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1952-59 Ford 55 Ford Fairlane Blogaroni

Discussion in 'Off Topic Hot Rods & Customs' started by danman55, Aug 7, 2014.

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  1. Rui
    Joined: Sep 17, 2012
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    Rui
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    from Sesimbra, Portugal

    Daniel, Your site is awsome, love the look and contents.
    Good luck and keep stuff going.
     
    Rui, Jul 12, 2017
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  2. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
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    from Lancaster, California

    Thanks Rui, that is definitely a work in progress and I will be posting more on that blog next week!

    For anyone interested, I have completely finished page 10 of this thread and have started on page 1 as well. This will take some time to finish it all of course.
     
    danman55, Jul 14, 2017
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  3. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
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    from Lancaster, California

    ALL PHOTOS and VIDEOS are now restored, posted, etc. Every bit of photo media is now stored on the HAMB and the videos are embedded from Vimeo. I have added quite a few photos more - it may take longer for pages to load but I would think the reason most people view this thread is for the do***entation via photo and video. This has taken over 10 hours to research, save, post, etc. CRAZY stuff. I would encourage you that are using third parties to make the switch for media posts.
     
    danman55, Sep 2, 2017
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  4. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
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    from Lancaster, California

    danman55, Sep 6, 2017
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  5. 56longroof
    Joined: Aug 1, 2011
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    56longroof
    Member
    from Durham,Missouri

    Looks great Dan. Kudos also on taking the time to replace all those pics.
     
    56longroof, Sep 7, 2017
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  6. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
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    from Lancaster, California

    danman55, Sep 7, 2017
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  7. mikhett
    Joined: Jan 22, 2005
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    mikhett
    Member
    from jackson nj

    What brand of paint did you use?I have to repaint my 62 Galaxie in Wimbledon White!
     
    mikhett, Sep 7, 2017
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  8. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
    Member
    from Lancaster, California

    Eastwood SSU... I think it is supplied to them by Kirker though.
     
    danman55, Sep 7, 2017
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  9. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
    Member
    from Lancaster, California

    If you have been paying attention you probably noticed that I asked a question about 3 point, over-the-shoulder, retractable seat belts. I remembered that I had purchased a set of 3 lap belts from Juliano's almost 10 years ago - all for the back seat. Wanting to match up the red I had bought back then, I decided to get out the "old" seat belts from Juliano's so that I would know what to order.

    Lo and behold what do I find in the box?
    A pair of 3 point, retractable seat belts, brand new and still in the bag! And all of the attaching hardware was included as well. I honestly cannot remember ordering these a number of years ago but obviously I did at some point. I could not find a receipt or a digital transaction anywhere. The kit came with a good set of instructions.
    I would imagine that a good many of us have installed lap belts in a car or truck - not too difficult to do but you want to make sure that your anchor points are secure. Where our cars come into play when installing a 3 point shoulder seat belt is that there is not mounting plate or "boss" on the B pillar. The photo below shows the boss for the hand strap that back seat p***engers can use to hoist themselves out of the seat and through the door.

    The kit from Juliano's came with a bracket for the retractor mechanism, a plate to mount the shoulder pivot, and the 4 large plates that secure the belts from underneath the sheet metal of the floor board. The floor anchor points were not much of a challenge, but the plate being welded to the B pillar certainly had to be thought out, planned, fabricated, and secured as strongly as it possibly could be.

    First up was to drill holes for the receiver side of the seat belts - their best point is at the transmission tunnel as shown.
    Next I decided to weld nuts to the back side of the L shaped brackets that anchor the retractor to the floor.
    Then some small portions of vertical sheet metal were cut out so that the vertical length of the bracket could be hidden behind the trim panel - I will just to have line up the hole for the panel when it is recovered. I also had to trim the horizontal portion of the bracket once I decided where it was going to be installed.
    These brackets and the transmission tunnel are secured underneath with this style of plate:
    The real deal was welding in the receiver plate that anchors the shoulder pivot. After removing the strap handle boss by cutting it with a Dremel tool, I made quite a few measurements for correct placement - I wanted to use the same hole that exists on the current sheet metal garnish trim. The point is high enough to be comfortable, and it would mean that I would not have to modify the garnish molding - it has already been painted and is ready to install. I added more plate to the receiver by welding it up on the bench:
    I put more plate up top too so that I could have more to weld to. They went in without too much difficulty and I set my welder up with the same heat/speed on the MIG for the plate welding. I struck my arc and kept my weld pool mostly on the thick plate. The metal from B pillar just melted right in and formed a very strong bond on both sides of the plate. I wrapped around the corner as I worked the bead from bottom to top.
    Here are the photos of the belts in position:
    With 140" of belt it fits me very comfortably. I can gain 60-75 pounds and still fit! :eek:
    The wife came out and tried it out for comfort and was impressed. Unfortunately I was not allowed to snap a pic since she had just rolled out of bed lol.
     
    danman55, Sep 9, 2017
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  10. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
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    from Lancaster, California

    The doors have been cut and buffed - I used 1500, 2000, and then 3000, yes that is 3000 grit paper and then hit it with a buffer and Meguiar's 105. Good stuff I tell ya!

