Customs My 50' 4-Door Shoebox

Next I wanted to get the front end down so I went the inexpensive route and did the Aerostar springs. Also bought a new tie rod upgrade kit from shoebox central. I smashed the crap out of my finger during the swap and lost track of taking pictures. Here is a an after shot.... Added some moon screw on' or I should say knock offs they aren't genuine moon ones. Some people may not like the way it looks but I like it. This is how it sits for now.

 

What did you do to get the back down? Like the way it looks.

 

SLICK!
Car looks great...
I lowered my 49 and other upgrades with parts from Shoebox Central.
Running wide whites on it and may run beauty rings like you did. But the full "moons" are great too.

Better check your under dash wiring - nearly set mine on fire last week! Main feed from solenoid to the amp meter shorted against the gauge cluster. Original frayed wiring. Circuit breaker kept clicking so I went under dash to look for shorts. It sparked big time and lit right up! Finally got the wire pulled and blew it out.

New wiring harness is next on the list...................

 

Hey critchdizzle I used 3" lowering blocks in the rear. Ruffdawg my wiring is def questionable. It has been converted to 12 volt but it's pretty sketchy under the dash. I always have my fire extinguisher handy, lol. I would like to rewire it this winter. I've heard the rebel kits are really nice for the money. I have never wired up a complete car so it's going to be an adventure.

 

Got my front seat back from the upholstery shop. Color is pretty spot on with the door panels and exterior. I just kept it simple as everyone knows interior can be crazy expensive. Hopefully after Christmas is over I can get the rear seat done. Sorry for the crappy picture, the seat is still in two pieces I haven't bolted it back together. I will get a few shots once it's back in the car.

 

Looks nice !

 

Nice job on the build so far !!

 

Looks great love the color!

 

You really have yourself one sweet ride.

 

Thanks again everyone for all the kind words ! I need some advice on a wiring kit. I have never wired up a car before and need a user friendly kit. Heard some good things about rebel kits but need your guys opinions on what would work best. Thanks !!!!

 

Looking pretty good. Thank you for getting rid of that horrendous fake patina, that was hard on the eyes.

 

Everyone that I've seen says to go with Rebel wiring.

 

I used a harness from Centech in my Shoebox. Used one in my friend Craig's Shoebox and installed one in Homadehardtop57's roadster a couple months ago. Good quality stuff for a decent price. If you look in my build thread , I believe I have a part number listed .

 

People who don't like 4 doors just make them more affordable for those of us who do like them. Once you get into the '50s. they built a lot more 4 doors than 2 doors, so there are more of them to start with. Buying a wiring harness (Rebel Wire makes a very good one) is the way to go. Your old wiring was good in its day, but the insulation is crumbling 65 years later, and it's been spliced and no telling what. A car like this has a pretty simple and basic electrical system. Wiring your car will be easy if you just take your time, follow the directions, and wire one circuit at a time, keeping it neat with zip ties and using grommets any time your wiring is passing through metal.

 

Hey Buddy I will have to check out the Centech kits. Did you buy direct from them or another vendor ? Thanks again for all the help !!!!!!!

 

I bought it direct from them. Jim is a good dude, and can certainly help you out, figuring out what wires you need for your points/electronic ignition , signal stat or gm column switch ... That kinda stuff , to make sure you get the wiring you need.

http://www.centechwire.com

 

Sweet ! I will have to give them a call. I would like to get it wired up this winter so it's ready to cruise in the spring. Hopefully it will be a good learning experience....

 

Just looked on my build thread , we used kit #k-40b on both shoeboxes. Plenty of circuits for everything you may or may not need .

 

The less you know about wiring the better off you will be with a kit. As we all know, real men don't read instructions, but read the directions that come with the kit and you will be fine. The reward you will get when you pull the switch and the light comes on, knowing you did it yourself is priceless. Just take your time and route everything neatly and out of harms way. Keep the directions in the car so if you have any problems on the road you will be able to trace the problem. Once you understand it, it's rather straightforward.

 

Really good looking ride.

 

Thanks everyone for all the info on tackling the wiring. I will be sure to post what kit I end up buying and my progress. The front seat is still sitting on my garage floor... Hopefully I can get one of my buddies over to help me put it in. I did find this trunk lock for 13 bucks and it isn't perfect by any means but it's a heck of a lot nicer than my old one !

 

Wow, car looks spectacular now . When people see it they will see a cool car instead of first impression of a goofy paint job as previous. You are making some nice changes. Keep it up.

 

Got the front seat set in with the help of my awesome wife ! My dad was doing some metal work at his place and made some new seat brackets for me. The old ones were gone when I bought it and the previous owner had the seat mounted to some "custom" 4x4 wooden posts. I still need to mount it to the floor but this is how it sits for now.

 

oh yes...that looks very good...how about install 1 big or 2 little stripes from this blue leather at the doors inside?

 

Looks great!

 

I haven't touched the car in the last week or two except took it out for a nice cruise a few days before Christmas. I did order up a Lokar shifter with the advice of a fellow Hamber.. It came in today so I put it in. Still have to remove the column shift lever and the old linkage. The transmission inspection cover will have to be modified as well. It was just too sketchy for me to have it setup the way the previous owner did. I was worried about it dropping into gear and running through the neighbors garage door or worse running myself or someone else over.

 

Nice ! You'll like the Lokar . The tunnel cover won't be that bad to fab up.

 

Ever think about some white scallops?

...or?

 

I have definitely thought about scallops and played with some tape. I also like shoeboxes in one solid color. If I had a buddy or knew someone who could do it I would probably go for it. I don't have the skill set to do it and they would probably end up looking like my 2 yr old daughter did them, lol....

 

Oh My..
I read every post, and each time you added a picture of it's progress I smiled..
Excellent job, and really cool car.
Nothing wrong with the Moordoors, and you have done this one very proud..
I like it a lot !
Only addition I personally might consider would be '57 Caddy Hubcaps...but I am close to 72 years old soooo...