'57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan

[Xeen]

I think at this point we all have realized that setbacks are part of restorations, nothing ever goes perfectly and sometimes no matter how many years of experience we have under our belts we make mistakes some more costly than others, I've got $1,000 worth of mistakes on my build and I'm sure that's not the last of it.
With that being said, you are a pro and it's obvious you are handling it like one.
Everything looks super as always, go Vic go!

[flashed]

Dang that is pretty .

[Low Elco]

Great work! Headed towards the finish line!

[swamp rat]

I like how you charge thru the setbacks and just keep pressing forward, great job!

[jlsanborn]

Lots of brain work going on there Vic. Looking great!

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by flashed

Dang that is pretty .

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Great work! Headed towards the finish line!

Originally Posted by swamp rat

I like how you charge thru the setbacks and just keep pressing forward, great job!

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Lots of brain work going on there Vic. Looking great!

Thanks, guys! Today was a milestone day. Called Jeff at the trim shop this morning and he said he was ready for the car. My usual rollback driver was unable to help me as his truck was in the shop and not ready for action. So I contacted another towing service and they were able to come right out and load up the car. Got there safe and sound and it's resting comfortably at the shop. I had to make a couple of trips back and forth before and after lunch to haul a few items. Plus I noticed the trip over had caused the gap on one of the doors to change very slightly, so I readjusted it.

Here at the house, I laid down the carbon fiber tape on the fenders and put the stainless trim on. I'll wait until the fenders are on the car to do the final adjustments. Also got the latch assembly reinstalled on the trunk lid. I need to swing by Metal by the Foot tomorrow and have them shear the material I need for the console. I'm going to give it a shot and see if I can come up with something halfway decent. I took some measurements and ordered a pair of 4" R-F speakers to go into the sides of the console. I think there's just enough room ahead of the shifter assembly to make them fit. I ran the wires from the head unit to the approximate area where they connect. I just didn't want to try to squeeze the 6.5" speakers up under the dash.

On a side note, a tech from Vintage Air called this morning responding to a message I left last Friday. When I explained the issue I was having, he agreed the likely culprit was the switch. Without my asking, he offered to send me a replacement for free. I love free!! Pretty good support there.

[Elliot949]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Thanks, guys! Today was a milestone day. Called Jeff at the trim shop this morning and he said he was ready for the car. My usual rollback driver was unable to help me as his truck was in the shop and not ready for action. So I contacted another towing service and they were able to come right out and load up the car. Got there safe and sound and it's resting comfortably at the shop. I had to make a couple of trips back and forth before and after lunch to haul a few items. Plus I noticed the trip over had caused the gap on one of the doors to change very slightly, so I readjusted it.

Here at the house, I laid down the carbon fiber tape on the fenders and put the stainless trim on. I'll wait until the fenders are on the car to do the final adjustments. Also got the latch assembly reinstalled on the trunk lid. I need to swing by Metal by the Foot tomorrow and have them shear the material I need for the console. I'm going to give it a shot and see if I can come up with something halfway decent. I took some measurements and ordered a pair of 4" R-F speakers to go into the sides of the console. I think there's just enough room ahead of the shifter assembly to make them fit. I ran the wires from the head unit to the approximate area where they connect. I just didn't want to try to squeeze the 6.5" speakers up under the dash.

On a side note, a tech from Vintage Air called this morning responding to a message I left last Friday. When I explained the issue I was having, he agreed the likely culprit was the switch. Without my asking, he offered to send me a replacement for free. I love free!! Pretty good support there.

So how long will the car be at the trim shop... I am anxious to see this in one piece... LOL... Tapping fingers and feet with impatience... LOL

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Elliot949

So how long will the car be at the trim shop... I am anxious to see this in one piece... LOL... Tapping fingers and feet with impatience... LOL

Me too, Dan! Thing is, I've been piddling with this project for so long, it feels like it's been moving at light speed since Jan 1. I have no idea how long it will be with Jeff. The seats, side panels and package tray are pretty much done and the headliner is ready made. The main fabrication work left is the carpet, kick panels, visors, windlace and armrests. Plus the console whenever I get it to them. I'm hoping they don't have it more than a week, but one of their guys was out today and nothing got done on it. However, they seem to be pretty fast when other projects don't intrude. If I have it back by May 1, I'll be in good shape. I'll have the inner and outer fenders mated up tomorrow and the console project is the only other time intensive item on the schedule. They don't mind if I come down there to work on it as long as I don't get in their way. So I could install the replacement switches on site, for instance. We'll just have to see how it goes.

[sduckworth13]

Those fenders turned out real nice Vic.

[Russell Ashley]

It's a beauty. I'm like the others, anxious for pics when it's all together. The stainless trim with the carbon fiber filler and the color combo is killer.

[Vic1947]

Quick update...

The windlace is installed around both doors and the headliner is in! It all looks great. Jeff went ahead and ordered ready made sunvisors that match the headliner. Killer looking stuff. Will try to get some pics in the morning. The glass guys are scheduled for tomorrow afternoon to install the windshield and back glass. I took all the stainless earlier today on one of my trips. I've been building the console frame at the house and shuttling back and forth with the pieces. Take some measurements - go home and tweak the panels. It's coming together, but it would be a lot faster if I'd done it all at the house.

