1952-59 Ford Kovid Kustomline build thread

My dad and I are just over one year into building my 1955 Customline which will be a mild kustom when finished, and thus the ***le. I haven't and most likely wont post this on the main board due to some of the non-traditional components in the engine compartment and the wheels it is currently rolling on. Besides, you guys will enjoy it a lot more than the folks outside of this group anyway.

The overall concept is to modernize the drive train while keeping the exterior of the car looking like it was a late 50's to early 60's custom. So far I think I will be able to accomplish this other than the modern Ford Ranger wheels I'm currently running. Wheel covers can always be added later so I'm not sweating this minor detail as of now.

The plan is to lower the ride height with Granada spindles and aerostar springs up front and 3" blocks out back. The engine is a 1987 Mustang 5.0 with an E303 cam hooked to an AOD transmission, which turns the 1957 Ford wagon 9" rear running 3.50 gears. So far, all of this has been accomplished.

Some of the customization will come through running a 1955 Plymouth grill, 1959 Buick tail lights, 1956 Ford Dash, and shaving of the bumper guards and several emblems.

Anyway, here are two photobucket stories that show our progress up to this point. There is a video in the first part, that I shared here a while back, where we fire the engine up. Part two will bring you up to date as of this past weekend. At this point, we pretty much just need to install the wiring harness and hook up the gauges and we are ready for the maiden voyage around the block.

I can't thank my dad enough for the work he as put into this car when my schedule wouldn't allow me to come out and work on it with him. His knowledge and the information in this group have been invaluable during this build.

Anyway, enough talk, here are the links:

An idea of where it is headed


Where it started - https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/media/albums/2004.47612/

Where it is now - https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/media/albums/1955-ford-kustomline.32796/

 

Looks great and don't worry about the main board most are d bags. post here where you will get the help you need and your work will be appreiciated.

 

Thanks Big Shawn.

 

That is one Kool ride!!! I'm kind of a Customline kind of a person. Click on crusin55 in the upper left corner and see many pics of my ride. Mine is a different theme (street racer) for the late 50's and early 60's.

This is a clone of what I drove in high school. Did tons of boulevard light to light racing with it and won most of them. Wasn't brave enough to go for Pink Slip.

It was my everyday driver, met my wife of over 50 years with a ride just like I'm driving now.

Enjoying life to fullest.........Don't forget to stop and smell the Roses once in awhile!!!!

 

this is an awesome ride.....i'm working on my '55 Mainline at the moment, actually we're traveling very similar lines, I picked up a '55 Plymouth Grill for mine back about a month ago, got the '59 Buick tail lights installed, for now mine will be primer black with a blue top, but eventually going to 2-tone blue...keep the pictures coming looking forward to them, i'll throw some of mine up once I get a few more things done

 

Thanks guys. Crusin - I've checked out your ride a time or two and you have a great looking ride there. Congrats on the 50 years of marriage as well.

Officer B - Looking forward to seeing some pictures of your ride. Really curious on how you did the Buick tail lights. They look like the install will be pretty straight forward but if there were any gotcha's, I'd love to hear them.

 

the tail lights were simple, took a total of 15 mins to install, had to drill a couple new holes but it was simple as can be, on another note how hard was it to get your grill mounted? my dad and I haven't tackled that part of the project yet

 

We haven't mounted the grill as of yet. In my profile picture it was just resting on the Macs box, under the center bar, and the fenders and hood were just sitting in place to get an idea of it would all look. The fenders will be going back on permanently this weekend so I should have a better idea after that on how the grille will mount. My grille actually came with the original mounting brackets so hopefully I can just use those which "I think" will then mount to the radiator core support.

 

Awesome, please take plenty of pictures if you get to that stage, sadly mine doesn't have the mounting brackets but for the price I couldn't complain. I'm trying to get mine half ways done running and driving for my car clubs annual cruise night in June

lol plus everyone whos looked at it a week ago thinks I'm krazy so I gotta prove them wrong

 

Yesterday, we were able to finally taker her out on her maiden voyage around the block. Still have a few things to work on before heading out on a longer journey but it was awesome finally getting to enjoy some fruits of all the labor. Enjoy this little video.

http://youtu.be/8nn7MN1dHNg

 

I posted a video above of the maiden voyage but here are a few pictures from the day. Still need to do some work on the brakes, get it wired, and then aligned but it is driveable now.

 

awesome....can't wait till I can do that in mine

 

Not much has changed since the last update due to the busy summer months. My dad has been working to get the brakes ****oned up a tad better and has also gotten the Plymouth grill and Buick tail lights in. Anyone know where to find the clips that hold the trim on that goes around the grill opening?

