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Family 4-door complete Custom 300 or snag 2-door fairlane?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Custom300Madman, Jul 26, 2011.

  1. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Yeah all the numbers match, stock holly too.
     
  2. If you end up sellilng the quatro porte, let me know...I can make a fun cruiser out of it.
     
  3. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Well I have decided to keep the car after all, I am just overwhelmed with it lots of work needed. I have it pretty much turn key start but with nearly 200k I want to put a 460 in. It. I'm going to run the 89 aerostar coils and try and increase wheels considerably.

    Where I'm at right now is I want to drive the 312 around the neighborhood before pulling it. Brake lines need replaced and there's a two month wait on the pre bent kit so I'm trying to find someone off craigslist to bend it up but everyone seems too wimpy to take on the project. When I mention it's all drums and a 57 they flake out. Give me the " let me call you back"
     
  4. Bigcheese327
    Joined: Sep 16, 2001
    Posts: 6,694

    Bigcheese327
    Member

    I had real trouble selling my grandfather's '93 Escort. I wouldn't even consider letting a '57 Ford with family history out of my grasp.

    The four-door prejudice was last cool in the '80s. If you look around, about half the performance models even made are four doors these days.

    -Dave
     
  5. Thats the spirit. Like others said you are young you can do a two door later in life.
     
  6. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Thanks guys for all of your opinions and comments and stating the obvious.

    My vision with the car an aggressive stance built up big block, headers that run to the open servos where the collector is for play time, tilt steering wheel ac, electric fans, hidden speakers, custom console for radio, place for the iPad to dock, 19" front maybe 20" wheels back, just something to occupy the huge wheel well.

    exhaust running to the back with flame ignitions on each pipe, aftermarket mirrors mounted on the actual door, dual spot lights that work, a shade for the front windshield brow, shaved rear door handles and a paint scheme that will direct the attention away from the passenger doors.

    Disc brakes all the way around, the billet grille and bumper covers removed. The trunk to flush the spare tire well and vinyl the floor.

    The 312 y block I'll put on an engine stand and if I find a little 30's truck or something put it in or a roadster.
     
  7. williebill
    Joined: Mar 1, 2004
    Posts: 3,274

    williebill
    Member

    Whoa....

    Trying to find someone on Craigslist to bend brake lines for you?

    I don't know where to start..

    Find a mechanic,or buddies who know what they're doing...and here's a tip,you won't find them on fucking Craigslist...
    It's OK to not know how to do mechanical work at this point in your life,but it may be time to learn a bit,and find folks you can trust to help..

    Not on fucking Craigslist....


    Glad you're keeping the 4 door...
     
  8. arkiehotrods
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 6,803

    arkiehotrods
    Member

    Keep the car in the family

    I owned a '57 Custom 300 4 dr. It was even white like yours. A great sleeper.
     
  9. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Yeah and just so much more room, it's easy to grab some people and jump in and head down town, it'll make finding a sober driver that much more easier lol. No seriously though I'm convinced that the outstanding sales that year were because there's so much room in the entire car.
     
  10. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    I'm mechanically inclined I have the car that sat for thirty years pretty much turn key and it runs, but the brake lines are brittle, recently moved to Houston and honestly after putting the wheel cylinders on don't want to do anymore brakes I just want peddle and willing to spend undern200. The new line set is 200 bucks pre bent but there's a two month wait time before it ships.
     
  11. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Plus I tried it at zone a year ago and bent up the new line kinking it, I don't even have a flare tool or bender.
     
  12. Better check the Yblock out real good before you buy any parts for it. I would bet you that its not a 312 but a 292. If it came from the factory with a 4 barrel then it probably is a 312. I would go to ford-y-block.com and get the info to confirm what you have. The crank flange will tell you but I forgot what the marking is. You can't go by Ford numbers, they are just casting numbers and all 57-59 yblocks got the 312 G heads. I bought an engine from a mechanic that said it was a 312 out of his 57 Custom 300. But it was a 2 barrel carb engine and turned out to be a 292.
     
  13. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    ecz carb and the site confirms matching numbers & my dad swore it's a 312 lol
     
  14. junkyardjeff
    Joined: Jul 23, 2005
    Posts: 8,588

    junkyardjeff
    Member

    If you want to have a big block a FE will bolt in with the Y block mounts.
     
  15. Get the 2 door! I had a lot of good times in a Ford Fairmont in high school, but I don't want the car back. My dad was a car guy when he was young, my first car was a truck he bought new then turned over to me. He had to talk me into selling it when it got wrecked; it was just a cool truck, not a priceless irreplaceable rare model.
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2011
  16. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Wow, I cruised over a few sites looking for the 427 and 428 FE approach man did it get expensive quick!

