The 300

[RICH MUISE]

Haha..I have NO discipline.
Looks great Jeff. Thanks for the great photos and taking the time to share it with us.

[Marc]

The car's coming along great Jeff!

[CobraJoe]

Looking good Jeff! 

[Jeff Norwell]

Thanks guys.

[Jeff Norwell]

Well... 1 part of the shifter parts arrived yesterday... that only took a month and a half to get. hahaha
AGAIN,...B I G Thanks to Lynn.... he directed and searched out the part on eBay I needed to work with the Hurst unit.Can't thank you enough Lynn.

[Jeff Norwell]

Haha..I have NO discipline.
Looks great Jeff. Thanks for the great photos and taking the time to share it with us.

Not a problem Rich...... I hope it may help out someone in the future who may be doing something similar..... This board has helped me greatly on all and everything 57.We truly have  top shelf members here.

Yes,I have NO discipline either. ha ha

[Jeff Norwell]

Not sure if 57 is different, but on my 59 there is 2 short glass fuses clipped to the back of the headlight switch. Top one for dome light, lower for turn signals. In my 59 shop manual, both are AG5 fuses, which seems to be obsolete, my car had a SF6, wrapped in foil from a cigarette package, funny I ordered 2 new fuses Saturday, have to pick them up this afternoon, weird timing! Jeff, what exhaust manifolds are you using , 406 Shortys? Did they just bolt on? Years ago, I tried the 63-4 427 long exhaust manifolds on my 57 Sedan Delivery, no go, not enough room. On my 59, I used a 58 Z bar and block pivot from a 352, didn`t have to move anything to make it line up OK, although I did need to do a couple of minor changes to clear the FPA headers. The clutch fork I used has just a dimple, was the fork that came with the bellhousing (1962 Ford car).  As for paint vs primer or "patina", as cheap as I am, I just don`t see a car as "finished" without decent paint and chrome bumpers. When I was working at the dealership, I just shook my head at guys that would buy a brand new $60,000 truck, then pay another 4 grand to have it wrapped in flat black, so it looked like primer. Maybe just me, but as someone who struggled to come up with money for decent, (not big $$$ show car) paint jobs, and having bumpers rechromed, I just don`t understand the whole "beater" look. My 59s far from a show car, but I just feel better having it in decent paint. I have over 500 "shakedown" miles on it so far,since I put it on the road for the first time in 18 years, and other than a few minor electrical tweaks, it has been pretty reliable and uneventful, other than 1 bent pushrod in the 428. Nows its just working on finishing minor details , before hopefully moving back East in October. The hard part is having the discipline to work on it, rather than be out driving it!

Thanks Rory.
The manifolds are indeed 406 shortys.... we had to massage the right engine mount a tiny bit, and a bit of massage around the steering box,frame area.About 30 minutes in total.
This car will be painted.I just want to work all bugs out before applying any paint.... Paint and bodywork is so so expensive... Like you, i want a shakedown.If my car can get close to your 59 Meteors finish..I will be very happy.IMHO you have attended a perfect example of what roamed the streets in 1961-66.... that is my end goal.As for interior on this car....I simply can't afford a SMS interior.... to pay for it and wait a year or more.... My Interior guy has found material very close and thats the plan.... (whenever that will happen)
You are moving east?.... out of province?

[59meteor]

