Thanks for the props guys. Rebel, I will probably hit you up for a harness in the future when I rewire the car. I have some wierd electrical gremlins on this thing. SquireDon, I've read your blog, it was one of the things that turned me on to the body style of the 58. Not going to get anything done on the car this weekend. I have spent the last 4 or 5 weekends doing car stuff, now I get to go shopping! Yay... I did manage to get the pinion seal fixed on the rear end, although I have to admit I took it to a shop, it is way to hot here to be in my garage. Had them replace the U-joint too while they were at it.
I have the best wife ever, even after putting up with car stuff the last 4 weekends, she suggested we take the wagon out shopping this evening. May not of got any work done, but I did cruise around with my family. Not a bad evening! Funny thing is the stroller fits better in the 58 Ford than it did in my old Dodge Magnum or the loaner SUV we have at the moment.
Update: It has been a while since I updated this thread. I haven't really done a lot to the car the last month and a half. I have been driving it to work most days. Battery took a dump on me a couple weeks ago, so I am running a marine battery right now. My dad had an old (~4-5 years) Optima battery that I am considering putting in, it took a charge good. I don't know if it would be better to run that or my fairly new marine battery. Heater core went out somewhere around the time of the battery took a dump. After bypassing the heater core, I decided to top off the coolant. Me being clumsy dropped the radiator cap as I was putting it on. Radiator cap hit the fan (engine was running), radiator cap then took off like a rocket, missed me, my two year old, and the rest of the car and hit the wall of the garage. Counting my blessings I walked over to the radiator cap and inspected it. While I was looking at the cap, the car died. I looked in disbelief as I watched the car puke all the coolant I just put in (and more) onto my garage floor. Don't know why it died, just my luck I guess. It seems I spend more time on general maintence type stuff to get it to be a solid dependable car. I don't think this car was driven much in the past, and I am still in the shaking things out phase. It does get me to and from work dependably, still a little questionable on a longer trip. My wife and I talked about maybe trying to make a trip to Kalamazoo next fall in it.
Well it has been a while, but I finally got off my lazy duff and changed out the spark plugs on this big girl. I gotta say, it is pretty easy changing spark plugs out on a straight 6 in a large engine bay. My dad happened to have a distributor cap for a 223 laying around, so I changed that too. Car runs a lot better now. Plus, take a look at this spark plug, not to bad for a 53 year old motor that has never been rebuilt.
Looks familiar.....I sure do miss the 332 Interceptor auto Country Sedan we had.... Good luck with yours! I sure dig those '58 Fords....
Good to see the longroof fans on here. I believe there's a station wagon social group on the HAMB. And someone on here put out a book this year called "America's Coolest Station Wagons" (CarTech Inc) that sounds interesting... Scotty AKA jangleguy
Clean Cut: I love the trim on the 58 country sedans. Nice color scheme! jangleguy: I have that book! Awesome cars in it.
Nice car, but can you tell an knowledgeable Chevy guy, I thought Ranch Wagons were 2 doors. So now seeing one with 4 I ask did all the years come in with 2 or 4 doors?
You ARE correct ....sort of....When Ford introduced a redesigned line of cars for the 1952 model year, its Country Squire continued to cater to buyers who still wanted a station wagon with the look of wood. For other wagon buyers, Ford also gave them two new choices that year, the first all-steel wagons in Ford's history. These were the Country Sedan, a four-door model in the mid-range Customline series and the Ranch Wagon, which was a two-door model in the economy Mainline series. After receiving mostly cosmetic changes for 1953, a second Ranch Wagon model, a slightly fancier version in the Customline series, was added for 1954, the year Ford's new Y-block V8 replaced the flathead unit. The two models were renamed Ranch Wagon and Custom Ranch Wagon for 1955, when the entire Ford station wagon set became a series of its own. For 1957, the Del Rio Ranch Wagon was introduced (replacing both the Custom Ranch Wagon and the Parklane), with a special ranch-pattern upholstery. Ford introduced the Ranch Wagon in a 4 door style for the first time in '58. It has the 2 door "Del Rio" Style trim except to fit a 4 door. A 4 door "Country Sedan" shared the trim styling of a Custom 300 sedan. Del Rio was dropped in '59 and replaced with a one year only 2 door Country Sedan. 1961 two-door Ranch Wagon was the last full-size two-door wagon ever built ,leaving the four-door as the only Ranch Wagon model for 1962. Wheeeew.....
Great find ! Ever since "Vacation" I've wanted a 'Wagon Queen Family Truckster" hahaha , Really love the wagon , i see one in my probably distant future .
My favorite car that my parents had when I was growing up was a yellow and white '58 Country Sedan. Lots of good memories of family vacations in that car.
Thanks for all the props guys. A bit of an update, I finally pulled my heater core today. Hopefully I can find someone to repair it, since I haven't been able to find a new one. How many times can you repair a heater core? This one looks like it has had a couple repair jobs already.
Great looking longroof! There's a few here in NZ. Whether they are Ranch Wagons, Del Rio's, Country Squires or Country Sedans, they are all fine automobiles. Would love me a longroof too.... A club member has one with a factory 6 and another has a 332 in one. Keep us posted on your progress!
Man good looking wagon...we had one (all white) when I was a kid You're right about the big engine compartment...remember setting the tappets sitting on the fenders!!! Keep up the good work.
UPDATE: Got a few goodies for christmas (and birthday a while back). My wife picked me up a Pertronix Ignitor II and Flame Thrower II coil. She also got me a Stewart Warner Voltmeter to match oil pressure and water temp gauges Dad had given me. Also have an aluminum coolant resevoir Dad gave me. I have been trying to find a day to get everything installed, when my wife tells me tonight she would like to spend a couple weeks with her family and take the kids here in a month or so. Still no heater core. It is a c c c c cold ride right now. On the way home in the heat I dubbed the big girl "Ole Sweaty" she is now renamed "Ole Chilly".
I know I haven't done a whole lot to the car yet, but it is because I have been driving it! Originally I was planning on taking it to Kalamazoo this year, but we scratched that plan and will hit the Mid America Nationals in Springfield, MO instead. The wagon is an absolute blast to drive. It is hard to not look like "Smiling Bob" off the Enzyte commercials while I'm in the drivers seat.
Nice wagon! Looks like Mac's might have the heater core: http://macsautoparts.com/1949-59-fo...ord-b7a-18476-a/camid/F50/cp/9P0H7EDI1000018/
mjlangley, Thank you for the link to Mac's. I had seen that before, but I was trying to find a cheaper option. There was a local radiator shop that was highly recommended by several people that I intended to use. Unfortunately they closed down a couple months ago. Guess I will buck up and go to Mac's. My wife left earlier than expected, so I ended up having to drive Ole Chilly to work today. It wasn't to bad. However, I believe I will be ordering that heater core from Mac's today...
The Jalopy Journal
