57 Country Sedan Wagon - Next step?

[Ken 57Wagon]

I just acquired a 57 Country Sedan wagon that was someone else's project.  Body work has been mostly completed (new floor pans, new upholstery, rebuilt motor and transmission, etc).  I've never done a Ford before and I'm only a tinkerer.  I'm not sure if I want to put the 312 back in or update to a more modern fuel injected motor.  There seem to be a lot of nuances as I read about this year Ford (brake boosters upgrades are difficult, can't upgrade brakes on a 14" rim,  etc.) and I have become convinced I will probably not do a full restoration, at least not concourse style.  I live in Northern California, Sacramento specifically, and could use someone with a history with these vehicles.  If there is any advice you have on restoring this 57 I am all ears.

Ken

[RICH MUISE]

Welcome to the forum, Ken. Looks like you got a project with a good solid start on it. You'll get a lot of varied opinions on this forum as to which way you should go, but in the long run, the decisions will be all yours, and for the most part, imho, there is no wrong way to go. A lot depends on what you want from the car. What helped me decide which way to go was going to a bunch of car shows and figuring out what appealed to me the most. That helped me realize I wasn't going to be happy until it was an every nut and bolt restoration. I didn't want to have a car where I kept thinking I should have gone a little deeper. But, that's just me. Now that I've driven mine a ton, I can see the reasoning behind wanting to get it done quicker so it can be driven.
Going to shows also made me realize what appealed to me the most were the "restomods"....(a term not used too often anymore). I went new school with a 4.6 dohc and as far as I'm concerned, for me it was the only way to go. 43k miles later, I still think it's the only way to go. But that's ME.
No matter what you decide, as long as you keep the drivetrain all Ford, you'll find a ton of help here.
If you have specific questions or ideas you want to toss around, we're all ears.

[Marc]

Looks like a nice wagon Ken. What are your plans for using the car? Long trips, shows & cruise nights, just driving around town? The 312 will provide plenty of power and reliability for you. Brake upgrades in most cases are simple enough by going with 15" wheels. Lots of knowledgeable folks on this site so you're in the right place.

[RICH MUISE]

I do have one specific suggestion though. before you get too far, double check what the po did for body work. A lot of sins can be hidden with primer.
For example, check floor supports where they butt up against the inner rockers.........poke around with a screwdriver or awl to make sure the ends of the supports and the rockers behind those support ends are solid. Check the wheel well in the back to see if they are solid. One of our long time member here from Austria has a sd he bought from Socal and it has major roof rot that was hidden with bondo.

[81TTA]

Looks like a very cool project!  I'd second what Rich says about figuring out what you want out of the car to help make your choices. 

I'd probably start with "why not keep it largely stock?"  You mention being a "tinkerer".  I'm taking that to mean you'd probably shy away from big structural or functional changes?  There's usually not much that's easier (although not always "easy") or straightforward than swapping out a factory part with another.  Things generally bolt together without having to tweak, fabricate or modify. 

On the other hand, you mentioned a potential engine swap.  If your answer to "why not keep it largely stock" is something like "I want to go faster than the Y-block goes", your mention of engine upgrades, brake upgrades and tire sizes makes sense.

As you settle into what you want from the car, I'm sure you'll find lots of help from this site and its members.

[abe_lugo]

Welcome.  Great advice from the well versed members here.   

I have few suggestions.  I actually went from Ford to Cadillac back to Ford. I am finding that some the basics are all the same.  Body, driveline, paint, details.  Just different brands with different levels of details and price points.
Luckily there is a lot of support for 1957 Fords.  Make sure to shop around. Search the forums for advice.  Double check users if you wanted ads anywhere on the internet. 
More notes...
Photograph it all. 
Keep an album in you phone just for the project.
Bag and tag it all that is loose. 
Identify if you are missing anything. 

Then start a list of how you think you want to your build to go.  Sort of a roadmap. 
Decide what is is you need to accomplish first. 

Also get paperwork.  Get a title in your name and non-op if in CA.  No point in putting effort in something you don%u2019t own on paper.

Keep posting. 


