Hot Rods 57 FORD Build #2... Glutton for Punishment.

I had heard of this conversion years ago but never seen one. I had no idea that a hurst had become that crazy. I will keep an eye open just in case I stumble on something. My generation bought used 4 speeds with the shifter more often than not. $100 to $200 was a normal price.

 

Don’t go calling me a fellow Ford pal!! Haha!
I’m a die hard Dodge guy who rescued a derelict Meteor destined to be crushed, I'm ecstatic that someone can use the parts, I sent a bunch to a H.A.M.B. member in Texas and almost everything else usable will be headed to Jeff.

I am beyond excited to be getting an early Hemi to build for my ‘57 Fargo.

I cannot thank @Jeff Norwell enough for making a dream come true.

 

Hurst pretty much abandoned the early Ford 4-speed market a few years ago. You can still get the shifter, but no install kits. There is still some NOS stuff floating around

 

I built my 59 to be a 4 speed colum shift last winter. I used the iron case 3+OD T170F out of a 1979 Granada/Mustang. The 4 speed toploader is the same externally other than the 3/4 shift lever is reversed. I had to weld mine and it is in perfect alignment for the origional 3 speed colum shift.

I will totally agree that the colum shift arms and linkage are quite stout surprisingly. No stamped steel, all machined parts very solidly made. I had only worked on 70s colum shifts prior to this 59 and they were complete junk. I know I'm showing my age here....

Jeff, I'm very intrigued by your reverse strategy, I have yet to permanently figure mine out. For the last summer I've been using a universal cable for a hydraulic valve tucked away under the seat. I'd like to have something period or at least something more stout. I was going to use a PTO cable but I never found one I was happy with. What I have now isn't rugged enough for long term use, I have it pulling the lever into reverse, and springs aid in pulling it back into Neutral. I'd rather a stout push/pull cable with a rack and pinion type of lever in the cab.

 

This shows the cable going through the tunnel ending up under the bench seat. This is just a temporary measure so I could drive it last summer.


This is the best shot I could get of the trans end of the linkage. It's not as pretty under there. I didn't paint the case as I didn't think anyone would see it! The springs are the temporary


Another shot of the Reverse cable

The "shifter" for Reverse. It just floats under the seat until i find a better solution.

 

Some small locking shifters and and throttle control in the boat world . Check out your local marina or boat repair /wrecker .

 

Wow, that shift rod assembly looks factory nice, Jeff ! As I recall Jay had that 406 in a 58 ford, so probably using the same column and shifter assembly like in a 57. 4 on the tree is just awesome. My German 1964 Ford Taunus Wagon has a factory setup including Reverse, guess we Euro guys are just more used to 3 pedals. using the Shoebox OD cable for reverse sounds great, as they also have nice knobs. But just to remind you, there was also a 57 OD cable and the knob looks exactly the same as the hood pull, or you could even use another 57 hood release cable, grind off the hood script. It may look neat (and factory) under dash. just saying.

 

Jeff a fellow 57 nut from Hayward, WI (now passed) used the OD cable for his "4 on the tree" conversion. I did not see the under car hookup but he mounted the OD cable in the stock location. Looked 100% factory. He said it worked perfect.

 

This is where I snuck my fuse panel in. I made a sub-plate and mounted it on standoffs so it was off the floor. I cut the carpet out around it.

Yes, the floor is that clean, shot it with a quart of Duplicolor white after cleaning it and priming it.

 

Jeff, this website has a pic: https://www.gaaclassiccars.com/vehicles/25049/1957-ford-fairlane-500.
I didn't have a 57 with od but we had a 58 and a 59. The knob was above the accelerator pedal on both of those. For the young who might be reading this, the od knob was for lock out only. The actual od was done by electric solenoid on the trans controlled by the throttle arm on the engine.

 

...jeeze I hope that's when it's engaged in that pic...

 

That 4 speed on the column is so flipping cool!!!
Mercedes Benz used a 'four on the tree', with a dogleg reverse on the column too, in all of their '50's sedans.

 

I was not aware that the OD cables were that stout. The ones I've looked at (on the interwebs) looked more like a choke cable which would pull but not push. I had no luck finding an R11 overdrive to mate up with the wide ratio 3 speed I had before. Those who have a Borg Warner R11 overdrive tail housing kicking around....those are almost gold now. The R10 is more affordable, but no one really wants an overdrive on their 6cyl. The gas hungry V8s are worth the time for OD.

@Jeff Norwell I was very close to putting a 5 speed in mine and cutting a hole in the floor....cheap easy to come by and reliable. But there is just something so unassuming about a colum shifter and my generation has no idea what that is. There were very few colum shift manuals left when I was young (80s). But we all had econoboxes with 3 pedals then.

 

Having the reverse on a OD cable will also be a nice anti-theft feature. Park the car in reverse and that will lock out all forward gears....

 

i love it, i thought of a 4 on the tree, but thought it was too "out there" to try. I was mistaken, last 4 on the column i saw had reverse as a pull lever/switch under the dash like that of the handbrake.

 

Imagine this: old guy gets in the car to back away from curb. Car starts going forward. WTH! His 1st thought is "who worked on this?"

 

Okay, educate me on this. Being an old shoebox overdrive guy, do you push the cable in for reverse or pull it out?

 

Pull it out of course. If it were an overdrive, you'd want to manually disengage the OD so the car won't coast away when parked if left in gear.

 

Fantastic work! Love this buld....close to my heart!

 

The weak link I found in all the early '60s column shifters I drove was the lever collar. After countless banging, the roll pin holding the lever starts digging a trench in the collar causing slack in the lever. My wife had to drive my '65 Cyclone once and busted her knuckles open on the dashboard. Next car I bought her had to have a floor stick.

Joe

 

When I was 15, (early 70's) I worked in a Texaco Station. The on duty mechanic had a early 60's Ford Econoline Van with cragers on it. I though what a waste of wheels on a 6cyl van. (I had a 65 mustang 6 cyl 3 speed with chrome slots, so who was I kidding!) One day he has the side doors open working on a flat tracker motorcycle inside the van. I walk over to look and he says if you ain't busy would you check my oil. I get the dog house off and there sits a 289. I find out in the conversation it has a 4 speed on the column. I asked how bout reverse. He said look under the drivers seat. There was a knob and a cable. I have told this before and everybody just looks at me like.