Jeff, I hear you on the SMS interior prices, I did buy the headliner and windlace for my 59 from SMS, not installed yet, but sure looks nice. SMS sent me material swatches, that match my old seats perfectly, but they only sell the material by the yard, and the seat fabrics alone would be $1100. US, then you have to have somebody turn the raw material into seat covers, and have them installed. They also show new door panels for my car on there website, again, they look perfect, a bit pricey, especially for such basic Custom 300 door panels, $895.00 US for the 2 door panels and rear inner 1/4 panels. I could live with the price, but it seems when you place your order, they bill your credit card right away, and then,...you wait. I have seen so many people that have ordered stuff from SMS, and have had to wait over a year-year and a half, before they finally received their items. Almost all said the door panels were great, but the customer service, not. No mention of long waits, no contact to let you know the status of your order, unless you call them every few months. They told me my door panels would be approximately 6 months, but other I have talked with said they were told the same thing, but in reality, took well over a year. Maybe if I had ordered the stuff a couple of years ago, it wouldn`t be such a big deal, but since my car is almost what I considered finished, and I have been driving it for over a month, I really don`t want to wait that long, especially after they take my money right away. After watching ABC, and then LeBaron-Bonney go out of business, that just makes me worry. So I may have to settle for having the seats done "kinda" like factory, locally. Actually, my wife asked if I wanted her to try making some covers, I thought, "Yeah, right, you can`t do that", but a couple of weeks ago she came home with a bunch of material from a local Fabricland, and I gotta admit, if I was looking at a fabric chart at an upholstery shop, what she selected would have been near the top of my choices. My drivers side of the front seat was all disintegrated, with the foam and padding erupting from a huge hole from 60 years of driving. She did some measuring, and sewed up seat covers that follow the original pattern, and although certainly not concours perfect, I have to admit it looks pretty decent, a whole lot better than before, thats for certain. And she has enough material left to do the rear seat, although its not anywhere near as bad as the front was. But all the fabric totalled $41.00 Canadian! Can`t complain about that!                 As for us moving, I have lived in BC Canada all my life, always within a 50 mile radius of Vancouver. Last year, we spent most of August vacationing all over Atlantic Canada, and decided Nova Scotia was where we want to retire. So in March, I retired from my job as a dealership mechanic , we sold our house, and, and then Covid 19 hits. Luckily a friend offered us his coach house and large shop for a while, so while waiting for Covid to go away, I got more done on my 59 in 6 months than the previous 6 years. Aso, we have been constantly looking at real estate in Nova Scotia, have a book of listings that appealed to us. We just signed a deal to buy a property, with some acreage and a large garage, so as long as the inspections go well, we hope to be living there by late October. Some vehicles will need to be shipped, and we will drive there with my truck and the race car in the trailer. 6000 km, about 4000 miles, at 8 mpg towing, it will be a long, and expensive drive, but one we are looking forward to.

[djfordmanjack]

great efforts Jeff, got a lot done !
As I can't see the actual parts you used I just have some thoughts about your clutch pushrod. the 4 locked nuts. did you jam them tight both sides ? if so back them up a turn or 2. usually there are no counter nuts on the far side at all. and the nut on the pushing side needs a half a ball shape I am not sure if you have a crowned washer in there. the arm and rod tilt when clutch is applied and fully jammed locking nuts would put undue strain on the threaded rod which would lead to fatigue pretty soon. You probably have that figured out anyways, but just thinking out loud.
G.

[gasman826]

an old Chevy rocker arm ball works nice

[Jeff Norwell]

great efforts Jeff, got a lot done !
As I can't see the actual parts you used I just have some thoughts about your clutch pushrod. the 4 locked nuts. did you jam them tight both sides ? if so back them up a turn or 2. usually there are no counter nuts on the far side at all. and the nut on the pushing side needs a half a ball shape I am not sure if you have a crowned washer in there. the arm and rod tilt when clutch is applied and fully jammed locking nuts would put undue strain on the threaded rod which would lead to fatigue pretty soon. You probably have that figured out anyways, but just thinking out loud.
G.

Yes G, I have some good hex stock... which I can machine a nice crown on the end and then drill and tap.... I then can lose the jam nuts on both ends..... The retraction spring will hold the fork on returns nicely!Thanks man!

