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Projects 1953 mild custom build

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by oliver westlund, Jan 29, 2019.

  1. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    figured i would start a build thread for this car so i have a place to post pics and ask questions. here is my 1953 ford mainline 2 door. i plan to do a mild period custom. nosed decked, paint it white with some mild red pin stripes and white and red tuck and roll interior. i have stared at this car every day for ten years as it sat under a car cover about half a mile down the street from me. i stopped and asked about it ten years ago and was told it was being saved for the grandkid to build. ten years later and i asked again, this time it was for sale. it came with a stack of documents including a 1957 title and temporary registration card, here come the pics, i will post more later today
    20190119_170719.jpg
    20190119_170732.jpg
    20190129_121506.jpg 20190129_121515.jpg 20190129_121816.jpg 20190129_120823.jpg 20190129_120951.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 29, 2019
  2. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    does anyone recognize this grill? i dig the way this car looks
    Screenshot_20190129-104116_Google.jpg
     
    Firedup likes this.
  3. Peanut 1959
    Joined: Oct 11, 2008
    Posts: 2,179

    Peanut 1959
    Member

    1965 Ford Galaxie, perhaps? download.jpeg
     
  4. Stan Back
    Joined: Mar 9, 2007
    Posts: 2,178

    Stan Back
    Member
    from California

    You lucked out getting a V-8 in a Mainline.
     
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  5. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    Stogy likes this.
  6. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    i know, the car came with a shop manual for 1960-65 ford engines too so thatd be my guess on the date until i can decode some markings. the mounts are thrashed and his angle iron crossmember is uh..interesting haha but if this engines decent internally its going into my 47 ford anyway
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  7. That's a later Y-block that somebody swapped in; it would have had a flathead from the factory... If I had to guess, it's a '62-64 version out of a truck.
     
  8. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 31,174

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

    Congrats - good foundation for a project
     
    oliver westlund likes this.
  9. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    i would guess truck too, it has a rear sump oil pan on it
     
  10. The '54 Ford and '55-57 Birds used a rear sump pan also, but it lacks the road draft tube/canister at the front drivers side of the block so that dates it to the '60s. Plus the '60s type Autolite carb.
     
  11. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    i didnt know that about the 54, i guess i should since i own one haha i just never noticed.
    i think ill change the oil and filter, take a quick peak under the valve covers and run a small gas can to the carb and see if she will pop off, if i can get it fired up i will probably pull it out and put it on the stand and check the crank bearings and go from there, id like to put a mild cam in it and a 4 barrel intake
     
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  12. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,814

    BJR
    Member

    Change the oil before you crank it!
     
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  13. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    Uncle Ed and his son, 'Cousin Eddie' swung a '55 272 into Eddie's '53 Ford Mainline 4 dr. Eddie said, "A real 'sleeper', man does it surprise 'em!" Its Edelbrock 3 deuce (97s) was in need of 'tuning', so I dropped my '56 intake on it, with 'Teapot' 4 bbl.
    First road test planted Eddie firmly in the seat, surprise! The "Brown Bear" was finally beyond its potential...Fast, for what it was.
    They used the front sump pan, so when the hood was raised, it looked like 'More Motor'! LOL
    Eddie was raised in Paso Robles, born in '42...so, grew up in what was essentially a 'farming community'. He and Uncle Ed had built a '30 Ford roadster, though...'53 Merc mill, '39 box, '46 rear...also, '46 front (for the hyd. brakes and tread width)
    Car looked a little out of proportion, (short wheelbase from frontal spring/stock crossmember cut to fit, in the full fenders of the '30...) 'Clownish'.
    Fast, though...Merc 4" stroke made 255 C.I. He blew a spark plug out of an Offie head in front of the high school...it hit a girl, didn't do any 'damage'...she then hooked up with "Fast Eddie", and he and Janice were an 'item'.

