Good news on the windshield front: trim was saved with no real dents or bends and there is NO RUST!!!!!. Bad news is I lost the windshield getting it out. I put a little too much pressure in one spot and crack…..☹️☹️. So have two questions: 1) should I order online or locally when they install it. And secondly, how do I get those tiny screws out. I have one that was so rusted I had to drill the head off to get the trim off. I can’t get my tiny vice grips on it as there is so little of it left.
Update: I got all of the body rubber and bolts replaced! I figured out that either this kit fits multiple bodies which I think it does or Ford let this frame go down the line minus two supports. According to the instructions there should be two supports on the inside frame rail with special washers. My car (57 wagon) only has the rear mount and the special washers were in two different places. One-the passenger side-was in the correct location, the driver side was in the first outboard support :icon_scratch: I replaced everything as is the way it came off the car and the doors still line up and shut plus there was no body shift so I figure I will leave it as is. I do have one question though. 1) The very front bolt-the one that is exposed on the bottom-has a gap between the body and the frame. I replaced everything as it came off the car but I still have a tiny gap. Between the frame and the body there should be a square piece of rubber and a shim. So replaced them but either the rubber is two thin or something else goes in there. I can replace the square piece with the round rubber piece and that will take up the gap for sure as it is really thick. Advice? Thanks Mike
On the Airconditioner, I believe if you use a later model condenser with larger tubes, and the right oil, the 134a refrigerant will work fine. Great car Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]
Glrbird, I am hoping to take the car to an AC shop late next summer as the routing of the tubing is going to be a mess o' spaghetti. Mike
Update time: the car is now 95% rewired and the dash is temp installed. When I get home from my trip I am going to finish installing some parts on the dash and finally finish it off. Drains are sealed up and the wiper system is ready to go back in as well. Then off to welding……
Update, We have power!!!! Now to exterminate all of the gremlins. Some things work-most do not, no surprise there though
So got all of the lights working, the turn signals are giving me fits but I think that is more connectivity issues. Hoping this weekend to move into the engine bay. Wish me luck.
Update, got all of the turn signals working correctly now. The switch was so corroded I had to hit it with a cleaner, twice and run it back and forth a few times. Onto the engine bay and the ignition circuit as that I think I can test without the motor running. I am not sure about the charging system, that I think is just a continuity check as the engine isn't running yet.
Small update: So the drive shaft is in and boy what a discussion I created with it. I am thinking it is an early 9" where a worker used a left over 56 bat wing u joint yoke in it. How he managed to do it I have no idea but it is there and will stay put for a bit until a can change it over to a spicer type that a 57 should have. The gauges had to go back to the shop for some minor tweaking and Rusty at Speedometer service was super helper with walking through things only to find out it needed the tweaking-will recommend him highly in the future for anyone needing service on their speedo. The tranny is all sealed up, I had to fight with the cooling tubes by bending and tweaking them but I got them to fit-finally. And I added the 5 qts of Type F tranny fluid per the manual and am letting it set until I can start her up and add more. The carb is on I just need to figure out the linkages to the throttle and tranny now. The MC is going to get rebuilt as I cannot get it to hold pressure and when I push on the pedal I hear some gurgling type noise, so I think it is leaking past a seal. The tank is back in after verifying the fuel gauge works mostly correctly. I guess as mostly correctly a 50's gas gauge will work. I just need to ground it to the frame now. The heater core is hooked up and the hot water valve in the engine compartment work around seems to work just fine. I will see what happens when I add water to it. That is all for now, will keep plugging away faster now. Mike
OK. Time for another update: -I have hooked up the fuel line to the pump. -I have added an oil filter and oil!!!!!!! -Hooked up the horns-I will see if they work or not. If not I have two more sets waiting in the wings as replacements. -Next up is vacuum to the Dist, fuel to the carb and rebuild the MC as it will not hold pressure. The water pump should return in a week or so and then water goes in and the PS pump goes on. Then I just have to make sure the all of the pulleys line up. Does anyone have a picture of how the carb (autolite 4V) hooks up to the throttle and transmission? Mike
UPDATE: OK, I have a target date of 8 July to fire her up. All fluids are in her or on her, dist. is in and she is timed, next up is the inst. cluster going back in and minor tidying up of things.
Well the target date came and went We got everything ready to fire her up and somehow I managed to bend a pushrod. So the B wins another round. That is until I replace it and fire her up whether she likes it or not! So onto the next part of the project-floorpans! I will start to prep for blasting and cutting this week along with restoring my 1946 Sun Dist tester.
After 40 years she has a hear beat again!!!!!!! She ran for 1-3 minutes at a high idle-don't know why it is so high-just another thing to check on. She apparently has an exhaust leak as I have smoke coming from both sides. A lot of smoke came from the tail pipe but it eventually cleared up. But she runs!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is a short vid for proof. https://youtube.com/shorts/Y48hJoVV0AI
OK second run and took the choke out completely and screwed the idle screw out so it was touching the cam at all. Got her to run much slower still a tad fast in my book. Temps were as follows: Rad-160, Pass manifold 330, driver side manifold 430? Temps are all approx. will tinker with her slowly over the next few days and weeks as I am moving onto floor pans.
Update: Well, I have learned a lot about welding, such as a new vocabulary, oh and some new skills at using a welder. I had replace the rear pass floor pan, the front driver floor pan/toe board (although they have to come back out due to not knowing how they built the body on this car). Also replaced the passenger toe board when I poked a hole in it. I am currently finishing the pass rocker this weekend and will start on the pass floor pan next-after I rebuild the O/D in the Model A. Then the rear pass floor pan gets replaced. I have discovered I am not a body man, this learning on the fly by myself is for the birds. I really would like to take a class but can't due to work. I have learned a bit from Fitzee's You Tube videos but a class would be better. Once the floors are done she goes into the shop for some much needed mechanical fine tuning. Mike
The Jalopy Journal
