Oops, just read page 2. So it is not a true Meteor but you should keep that grille so it stands out in a crowd.
Glad I found your thread. I have a '57 Ranchero with similar rust issues so it's nice to see how you're fixing them. Out of curiosity, what did you end up doing with the 14" ETs?
Glad to see you saving this Ranchero. They're rare, getting very tough to find now in any condition and just flat out cool. I want a '57 so badly. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I am saving those wheels for something else but I have to admit, now that the rear wheel arches are more proportionate, those 14s are starting to grow on me. Maybe I will run both sets of wheels depending on the mood that I am in. As an update, I have the car hooked up on a wedge clamp system to straighten out the fenders from an accident that happened just before the car was thrown into that box car in 1970. I still have the Edmonton police window sticker. I will have updated pics soon.
Friends and customers had '57 & '58 Rancheros, I always wanted one... Rod Powell sold one of his chopped ones to former partner Gary Mylar, I did some engine work on that one, it was white with candy red flame job. I had a chance to trade another friend my '55 F100 straight across for one, original white paint, 292 stick/overdrive. The rust in the bed made me pass...my F100 has no rust. I can't get rid of it yet anyway. Only had it since 1972!
If that is indeed the car behind the ROADENTS dragster from Edmonton....then Bob Cantin(3rd from the left) should know who's car it was....PM me and I can get you in touch with Bob.
I have been in touch with Bob Cantin about this car. He even had a hand in the engine swap years ago. I had the car at a little show a while back for old local hot rods. It was the first time in years that he had seen the car.
Very cool! I just stumbled upon this thread as I'm in the process of redoing my own '57 Ranchero. Do you still have the meteor grille and if so are you willing to part with it? By the way, that's a heck of a shop you're working out of!!! Very nice workmanship. I'll be following along.
That's cool that us Canadians are both doing a ranchero at the same time. I checked out your thread, love the stance. The Meteor grill is gone. It will be back to a Ford.
Small Update. I was supposed to be working on the fenders but got sidetracked with the sound system. I know that some of the content in the next couple of posts are not traditional (90s traditional but not HAMB traditional), but I thought that some of you may be interested in the progress anyway. I was caught up in the car audio scene in the 90s and I always admired Mcintosh products. I could never afford them back then, But I have collected enough through the ensuing years to outfit the Ranchero. The first step was to install the head unit and meters in the dash. I know that most people hide the head unit but like I mentioned, I lusted after this stuff for long enough that I want to look at them front and center. I still wanted this stuff to look like it belonged, so I made an area in the dash that mimicked the angles and contours of the original dash. I am happy with the results. Most of the music will run through the aux input, but I am excited to watch those meters bounce around on the dash.
The next step was the amp rack and sub box area. This will be all hidden as it is behind the seat but also because I intend to reuse the tonneau cover that was part of the old interior. It took a lot of planning to make sure that it would all fit and still have the right air space for the two 10" JL subs that I have had for the last 19 years.
McIntosh....oh man, that's real nice. Yeah, you definitely don't want to hide that and I like the way you integrated the mounting to your dash. Nicely done. Your speaker/amp rack in the back looks great too. I've always wondered if one could utilize the space between the bed floor and the original bottom of the body as airspace for speakers. It would need to be sealed (obviously) and a hole would have to be cut in the panel that separates the interior from the void space but it would allow one to keep some storage space behind the seat.
I thought about that but I want to leave that area empty for now. If I drive the car as much as I tell myself that I will (I'm going to be pissed at myself if it just sits for another 8 years), I may end up installing air ride and I would need that area for the tank and compressor.
I don't have a lot to update, The paint is on the interior. It is Ford UG pearl white. I zeroed out the odometer and accidently broke the original. I found one out of a 54 and it was a perfect fit but it was designed to be serviceable so it was easy to zero.
Very cool car. Always loved Rancheros and yours has great Canadian history that is important to save. Always feels neat to see a picture of a car back in the day and see it today. Hard not to smile.
Looking good. Good to know about the odometer. I'm going to zero mine out too. Hope it doesn't break! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Honestly it was completely my fault. The odometer wasn't meant to come apart so I set it up in a drill to spin it backwards. It all went fine until I got impatient, sped up the drill and heated the plastic to a point that it broke. If you take your time (like an hour while your watching tv), you will be fine.
Very nice shop and spray booth and all that. Are you a body man ? I'd be interested in where your shop is and all that if you'd care to PM me. Maybe I could stop in to see your project in person and talk local history. I like what is happening to the old girl. Larry.
I cut down a truck a box cover. It would be nice to have the storage area protected but I don't know how I feel about the look yet. If it turns out that I need it, I will have it ready to go. I am only into this experiment for $30. What do you all think? run with it or cut it up and throw it in the dumpster?
The Jalopy Journal