    Ford engine transplants in '52-'53 passenger cars require a rear sump pan. Thankfully, ALL Ford engines can be 'converted', mainly by using truck pans, and their related oil pickups.
    Little known fact: First road test mule for the Then-new 332 FE was a new '53 Ford.
    Engine was assembled as what would be known as the 'Police Interceptor', in 1958.
    Ford engineers 'secretly' planted the big mill into the new Ford, and when finished drove it up and back on the Main drag...Woodward Ave., had a few short races, surprised all who witnessed it...Then, back under wraps.
    Sure would have liked finding that one...Ah, 428 Cobra Jet? 401 H.P. 390? 427...:rolleyes:
     
  14. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    replacing oil and filter before i fire it, i dont trust 10 yr old oil
     
  15. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    everybody called my dad fast eddie when he was a kid. cool story! i may put an fe in this when its all said and done. i really bought it because it was cheap, i always had my eye on it and it had an engine i wanted. my brother and i came up with the idea of building whats left of the 53 into a period hot rod because why not?
     
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  16. Nice. Enjoy your 53!
     
  17. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    okay new plan is ad soon ad our king of the hammers project is done, this car will get built by myself and a couple other club members then will be a surprise birthday gift to my dad/mom (they have the same birthday) it will be black with white interior since after fishing with dad to see what he thought was cool in 1957/58 he said black or candy apple red, gonna nose and deck it, french the tail lights and install 56 olds tail lenses, 53 chev grill, and a free 460 mated to the stock drivetrain. i think its gonna blow dads mind, all his cars have always been too nice and too valuable to drive, he gets this one on the condition he drives the tires off it! here are some pics of whats planned, the car is a rusty mainline so nobody will miss the originality! 20190502_090454.jpg Screenshot_20190502-085602_Google.jpg
    Screenshot_20190430-162150_Gallery.jpg
     
  18. kustomkat
    Joined: Sep 4, 2006
    Posts: 558

    kustomkat
    Member

    <--------- This pile has run a Y-block/3 speed O/D for over 20 years...
     
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  19. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    anyone know how many pounds it takes to pop the trunk latch on these? im gonna shave the lock and put a popper on it but idk what size to get
     
  20. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    cleaning up some original 49/50 Cadillac sombreros for the 53! gotta figure out what to put in the centers still 20190610_095735.jpg
     
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  21. morac41
    Joined: Jul 23, 2011
    Posts: 531

    morac41
    Member

  22. Slopok
    Joined: Jan 30, 2012
    Posts: 2,919

    Slopok
    Member

    I believe you may need special wheels to properly mount Sombreros.
     
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  23. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

  24. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    yeah, im customizing them, going to epoxy and pop rivet or glue the ford dog dishes on the back
     
  25. morac41
    Joined: Jul 23, 2011
    Posts: 531

    morac41
    Member

    I got mine *bay
     
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  26. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    ill check it out, thanks
     
  27. Have '54 Mercury caps on mine.
     
  28. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    I had '55 Olds Fiestas, centers rode on the rim centers. Fix is mid-50s International pickup 15" wheels, 5 on 4.5" pattern, deeper 'dish' is prefect for 'shallow back caps'.
     
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  29. Crayons
    Joined: May 31, 2019
    Posts: 122

    Crayons
    Member

    Here's how I did mine. ..first you have to grind the nubs off that hold the stock ford cap on (don't worry, it won't hurt a thing ) . Next drill out the spot welds holding the large cap to the back of the Caddy wheelcover. The plastic medallion or a chrome bullet will cover the holes. Next take a 15" trim ring (I used 49-50 Ford ) and make one cut inorder to spread it apart. Tack weld the trim ring to the outer edge of the Candy wheelcover. Tack weld three even spaces around the cover. You can Tig, mig, or braze the tacks. Done correctly they will not show or discolor the cover. If there is discoloration, just polish it out. ...it's stainless. This technique has been on my car since the 50s with no problems.
     

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