'57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan

[swamp rat]

I agree with the above comments, i'd be working on the fit for a couple days and you whip them out in a couple hours.. :p

[Low Elco]

Thanks for the Yeller pics, I need to get some updatin' done.

Everything looks terrific. Great that it's on the highway! I can't wait to see it. So excited for you and Kathy.

[Low Elco]

Also, if you get in a jam, I think Eric can make those bubble flares. He's got a ridiculous flaring tool, and makes the flange flares for the GM fuel lines in house. Let me know if you need anything.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Also, if you get in a jam, I think Eric can make those bubble flares. He's got a ridiculous flaring tool, and makes the flange flares for the GM fuel lines in house. Let me know if you need anything.

Thanks, Chip. As soon as the lines arrive, I'll know if they'll work or if it's just another feeble attempt to smother a fire with money.

The car has tabs on it now. The girl at the DMV was very understanding about the whole storage/inoperability/out of state/property tax timeline thing. Either that or she gave up and issued the tag to get rid of me. Regardless, I'm legal.

The a/c charged up, pressures are correct and the lines to the evaporator are ice cold, but no cold air is coming out of the vents. The Vintage Air tech is saying it sounds like the radiator hose lines may be plumbed incorrectly and heat is flowing thru the system and canceling out the cold. Not sure I'm on board with that, but I plan to investigate more thoroughly tomorrow when the engine is cold and I can drain the coolant if needed. As Brian predicted, the airflow thru the condenser is too low at idle without a shroud. John suggested that if I have room for a pusher fan, that would probably take care of the problem. That's my Google task for this evening.

They found a leaking seal on the driver side front disc caliper. Called around and couldn't get parts so they gave me a heads up. Parts are ordered and will be here tomorrow afternoon.

Those dang short upper control arm bolts bit me on the butt again. They needed to put more shim on the driver side where I moved the short bolts and were not able to do so because they were running out of threads. Fortunately, the replacement bolts arrived today and I'll replace them tomorrow when I remove the caliper.

Oh, and one last thing I'll need to fix... one of the windshield wiper cables must have come off the tracks. Wiper motor works great but the wipers go nowhere now. All that cable contraption is as far up under the dash as you can get. It's possible the only way to fix them is to pull the dash back out. I may just take along a bottle of Rain-X and pull over if we run thru very much wet weather.

More later. We're not at the end but you can see it from here.

[jlsanborn]

You and Kathy need to whip out a shroud Vic. Good ol' clutch fan? No need for AC in the PNW in my book but I know what you folks deal with. No help on that topic. Still need some full body shots and that video man!

[swamp rat]

Per the dash.... Yea rain-X works great!

I may have missed it Vic but the trim pieces on the back window? done?

[Xeen]

Hmm yeah Vic now that you mention it, my 300zx had a auxiliary pusher fan for the condenser that would kick on if it was over a certain temperature, what that temperature is exactly I have no idea but I always noticed it was on when it was hot outside and I was sitting in traffic but I don't think your current problem is that it's getting too hot considering the ambient air isn't over 80 degrees.
As far as the unit not blowing cold air, I'm wondering if the duct doors aren't moving inside the unit itself to change to blow cold air and they are stuck in the heater position at all times.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

You and Kathy need to whip out a shroud Vic. Good ol' clutch fan? No need for AC in the PNW in my book but I know what you folks deal with. No help on that topic. Still need some full body shots and that video man!

I'm leaning more and more towards a pusher fan, John. I know it's the lazy way out, but the time crunch is upon me. I could probably live without a/c but it's real nice to have at times. I figure by the time we get to the Gulf Coast on Power Tour, a/c will be a lifesaver. I'll get you those photos and a full throttle video ASAP. Still need to get the hood and grille installed and tidy up a few loose ends.

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Per the dash.... Yea rain-X works great!
I may have missed it Vic but the trim pieces on the back window? done?

