1st drive 57 Ranchero...

[CableguyJJS3]

The alignment is waaaaaaaaaay off and the clutch needs adjusting badly but I drove it!! Turning wrenches since the end of November and finally last nite it hit the ground with the wheels on it and down the road she went. I was so thoroughly tickled purple I promptly drove it to the gas station for a celebratory 6 pack hahaha. Goes pretty good, still some carb tuning needed, stops great with the 4 wheel discs even though I believe there is still some air in the system. But pretty much a full car re-wire, 4 wheel disc conversion, converted to alternator, rebuilt the carb, replaced the exhaust manifolds, changed all the fluids, I'm pleased with the results. It's a long long way from anything resembling done, but you can get in it start it up and drive it down the road and everything works.

I was 8 years old and the first car I ever turned a wrench on was a 57 Custom 300 2 door, 28 years later I got to drive a 57 for the first time, you'd have been hard pressed to get the smile off my face last nite. Someday I will drive that sedan as it's still in the family, and I made way to many vroom vroom noises and pretended to drive that car to not drive it one day, but for now this one will suffice. I can't thank you guys here enough for all your help with this process, you guys made that drive possible. Thanks.   Jim

[JimNolan]

You deserve an atta-boy for your post. So I gave you one. Have fun with your Ranchero. Jim

[GaryI72]

Congratulations!  I can remember sitting behind the wheel of my dad's 57 when I couldn't even see over the steering wheel banging through the 4 speed.

[RICH MUISE]

Awesome Jim. Last time I drove mine was 10 years ago. I am really looking forward to that time.

[Frankenstein57]

Can't beat that first trip out of the driveway, well done

[strick]

I can see the smile!!!!!!! When I was 10-11 years old, my parents had a blk/white Fairlane 4 dr. One Saturday night my Mother was shopping on the town square. I was setting behind the wheel and knocked it out of park, with power steering and power barakes and the engine not running--I was in trouble fast! I managed to steer it out of the parking space, but rolled into an on coming car. Lucky for me, at 3 mph, no damage! My Mother soon arrive with the keys and I can tell you it was a LONG RIDE HOME!

driveum!

[hiball3985]

Way to go! Glad you got to run it. The first time always brings back all those great memories..

[BWhitmore]

Only a few things in this world bring the satisfaction of a job well done.  Great feeling of accomplishment. 

[F570RD]

"I was so thoroughly tickled purple I promptly drove it to the gas station for a celebratory 6 pack hahaha".Good for you!!The first drive will keep the fire burn'n.Back in the mid 80's,I was race'n in Waterloo Ia.Went into town after a day at the track for some beer.So I go into the liquor store and got laughed at.We don't sell beer they said.You buy that at the gas stations.Of course I pasted at least two on the way in.

[Jeff Norwell]

Congrats!!!

[CableguyJJS3]

Thanks guys, gratified doesn't quite cover the feelings but pretty close. Once I get the clutch adjusted up and get a couple tires that dont have belts peeking I'll get it back out for some more cruising. Carb still needs work, but I'm lost where to go next with it. I've been through it top to bottom but still idles all over the place and runs rich. Oh well runs good enough to drive so that's all I'm after at the moment.

[Zapato]

you might be sucking air thru the throttle bores, you can check it by spraying anything from wd40 to starting fluid on it and see if changes anything at idle.

Zap-

[CableguyJJS3]

Yeah it's sucking air around the baseplate. Both to the body and to the manifold. I pulled it all back apart tonite and filed eerything flat, still sucking air. No idea where to go next. And on top of that, found a new problem. Brake lights work just fine, but not until you get on the pedal pretty hard. Problem is, with the manual master and the 4 wheel discs, don't have to lean that hard on the pedal to get it to stop. I've been driving around for the last 3 days with no brake lights and I never knew it!!!, Not sure how to fix that, not unless I an find some kind of seriously low pressure activated switch. Off to google I go.

[JimNolan]

If your brake switch on the master cylinder is old, buy a new one. I saw a car burn down because of a bad switch. I happened to be in the hanger one time and smelled wire burning (smells something like a transformer burning) I saw smoke coming from under my hood and found my wire going to the brake switch melting. I have a fuse in the hot wire going to that switch now. Ford didn't allow for that back then.

[CableguyJJS3]

Its a pressure switch mounted in the proportioning valve I bought new as 1 piece deal and adjustable, well the valve is anyways. Some searching around and I've found this is a common problem going from drums to discs. Everything I'm seeing tells me to switch out to a mechanical switch on the brake pedal arm. Looks the one in my 68 Mustang will work so I'm going to give that a shot and see what happens.