How many projects are too many?

[mustang6984]

I'll check the springs. But this car won't be hauling anything but people. LOL!!! It's working days...are long over!
I know where there are TWO Sedan Deliveries now...for sale...waiting to be rescued by someone who wants to put them back on the road if you're interested. They are in CA I believe, so if you are wanting one...
Ah...just noticed your locale...if you're really in Austria...that probably won't be an option would it?

[djfordmanjack]

It would be an option, if it wasn't for the other 57 that I just bought....
my old 57 Delivery came from Cali and I bought and picked up my 57 Del Rio in person in Az. But I am not really open for another project, just not right at the moment....and we're back on topic...

[gasman826]

I will never run out of projects.  It's in my nature to have too many projects.
- 2 '47 Mercury coupes
- a '41 Ford business coupe
- 2 '65 Galaxie fast backs
- '57 Custom
- '57 Courier
- '57 Ranch Wagon -- the only one that is drivable

[59meteor]

mustang6984, I live on the lower mainland of BC, about 1/2 hour from Vancouver, which is where I work. I sold my last 57 Sedan Delivery about 30 years ago, it is restored and sitting in a local racers private collection, that includes a 70 Boss 429 Mustang. I doubt that I have any Sedan delivery pieces still, I wish that I would have kept all the unique SD pieces before the first one was scrapped over 40 years ago. 50/50 hindsight, I guess. Tou say that your Couriers 1 piece tailgate does not stay up very well, and details?  Both mine used a track along the passenger side inside panel, with a curved arm attatched to the gate, with a wheel that rolled inside the track. That held both my tailgates up very well. A local guy had a 58 Sedan Delivery, its tailgate support was totally different, it has a round overcenter style of pivot arm, that is mounted on the drivers side.
As for Canadian Mercury trucks, they were quite common up here over the years. They were sold from the late 40s until about 1968. ( I owned a 67 M100 short box fleetside). Mercury trucks were available from the 1/2 ton PU, all the way up to tandam axle big trucks, including cab overs, highway "Big Rig" tractor trailers, and other large truck chassis`s, used for dump truck, tankers etc. We also had Mercury Econoline vans and PUs, Meteor Sedan Deliveries and Rancheros, plus the Meteor car line, Ford based from 1949 thru 1961, Mercury based from 1964 until well into the 1970s. There were Meteors sold into the early 80s, but they were basically just Meteor emblems on a normal Mercury. We also had Monarchs, which were full sized Mercury based, from 1949 thru 61, and in 1960, we even had the Frontenac, a Canadian version of a Falcon. Unfortunately, since these vehicles sold only in Canada, and much of Canada get quite a bit of winter snow, as well as road salt, not all that many Meteors, Monarchs, or Mercury trucks have survived over 1/2 century of use.

[mustang6984]

A Courier eh? We need ot do some discussing over the next few months as we find and solve problems! Do you still have your Courier tags from the front fenders?

I will never run out of projects.  It's in my nature to have too many projects.
- 2 '47 Mercury coupes
- a '41 Ford business coupe
- 2 '65 Galaxie fast backs
- '57 Custom
- '57 Courier
- '57 Ranch Wagon -- the only one that is drivable

[mustang6984]

59 Meteor...we had Monarchs here as well. But not the others.

My Delivery support arm seems to be real sensitive to any sort of jostling...and down it comes. I'll shoot a pic of it and post it in my build thread. Tomorrow or Sunday it should be up.

Oh...and I guess you're pretty far from me...time wise. But not out of reach if there were parts to be found! LOL!!!

[gasman826]

Do you still have your Courier tags from the front fenders?

I have one half...COU...the rest missing.

My lift gate had this thingy on it.

[mustang6984]

Yep...that's what mine is like...no extra external spring.

I have one half...COU...the rest missing.

My lift gate had this thingy on it.

[59meteor]

That tailgate support looks like what a 58 Sedan Delivery uses, both my 57 Sedan Deliveries used a very different setup, on the passenger side. On my 57s, there was a horizontal track, about 2 1/2 or 3 feet long, attatched to the inner structure, at the end of this track, there was a downward curve. The tailgate had a link with a roller at the end, which rolled inside the track. When the tailgate was fully raised, the link would drop down into the downward curve, and positively hold the tailgate up. To close the tailgate, you lifted the tailgate up enough so that you could lift the link bar up, and when you started to lower the tailgate, the roller would run along the track.At the top hinges where the upper tailgate section met the roof, there was a pair of large spring loaded assists, to make the tailgate easier to open or close. I don`t know if the tailgate support changed part way thru the 57 production run, or if maybe the Canadian Sedan Deliveries used the track & roller system.

[mustang6984]

I need to look at mine more thoroughly...to be honest I have not really studied it much. I was so set on splitting the gate, retaining the top 1/2 and putting in a bottom from a station-wagon...but now...after hearing from some here...I am re-thinking that approach.

[djfordmanjack]

That tailgate support looks like what a 58 Sedan Delivery, both my 57 Sedan Deliveries used a very different setup, on the passenger side. I don`t know if the tailgate support changed part way thru the 57 production run, or if maybe the Canadian Sedan Deliveries used the track & roller system.

I had exctly that setup and it worked great. When I come to think, my Delivery came from California, but is was originally manufactured in Canada for sure. so this really could be a US/Can thing.

[djfordmanjack]

Sorry, don't have any other pic, but at the lower left photo you can see the chromed quarter circle rod that holds the SD door up, exactly as 59Meteor said. Only issue wiht it was getting it quiet, as the rollers were rattling while driving.

[59meteor]

Yes, that looks like the same tailgate support mechanism that both my 57 Sedan Deliveries came with. If you zoom in on that photo with the tailgate open, you can also (barely) see the 2 large spring loaded assist hinges at the top. In this photo, the assist hinges are painted red, mine were bare natural steel looking.

[Zapato]

Getting back to the original question of this thread. I have one too many maybe 2 and the for sure one is my 1956 Continental Mark2. It's in the classifieds at a more than fair prize. Give yourself a truly iconic car for Christmas.

Zap - 

[djfordmanjack]

Zap, you know that I was and still am really interested in that one. An original blue and blue car..... It's just. how many are too many
currently 8 cars and another one coming....jsut not the right moment. I get the itch every time I read about the MkII.