Door latch

[RICH MUISE]

When I saw it on ebay, it was advertised as a 1957 Ford Mercury, door latch. It had a Mercury part number. If you took pics from all 6 sides of the mercury latch, only one view would show the Mercury latch identical to the ford latch. They only had one pic posted..can you guess which one it was? As it turned out, I'm glad he posted it that way, if I saw it was different, I may not have figured out whether or not I could adapt it in time to bid on it. Aditionally he had it listed as a passenger side latch, which I knew was incorrect, but probably saved me some $. I was high bidder at about 35 bucks...cheap enough to warrant the chance I couldn't use it and have to resell...very good seller though..he offered to take it back and return my $. It wouldn't surprise me to see a nos 57 ford drivers latch for upwards of 2-300. I have never seen one though.

[Ecode70D]

  Well it is good to know that we can use it when one shows up again. 
   I wonder how my right hand side one would have gotten so badly worn out.  The left side one is the one that gets the most use.  I compared my right one yours very carefully. In addition to the extreme excess play and the worn axis that it spun on, even the teeth on my star wheel were worn down.
    My right striker plate was in nice condition.  Things got changed over the years, so who knows? 

[Ecode70D]

Look at the white stuff that just started to come down.

Rich Those ruts in the road are Rt 58 in front of my house. 
RT 58 takes you to Rt 495 which takes you to Cape Cod. On a good day I could make it there in 20 -25 minutes in my 34 Ford Convertible.    Today ain't a good day.       

[Ecode70D]

   This is one of the cars that I am forced to drive on a good day because my late model car ain't finished. 
    No it does not have a Y block.  It has some sort of an underhead valve V8 engine.  At least I don't have to worry about leaky rocker covers. I built this car over 40 years ago. 
     I'm snow bound today so I might as well amuse myself and dream about summer and driving old cars before we lose power again.. 

[RICH MUISE]

I saw on the internet this morning the cape was expected to get another 6-12 inches..can't be good on top of what's already on the rooftops. I saw on one of your posts last week where people were charging 500-1k to clean off roofs. When I was in Colorado during some of the big fires if I remember correctly..maybe it was 9-11, the state issued warnings that anybody caught price gouging would be prosecuted. Sounds like Mass needs something like that...but that won't fit in with eastern politics I know.
Forced to drive that old thing..I'll just bet there's not a whole lot of arm twisting going on! Gorgeous car..always liked the '34's better than 32's. Love that red paint...but what's going on with your louvers there?
Rich

[Ecode70D]

    That's some sort of a reflection that came out crummy after I downloaded the picture.  When you blow the picture up, it looks better.
   When I first restored the car, I painted it black lacquer. I did that Porsche Indian red Centari job in 1980.  In hind sight, maybe I should have left it black.   But at least I still have the car after all these years.
     The major problem with this car is that rumble seat.  It makes life real tough when going out of state on a trip.  It's hard to get suit cases in and out without scratching the paint even with a blanket on the quarter panel..  Every single convertible I built after this one, I did not install a rumble seat.
     I like the 34s better than the 32s also.  No leg room in the 32s. Last time I counted, I restored about 8 or 9 34 convertibles.
 

[57AGIN]

Ecode70D:

Beautiful 34.  Built 40 years ago, I sure wish I had a couple of the cars I had 40 years ago.  You were certainly one of the wise ones and a good builder, too.  Yeah, that East Coast weather can get harsh, but given the view you showed of the white stuff looking down on Rt 58, your place during the Spring, Summer and Fall must look incredibly beautiful.  Good luck getting through this latest weather and keep on keepin on.

Bob
57 AGIN

[57 Ford Kustom]

Rich,
In Colorado you just drag em' out in the street and shot em' for price gouging  Lol
Tim

[57 Ford Kustom]

Jay,
   The sun is out up here in Vt. But, with the wind chill it is near 0 degrees. I almost wished we had the snow!
Tim

[Ecode70D]

Ecode70D:

B  Yeah, that East Coast weather can get harsh, but given the view you showed of the white stuff looking down on Rt 58, your place during the Spring, Summer and Fall must look incredibly beautiful.  Good luck getting through this latest weather and keep on keepin on.
Bob57 AGIN

Bob  You are right. This area is very beautiful during the summer spring and fall.
       The sedan is my summertime daily driver and parts chaser.  I built this one in 86.  302 automatic 9 " rear.
        The 40 deluxe coupe is mostly original  right on down to the interior and jump seats.  It even has the matching number transmission that matches the frame # and the title.  The only major change is that I repainted it black about 20 years ago for my customer whom I bought it from just before he passed he passed away. It's the only old car I ever owned that I didn't have to restore.
  That's the last of my 3 window coupes.  It got sold about 5 years ago.
Tim  You don't really wish that you had the snow do you?
I gotta get the quote thing right in this letter, or  I'll hear from Tom.
Well things are looking good... My lights are still on.
PS  That's not a patch panel on the bottom of the sedan right door.  Must be a reflection of the running board.

[Tom S]

It sounds like your latching problem is a simple fix. If it's only catching one one tooth, the striker plate on the Jamb is too far in.

Maybe. I did see your post telling Ecode the same thing & was going to investigate that possibility.  If it is it ain't by much.  Remember, it will close all the way with some effort.

... Really have to slam it hard & maybe try to pull up at the same time to get fully latched & closed.  Probably alignment, I know it is off.  Ain't gonna get into it until I actually try to fix it.

[Tom S]

This is one of the cars that I am forced to drive on a good day ...

Oh, you poor baby.    Forced huh?  What a shame.
For many years now unless it is already pouring down before I go out I have been forced to ride this, & sometimes some others, in the summer.





Summer before last I was also forced into riding this one.





That '34 is a beauty!

[Ecode70D]

For many years now unless it is already pouring down before I go out I have been forced to ride this, & sometimes some others, in the summer.

Tom
  If the gas keeps going up in price like is doing now, I'm going to be forced to buy one of those bikes off of you.  You have too many of them anyways.  That will buy me some time when I take out my Y block and install a big electric motor in my car. The major problem will  be the long extension cord that I'm going to need. Haven't figured that out yet.

   Did you follow that neat thread on the Hamb about unchopping the 57 Ranchero?  Go to page 27 and you will find a 57 Ranchero like yours.  Oh by the way did you ever get the side trim stainless that you need for your car? 

[RICH MUISE]

LOL...things change so fast on the hamb, by the time you typed page 27, it was probably on 29 or 30. Did you ever notice when your brousing the thread titles, and you get to the bottom and click on the "next page"...that next page has a bunch of the last ones you just looked at already moved back a page.
If you ever have a month with nothing to do...check the vintage photos thread. I got hooked on it the other night for an hour and a half....went thru about 20 pages...only 3,280 pages left to go!
There's a long thread going on "shop tips your mentor showed you"..got some really interesting shop tips in it.

[Ecode70D]

   Rich
   I'm not worried.  Tom will find the 57 Ranchero with the Edsel nose.
   I like to read good shop tips.
   The thread that you pointed out about unchopping the 57 Ranchero is great.   He sure does have a nice collection of new 57 sheetmetal. 
Jay