Projects 57 Ranch Wagon - the solution to the winter blues.

This is encouraging to me for an update on my 59 Ranch Wagon, love the 57 bro. ~Sololobo~

 

yep... that's pretty sweet!!!

 

Hey Fred - How did I miss this thread until today? I really like what you do with your cars, this is another great project! Those photos you have taken the time to take and post are fantastic - a real depiction of the great countryside in your area of the province. Good work!

 

nice wagon

 

Thanks guys.
I enjoy playing in the shop and sharing a bit.

I love reading other folks build threads. Each one is different and they all provide a little motivation to get me back in the shop. There's plenty of highly skilled folk out there and I'm often amazed by what they do. I'm just a back yard car junky who likes getting greasy.

 

Well, the Ranchero is heading stateside next week.

The new owner wanted stock wheels instead of chrome. Happy sales are good sales so off to the shop today to make the switch.



Drops it even lower too. Havent quite figured out how we gunna get it out of here next week... but thats next week.

So a little new chrome for the Wagon I guess.



It'll be better with the Areostar springs in it to drop it 3 inches.

Focus is now totally on the wagon with my eyes out for a pre 59 convertible

 

Same bore on a 360 as a 390, right? A set of Edelbrock heads and a stroker crank, and it should be as good as any FE short of a side-oiler.

Too bad an FE doesn't like to fit in a Falcon so well, as I have a '74 360 myself, and a set of E400 valve covers...

-Dave

 

real nice find, looks like it has potential, and id sooner drive a 360 than puch it . lots of luck with your build

 

Been a total slack ass and have got nothing done.
Parts are stacking up, I just need the time to get back into the shop to fly at it.

Have been switching back and forth between real world and graveyard shifts and the only skid marks in my driveway have been where my ass is dragging.



Just getting out in the shop to give it a sweep today gets me jazzed about the wagon.


Hope everyone has a safe and healthy New Year!
cheers from Vernon, B.C.

 

Same to ya Fred. What wheels are on the car in the above picture? Looks like chrome steels with baby Moons, or Smoothies I think they're called nowadays.

 

A left jab to the ribs....

Yep, i sold the stock wheels with the ranchero. Needed something to roll it around on.

 

Look pretty good on there me thinks.

 

True, true......................Wasn't aware, that all the parts swapping was gonna' happen!!!!!!

 

Finally a little time in the shop today.
Next weekend I'll get that intake installed with a little luck. This working for a living blows!



An open letter to Henry.


Dear Henry,
Havent been in touch for a while, I havent heard from you since my last email, then again you've got a good reason for not writing back, your dead.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I'm not really pleased about the way your boys designed the 360. Maybe you and old Tom Edison were puffing on a hooka pipe when the boy's said, "" We're going to run the push rods through the intake manifold, you good with that Henry?" Must have sounded like a good idea at the time.

I suspect you had invested pretty heavy in American Steel Inc to have come up with the idea of pouring a 80 pound intake for the top of the sucker. I'm not quite sure what to do with it now that's its been removed. I do now notice I'll need to lower the front end to regain the low ride height I wanted now that it's been extracted from the top of the motor. Sure does leave a huge wasteland with it heaved off there.

Another thing extracted today is my left nut from heaving that beast off. I have since designed a leather nutsack with a mechanical lifter to help push it back into place. No worries as my gig as a baritone in the local All Mens sing along was up for revue anyway.

So carry on being dead and say hi to Edsel when you see him and please ask him to forgive my comments about that grill looking like a ladies private parts hanging off the front of his namesake as I'm taking a liking to it the older I get.

Cheers,
Lono.

PS... I dont really feel like I'm suffering from battered wife syndrome anymore. Adding a lipstick red Chev to my collection provides that added boost of confidence. I know you'll be glad to hear that.

 

Great thread thanks, I love the long-roof's even the, ahhh you know "late model" '57's. LOL

 

I've heard that people have tied those intakes to a rope and dragged 'em up and down the driveway to knock down the high spots. Pulled one of those off my buddies 352, found my right nut in my sock.

 

Lono , I have done that drill with an FE intake in a '69 Ford 4x4 and I am lucky to have all my digits intact , when lower it lets just say I missed a little! Finding an aluminum intake second hand won't be hard at a swap meet and MUCH lighter.Rob.
P.S. : If you want a iron 4 barrel intake I know where there is one reasonable.

 

Thanks much, but I'm good. Will be installing the Weiand tomorrow if time allows. With that under the belt, the floors come next.

 

Dear Mr Wieand;
Thank you for making a nice lightweight intake for my 360. It sure was a treat slipping that vintage puppy into place. My friend Ford Fellow ( I'm sure you've hear of him, he's a legend up in our parts) gave me the torque measurments and the old girl just nicely slipped into place. I'll be sure to pass your name onto Mr Ford who seems to have a thing for fat bottomed intakes.

Best regards,
One Hangz Lo



So ends the weekends limited shop time. I guess getting a little is better than nuthin..

 

yep, was a good couple days. I managed to get about 6 hours in this weekend.
Mounted the 90 degree oil filter adapter, made the linkage, hooked up a few wires and plopped the air filter in place.
Next weekend I can finally turn to working on the Flintstone floor.

It aint the most purdy mill but it looks like she's been in there for a long while.

 

Car is cool but your garage is to kill for!

 

Thanks mate.
I have to get a buddy over to help hang the hood so I can see if I've got clearance using that rad. If so I can get rid of them dumb ass mounts.

 

Big holes cut and ground clean then fired up the welder, heavy guage and a heavy hammer and plugged the holes.Wacked it with rust mort first and a little rubber shoots to close it up. Should keep the feet dry.



Now, just enough time to go in and deal with the honey do list, eat dinner and sip on a fine beer or two and get ready for the final full week of being a working stiff.

I guess the next project will be to pull the rear seat, the insdie trim and start looking at colours so I can order up upholstery and carpet.

 

nice car you have. heres mine

 

Yep, very sweet ratster.

Leaping ahead a bit again but this one still stands out in my mind in satin with a red/black interior and stainless grill.

 

Time to take a break from the Plymouth Sedan Delivery project and get back to the wagon. It's been calling out and finally grabed me by the short hairs and said, "Hey remember me?"







I was under it and welded in the minimal rust in the rockers. Now I'll focus on the interior moldings and dash, prep them for paint and blast them and the jams this weekend.

 

After the paint has cured, my good friend Kelly ( http://www.kellyskustoms.ca/pinstriping.html ) will be going at it.

I promised him I'd leave him in the shop to have his way with it. I have no idea what he's got planned but his exact words were, " friggin awesome!"


He's done my 31 roadster, 57 Fairlane, 50 Merc and a shop sign for fun...

 

I love it. My 62 Comet wagon is on the lift right now!

 

Fred - good to see you're getting back to the wagon - that's a friggin awesome car!