I'm hoping the wiper problem is a sheared pin or loose set screw, but if not... Rain-X is definitely in my future. The trim pieces arrived from the guy down in Texas and were exactly what I needed. Added bonus was the good condition. A few minutes with Tripoli and rouge on the buffing wheels and they sparkled like new. All installed and looking great.

Originally Posted by Xeen

Hmm yeah Vic now that you mention it, my 300zx had a auxiliary pusher fan for the condenser that would kick on if it was over a certain temperature, what that temperature is exactly I have no idea but I always noticed it was on when it was hot outside and I was sitting in traffic but I don't think your current problem is that it's getting too hot considering the ambient air isn't over 80 degrees.
As far as the unit not blowing cold air, I'm wondering if the duct doors aren't moving inside the unit itself to change to blow cold air and they are stuck in the heater position at all times.

The pusher fan needs to be connected to two parallel triggers. One comes from the trinary switch on the drier and kicks on the fan when it sees too much high side pressure. The other trigger is based on engine temperature which comes from a static or adjustable sender. The guys at the shop said with the engine running at idle, there wasn't enough flow thru the condenser to hold a shop towel against it. So a pusher fan should take care of that.

The Vintage Air tech didn't suggest a problem with a diverter. Not sure if it's even set up like that. There is no "heat versus cold" control that switches between the two. Basically, you can have the heat and the cold on at the same time. Kind of goofy, but maybe that's what they had to do to reduce the size of the evaporator package. Need to refer to the manual and retrace my steps on the installation.

[Vic1947]

Today was a pretty good day. The a/c problem appears to be solved. After several discussions with Vintage Air TS, I discovered the plug that goes in the heater control valve servo was just barely in the socket. As I was taking some voltage measurements, it fell completely out. Plugged it in firmly and the system now seems to function correctly. Cold air!! Ordered a pair of 11" 1100 cfm pusher fans today to install in front of the condenser. Hopefully that will make the a/c system even happier.

The wiper problem turned out to be the coupler that connects the wiper motor to the rest of the system. It has a countersunk machine screw that holds it to a shaft and it had worked loose. A drop of red Loctite and a hit from the Makita impact should hold it. I don't plan to spend hours driving in the rain anyway.

There were some tiny oil droplets around the breather on the valve cover. As a precaution, I made a stack of donut shaped wafers out of Pig Mat and sandwiched them between the breather and the valve cover. Not very pretty, but I should be able to tell how much it wants to spit out after we get back from Sedalia on Saturday. If it pukes very much, I may have to break down and install a PCV valve.

Kathy made a trip to the parts store and picked up the brake caliper for me. It's installed, but still needs to be bled. The correct oil pressure sender arrived and I swapped it out. Gauge now reads right on the money. Pulled the spark plugs to get a read on them after yesterday's road trip. They looked perfect - nice and white and dry. Looks like the carb jetting is just right. I readjusted the throttle cable the other day so the blades would open completely. The carpet and mat had reduced the travel quite a bit. Should be burnout ready now.

Got the radiator top cover formed up. Still need to weld and file the corners, then it should be ready to go to paint with the fender panels. I also installed the new, longer upper control arm bolts on the driver side and shimmed them per the alignment shop instructions. I'm inclined to see if I can squeeze a little more caster out of the setup and maybe another 1/16" of toe-in. It seemed a little lazy coming home yesterday. I hope to have the hood on and adjusted tomorrow as well as the grille. Next two days are supposed to be rainy, so puttering around in the workshop will be just right.

[sduckworth13]

Thats great to hear that you got the A/C figured out. You usually are pretty meticulious so it really isn't a surprise that it was a minor problem, but glad you have cold air so you can cruise in style now.

[Elliot949]

Glad to here it is all coming together...

[Xeen]

Wow you crushed a ton of issues both big and small all in one day there Vic, it sounds like that was a very productive day.