Next up is to get the wiring done so we have some gauges. Will probably also start working on some body work as it makes sense to paint it now before we put the windows all back in it. Here are a few updated pictures.

 

As long as you don't be a **** and put a sbc in it I think it is a totally a nice car.

 

The clips for the moulding around the grille opening and across the bonnet are available from Macs and Teebird products. Restoration specialties have hem also.

 

Thanks Rick55 I looked on Macs site but may have just missed them. I'll take another look. Fordsbyjay, I'm running a sbf ('87 5.0) so as of right now I p*** the **** test There are some engine pictures in my album on here for anyone that cares to see under the hood.

 

Dpn..

very cool ride, of course I'm partial to '55 Customlines. That grille looks like it grew there. I wouldn't worry about the main board dips...I don't think they necessarily understand mild customs in general for the most part.

Brodie

 

Little update on this build as I was finally able to get back out to the car this past weekend. I took my 15 year old daughter with me and subsequently on her first ride in the '55. We had a great time riding around in it and the day was beautiful.

As for the car, all of the wiring is now in the car. All gauges, lights, and signals work. We went with the EZ-Wiring 21 circuit harness and mounted it high up on the firewall to the left of the steering column. It is out of the way and not easily viewed while sitting in the car. We have also sorted out the brakes and made some minor adjustments to the engine. We have also s****ped the use of the GM 605 power steering box and gone back with a rebuilt stock manual steering box. The feel is so much better over the twitchiness of that 605 box. Now I see why no one uses them anymore. There are still a few minor mechanical issues to work on (new rear shocks and bigger sway bar from Nascar Dave) but all in all we are done with the mechanical and are moving to body work soon. I think we have also decided to change the paint scheme up a bit and go with white body and blue metal flake roof.

Here are a few pictures from this past weekend.

Coming


Going


Ride Height




She thinks this is going to be her first car - LOL

 

I'm really digging your '55! Your daughter looks like she loves it too.

 

Hey man my first car was a 1955 Fairlane Club Sedan... back in 1991 even!

 

Dude, that is one awesome ride. You did it exactly as it should be done: simple, sweet, low, and understated.
Hat's off to you, Sir!

 

Very well done.

 

I like the column shift knob, where did you find it?

 

GReat Job MR 55,Im kustomizing a 56 vicky.Like the plymouth grill.What year buick are those taillight lens from? Thanks Mike

 

Thanks guys for all the positive comments. I've had a blast building the car with my dad. I think Y-Blokkah nailed it when he said Simple, Low and Understand which were all the things I was looking to do with this car.

Jsprengeler - the shift knob and turn signal knobs came from a company called American Shifter.

Mikehett - the taillights are from a 1959 Buick. I believe the 1960 Buick will fit as well but they have a different look to them.

 

Dos Cincos, I sent you a PM yesterday about the radio. Please get back to me if you still want it.

 

Just replied. Thanks man. Looking forward to it.

 

I've had several folks here pm me asking how the Plymouth grill is attached in my '55. I will start by saying I was lucky to get the original Plymouth grill brackets included with my grill. This picture was taken in the opening between the grill and the gravel shield.



One end of the bracket attaches where the outer two grill ends attach to the center grill bar. The other end is then attached to the radiator core support panels (the panels that go along the front of the engine compartment from the radiator to the inner fender). It is my belief that the original mounting location for the Plymouth grill was to either side of the Plymouth radiator support but I haven't verified that. If so, the Plymouth had a slightly wider radiator than the Fords. I do know that the bracket originally had the lower tab (part with two slots) bent 90* from where it sits now so that it originally would have been bent into the engine compartment as it sits now. We bent the lower tab to its current position and drilled the new mounting holes. We also added two mounting holes out towards the ends of the grill using long bolts to go from the back of the grill to this same radiator core support panel. I wasn't able to get a good picture of that mounting location. Hope that helps.

 

Well I thought this thread was long lost but I have been able to find the build thread I started over 7 years ago!
My dad and I were able to make pretty decent progress on the car during the year that I posted updates and then "life" got in the way and I stopped working on it as much. My dad made some progress on it during that time but he had his own project going so this one got pushed to the side for a few years.
Earlier this year I was able to move the car out of my dad's garage (60 miles away) and into mine. Since then I have been making steady progress on her (seat belts, new fuel pump, hazard lights, and lots of body work) while still driving her every chance I get. I'll try to update some of the dead links in here as well as post more pictures of my progress as I go. This was taken yesterday afternoon on a drive around town.

 

Good to see you back on it.