57 meteor

[Dave.L 57]

  :canada:hi guys I?m a new member and first time poster. I have a 57 Meteor Niagara 300 two door post car that I?ve opened for45 years. It was my first car and I last drove it in 1981 and since then it has been parked behind my shop since then. I pulled it out last weekend am thinking about restoring it but I?m afraid I
Won?t be able to find the parts I will need and get stuck with a half done car. It is a 6 cylinder automatic and it?s pretty straight and 95% complete so I think it has potential but it?s more of a rare car than the fords of the same year and I?m not sure if the parts are much different but I know you guys know all this stuff so as I get into it I will need your help. First I am going to try and get it running. Any tips on this process.?

[RICH MUISE]

Welcome to the forum, Dave. We've got a few members from the Edmonton area on the forum, plus a bunch of others from different provinces that maybe could head you in the right direction for anything specific relating to the Meteor models. They can fill you in on what's the same as U.S. models, and what is not.
When you get a minute check out the list of parts distributors we have assembled that sell '57 Ford specific parts. Unlike Chevies, some parts are a little hard to find, but with perserverance, most stuff can be found. Think of it like an adventure....or a show far away...........getting there is 1/2 the fun.
We like pics!
So, what's your thinking?........factory restoration (more difficult as far as finding parts), Kustom, resto-mod, or??

[rovohn]

Hey Dave
Welcome to you and your Meteor, unless you require Meteor trim parts almost everything you need is available online,that being said 223 parts although available aren't the cheapest.
I took out my 223 and put in 302 with a C4 its not a difficult job and parts are everywhere.
Cheers John

[rmk57]

  As long as you have all the outside trim, emblems, interior badges, hubcaps, all the rest is regular 57 Ford, that is if your doing a stock type restoration.

Has the car been stored inside or outside? That could make a difference whether the engine is free or locked up from sitting for almost 40 years.

I would use a breaker bar on bottom pulley and at least see if the engine will budge at all, and then go from there.

I'm in Vancouver area and we have at least 5-6 around here, and I think one Meteor wagon.

[Jeff Norwell]

Welcome Dave!

[59meteor]

Hi Dave, another Meteor Niagara 300 Tudor owner here, although mine is the "ugly sister", a 59 model. According to my copy of the excellent Perry Zavitz book "Monarch Meteor", only 2755 1957 Meteor Niagara 300 2 door sedans rolled of the Oakville assembly line, I`m kinda suprised they made that many, I don`t recall seeing more than a couple in my (almost) 62 years. Seen many more plain Niagaras, and Rideau/Rideau 500s, even they they actually made less of the fancier models, but like many cars, the fancier cars tend to get saved over the base models, which are often parted out to save the more upscale versions. A buddy out here near Vancouver BC does have a pretty much complete, but rusty 57 Niagara 300 2 door sedan, and has parted out many 57s (Fords and Meteors) over the years. He can have trouble parting with stuff, but if there is anything in particular that you need, I can ask him.

[Dave.L 57]

Thanks for the welcome: I found another 57 Viagra that I can buy for parts for 1000.00 this should help and it has a 223 also. The car has been sitting outside for the las40 years or so have removed the plugs and put ATF in the cylinders before I try to turn it over hopefully it's ok.

[djfordmanjack]

Actually you have not that rare of a model there, but it sounds somewhat phoney to me....

another 57 Viagra

Welcome to the forum and please let us see the progress on your car. really neat side trim and loving the METEOR wheelcovers !

it doesn't seem to be that bad from the pic. From my friends wiht collector Volkswagen vans, I have seen that often the Canadian buses seem to have much less rust, even if parked outside for decades. I don't know whether your summers are not as humid or the low freezing temps in winter help as well. there must be a reason.
greetings from Europe
Guenter

[Dave.L 57]

My computer keeps auto correcting Niagara to Viagra. I will have more pictures tomorrow it seems I can only put one on a post or it says it?s to big a file

[RICH MUISE]

That car is begging to be driven again. Amazing condition for being outside for so many years.
We have a per-post limit of 4000 kb for the pics, and up to 4 pics as long as the total isn't over 4000. Your one pic is 3269, so that's why your getting the "file size too big" message if you try an add another.
pic size can be made smaller pretty easily. Try right clicking on your pic you want to post, that should open a menu with one of the choices being "open with". click on that, and chose "paint"(should already be on your computer if you're running windows). when the pic opens up in that program, look at the top left of the tool bar, and you should see a resize option. I think if you change the 100% that's shown to 50%, it'll get you below 1k mb. After you resize, close the window and click on save when it pops up.so you can post 4 pics.

[FiveSevenLiter]

Welcome on board, do not be afraid to ask for help with parts locating, free tips, or whatever, there is plenty of free advice on here.

Terry

[fdlrc]

If you need a great running 223 with only 54k on it let me know. I took it out of my 300 in order to install a 302. It's attached to a 3 speed manual. Les

[Dave.L 57]

Thanks les I will keep that motor in mind I?m still working on mine to see if I can get it going. Had to order a new ignition switch should be here today.

[Dave.L 57]

well I got the new ignition switch and put it in today and it seems to work good. I can't believe the heater and all the lights seem to work. the radio doesn't work. I had put some ATF in the cylinders on Monday and I took a ratchet on the front pulley tonight and it turned over not to bad and all the valves are moving and nothing seems to be frozen except the water pump started to leak.I tried to turn it over on the starter but the wires got hot and it just wouldn't do it. I am going to remove the starter tomorrow and see it I can make it turn. I am super happy on every thing about the car so far, I expected the worst but the more I look at it the better I feel about restoring it.Thanks to everyone on your input

[Dave.L 57]

It took awhile but I got my 223 running pretty darn nice. It has a little bit of a miss at idle but not very noticeable. I had to repair the gas tank and buy a starter and some new fuel lines and a ignition switch but that?s not bad. I even took it for a drive in my field AWSOME. I want to do a compression test on it tomorrow just to see. Does anyone know what the compression should be?