Fingers crossed the glass goes in without a hitch tomorrow. I have a spare windshield, but the back glass would have to be ordered if disaster struck. It has a few tiny oysters around the bottom edge, but hopefully they won't affect the installation.

[jlsanborn]

Can't wait to see the pictures! Console looks awesome. Are you going to paint that or upholster it? I like that you used metal instead of MDF

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Can't wait to see the pictures! Console looks awesome. Are you going to paint that or upholster it? I like that you used metal instead of MDF

Thanks, John. The plan is to upholster most it. I've got a piece of 5052 that goes down the middle where the cup holders, power window buttons and the shifter boot fit. Probably ball end mill some of it before it goes to the anodizer. Speakers go in the sides of the console around where it angles up. Pretty basic, but still yet functional.

[jlsanborn]

Upholstered, ball-end, anodized, switches, speakers,... "pretty basic" Ya, for you maybe! All the stuff you fab is just so well done man. Super tasteful for such an old fart too!

[Elliot949]

I will look... I know where there are a couple of these cars I just am not sure what they are doing with them... Looks great Vic...

[Gus350]

Can you post a pic of what you need Vic and when I get home I'll look at my neighbors place and see if he might have what you need.

Kevin

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Gus350

Can you post a pic of what you need Vic and when I get home I'll look at my neighbors place and see if he might have what you need.

Kevin

Thanks, Kevin. Here's what they look like...

[Gus350]

Stuck out here on the chrome piece sorry Vic hope you have better luck than I did.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Gus350

Stuck out here on the chrome piece sorry Vic hope you have better luck than I did.

Thanks anyway, Kevin. Spoke with a guy down in TX that thinks he may have some, just needs a few days to look for them in storage. I have the passenger side on the way already and there's still some unexplored options for the remaining one.

[bevis1]

Hope somebody finds one soon, or Vic's going to spin up that mill and make one.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by bevis1

Hope somebody finds one soon, or Vic's going to spin up that mill and make one.

Only as a last resort! What I could really use is a retired junk man with a lot of time on his hands... Actually, I did get another lead this afternoon. Tried calling him but he was gone for the day so it will have to wait until tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, I've been hacking away at the console project. A few photos below to show where I'm headed with it After scabbing on some extensions and tacking in the mounting tabs, I squeegee'd on a skim coat of filler and smoothed it out. I dropped it off at the trim shop around 4PM. They'll cover it with the carbon fiber-ish vinyl and install it if I can get the aluminum cap machined in time.

They're making great progress. The garnish moulding and gasket strip around the windshield was in and looking super. The sunvisors were in and the side panels and quarter window garnish mouldings are done. They were working on the carpet and had brought the rear seats down from the storage loft. The package tray is ready to be covered as are the kick panels. Not sure, but I'm guessing two more days, maybe three and it should be ready to come home.

[jlsanborn]

Console looks awesome Vic! Smart use of the wood for the big radius, looks like they'd be able to upholster that in a snap. Started on the machine work yet? What are the cut pieces on your layout? Inlays? Are you utilizing an OEM molded piece for the cup holders? I know you'll get this part done, can't wait to see the finished product!!

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

What's that tape on your fender pony? I see MSHA pasted all over it, must be heavy duty stuff. I do commercial work for some gold-digger's over here and MSHA means business. Just curious...

An electrician buddy gave me a roll of it a long time ago. It's marked MSHA P-174-1 and is similar to 3M electrical tape but a lot tougher. I like it because it's 1.5" wide and covers a lot of territory when you wrap it. Unfortunately there's only a small amount left on the roll and I have no clue where to source any more of it.

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Console looks awesome Vic! Smart use of the wood for the big radius, looks like they'd be able to upholster that in a snap. Started on the machine work yet? What are the cut pieces on your layout? Inlays? Are you utilizing an OEM molded piece for the cup holders? I know you'll get this part done, can't wait to see the finished product!!

Thanks, John. Machine work starts today. The cut pieces are the layouts for the ball end mill grooves. I did several spacings and widths to get a visual image of what to expect before starting. I took the easy route with the cup holders and ordered a pair of stainless ones that will drop into the holes I bore into the aluminum plate. I plan to anodize the plate black to match the door and window hardware. I'm headed back to the trim shop this morning with the speakers that go in the sides so they can make sure they fit after the console is covered.

[Vic1947]

Teaser photos...

Car is home resting comfortably and ready for the final push. Interior turned out fantastic! I will post photos tomorrow after I do some cleanup and with better lighting than the overheads in the shop.

I think I found the end caps for the rear window trim. Scott pointed me to a Craigslist ad and I followed up with the guy. Sent him a letter yesterday with the payment (he's an east Texas feller without PayPal) so I should know for sure by sometime next week. Desert Valley had three cars but none of the parts I needed. Fingers crossed.

[Elliot949]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Teaser photos...

Car is home resting comfortably and ready for the final push. Interior turned out fantastic! I will post photos tomorrow after I do some cleanup and with better lighting than the overheads in the shop.

I think I found the end caps for the rear window trim. Scott pointed me to a Craigslist ad and I followed up with the guy. Sent him a letter yesterday with the payment (he's an east Texas feller without PayPal) so I should know for sure by sometime next week. Desert Valley had three cars but none of the parts I needed. Fingers crossed.

Vic... The Detail on that center Console is phenomenal...