Unchopping a chopped 57 Ford Ranchero windshield

You've got a good point about a having a good layer of sealer/undercoat on the pans. When ever I get to the point of replacing the floor pans on my Ranchero I'll definitely be putting some sort of sealer/undercoat on it...maybe something like Lizzard Skin which would also provide good sound dampening and heat control.

Keep up the great work on your Ranchero!

 

wow. amazing build. nice recovery of an otherwise scrapped chop job

i just spent the better part of my morning reading this whole thread, when i should be working on my truk...
too many 55-59 chevy truck are sitting in junkyards due to no windshield chops.

personally, i butt weld everything, i don't worry about the strength of a 4 ft continuous weld.
i prefer it over a 4 ft moisture trap.

when i finished all the welding on my truck: floors, rockers, steps, cab corners front & rear, hinge pocket repair;
i re-sandblasted, had the bottom primed and sprayed with rhino liner bed liner material.
trucks have no inner fenders so i used this same treatment under the fenders.

 

The cross support bracing has been removed so now I can show the floor

 

This is the best I can do for a before and after shot since that dang'd roof is in the way

 

This is a section of the original Ranchero floor that was cut out and a section of the NOS rocker that wasn't used to illustrate how the panels go together... thought it might help to visualize the next phase which is rocker replacement... notice the factory spot welds - random spacing and occasionally they hit the center of the brace lip (must have been a drunken robot)

 

Since I'm not a huge Ranchero fan and the quaters have the Ranch Wagon/Del Rio surround... maybe I should find a doner wagon roof... leave the back stock and put a Vista Cruiser panel to mate up with the chopped top?

 

very interesting i like your idea of the vista cruiser roof section

allthough your friend scott may reconsider the arrangement LOL

 

OK... all joking aside... I don't need a donor roof... but, as you can see, I'm removing portions of good sheet metal... that may help someone else repair collision or rust where repro replacements aren't available... like the lower windshield frame and upper door posts that rot out... and, I need a few panels too... PM me if you see us cutting off stuff ya need or have stuff available... never hurts to ask

 

Yeah, that would make things interesting.....although I've still got quite a bit of work to do just getting the quarters on there. Because of the chop, I'm going to have to section the rear pillar area. Kinda sad to have to cut into a would-be perfect fitting NOS part but at least I'll be able to splice it in alot nicer this way then if I was trying to clean up the original one while chopping it.

 

I say a sweet chopped sedan delivery !!

 

The inner rockers had surface pitting along the bottom and since we had torn into it this far it was decided to replace the lower sections




This shows the area before it was replaced

 

Great thread. Although the floorboard in my '40 pickup is less complex, I will be able to use a lot of the information and techniques you have demonstrated. Thanks.

 

Twins? There's TWO of her? AINT GOD GREAT?!

Oh yeah, the car is cool too!

 

I mentioned that we replaced a section of the inner rocker panel and it is easy to see the back section under the quarter since it hasn't been blasted... the same proceedure was done in the rear original rocker area while the donor front section was fine... I attempted to outline it in red since I can't hardly tell

 

I'm gonna stand on my soap box and bore everyone with my disatisfaction with repro rocker panels... first and formost 57 was Fords big departure from slab side to compound curves... look back a few pictures ago with the rocker section close-up... the panel curves back instead gently curving in to the inner rocker panel... great visual effect and a channel to hold moisture... in the land of salt they didn't even make it to the next model year before they were rusting out... a banner year for Ford with record sales and Lee Iacocca was quoted to declared it the worst year for Ford because it left a bad product design that took years to win folks back... so as you can well imagine this was a prime target for replacement panels... Ford rushed to the scene first with a warrenty repair panel... pretty much like the repro's today only a section meant for easy replacement... no drilling out spot welds to place the new rocker under the door & cowl posts... some got smart and went a step further by making them oversized enough to be placed over the old rocker to save the removal time... none of the repros took the extra tooling time to stamps drain holes... the first thing when looking at a 57/58 is to run your hand along the bottom of the rockers... don't feel the drain holes - then look for the other repairs... some repros don't even have the secondary lip that fits over the inner rocker panel.... NOS Ford Tudor panels were used up when the cars were fairly new and/or in early restorations... so, I had 4 door ones in my stash... and since you can gather my distain for available repros... we made our own Tudor panel from 4 door ones... a pain but if your majoring in the minors ya just gotta bite the bullet and do the time... I wanted full replacement rockers that even I would not detect if it wasn't my car... unfortunately this required multiple cuts to space out the drains... so here is a comparision photo of a NOS donor and the fabricated result... like most of the work on this car you don't have to tell me it is an overkill... I'm still talking to myself with an internal debate if it is worthwhile... the final answer - don't whine about spilled milk, its done and get over it

 

I have to agree with you on the low quality of replacement parts, been through a lot of BS with that in the past...

I showed my dad this thread earlier, he loves what you're doing, and he wants me to ask if you have any 59 Ford 2 door rear fenders (I hope I didn't ask you already) because we are doing a 59 Meteor 2 door wagon right now.

 

When I was a teenager bit by the old car bug... I didn't own any newer cars and the old ones were my only source of transportation and I drove a lot... typical maintance became a pain because there wasn't the suppliers we have today or the internet... I would be dropping insurance on one and picking another car to drive during the repair cycle (left coast guys won't begin to understand)... I was so fed up I realized that the only way I was going to enjoy my ride as transportation was pick "one old car" for life and to have my own spares... when I moved west ten years later I became a hoarder since I knew how hard they were to come by... anyways, anyone can feel free to PM me on 57 parts... but, I won't have anything for any other year

 

The modified NOS rockers were blasted then primed with sealed primer in the center section and copper weldable primer on the edges to be spot welded back in

 

This is a close-up of the inside of the spliced area and primer

 

Amazing work on this Ranchero! Love all the thought and beautiful workmanship that's gone into reworking that roof and windshield. It's been a real education into all the subtle differences between the Fairlane and Custom, wagon/Ranchero series '57-58 Fords.

Paperdog's post noodling the rear pillar prompted this Photoshop tweak that picks up on the '58 T-bird & '59 Galaxie roof. Not sure it's any better than the existing roof, which I've always kinda liked, in spite of its "Ranch Wagon-with-a-hacked-off-rear-roof" look. This idea might work better with the Fairlane sedan's thin stainless door window frame.

 

I kinda wished you hadn't done that... the other style changes didn't change the drip rail and didn't do anything for me... I have extra 4 dr doors that have the same rear window surround angles... since the quarters haven't been chopped the front could be split and recountoured into a new seamless suround... the drip rail would have to come from a 59 Fairlane or square bird as you mentioned or possibly a 61 Galaxy... not eliminating Merc or Lincoln too

 

This gets my vote. When you see it against the - ahem - "stock" photo, you really notice how the angles fight each other at the back.

 

...

 

Check how nice the s/s windshield trim is on this chopped Ranchero.
TwoChops

 

That's how Ford should have built it in the first place. That's perfect

 

wow, thats a stunning photoshop pic....looks like it was supposed to be built that way

 

What he said! Looks very nice and flows well.

 

That is the answer.......too cool!

 

I really like the restyle... but, in looking for a trim donor I don't see any that have that sharp of radius... is drip mold available new? and if so would I loose the effect without the stainless trim cap? post some side view shots of possible donors