Unchopping a chopped 57 Ford Ranchero windshield

you are right about people not knowing about the engineering, parts and labor involved. even though usually saved for "show" cars I hope that you do a photo book to display with car at shows to help others appreciate what they are looking at.

 

I like to keep a record of modifications since ya never know what is under the paint if ya don't... I started posting pixs on this thread because I was amazed by the number of problems we ran into and wanted to share the learning curve... I did some quick measurements before we started and after we started cutting I began to wonder if I'd be selling it for parts before it was all over... two major strokes of luck 1) the roof profile matched when we opened it up to match the front section, and 2) the vent agles remained workable after all the other angles moved around...

This post seems to be getting a lot of activity and I hope it has been helpful...

 

I am not even a Ford guy & I am finding it very interesting. I do have a soft spot for the Ranchero's though, probably comes from having a 59 Elky. At the rate you are going, the car will be in paint before the cruising season.

As always, I look forward to more picture updates. Keep up the great work.

 

any chance ?

 

I wish it would be that easy... the project is fairly solid where it counts but it has a long way to go... first, was to get the top and cowl squared away to determine if it is worth putting NOS rockers and quarters... the rockers are thin in several places with pin-holes in others which is not bad considering they are the original panels... the quarters have issues in the nornal places... replacemrnt panels are available for most of the rust issue areas... However, the you can spot the replacement rockers since thay don't duplicate the factory drain areas and they don't go past the front door post while factory rocker go under the postand have the cap section that is visable... full replacement quarters will allow access to the dings that these trucks plaqued with (no one planned on anyone caring - after all it is a truck)... bottom line NOS parts are rare & pricey so as the car progresses I'll have to make some decisions... at least they will be straight forward tasks rather than have to figure out each step as you go

 

I really don't think so... the effort was to solve a problem without to many folks noticing we had one... it won't be a kustom... no shaved door handles, hood or tailgate latch... just no side trim which the very first dealer teasers didn't have... stock grill & guards with a factory accessory V bar... the only real mods at this point will be the Edsel rear latch and I can't get a Barris AMT model tip out of my mind - he illustrated a shorted but hooded (to match the angle above it) headlight rim... GM did a number of slanted B pillars (even the El Camino and full size 60 truck) but this Ford will follow the original design... maybe the designs sumbitted on this tread will inspire someone... but I'm just going for a slammed tow rig/push car

 

I wanted to see you do the slanted rear posts so i would know how with my 58 ranchero..

I have a 58 edsel burmuda wagon too it came with rain gutter chrome

was your bed floor one piece or two?

Mine is missing and i have seen it both ways ?

Have toyed with the idea of it opening up ...

 

Well maybe I'll follow your post as you slant yours... I assume you intend to chop it too... food for thought - play with PhotoShop first... I had nothing stock to work with and I had the parts I used... you have the benifit of a fresh start... if you intend to slant the rear posts and use the stock windshield frame you might find it to your advantage to move the whole roof section forward instead of laying back the A pillars as they did on mine and I would assume would be the normal way to chop it... then when you angled the B pillar to meet the roof it would trim out the wide area to match the door... send me some Hi Rez side shots and I'll photoshop it for you...

I thought of the Burmuda drip rail trim but wasn't sure how to form the curved back piece... I love the Burmuda arm rests too - I have a really nice set for my Country Sedan

As for the back section I didn't know Ford did anything but one piece although I've seen hinges install to access to lost space...

 

Uh, I think you missed his point. I think his "any chance?" question was directed at the young lady.

 

by " normal "is this done by flipping the glass around so top is bottom and bottom is top?

 

look at the door frames this time sheese ,

 

Sorry.

 

lots of talent you have being able to make whats floating around in your head come out looking like how you envisioned it. my visions always lose a little in transition from head to hands. ok, they lose a lot!!! nice work.

 

Thanks Baileigh for being included and I found the comments on the poll interesting too...

If everyones not to bored... wait till I post the next exciting step - a new floor section and finishing off the lower cowl section

 

Don't worry about the Morons, lots of people know what
they are looking at and appreciate what your are doing.

Please continue.

 

Hell Yeah, what he said ^^ X a zillion.

I am looking forward to seeing the finished product.

 

Amen! keep going. Trying to decide if I need to send my Ranchero to you for a similar treatment.

 

Cool ride....................Mike

 

x2

 

Any updates !!!!!

BB

 

Has the project hit a stumbling block? How's it coming along?

 

The original track was to use a stockpile of misc 57 parts to complete a stripped and abanded project... an AZ body of patchable driver quality and with the majority of parts in hand... it seemed like a practical exersise to get my oldest son involved... it sat as his priorities keep shifting... school, work, marriage, home owner, graduation, job change, and recently becoming a parent... a father & son dream project still taking up space... this thread shows the start that took it completely off track... now, buried in comitment the project takes a new dilema... I have a a rust free, undercoated, garage kept CA 57 wagon that I put forty thousand miles on in five years and got nervous over seeing primer through the paint and (stamp stupid on my forhead) dismatled and had totally repainted and it has set since 91... finishing this project first or for that matter starting it has been a difficult pill to swallow at times... but, progress has not stopped

Now the hardest part is cutting away patchable parts and replacing full sections with (my just in case - sheetmetal stash) nice used & NOS parts... the rest of the car now has to warrant the restyled top investment... so here is the way it looks now

 

I would like some feedback... the floor and rockers proved to be worth sharing a step by step replacement coverage... continue here (it wasn't really a build thread) or start a new one?????????

 

Continue it here

 

I agree, continue it here.

 

Keep it in here, nothing worse then losing track of different build threads.

 

Continue it here, please. This is one of my favorite subscribed threads ... don't want to take a chance on missing anything!

 

Stay here with it......

 

def here!

 

Flooring it without burning rubber...




Thanks for the responses... its hard to believe I can start with an arial shot of the floor on a closed car... but as you can see the rear wells are pretty much gone... the fronts had the also typical heavy pitting and holes around the accelerator... this floor section will explain the choices and options available that weren't chosen... first the Ranchero had previous damage to the front lower passenger side cowl and although it was straightened and was horribly bad itcreated a wrinkle in the trans tunnel under the seat section... prior to the cowl transplant decision I'm sure I wouldn't have been to concerned since there was no obvious alignment issues... but, with the new cowl in place I decided replace the front floor with a complete section fron another car figuring that factory floor and braces along with rocker backers would eliminate any concern... easier said than done (there are repro panels available to do all this in 5 front floor sections along with repro braces)... then we chose reproduction rear floor panels (well area) and Scott shaped a panel to replace the tweaked are which we chose early on to cut out to insure it wasn't creating a bind anywhere... once the floor was completed rocker backers and rockers were replaced... I'll be postin step by step phots and explainations and will also return (with my camera this time) to the place I bought the rear panels since he carries multiple manufactors and has differant generations of replair panels - I was amazed how much stuff is floating around in the past 50 years of repair work... anyways I'll start sorting and posting soon...