Technical 1957 Ford questions.

So my buddy just brought himself a new car, or a 57 Ford, that was imported to New Zealand some years ago.
I got to see it for first time today, and its been done up some time in the past. He's in love with it, and I must say, I'm impressed. His plan was to vin it, tidy it up, and move it on, as he's trying to get 50 Gs together to buy a 34 Tudor Sedan. Its an old Hot Rod, with blown 350 SBC. He owned a 34 years ago, like maybe 40 years ago, and wants to relive his younger days.
He's a Ford guy, so the 350 will get evicted, if he goes ahead with it.
Today he said he likes the 57 so much, that if the 34 didn't work out, he's happy to keep the 57.
This car has the usual old car issues, but runs great.
Maybe someone here will recognize it.
Sorry for only one real **** pic, but its been a horrible wet day here, so we didn't get it outer the shed, and my cheap phone only has a two megapixel camera.
Its stock as a rock, 292, and color matched body and interior.
I'll be posting better pics as soon as we get nicer days. I will be asking questions, as we feret out the little issues in the coming days.
So here's the bad pics.

 

lots of '57 Fords - unless there is something that can be seen that was changed on the car may be near impossible to ID. is there some specific info that you are looking for?

 

Long shot on someone here owning it, but you never know, so thought I'd ask, before someone says, hey, that's my old car.

First question would be, there's a frame around inside of windshield, which is joined in the middle, at the bottom.
There must be a joiner piece, which is missing. What dose it look like, and anyone have one they would part with?
Next, the vacuum wipers arnt working. Any tips, as we played with em today, and I could see cable on motor working, but wipers didn't. We get high rainfall here, so they will be needed. Maybe a common problem, and easy fix.
The new owner Kev, has owned a 57 Fair lane in the past (he's owned many cars) and is a mechanic, so he will figure it out. Just thought someone may be able to make fixing some of these issues easier.
He will be renewing all front end ball joints, as they are toast, changing camber to suit our right hand drive roads, and swapping out headlights, standard work for imported cars, as headlights are set up for lefthand drive.

 

Ford were number 1 in 57 for sales both calendar and model year.
more than 1.3 million cars.

not sure how many tudors, is it a business coupe?

 

Need more than spy photos!

 

Thanks for the info, I'm not sure what sorta Coupe it is, stay tuned in the next few days, if the suns out tomorrow, I'll get some pics outside.
Unfortunately, I've been asked to work on Kevs brothers 67 Falcon and modern Falcon ute tomorrow.
No fun in this modern stuff, but a nice break from working in my studio.

My next question is, is the body trim stainless, or chrome?
It has some rust marks here n there, and while stainless doesn't rust, it will when next to steel, so I'm not sure.

 

I googled, and found this.similar color, but identical body and side trim, grille etc.

 

All of the side trim is stainless except the aluminium gold embossed areas between the stainless on the doors and fenders.

 

That is "Custom 300" trim level.

Ray

 

Owens Auto Salvage in Texas has parts for lots of old Fords. Bob is on here, forget his user name though. The joiner piece is small and my '59 has one, not sure if the '57 is the same.

 

There is a piece It has a hole for one screw. It's the same from 57 to 59 There is a guy on Ebay with one but he wants $25. On the wipers the cable turns it on and off there is a shaft with linkage that sticks into the cowl area behind the hood.

 

Thanks for the replys.
Its 7.24 Friday morning, and I'm getting set to head down to the wrecking yard, where the car is in the workshop. Hope to get it out in the sun, before I got to mess with the older ****. I'm detailing the engines, ones a 351, and the other a turboed six, both to modern to be entertaining.
I'll jump on with more questions on the 57 as they pop up.

 

In the early mid 80's I worked at Masters Auto Parts in Sun Valley Ca. where I grew up. Lots of Kiwis would come out on 6 month Visa's, and work at Masters, while they'd collect cars/parts to ship back in containers. One of them was named Greg I believe, Greg French maybe. He had a yellow Pro Street small block Chevy/4spd Austin Dorset. One year a**** other things, he bought and shipped back a 57 Ford. He was loading the container outside the auto parts store, and ran into a problem. He had built a shelf in the front of the container to hold a 32 Ford roadster body, and the nose of the 57 wouldn't fit under it, so he couldn't get it all the way in, and shut the container door. Fred Badberg @ Frantic Freds Hot Rods, suggested replacing the wheels, and tires with bare steel rims, to lower the car. It was a perfect idea. Then disaster struck, as we were helping push the car in, Greg was standing to close, and got his bare foot in flip flops ran over by the front wheel! I never heard a human scream in pain that bad. Miraculously, he didn't loose any toes.., I wonder if this is the same car?

 

Maybe same car,was it a Custom 300?
I got some piks before Kev headed out in it.
Hope they are a little better than yesterday's.

I know who that was, and I'm sure he's on here. Yellow car was sold in the States, and painted red. Its now back here with original owner/builder. He's still wearing flip flops.

 

Huh, Alabama chrome bumpers in NZ?

 

Hard to remember, but I believe is was a sedan, not a hardtop

 

Nice car, the '57s are solid. I've had lots of fun in mine over the years

 

tri-five chevy electric wiper motor will bolt directly on the mounts where the vacuum motor is now.

 

Sounds like that would have been Craig Stare?

I have seen a few '57 Custom 300 2 doors in NZ - here's one I owned a few years ago, last time I heard it was still with the guy I sold it to (in Auckland).

 

More pics.

 

Kev will be back soon, just stopped for lunch.
I'll not get outer here alive if I tell him that.

 

The 'coupe vs, sedan' issue is bogus. Only 2 door bodies in '57 were hardtops and sedans.
Measure the side windows. There are no short ones...

 

Looks like the Engine has the aftermarket rockershaft oiling modification.
Nice looking 57

 

Looks like it has a 1958 radio in it. 1957 used black knobs and faces while 1958 used white. With that interior should be easy to recognize to someone. I had a 1957 Ford Courier I should have kept. As a side note I met Craig Stare in the early 1980s when he came over to Columbus Oh for the Nats. I had a Austin ex drag car then.

 

Nice car. It also was a heater delete car originally.

 

Either that's been repainted or the picture makes the color look darker then it is. I had one in that color combo from the factory. keep your eye out for a 58 steering box, its quite an improvement on the 57. An Fe big block will literally bolt right in them. Everything clears if you use the flat manifolds. Larger 1960 brakes are a bolton too but there are better disc brake setups out since I built mine in 1964

 

Thanks Jeff, that's some great info.
Kev will be very happy.

 

Kevs keen to put a sterio in, and he says you can buy a panel that's set up for a sterio, so the delete panel will be spare.

 

Thank you, yes it has been resprayed.
Kevs gonna enjoy this info, hell be looking for a FE next.
He dose plan to put mags on it, and has quite the stack of spare mags.
He's opened a tyre shop, as wheels and tyres are his specialty.
Pics were takin outside his brothers wrecking yard.