1952-59 Ford Kovid Kustomline build thread

Got the caps on and had to pull her out of the garage and grab a quick picture.

I also added a kool sticker I found on the internet.

 

Looks great! And, love the sticker!

 

Nice!

 

Look kool with a lancers caps!!!

 

You are not far from me. I'm at Rockmart. Trying to get started again on a '55 Fairlane 4 door that my parents bought new. Mine will be running the 272 and 3 on the tree, just a few mild custom touches like shaved hood and deck lid with a solenoid to pop the trunk, '56 Fairlane backup lights. I think of the 3 on the tree as an anti-theft device since not many people alive today know how to drive one. Car was originally white with green interior. Painted it metallic gold in '68 and interior in black roll and pleat. Keeping the interior which is still good, going with black/yellow 2 tone. Never saw the bumblebee 2 tone on a 4 door but there were a few. Lots of bumblebee Crown Vics and convertibles.

 

Looks great!

 

I've had the trunk latch linkage fall off the key tumbler one too many times and had to crawl through the back seat to get the trunk open so I installed a backup cable today. I went with an 8' cable from here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Emergency-...6?pageci=978a2c8d-a1f3-4da7-8ea7-134b54972da0
And routed the cable through the trunk support braces, out a drain hole and then into the cabin. Works great!

 

I just found your build thread! Subscribed...

 

Just got my 55 today. And as the guy was explain how the trunk latch opens funny I noticed what looks like #9 fence wire connecting the lock to the latch. Thought it was just a janky DIY fix but seeing yours that looks exactly the same... Are those wires just how they were from factory? I like your fix with the emergency release would work well for a full shaved trunk too I'm sure.

 

Yes, that is how they came from the factory. Only a small press on lock washer deal holds the linkage in place. That washer is what keeps sliding off on mine which is why I put the cable in. Im now seriously considering shaving the trunk with this backup cable in place.

 

I would.... I wasn't planning to shave mine ever it at least not for a while but that's a clean way to do it and now I'm thinking about it lol

 

many years ago when was kids...we used the solenoid of a starter for a electric trunk opener

 

Next time you guys are out in a U-Pull-It Salvage yard look for a 1998-2002 Daewoo they had a trunk cable that had a lever that mounted on the floor along side the front seat that might be a good alternative.

 

I've been making my way around the car knocking out dents and creases and have thus far been able to get, the ones I can get to on both sides, to where they will take very little body filler to get perfect. I'm not 100% sure the best way to tackle the ones which fall where two panels meet and the factory seam sealer is in place in the rear quarters. Are these worth scraping the seam sealer out or should I just put some body filler on them and move on?

 

Can you get a small prybar down there to pop the dent out from the inside while hammering the outside? If not, you can always tack a finish nail to the center of the dent and pull. They make a special tool for that but a welder will work just fine or.....just fill with filler. The dent looks pretty small.

 

The stud welder from Harbor Freight works very well, but the slide hammer that comes with it does not. Eastwood sells a good slidehammer.

 

I use a stud welder like Rich mentions or sometimes just even tack a piece of steel to the area to pull. I tried a stud welder on a late model recently and it wouldn’t stick. Had to just get the mig out and tack a piece on that I could pull on. But, from what I see, the dents you are showing can just be filled with no issue at all.

 

Thanks guys for the responses. The ones I showed are a good representation of the ones I have left so I most likely will fill them and move on.

 

That'll be just fine on what you showed us, just make sure you clean them out really well with a wire wheel before filling. Also clean with wax and grease remover before applying filler anywhere.

 

The plan I have been working lately is to work a panel out to where I am comfortable with it, getting it down to bare metal, and then spraying it with epoxy primer. I'll then go back later and add filler on top of the epoxy with a primer seal coat on top of the filler after that. Is that okay or should I be putting the filler directly to the bare metal and adding the epoxy over that?

 

I have always applied filler directly to the metal. That method has worked well for me for almost 40 years now. But, I know some folks do that different, so I can’t speak to how that works.

 

Yep, when I worked in body shops in my late teens/early twenties we'd grind the metal with 36 and slap on some mud.
Oh.....how times have changed!

 

It's apparently done both ways now, but I'm a bare roughed-up metal guy myself. If I find an area that may not finish up with high build primer, and decide to add some filler over the epoxy, I use the lighter glazing stuff that's like a lighter version of regular body filler. I use Rage Gold for filler, btw, and NEVER NEVER use the one-part glazing stuff in a tube. If you use a glazing material, always use a glazing that needs the hardner.

 

I plan on using this and will try y'alls method of adding it directly to the metal and then spraying the epoxy over the top. I have to make a rust repair to the lower rear quarter first though.

 

Rage gold is worth the little extra money, I agree, it works and is easy to feather out.

 

Been awhile since I've posted an update on my progress. It has been slow and mostly body work lately so not much to share. This weekend I was able to get the hood, cowl, and drivers fender all in primer and also got the inside of the hood in paint. Putting the filler down before the primer is definitely the way to go. Thanks for the tip.

 

That car is definitely coming along! I like it!!

 

Looks great. Nice work.

 

Good to see your progress.

 

Love the Savoy grill.