Projects The Adventure of a Boy and His Edsel

Definitely some cool more-doors there!

 

Great story.

 

Excellent! What a great journey. Thanks for sharing, a great read.

 

And, the fun begins. He just called and the water pump took a dump on his way home from vo-tech. I told him it is all part of working out the bugs and to be thankful it happened in the middle of the day and fairly close to home.

 

My 19 year old Nephew is going to Tech School for the Ford dealer service program. All the kids in his class give him a hard time for his old 89 Ranger, but he would drive that Edsel in a heartbeat if he could have found it and afforded it. Hard to understand that his Ranger is the oldest vehicle there, but most kids don’t dig old stuff anymore. Great story, great kid and Dad!

 

Nice car, nice adventure for you and your son. Wish you both the best as you work together and enjoy that car. I had an uncle that started collecting Edsels back in the 60s. He had a couple nice ones. I think some ridiculed him, but didn't faze him at all. He passed many years ago, I suppose they got scattered to the wind, his son got a nice one, but don't know if he still has it. I was out of the area at the time, so lost track. Have a soft spot for them, thanks to Uncle Benny.

 

New water pump will be at the parts store in the morning. Glad it is more available than the starter was for my 56 when it went out a few months ago. Should be back on the road tomorrow.

 

Looks like it’s a solid car. You may need to build another building.

 

Very Kool. Happy for Him . He has a great guidance from You .
When I was his age I wouldn't have been seen driving a more door . But when the 57 more door Fairlane found me a few years ago it has been a blast .

 

Nah, I just need to better organize my junk and finish working on the Tempest so it can go back to it's owner.

 

Great find, great story and it looks like a good start to a nice mild custom. I had the same thought as Dave about the conversion since you've already got the parts. Wish you guy's would have stopped by when you went through Clarksville, would have liked to have seen it. Since I'm not going to be able to make the "Gathering", hopefully he'll have it at the "500" next year. Later...

 

Congratulations Smith boys! Thanks for taking the time to document the trip. It turned out to be a kool thread. The Edsel was a like a great find and will make a kool sled. Looking forward to seeing it. Happy Blessed Trails!!

 

Kool story, Father/Son always good, sounds he's got the "bug" The car hobby can serve him well all his life like it has for me/you and many here on the HAMB. I like Edsel's, sounds/looks like you found a good one. Congrats !

 

Thank goodness it was in town and not on the way home from Arkansas! Guess it will be an opportunity to fix that radiator after all!

 

Just called about the one in the salvage. Sounds like it is a complete car but they won’t send me pics... They did say they would take $700 for the whole car. I may have to take another road trip soon.

@cfmvw Here is the answer so far to your question earlier.

 

Love it, that’s something that he will always remember. Great memories

 

Pretty cool car for a teenager! I'll look forward to checking it out later this week.

 

Man, the pic by the Atkins exit is only about 12 minutes from my house! Wish I'd known y'all were passing through...I'd have drove Sam, my 52 chevy to meet up with you. Edsel is a really cool car, even if I'm not a Ford fan..

 

Cool car for your son. He's lucky you're in a part of the country where he can drive it year around without it turning into a rot box within a few years. Of course he will have to get used to the heat with no AC.

 

Pretty cool for anyone! I’d cruise the heck out of that fine Edsel!

 

Got the water pump on last night and also decided to fix the radiator right. The top tank sprung a small leak on the trip home from Arkansas, so figured now was the time to deal with it while we dumped the coolant. I called Sid (my favorite axle dropper and good friend) and he soldered up the area that had been “fixed” with some parts store radiator repair junk that was a pain to clean off. If we were smart, we would also go ahead and replace the heater core that I am guessing is bad as indicated by the looped heater hose. But, that will wait for another day so he can drive the thing and we can get it to the Roc this weekend if possible. Also picked up some lowering blocks and u-bolts for the rear while we were getting other stuff at the parts store.

 

Thanks for posting this! You're a good dad man

 

Thanks man...but, I’m just a goofball gear head that wishes I could go back and do lots of stuff different with my kids. I have messed up plenty.

 

In that pic of the engine bay I spy one of those glass housing w/cartridge fuel filters. I used the same for a few years, but there are a lot of people out there who caution against those, claiming O-ring failure, leaks and general Unpleasantness.

A fuel pump for an FE will fit on the Y-Block too, and has a large, integral fuel filter so the glass filter could be eliminated. A straight section of brake line stick sold at NAPA can be bent up easy to make a seamless fuel line direct to carb.

 

Good point on the fuel filter. I have heard many stories of issues with those, so have never used them. We need to get that dealt with. Thanks for the reminder!

 

Absolutely all part of the sorting out process. They all need it, and especially when they get pressed into real duty driving every day after being a weekend or every-other-weekend cruiser. Might not hurt to slide a fresh GM 1 wire alternator in there while the belt drive and radiator are apart, and remove the possibility of a voltage regulator or generator failing, and especially so if he wants to put a some new electrical accessories in that might tax that charging system.

I had all of the same type of issues with my 57 Ford when I got it. It had been more of a decoration than an auto for the 6 years before I owned it, and once I started driving it, it seemed like everything broke. In about 1500 miles of driving I went through a water pump, 2 sets of points, a clutch, a rear main seal that leaked at an alarming rate, a carburetor, and finally, a whole engine when it suffered a catastrophic failure just driving down the road. Had I known then (or had a dad/family member who knew and could help me) what I know now, I would have kept a Y Block in it.

 

Almost 30 years ago, I had one crack end-to-end while we were in a restaurant. My teen aged daughter was very happy to turn the tables and "Come rescue Dad!".

 

Any good parent will say the same.

 

My grandfather gave me his 1955 Ford more door in about 1965. Real nice car, sweet running 272 two barrel Y-block automatic. My Dad and I put a 430 MEL out of a 58 Lincoln. Prior to this , we rebuilt a 312 T-bird Special and put in his 1956 Ford 1/2 ton! I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything! That is what you are doing…. making memories! Keep up the good work….(fun)!






Bones

 

Workin out the bugs, getting to know an old car... part of the experience.