1957 Ford Country Sedan mocha silver V8 4dr wagon

[hiball3985]

No idea what the SY is for? I had a Fram filter that had the lip to seal it, the Wix I'm using doesn't 

[djfordmanjack]

Jim I would think the SY was either a manufacturer's badge or denoting the type of filter element needed. it is exactly to the rear of the filter though and also where the inner baffle of the snorkel ends. Still no clue about it.
I find it annoying that aftermarket sellers offer replacement things that actually do not do what they are supposed to. with the brandnew 'YOM correct' filter there was a gap about of at least 1/8" all around. From old factory pics I figured the og element had a sealing lip around, which is why I added the self sticking foam. that stuff comes cheap from an industrial machinery hardware shop and it lasts a long time. Natural rubber foam does not soak water.

[hiball3985]

Yes mine has a gap also. The original style air filter had a wider lip on the top that sealed that area.
I run my snorkel forward, cheap super charging 

[djfordmanjack]

you've got a super tidy engine compartment there Jim! love it !
I seem to remember that you have a T85 or 4spd manual in the Ranchero, right ?
You don't have the bellcrank for the Auto kickdown. on my factory Auto Y block car, the air cleaner housing would not clear the bellcrank if I rotated the snorkel to the front, Too bad.
Now that I cant get E-Z supercharging I will have to look for an F code car....

[hiball3985]

Yes G, I'm running a T-85. I didn't know the linkage for an auto had a clearance problem with the air cleaner housing. All my 57's over the years have been sticks except a Fairlane that had an auto and I only kept it 3 days  You have no choice but finding an F code.. I have F code valve springs and retainer, thats about all the F code I can afford

[Ford Blue blood]

Found an air cleaner that fits well.  Have to get the number off it.  Seals up correctly on the top.

[hiball3985]

Before I found an original type I thought about using an early GM ( did I say that?  ) double snorkel.

[Ford Blue blood]

Filter I have is a NAPA Gold 2041.  About 1/8" short of touching the bottom of the housing.  Put in 1/4" weather strip stuck to the bottom of the housing and all is good.  Thought a 61, 2, or 3 Bird filter would work but it is way too short.  Diameter is good and the top seal is good but the Bird housing is not as deep as the Fairlane.

[djfordmanjack]

Great info, thanx Bill. also available on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2041-NAPA-Air-Filter-Gold-/350558744507?hash=item519eedefbb:g:~moAAOSwYlJW2smt&vxp=mtr

started on the floorboards amd managed to save the driver's toeboard. Going for a reasonable floorboard repair,but still need a good foundation to weld things to. Especially the toeboard/tunnel corner as it's where the gas pedal sits.

[djfordmanjack]

replaced inner rocker flange and repaired lower a posts. cleaned out braces and they will get coated with Rustoleum soon. I use Owatrol to seal all the overlapping sheetmetal and tight corners. it nicely creeps nearly everywhere.

[mustang6984]

DAMN! When you are done with your floorboards...you can come do mine! I don't weld...so that is one of the things I need to get he;p with. And my boards (as you can see in my build thread) would make Fred Flintstone feel right at home! Look nice! Well done!

[djfordmanjack]

G'dmorning Hugh! The only problems with the faulty floorboards in a 57 were the dreaded cowl vent drain rubber pieces.If it wasn't for them disintegrating we wouldn't have all those trouble today. It's funny that often desert cars have worse floorboards as the sun and heat obviously took their toll on the rubber pieces.
Anyways the floorboards are not too complicated, but they do require quite some work. When you go looking for the right person to do the weld work on yours, be sure that he is patient and doing one thing after another. No need to slap it all together without thinking and you have your rust still trapped in the braces, rockers or else. When the time comes to replace floors, it's just not so much more work to clean out and seal those areas.

[mustang6984]

Ah...the rubbers! Mine were so hard and rotted...they looked like afterthoughts! UGH! I see they are available though...which is good! I wish I knew how to weld...I am pretty anal when it comes to doing things one way...and that means getting EVERYTHING cleaned out. I drive my buddy Bob nuts sometimes. He does admit though that he has never gone as far as I am going with this car for the process of restoration/rodding. So he pretty much has stopped kidding me about things, as he agrees things look so nice when I get done.
A friend of his from his racing days is going to do the frame welding...and probably the floors...and he is indeed an excellent welder. My concern is that he is used to welding stuff for the short term either at his work or on the race cars. I want what I want...which is perfection...or as close as I can get to it. So I suspect before this car is done...I will own a welder, and be learning to use it. LOL!!! I have been watching the stuff you have done...and I am horribly jealous at the work you have done on many parts. Wish we were closer so I could sit and watch some of what you have done. I trust me analness to carry me through though! It is coming along...slowly...but steadily.

[Ecode70D]

Günter
    You are doing a nice job.  That corner curve looks nice as usual and you did a nice job of cleaning out the junk that is usually in the floor brace.  I also notice that you had to cut back some of the top of the upper part of the rocker panel step plate area.  Are you going to open that piece a little more so you can inspect  and clean the inner rocker panel area that you can reach?
Jay

[djfordmanjack]

Good morning Jay !
that little curved piece took quite some time to make, but I managed to save the og toeboards and not needing to cut pieces from my patch panels intended to go in the Del Rio at some later point.
the front step plates (upper rocker sill plate area) are rusted out in places and I cut as much as needed for the moment. I left some of it in place intentionally for keeping the rigidity and shape of the rocker/inner rocker/braces. When I am done with the floorboards I will most probably cut out all of the step plate area between A and b posts. this will give me a chance to clean out and seal the rockers inside. replacing the top metal will be easy welding along the (stiff) outer edge of the rocker.
@Mustang6984 I totally agree with what you are saying about cleanliness. Even if we have to make patches and quick fixes sometimes it is no good putting new metal on top of rusty braces or even worse OVER the perforated twin layers of old crusty metal. That needs to come out before.
would have loved to have the structure bead blasted or rust acid removed, but it's out of the question for this is a lowbrow, daily driver projects and I must not make it into an endless project like my Del Rio.
Yes take a good look under your dash corners und you will find those stupid molded rubber pieces crumbled to dust. Repros are available but I replace them with double layer braided industrial HD hose. those are not going to dry rot in hundred years