Hot Rods Yes it’s still Possible.

What is the little short grey cap? Vent? I am going to try and put it half above and half below (flange the opening and flanges are already on the cell - mount that to the frame. ) . Will approach the filler neck exactly as you did.
What sender unit did you use ? Did it work with stock fuel gauge?

 

Got up this morning early. Cooler. Lots. This is at my house not at the River so this shop isn’t air conditioned. Lol
Cut out the spare tire sump. Always hated the way they look anyways. Cleaned out and found some metal termites. And treated them with mechanics lindane ( ospho). Tends to kill and neutralize metal termites for ever. This is what I have in mind as far as the fuel cell. It has 2 plus inches of mounting bracket. And they can come off. Might put a inch or two below the floor and use a bolt in ring to locate and seal.

 

Got trunk and spare tire sump removed and panels welded in. No pics. Still waiting on my window felt so I can put in my new windows.

 

Frame base for fuel cell mounting. I’ll decide wether I’ll weld or bolt it in. It’s amazing to me how much weight /mass the factory believed a stock floor board /trunk pan could support. Most hanging from below. Wow.

 

Straightened the fin trim on passenger side. Before and after not perfect but acceptable considering the over all approach I want for it.

 

Mitchell, love this project seeing as how I grew up with a ‘57. Dad bought a BelAir Sport Coupe (white over black) and kept it until 64. Almost got it back, sad story. Is that coral under that white?! I think Uncle Marion would love this project, Carp.

 

Check his page here on hamb. News posted. No it’s not good.

 

whose page?

 

Sorry. The late Marion Fairchild. Mrs Joyce passed earlier this week.

 

Catdad49. It was coral at one time. Here is tonight’s work. Managed to get both Trim sets on the fins pretty much straightened out. The gas door had to be removed to be straightened. They are not perfect but they will work and man have you priced them lately.

 

Coming along nicely, the car looks really solid.

 

In the morning light.

 

Nice work, it is difficult to not overwork that trim

 

I used an old upholstery hammer that I glued a bit of leather to. Use a wooded block as an anvil. Mulberry / Bodock to be exact. Grind/ file to shape and go very slowly. Machine key stock with a filed radius is almost a perfect match for the center ridge. I spent all total probobly 10 hours and the fuel door was the worst of it. Sweat and blood are cheap. lol
Also getting the fin/trim on and off with out messing them up isn't nearly as simple as you think. Gently by 1/2.

 

Got door gaps cleaned up a little. Also got the seam sealed above the quarter window.

 

57 Looking good Mitch.

 

Ordered headliner and windlace yesterday. When I got a hold of the 654 interior code man what a shock. What I have been calling ok’d faded black is actually old fade charcoal. Had a Off white headliner and a taop wind lace. Some hade the dash insert painted other didn’t. It actually doesn’t look bad a all. Probobly try to copy as much as will clean up the rest will be as I can match. Don’t want it to nice. I am not using factory seats so we will see.my cash is total charcoal no insert. The out side was coral with a white top. Weird.
Anyone use the series 90 buckets that speedway /jegs/summit is selling. If there is anything to them at all that’s hard to beat. Won’t have a back seat so no worries.

 

Ok I am not posting pics but I will tell you that the passenger side cable of the wipers forms a figure 8. It is not like the driver side that runs parallel. Pulled heater ducts to clean out and reinstall. Heater motor actually runs as did the wiper motor. Kinda impressed. Probobly put a heater core in now/or at least have this one checked.

 

Cleaned up /and pressure tested the core. Coat of paint reassemble and reinstall.

 

Major score. A friend of mine that has a 57 gave me a bel air bumper/back up light delet plates/and a champ 500 steering wheel. The driver side front corner is better than mine and between the two I can make a decent bumper and not look new or bad. I also got the brackets. All of them including the one that bolt to the bottom of the front fenders. Got some bumper guards as well. They along with the back set could be fixed and plated. They will be available soon cheap. Real cheap I am not a fan of them. None of the rubber snubbers will be used either. I like the delete plates front and rear.
Was a good day. A thanks to Stevie

 

Making up a rust removing paste and see what it will do. Can’t hurt.

 

The driver side front bumper section. Not bad for aluminum dust /acetic acid /salt and flower. Old fashion small wool buffing pad and a very old craftsman drill. Then some old fashion turtle wax chrome polish got all the rust spots gone. Scratches cleaned up but they are still there. And that’s OK. It will do nicely. Now got to make the rest Match

 

Vent window regulator had to be retoothed so to speak. Took a chisel and a file and straightened them out. Back together and some grease and we are in business. Windows /vent window felt /channel are in and functional. Now passenger side

 

Window channels/setting windows /felt etc.
Actually finished everything up on both sides after we got glide builds set up for the race cars. Came back and finished. Will post tomorrow.

 

Makes the car look totally different. I went with the clear /not tinted because the rest is original and will stay that way. I do have a quarter window with a small crack but only one side. It will be left alone for now. Have the felt and track stuff would be nice to find a used quarter but will see.
For those that think your upholstery guy/girl is ripping you don’t get on it. If you do it yourself and do it right you will learn just like with metal fab if you rush it you will screw it up. A good rule of thumb. Take materials double it and add 15 to 20 percent. Unless you are dealing with a situation that requires a stupid tax. I’ll explain that at a later time.
Remember this car will not be restored. It is not a rat rod. It will be a flash of my memory from high school with a little more engine / disc brakes. A time that as I thought I was on the outside looking in at times it’s was still some of the best of times. And I have the friend ships memories /and wrecks to prove it. Gotta love it

 

Both of my rear quarter windows are cracked and also have some delamination bubbles in them but the windows are so cool I couldn't bear to replace them. Your new glass looks good. All those felt sweeps and channels are a real bear, especially since the new ones don't come with the factory clips installed (at least the ones I got didn't, just generic sticks I had to bend up myself) so it can be a bitch to get them in there snug. But it's a must-have thing, nothing ruins glass like crappy window channels with all of the felt torn out.

 

I used repops out of AR. They had all the factory clips etc. Still a lot of work

 

Picked this up today.friend had it sitting on a shelf. He’s Not going to use and I figure will need a refresh. 750 dbl pumper. Used them on just about everything. Even a 292 six and it liked it. Should do well on the 57.

 

Pulling out /disassembling /reassembling of gauge cluster. Will also let me clean up the dash /paint as needed. This is a clean a fix what needs but don’t go over board deal. And I’d really like to have a discussion with the engineer that put the two long studs in the bottom of the cluster.
Pulled and test fitted the steering wheel/ they said I’d have to to get the cluster out any way. Luck has it that the turn signal assembly appears to be perfect. Gonna touch up the top of the dash. The rest will be left alone.

 

Headliner and wind lace came in. Looks weird until you look up interior code 654 for a 57 210 sedan. Doesn’t look bad once it’s all together close enough to compare and contrast.
Dash cluster cleaned /speedometer lubed /painted and even took an orange paint marker to all the needles. Will touch up dash and column and reassemble.