Family 4-door complete Custom 300 or snag 2-door fairlane?

I've seen a quite a few 57 cars with the custom grill and they look clean. The bumper guards and front trim on the fender is just ugly. I want the car to have an aggressive stance to it with the wheels properly proportioned. (Thanks for the link, looks good) Heres some pictures I just took of the floor after pulling the seat out ahalf hour ago.

 

Then I saw the dreaded rust holes after ripping up all the nastiness out of this car. Thick chunks of vinyl and pad.

 

Forgot to say it's really probably the location of the stock mirrors being on the front fenders that kills the most about the flow of the Family Ford.

-Madman

 

That's very easy to change ... peep mirrors are cheap and you won't even have to drill any new holes.

 

When I was a kid my Dad had a 57 Packard Clipper 4door. Man I wish I had one just to take him for a ride.

 

im doing the 460 swap into my 2 door custom right now, ill be 100 percent honest with you, its hard its hard moments, but by myself i was able to get it in there, its pretty fun doing it and easy if you have all the right parts. i had a 292 before this but it gave out and blew up, literally the cam shattered and a piston came completley undone lol. you'll have fun with a 460

 

Yeah how is that goign man? I still have a lot of questions left for ya so I'm sure we'll be in touch.

 

i meant to say "its had its hard moments", i just reread what i wrote.


well i started in february about a week after my grandpa passed, found a 460 for sale, super cheap, friendly guy, and i got it.

once i got it, i cleaned it up on the engnie stand, ordered the parts i needed from Crites Restoration, the motor mount swap kit and the crossmember. once i got those i put it in the car, then started getting the parts to make it run.

new intake, new carb, etc, all that stuff.

i was able to finally get it in a running condition. then i ordered a wiring kit.
im rewiring it right now so everything will run a lot better and i'll have no worries with my older wiring. im also getting the throttle linkage, kickdown and shifting linkage together.

while i was at it, i ordered the scarebird disc brake kit because i need good brakes to stop this 460.

i just got off the phone with crites right now and ordered some headers from them, should be here by october. hoping to get my brakes, wiring, and throttle linkage all hooked up before it gets here.


also you'll need a new radiator. cut the driveshaft to fit. and a few other things i think im missing.



the hard part was getting the motor in. it took a while, but i got it by myself. everything else seems to be rolling along just fine, just gotta be patient and have the money.

 

Well I am sorry to hear about your g-pa. Sucks.

Okay well that's awesome about the 460 deal what year did it come out of? Also going to do the crites mounts and cross member. I want disc all the way around as well.

Did you have any rot on the radiator core support? I pulled the rad out last night and literally an hour and half ago finally pulled the front clip off. Fun!

-Madman

 

Sorry guys the picture is upside down... Not sure if I can flip it on here.

 

correct pictures

 

ha i was under the impression you had a 58, maybe im just tired tonight, thats awesome i love 57's, very beautiful cars.

but to answer your question, i got a 460 and it was out of a 78 ford f250. if you can get one from a lincoln mid 70's, it'd be better, because on the f250s, the oil pan is bigger and wont clear the tubed crossmember in the engine compartment, i had to get an aftermarket one, and it fit barley, i have about half an inch clearance with that.

the radiator support had no rot on mine at all. i got an aftermarket one from summit, 24 inch wide, slid right into place, and i cut the radiator support just a little so i can slide it back further to allow room for my clutch fan off the motor. i will end up getting a mechanical fan down the road only if my clutch fan isnt cooling the engine properly. so i'll drive it a while to see if i'll need to do that.


the priciest things that will cost you are:

the 460 itself.
the motor mounts and crossmember are 245 bucks.
the headers are about 370
disc brake swap from scarebird was pretty cheap, about 150, all the parts that you need though, added up were another 200-300.

im 21 and i was a cart pusher at a pretty well known warehouse store for 8 long grueling months. every paycheck i got almost went towards this project. finally i got a promotion to sales inside the warehouse. i like to think about how many carts i pushed just to get to where i am today.

i always envisioned in my head how awesome my 58 will be once its done, and it drove my motivation to push carts and go to work each and every long hot day. right now i think im on the downslope of the mountain and im hoping to finish it up and getting in driving condition around November. i wanna try for october!! but things always pop up.

i took so many pics during this swap too. anything you wanna know, just ask, i have photos of just about every step along this journey!

 

I'll pm you my email and would love to see all the pictures. Do you think the drive shaft will expensive? I want disc all the way around. I was under the car this evening and the rear is sealing around the seal. What's the best way to do disc in back and posi?

 

You keeping the same heads on it? Also what tirensize do you have?

