Reassembling 57 AGIN

Zapato · 2012-02-21 17:27

I'd be checking and probably re-welding the other side and any other welding they did for you. At the very least there is a need for a calm but blunt conversation with that shop.

Zap-

57AGIN · 2012-02-22 00:00

Zapato:

That goes withour saying. However, I may take it to another welding shop I know of that has really done some good work for me in the past. I really want to be able to trust the welds done on my suspension. I'll have my other shop verify that all the welds done on my CalTrac installation were decent. The only reason I trusted the other shop was they had come recommended by Calvert Racing. I will be talking to Calvert about the problem with his remote installer.

Bob
57 AGIN

57AGIN · 2012-02-24 22:30

I'm stoked all over again. I was able to be there today as Pete Santini worked his magic on my 57. The side trim space in between the Custom 300 stainless running on the front fender through the door and back to the front of the rear quarter panel finally has color on it and it looks really great (IMO). He started by spraying some glue for the really small (very fine) silver metal flake to adhere to. His next step was to spray a coat of very light candy blue over the entire stripe area. He then mixed some darker candy blue metal flake and began a fade (lightest toward the front), followed by another addition of darker blue to the mixture and more paint added further back. He repeated this process until he was satisfied with the overall effect. I've attached in the next couple of replies some shots of what was done today. He told me he was very pleased that this was what was decided to be done and when the stainless trim is added it should really "pop." He said that the final touch will be to add just a bit of pin striping to finish it all off.I'm really pleased with how it has turned out and can hardly wait until we get it back to Rick's garage for the final assembly steps.

Bob
57 AGIN

57AGIN · 2012-02-24 22:35

Here are the rest of the shots from today.

57AGIN · 2012-03-01 15:31

My 57's back from Santini's and we test fit the door and body stainless trim onto the car to see how it looks. Both Rick and I were impressed with how well the painted side trim looks with the stainless trim installed. We did note a problem with how the "hockey stick" doesn't cover the lower portion of the painted side trim. So there will have to be some additional work done by Pete. Just goes to show that the best laid plans (in this case masking off the area to be painted) can end up still needing changes (lol). The problem caught both Rick and me by complete surprise.

I'm picking up the front fenders tomorrow and then we can see how they look with the stainless installed and if any changes are required. Then we can really get to work on getting the car ready to go to the upholstery shop and ultimately back on the road.

Bob
57 AGIN

JimNolan · 2012-03-01 15:36

Nice!!!!!!!!

RICH MUISE · 2012-03-01 21:56

That's totally awesome Bob..Santini's talent is impressive. I noticed your wheels you were worried about cleaned up real well. I'm anxious to see it all put together.

shopratwoody · 2012-03-02 18:00

Looks great Bob & Rick

Rich, Bob will have to have new wheels I'm sure

57AGIN · 2012-03-03 01:14

If I can get the Cragar's really cleaned up, they will stay. However, the tires are going to go as soon as I can get the car back on the road.

I picked up the fenders today and we put on the stainless side trim. It looks pretty decent and we should have them on the car very soon.

Bob
57 AGIN

57AGIN · 2012-03-04 01:33

Soon turned out to be Saturday. After Rick and I represented 57 Fords International at the Knott's Fabulous Fords Forever Ford Car Club Council, we came home and sppent a few hours reinstalling the front fenders onto 57 AGIN. The pictures I took show the car still in the "classic 60's gasser stance." I remember just before I sold my original 57, I had taken off my front bumper and had 57 Ford station wagon springs to give it nearly the same stance. No it isn't going to stay with the nose in the air. I like a slight rake to the front and that is how it will wind up. I sure like the way the painted tirm has turned out and the car will be going back to Santini's for the redo on the rear part of the painted trim. Then off to the upholstery shop.

Bob
57 AGIN

robhaerr · 2012-03-04 10:53

I do like that "normally gold" trim painted that blue!

Not a fan of Cragers...would love to see traditional American 5-spoke with gray spokes...just my 2 cents...your mileage may vary!

