'57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

New year, new thread...

My name is Vic Cook and I've been working on a 67 SWB C10 and posting to my build thread Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67. I ran into body mounting issues and decided to put it on the back burner for awhile. My current goal is to get this old Ford running so the wife and I can make the Hot Rod Power Tour in June. Figured I had a better shot with this project so here goes nothing.

A bit of background and then I'll catch up to the present. I don't have a ton of pictures so it should be fairly quick. Somewhere around 1990, I ran across this Ford at the shop of an acquaintance in Houston. He'd bought the car from the son of the original owner mainly for the Y-block and transmission which he planned to transplant into his wife's '56. He also had a couple of '59's and really had no use for the '57. He thought about restoring it and had already disassembled it partially, but when I came along and said it was one of my favorite cars, he was quick to offer it to me for $500.

It had some rust in the usual places and some light scrapes on both sides but overall, was in very good condition ...and it came with the original title, bill of sale and warranty papers. Good buddy Al Strack hitched his truck to my trailer and we loaded up all the pieces and hauled it to my house.

Follow along if you like and I'll show you what it's like to take 25 years to build a hotrod.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Im in .

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Here I am Vic... Following along...

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Oh this is going to be good, you know I'm in!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I'm in let's get this thing rolling lol:metal:

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I'm here too!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Welcome aboard, old friends and new! I'll try to keep this moving along.

When I first started on this car back in the 90's, it was all about Pro Street. My initial vision for the car was big motor, big tires, lots of hook but capable of cruising and the occasional car show. Over the years, things have changed along with my vision of the car. But in the early years of the build, my focus was straight line performance.

At first, I worked on cleanup and parts acquisition. At the time, I also had a '67 Chevy II that I planned to sit on an Alston chassis and stuff with BBC power. I had a thumping 454 on the engine stand ready for it when life and work intervened. I was transferred to Kirkland, WA and had to divest myself of the Chevy II project as there was no way to take it with me. As luck would have it, my ex Pro Stock partner had built a 460 Ford engine for a customer who was unable to pay for it. So I traded him straight across for the BBC and had my engine. I'd painted a crew cab dually for my friend Bob Carpenter (owner of Trans-King Transmissions and Converters) so he covered my C6 and converter. So now I had both a car and a drivetrain. We packed it all up and made the trek to Seattle in the fall of '91.

I had the exterior of the Ford media blasted while in Houston, but the frame was still pretty grungy. Once we got settled into a rental house in WA, I began the process of cutting up the frame and floorboards. I grafted a ladder bar suspension with coil overs out back, but found out quickly that very few patch panels existed for the trunk and floor. So I ended up making my own. The fuel cell in the trunk was on the Pro Street checklist. Long gone now.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I'm not too late for the party, am I?

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Man I just love these 57 Sedans... A Resto Mod on this would be sweet as hell...

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Watching this long extended build.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I'm in too.......

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

My wife had a 57 Ford when we got married in 1965 and we drove it on our honeymoon. We'll be married 50 years this year and I keep telling her that I am going to buy another 57 Ford and we will relive our honeymoon drive in it. She isn't going for it but 57 Fords have a special place in my memories so I'm interested in following this build. Hers was a Crown Vic four door hardtop that was pretty much loaded for a 57.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Looking forward to this one

-Sam

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Nope, Jonboy, the more the merrier!
It's more of a semi-resto, Dan, but I'm too deep in at this point to change direction.
This build thread is gonna look like hitting the >> button on a slow moving train wreck video.
You know, Russell, sentiment is the main reason I acquired and stayed with this car all these years. One of my best buds in high school had one and we went everywhere in that thing. Can't begin to tell you how many fun memories are associated with it. ;)
Thanks, Sam.

Okay, moving along... I found a place in Seattle that did media and sand blasting as well as powder coating. After back halving the frame, I took it to them for cleanup. Also had them coat some of the parts. Looking back, I wonder what I was thinking with the light gray and blue next to the dark gray. Note the Mickey Thompson rear meats. They eventually dry rotted and had to be replaced without so much as a single burnout. The mini-tubs made plenty of room for them, but I was secretly planning on running drag tires. Years later I put the same size Mickeys on a Chevy truck with a narrowed rear end and a 4/6 drop. Learned how truly unsafe they are in the rain.

