Ranchero build

[KYBlueOval]

Here ya go John....

https://www.ronfrancis.com/prodinfo.asp?number=TD%2D4R

The Edsel is a Ron Francis item as well.  I used the 4" because of the slight curve the stainless has and I wanted the light to stay in the recess.

Thank you Bill !
Can't tell you how much I like what you did.
John

[Ford Blue blood]

Thanks John. 

A little mind numbing work while waiting for the grass to dry out after our what seemed like a "40 days and 40 nights" event.

[RICH MUISE]

Nice work all around, Bill. I really like the 3rd brake light as well.
What kinda shape are your 2 upper corner trim pieces? If I'm not mistaken, they are steel/chrome, usually rusted pretty thoroughly.

[KYBlueOval]

Thanks John. 

A little mind numbing work while waiting for the grass to dry out after our what seemed like a "40 days and 40 nights" event.

Yes..........mind numbing work,your results are great. I'm not looking forward to sanding and polishing my trim, but you give me inspiration.

[Ford Blue blood]

Nice work all around, Bill. I really like the 3rd brake light as well.
What kinda shape are your 2 upper corner trim pieces? If I'm not mistaken, they are steel/chrome, usually rusted pretty thoroughly.

Thanks Rich, yes the upper corners are plated steel.  I bought a pair a few years ago, they have been wrapped in paper and stored in the attic of the shop (hot and dry) and have a couple of rust bubbles popping out.  Not sure they were all that well done.  Will look at re-plating/replacing as time grows closer to needing them.

John the work is slow.  Bought the buffer and kit from Eastwood when they had a big sale going.  The info they send with it is invaluable.  Read, practice, read and practice.  Still takes me too long to get the nice finish but am learning as I go.

[RICH MUISE]

Aside from dangerous, it IS a very time consuming operation. I averaged more than 3 or 4 hours at the buffer with each piece! And that was after hours of hand work. I'm sure you know, the wider the wheel you're using, the less apt to catch an edge and wrap whatever you're working on around the spindle. been there....done that!!
I also am happy my Harbor Freight buffer has just enough power to get the job done.......another safety thing for me. I'd be scared to death using a buffer with so much power that it won't bog down if something goes wrong.

[Ford Blue blood]

Right on Rich!  I learned a cheap lesson years ago when buffing stainless for a 62 Bird.  I was at my buddies place in TN.  He was giving lessons on "how to do it" when the wheel snatched a long fender piece out of my hands and sailed it to his back fence, almost 50 ft.  As luck would have it the piece landed on the grass flat, not a single dent or scratch.  He advised to always buff on the bottom of the wheel and that lesson stuck with me!  Have the tail gate and two long side pieces left to do.

[Ford Blue blood]

Been a while since any work has been accomplished.  Summer started out with a bunch of travel and has ended with a medical issue.  While it could have been serious it looks like things are under control.

Mean ol mr prostrate has enlarged causing urine to back up into the kidneys causing them much trauma.  Had the hither region assaulted with a 3/4" garden hose and some drugs to shrink that bad boy and instructions to drink 1 & 1/2 gallons of water a day.  The garden hose is most uncomfortable and limits movement some so garage work has come to a screaming halt.  The assault on the prostate limits sitting time so I have turned into a lounge lizard and it is making me nuts!  I do "push it" and pay later with discomfort.  Now having said all of that, numbers are getting better, kidneys are moving towards recovery, I'm happy, the doctor is happy and the prognosis is good.

I have decided to post this because I am 70, have had perfect health over my entire life.  Have never been down with the bug or a bad cold.  Did my do diligence with check ups and as a result the problem was caught fairly early on.  Us men have this thing that mother nature plays a trick with.  Happens to many, can be fatal, and needs to be watched.  Get your "finger wave" and check ups semi-annually and if you develop "peeing problems" get them checked! 

[57redwhitered]

Preach it Brother Bill.  I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December last year and had my prostate removed in February of this year.  The cancer had left the prostate and was against my bladder.  I had to find a new doctor 3 years ago and he told me he didn't do dre's until there were symptoms and that the psa was just a number.  At the insistence of my wife, he did agree to a psa test and then got real concerned when it came back at 19.  In 3 years my psa went from 2.3 to 19.  My advise is to be vigilant about prostate health and get it checked before you end up in my situation where the prostate is gone but the cancer isn't.  Early detection is a life saver.

[Ford Blue blood]

As time goes by I am healing slowly.  Been slow in the shop but have been working on sanding the scratches out of the bed stainless and getting other parts ready to put the Ranchero back together after the paint goes on this spring.  Still have to buff three bed pieces and the side trim.  Next will be the vent windows/frames.  Preps for Christmas have also slowed things down but plan on hitting it hard after we return from WI.

The grill was a "rescue" from ebay, $100 shipped.  Got it because it looked so bad in the pictures.  Had no rust on the front and very little on the back side.  Had a bunch of what looked like Permatex non hardening sealer "painted" on it.  Lucky find!

The parking light and tail light housings were soaked in the de-rusting solution, sprayed with self etching primer and then "chrome" paint.  Put new bullet connectors on all and tested with the new bulbs.  Cleaned and de-rusted the head light buckets, buffed the retainer rings and tested them as well.

[RICH MUISE]

Wow, totally missed your old post on the medical issues, and of course Redwhitered's also. Glad to hear your improving, Bill. Gotta  be scary. Hope all is well up in Kansas too.
That grille looks great, as do the headlight buckets. When I assembled my rechromed grille, I spent an hour or so carefully brushing por-15 on the backside of it just for some added protection.
What kind of bulbs are those? Halogen's? I'm thinking of switching my halogens for LEDs, or at least a higher output halogen.

[Ford Blue blood]

Rich they are H4 halogen.  Very good producers of light. 

Got them from a fellow who complained that his light switch was so hot it burned his finger.  Guy that built the car put them in wired through the light switch.  Goes without saying the current draw was way too high for the switch.  The switch was close to total failure when he called me.  Turns out he did not want to install relays to handle the current so he swapped out the H4s for regular bulbs and I installed a new headlight switch for him. 

He insisted on paying me and I refused, so he said for me to take the lights.  I did wire up the headlight circuit with two 30 amp relays to run them!

[Ford Blue blood]

Been making some progress.  Got a bunch of small stuff sand blasted and painted.  Not much to show with a picture.  Weather finally got warm enough to paint so they are all up in primer.  Got the interior floor insulated and masked off to get the jambs cleaned, primed and ready for paint.  Just keeping on with keeping on until this little (enlarged) prostate issue is resolved....:<)

[Ford Blue blood]

Work continues SLOWLY.  Got a bunch of sanding done.  That went well until the finger tips gave out.  Grabbed the long board and started blocking the quarters.

Got the urge to build the hood I've been planning for a couple of years.  Gathered the hood inner structure, a 63 T-Bird hood, and a rusted out in the nose hood for the rear most portion to build a hood that goes along with the Bird seats and steering column.

Built a set of bucks to hold and square up the inner structure while welding.  Cut, trimmed and spot welded the "new" skin in place.  After that a bunch more trimming and then the seemingly endless hammer and dolly to fold the lip.

[Ford Blue blood]

Now do the finish welding, sand down, prime, and block......will it ever end!