New member with lotsa pic's and a small request

[410ranchero]

Hey guys after a couple weeks trying I finally got registered here. I have a 57 Ranchero I've had since I was 8 years old. It is far from original but was a decent driver that is now getting the real restoration it deserves. It has a 410 Fe with a C6 that I built in my dads shop with his help when I was 10 years old, and then learned to drive in the car.

Here is a link to all my pictures so far.  http://s20.photobucket.com/user/95ttoplt1/library/Ranchero

As you can see it was restored in the mid 80's. Then my dad was going to paint it purple/teal but it was never finished.

I'm going with an early 60's street racer style. The engine will be black with the Castillion Gold valve covers, and white headers. All the other parts will keep a stock vintage appearance. Paint will be a flat black/matte clear (not the primer look) with some hot hue's dark red metallic scallops and accents.

My biggest hurdle right now is the floors. It has had a driveshaft come out at high speed, twice. The passenger side looks like it hit an I.E.D., twice.

Is there anywhere to get an entire floor?

Can some one measure from the inside of the door jamb, at the back bottom of the door? Mine is buckled so bad at the back cab wall I'm afraid it has pulled the rockers in.

[RICH MUISE]

Welcome to the site. Looks like you got your work cut out for ya. The Ranchero guys will have to answer the question about what's avail. for Complete Ranchero floors. Limey has alot of pics on a rebuild similar to what your looking at, I don't remember the title of the thread to search for though..maybe he can tell you.
When was that video at the strip recorded? That was great...Was that your dad driving and your voice as a kid at the end?
Cool
Rich

[410ranchero]

That video was just shot in the middle of August (2 months ago) after about a week long thrash to make it safe. The car had been sitting since 1998, and my Dad shipped it down to us as a Christmas gift. The last time it was driven, the driveline had decided it was done at about 125mph, the second time it had done so.

So I had to replace the transmission case(broke in half) and put in a new ring and pinion(pinion broke off) and of course a new drive shaft. I had to go through all the brake hydraulics, added a 65 mustang master, welded a 8x10 patch into the top of the tank etc etc. I wanted to get a "before" pass at the track, and it was about .7 faster than expected(9.23 1/8). The kids in the back ground are my little girls.

I have a set of ported C4AE-G heads on the bench and a bigger cam. I'll probably swap out the 3.25 open for 3.89 trac-loc and a Saturday night special converter. Maybe a little giggle juice if it wont make the number after that. I'm hoping to have it at least together enough for Drag Week 2014.

[hiball3985]

Don't know of a complete floor being available anywhere that I know of. You don't run a drive shaft safety loop?

[410ranchero]

It will have one now for sure. It will need it for NHRA tech anyway.

After talking to a local old dragracer, I determined that I was running a truck style drive shaft and that the splined slip yoke was breaking from torque, and then coming apart at speed. I have switched over to the car style slip and have not had an issue since. Unfortunately the damage is already done.

[Ecode70D]

Welcome to the forum.   I'm glad that you got the drive shaft issue under control.   Now I hope that you can come up with the floor / tunnel pieces that you need.

[Lou]

A station wagon uses the same floor 57/58/59.

[Limey57]

Limey has alot of pics on a rebuild similar to what your looking at, I don't remember the title of the thread to search for though..maybe he can tell you.

My thread is here (needs updating when I get chance!):  http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?topic=2427.0

I used VW Beetle floor pans because the shipping cost for repro 57 pans was so high, but for you I'd definitely use repro ones.  Seeing as my Ranchero body is currently stripped out I can take any measurements you like (I'll have to get hold of an imperial tape measure!) if you send me a photo or describe exactly which areas you need measuring I'll happily do it at the weekend.  As others have said, getting hold of a better floor and repairing that might be easier than trying to repair what you've got, but I'd make sure all the braces and rockers were repaired/replaced first as the Ranchero isn't the most rigid body style out there.

[RICH MUISE]

A station wagon uses the same floor 57/58/59.

I assume the front sections are the same on all '57's.? How do they adapt the rears from the wagon? Do they need triming, or do they go up under that space behind the rear window?
410Ranchero: Check out EMS. They are the manufactures of the panels that are generally considered the best for '57's. Their link is in our supplier links list.

[410ranchero]

Gary that thread is priceless to me! Thank you so much for documenting your progress. Everything you have that was rusted out I have on mine, and then some. If you cruise through the link I posted above you can see how bad it really it. The pictures of yours will be a tremendous help when trying to figure out it all comes apart and what is behind it all.

I'll get a picture tonight of the measurement I am looking for

[rmk57]

if your Ranchero has the same wheelbase as a Custom you can use a mid-2000's Crown Vic cop car driveshaft.
There aluminum, hi speed balanced, and use a larger u-joint. From centre to centre I think they were 51 inches
same as a Custom, Ranchero, Wagon.

[410ranchero]

Good to know! I did comb through all the junk yards around me to find one, but the morons had lifted all the cars with a fork lift and crushed the driveshaft in each one!

[whisper38]

If you need floor pans and tunnel I have new ones for sale at my cost plus shipping.

[Frankenstein57]

410 ranchero, what part of the country are you from?  I had replaced the front and rear floor pans in my 57, then I bought a much more solid body. The new body doesn't need much floor work. I cut up the 57 project, and removed the floors in one piece. Mark

[410ranchero]

PM's sent to both!

If someone can measure this for me it would be appreciated. I could not hold the tape and take the picture. But resting the tape on the tunnel and measuring straight across even with the top if the tunnel, inside to inside.