[Jeff Norwell]

Jeff, I hear you on the SMS interior prices, I did buy the headliner and windlace for my 59 from SMS, not installed yet, but sure looks nice. SMS sent me material swatches, that match my old seats perfectly, but they only sell the material by the yard, and the seat fabrics alone would be $1100. US, then you have to have somebody turn the raw material into seat covers, and have them installed. They also show new door panels for my car on there website, again, they look perfect, a bit pricey, especially for such basic Custom 300 door panels, $895.00 US for the 2 door panels and rear inner 1/4 panels. I could live with the price, but it seems when you place your order, they bill your credit card right away, and then,...you wait. I have seen so many people that have ordered stuff from SMS, and have had to wait over a year-year and a half, before they finally received their items. Almost all said the door panels were great, but the customer service, not. No mention of long waits, no contact to let you know the status of your order, unless you call them every few months. They told me my door panels would be approximately 6 months, but other I have talked with said they were told the same thing, but in reality, took well over a year. Maybe if I had ordered the stuff a couple of years ago, it wouldn`t be such a big deal, but since my car is almost what I considered finished, and I have been driving it for over a month, I really don`t want to wait that long, especially after they take my money right away. After watching ABC, and then LeBaron-Bonney go out of business, that just makes me worry. So I may have to settle for having the seats done "kinda" like factory, locally. Actually, my wife asked if I wanted her to try making some covers, I thought, "Yeah, right, you can`t do that", but a couple of weeks ago she came home with a bunch of material from a local Fabricland, and I gotta admit, if I was looking at a fabric chart at an upholstery shop, what she selected would have been near the top of my choices. My drivers side of the front seat was all disintegrated, with the foam and padding erupting from a huge hole from 60 years of driving. She did some measuring, and sewed up seat covers that follow the original pattern, and although certainly not concours perfect, I have to admit it looks pretty decent, a whole lot better than before, thats for certain. And she has enough material left to do the rear seat, although its not anywhere near as bad as the front was. But all the fabric totalled $41.00 Canadian! Can`t complain about that!                 As for us moving, I have lived in BC Canada all my life, always within a 50 mile radius of Vancouver. Last year, we spent most of August vacationing all over Atlantic Canada, and decided Nova Scotia was where we want to retire. So in March, I retired from my job as a dealership mechanic , we sold our house, and, and then Covid 19 hits. Luckily a friend offered us his coach house and large shop for a while, so while waiting for Covid to go away, I got more done on my 59 in 6 months than the previous 6 years. Aso, we have been constantly looking at real estate in Nova Scotia, have a book of listings that appealed to us. We just signed a deal to buy a property, with some acreage and a large garage, so as long as the inspections go well, we hope to be living there by late October. Some vehicles will need to be shipped, and we will drive there with my truck and the race car in the trailer. 6000 km, about 4000 miles, at 8 mpg towing, it will be a long, and expensive drive, but one we are looking forward to.

Agree on all points about SMS Rory.
I too had samples sent and the swatches were perfect....but the cost for the entire 57 custom was about $4500 US..... then ad the exchange.... your about 7-8 K.... Not gonna happen.
I have heard heresy that the company may be in trouble in these times..... but that is just hearsay..... Still..... I can't risk that or wait a year or more.

Congrats on the move to Nova Scotia..... Beautiful Part of the country,we have many good friends from the Maritimes and many in N.S.My wife is a Maritimer and they are wonderful People.At one time we were planning to move to Annapolis Valley.
You shall love it!

[mustang6984]

Rory...I feel the pain with the move...in the last stages of Port Angeles WA to Branson relocate myself. A 2000 mi.e trip. We did the first of what will be 4-5 trips this week...moved animals and one car plus 1/2 the household stuff. Managed about 12 miles per gallon in the new (to me) 2014 F-350. (diesel) We once discussed Nova Scotia ourselves...saw some pics of the area, thought about visiting, but just never made it over. If the pics were anything like the real deal...I suspect you will love it!

[CobraJoe]

Rory, Nova Scotia is absolutely beautiful and you will be very happy there, oh yeah, and welcome to the right coast!   

[RICH MUISE]

Sadly, I've never been to Nova Scotia, and I said sadly because my family roots on my dad's side are from Halifax,NS. (Roots on my mom's side are Shediac, New Brunswick.)