Featured Projects Bought a 51 Ford on Purpose

I would bet that if you chalk the tops of those bump stops you will find that you are bouncing off of them more often than you think.

 

man that gauge is cool! Mine were replaced when I got it, and I'm too lazy to swap um back, lol. But that thing looks awesome!

 

So, after reading everything here, I think I may still look at flipping the uprights. If we can get it right and use them as patterns for Sid to make them repeatably, he would have another product and I would have cheap dropped uprights. Seems easier than dropping a solid axle like he does every day. The note on a steering stop is good to consider. Although, I guess I have wiped those off of several old Chevy pickup lower control arms to add clearance when cutting springs and getting them to sit right.

 

@lostn51 Tell me and others about that 1" sway bar! Aftermarket kit? How'd ya do it? Shoeboxers wanna know!

Dave

 

I used short urethane bump stops on my '51.

Dave

 

Unfortunately they are not being made any more but my dad won a complete suspension kit from JAMCO at one of the 1949-1951 Ford/Mercury Club Nationals one year and he was able to pick out what he wanted and it was the big sway bars and new factory height springs front and rear. I have the rear swaybar in the attic somewhere just never got up there to get it to install.

 

You wouldn’t know what the part number is or what they were supposed to fit would you?

 

Wish I could! That's been a few years. Don't even rememeber where I got them but they were a universal item. I'll try to remember what and where.

Dave

 

I know there are lots of generic urethane bumpers that are used in things like C notches for lowered pickups. I have used some of those before in other stuff after some kit I bought years ago had some.

 

Since I drive by this car pretty much every day in town, decided to stop and take some pics this evening when I realized it is somewhat the opposite of @lostn51 cars.

One thing I never noticed until tonight is that as nice as this car is, someone cheaped out on the tires and put port-a-walls on it.

 

Sweet!!!! That is one nice looking woody and looks like you went back in time sitting in front of a dealership. Are you sure that you’re not living in a time warp or something because all the photos so far look like time stopped. Does 1.21 gigawatts mean anything to you????

 

LOL! I always thought I was born too late. That is likely why I live in a historic town. I drove the car to work again this morning and there is a real cool Sinclair station here that has been open since the late 30's if I remember right. Maybe I can get a pic there as well to keep you guessing.

 

Dammit Jeff I was hoping that I would be able to work on some hot rods this fall and winter but if you keep this up I might be buying a bank and moving.

 

Dont know why but fantastic deals fall in Jeffs lap.

 

I can't deny that Don. God has given me opportunity to be the caretaker of some pretty neat cars.

 

For @lostn51 to keep him guessing what year I am living in.

 

I just hope that if I can get out there to see you that I can get the right year……

 

We had one here in my hometown of Cameron. I never thought to take a picture of it and it has been gone for years along with the Ford, Studebaker, and Ford tractor dealerships.

 

I’ve been looking at a reproduction one cast from aluminum that is around 6’ tall on eBay to put in my backyard next to my garage but would rather find an original one.

 

File this under "HAMBrs helping HAMBrs" - On big dips and crappy highways (like nj on my last long trip) the car seemed to really take the hits hard - two people and a bunch of stuff made it even worse...my car has stock springs and uprights, with 1" blocks between the spring seats and lower control arms (giving me 2 inches of drop) I never even considered the bump stops. When I got home from the trip, I wanted to rip out the whole front suspension - instead I just ripped out these

Notice how clean they are on top compared to the rest. Can see the witness marks on the frame too.

It's now back to taking the hits like a "normal" old car - thanks for the thoughts and conversation on this thread! After returning from that trip, I actually got a quote from POL on the old jamco ball joint front suspension system they sell....by the time I added a master, sway bars and shipping it was going to be $2,700! Just gonna keep my old car "old" instead.

 

Good deal! The only reason I thought of them was my 56 rode similar to what you are describing before I pulled them and made them shorter.

Oh, and after another 100 or so miles on the car today, I am just under 600 miles total in the last couple weeks. Seems reliable to me. I still want to swap all the hoses and that u-joint before the Hot Rod Hundred though.

I did get to watch it go down the road since a buddy asked me to drive his Model A roadster to his house after our local show. So, I let my son drive the shoebox. Trying to get him back interested in an old car. He hasn’t had one since he sold the Edsel.

 

@ididntdoit1960 , Don't take this the wrong way, but that frame looks pretty rusty. If you don't already know about it, shoebox Fords have a tendency to have the steering box mounting bolts rust out, allowing the steering box to fall free, leading to disastrous consequences. From the overall looks of the bottom of your car, I'd take a good close looks at them and the overall condition of the frame and frront suspension as well.

 

Thanks for your concern and shit shaming me on someone else's thread that I posted on to thank them...car spent the first 55 years of its life in West Texas and the last 19 in a warehouse in the northeast - every bit of sheet metal on the car is original and not rotted, same with the frame - ya, it's ugly - sure, I'll likely get around to cleaning it up at some point....do me a favor and put me on your ignore list

 

I'm sorry you took it the wrong way. Not many people know about the shoebox steering box bolt problems, so I thought I'd make you aware of it. As they say, "A word to the wise....".

I do not have an "Ignore" list.

 

I’ve had the bolts snap while driving around in one of my ‘51’s before…..not pretty. I was turning into my apartment complex that sat on a very busy street and while I was trying to turn into the place is when I heard the POP and it stopped steering mid turn. The only bolt holding the steering box on was the one on top that was attached to the tab. It took a while but we managed to get it to my apartment without tearing up too much and fixed it while taking up a few spaces that were assigned for someone else. Water gets into the frame and rust those bolts and if you run radial tires like I was it puts one hell of a strain on them and SNAP! After that happened I always replace those bolts with grade 10 as soon as I buy one just because

 

Jeff you’ve put more miles on your Shoebox in the past couple of weeks than I put on my daily driver in a year.
Hell I need to get out more……

 

Makes a difference when just get to and from work every day is about 60 miles. It’s been to work three times now.

And, I think I need to check the steering gearbox bolts now.

 

Yeah it sucks blocking rush hour traffic for a half hour trying to jockey an old hot rod into an entrance. You would not believe all the names one can be called while you’re doing it