Projects Mouse in a Box

Here is where the build thread will lie, for "Mouse in a Box", a 1957 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan.

I am calling this build a resto-mod gasser. The car will be built using alot of today's standards, and abide by today's NHRA rule book, and use today's technologies, yet look and feel a lot like the real deal.

Here she is coming home.

Here she is, off the trailer, and all cleaned out.


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Good luck on your project and welcome to the HAMB!

 

Welded some steel inside and popped the body off with ease.



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The frame is in excellent condition. More mud than surface rust.



Built this down in the basement


And brought it outside and stuck it on


Felt welding upside down was too much effort.



Next step is to get the motor and tranny in place, so I can start laying out the rear bracing for the front stub.

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This happened today... hahaha... hope to have the motor in this week so I can get the springs sorted out. Guess I didn't account for them being this soft.

Also, this is only a mock up axle, so please pay no attention to the poor camber. (Speedway axle with chevy ends with ford spindles)

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I have no clue what this means, please explain.

 

Fuck you work fast! Looks good man keep us updated!

 

As stated in original post:

This means things like 4 wheel disc brakes, adjustable drag shocks, a roll cage that will not look nostalgic and be certified to today's NHRA rule book, the motor will be built by today's standards with aluminum heads and aftermarket big cube small block chevy versus a small cube blown high revving ford motor, the transmission will have a very high stall converter and a transbrake versus a 4speed. Standing still, it will look like it fits in with traditional gassers, however. The body, the wheel choice, the stance, the interior, will all LOOK the part.

I've had the car since August 1st. It's a slow project. I started the thread late. lol

 

You don't see many 57 around anymore, that one is pretty solid. What are your plans to reinforce the area where your new subframe joins the old frame ?

Don

 

Been waiting to get the body on, and the motor in, so I can see where the custom headers could potentially fall, where the roll cage will come through the floor, and where the body mount goes. I'm going to build a "center frame" off the back of the sub, that will end at the ladder bar crossmember and it will have a "ladder" type look to it. Going forward, I want something at an angle to go from the face of the stock frame to the side of the sub, that incorporates the cage mount and body mount.

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Is that, "Fuck, you work fast" or, "Fuck you, work fast. "?

 

Hahaha I didn't even see it like that. I assumed the first one, since I get the second one from my buddy all the time. Random midnight text messages "is it done yet?"

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Hahaha totally meant the first iteration! I suppose I should stray away from posting on the HAMB when I have had no sleep.

Regardless man looks killer! Can't wait to see more

 

In 1957 Ford built more cars then Chevy. Where the Hell are they?

 

Who knows? This thing had a mississippi antique plate in the trunk when I got it. I'm up here in Massachusetts.

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I heard that Ford did out produce Chevrolet in 1957 but the two reasons you do'nt see them were the small block Chevy was a better motor than the Y block so when a Y block went south the car was cast aside and the other was the Fords rusted out quicker and sent them to the junk yard. At least thats what I've heard.

 

I think the rust thing is a valid theory. They didn't seem to hold up as well as the other brands for some reason rust wise.

Too bad, they are such cool cars.

Don

 

The Fords were built with more inner panels that while in one respect it was stronger and better built, but it tended to hold mud, moisture, and trash in the seams and promoted rust. I have had tri five Chevys and tri five Fords and the Fords do seem to get rust in more places.

 

And when the Chev needed an engine a newer one was an easy bolt in while the Ford (post Y block era) took some extra effort.

 

Extra effort? Bullshit, an FE bolts right in. 427-428 would be more era correct .

 

I guess FrozenMerc is wrong. Add to that exhaust manifolds, pipes, water pump, generator and accessory mounts and likely a bunch more small stuff. If your SBC in your '57 died you got a long block, bolted your old intake, exhaust, bell housing, pipes, pumps etc. on and left. No extra effort? Bullshit.

 

I always liked 1957 Fords. post models and the lower the trim the better. though they are all nice looking cars.

maybe if Ford had installed Chevrolet 283's more would have survived.

 

This looks like a fun project. I'll stay tuned in to this.

 

And now the mock up motor with mock up trans is resting in place.



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Chevy also made many more cars than Ford in '57. The Fords were rust buckets in those years, the '58 is practically extinct due to that aspect alone.

 

All in jest of course.. it just struck me as funny. I'm dead tired on the Hamb many a night myself.

 

No big updates yet. Tacked the mid-plate mounts in place and removed the jack stand from under the tail shaft. Rolled the car back into is resting place and popped the body back off. Hoping to get some more fab work done on the frame this week.

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I will readily admit that I have used sbc's in a host of early 30's & 40's cars but with the cavernous engine bays of the 50's Fords there is no real reason for space considerations in favor of the SBC,especially in a 57 Ford,Blasphemy!

That car needs a big FE,but that's my personal opinion and should be taken with a grain of salt! HRP

 

The main reason for the SBC is this. I've got a 550ish horse 400 that I had running a year ago. Pulled heads for inspection. Other than needing head gaskets, motor is fresh and ready. I also have a turbo 400 ready to rock, with a chevy ultrabell on it already. I need a few gaskets, a torque converter, trans brake, and headers to make it run. For this project, it is far more cost effective to go this route.

But I feel the car really needs a big hemi with a blower.

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Wrong: as previously stated, Ford outsold Chevrolet in 1957. Ford had a totally new car while the 57 Chevy was a dolled up / reskinned 1955 model.

1958 was a recession year for all manufacturers, with a big drop in production, which is why you see so few.