Note the rear cross member and driveshaft loop. The idea was to provide a platform for a roll bar and meet safety rules for the drags. Poor planning for a street car, though. No place for the exhaust unless you took it out the side. Most of it is gone now. Mentioned earlier the dearth of patch panels for this car. It's a little better nowadays, but back then only a few people were making anything for old Fords. Tried one guy's floor patch panels but had to return them due to quality issues. So I ended up making my own. In the process I raised the footwells about 1-1/2" which turned out to be a blessing later on when installing the exhaust.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Cool! Can't wait to see today's pics and hear the plan!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I'm in for this one too Vic. I'm was a little shocked to hear that CRLS was getting moth balled, but once I seen the fire breathing dragon yesterday I totally changed my enthusiasm for the Ford. Wow this is going to be awesome!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

It won't be long before I'm caught up to the present, John. I didn't take a lot of pictures in the "pre-digital age" which is why a lot of these look so funky. They're scans of the original paper photos.
Thanks a million again, Scott, for all your help the past few days! I still can't believe you'd never seen the old Ford as much as you've been over here. From now on you'll be in the loop, though. :metal:

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Happy New Year Vic. I'd been quietly following the CRLS build (in complete administration of your work) and would'nt miss this one.

Peter

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Happy New Year to you also, Peter ...and to all my friends on the forum!

In keeping with the Pro Street theme at the time, I'd installed a ladder bar suspension with coilovers. I opted for this setup instead of a four link because in my experience, it's a bit less violent and finicky. While the four link has a much greater range of adjustment, it's also much easier to get lost in the setup. Most of the components in the rear suspension photo have been upgraded, but then, lots of other things changed over the years too.

We were in Seattle until the summer of '93 when we moved back to Houston. The last shot I have is with the engine strapped into the chassis before loading it on the trailer for the long haul. The rental house we had in Houston when we first moved back only had a small two car garage. During that time, I traded out some work with good friend and chassis builder supreme, John Harrison. He put in a new trans tunnel, modified the motor mounts for the 460 and built a set of headers for it. In exchange I did the bodywork and paint on a Cobra kit car he was building for a customer. By the time all this was done, we'd found a place to buy that had a 3 car detached garage with an extra 10' added to the back and a double door opening to the back yard. Oh, and it came with a house too.

It quickly became apparent to me that to do the kind of job I wanted to do, I'd need a rotisserie. Hanging the body from the rafters was a bit nuts.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Always glad to help you out Vic anytime.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

As I'm cleaning shop today, thinking can't wait to see your time-capsule parts stash! I would've lost all that stuff by now. Sure hope I can remember how to put mine back together :lol:

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

This is cool! I'm in!

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No kidding, John, I moved all the boxes from the storage shelves to the shop yesterday and did a quick inventory to see what I need to order up. I'm almost scared to look in the box that has all the rubber gaskets, etc. They may have turned to dust by now. Kathy surveyed the shop with a slight frown and commented that the Ford looked almost complete until all those boxes got stacked up next to it.
Welcome!

Okay, the time period around '94-'95 was not all that productive. I'd acquired a '55 Chevy 2 door post from a buddy of mine that came with a spare body. The car was running but rust was popping thru in various places. One thing led to another and the Ford got shoved aside while I started a second frame off on the '55. I was cramped for space as I also had a '57 Olds 2 dr. HT that I was trying to keep dry. I did manage a few things on the Ford, though. I pulled all the light gray parts and had them blasted back to bare metal and powder coated black. (This would not be the last time recoating these parts.) I also felt the engine had been assembled for so long and I'd never seen the inside of it, so I tore it down, inspected it all, re-lubed all the parts and then reassembled it. Still eat up with my drag racing roots, it was set up with a crankcase vacuum pump, MSD 6A and rev limiter. All gone now.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

LOL... So is your bride ready to Cruise the 57???...

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I'm in for this one. Good luck, I'd love to join the power tour one year.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I spy a machine tool you could eat off of in that last chassis shot. Motor specs?

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Oh, yeah she's past ready! I think she really misses the RV we sold a few years ago. We'd load up and head out at a moment's notice.
Hey, Duane, if our plans work out we'll be coming thru Houston after Power Tour and spending several days before heading home. I'd love to see your GTO and the truck project. We've been wanting to do the Tour for quite awhile, but never had the right hardware. Bucket list time.

The photos below are from the mid to late '90's. I was traveling a lot with work and other projects were taking my spare time which meant the Ford continued to sit neglected. And the more I looked at it, the unhappier I was. I never liked the way the steering sector interfered with the exhaust port at the rear of the driver side. It had forced us to run a header tube outside the frame which was an unfortunate compromise. Tried a Bronco sector, but it was unworkable. There was a power rack and pinion kit available, but the guy selling them had personal problems and had failed to deliver a number of sold kits, so I hung back and did nothing. Plus, the fuel cell and drum brakes were just so "yesterday". It would sit like this until early 2004.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Just let me know when you'll be coming through. I'm in Rosenberg, southwest of Houston, but I may be able to meet you somewhere.

