I just scored my new toy today. I'm going to pick it up next saturday. It's been awhile since I've had my own hotrod project. Family, job or lack there of, finances etc had led to me selling off almost everything I had aquired just to keep food on the table. It was so depressing to have a p***ion and not be able to do anything about it. Well finances have changed and working like a madman again so I started looking. Not for anything in particular but wanted something a little different to stand out. Two projects literally fell into my lap. The first is a 65 Ranchero 6cyl/3spd that is complete and just sitting in a field. Really solid southern car and I got it for $500, no pics though. The second one that has me all excited to build is a 59 Ford 2dr wagon. It's been parked for 25 yrs and the guy said his wife drove it in high school. Lots of surface rust and some floor board rust but nothing that isn't repairable. It's a 6cyl/3 spd car also. For the sake time and money I plan on doing it in hotrod black with red steel wheels with trim rings. A V-8 and 4 spd are also planned. I'm excited to be back in the game, playing with cars again. I'm open to other ideas and if anybody has pics of 59 Ford wagons, post em up.
cool score on the wagon! sounds like you have a game plan,keep us updated. my dad's family is from Poplar Bluff/East prairie/Sikeston.hell ya can't swing a dead cat without hitting one of my kin folk.good luck with the build.
Went and picked up the wagon today. It's what I expected. Needs rockers, a little floor work and repair over the wheel wells on the quarters. Nothing to serious. All 4 tires were flat and the rears were froze up. Thank god for a good winch. I got it jacked up and blocked to get the trailer under it and was impressed that it still had floor boards and the frame looks good. Tomorrow I'm going to pull the wheels and drums and try to open the hood. Then comes cleaning all the critter nests out of it. I'll get pics in the morning and post them later.
Well it just keeps getting better. I started cleaning the car out and found a reciept from Sep 1968 for all new wheel seals. The car had 4410 miles at the time. It was last licensed in 1974 and the odometer shows 42166 miles and I think it's original mileage. The underhood area does not have ant critter nests and all the wiring looks good and intact. The motor/trans is intact but stuck. The rear gate and hatch open and the spare tire well is not rusted. The drivers door is locked and the mechanism is froze up so it doesn't open. I'm really getting excited about building this old car.
Cool 2DR wagon.. Sounds like your getting right to work on it and having fun too.. Keep us posted......
So here is an update on my new hotrod. Parked in a pasture in 1974 with 42,000 miles on it. I got it home and with some work, got the brakes all freed up and swapped some wheels and tires that hold air. A couple of weeks ago I pulled the valve cover off the straight six and it looks like new inside. No sludge of any kind. I pulled the plugs and poured trans fluid in all the cylinders and all over the rockers and valve springs. I got all the doors and tailgate opening and the windows roll up and down. Yesterday I oiled up the three on the tree and with persistance got the shifter to work in all the gears. I pulled the inspection cover off the trans and with a screwdriver to the flywheel, got the motor to rotate. I think I can make this thing run!! I'm going to replace the starter and solenoid, fuel pump, new oil, plugs wires cap and rotor and overhaul the carb. Then it will be ready for a test fire after I prime the oiling system a couple of times. My wife got me some new wheels for christmas also. I need to find a radiator support and a right front inner fender now. I've found a 302 if I want it and I got my new rocker panels also. The floors in this car are amazing for being left in a field for 37 years. Just needs front floor board patches. It's been a blast playing with my own hotrod again. I plan on driving this car in the spring come hell or high water.
That wagon is gonna be way cool...and I like your quick paint scheme too ! Good for you, Cheers......
AeroMonte, how happy I am to see this wagon back in the mix. I saw it for sale on e-bay and lusted for it. I already have one, but you know what the sickness is like. We have about a half dozen 59 tu-doors on the H.A.M.B now, cool. Best of luck on your project. a wagon bro, ~sololobo~
Thanks sololobo. Yes this is the same car that was on ebay. I got it for $500 and it was only three hrs away from me. I'm stripping out the interior today. It has three decades worth of opossum left overs in it. Definately a bio hazard at the moment. Then I'm going to pull the ignition switch and hook a battery to it to see how many lights still work.
The Jalopy Journal
