Projects New Daily Driver - Squarebird

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/new-ride-survivor-1956-ford-fairlane.551669/

 

@guthriesmith that is a great story!!

 

I think it is cool Bob updated his car with late model T bird parts. I respect that.


Great car Guthrie, looks bad ass!

 

That's what I thought too but they had 10 photos of different 58-60 t birds that came off the flat bed they were being carried on. In every care the truck was going over 55 mph.. I'm still not sure I believe it..

 

Well...just found the next “opportunity” for repair. The brakes went out as I pulled in my driveway and up to the shop. One of those situations that I know God is looking out for me and my family. I had just driven home from work and then went by the machine shop in town to pick up my power pack heads for an engine rebuild for my pu. The brakes were literally working fine until I hit them in the driveway and they felt soft. They were about the next thing on the list to check as well as packing wheel bearings, etc. Looks like now is a good time to look at them. I did pull the lid on the master cylinder, and it is now empty... One more thing that will be trustworthy soon.

 

I would replace all the hydraulic lines.. If they seem good at least spray them down with spray grease...

 

Yep, I had noticed the two front lines looked like they were older and likely needed replaced. I will definitely go through the whole brake system now while it is down.

 

Great car, keep it on the road and have fun. Service major systems and fix the little stuff as it pops up.

Perfect car to bodywork and paint as you go - prep a panel at a time, shoot it, take a break until you feel like doing another one. Like you woulda done back in the day.

 

Exactly! Back when I drove old cars daily before, I only tackled what I could accomplish in the time I had because it needed to always stay driveable. I don’t plan at all for this to turn into another big project that gets pushed off in the corner of the shop because life happens.

 

I think I found the culprit. Already making me feel like a kid again fixing stuff every night so I could get to school or work the next day.

 

Yep you found it..

I remember going to trade school in 1977, I had a 64 Bonneville that was a fixer. I had to keep it going or no school and even worse, no date with my girlfriend (now wife)... She ended up helping me buy a beautiful 66 Bonneville from California. It was cherry and had 8 lug wheels, my brother has it now.. Thanks for bringing up the memories. She's sitting right here watching Home and Gardens and I brought this all up to her..

 

That is too cool! Thanks for sharing the memories! Oh, and I used to be a Pontiac guy too so can sure appreciate both of those Bonnevilles...just been a few years.

 

Pretty sure I found another problem while fixing the brakes today. These brackets on the a-frames were added at some point which I can only guess might have been stabilizer mounts or something. Anyway, they line up perfect with the lip of a 15” wheel and become the steering stop/wheel weight stripper... Hoping cutting these off after getting the front tires balanced this morning will resolve that annoying vibration it had. There were no weights on the rear of the wheel and pretty sure I know why now.

 

I think you're right on those being sway bar mounts. My friend's 57 retractable hardtop mounts the factory sway bar that way. It looks like you have one mounted differently?

Devin

 

Yes, there is one mounted through the actual a-arms. These appear to have been added since the welds weren’t pretty. They are gone now.

 

Back in business and the vibration also seems to be gone as best I can tell. I’m sure I’ll keep finding things to fix, but we are at least back to driveable again.

 

Since the t-bird was down Friday, I ended up hauling my teenage boys and a couple of their buddies in the Fairlane about 150 mile round trip to go ride go carts again. One of the boys mentioned how he had never ridden in an old car before and liked it. So, I obviously had to plant another seed by taking him home in the T-bird yesterday which was another 100 or so mile round trip. We also drove it to church this morning hauling the kids. Trying to ruin the next generation with these old cars every chance I get.

 

That's the good kind of ruination!

 

Drivers education tonight for my youngest son trying to get the rest of his drive time in before he turns 16 next month.

 

Looks relaxed and confident. Taught him how to smoke the tires up yet?

 

No...I’m sure he will figure that out on his own. Hard to deny to the kids how I drove considering I had an 11 second Chevelle when my kids were small. It’s only a matter of time...

 

Gotta LUV dirt back roads... Thats where I learned also..

 

DAMN
I remember driver ed.. They taught you hand position of 10/2 o'clock, Now its 3 and 9... Hmmm

 

Actually, he is on pavement. That is just someone’s driveway off the rural highway we live off of. He was pretty nervous going through town in this car. He was afraid more for something happening to it compared to the later model stuff.

 

I had to ask my other son about this...it’s still 10 and 2. This son missed out on his drive time with the actual drivers ed guy because of the virus mess this year. I’ll have to correct him on it now that you pointed it out.

 

Here is the reasoning on the 9/3 position..

Maybe. Things have changed a bit since you took driver's education and if you have a new teen driver in your house, here's a quick look at new developments to keep in mind:

• Lower your hands. You probably learned to keep your hands at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions on the steering wheel. Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends drivers put their hands at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions. One reason for the change is to potentially keep hands out of the way if the airbag deploys.

 

Lol...so seems my younger son paid better attention than my older one...again. They are only 6 months apart in age, so I know the rules didn’t change this year. Thanks for the clarification.

 

LOL There isnt no stinking air bags in the Bird.

 

You mean besides the passengers. LOL

 

Jeff your car is on bags? Dude! Next are 20” wheels....