Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Blockin', blockin' blockin'... I miss the smell of URO. Good stuff, but it packed a wallop! I need to buy some SPI the next go round. Nason's 2k worked pretty good on the little blue car. Keep it up, and as always, don't hesitate a second to call if you need anything. Great to see you and Miss Kathy this weekend.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Thanks, Scott. Anytime you want to listen to me cuss, just come on over while I'm doing body work. ;)
That's what Kathy said, John. You never know, a rock chip can ruin a perfectly good windshield at any time. A third of the cost is the truck freight, so there's no point in sending it back.

Today made it all the way up to 20 degrees and there's an inch of new snow on the ground. Nevertheless, I was determined to spray the Slick Sand on the parts that were ready. Covered up as much as I could and blasted away. After about 5 minutes, my shoes were sticking to the floor, but I stayed with it. After using all the material I had on hand, I quickly opened the garage door and turned on the floor fan. A few minutes later it was freezing, but the air was clear so I closed the door and let the heater work its magic.

I had mistakenly thought the hood only needed blocking because the underside had seam sealer between the substructure and the skin, plus it was all dressed in a smooth coat of primer. So I used some 320 grit on the DA to clean it up and lo and behold, it needed some serious attention. That's what I get for crowing to Steve that I was all but done with mixing putty. Better to find out now. I'd been contemplating sending the parts to Precision without reassembling the front clip for the third time. Now I'm not so sure. I don't remember doing it, but a close examination of the hood shows that I removed the skin and then reattached it somewhere back in the mists of time. I reckon I should put it all together one last time just to insure the hood isn't all torqued out of shape. Ford guys will notice the hood is from a '58 cause yours truly liked the factory "scoop". I gave the original to my brother when he was working on a similar project and it's history now. So this one better work.

The door handles and window cranks arrived today. Kathy picked up the arm rests from the anodizer yesterday and it all looks good together. Break time is about over, so I need to get back to the shop and hit it some more. Later.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

The last few days have been sort of up and down. The body work has proven to be remarkably resistant to my efforts. I'd planned to have the clip and other removable parts ready to transport to paint yesterday, but setbacks prevailed. This afternoon, I called and asked if I could bring what I had ready and John said the recent spate of bad weather had slammed them and they were full up. He asked if I could delay until next Monday. There's a lot of things I can do with the extra time, so it's no big deal. And it won't help matters to have my parts at their shop if they can't work on them.

I assembled the bare minimum of front clip parts to check my work and see how the hood fit. Good thing I did as there were a couple of spots that needed tweaking. Naturally, while trying to add a small amount of crown to one side, I overdid it. Had Kathy holding down one corner while I pushed on the other with a block in between. It kept springing back and springing back until all at once, it buckled... which led to a hysterical fit of epic proportions. Once I calmed down, I was able to pull the wrinkle out of the substructure and use the slapper on the topside and it ended up right where it needed to be. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the mid 40's for a while in the afternoon, so I'll shoot the last of my Slick Sand on a few pieces and after blocking, everything will be ready for final primer and paint.

One of the things I wanted to address before the car left the workshop was finalizing the mounts for the rear bumper. The car has been back halved with an Alston ladder bar setup and 2x3 frame rails. I also raised the trunk floor 2" to make room for a stainless fuel tank. The '58 bumper has been sectioned about 1.5" and I fabricated a new inner structure a while back. All this meant I'd need custom tabs for mounting it. Before sending the parts out for sand blasting, I measured everything and marked the location of the spuds I'd need to weld into the rear cross member. This afternoon, I wanted to mark the last two holes, so I mocked up the bumper and prepared to bolt up the mounts to the CM. Passenger side fit perfectly, but the driver side is off by a half a hole. I have a little less than 1/4" clearance between the bumper ends and the lower quarter panels, so moving the bumper over to make it fit throws off my dimension on both sides. I've figured out a fix, but it would have been a pleasant change of pace for it to fit like it should have.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Looks nice Vic. Did you make the arm rest? They look nicely done.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I can only think of one word that describes your drive, persistence and direction on this .. and that would be IMPRESSIVE.

Again - nice work so far.

R46

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I'm glad it ain't just me. Glad your hood came around. Take heart, good sir, you're gettin' there!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Clean! Way to show that hood who's boss! :mmmk:

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Nope, they're eBay items, Scott. My only mod was to have them black anodized.
Thanks, R46! It's been a long road, but I think the end is in sight. Stay tuned.
It's not just you for sure, Chip. Sometimes these old rides have a mind of their own.
Hey, John. I shot the last of the Slick Sand on the hood today and it looks like it should block out just fine. Now my main worry is the weather. The guy that holds down the weather guesser position at the local TV station seems to think we're in for a witches brew of snow, freezing rain, sleet... you name it over the next week. Could very easily alter my plan to deliver the car to the paint shop on Monday. And of course, at the very least, it could mean another influx of work for Precision and their crew. We'll just have to play it by ear.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Hey Vic... What color are you going with on this?...