    This past month I also primed the seat belt adapter plates, cleaned and sanded the door jambs, and then painted them along with the quarter windows...

    I have also been busy doing a lot of "straightening" on the rear quarters, sail panel, rear deck, tail panel, etc. One fella in the neighborhood happened to see me laboring on the panels and stopped to give me something (I do most of my work in the driveway - makes dust easier to clean up).

    He suggested using an old section of tire tread. I glued a strip of 400 to the back side (inside of the tire), and then the makeshift sanding block fit the contour of the panels like a glove. The flexibility was really good.

    I did enough body work, primer-surfacer, blocking, etc, to where I was comfortable enough to shoot the white for the tutone. I shot it outside of course, but I had very little trouble with anything because the bugs were basically non-existent and with a very wet driveway there was virtually no dust. The most satisfying part to see was how the panels turned out when the white went on - I am not a professional by any means but I did like how straight everything looked.
    Of course, the real test will be how my body work turned out on the lower quarters! That red paint won't lie to me. Quite a few neighbors interested in the project - over 20 different people have stopped by to give some words of encouragement, talk about their old Fords, or even to lend some help... can't beat it.
     
    danman55, Oct 3, 2017
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  11. Rui
    Joined: Sep 17, 2012
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    Rui
    Member
    from Sesimbra, Portugal

    Looking good Daniel, lots of works done, inspiring.
     
    Rui, Oct 4, 2017
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  12. 55Brodie
    Joined: Dec 15, 2008
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    55Brodie
    Member
    from Little River, SC

    Looking real sweet, Rev. Keep up the great work!
     
    55Brodie, Oct 5, 2017
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  13. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
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    from Lancaster, California

    I finally got around to building the paint booth in the garage. I took the same PVC from the ba*****t paint booth and set it up with no glue at the joints. Good thing too since this thing barely fits into the garage - you can see from the photos below how tight everything is.
    What fun - I don't have any video of it but my son and I had a real time when after we measured, tested the garage door twice, and then finally decided to close up for the night the door latch caught the PVC horizontal bar, almost snapped it in two and then launched a piece through the masking paper! Thankfully the body was not hit.
    You can tell from the above photo that the car was pulled into the garage first and taped off. That took about 2 and a half hours.
    The photo above shows the "backtaping" of the break line for tutone paint - stainless trim hides the break but I really didn't want to have any ridges.

    Now check this out:
    Yep - the fun of a driveway restoration lol. This little booger I found one morning just sitting on the masking paper - decided to tape him up just to show what these "harry homeowner" setups deal with.

    I laid out 4 mil plastic all the way around and sealed it up pretty good.
    The paint booth makes it really tight in the garage - very little room to operate both inside and out. For air movement I set up an air handler that moves quite a bit of air (used for whole house duct work) placing a large filter cube at the intake. It was set up to expel the air from inside the paint booth.
    We vacuumed out the paint booth, made sure we were sealed up (note the picture below that shows how much I had to move the rear wall so I could have tail panel access) and I wiped down the surfaces with Eastwood Pre. After suiting up and mixing the paint with activator, I laid down 3 good coats on both sides and the rear tail panel.
    I am very happy with the results - especially on the quarter panels where I did some of the body work - can't ride a surfboard here! The filter clogged up pretty good...

    Unfortunately the ceiling of the paint booth was bowing down too much and since I had the car up on four jackstands to gain good access to the rockers and rear quarters, I had to cover the top with plastic sheet so as not to get overspray on it. Later on I will drop the car back on the tires and paint the top with 3 coats of red.
    I will be glad to get the paint work done on this car and it's finally starting to look like the end is in view!
     
    danman55, Oct 17, 2017
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  14. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
    Member
    from Lancaster, California

     
    danman55, Oct 18, 2017
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  15. 56longroof
    Joined: Aug 1, 2011
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    56longroof
    Member
    from Durham,Missouri

    Looking good Dan.
     
