My first post, please be gentle....

[hiball3985]

Oh, yes.  Poway.  It's certainly a different place from when I lived there in the mid '70s.  Heck, back then there was one stop light and one main drag.  I don't get out to 15 all that much anymore, heck, everytime I do I feel like I'm driving at Talladega.  *scary*

Isn't that the truth  . When ever I hit the road for a trip  I leave at 4am to miss the insanity.

[Cecil]

You are indeed a wise man, Jim.   

[Ecode70D]

Cecil
     Welcome to the most friendly and helpful site on the internet.  Whatever questions that you may come up with for your new 57, you will find that there is someone here who will have the answer and be willing to share it.  l Have loved 57 Fords since they were new in the dealerships  back in the old days.
     FWIW  There is  no known cure for this sickness.   Jay

[Cecil]

l Have loved 57 Fords since they were new in the dealerships  back in the old days.
     FWIW  There is  no known cure for this sickness. 

Thanks Jay.  I know well of what you speak.  One of my earliest memories is when I was five and we went to a Ford dealership and saw the new cars.  That was where I saw my first port hole T-Bird.  We left in a brand new '57 Fairlane, red and white.  Just like you, I've loved them ever since and I can't help but feel that I found the perfect '57 for me.  I love this car.

[Cecil]

My gosh, I just visited "The Boneyard" photo forum......heartbreaking, man.  All I can say is that I know of one '57 Country Sedan that I'm going to work my ass of to keep alive and on the road.

[djfordmanjack]

you have a good candidate there. seeing the tailgate has little to no lower rust, and assuming that what we see form your pics, the rain gutters and adjacing roof areas are solid, you are one step ahead already. As much as we all love 57Fords here, we do know they have some shortcomings by design, mostly rust problems like the front floorboards caused by leaking vent drains. This is one of the first things you will have to inspect. they are to the left and right under the dash and they are intended to direct water out to inbetween A pillars and inner fenders. they always crack and leak water INSIDE the car on front floors.
another problem area is the wagon roofs. theay have bad or non existing internal drainage holes for condensed water running down inside the roof skin. if your headliner is out or worn, be sure to inspect those areas for rust, debris and old insulation material clogging the drainage holes front and back or add further drainage.
You will get aquainted to many of these problem areas during the build. there are also many build threads here dealing with rust problems.
For now, let's hope that rust is very limited on your wagon. it sure does look quite nice in the pics.

Interesting that your wife is from Wels. I have many friends in Upper Austria around Linz and 2 of them are also working in Wels. Wels still has the only active vintage scrapyard left in Austria. cars go back to the 1930s ( it is a real old junkyard), mostly German and French makes. There are also a few old American built cars there.

[Tom S]

... As much as we all love 57Fords here, we do know they have some shortcomings by design, mostly rust problems like the front floorboards caused by leaking vent drains. This is one of the first things you will have to inspect. they are to the left and right under the dash and they are intended to direct water out to in between A pillars and inner fenders. they always crack and leak water INSIDE the car on front floors. ...

Cecil, here on page 2 of this 4 page thread is what I did about those cowl drains. Compared to what some others had done this seemed much easier to do. Didn't have to have the front fenders off to do it either! ; )
http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?topic=3895.msg65607#msg65607

[Cecil]

Thanks Tom.  There is some rust on the floor, driver's side.  But a bigger worry has come up.  My neighbor now seems reluctant to sign over the title, even after I gave him a check for his asking price.  And the engine he said would go with it has disappeared.

Worried.....