Finally, my build thread..

JPotter57 · 2016-08-31 10:34

I put my windshield in a couple days ago. It was my original one, so there is some slight delamination around the bottom and top edges, but it will do to get it driving. I had hoped to get a new one delivered to Cruisin the Coast this year, but my company is still screwing us over on our pay and backpay, so it may or may not happen. If it does, I will call and have them bring it to CTC, and replace it afterward. The only complaint I have with the cheap ebay seal is that on the driver side at the dogleg, there is a slight pucker. Nothing to compromise the sealing just doesnt lay as flat as I want it to yet. I don't have the stainless corners on it yet, only the top and bottom parts. Still have to get something done about my oil pan, will work on that when I get back from mom and dads..their 50th anniversary is day after tomorrow, so we're making the trip up. Also on the board for when I get back, I found a 4.11 gear in my garage that I forgot I had, and it has the long pinion yoke on it, so I will be swapping that into the car when I get back, along with my aluminum driveshaft. After that is done, I have to replace the long brakeline from the front to the back, then I can put the car back on the ground and get the back window installed.

I just decided to go ahead and live with the headliner for the time being. If I find another in cloth later I will buy it and install it. I figure the one with the puckered pleat is better than none at all.

Once all of the above is done I will get my license plate holder and rear bumper installed, then wait for some cooler weather to happen so I can get my trunklid and fenders painted. Just been too friggin hot, over 95, for the past several weeks, and it dries looking like gator skin, even with high temp reducer and activator.

Started masking off my dogdish caps to redo the white. I tried gold, like the 58 caps, but didnt like it, so stripped it off and masked it again, have one done. Will use those with trim rings from a mid 80s Ford F100. They have two red pinstripes around the perimeter and look pretty good to me.

I will try to get some photos up in a couple days, havent really done a lot that shows, so I didnt bother taking photos.

RICH MUISE · 2016-09-12 15:10

Just a head's up, James...I got the fixed rear window seal installation problem solved and I'll be doing a thread/post on it shortly. I've got one side 3/4 the way done and it is looking like I always thought it should be, but couldn't get until now. Forget the glass edging I suggested earlier, btw. it is not needed.

JPotter57 · 2016-09-12 15:15

Hope to see it soon. Going to try to get my rear glass and quarter glass installed this weekend. What did you end up using?

RICH MUISE · 2016-09-12 21:08

I'll do a step by step with pics on a seperate thread so it can be searched for.
Basically, I used just the glass cut to the pattern supplied by John, his brackets, and the Dennis Carpenter seals. To get everything to fit tight, I used a few sticks of 1/4 x 1/4 wood from Lowe's and a package of plastic shims that are like the construction type shims you'd use for door and window installation on your house, but narrower. I found those at Sutherland's Lumber. I got one side done today. The way I ended up doing it got the seal to fit the body tight outside with no gaps or puckers, and fit up against the glass both on the inside and outside.

Ecode70D · 2016-10-04 23:04

James
I just want you to know that I have been silently watching your progress. You are doing a great job of bringing another 57 Ford back to life. Keep up the good work. Jay

Jeff Norwell · 2016-10-05 06:42

James has an end vision.... it's gonna look spectacular.

JPotter57 · 2016-10-06 01:13

Getting there slowly but surely. About to get my front inner stuff painted and installed this weekend. Have to do a little bit of repair under the battery box, but its not bad. The above pic was a couple minute photoshop to see what the old feller would look like with chrome reverse wheels, like on the Graffiti cars. Since my build is meant to sort of represent what would have been done in 62-63 time frame, this is what I have decided on. Not a fan of white walls of any kind, I will run the blackwalls in a fairly tall tire. I am hoping to get my fenders done and on the car before I go back to work, we'll see. This week is Cruisin the Coast in Mississippi, and of course my car wasnt ready so I am a spectator again this year. The 57 is getting closer to being done, at least running, so my new goal is CTC 2017. Hopefully. I'd really like it to be close enough to take it to the FE reunion at Beaver Springs in April. We'll see.

JPotter57 · 2016-12-02 10:37

It's been a little while since I have updated mine, because the stuff I have been doing is hard to gauge progress. I have been building my fuel line with hard line and AN fittings, etc. I was able to get a set of new, correct 427 2x4 carbs from Carls Ford Parts. Other trinkets have been added to the engine as well. I got correct alternator brackets for it, and am getting ready to wire up my Ford 3G alternator up. All of my glass is installed except for the quarter glass which I plan to try to tackle when I get back from my work trip. I hope to have the rest of my panels painted this month, then assemble it all, cut and buff and enjoy for a while.

Jeff Norwell · 2016-12-02 13:02

Towel City is calling your name James.

