and gather up all the heater parts which were pretty scattered out after all these years. Think I found all the new gaskets and the parts except defroster plenum and "vacuum controlled thermostat valve".  Lost the 57 assembly manual I had and the exploded view below scrounge up online is a 58, which should be pretty much the same.

I think the original plenum was metal and is around here somewhere, but will use a 58 fiberboard plenum if I can't locate the original one. This is not a restoration, so no matter unless metal was for convertibles specifically due to potential exposure to the elements.

The " vacuum controlled thermostat valve" .... Anyone have a better pic of that so I know what I am looking for?

There are 3 heater/defrost cables and I found a set, which I think are the original ones. These have a colored staple(?) wrapped on the black insulating plastic. One staple or wire wrap is red, one is yellow and the other is green(?), it looks like. Which of these hooks to which part of heater and control, or best left off until the dash is in?

The firewall cardboard and insulation under dash need to be in place before the heater? Been so long since I took it apart I no longer remember.

Hopefully some of you have done heater refurbishment lately and can give me some pointers to get moving again.

[brushwolf]

Found the original metal defroster plenum when I went to get the 58 fiberboard plenum, which I knew the location of..

[gasman826]

Just happen to have pictures.

[brushwolf]

Thanks, nice clear pics.  Looked around but didn't find one. Is that part reasonably durable so that one would likely work from another car, or do I need to find a new one?

I did find a rough tree-damaged 58 convertible header that I thought was probably scrapped a few years back, top base trim from both 57 & 58 convertibles, a couple lost Y block bellhousings and a couple speedometer cables that had wandered off, plus 2 more bare dashes in the pole building though...

And a complete 59 convertible top frame that I had lost track of too. Gotta sell that one of these days (Pa Kettle...). It is in better shape than either the 57 or 58 top frames, but almost nothing is the same between the 57-58 and the 59 top frames.

I have a 57 retractable and a 57 Custom dash all still complete with gauges, switches and wiring in the semi trailer anyway, but I will probably just use a complete one as a guide to reassembling one of the bare dashes using the best parts from several boxes of loose dash components.

[thomasso]

I have a number of B7A-18495-A 57-58 Ford heater control valves 23 new NOS and NORS and a couple of good used ones.  Although they are from various suppliers I believe all were made by Dole.  Also have six FEK-18495-A 57 -58 Mercury valves, new.  And a dozen B7A-18502-A vacuum valves as shown in pictures, new. Interested parties can contact me.

[mustang6984]

Thom...as I recall from my visit at your place...you could almost open up a '57 auto parts store! LOL!!!