    56longroof, Oct 18, 2017
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  16. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
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    from Lancaster, California

    thanks Longroof!
     
    danman55, Oct 18, 2017
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  17. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
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    from Lancaster, California

    Dan the man has been busy!

    We shot the red on the roof but had some problems with the paint booth - there just was not enough ceiling clearance to do what we needed up top. The clear was shot outside... wow
    I am now a firm believer in the need for a professional paint booth. At times the car looks like a show winner. At other times it looks like a 5-10 footer. And still at times I wonder to myself what will come of this thing in the end. The work never stops it seems.


    We shot three good coats of clear on the body, no runs, no drips, but lots of bugs! Several of them did a jig on the fresh clear coat. AAAAaaarrghhhh! I had to go back and sand things back down and touch up several places on the body. The worst was the roof actually.

    When we had a brief cold snap, mama let me bring in the doors to the dining room so that I could have a warm area to put the weatherstripping in place.
    I put the seals in the sunlight to get them pliable and then followed the instructions.
    Basically, the same plan I used for the trunk was followed. Put the entire seal in position, taping it down as you go. Once you are done with that, go back and glue the seal down every foot or so and put the tape back down so that it holds the weatherstrip in position while the adhesive cures. Works like a charm.
    After that it was time to hang the doors. What a treat. My son helped me and I enjoyed that part of it. I remember him saying about 45 minutes in to hanging the driver's door, "Dad, why is this taking so long?" You may recall that I had used the drill bit trick on the p***enger door hinges but failed to do so with the driver's door! The p***enger side took about 15 minutes or so. We used a floor jack with a 2x4 so as not to mar the paint.

    And check out these gaps!!!
    And I started buffing as well:

    The door latch was cleaned with thinner, lubed, and installed.
    I have to say, it felt good to hear the doors close tightly with the well-adjusted parts and the new seals. NICE!

    I did use masking tape to mark the position of these holes:
    That way when I got the window channel in position it was easy to snap into place.

    on with the show...
     
    danman55, Nov 14, 2017
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  18. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
    Member
    from Lancaster, California

    To update anyone who follows this monster thread for the work on the 1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan, you can view the pictures and video below to get the latest. There are more articles, photos, and videos over at www.hotrodreverend.com. I have also started posting articles from Y Block Magazine should you have any interest. You can also subscribe to get the blog announcement in your email inbox anytime I post something new.

    First up, making backer board panels for the doors and rear interior and this was representative of the old ones:
    You can see that things are pretty dingy, and the backer board is warped badly. Some of the holes where the clips retain the panel to the door were also wallowed out by repeated removal and installation or damage due to moisture. I removed the old material from each of the four panels and was careful to make sure the tabs for the stainless trim were handled with the utmost sensitivity. A few of these tabs were already broken, I discovered to my dismay. If anyone has a good set of the shorter pieces do let me know.
    From here I purchased a large sheet of coated panel (luan?) from the local big box home improvement store and then traced the edges and measurements for the existing panels. The white, coated side will go towards the door - this should help with moisture control a little, but I will be sure to use a good mil of plastic sheet as well.
    The holes were also transferred and at different times, the alignments were checked and rechecked.
    The photo immediately above shows the series of rectangular holes that hold the special clips for "carrying the weight" of the door panel. The door itself has sheet metal pockets that each one of these clips rest in to help hold up the door panel while you are pushing in your clips on both sides.

    We also checked up on the fit of the stainless trim just to be sure that things were lining up properly, and I was pretty satisfied with it. A trip to Joann's fabric store yielded 4 yards of Marine Vinyl in a good red color that matches the Hot Rod Pinup Red from Eastwood! I plan to take the thin foam insulation I already have purchased and use a sheet of this stuff between the vinyl and the door panel itself. This.may.just.work.

    On the exterior of the car I finished up more of the buffing process:
    It is going ok and the car is turning into a "5 footer" - for not having professional space and for this car being a daily driver it will have to do.

     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2017
    danman55, Dec 6, 2017
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  19. Rui
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    Rui
    Member
    from Sesimbra, Portugal

    Looks awsome on video Daniel.
    If you dont have one, buy or fab (I did) a tool for the removal of the clips on those panels, something you can slip under the panel and lift without damagins its upholstery. I managed to bend some while prying them in the round holes, so you'll probably have to pull them out to replace a couple of times.
     
    Rui, Dec 6, 2017
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  20. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
    Member
    from Lancaster, California

    Thanks Rui!