JPotter57 · 2016-12-02 16:53

Yeah it is...wheel smith is too

Ecode70D · 2017-03-30 22:24

James
Your car is looking great. The color is nice and bright. I too favor the black wall tires.
When shopping, you will never have to worry about the ice cream melting before you get home.
Jay

JPotter57 · 2017-07-16 14:33

It's been a while since i updated this thread. I dont have photos at this time but will try to get some soon. The last time I had time to sit down and update, I had typed out a lengthy post, and before i could hit submit, the power went off. It pissed me off, so I didnt go back and try to go back and redo it. This time is similar. I have time because it is storming outside, so the power is apt to flash off again.
Anyway, for my latest work on the car, I have swapped my fiberglass fenders to a friend for some steel Custom fenders that needed some work. I ordered new EMS headlight bucket and lower fender corners to get them back up to snuff. I have one of them roughed in and in primer, and havent started on it yet, mainly due to the lovely rainy weather that plagues south Mississippi this time of year. Most of my welding is done in the doorway of my garage, away from my painted stuff. As for the car, the front of the car is assembled and on the car except for the fenders. I have started the 427 and broke in the cam, and it sounds sweet. I cant wait to drive it. One issue I had is that when I reassembled it, I used a Melling 57HP pump, which is a high pressure pump. When it is cold and idling, it is over 120 psi, which I do not like. I will be pulling the pan soon and replacing the pump with a standard FE pump, no hi volume or high pressure this time around. I have a 7 quart T pan on it now, but it is very close to the lower control arms, so I will be replacing it with either a Milodon deep pan that I have or a stock pan. I will probably put a stock pan on it with the standard pump, so it wont need the extra capacity of the bgger pan. As soon as that task is complete, I will be putting the exhaust on it. I will be using 3 inch pipe with some kind of loud muffler on it. I have a pair of 2 chambered Flowmasters but I dont want to use them on the 57, would rather have something a little more aggressive sounding.
Next up is my upholstery. I have a friend here on the forum who lives down the road from me. His wife does upholstery as a way to unwind, so I contracted her to do my seat covers in traditional tuck and roll in dark gray naugahyde. So far it looks good, and I cant wait to see the covers on the seats. As soon as I get the seats home, I will get the carpet installed and the seats in. Cant wait for that.
Some of the photos I had posted previously, had the 427 outfitted with 1/2" fuel line and a lot of AN braided stainless. Since then, I have removed the 1/2" line for use on another 57 project, and replaced it with 3/8 line as well as the factory 427 fuel log and lines, even including the cool looking stock 427 Ford canister fuel filter. It looks like it is supposed to now. I also made a custom base for my oval air cleaner to move the entire assembly forward an inch and a half, along with some offset carb studs to fasten the lid down. It looks like it came that way now, and my factory latch will work, not requiring me to use pins now.
Next thing to go on this car will be the Traction Master lift bars that I also bought from a member here a while ago. These are original units from the 60s that were run on his car back then. Everything I am using on this car I am careful to try to use period correct stuff, except for the 3G late model alternator, which I have been careful to hide with early low mount alternator brackets. It also has a Ford hi-po large diameter pulley on it to help with belt slip and so forth with the singe V-belt.
The only thing that I wish I had done now that I wont redo, is to have painted the engine black instead of the later corporate blue. Too much work to redo all that, so it will stay blue. Hindsight sucks.
Another future project is to replace my silver painted steel wheels with chrome reverse steelies. That, and some vintage Stewart Warner, Sun or Dixco gauges. I have been searching and the ones that I find with the right look are either rusty, dont work, or very friggin expensive. I will get a set, as well as a cool Eelco cast aluminum gauge panel. I also decided to use my original instrument cluster instead of the one that I made with Equus gauges.
Another change I made was the move to a 58 steering box instead of the 63 Galaxie box I was using. The way the 63 box was made caused the clutch linkage to bind, plus the rag joint interfered with the clutch equalizer (z bar). The 58 box was nice and tight, plus, it was free. I cleaned it up, painted it and bolted it in. I used an early Falcon floor shift column instead of the 58 column. This allowed me to use the very cool early Falcon steering wheel I had restored and painted. It looks cool in the car and is a little bit smaller than the stock steering wheel, but still looks like it could be original. As soon as I can get some photos of some of this stuff together, I will post them.

billd5string · 2017-07-16 18:57

That sounds cool - you have done a whole lot of work there. I look forward to seeing some updated pictures.

Ecode70D · 2017-07-16 21:00

Sounds like you are doing it right James. You're a hard worker. It takes time to dig up all of those period correct parts. Jay

mustang6984 · 2017-07-16 21:06

Dang JP...you made me tired just thinking of all the work you have gotten done. And jealous. I am stalemated with mine waiting for an investment house to sell...who would have thought it would still be on the market 13 months later? The car is sitting waiting for more cash flow.

Sounds like you have made great use of your time. can't wait to see pics!

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Finally, my build thread..