[Vic1947]

Looks like if the weatherman can be trusted, we're headed to Sedalia tomorrow. Still a few minor issues, but nothing that should drastically affect the shakedown run. Got the front brakes bled yesterday after installing the new caliper earlier.

While checking various fluid levels, etc. I discovered the coolant in the radiator was down past where I could see it. It must be leaking more than I figured, so I made a quick trip to auto parts, gave in and bought a bottle of the HD copper Bar's Leaks. I hate adding something like that to a brand new system, but I'm at the end of my rope on this. Dumped the bottle and another half gallon of coolant in to top it off. The WP immediately began to leak out of the weep hole. So I fired it up like the instructions said and let it run for 15 minutes. Hasn't leaked a drop since, but I won't know for sure until we get to Sedalia and it cools off to the point I can check it. I'm taking along a jug of coolant and a pint of power steering fluid just in case. The new PS lines arrived this afternoon and look like they should do the trick. Will install them one day next week.

As you can see from the photos, the hood is on and the grille is in place. They fit about like a saddle on a sow, but from 15 feet the overall effect is nice. Full body shots tomorrow when it's not raining. There are so many things I need to redo, but they'll have to wait until we return from Power Tour. We did get confirmation yesterday that they had changed our registration from the truck to the car. Not sure if it would have mattered, but we're squared away now.

All that's left before we hit the road is to wipe the exterior down with Speed Detail, vacuum and dust the interior a little bit and load the trunk up with lawn chairs and a cooler fill of drinks. Hopefully I won't be calling Chip to bring his trailer down Hwy 50 to pick up my broke down butt tomorrow.

[knomadd]

Looks pretty good from what I can see. I know, as a builder you're more critical than most will be. I'm the same way with my vehicles too. But I bet it will be a blast to drive and get all kinds of looks and thumbs up on your travels. Good luck and safe travels!

[swamp rat]

She looks great Vic! Good luck on the shake down run!

[Elliot949]

I can't wait to hear it went great...

[Vic1947]

Thanks for the words of encouragement guys!

LATE BREAKING NEWS!!

While vacuuming crumbs and etc. up off the carpet, I pulled the floor mat out on the passenger side and noticed it felt a little damp. With that sinking feeling I get from time to time, I felt around and found the entire passenger side from front to back was soaked with antifreeze. Turns out the WP was only a small part of the problem. Yours truly had only tightened the o-ring beadlock fittings finger tight. There's only so much an o-ring can do.

Got out the wrenches and firmly tightened every fitting in sight and all the hose clamps to boot. Spent about 20 minutes with the wet/dry vac pulling as much coolant out of the carpet and pad as I could get. Then scrubbed it all down with a wet terrycloth towel. Vacuumed again and sprayed a liberal coat of Blue Coral carpet cleaner down and brushed it in good. Dried it as best I could with a couple more towels and then set up a little ceramic heater to blow warm air on it. I'll check it after the 10 o'clock news, but I imagine I'll need to let it run all night.

I gotta tell you... this is the stuff that keeps me awake at night. I get to wondering what else I forgot that will sneak up on me at the most inopportune time. At least with this dealio, I found it early on. Silver lining, glass half full and etc., etc.

[Xeen]

Hey Vic I was going through pictures on google of the 57' Tudor/Fairlane looking for that hood scoop.
Originally What level of trim did you have to order to get it?
I also noticed all examples I could find are chrome and yours is painted which I thought was a nice choice on your part.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

Hey Vic I was going through pictures on google of the 57' Tudor/Fairlane looking for that hood scoop.
Originally What level of trim did you have to order to get it?
I also noticed all examples I could find are chrome and yours is painted which I thought was a nice choice on your part.

It wasn't available on a '57. This hood came off of a '58 and could be interchanged like a lot of parts between those two years. And you're correct that they were all chrome. I had mine de-chromed and blasted then primered the pot metal with self-etch. It took paint with no problems at all. I got an estimate to re-chrome it about six or eight years ago from one of those outfits that advertise in Hemmings... over $400. I really, really like the paint.