    I'm going to stick with the 460 and ported head approach, crites mounts and cross member, and search for the rad mounts and drive shaft situation when I come to that part.

    I need to get the brake lines bent El Pronto, I plan to drive the car around the neighborhood before I pull the 312 out.
     
  17. junkyardjeff
    Joined: Jul 23, 2005
    Posts: 8,588

    junkyardjeff
    Member

    You looked at the most expensive and lowest production FEs made,a 390 would move it just fine and still can be picked up reasonable and running. I did yank a FE (352) and install a 460 in my 66 f250 and it does have more torque but if it had a 390 I most likely kept it.
     
  18. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    If you know how to weld and you can find the right donor car, your 4 door can become a 2 door post with a couple hard weekends of work. Then you have your family car and a 2 door, both at the same time. Here's one I'm doing.

    http://jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=608094


    All that shit sounds awful. 20" wheels, billet grille, and a bunch of other shit on a 50's car is going to look like dog shit, especially on a 4 door. Get that out of your head now. I'd rather see you sell the car than do that. If you read my conversion thread, there's a real nice pic of a real nice '57 Ford Custom 300 in there, it's not mine but it has the look you should be aiming for. Trust me.
     
  19. I Drag
    Joined: Apr 11, 2007
    Posts: 883

    I Drag
    Member

    Well for hell's sake I wouldn't buy a 2-door that's in worse shape than a 4-door I already own. But you're already past that.

    You need to make friends with someone that really is mechanically inclined. Pre-bent line kit? You can buy brake-line forming tools and miles of line for way less than $200. Billet grille, 20" wheels? Spend some of that endless cash on some tools, and get to work, learn something.
     
  20. Holy shit I missed all that. Good thing I wasn't eating when I read it. By all means keep the four door, don't ruin a good two door. On the other hand, if you are worried about how your family will feel about what you do with the family heirloom, well.....they'll probably never pass down another car.
     
  21. Skankin' Rat Fink
    Joined: Jun 18, 2006
    Posts: 1,496

    Skankin' Rat Fink
    Member
    from NYC

    Pre-bent brake lines are for naked frames with no body on them. If you need to install them under the car body, you will have to bend them to get them in, and then bend them back. Don't bother.

    And for god's sake, don't put 20" wheels on it. Fill the wheel well by dropping the car 3".
     
  22. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Yeah that's all I'm aiming for is to fill in the wheel well emptiness. I'm going to buy the 89 aerostar coils for the front, the rear leaf springs and shocks must be shot because the rear wheels are only half way exposed.

    It looks like it doesn't even have an engine in the front because it's sitting so high, but the 312 is there.
     
  23. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Any links for some brake line tools would be appreciated. I thought the pre bent line would have been just bolt and go. What are the little spliter blocks called?
     
  24. 1951Streamliner
    Joined: May 15, 2011
    Posts: 1,875

    1951Streamliner
    Member
    from Reno, NV

    Hey man! The back is SUPPOSED to be lower than the front! Get some 15 inch steelies, bias ply wide whites, lower the front a bit, drop the back, and clean the car up. Dont make another kool 50s car into a billet cheese mobile.
     
  25. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Yeah I want the stance to change on the car.
     
  26. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Do I or should I take the front clip off the car? The brake line splitter block runs wedged in between the frame and inner fender well and it's tough to ge to. I'm going to attempt the lines myself but would much rather pay somebody off craigslist to do it. Nobody wants to tackle it lol. They continue to tell me they'll call me back wtf lol.
     
  27. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Heres that brake splitter thing I'm talking about
     

    Attached Files:

  28. williebill
    Joined: Mar 1, 2004
    Posts: 3,274

    williebill
    Member

    You're in Houston? Do all the decent mechanics in Houston operate a mobile Craigslist garage out of the back of their mother's old Caravan? They close all the old garages in your area? Craigslist your only option?
    Find a mechanic,man,somebody who actually has a job doing this shit..
     
  29. Custom300Madman
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 68

    Custom300Madman
    Member
    from Houston

    Honestly the car would have been scrapped years back nobody wanted it and my dad didn't even take care of it. It's been a childhood dream to get it up and running again. I've got it running just need to get it to stop. I think the transmission is out in it or so my dad think's that's the reason why he stopped driving it back in 81
     
  30. derbydad276
    Joined: May 29, 2011
    Posts: 1,336

    derbydad276
    Member

    forget the 460
    rock the 312 !
     

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