 

as far as the driveshaft, keep your original one, and get the yoke off of a car or truck with a 460. i took mine to a driveshaft place and they simply put the yoke onto my original driveshaft, and i gotta take it back to have them shorten it now so it'll be a perfect fit. overall price will be prolly 140 combined. but its worth it, they do great stuff there.


the heads on the motor are stock heads, you can change them if you want, get more power with some dove heads i've heard, but im not gonna be racing or anything, so im gonna keep it stock.

my tiresize is 235r7514 i think..... im not 100 percent sure on that but i'll get back to you. i have my own thread i think you might have already seen here on the hamb. "460 swap into a 58 fairlane i need your help fellas!" its been tracking my swap since day one.


oh and for rear disc brakes. well im gonna keep my drum in the back for now, but if you want rear disc there is a ford explorer swap i read about here on the HAMB, if you do a search for it it'll pop up, its practically a dead on swap, bolts right in

 

I just found the thread talking about the ford explorer swap for the rear disc. totally awesome! Man this original brake line that runs from the frame rail to the rear is not only brittle as all get up but it's just a PIA to get to and loosen.

Did you sand your car down by hand? I was thinking about buying a "media blaster" it's like a sand blaster but protects chrome and glass. There's lots of frame that needs sand blasted for sure.

I'm 27 and have had a few IROC camaros back in HS swapped engines, burnt transmissions etc. So it's been a learning journey for myself as well. Thanks for the info brother!

-Madman

 

Pleeease keep the 4 door.
Pllllllleeeeeeeeeeeease do not put huge rims on it.
Pllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaseeee never mention billet again.

 

Don't beg Bueller, I hate that.

Okay I'm keeping the four door because I want to be able to use it and enjoy it with everyone. The 4 door is roomy and I like that, trips to Austin and Galveston and anywhere will be cool.

Wheel size is not the goal the goal is to maximize the wheel well or "Fill up" the wheel well with wheel. I would like to run full length headers with the 460 but want the car to have a nice low stance to it. (Input your thoughts here please)

And for the grill you don't like that look? I'm not a fan of the "bumper covers" either.

 

ill be honest i have yet to look at my brake lines going to the rear, ive been so focused on the engine and everything in the front right now. i'll have to take a looksy. i might as well replace the rear brake lines too while im at it. i'll see how much of a hassle that'll be.

as for sanding, well when i bought it, it was sanded down pretty smooth to a primer, i loved it. then like an idiot i painted it flat black, never will do that again. ruined my car i think. got tired of that stupid look, sanded the black off back to the original color it was when i got it, and put a primer gray over it. am getting tired of that, and am gonna use my hands and sandpaper to sand that down AGAIN, and go with a primer white, and eventually i'll go get a paint job ONE DAY, maybe metallic green or house of kolor maroon.


as for your headers and wanting a low stance, my '58 sits as low as you can get it i think. literally, (not exaggerating), if i took a ruler, the frame sat about 2 and a half inches off the ground.... im gonna risk putting my headers on and i know this 460 will make it sit lower, soooo... im riskin a lot here by doing that. i'll see how much it hits the pavement, if its bad, i'll get some newer springs i guess.


yea since i was 5 my dad has been working on cars. he had a 58 ford too, then had a 65 mustang, a 71 pontiac bonniville, 63 ranchero which he gave me which I LOVED so much (hated having to sell it), a 76 f150, and we really want to one day have a shard project, an old hot rod. a frame and build it from the ground up. so i've had my fair share of learning and mistakes haha

 

Well i was able to pull the hard line off that runs from the front to back it wasn't too easy or too hard as it bends in and around the body to frame mounts. I broke a couple sections which did help but jeesh.

Now I'm having the tough decision of doing the work for the drums or just starting on the Granada swap for front and the expired for rear. The funds aren't really there at the moment. But I'd rather start pulling the parts together for the disc.

 

when i started my re-model as i like to call it, of the 460 swap, i had already took the original 223 inline six out twice, i put a 292 in there, took that out, had another 223 for about a month but got rid of that, and then got the 460, so i knew what to expect diving into this project.

what i reccomend doing since funds are low, are just cleaning up everything. it keeps you motivated. work on the firewall, sand it down, clean the crap out of it, make it nice and shiny! mine is a gloss white, no surface rust anywhere, the frame is the same, took a grinder to it one afternoon, got it to bare metal, bought some cheap VHT frame paint, and it looked amazing. you can take the drum brakes off all around if you want too. just to have them ready.


do the cheap stuff first, then when you come into major funds, start your ordering ASAP. crites takes 6 weeks for shipments, or longer. my crossmember and motor mounts.... 7 weeks. i called them 3 times, they were very hard to deal with. great quality products, but i cant lie they are a pain. my headers wont get here til mid october i bet, just ordered them september 2nd. i will post when i get my headers just to show how long it takes lol.

 

Yeah remember your posts on the crites time scale and that sucks because it's so far behind. Your frame and firewall do look great and I'm going to take your advice on the cleaning up. Then I'll still feel like I'm moving forward. It's just amazing on how much space I'm losing in my two car garage. I still need to buy a compressor engine stand parts washer etc. I'll try and make some space in the garage tomorrow.

Still need room for the motorcycles lol!

