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.