57 rebuild

[Dave.L 57]

Hellow. I haven?t posted for over a year but I?m still in the process of fixing up my 57 meteor Niagara 300. I am officially retired today so I hope I can start with vigorous on my project. When I started I didn?t realize how time consuming it was. I didn?t stall altogether though and I have the car mostly stripped down and the under coating removed. But I think I have to buy a rotiserie and I don?t know what the thing weighs. It is a two door post car with the doors nd turn key lids removed but the glass is still in. I also bout new floor pans a pans and kick plates and I am going to remove the steering column a
tomorrow  but I was wondering why the old floor lates have such a big opening for the steering column. The new floor pans don?t have it cut out and I?m thinking I can just measure the column and cut out a hole that?s a lot closer

[57chero]

You should have two halves of sheet metal that screw to the floor that fit tight around the steering column with a rubber donut, I think they are removable in case you need to pull the column out with the steering box attached. I could be wrong thought.

[RICH MUISE]

I'm going to move this to "project builds". If you'd rather have it somewhere else, let me know.

[81TTA]

57chero is correct.  There's a larger opening in the floor pans to allow the steering column and box to be removed through the inside of the car.  Since there's no rag joint or universal between the column and the steering box, everything needs to come out as an assembly.

If you're planning on changing the steering setup to something more modern with a rag joint that allows separation of the column and box, you wouldn't need to keep that big hole in the firewall. 

[gasman826]

The toe board replacement panels fit '57-64.  The later models used a rag joint with separate column so they do not require the bigger hole needed to remove the earlier steering shaft and box assembly.

[59meteor]

I have seen assembly line photos of 57-59 Fords being built, and during the body drop onto the chassis, the steering box and column is already in place, so I imagine that the firewall/floor hole was made large enough that the column could fit thru that opening as the body was coming down to meet the frame. I dont know how much the engineers in those days cared about somebody ever needing to replace the steering box after the car was sold, but I couldnt imagine being able to remove that bulky, 4 foot long assembly from under the hood, with a V8, especially a 58-9 FE engine. Plus the clutch rod from the pedal also goes thru the floor plate section. In current vehicles, it would appear that NO concessions are made for being able to remove, or even touch many of the components once the car is completed.

[Dave.L 57]

Thanks guys.  I removed the steering column today and I see why the opening is so big. I didn?t think it had to come out in one piece. I wasn?t planning on changing the steering system so it looks like I?ll have to cut the kick plate the same as the old one and make new covers to fill it in as my old ones are rusted out. I?ll keep you posted

[rmk57]

Thanks guys.  I removed the steering column today and I see why the opening is so big. I didn?t think it had to come out in one piece. I wasn?t planning on changing the steering system so it looks like I?ll have to cut the kick plate the same as the old one and make new covers to fill it in as my old ones are rusted out. I?ll keep you posted

  Did you ever buy a rebuilt 272 y-block from a guy from Vancouver 5-6 years ago?

[terry_208]

Steering gear and column from a 62 will bolt right in and doesn't require a big hole as they use a rag joint.  Some other years will also bolt right in.  I think I paid $60 for the one I have.  If you were local in Boise, I have a spare but no horn ring. They even wire the turn signals the same as the 57.  There is a difference as the horn wire comes out of the steering column with the turn signal wiring.