Projects 1953 mild custom build

My friend Tom Essenburg's '53 Ford mild custom he built back in the mid 60s. His wife is still looking for the Rod magazine it got featured in back then

Lee

 

Im tryin... wiring is next then firing up the engine, its sposed to be a good engine, fingers crossed!

 

Sorry to hear this Oliver. Good on you for getting after it.

Dave

 

Looks familiar....

 

We all have a ticking clock and having 3 little kids its too dang easy to get tunnel vision and let things fall by the wayside. Its a good wakeup call

 

Hard to "like" this post. Praying for your dad and your family.

 

Wow, almost a year later... so dad has the c word, not horrible though. Hes getting treatment and while its taking a toll on him, he should be okay. Would you believe it? I had 2 more kids in a year!? So the trailer is empty and over at my folks and the 53 is about to finally get hauled over here to finish!

 

Okay, it has begun!

1st I will pull the dash and paint and assemble the best components I have as well as placing and routing the wiring harness

 

Damn your about as bad as me haha how many projects are you doing at once??

 

Ummmm.... I have the custom roadster, I have my 30 model a roadster, I have dads 53 ford, I have my 33 dodge coupe, I have the model a roadster bits I was just given that Im putting together. I have a 37 chevy pickup, a 37 packard, a 66 charger to wrap up... a 56 merc wagon.... a 54 ford... thats...thats about it...maybe a few more here and there

 

So I started thinking about it.. while its still warm out I am going to dive into body and paint first. I can wire the car in the winter but paint gets considerably harder to accomplish during the fall and winter months. That said I started by frenching the drivers side headlight. I had done the pass side in the past but never finished
Next goal is to finish stripping, primering and blocking the entire front end. Then I will work my way back

 

Okay, before I could put the front end in primer, I needed to figure out my grill. I love the 55 grill in a shoebox and so does dad but its a lot easier to fit one in a 54 than a 53...surgery was required to get it right and I am now in the process of patching and blending it all back together to look intentional.

 

Cut some cancer out today and wheeled up a patch. Gonna weld it in tomorrow...inch by inch. Will wire wheel and zero rust whatever I can get at before covering it up

 

Front ends just about prepped for primer

 

Okay....huge change in this build and one I was on the fence about but am getting more and more excited about. My 1st car was a 1954 ford 4 door customline, 239 y block, 3 on the tree with overdrive. I still have it in fact. Its in primer, full of mice and has been sitting for 10-12 yrs. We have decided that the 54 isnt in very valuable condition. Instead of selling it for 800 bucks, we have decided to chassis swap these 2 cars! The 53 custom coupe will go onto the 54 chassis, it will get the overdrive trans a fresh clutch that was just installed in the 54 12 yrs ago and the 3x2 292 thats currently in the 53. This will also give the car ball joints! I will use the rear seat, dash and a handful of other bits as well

 

Double check the fit of the inner fender panels. Different cut outs for the suspension (kingpin vs. ball joints.). Also, not sure if 53/54 Ford is the same as Monarch here in Canada, but my 53 fenders wouldn't bolt onto 54 inners due to the rad support/inner fender panel mount design difference. I ended up modifying my 53 inners to clear the ball joint suspension.

 

I think the only way to accomplish my goal is to use the 54 front end on the 53 body all on the 54 chassis. This means unfrenching the headlights so I can reuse the rings or making new ones since in 54 they used pot metal. Big change but gonna be really neat. I will likely rob quite a bit from the 54

 

Chuggin along again, yanked the engine for a rattle can rebuild. Also pulled the front clip and body mounts in preparation for the body swap

 

More progress! Also confirmed its a 59-60 292.

 

More... engines definitely a low mile rebuild! What a score with the intake and carbs for 700!

 

Whatcha running for valve covers?

 

Undecided... not that set, theyre dented up, I have an earlier non script set. I also have a nicer script set... wish I had some old finned ones but idk

 

Might do something like this...
Chad adams AMBR car...

 

Gotcha. On my Y block I have just plain chrome ones but am gonna be taking them off soon..scored some Tbird ones at Albany swap, gotta have some holes filled first.

 

I ended up ordering some chrome ones this mornin. Only 53 bucks for a brand new set! T bird ones are cool. I like the vertical finned ones speedway sells though. 300+ is too much though... Its cleaned up, need to look into powervalves and jets for the carbs before puttin em back on.

 

Check out these. http://www.spotlitekustomaccessories.com/store/c3/Valve_Covers.html

 

Love those! Thats the style I like best! A set of chrome ones will be here monday though, only 53 bucks shipped!

 

Bit of inner rocker progress today! Made a video on it
Here are the pics though for those of you who dont want to watch my incredibly entertaining and tediously edited short film...

 

Looks like nice work. My 52 needed a bunch of inner rocker and floor support work but I had to work around an already nicely painted body, my 53 needs the same work. Must be common on these bodies.

 

I think so, my buddy has one down at his shop, needs the same stuff, he said too much hassle. Honestly, not that hard as long as your careful about making sure the door still fits right