[Elliot949]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

It wasn't available on a '57. This hood came off of a '58 and could be interchanged like a lot of parts between those two years. And you're correct that they were all chrome. I had mine de-chromed and blasted then primered the pot metal with self-etch. It took paint with no problems at all. I got an estimate to re-chrome it about six or eight years ago from one of those outfits that advertise in Hemmings... over $400. I really, really like the paint.

Yeah vic... chrome has gotten very expensive thank you EPA... I agree with you though I really like the painted version on your car... Alot cleaner..

[Xeen]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

It wasn't available on a '57. This hood came off of a '58 and could be interchanged like a lot of parts between those two years. And you're correct that they were all chrome. I had mine de-chromed and blasted then primered the pot metal with self-etch. It took paint with no problems at all. I got an estimate to re-chrome it about six or eight years ago from one of those outfits that advertise in Hemmings... over $400. I really, really like the paint.

That explains why I couldn't find any 57's with a hood scoop.
At $400 to re-chrome it I would "really, really like the paint" also.
Sorry to hear about soaking the brand new carpet in anti-freeze, but like you said the bright side is you caught it now instead of later when you are pulled over on the side of the road with steam coming out of your engine compartment.
The thing to remember is this is exactly what the shake down period is for and people do it for this reason, so don't beat yourself up about it.

[Vic1947]

We're back home from the car show in Sedalia. Left this morning around 7 am with wet roads and a steady drizzle. Broke it in as driver on the first trip! I made a tactical error the other day with the front end alignment. When I got it back from the alignment shop, I installed the longer bolts I needed for the shim pack on the driver side. At the same time, I decided to remove a 1/16" shim from the rear on both sides to increase the caster slightly, I also adjusted the toe-in slightly to increase it from the 1/16" the shop had setup. The car seemed to wander a lot more than it did when I took it to them, so I knew both of these adjustments would improve the tracking. Well, I figured out pretty quickly this morning I'd only made things worse. The car was quite a handful going down the road. Probably should have returned home and skipped the drive, but we forged ahead anyway.

As I mulled over the poor handling, it suddenly occurred to me that due to the rear steer design of the Ford, I'd adjusted the tie rod ends the wrong way and decreased instead of increased the toe-in. The rack also seemed to have a lot of free play in it, so tomorrow, I plan to address the play, the toe-in and the leaky lines. I'll jack it up as much as I can and do it the old fashioned way... flat on my back. I've got a lot to do in a short period of time. Gotta get that weatherstrip around the trunk and doors. The gap at the back where the exhaust exits was pulling fumes in thru the trunk and gassing us both. Whew!

I also need to get the pusher fans installed. All the way down, the temp gauge was on 180 and the oil pressure on 65 steady as a rock. When we pulled up to the show, we had to wait a couple of minutes for cars in front of us and by the time we parked, the temp was on 195 and climbing. Pretty sure the two pusher fans will fix that, but we can't head south without more cooling. Pretty good shakedown run in my opinion. Five days to launch.

Not sure yet what the gas mileage was, but I'd estimate around 10 or 11. When I fill it up again before we leave, I'll know for sure. As for the car show, we got a lot of nice compliments and won first in our class. Picture below shows us next to another '57 Custom that belongs to a local Sedalia guy I called several times for help when I needed to know how something went together. He got third in our class. Nice turnout despite the lousy weather.

[Elliot949]

Great Shake Down... 1st place is never a bad thing and a GREAT way to break in the car...

[swamp rat]

Well, i'm sure in the next 2 days you'll get your problems ironed out Vic.
Bummer on the coolant issue but hey you found it and congrats on taking first place too!

[Xeen]

Congratulations on winning your class Vic, I bet that feels good after all you have gone through getting it ready in time for the power tour.