55 Ford Fairlane update and idea?

Finally get the old front suspension off the car. Now comes the fun part of cleaning the grime off the frame and inside the wheel wells.

I am going to take the arms in for powder coat and then I am going to clean the reat. I am still trying to get the power steering parts I need, but my plan is to bolt it all together by next week so It can go get some body work, and get the fenders straightened.

The next step is getting a rendering to show the body shop so we are all on the same page.

The project is updated weekly at http://southbaysupply.com/project_Fairlanefrtsusp.htm

-Sobastrace

 

What a difference a day or two makes. A 4 lb hammer and a pickle fork, a torch and a lot of swearing and the pitman arm finally seperated from the F*#kin drag link. There is grease everywhere, but I am finally moving forward. I started stripping the wheel wells to bare metal, and I also got the bushing pressed out of the A frames. This car just does not want to come apart.

I have taken a few photos for your enjoyment. Note the grease (see the last post).

I have still not decided on a nice grey or satin black for the suspension. I am also undecided on the wheel wells (black, grey, gloss, semi gloss, etc.

I well be adding phots to the web later this week.
http://www.southbaysupply.com/project_Fairlane.htm

-Sobastrace

 

Nice car....I weep everytime I see a 5. I should have never sold mine....

 

Okay....After locking myself at work for the last 9 months, I decided I need to get back to the Ford before I start loosing parts. I have been cleaning parts and reassembling sub assemblies, as well as trying to chase down the final parts I need to get her back on the road. I even enlisted my 2 year Old. She loves working on the car. She keeps asking when she can drive. and when she sees cars she likes she says RJ Drive.......RJ Have It. I guess she got that from me.

I will keep you all updated as I get more done.

-S

http://www.southbaysupply.com/project_Fairlane.htm

54 Desoto Transmission FOR SALE
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154175

Wanted 20's Touring Car

 

Amen to that! me and some buddys did the front end on a 55' and the fuckin thing fought every step of the way!

 

The Wheel Wells are starting to come clean. I might be driving this thin soon as it seems like everything is starting to come together.

-S

Be sure to check out my 54 Desoto Automatic trans for sale

 

Finally drove her around the block, but the power steering hoses are shot and leak like crazy. The new hoses I bought are not even close to fitting. I now need some custom made, but it is coming along. I got a small power brake setup, but it will hit the exhaust manifold, so I will have to put a manual M/C in.

I will take more photos soon.

I also moved to a new house, so I have to get the garage all settled. Right now it is a mess.

-Sobastrace

 

Time for an update.....I finally got sick of the slop in the front end and the geyser of power steering fluid that drenched the bottom of the car every time I started the motor, so I pulled the lower A-Arms off and properly shimmed the car.

Then I pulled all four hoses off to take to a hydraulic hose shop, since I ordered the proper hoses twice and neither set fits.

While I was at it I pulled off the old master cylinder, and started test fitting the new booster to work with the new disk brakes.

 

Hey - I like your Ford!

I finally got tired of looking for decent front suspension parts and started making my own. Made some adapters to put the Dodge screw-in upper ball joints on it - and some oldtimers showed me the way the lower the front of these 55/56 outfits - spring pan spacers.

They drill out the rivets holding the pans that hang the front coils and space them down about 3/4" or 1" with 1 inch wide x 9 inch long aluminum bar stock. Takes 36 inches to do the whole thing. Use Grade 8 capscrews and Loctite to replace the rivets. The ratio is about two to one - the car's nose drops 2" with a 1" pan drop. Saves torching the coils or other circus moves... If you use this trick along with the Lincoln Versailles disc brake spindles (takes the big pin lower ball joint like the 55/56) - it will really put it down in the weeds.

 

Went to Air Hose & Supply Co. in Indio with my old hoses, and walked out 30 minutes later with 4 exact replacement power steering hoses for 1/2 the cost of the NOS ones that did not have a chance of fitting to my car. As soon as it drops below 100 in the evening I will start getting the hoses back on...

I wish I had these made months ago...

 

Hi greenbird56.....I like the spring pan idea...that might be the next project. The drop spindles just were not quite enough.

 

hey spencer it's brent. glad to see they could do those lines for you

 

Well, the lines are in, and I am starting on the brake lines. I think the next step is a quick sanding of the light surface rust, and a quick coat of epoxy primer until I can afford to get the body work done, and throw some paint on it. I think my wife has decided on the color, so we are getting closer.

After the primer, I will need to address the interior. The choice is send it out, or try to recover the seats myself. It might be fun to try something I have never done before. Have any of you tried to do interior on your own? If so...how did it go? Any advice?

 

They are all over ebay .... I just got one and there was like 4 more on there ... gave $35 for mine and that was a little steep. Just ordered the Mallory electronic conversion today from Summit.

