Projects Bought a 51 Ford on Purpose

Had to do the same thing to my 40. Replaced everything from the git go. The radiator didn't leak but didn't look to shiny and the heater leaked pretty bad. Rotten to the core I guess Jeff, I installed a tach in mine this week. When the rain washes all the salt off the roads I'll let you know where its at.

 

Just called the radiator shop and sounds like he can get me worked in quick. Maybe I will pull the radiator and heater core this afternoon and try to get them down there. He said it should only be a day or so turn around.

 

Good thing I gained an hour of daylight…. Between feeding animals and watching my grandson, I needed it especially since the shop is full and I am working outside. Anyway, only took one call to @lostn51 to help me figure out exactly what had to come apart to finish getting the heater core out without taking apart extra stuff. Lol Oh, and there is always that one fastener that makes you cuss the engineers when it comes to replacing a heater core. Always good catching up with Billy too.

 

And, another artsy shot since the sunset was cool again.
.

 

Decided I am thankful that this started leaking now and not on the way to Springfield, MO next month. Gives me a good excuse to go through stuff I wanted to do before then anyway. This should be a reminder to me to do all this stuff BEFORE I want to drive the car daily. Because once I can drive something, I don’t like taking it apart to fix stuff.

 

Yeah but look at all the fun you’re having

 

I think I am going to have to take off work early today to get the radiator down to the radiator shop. I hoped to get that done last night, but by the time I had to work a little late, take my daughter to pick up her car from a buddy that put a new windshield in it for her, and then could have headed down to OKC, it was too late to make it before 5:00.

 

You made me laugh about the one fastener that you cuss. When I got stuck pulling a dash or speedometer I would call Tommy the guy my dad hired when he was 17 years old and lived in the neighborhood where the shop was. Little did either of them know that 46 years later Tommy would still be working for the shop and retire from the only job he ever had.
He worked on 57 Chevys when they were new and thousands of other cars after that.
I would call him and let him know what I was stuck on and he would recite from memory what had to be done. Sometimes he would say
“Way up out of sight and in the back there is a hidden screw or bolt, he would then say if that bolt is still there you know the dash or speedometer has never been out. Cuz no crazy som***** would take the time fighting it when putting everything back together “
Here are pictures of Tommy he is the young one standing next to the #10 on the door of the Corvette with my dad to his left and a picture of him when I was moving out of the shop five years ago.

 

That’s too cool! Thanks for sharing that story Rusty! Also, hopefully I can get my speedometer to you soon.

 

Finally made it to the radiator shop before 5:00 today. Asked the owner which I have become friends with about the situation where he about got run over by someone trying to take their radiator without paying a few months back. Said he ended up with 4 staples in his head and is still dealing with after effects of that deal and that my buddy that was there likely saved his life pulling him from behind the car that tried to run him over. Anyway, he also told me about a 34 Chrysler and 60 Lincoln convertible that he had bought recently. Oh, also found out he will be 79 this year and his dad started that business in 1939. It was good catching up with him yesterday. Not many businesses around like his anymore.

Maybe I’ll get my radiator and heater core back later this week.

 

Got the radiator and heater core back today. Sounds like the heater core wasn’t leaking so it must be the valve instead. I was kinda wondering seeing some signs on the floor mat that it might be coming from there. Anyway, he did say the heater core needed flushed out. Hoping to get it all back together tomorrow. Did some work in the yard this evening so didn’t have time to work on it.

 

Hey Jeff if you need the heater control valve I should have several of them here that are NOS. I’ll probably have to dig like a mad man to find them but I know dad had several of them laying around.

 

I might just stop through on my way to or from Virginia next month and take you up on that.

 

Or I can send it to you if you need it sooner. But you’re always welcome to come by anytime!!

 

Going all out on this deal! But, now I have to wait on the paint to dry to finish up the cooling system…. Radiator is back in, lower hoses on, thermostats replaced, etc. So, I guess I’ll work on the heater core and hoses while the thermostat housings dry. I really should be changing the water pump and a fan clutch in a late model first…but, I dread working on newer stuff.

 

Just ran to town and back and seems it may even run a bit cooler. It did have 180 degree thermostats in it and I replaced them with 160’s. And, maybe it just needed boiled out as well. Anyway, whatever the case, glad to be driving it again. Headed back to town to wash it and scrub the whitewalls. Got it pretty nasty driving in the rain recently and I can’t remember the last time I scrubbed the whitewalls.

 

Definitely running cooler. Drove it to church and back about 40 miles this morning on the highway and the gauge is sitting lower than it used to. Since there are no numbers, I have no idea what it really is…but, it is less.

 

Less is more

 

This is what you need. I have one works great.

 

Car fired right up this morning in mid-20 degree weather and bucked what felt like about a 200 mph headwind all the way to work up I-35. It runs even cooler when the weather is in the 20's. Maybe the wind will still be coming out of the north when I go home so it can blow me back.

 

After 30 some years of over the road trucking I can ***ure you it never works that way.

 

Yeah but you’re cheating with a 12v battery tucked away in the trunk

 

Believe it or not, the wind was still out of the north for the trip back south today. I suppose that can be considered a good or bad thing whether we are talking gas mileage or high temperature for the day.

 

Went to Walmart tonight to get a few things in the car and was going to take a pic in front of the store. But, there was some young girl walking her ferret on a leash in the parking lot and she decided to wander over by my car as I was unloading my cart in the trunk. Anyway, you never know what you are going to see at Walmart…

 

Picture or it didn’t happen

 

I think it’s more like the ferret was walking the girl

 

Yep, looked kinda like that Rick.

Oh, and went to the car wash and Walmart again tonight, but no good stories.

 

Haha! not actually sure “what” is walking these guys if you zoom in you’ll see what I mean.