Projects 56 Vicky Build

Congrats, neat car. I did a 56 vic for a friend and replaced half the sheetmetal on the car. LOL. But it was worth it, turned out nice. You will have fun with that car. Lippy

 

love 56's, good luck with the build,will be watching..........

 

I had one back in the 70's with a bad front x member. lost both a arms , luckily i was only doing about 20 mph when they tore out.
i'd put a straight axle under it and have a badass gasser

 

Here's the fix for your front crossmemeber
Got mine from Goodell Fabricatons, P.O.Box 234, Coweta, Ok.74429. Phone 918-486-6498. Very good service and quick delivery. I think $299 plus shipping. Fit perfect.

 

Wow, sucks to find all of that hackjob work. Neat car though.

 

Nice! any other pics I could oooogle at? What color is that coppery/bronze? I really like it.

 

Any updates? Looking forward to seeing the progress on your '56.

 

Unfortunately no. Haven't had too muchtime to do anything. It did get filled with a complete bar set, and a whole bunch off tools on the hood and roof (no where else to put them right now..)

I plan on getting back in the swing of things soon enough. Been trying to sell my 57, too many toys, need to focus.

 

Focus, Grasshopper! We want see this old girl come back to life!

 

NOOOOOO!!!!!!! Not a gasser!

If anything a mild kustom would be fit for this old girl.

The finned valve covers are cool, but be sneaky and swap them out for a set of '58 Edsel pieces.

Paint them and the engine in white and letter as such.
I won't tell anyone.

 

Haven't had any time to work on her lately. Aside from that, she's covered in stuff (lack of room) and I'm building a bobber. I have had some time to day dream.


-Thinking of going with the same general interior that is in there now. Keeping the bench, probably going to add lap belts.
-Paint will be satin black, and all trim will be black chrome.
-Rims will be the stockers painted body color with black chrome baby moons and trim rings. Toying with the idea of a mini tub and some wider steelies in back.
-Drive train will be what's there now, freshened up and painted.
-Body work will be fixing all the bondo, holes and crap going on. I have a set of crown vic bezels that I am going to mold into the fenders, and make the headlights mount from inside the fender. Going to keep the nosed and decked lids, and the hood louvers (love them!)
-Also going to shave and fill the gas fill.
-Already has a bat in the trunk, so going to make a better mount for it and put a fuel cell in the trunk. Got some custom tail lights from the 70's I will be running.
-Keeping the side trim
-Shaving the antenna off completely
-Filling the radio hole in the dash, as well as the gauge holes that are in there (they are not evenly spaced)
-I want to put a tube grille on the front, and some marker lights behind that.
MIGHT suicide the hood.
MIGHT also shave the door handles and locks.

 

Got pushed aside for a while, had to move my shop etc....

Finally got a chance to do a little work today. Removed, you guessed it, more bondo. Also pulled the headlights, grille, and a fender.








What's behind the fender, bondo hair around the fresh air duct, literally an inch thick. This is getting kinda old here...





Makes you need a coffee.... Oh wait, that's the other side of air duct, maxwell house coffee can!

 

Not much to update. Been picking away at the body work, smoothing out some of the factory seams, like in the rear where the back panel meets the quarter. Waiting to see what I can find at the upcoming swap meets, though I don't know how much time I'll have to look, I need to be selling my 57 ford stuff.

 

Be glad you don't have to contend with the mod I saw on a '56... I was in Temple City on my way to Pick-a-Part about 15 years ago and saw a baby blue '56 convertible with my favorite accessory - a For Sale sign. Looking closer, the top didn't seem right; its framework was made from aluminum tubing and there were no side wells. The windshield frame looked odd, too - big slot around the top edge.

Verdict? Somebody made a sort-of-convertible out of a glasstop Skyliner...

 

I've always liked those 55/56 Vics and jet black has always been the color that spun my wheels on one.

Even though I'm another guy tired of seeing all the flat black cars (they weren't really all black or flat black in those old black and white photos) I can well relate to the seal and protect it as you go and work on a panel at a time thing.

 

Nice to hear someone actually get it. I would love to have a nice shinny super high gloss black on the car, I think the color just absolutley suits the chrome and body lines, but alas... I'm a regular person, and not rich. Maybe in due time.

 

I've also begun playing around with tail light ideas... I really like the look of say a merc wagon light, but I want to do something I've never seen. I'll probably end up making some.

 

Cool Project! You should check out Butch's cool stuff he's got all kind of good stuff. Including tube grills!

http://www.butchscoolstuff.com/grilles.htm

 

know of any other good sites for stuff?

 

Have been doing some research and learning stuff. Trying to truely make up my mind, and compromise between what I want (and drive it 10 years from now) and what I need and (drive it a year from now).

Also, Debating between making a power steering set up work, vs repairing the manual steering, and converting to power brakes vs, manual. In either case I will be running a dual MC and disks in front.

Also now thinking about running those lincoln rims I posted earlier...

 

No way man you can't do it those cars look so good with steel wheels right from the factory!

 

Great looking Vic. Loose the door handles & locks. I would clean & polish the grill you have I think thats a good look. With your limited space work one or two panels at a time into primer it will seem to go quicker and you will see progress to fuel further progress and have a good foundation for paint. I would find a autobody supply store you like and stay with the same product line all the way through. It looks like you are lucky to have all the stainless trim, once cleaned and polished she will look killer.

 

Thanks guys. Simple but good advice about sticking with the same body products.

I also have decided against the Lincoln rims after mocking one next to the car.

On that note, does anyone know where I can get a wider steel wheel, I want to run some fatter tires in the rear. The stock rims will work just fine for me for the front. I think ultimately I'm going to just run black steelies and dog dishes/baby moons

 

Theres a guy here on the hamb who was dirt cheap, but I don't see him in the aliance vendors, and I can't remember the name of the company but you could order custom back spacing. You could also go with Wheel Vintiques. They are pretty reasonable and they have an aliance discount. I'd also check Speeway. I'll look around and see if I can find that other website.

http://www.wheelvintiques.com/

 

Found em...Goes by Wheelkid here on the HAMB. Rally America is the web site. Sounds like your better off to call him if you need something!
http://www.rallyamerica.com/

 

thanks! still debating how wide to in the rear, but that should prove handy in the future

 

Did me a little work today, got rid of the gas fill, plate mount, plate light and the dip and holes where the plate light went.

Just roughed in at the moment, still needs more welding and grinding.
Plate is just duct taped on right now, still debating plate light and plate mount methods.


An older before picture:




Now:




I think after I finish this part up, and also patch in the rest of the lip that gets hidden under the bumper, I am going to work on grafting the skin from a 57 fairlane to patch this trunk lid. Should prove interesting.

 

The Crown Victoria Association has a list of suppliers for 55 56 fords in their newsletter. Also Dennis Carpenter has alot of reproduction pieces you'll need. Like door molding rubber and fuzzies. He has a good selection of parts for these cars. Oh and check out the original ford colors for 56. We did my dad's car back to the one he bought new in 56. Fiesta Red and Raven Black. Of all the colors they offered back then this is the one that has the attitude for a hot ride. Just my opinion for what it's worth.

 

very cool project

 

"and all trim will be black chrome"

..Black chrome??