Unchopping a chopped 57 Ford Ranchero windshield

Did you find any Ranchero bed panels yet?

 

Thom, Are you looking for the large wedge shaped bed floor panel?

 

Also, I might have missed this. What are you going to use for drive line, and steering?

 

Since you're looking at making it a "factory styling exercise", which by the way kicks ass, sheet metal the bed floor smooth, be a lot easier and less time consuming. That metal work is pure art, and now I'm going to have to go and smack the crap outta my old man for selling my 57 when I was in school one day to pay to get our stupid house a/c fixed, it only gets to 120 degrees indoors in Texas. That was 20 years ago and it still makes me mad..lol

 

My Grandmother sold my Dad's 37 Chevy coupe when he went into the Pacific theater during WW II, she knew he wouldn't come back......well that didn't happen...she did get him another car when he returned but he didn't like it (39 4dr sedan) and sold/traded it as soon as he had a job. He took real good care of my car when I went to Nam the second time, guess he figured I would be back.

We do need updates here though!

 

Sorry guys... Scott is back in school and moving slow... the inside of the cab, rockers, and cab floor should see paint this weekend... I do have some more shots to post too

 

Nice to see an update on this.

 

Unfortunately there won't be any major progress until I locate the rear bed floor panels... I don't have a problem fabricating the Ranchero upper panel if I could locate the lower portion of the double panel which is the same as the wagon as shown in the pix of my Country Sedan (non grayed area is what I need)



As you can see the rest is pretty nice

 

Just a thought: If Scott is busy with school right now, have your other helper jump back in!

 

The other helper is tired of bare metal too...

 

The crude angle support braces were removed and new ones placed on the back side to clean up the back panel... minor clean-up of factory welds were done...

 

Good gawd.... Thom and Scott, you're doing a hell of a nice job on the Ranchero. I'm a little late to your party but I want to congratulate you both on the job you are doing. I may be a Chevy guy, but I have always had a soft spot for 57 Fords, especially the cheaper 300 series and Ranchero. It's not much of my business, but I've always liked the looks of Edsal S.W. tail lights in 57 Fords. Maybe you could incorporate them into your build, since it will be sort of the factory styling exercise that never came from the factory. Congrats again.... I have just found another thread to follow. I'm loving it !!

 

Wow! I haven’t seen this thread before, amazing work! Looks great with the retractable roof section.

 

Thanks for the feedback... the final prep work seems to take longer than the fabrication... and I can look at my wagon and it still looks that way from the factory... but, your lookin at three donor cars, cut up NOS rockers, and repro panels... I further I go the more I question the sanity... but, ya know you are not going to find a ding/dent free bed and I'd felt awful about putting NOS quarters on a car nice enough not to need them just to make a bed perfect...

 

Wow,just wow,I'm blown away by this work. One of my earliest memories is riding in my dads 57 Ranchero about a half hour SE of you in Columbiana.
Anyway,sounds like your still looking for bed panels so I'll throw up this
delivery I saw in a AZ junkyard last spring.I think it was hit in the front.


and a couple other Fomoco's in the same yard...





This was near Dolan Springs on 93

 

I couldn't get good pictures of the floor... and now you know why I avoided black on the roof panel... just to hard to photograph

I know I'm progressing out of sequence of a normal project... but, the project is kinda in a holding pattern until rear bed floor panels can be sourced... sealer primer should have been as far I needed to go and the additional work of masking and painting sections really isn't worth while... it just makes it feel like we are making some progress

 

Hey, there is a guy selling a '58 Ranchero with a Parts Ranchero. He is in Arizona, and the sheetmetal looks really good. Here is the listing and the phone number in the ad:

Ebay Item number:170735893965

MORE INFO CALL STEVE AT 928 681 3499

Maybe he'd let go of the parts ranchero??

Thought I'd help.

 

Waaaaayy cool, thanks.

 

Man looks nice! Alot better than what I'm working with......

As far as the bed panel you need Concours Parts has them in their catalog. It's the only place I seen them and they are proud of'em. Not sure of the quality either.

I thought about using them but my 57 was so bad I cut the whole top and botom floors out completly, and replaced it with a complete bed floor out of a late model f-150. It looks factory and was just only real way to go with all the rust issues I got.

 

Thanks for the Feedback Guys! I've been having a hard time finding enough time to make any major progress lately but hopefully I'll get somewhere on it before Christmas!

 

Unfortunately, it has to be... I seriously don't see the need for two 57's and the only way I can hope to get my investment back is to go for an "over the top" show quaulity... a style, I've never cared for... all my cars have been above avarage driver quaulity... I have more than the cost of a driver quality Ranchero now if I count the parts I going to use to complete it... not the smartest move on my part but no choice than to finish it

Anyways... a few more photos

I'll follow up on this... I found one in KY that was a western car that the floor was toast and most of the panels I need sound usable... haven't6 seen it or pixs yet... thanks again

Thier supplier was doing a market study at several supplier's expense... they never made the complete set... Obsolete & MAC had them listed too

 

Scott has the rear cab panel & rockers ready for paint too...

 

I'd appreciate it if you would post a photo... if you have read thru this thread - it isn't about my Ranchero... its about 57's and I wouldn't be going this route with it if I hadn't gone this far... I started off with a lot of stash and it would be good to have alternatives posted that didn't require chasing down 557 yr old parts

 

Scott hasn't been alble to pay much attention to the Ranchero... so if you are bored check out what the Ranchero tow truck will be pulling... we are starting back on this one...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431579

 

Its been a while... but, the Photoshop roof mod hit home again when I noticed this on another thread

 

Is that a T-bird Ranchero????? Boy, I'd like to see more pictures of this.

 

So would the guy who created it in Photoshop... but, it does give a good 3/4 view of what the roof restyle might look like



Also... I kinda like the simple piece of side trim on this... (sorry, not going Edsel front... just like the trim)

 

DOH! read right over the "photoshop" in the initial post. Sorry about that.

 

Looks gorgeous! I don't think they were ever that nice from the factory!