Hot Rods 57 FORD Build #2... Glutton for Punishment.

Soooooooo glad to hear it wasn't clearcoated.......nothing else makes so little sense. Your shop's too clean Jeff, you're a sick man.

 

It’s not that he’s sick @Texas57 , he’s just got way too much stuff going on that’s all.

 

Jeff,

Can this be painted over? Must it be removed down to bare metal first?

 

OK cool, appreciate the info. So you'll ship me the rest of that can now that you're done using it? Let me know the dealer name

 

Best costume this year’s Christmas party!

 

Really wish I knew how to do the black tape over the eyes like in the old magazines!

 

As an FYI, the 57 Ford used 2 dash inserts. Earlier production was a 3 piece unit that. had separate plates for the heater controls (seen here), the radio, and the clock. Later production used a 1 piece unit that integrated all 3. At least that's what's been explained to me. I replaced my 3 piece with a 1 piece.

 

I don't try to hide my wiring, hence I make it look as neat as possible and I like access to it, just in case. I do run it through some Summit wire protection under the hood.

 

Weird, mines an august '57 car, i have a '58 style pedal and such, but i have individual chrome for the heater, radio, and clock.

 

Thanx, Jeff.

I googled it and find that you can order it on-line. It appears that it one vendor ships from UK and takes a couple of weeks to get here. Also shipping is free on orders over $100.

I found other sources but they don't say where it is coming from. Pricey; but if it works...

It sounds like this might just be the ticket when building a car piece by piece and not wanting to finish paint all those little pieces 'til they are all done (I'll be doing that in the near future).

 

Always makes me happy when the light bulb finally comes on!

 

I wouldn't have thought "electrical grease" was any different than dielectric grease. Good to know I guess. Could you tell the difference? Looking forward to the video on the first cruise, lol. Good job, Jeff.

 

My old Ford rear sockets were toast and I didn't like the look of the replacements, looked a little fiddly to me. I went with larger snap-in GM tailight sockets even though I had to open the bucket holes to 1.125".

 

What you need is a 'base' heater control. Most cars got the three-lever 'Selectaire' version like yours but some base units showed up here and there. These were a single push/pull knob unit with a bezel such as used on the other control knobs. Operation was no heat pushed in, first detent out was heat, second added defrost, and turning the knob controlled the fan. Downside was no temp control; Ford explained that by noting you could crack a window for temp control... LOL
More commonly installed on trucks into the early '70s, but I have seen some on various years Ford cars from '57 up. Fairly rare item.

Ford also went to an in-dash OD control cable starting in 1960 rather than the under-dash unit found on the earlier cars.

 

I too would like to know what the difference between conduit grease and di-electric grease is. I don't know if I've ever heard the term "conduit grease" before. I'd love to be educated on this one, I'm trying to learn about wiring systems and every little thing helps.

 

Just depends on who was working the dispensary on the county farm on what type of grease you got orajel , conduit grease , die electric grease , or cock grease ( hair gel ) !

 

just from my experience di electric is a thicker & stickier grease, that electrical grease is softer and more fluid.

 

Conduit grease (often referred to as lube) is for when youre pulling wires through conduit in industrial applications. At least thats what i think you are referring to.

Speaking of heater cores, im amazed mine works as well as it does, i let it run and it defrosted the entire car.

 

My 1st car was a tow away special. 1957 Fairlane 500 4 door sedan. 312 and auto. The engine was locked up. It was a high mileage car. After some failures, I got a 272 that was a good engine. I installed the 312 4 barrel carb and intake and exhaust manifolds and installed the engine hanging from a tree in the back yard. My memory is poor but I seem to remember a one piece gold dash insert???? What I do remember is that it had one of the best heaters of any car I've owned.

 

I think i may have found a car with the "one piece trim" people are referring to. its a skyliner i wonder where the others get the trim from.
https://autohunter.com/Listing/Details/9990263/1957-Ford-Fairlane-500-Skyliner

as far as im aware there were no anodized aluminium/gold dash inserts.

 

https://www.mgchemicals.com/category/grease-for-electronics/electrically-conductive-grease/

 

For a minute I thought he was going to send you out for some Relative Bearing Grease like we used in the Navy.

 

and get some water line to help.......

 

HaHa, let us not forget the bucket of steam from the fireroom! Or asking the quartermaster for "the sky hook"

 

Or a "BT punch".
Or stand watch with binocs on the foc'sl, searching for the mail buoy!

Now- back to the regularly scheduled cool car build thread.

 

I went looking for gold inserts on the dash. Brain damage again. Now, I'm beginning to wonder if I ever saw a gold dash insert???? However, it was 57 years ago.