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Top color above the stainless trim will be Millennium Silver (like my '68 truck was) and below the stainless trim it will be Cyber Grey Metallic which is on late Corvettes and other GM cars. Bumpers painted to match the lower body color. Between the upper and lower stainless trim will be a foil backed tape that mimics black / grey carbon fiber. It even shades to purple when the sun hits it just right. Interior will be similar colors with black accents. One of my projects when the car returns from the body shop is to make a console the upholstery shop can cover when the car goes back to them in early April. Lots to do. Now if the weather will just cooperate and let me get it to the body shop on Monday!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

That will give that car a real classy look... Really great choices of color....

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

John called from Precision Collision this morning to let me know the side glass for the '57 had arrived. While I was there picking it up, we discussed his backlog and the fact that the weather was about to turn bad for the next few days which might impact my ability to get the car to him. Bless his heart, he suggested we just go ahead and get it in there this afternoon. So about 4pm, Russ came by with the rollback and loaded up the rolling chassis and it's now resting comfortably in PC's shop. Over the weekend, I'll get the last little bit of blocking done and shoot 2K on everything. Then when the weather permits next week, I'll haul the rest of the panels to them. Fingers crossed, but it looks like it won't be long until there's icing on the cake. ;)

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Exhaust looks sweet! Can't wait to see a full-body shot. Glad you gotter there in one piece.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Glad you got it in there early. Looks like a prep deck party!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Thanks guys, had a 2K primer party in the workshop today. Looks like a M-80 went off in a bucket of talcum powder. Not sure if Precison will want all the parts tomorrow as they're really busy now, but I don't want to be the holdup... just in case they want to get on it.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Nice progress Vic!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Color, Color, We want color!!!

Keep it up Vic. The end is near!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Believe it or not, color is going on some filler panels and the inner fender wells today. I should have them in hand tomorrow and I'm looking forward to seeing how the silver and dark gray work together. I'm still finishing up 2K primer today. Had to stop and overhaul the HF primer gun a couple of times. It will take several more trips to Precision to transport all the parts, but it's looking like they're making good progress. Repairing some low spots on the roof and a few pinholes. The rest of the body and the doors should be blocked and ready for sealer today.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I am waiting with anticipation... This is going to look so sweet... I may actually have to make a 1/25th scale model of this...

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Funny you would say that, Dan. For the longest time, all you could find were Fairlane kits but they recently released a Fireball Roberts '57 Custom sedan. Has the low buck trim package but at least it's a two door post.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Looking great. It's come a long way.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Yep... I am a avid modeler... so I have a few of them in my grasp... I haven't built one yet... I am in the process of building a highly detailed model of "Raymond"...

Here are a couple that I have built over the years... the first is what my Vision for "Raymond" originally was...

http://images55.fotki.com/v605/photo...ePickup-vi.jpg

This is a 62 Ford truck that I had built....

http://images54.fotki.com/v1616/phot...ePickup-vi.jpg

Here is my 1:1 Chevy II that I built back in 88 and sold in 99...

http://images53.fotki.com/v695/photo...can0131-vi.jpg

Jan big block 67 Fairlane that I built in 1994... sold in 99...

http://images55.fotki.com/v1617/phot...can0035-vi.jpg

Then there is Jan's 2004 Full Custom Heritage that I built in 2006... we sold that in 2009 when we moved back to Kansas...

http://images107.fotki.com/v71/photo...00_0420-vi.jpg

The models are just a few of 100's that I have... at one time I did contract builds...

I have built probably 75-100 1:1 cars over the years... some for me and lots for other people... So I have a real appreciation for your talents and visions you have for the truck and the Ford...

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

All of these are models, or are you pulling my leg?

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I think just the top two pics are models, the rest are full size vehicles. Although it sounds like Dan may have models of them too. For the last two summers, when my little buddy Ryan comes to visit, we build at least one model car. Very enjoyable endeavor... plus it teaches him patience and the names of the various parts and pieces.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Congrats on the color! Can't wait to see!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

It seems like you are flying through this project but then again you have little choice considering it's already March 3rd and that deadline is rapidly approaching and it really is do or die this time and this is when all your years of experience is really going to pay off.
I have my fingers crossed that you complete the project at least two weeks before the power tour so you have some shake down time with the car, 500 miles of drive time sure wouldn't hurt so you have some confidence in the car before you have to do it for real on the tour.
I'm pulling for you, go Vic go!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Me too, Brian. I've finished a few at 1AM then caught a few hours of shuteye and hit the road for a race hundreds of miles away. Not a recommended way of operating. ;)

I dropped off the bumpers and some assorted other parts at Precision just a bit ago and picked up the inner fender wells and the front filler panels. Here's a preview of the colors... although keep in mind they'll look different when sprayed over a larger area. The Cyber Grey is a bit more blue/green than I thought it would be looking at it in the can, but should work well against the stainless and carbon fiber'ish accent panels. The thing about greys and silvers is they nearly always play nice.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Those colors look great ,cant wait to see more .

