Well figured I'd share my project and what I've been fiddling with. I'll have plenty of questions going through this process, I haven't much built anything for over a decade. Welding skills are crap now, and I have forgotten more than I care to brag about. Guess that's what military does to you when you're never around, lol. Been doin' up newer cars and what not, but old skool is where my heart's always been since I was a kid, and since I worked up some cash and time, I bought this car and been working on it. Kinda fell in love with her when I saw her. Was told it was originally a TX car that sat in field for several years, and was reworked a bit down there for a shop car. She's a joy to drive. Right now I'm working on doin' up a radiator support for her. Only found 1 replacement that I wasn't willing to buy since they don't repop these anywhere that I know of. So I'm in the middle of cutting out the rust through and making it a bit stronger. More pics to come, just figured I'd share my Fair"lady".
fyi there is a site on the net called "the old car manual project" which has a complete 58 ford shop manual accessable on line and free. it helped me a ton when I was doing my 58 fairlane 500 jim
It currently has a 352/C4 that I was told is out of a late 60's car. So there's not a whole lot original on it. There was one screw holding the radatior in and the top of the radiator support was already butchered to fit it. So I don't feel to bad keeping this thing very original. I did pick up a 390/C6 from a '76 truck for about $300 just to not miss out on the opportunity. In my area though, I can't find many people, much less people I can trust to rebuild an FE. Some don't even want to. Everything is new cars or LS swaps. So to maintain some sort of reliability/driveability while doing road trips for shows, etc, I've been seriously considering finding an F-250 of whatever year with a 5.8/E4OD, or possibly an EFI 460, and swap out the whole drivetrain, minus rear end. Motor runs fine now other than a somewhat leaking freeze plug and the 4-barrel not working (just 2 work at WOT). It's just a driver right now. My main concern for now will be working out the suspension and getting that right so I can enjoy the ride. Feel free to bounce back ideas, I'm still in the planning stages.
Thanks for the heads up! I have a manual I bought that's helped me out some. Doesn't do much for wanting to fab stuff, lol. What's interesting is I found out that these cars had a model with factory air ride. Thought that was interesting.
I plan on it. I'd like to arrest some of the rust it does have so it doesn't find Jesus (get holey) after a few road trips in the rain. But yes, I love the way it looks.
Thanks! I can't credit much of where it is now to myself, but I'll be leaving it mostly the same. The stance will get lower with air ride, but that's pretty much what ride height will look like.
Someone was making radiator supports for the '57 out of fiberglass, forget who. Does it fit the '58, I'm not sure. Owens Salvage in Texas may have parts for the '58.
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