Features 1958 Ford Fairlane 300 - I haz one

Got to try out my new winch today....

Here's a slideshow of 35 pictures...

I swapped the flathead I had with the adapter on it for this car. Been sitting in a field in Texas for 40 years. Still in pretty damn good shape - all things considered. I really like this bodystyle. Probably one of my all time favorite 50's vintage Fords. I don't know what I'm going to do with it yet. I imagine the first thing I'm going to do is see if I can get it running this evening.

Few pics:





I figure it's a 223. I've heard that breather assembly is quite rare - anyone know anything about it?

 

GREAT SCORE.
I have a 61 Galaxie with the same set up. There is a plastic bell crank chingadera on the side of the carb you really dont want to break. Mine's waiting for the 351 now.

 

I know the Chingadera you're talking about czuch - it's still intact.

 

Congrats!

I love the '57-'58 Ford's. It has the deluxe side trim, used on Ranchero's & Del Rio Wagons of '58. A complete set in nice shape is worth quite a bit. Typical battery area/apron rust. Typical floor pan rust.

Looks solid. What are your plans?

 

Yeah I figure - and its all there, too - none of it is damaged either. That passenger door is dented, but the impact took place below the trim, it was unharmed. I'm excited to have the car.

 

Neat car. I like the '57 and '58 Fords. My last '58 was a Fairlane hardtop with a '62 406 and 3 speed OD. If the six has thrown in the towel, an FE and automatic are the best bang for the buck.

 

Yeah - I had a '66 Mercury 410 Marauder just a few months ago - with a good C6 behind it. It was a good running engine to boot - I sold it to a fellow HAMBer though. Guess I shoulda kept it. lol

 

good trade - looks like something to trade again for something.

 

Love those '58s. When I was a kid, we had a '58 Country Sedan, and my uncle had a salmon-colored '58 2 dr sedan like yours. He drove that thing for years and years, kept it in tip-top shape. Good score!

 

Ha! That's probably what'll end up happening to it.

Been tinkering with it some - man I hate these cars that been sitting for 40 years. The engine is stuck tighter than dick's hatband. I looked in it with my bore scope - doesn't look hopeless. I I poured some coke in it and I'll let that sit for a day or two.

The starter was stuck too, but I got it freed up with a helping hammer. Now the only problem is that the bendix is also stuck in place...lol, it runs but it won't engage the flywheel. Got the starter off - shouldn't be too hard to fix. If I can get it to turn I can get it running I'm sure.

 

This car was actually originally white or off white in color. Its never been painted before as far as I can tell. The color it is now is just sun-baked bare metal and what's left of the original paint.

 

Looks good!

 

much love for 58,s heres a picture of mine

 

I like '58s, too. I always wondered what one would look like with six taillights.

 

Looks good! 1958 was a good year for almost every car. Keep us updated on the project, and if it runs make a video

 

I will definitely film the first fire attempt - if I can get it freed up and feel good enough about it to attempt a start. I don't know much about this vintage Ford inline 6. I know they offered two this year, a 215 and a 232 (223?). I don't know how to tell the two apart so I don't really know which engine this car has. Anyone know what axle it has in the rear? It looks like it could be an 8"...but I don't know whether they made that axle in '58 or not. Its definitely not a 9".

 

Here's what the starter looked like when I pulled it out:

It does run - amazingly. Bendix is frozen in time though.


Looks like someone had enough sense to drain the cooling system on it - that hose is harder than the hinges of hell - so it's been off of there for a very long time. I inspected the block pretty good, it's not busted anywhere.

 

Cool car. I don't know why people recommend auto trans though. There for old people and those with only one leg. Y block and 3spd od would be a cool old school option or fe big block. But I reckon even the stock motor and box would still be fun to cruise with. Your car have fun.

 

Doesn't matter if you have one leg, or three. It's dollars and cents for me. 390/auto is the easiest, cheapest, and quickest swap for these, but If you're bucks up, then build a full-house 312.

 

Cool score!

 

The 215 OHV 6 was the first after the flathead six and used in 1952-53,1954 and later were 223's which Ford also used in some tractors.Click on this:http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=332 And join us lot's of good info sharing on the 52-59 Fords.

 

It is a 9", the only rear end used in those cars. Just a little different looking housing.

 

nice score, I really don't see many 58's out there. This 300 with that awesome trim is my fave. Best o luck with a cool project, my 59 had that great air cleaner set up, I called it my supercharger!! ~sololobo~

 

Man I would take that car in a heartbeat. The 223 is a SOLID cam six cylinder. I see the belt is still on the car so could it be possible that the generator is frozen also making it harder to turn the motor over? I have a 58 custom 300 4 dr. that a storm a month ago brought down a 70 ft tree which happened to find my 58 and my dads 57 chevy belair 4 dr wagon. It was a shame for both cars even though they both needed attention. The dash in the 58 is really cool also. 57-59 ford passenger cars got the 9 inch rear which is one of the narrowest ones of the bunch less the box Bronco ones. A pretty sought after rear to swap into mid sixties falcons and comets. I had my 58 running in lesss than a half hour after bringing it home but the starter did work in mine. The carb needed rebuilt so I put a kit in it and adjusted the valves and it would fire right up. Plus driving the three speed on the column around the yard was a blast from the past for me . Enjoy the car. Sure wish I could come across one of those in that condition in the Northeast. Have a good one and keep us posted.

 

lol...if the engine proves to be no good then it will most likely end up with what whatever I happen to have laying around. Could be Oldsmobile power...or Chevrolet, who knows. I have a good running 250 Chevrolet and a good Saginaw 3-speed that would go right in it. The 230/250/292 Chevys are laid out basically the same exact way that the 215/223 Fords are - intake and exhaust on the driver's side, dist on the passenger's side. Even the water outlets are in the exact same location and orientation. Motor mounts are damn close too.

 

Cool! I didn't realize this forum had such separate 'social groups' like this. What a neat feature. I joined up!

 

Nah - I already removed the fan and wp pulley, along with the belt. Gave me better access to the crank bolt so that I could get a breaker bar on it. The generator is stuck - everything on it is stuck, even the carb linkage. lol Took about 10 mins of fiddling to get the starter motor to run, it was stuck too. I do have a bore scope - I looked in it. About 4 of the 6 cylinders have visible rust on the cylinder walls, #1 looked particularly nasty. It's soaking right now. I'm sure I can get loose, it just may not be much good afterwards though. All the valves are probably stuck also. I'm not very optimistic that it'll run very good - if at all. I'm also worried about whats in the oil pan. I don't want to run it and gom up all the bearings because the oil pump pickup is submerged in 'mud'. If I do attempt to run it, I will probably pour 5 or 6 quarts of diesel fuel in the crankcase - on top of what's in it now.

 

There are Customs 300 and there are Fairlane 500 even the wheel base is different.

 

Good Luck and keep posting!! John

 

I had a '57 Fairlane I put a 389 Pontiac in. Kept me off the streets for weeks. The good part was the full size Pontiac mounts dropped right on the Ford motor mount stands. The bad news was the driver's side exhaust. I ran a RH manifold on the driver's side pointing forward to go around the steering box.