55 Ford Fairlane update and idea?

[56KUSTOM]

Originally Posted by sobastrace

ANy ideas are greatly appreciated. I want to get this looking good ASAP, so I can get back to working on my dodge P'up.

-S

Send me your email and I'll shoot you a pic of my 56.

[Kustom??]

.

AMEN to that! I am driving 3 hours into PA Saturday just for a motor....just to get home to take the intake/dizzy out of so I too can rid myself of the Holley/Toadomatic. Its like 1 of 7 Lincoln Ys out there with the wide 4bbl intake on Earth lol...so Im drivin for it!

Car looks good, I see what you mean about the Chev grille, but it did fit nicely in the shell tho for sure! Its in Ohio as we speak![/QUOTE]


Wait till you see the plymouth grille in ...i'll post pictures when done....I think it flows better then the chevy grille....

[sobastrace]

I cant wait to see some shots of your car with the plymouth grile installed.

I finished sanding the roof to bare metal and got a coat of primer and enamel on there while I am working on the rest of the car. I also managed to find mouldings for the front two fenders, so I am getting closer.

-Sobastrace

[Kustom??]

Originally Posted by sobastrace

I cant wait to see some shots of your car with the plymouth grile installed.

I finished sanding the roof to bare metal and got a coat of primer and enamel on there while I am working on the rest of the car. I also managed to find mouldings for the front two fenders, so I am getting closer.

-Sobastrace

Sure i cant wait either...LOL i will post them for you maybe if you like it i have an extra 55 plymouth grille im not using...maybe you can take off my hands after you see what mine looks like.....

[epinut]

How about this, keep the stock grill, extend it & lose the parking lights? Sorry bout the hack job (done in paint) but you get the idea.

[wannabewannabe]

Originally Posted by epinut

How about this, keep the stock grill, extend it & lose the parking lights? Sorry bout the hack job (done in paint) but you get the idea.

Damn, I like that. So clean. So smooth.

[sobastrace]

The car has been moved into a spot in the garage and the real work is starting. I am cleaning her up and hopefully fixing the front suspension, steering and brakes.

The stripping is a dirty, messy, boring job, but it is coming along. The front end is another story. It does not want to come apart. I have been working on it for the last two days and I have made very little headway.

I am going to keep on it. I resoaked the bolt with penetrating oil for another day before attacking it again.

-Sobastrace

[sobastrace]

here are some detail shots of the front end.

This are the before shots, I hope to show some after shots in the next few days.

[Kustoms Illustrated]

Originally Posted by sobastrace

I was unsure of how the lights would look frenched if I keep the headlight doors.

but I have not seen many of these with tube grilles so I have to still think that thru.
-S

...

[sobastrace]

The grilles look great. I was playing around today with a 54 desoto grille that I have lying around, but the plymouth grille sure looks like it belongs. I know that I am going to remove the front turn signal bulls and replace with the signals built into the head lights. That will allow me some freedom with the grille.

-Sobastrace

Originally Posted by Kustom Klown

...

[sobastrace]

Finally get the old front suspension off the car. Now comes the fun part of cleaning the grime off the frame and inside the wheel wells.

I am going to take the arms in for powder coat and then I am going to clean the reat. I am still trying to get the power steering parts I need, but my plan is to bolt it all together by next week so It can go get some body work, and get the fenders straightened.

The next step is getting a rendering to show the body shop so we are all on the same page.

The project is updated weekly at http://southbaysupply.com/project_Fairlanefrtsusp.htm

-Sobastrace

[sobastrace]

What a difference a day or two makes. A 4 lb hammer and a pickle fork, a torch and a lot of swearing and the pitman arm finally seperated from the F*#kin drag link. There is grease everywhere, but I am finally moving forward. I started stripping the wheel wells to bare metal, and I also got the bushing pressed out of the A frames. This car just does not want to come apart.

I have taken a few photos for your enjoyment. Note the grease (see the last post).

I have still not decided on a nice grey or satin black for the suspension. I am also undecided on the wheel wells (black, grey, gloss, semi gloss, etc.

I well be adding phots to the web later this week.
http://www.southbaysupply.com/project_Fairlane.htm

-Sobastrace

[Shiftymutt]

Nice car....I weep everytime I see a 5. I should have never sold mine....

[sobastrace]

Okay....After locking myself at work for the last 9 months, I decided I need to get back to the Ford before I start loosing parts. I have been cleaning parts and reassembling sub assemblies, as well as trying to chase down the final parts I need to get her back on the road. I even enlisted my 2 year Old. She loves working on the car. She keeps asking when she can drive. and when she sees cars she likes she says RJ Drive.......RJ Have It. I guess she got that from me.

I will keep you all updated as I get more done.

-S

http://www.southbaysupply.com/project_Fairlane.htm

54 Desoto Transmission FOR SALE
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=154175

Wanted 20's Touring Car

[begborrowandsteel]

Originally Posted by sobastrace

What a difference a day or two makes. A 4 lb hammer and a pickle fork, a torch and a lot of swearing and the pitman arm finally seperated from the F*#kin drag link. There is grease everywhere, but I am finally moving forward. This car just does not want to come apart.

Amen to that! me and some buddys did the front end on a 55' and the fuckin thing fought every step of the way!

[sobastrace]

The Wheel Wells are starting to come clean. I might be driving this thin soon as it seems like everything is starting to come together.

-S

Be sure to check out my 54 Desoto Automatic trans for sale

[sobastrace]

Finally drove her around the block, but the power steering hoses are shot and leak like crazy. The new hoses I bought are not even close to fitting. I now need some custom made, but it is coming along. I got a small power brake setup, but it will hit the exhaust manifold, so I will have to put a manual M/C in.

I will take more photos soon.

I also moved to a new house, so I have to get the garage all settled. Right now it is a mess.

-Sobastrace

[sobastrace]

Time for an update.....I finally got sick of the slop in the front end and the geyser of power steering fluid that drenched the bottom of the car every time I started the motor, so I pulled the lower A-Arms off and properly shimmed the car.

Then I pulled all four hoses off to take to a hydraulic hose shop, since I ordered the proper hoses twice and neither set fits.

While I was at it I pulled off the old master cylinder, and started test fitting the new booster to work with the new disk brakes.

[GREENBIRD56]

Hey - I like your Ford!

I finally got tired of looking for decent front suspension parts and started making my own. Made some adapters to put the Dodge screw-in upper ball joints on it - and some oldtimers showed me the way the lower the front of these 55/56 outfits - spring pan spacers.

They drill out the rivets holding the pans that hang the front coils and space them down about 3/4" or 1" with 1 inch wide x 9 inch long aluminum bar stock. Takes 36 inches to do the whole thing. Use Grade 8 capscrews and Loctite to replace the rivets. The ratio is about two to one - the car's nose drops 2" with a 1" pan drop. Saves torching the coils or other circus moves... If you use this trick along with the Lincoln Versailles disc brake spindles (takes the big pin lower ball joint like the 55/56) - it will really put it down in the weeds.

[sobastrace]

Went to Air Hose & Supply Co. in Indio with my old hoses, and walked out 30 minutes later with 4 exact replacement power steering hoses for 1/2 the cost of the NOS ones that did not have a chance of fitting to my car. As soon as it drops below 100 in the evening I will start getting the hoses back on...

I wish I had these made months ago...