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That was my old Webb mill (Bridgeport knockoff). Loved it, but it was too big for my current shop. As for the engine, it's a 460 with the D0VE 429 heads, which at that point in time were mildly ported. During the second rebuild years later, the heads went on a SuperFlow head dyno and were fully ported and the exhaust ports raised. Terrific flow numbers. It also had a Comp Cams hydraulic flat tappet and roller rockers. Bottom end was Ford forged rods; shotpeened and side beams ground, forged full floater pistons ...all balanced, etc. Dual plane intake with a Holley massaged by the Carb Shop that flows around 950 cfm. Mallory Unilite and 2" headers. Tractor motor ...low rpm and lotsa grunt.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Looks like you are ALL IN, got to get Kathy a ride for the power tour.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Jay, my man!! Decided to quit lurking and hitch a ride. Now you need to put together a build thread for Big Red! We're definitely "all in" for the final push. Kathy always liked this one best anyway ...big back seat. ;)

By the first of 2004, the project Chevy was gone and I'd acquired a rotisserie for the bodywork. I upgraded the plan a bit and stripped the chassis down to the bare frame and repainted it after removing the fuel cell and etc. Came by a partially completed stainless fuel tank and finished it out to mount under the trunk floor. I added a stiffening rib to the rear housing and had all the suspension parts blasted clean (third time) and powder coated with Anthracite and gloss clear.

I had two 9" Ford rear disc setups, one from a Town Car and the other from a Versailles. The rear setup was easy peasy, but the front took a bit more engineering. I'd heard you could swap in Granada spindles and their front disc setup, but wasn't sure if the wheel location and steering would stay the same. "The Google" was still in it's infancy, so rather than buy more junk for a science project, I decided to make the junk I had work. Machined my own o-ring plugs to eliminate the e-brake mechanism and engineered the brackets to bolt onto the '57 stock spindle. Voila! Four wheel disc brakes.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Outstanding! The suspense is killing me Vic. We're still only to '04? This is going to be killer but are you sure it's closer than Rusty?

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Yep, I've gotten a lot done since '04, John, even working on it only occasionally. It is much more together now than in these earlier shots.

After fitting up the disc brakes on all four corners, I plumbed them with -3 AN hardware. Added an adjustable proportioning valve and a line lock for the ever important burnout ritual. The engine was ready to drop back in once the lines were run. I was still sitting on the fence about the headers. They presented a problem for the inner fenders as well as aesthetics. But the fix was elusive without removing the stock steering box and going to R&P. So they went back on for the time being.

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With the engine, transmission and rolling stock back in place the chassis was once again down on all fours. Replaced the Centerline wheel cap logos with Henry's logo. The existing collector setup was overkill, plus it interfered with my plans to run an X-pipe. So I shortened them up, added my X and a pair of DynoMax turbos. I eventually would have to truncate the roll bar crossmember to get the rest of the exhaust out the back, but I reinforced the stubs just in case I ever wanted to add the roll bar later. Yeah, right.

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In late 2004, I pushed the chassis out of the way and mounted the body shell on the rotisserie. One of the key body elements I wanted was smoothness. So the first thing on the agenda was to shave the drip rails. Not sure if you've ever done it, but it's much more difficult than you would think. In an effort to keep the heat from warping the roof panel, I'd do a small section at a time. The main problem was dealing with the sealant used by the factory. After they pinch welded the roof on, they shot a thick, black, tar-like sealer into the seam. Heat would liquefy the material and cause it to run, thereby contaminating the weld. So I had to first carefully pry open the gap with a thin blade putty knife and scrape out the sealant. Progress was slow, but the results were what I'd envisioned. Now when people see it, they'll ask if the top is chopped because the look is subtly different.

While working on this area, I also rounded the upper forward and lower rear corners of the door openings .

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

In for more.

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Cool project, I will be following!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

I love the radiused corners and the shaved drip rail!

Re: '57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan
 

Thanks, guys!

By November, 2005 there was so much surface rust on the floor, tubs, patched areas and etc. I decided to have the body dipped. I've had a couple done that way and never regretted it, although rust is usually the deciding factor. Some folks swear the caustic solution stays in the pinch welds and will ruin a paint job. Never had that happen, but the place I used in Houston lets the metal sit in a neutralizing solution after rust removal and then power washes it and wipes it down good with a product like GEM Rust Killer.

Once it was back home, the next step was smoothing out the firewall, etc. The body had been on the chassis since returning from the metal stripper, but I needed better access, so I loaded it back on the spinner. These Fords had a nasty pinch weld that ran the length of the f/w as well as several openings that didn't fit in my plan. Welded in patches and started slinging bondo.

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More firewall, plus a few shots of the dash. I removed the speaker grille and patched and smoothed it out. Not evident in the photos, but I also filled the ash tray opening and windowed the dash for a DIN 1 radio and A/C vents. The defroster manifold had to be surgically altered to fit the Vintage Air setup.