 

Damn, you've got $500 worth of valve covers on it .. Ya ever price those T-bird valve covers? .. geeeeeeeeeeze ... sheeeeeeeet !!

 

I made the pan control arm spacer mentioned in the thread I think it was more like 2.5 inch drop and looks great. Easy to do and safe to drive as well.

 

Someone posted this picture the other night on another thread - it shows the spring pan spacers pretty clear. using the spacers preserves the ride quality of the front springs - and doesn't alter the length requirements of the shocks. To keep the weight down 1.0 x 1.0 aluminum bar works pretty good.

 

I used these om my 56 sedan and cut ! coil.It gave me about a 3 inch drop and dosen't bottom out.

 

Not to criticize the custom suggestions, which are all tried-and-true from years ago, but I think hardly any of them yield a car that looks better than a lowered stocker. Maybe I just have too much racer influence.....

By the way, your car seems to be coming along very well. It looks good, and will only get better. Keep us informed.

 

Seeing as it is now after 12 PM on a holiday weekend, I guess it is okay to bail from work, and head back to my garage and start wrenching on the car. I really want to drive it again after it has not moved for the last year and a half due to the power steering issues.

It's not like any customers will call this afternoon....Right? (I love rationalizations)

 

I don't know how all of you out in HAMBland feel about brake lines, but I really HATE making them. The double flare kits are slow and tedious and seem to be undersized for the task at hand. I think next time I need to get one of those hydraulic flare systems that does it so quick.

Oh well, the lines are made, and I came in out of the rain to take a quick coffee break before going back out to install the lines.

I just realized that the FORD will be running and I have no way to get it out because the Dodge has it parked in, and I have disconnected the steering and brakes as I update with safer equipment.

I guess I need to figure that out. I hate driveways with a slope.

 

Oh, What a day.....I got the new Master cylinder and the pushrod that came with the kit was too long. They had included a shorter one if the attached one was too long. I had to take all the brake lines off, pull the booster off and change out the shorter pushrod. I re bolted it up, and it was way too short. SO out came the scrap steel and I made a pushrod that was halfway between the two supplied rods.

I have included a photo to show the size difference.

I cleaned the firewall where the old master cylinder had leaked, and primed it and rattle canned it just to make it look a little better. I slapped on the booster for the last time, and everything bolted up finally.

So after all of that, I pulled the front upper core support to strip the twenty layers of paint and clean it up a bit. This is finally starting to seem like a real car again.

 

Nice 55 ford you working on. I to am working on a 55. mine is a my daily driver work in progress.

 

Hi 28Hotrod-A, Love your 55. I had a thread on line a few years ago trying to get ideas for the grill on my 55. I love the teeth you went with.

Today, Brent (Blown9746) came by and helped me work on the 55 and my Dodge Pickup. I actually got the 55 running after a year and a half hibernation. I was shocked it started, as I am sure the gas is shot after last summers 124 degree days out here.

My daughter said she wanted to help with the car, so I handed her a sanding block and told her to sand anything but the glass.

The only thing slowing me down is that the brake light pressure switch does not fit into my master cylinder or proportioning valve, so I have to figure that out tomorrow.

 

I understand it is important to have a image for your car, but can someone on here explain why the hell the Previous Owner would lover the rear so low there is no way in hell the rear wheels can be taken off withour pulling the rear end. Seems like a function should be more important than image thing, but maybe it is just me. I went to go do the rear brakes and shocks and learned that there is no way in hell that the rear wheels are coming off without at least undoing the rear shackles and twising the whole rear end. what an absolute pain.

 

Well, as I have mentioned in previous posts, I could not get my wheels off without removing the suspension bolts because the car was dropped to low. I resolved the issue today and I think she looks much better. the rocker panel is not parallel with the ground.

You can see in the attached photos that I ended up raising the rear of the car by about 2 inches. Looks great.

Now if I could just get her to drive. I think I screwed up the brake actuating rod as the car will not move since I did the brake changeover and the pedal is very firm. I will work on that in the morning.

 

And today the family took its first ride around the neighborhood. I could almost imagine it with all the bodywork and interior done. Such a great feeling of accomplishment. This is the first time my Daughter ever got a ride in it, and it is the first time it was on the road in three years.

 

East coast style man! Love it!

 

Chasing down little details. My brake light switch was dead. Replaced that so I have brake lights. Found a decent alignment shop so I can take her in to get the alignment done. Almost time to take her to Chopped50Ford to get her front pass fender fixed. I am starting to get fired up about her. We are trying to come up with a name for her since she will be "officially" back on the road as soon as I get her aligned. I started sanding her tonight. More photos to come soon.

 

You have a jewel just waiting to explode in greatness. I am very excited about the opportunity to help you make your 'dream' come true on this one.

I really love 55 Fords (having owned a few of them) and would get another if given the opportunity.

Hit her heavy with 150, and we'll take it from there

BTW: have you thought of a name yet?