Projects The Adventure of a Boy and His Edsel

Money/value....what matters is; being happy with what you have. Don't end up with sellers remorse over $$$ Love this thread & "Pinky"!!

 

Understood. Silas actually priced the car at 3 times what he paid for it which I would have been ok with to be honest considering all the work that is left to do. I basically just asked him what he was planning to do if he sold it knowing he is enjoying driving it a lot right now. As mentioned, money isn’t everything and he is already making lots of great memories with this car. After getting home from the weekend, he likes it even more and has many future plans. Pinky will likely be around for quite a while.

 

Well, the adventure continues. Seems we didn’t do a very good job of checking over the u-joints a couple weeks ago. They both felt tight, but the front one came apart today on the way to vo-tech. Just thankful that didn’t happen over the weekend or cause any real damage when it happened. It did mess up the slip yoke, so we are now looking for one of those. Anyway, seems new u-joints, rear transmission seal, rear shocks, a pinion seal, and new spring bushings (while we are at it) will be fixed soon.

Silas is leaving for a Colorado Springs for a camp Saturday, so we have a couple weeks before he needs the car again. We will get there one of these days.

 

Sometimes, even before you can see or feel any real slop in the joints, you'll get a visual warning in the form of a rusty, red deposit around the u-joint bearing caps. It's the un-lubricated needle bearings "leaking" out.

 

Yep, I should have noticed the leaking rust. I suspect the signs were there and I just missed them.

 

Bummer about the U-joint failure, but fortunately Silas has a great support system for when such elements happen!

I am curious about the front turn signal positions on the lower sections on the corners of the front bumper, I assume they will be filled with NOS lenses and the housings as well?
I know that is low priority right now.

 

He'll remember the car a lot longer than he would remember the money! Good decision on his part!

 

I've heard them CHIRP CHIRP mostly in reverse when they were going bad.

 

Yes, the turn signals are still on the list. The previous owner re-wired the car...sort of. Turn signals still need added into the circuit. He has been having to actually use those hand signals that he learned in drivers ed. They should have been one of the first things on the list, but I also hate wiring...

 

Thank goodness it didn't happen on the way to or from Dewey and was close to home where it's easily taken care of! Blessings all the way around

 

Nice when a car takes a dump close to home. I had discovered a loose wheel on my driveway (maiden voyage potential mishap) and my starter jumper wire also broke when the car was parked at home.

 

Pretty sure we have all the parts to get the car back together now, so should be back on the road soon. One thing I don’t think I mentioned was that one of the Smithy’s came off apparently when the car was vibrating prior to pitching the u-joint. Anyway, had to order that, so may not have it for a few days still. Oh, and @Dan Greenberg posted a great photo of the car from the Stray Kat 500 a couple weeks ago.

 

One other funny... When the car was left on the side of the road for a few hours, a highway patrol put a sticker on the back window. Not sure how he ended up calling it an "Eddie" on the sticker, but also guessing he had never heard of an "Edsel" either.

 

I was 16 years old, with this completely worn out 59 Thunderbird. Coming home there was a loud clunk, a bit more noise, and I rolled off onto the shoulder. Looking up the street I saw the driveshaft laying on the ground. Rear u joint fortunately. I walk back and thru it in the trunk and walked a block to the gas station and called Dad. Must have been after 11pm. He came down with his pickup and a stout rope and we towed it home.

Just showed me how to fix it, never gave me hell. Luckily I’d dropped my date off at home before it happened. I still miss him.

 

Been there, done that on my first car. 50 Ford 6cyl. Hardest thing was getting the broken yoke bolt to loosen up. Took longer to do than stripping the engine before it was pulled 4 rebuild. Kinda like messing up an egg....hate them broken yokes & that's no yoke.........

 

Found a few minutes this evening to get the driveshaft back together. Guessing that vibration we couldn’t find should be much better soon...

 

My late brother had a 327 revved out and grenaded the clutch on a long straight many years ago. Took out the bellhousing, Muncie, driveshaft and the brakes! Tranny yoke was bouncing on the pavement, shaft spinning, barreling toward a stop @ a highway intersection. Yoke lodged into a cattle gap and lifted the car off the ground, spinning it 180 degrees, setting it down on all fours for a dead stop.

He shook off the shock after a minute, stumbled out of the car. A group of bikers were partying on top of a hill overlooking the whole scene when it went down. When they saw him crawl out they started clapping!

Joe

 

Wow! That had to be quite the site to see and quite the ride for your brother. I can just imagine the group of bikers watching the whole thing play out. Thankful this was nothing like that.

 

Yes, thankfully!
Not meant to throw off your thread, Jeff but but u-joint failures always remind me of this story.
Pinky's turning into a really cool ride. Silas should be proud of her. Glad he kept her

Joe

 

Well...the adventure never ends. I got everything buttoned back up last night, so decided to drive it to work today to see how it did before Silas gets back from camp this weekend. And, it did great right up until the water temperature started climbing. I pulled over and popped the hood to find that the generator bracket failed which then failed the ear on the generator. So, seems the list never really gets shorter... Enjoying a cool morning watching traffic go by while I wait on folks that go into work later than me to give me a ride in. At least my boss is a car guy and gets it.

 

I'd come pick ya up if you were closer Jeff. The joy of cars!

 

Thanks Matt! Would be a pretty good drive for ya...

 

Silas is very fortunate to have a dad, that is that cool, and understands that, parts on old cars, can and will fail when least expected. Adventure knows no boundaries !

 

Thanks man! I am thankful this broke on me and not him the first time he drove it after not getting to drive it for a couple weeks. He actually wanted me to come get him in Colorado with it. I am also thankful this didn’t happen somewhere on the way to Colorado. God worked out the failure today to tell me it isn’t ready for a trip like that yet.

 

" Perfection, cannot be rushed "

 

Maybe time for that 1 wire alternator! Sure am enjoying this thread!

 

Guthrie, times 2 on "God worked out the failure" statement. Because of my previous "egg post", over heating reminded of being in The National Guard & heating "canned eggs" on the manifold of an overheated Deuce & a half. Hang in there, you & Silas will be cruis;n soon.

 

It takes time to de-bug an old car. Mine was built with everything new, close to new or rebuilt. Yet I went through the process as well. Shake the bigger bugs out first then most should be smaller, at least in theory.

 

The good news is that you both will "know" every inch of Pinky in the very near future and will have an increased confidence in its ability to successfully complete a long road trip. I'm enjoying following you guys along in this thread. Keep up the great work!