 

lol believe me, i am the most impatient person you will ever meet. but i finally had to learn to be patient with this.

why? im doing it not for me... i have a new found motivation. getting this done in memory of good ol grandpa jd he bought me this, first thing he asked when i drove it to his house "boy, you gonna fix this up!?" in his jokingly manor. so i owe it too him that i spend my time and money wisely on this.

besides all my friends from high school ask about it, they remember seeing me in it and called me 'the kid with the car' it may be september now, but come march and april of next year, you may barley be wiring it! it sucks looking at the picture in wide view, but if you break it down into the short view, you tend to not mind.


luckily i had the jackstands, the floor jack, engine hoist, all the tools necessary. im fortunate enough that my grandma is letting me work on it there and i can put the parts in the shed my grandpa built.

before starting the project i kinda drew out into sections what i wanted:

part 1: clean up.
-clean up firewall, front end, get rid of all surface rust, new bolts and nuts to replace rusted ones, make it all nice and shiny with gloss white paint.

part 2: preparing for swap.
-cleaning up the motor, painting the motor, new oil filter, new spark plugs, new carb, new intake, checking alternator, all the important stuff, new oil pan, etc.

part 3: purchasing expensive items.
-crossmember, motor mounts, (purchased the new intake and carb at this stage), wiring harness, disc brake swap.

part 4. the install.
-install the crossmember, make sure motor mounts will fit, bolt those to the 460. clean up the carport and get all the junk out of the way, so i can slide the motor in with ease. once in there; tighten everything up and make sure it fits.

part 5. getting it started.
-mock up fenders (which should be painted and sanded, i put an undercoating underneath them, looks awesome), put the battery and solenoid on there, begin the wiring JUST on the engine bay stuff, and turn it over to make sure this thing is gonna at least turn over... and it did, (4th of july it did for me)

part 6. -getting everything needed to stop this beast, and make it run great.
-new disc brakes, new wiring harness, new radiator, little stuff that'll make it smooth and all that jazz (this is the part i am at, almost out of this stage!)

part 7. -the little stuff!
-kickdown cable, throttle cable, column shift stuff from lokar, fuel lines, brake lines, proportional valve, making sure all my NECESSARY WIRING is at least working (meaning all 4 headlights, turn signals, hazards, brake lights), my interior wiring i will mess with a little more when i get to my interior stage. (im in the process of ordering this stuff now)

part 8- final touches before making a test drive to make sure this thing stops; and drives!

-bench bleeding brakes, bleeding the system, new rear brakes, take the grinder and clean up the axle, shorten my driveshaft, get the radiator hoses, check all the hoses going to the carb, make sure everything is there that i need. woom the wiring in the engine compartment. make sure all bolts are tightened and good. mash the pedal, make sure i got brakes. (expensive part $$) get new tires possibly at this stage. (put my headers on too)

part 9. test drive.
lower it! make sure its not gonna be TOO LOW!! if it is, i may have to redo the springs and stuff! if everything is a go.... i will turn the key, hear it roar, shift it to reverse, back out of my grandmas driveway, dad holding my camera as he tapes, and drive it slowly for thee first time in nearly 2 and a half years with a picture of me and my grandpa in the front seat so he can take a ride with me. make short quick stops, and long drawn out stops. have my dad check to make sure my brake lights are working.

part 10. -details.
if i am able to reach stage 9 and its a success, i'll sand down the car, clean up the windows. tape off stuff, slap a few coats of white primer on it. a metallic green roof maybe. get some chrome cleaner. shine everything up... and....... let it sit at my grandmas still!!!

why?

gotta buy sound deadning stuff, a new carpet, replace some floor pieces, reupholster my interior, REGISTER AND TAG MY 58 lol.
but this isnt major to me right now. because i will take my time ordering this stuff. ill save my money and start a new "stages 1-whatever with the interior and trunk. ....and i still gotta get an exhaust system put on haha.


sorry this is so long but maybe you can take after me, plus i never been so talkative about my 58 before. im in a car mood tonight, not a homework mood, procrastination at its best.

 

Not at all I need the step by step break down and I'm so glad we are as well as another friend of mine is working on his 58 as well. The front suspension steering are all foreign territories for me and I appreciate it!

 

Hows the family truckster coming along? Sounds like its gonna be a sweet ride when its done.

 

Food for thought, 4drs when done up nice are a lot more interesting to look at because everybody and their momma has a 2dr.

 

If this is Your goal, then by all means focus on that, and start with just that; Brakes, drivetrain, electricals, cooling system, fuel system, wheels and tires.
Go w/the front disc conversion if that´s what You most desire.
But only deal with one task at a time. You appear to have a fairly straight, rust-free car to start with. Keep it together and just make it functional at this point. Plenty to deal with and learn on just there.
Don´t go randomly tearing out the sidetrim, stripping the upholstery or sanding the firewall bare while trying to find brake lines and decide which motor to rebuild/swap in, for instance.
Don´t stray off to "shaving doorhandles" or billet sideview mirrors at this point, either.
Realistically, going over everything at once on a 60 year -old car is a big project even for experienced, full-time builders, and takes a lot of planning, time and vast resources readily there to pull off in a reasonable timeframe.
I understood You´re a college student w/limited funds and a 2-car garage.
Try to keep it manageable and stay motivated.
Good luck.