Wiper System '57 vs.'58 Can they be switched?

[KYBlueOval]

Yesterday, I met a fella that has owned his '57 since he was 18. He is in his early 70's ! The topic of the '57 Wiper System came up and he would like to put in the linkage from a '58 Edsel. The thinking being that the Ford and the Edsel linkage would be the same or very similar.

I seem to recall that this is not a simple change. Am I right, or is this something that is easy to do?

I feel certain he will join this site after I explained what information was available.

So what is the answer on installing the '58 Wiper System in a '57...........Easy or Difficult?
Thanks
John

[Ford Blue blood]

That's kind of funny!  My 58 Pacer ( the little series ) has the exact same system as the 57 Fords have.  Mind you, it was a first day of production car from the Louisville plant.  Have no idea when (or if they did) change to the 58 style system on the Ranger/Pacer lines.  Of interest, the wiper system on the 60 wagon used the same wiper motor as the 57s did.  Electric was an option.  I took the motor off the 60 wagon and put it on the 57 Ranch wagon I had.

John, I believe the short answer is no if he is looking to get rid of the cable/pulley system.

[RICH MUISE]

Short answer:...No.
Long answer: Sure, with lots and lots of fabrication work, if the car is in a torn-down stage. The '58 wiper motor mounts on the inside/cabin side of the cowl, so you would need to cut out that section of cowl from a '58, then weld it in the exact needed location on the '57. You would probably end up also redoing the defroster plenum  as well, as I think the wiper motor would now be accessible from inside the cabin and would be where the '57 defrost plenum is. (not sure on that, the wiper motor may now be INSIDE the cowl.
I thought about doing that whole setup but then I got thinking I would now be having to find replacement '58 motors.!!!......
If you're willing to do all that, I'd go the route I did and use a late model motor and design your own hard arms. LOL.....I think that's where my project switched from a "labor of LOVE", to a "love of LABOR"...........but I do now have intermittent multi-speed wipers and parts I can get at any parts store.

[Frankenstein57]

 I have the parts to do the conversion on my 57, When I do I'll post the upgrade. It definitely involves some fabrication of the cowl assembly

[Ecode70D]

   I kind of regret not welding in the 58 sections and getting rid of the cable assembly when I had my car apart many years ago. At that time I had a bunch of 58 parts cars.  It's too late now.
   Good thing that I don't deliberately drive it in the rain.  The only time that I use the wipers now is for inspection.