'54 Ford "Ranch Wagon" update,,IT'S ALIVE!!!!

Worked in the shop until midnight Thursday getting the new gl***,window channel reinstalled,the windows roll up and down with ease,,the door panels were also put back on with all the hardware.

I put the fluid in the transmission and installed the steering wheel for the final time,,at least that's what I thought last night! :lol:

I took today off from work and we loaded up the trailer at about 7:30 AM and headed out to Troy's Muffler shop,,arrived there around 8:30 and they helped get the car off the trailer and rolled onto the rack,,roughly 3 hours later we were again loading up the car and decided to try and see if we could get Micky at the alignment shop to do his magic.

He was backed up and busier than a one legged paper hanger in a **** kicking contest!,,his boss said next week,,Micky said give him a call after 3:00 PM,,sure enough he decided to help me out and worked me in.

They close at 5:00PM and we rolled the car out of the alignment bay at 7:30,,got the car loaded on the trailer and was back in the shop by 8:45PM,,It's been a long couple of days but I feel like I have made a ton of progress.



Saturday,,I was hoping to get the new proportion valve all plumbed up and have brakes before I quit for the day but due to lack of parts that didn't happen.

Yesterday,I accomplished very little with the exception of giving the car a thorough going over and making sure all the nuts and bolts were tight.

I found a schematic with the help of a fellow Hamber on line of how to run the lines to my proportion valve and today I got the additional brake lines and re-plumbed everything correctly.

We were able to bleed the brakes,,I was happy with the results and had decided as hard as we had worked in the past three days we would quit early,,we went to lunch and started talking about how close we were to getting the car running so when we got back from lunch I added the oil and water,,pulled the coil wire and cranked it over a few times and the oil pressure jumped up to 50 lbs.,,we hooked up the coil and hit the starter and it fired right up,,,

Well,as Doctor Frankenstein was heard to say,,,it's alive!

I had a few water leaks,,and a leak at the gas tank but I had that fixed in short order with the turn of a wrench,,a little tweaking with the timing and a couple of carburetor adjustments and the engine ran like a top.

I shifted it into gear and cranked the car again and the car moved under it's own power as I eased down the drive way,I should have done the since-able thing and backed up but being the daring foolhardy guy I am I eased out in the street and went through all 5 gears and drove the car a quarter mile down the road turned around in the Church parking lot and headed back to the shop,,and made it safely.

I still have a lotta small things to work on like the emergency brakes,,,a fuel gauge that is not working,,a bad exhaust leak,getting a new gas cap,install the windshield wipers and last but not least a little polishing of the trim,washing and waxing.

It really blows my mind to think that after 9 years and a month I can actually drive the wagon. HRP

 

Cool - looking real nice

 

Thank you,,hopefully in the next few days I can get my daughter to do a video of the car running and driving down the road,,I'm clueless on how to do that sort of thing. HRP

 

After 9+ years of working on the wagon, what you gonna do for a hobby now?
Once I finish one my time seems empty for while, then the next one is found.

 

Oh,my plate is full,,I'm gonna take the summer and enjoy the wagon but come fall I will start rebuilding my 32 5W coupe. HRP

 

Congrats on the first drive. It always takes a bunch of tweaking to get all the stuff tightened up You can do it! ~sololobo~

 

That is exactly what I had to do...my son came over and used his phone. It's a great feeling. I'm glad for you. Looking forward to the video. It sure looks good!!!!

 

Congrats man! Let's see some more pics of the wagon!

 

NOw I know why I didnt find you at the Myrtle Beach. Glad to hear you're making progress.

 

You bet,I have had my nose to the grindstone! HRP

 

Congrats! That first drive always makes all the time and money spent worth it.

 

Congratulations Danny!!!

That wagon is beautiful!

JH

 

hell yea!awesome man that has to be a great feeling.

 

'bout damn time...I mean...good on you Danny!

 

Thats great ! I have followed and enjoyed your build since my early days here on the HAMB !

 

HRP,
Congrats. Send more pictures of it moving!
dw

 

If everything goes well and all the stars are lined up we will be driving the wagon to Knoxville this year. HRP

 

Looking good Danny...

 

Son !!! Ya did good. Enjoy
PS
I have a 53 Club coupe that is next on the project list
Fuzzy

 

Thank you guys. HRP

 

Great news.. Congrats!!


Malcolm

 

I followed your progress on the other threads too. Woweee! Thats a major accomplishment. Congrats.

 

Hoo Rah!!!!! Nuffin like that first blast down the road. Congrats!

 

CONGRATS!

BTW, Did you ever get those scans of the steering wheel? The copier at work has been having some random brain farts with email.

But damn am I glad to see this on the road!

 

Congratulations !!

I know how much you have wanted this wagon running ... for your wife.
I bet Brenda is smiling ... extra sweet tonight.

Well deserved victory over rusty metal

"Endeavor to persevere."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csEzTwKemwY

 

Major Congratulations Danny.

I know how much you overcame to get it done.

You not only have a great hotrod there, but you've preserved some important family history.

 

Congrats HRP! Im very happy for you I cant believe its been 9 years, I remember first reading your posts on the 54 ford forum, its been a long road for you and many of us following your posts, its nice to see it coming to a end, and all your hard work paying off to start a new beginning OF DRIVVINNNGGG!!!!! once again congrats!

 

Thank you guys,I tried to do a phone video last night and as I told the guys on the '54 Ford Club of America,,all it did was make the veins in my neck swell up!

I'll stick to building hot rods and leave the cinematography to you younger guys,

I'll get my daughter to do this as soon as I can get her to stop by the garage.HRP

 

Oh Happy Day!!!!!

 

And now its all worth the time and effort. Nothing beats the first drive. Congrats Danny, well done. That beauty is worth $5/gallon gas! Go burn some buddy.