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Went through you build thread and its amazing, great work!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Great colors Vic

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Oh man I love it when the paint goes on, but then who doesn't.
I bet you are super excited to see this project come together and it is amazing that you have kept this car all these years through it's many moves and iterations.
I can't help but wonder how many times you have thought about selling it and how many times it has gone on the back burner but here you are having persevered to it's completion.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

It should be super sharp with that vinyl!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Thanks everyone! I think the colors are going to work well with the interior and the brushed aluminum wheels. The Centerlines are so old they're almost antiques. Not even sure you can buy them anymore. :lol:

The shop was filthy from all the bodywork and primer overspray, so I spent several hours today with the big doors open and the floor fan running while I blew out all the nooks and crannies with compressed air. I know it will just get grungy again from the interior parts I'll be prepping and painting, but it makes me feel more like working when it's tidied up.

I needed a short break from the paint, etc. so I modified the headlight buckets for the Oracle Halo lights. They are keyed differently than the stock sealed beams and I'm not sure why, but it was an easy fix to relocate the notches. These have amber LED's a.k.a. SMD's (surface mounted diodes) that make up the halo. I plan to use them as the turn signals and park lights. Lucky for me I had two leftover halogen bulbs from the silver truck project as the Oracle housings didn't include the bulbs.

Tomorrow morning I have to take Kathy to the airport. She's headed to Houston for 10 days to help the twins' mom who's having surgery. I'll be batching it and hopefully I'll get a lot done while she's gone. She left me a fridge full of eats and a list of what is there and where to find it. ;)

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Those colors look great Vic, I like the headlights too. Those look very nice.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Mrs. Kathy always takes care of feeding! :)

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Awesome=Miss Kathy. Shiny stuff looks great! I dig the headlights. Can you change the halo colors, or are they just orange?

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Thanks, guys. Kathy is my #1 supporter. Makes it a lot more fun when your better half is "all in" with the car crafting.

Headlight halos are amber only. You can get other colors, but the website said they may not be legal in all states. Amber and white are acceptable everywhere.

Precision has a backlog of collision work right now, so progress on the '57 has slowed down. John said they should be back on it by Monday. With the weather warming up, I plan to get the interior parts in color by Monday and then assemble the dash. I've been doing odds and ends jobs with the car out of here.

As I mentioned previously, all the side glass has to be replaced entirely due to the fact I couldn't match the tint between the door and quarter glass. I used urethane sealer to glue the windows into the lift channels and the vent wings. Bad choice! I did a lot of research on the Google and folks with experience said that heat was the only way to get it to release. I tried a hot knife, which didn't work, so I tuned up the MAPP gas torch and heated the channels to remove them. It's a nasty, messy destructive process. No way to save the glass... not that it was any good anyway. I started by clamping the glass to a post in the garage. This gave me a way to apply the heat to both sides and the bottom of the channel. As it heats up, the urethane starts to ooze out of the gaps between the channel and the glass. I used a thin utility knife blade to slice along both sides of the channel. Then tapped screwdrivers into each end to begin prying the channel away from the glass. In the middle, I used a pry bar to finish the removal.

As you can see from the pictures, it leaves a mess. Not only that, but the residue is like lamp black. It transfers to everything it touches (including the soles of your shoes). Lacquer thinner or urethane reducer will clean it up, but even small specks of the residue will smear and streak as you're trying to clean it up. Best to wear nitrile gloves and work over a trash can or lay down newspaper to catch the crumbles.

With the glass out, I clamped the channel in the vise and used a 1/4" wide chisel blade to dig out the remaining urethane. Then used a thin Scotchbrite wheel to remove the last little tags that were clinging to the sides and bottom. The vent window frames were small enough that after cleaning them with thinner, I threw them in the blast cabinet. That removed any remaining residue and the discoloration from the heat.

Digging thru my box of gaskets and seals, I came up with some glass setting tape, but most of it is too wide to use (which is probably why I used urethane in the first place). So I've ordered two different widths of tape off eBay and will post pics of the installation later. No more urethane for me.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Hey Vic;
It looks and sounds like she is fighting you tooth and nail but you are winning that's the important part.
#Winning!
I had every intention of working on my truck today but it didn't happen.
Hopefully I can get motivated tomorrow.
There is a string of good weather over the next week so who knows I might get something done.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Brian.. I fully understand working on the truck... it is 70 he Re today and would have been perfect to do that on mine but I had a motivational issue...

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I know all about that motivation thingy, guys. Having a deadline helps, but then I end up feeling guilty... like I should be making progress every single waking hour of the day. But that ain't gonna happen, so I try to get done what I can and call it good.

Today I finished cleaning out the window channels and had just enough setting tape to install the glass in one quarter window. Soaked the tape in motor oil per the factory method and it should be swelled up tight by tomorrow. I'll trim the excess and see if it looks like it's going to stay put.

I also finished prepping all the interior moldings, hinges and the dash. Then applied several coats of 2K primer to everything. It all looks good and if the weather holds, I plan to scuff the primer and shoot color by tomorrow afternoon.