Gorgeous car.

Rob

57AGIN · 2012-03-06 18:20

Here is the latest on the reassembly. The cowl drains are a trouble spot on our 57's. When the original rubber gives up in the interior of the car rain and wash water drips onto the carpet and eventually causes our floor pans to rot away. I replaced all my floor pans, kick panels and tunnel back in the original rehabilitation of my 57 when it was done in 2001-04. This time, not only the cowl drain tube was replaced, but Rick constructed cowl drain tubes to drain the water to the outside of the fenderwells instead of the water just collecting at the bottom of the fenderwell, between the outer body panel and the fenderwell. Hopefully eliminating a traditional rusting spot on the 57. See photo #1.

Photo #2 shows the installation of the radiator core, radiator and the two horns (nothing really remarkable in this shot) Photo #3 shows the clearances we now have with the engine moved forward about 1.5" from it's previous location (by properly installing the motor mounts and aligning the equalizer bar (Z-bar). Because the original radiator was for a 6 cyl, I believe my 57 had more forward clearance than the V-8 cars did. The after market (Matson Radiator) with it's two electric fans still has over an inch clearance from the blower belt (which added substantial length to the front of the engine). Rick moved the radiator as far forward as it would go in the core support to ensure as much clearance as possible.

Photo #4 shows Rick's garage which is well laid out for a single car work space, both doors can be opened wide and still clear the work bench and storage cabinets on the other side of the garage. We do envy those with a real workshop/aircraft hanger/etc. for working on their cars. Laying on the floor beside the passenger front fender is the copper tubing that is connecting the cowl drain to the fenderwell and having to go around the electric antennae in the process. Rick's 57 didn't need to drain out this way and he has no fenderwells, due to having fenderwell headers. Instead he ran an extended tube from the cowl drain down to the inside of his frame where the water just drips below the car without collecting in the usual trouble spot.

We are getting real close to turning the car over to the upholstery shop, probably next week.

Bob
57 AGIN

RICH MUISE · 2012-03-06 19:13

Great photos...they'll come in handy as reference photos when I start putting mine back together. Do you do the final aligning of fenders after all the components (weight) are on the car? The reason I ask is the way the radiator core spring mounts seems like it would cause the nose to drop alittle after weight is added. In fact, I was remembering the spring mounted on top of the core, so I would have done it wrong.
you guys are getting close, and it's looking awesome. How long is the upholsterer going to have the car? Is he already working on the seats and panels?
Rich

shopratwoody · 2012-03-06 21:27

VERY NICE GUYS!. Don't open those electric cutouts and get it all dirty

57AGIN · 2012-03-07 02:48

Rich:

I'll have to let Rick answer your question about the final aligning of the fenders, as I've never had any experience with that. The gaps are all very good at this time, but as you say that could change. I'm still picking out the color of the blue highlights for the interior, going over different color samples. The deep blue is somewhat difficult to work with. I believe the upholstery shop will have the car for about a month, hopefully a little less. It is a small shop and he'll want to get it done reasonably fast so he can bring in other work (at least that is my theory,lol). Meanwhile Santini is currently painting the front bumper splash shield (blue on top, undercoat on bottom), the two panels that go behind the grill outboard from the radiator (blue) the steering wheel (pewter), and later this week he'll be redoing the blue fade side trim to the rear of the doors where the hockey stick trim goes. All that will be left to paint are the interior window mouldings front & rear (pewter) and the side window frames (pewter with blue highlights in the frame grooves on the lower portion of the frames). He will do those while the car is in upholstery jail.

Ron:

The electronic cutouts won't be opened for a while yet, the motor isn't quite ready to run yet (still haven't got all the coolant and heater fittings hooked up yet). After all of the above is done. I still have to make a final decision on tires and rims (if I don't stick with the Cragars) and adjusting the cars stance/ride height.

We'll keep posting photos of the progress as the car moves to completion.

Bob
57 AGIN

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Reassembling 57 AGIN