Another note. Make sure to take a look at the rear on those front fender trims.  There are a few that have a nut on the rear and don%u2019t just pop on.  I see they were primered over.  Also take your time removing things like that to save the clips.  Those buggers will cost you over 200.00 if you lose them.


I lien the rest of the guys would check the primer first.  As if they have photos before they painted. 
The front floor corners seems to be one of main rusted area due to the cowl drain tubes.  Make sure to replace

[Ken 57Wagon]

Thank you for your comments and advice.  I have vacillated a bit but  hearing your takes put me back in the "use what Ford gave you" column and I think that is the best place to start.  Per Rich's comments I believe I will replace stock parts where needed and get it up and moving the way it was in 57.  Extra body work inspection will become a priority.  As far as  plans for the car, I am not a guy for show (going yes, showing no) but I'd like my wife to use it to run around town and have people give her the thumbs up.  We'd do Sunday coffee runs etc.  I will be painting it Dresden Blue and Colonial White unless someone here tells me that would be incorrect.  I have the dash and steering column off and will be sending them out for paint later this week.  Currently I'm making sure the instrument cluster works correctly and I'm replacing some of the components that didn't come off the dash so nicely.  I was going to paint the engine compartment a semi gloss black but I saw some pictures that had the firewall painted white.  I'll keep looking to see what would be correct.

Anyway, I ramble, probably because of the fantastic responses I got and now my head is working overtime.  I will keep you posted.

Ken

[Ford Blue blood]

Welcome Ken.  Looks like a nice start. 

Projects can be over whelming if you're not careful!  First thing is purchase all the manuals from vendors or ebay or where ever, the books have most every question in drawings or text.  That includes parts catalogs for the 57 as well.  Second, given you have a bucket of parts sort everything and see what you do and don't have.  No need in buying stuff that is wrapped up in the bottom of a box. 

Then make a list of "mini projects" that have to be completed and in what sequence to end up with a finished car.  Looking at that tool box list with mini projects checked off will keep the juices flowing till the end.  That list will help you keep from doing something twice, did it, next step required cutting or the process resulted in damaging the finish and you have to fix that item again.

Remember, one way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time!

[FiveSevenLiter]

Welcome aboard.  You will find the best of advise and expertise here.
One of the best compliments I had once I got my truck completed was an experienced car guy said "nice job, you knew when to stop".
Don't be afraid to ask, don't be upset when you are told truth.  Some guys keep asking until they get the answer they want to hear.
Terry

[djfordmanjack]

Hello Ken !
looks like a solid project. These, our cars are easy to work on, but they also have their own 'Ford thinking' engineered into them. They do have lots of model specific parts and not many wagons are around anymore. Good advice to keep it pretty much stock for now and see what parts you have in the pile that hopefully came with the project. We are happy to help with opinions and hopefully also some information....
Good luck with the project.
Guenter ( 2x 57 wagons)

btw, the inner fenders, battery tray and radiator support are black, the firewall would be upper body color. right down to the floorboards.

[hiball3985]

Welcome.
If it has a rebuilt engine and trans as you stated why change it? The Y is a great engine and there is a Y block site dedicated to those engines if you need more help then you can find from us guys here.

[59meteor]

My biggest suggestion would be to not go overboard, and end up with a garage queen project that sits in a million pieces for years. (or decades!) There are some guys that can strip a car down to the frame, and have a complete restoration done in a matter of months, but those guys are few and far between. My own 59 project took 18 years, although to be honest, for the first 12 years or so, it was a swap meet,Ebay, craigslist, wrecking yard etc "hunting & gathering" process. I really didn`t want to tear the car all apart until I had a pretty solid vision of what I wanted to car to be, have the majority of the pasts on hand, or at least lined up. And nice to have the money put aside to prevent having to start and stop  as the money disappears. Its also not uncommon to lose interest, or find other things to eat up your time and money, and stall your progress. my car stalled several times during the build, often for several months at a time, until I finally quit my job and retired. Although my car was painted 4 years earlier, I got more done on the car in the first 4 months of my retirement that the previous 4 years. But be able to finally take that first test drive back in July!

[CobraJoe]

Welcome to the forum, Ken, looks like a nice solid platform to start with. Looking forward to see how this progresses!