    Yes I do have a few of those door panel tools, a metal set and a plastic set now as well, but thanks for the tip. I did get the rest of the car buffed and some of it waxed so I have already installed the tail lights and things like that are very satisfying!
     
    danman55, Dec 6, 2017
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  21. Rui
    Joined: Sep 17, 2012
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    Rui
    Member
    from Sesimbra, Portugal

    Starting to look like a complete car again right? Fine reward for you work. Keep it up, I love to be able to watch this. Thanks.
     
    Rui, Dec 7, 2017
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  22. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
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    from Lancaster, California

    danman55, Dec 8, 2017
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  23. 54sunliner
    Joined: Aug 6, 2013
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    54sunliner
    Member
    from Cincinnati, Ohio

    Hope you have a heater in that garage. Although, cold weather can’t spoil putting on the brite work.Lookin good...
     
    54sunliner, Dec 8, 2017
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  24. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
    Member
    from Lancaster, California

    Yep, we had some snow on Saturday!
    But that didn't keep me from getting the trunk installed...

    We started first with an old, clean, flannel sheet across the back panel.
    Then my son EJ and I brought up the trunk lid from the ba*****t after I had installed a few trim pieces and the lock mechanism. We used those clips as shown before to locate the trunk correctly:
    The gaps look really good as the video shows and these pictures prove. Not perfect but this is not a show car so I am satisfied with it.
    The Fairlane trunk trim strip was re-installed - it is rough but usable. These things are EXPENSIVE when done right. It will have to wait.
    As always, there is more on www.hotrodreverend.com!
     
    danman55, Dec 11, 2017
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  25. Rui
    Joined: Sep 17, 2012
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    Rui
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    from Sesimbra, Portugal

    Wow, that looks great!
     
    Rui, Dec 12, 2017
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  26. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
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    from Lancaster, California

    danman55, Dec 12, 2017
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  27. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
    Member
    from Lancaster, California

    Last night I installed a Powermaster brand PMGR starter after removing the heavy, ancient, Bendix model. (if you know anything about 54-56 Fords, the clearance is so tight to get these in and out of where it bolts to the bell housing it can be very frustrating. Hundreds have been known to "lose their religion" while dealing with such torture procedures from FoMoCo!)

    A visual comparison of the two starters:
    It sure did look nice coming out of the box, but these do have a high price tag.
    The tag on the main post said to leave the jumper in position if you plan to activate the starter with the fender mounted starter solenoid - this is what I decided to do to save running more wiring.
    I tried to install the starter as it was shipped. This is how it looked when installed the first time:
    The clearance was obviously tight to the drag link, and we also had an issue with the main cable now not being able to reach the main post. AAAAaaarrgghhhhhh! So, I unbolted the thing, removed the starter and placed it on the bench. The instructions did say that the starter could be "clocked" to the flange in 3 separate positions by removing three Allen head screws:
    This went down rather easily, the only issue was getting up and down to get underneath of the car. When the starter was re-installed into the bell housing, I had to use a wrench on the lowermost bolt because of clearance issues now that the casing had been clocked closer to 8-9 o'clock than 6 o'clock. And, as you can see the power cable reached easily with no tightness or play - just slid right into position.
    After we removed the jack stands it was time for a test:

    The thing definitely spins faster, with more torque, and the improvement in how fast the engine turns over and fires right up was extremely noticeable.
     
    danman55, Dec 14, 2017
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  28. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
    Member
    from Lancaster, California

    After I installed the new starter, it was on to the ba*****t where it was a bit warmer and the fenders were waiting their turn to be wet sanded.

    The hood was finished a couple nights before, and although not perfect it is still waiting for its turn under the buffer. The small nibs are hard to see but I did have to use 800 grit in places, then 1000, then 1500, then 2000, then 2500, and lastly yes, I used 3000. Seems like overkill, and it may be, but since I am not a professional at this stuff the varied grades of sandpaper help me ensure the scratches are all out and that the buffer can do its work later on.
    I am hoping to get the hood and fenders installed by the end of the week, but some of this will depend on what I can do with the fender stainless as well.
     
    danman55, Dec 14, 2017
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  29. Rui
    Joined: Sep 17, 2012
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    Rui
    Member
    from Sesimbra, Portugal

    Love it Daniel, hey beware of those suspended hoodie threads with belts spinning and all.
     
    Rui, Dec 15, 2017
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  30. danman55
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
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    danman55
    Member
    from Lancaster, California

    thanks Rui, will do
     
    danman55, Dec 31, 2017
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