REPORT #16 (Access holes filled, Distributor Pocket formed) I took a few days to gather up the grit to fill in a bunch of holes in the firewall, including the large access hole previously cut out for measuring, installing the steering column and also formed up an altered "distributor pocket" in the firewall. (This pocket was made necessary by the 4" sectioning that moved the horizontal seam in the firewall down really close to the distributor....) I filled in the floorboard access holes previously cut to allow fitting and welding of the Nova front clip and, got the passenger-side front body brace cut, fit, installed. Next is to get a '54 Ford swinging pedal assembly and master cylinder into place so that the driver side front body brace can also be layed in. Pics tell some of the story. Sounds like a lot of work, but only took about 10 hrs hands-on time.
REPORT #17......'54 pedal assy and '54 Ford dash install started I went out to my bonepile and pulled the '54 Ford brake pedal assembly and dash unit and then took the time to disassemble them. The empty dash was wired, taped, screwed and temporarily mocked into position and then the brake pedal mounting bracket set into position. With all of this done, it is time to stop and reflect on how everything fits, how the column feels, and just how to attach the column to the dash. So far, so good. Today, I will clean the shop.
REPORT #18 Brake Pedal Mounting Bracket & Pedal Installed We are at the end of my "endless summer" in Montana and about time to run from the north wind to the land of sun and sand in Yuma for the winter season. I ended up with a race car trailer to take the '50 with me for more work this winter, but feel a bit burned out and will take my '29 roadster pickup to play with instead. But anyway, it has been a productive season and I got most of the bucket list fulfilled....car sanded to baby-butt bare, sheet metal repairs, Nova clip installed, '54 dash and swinging brake pedal fit up, ready for final assembly and on the road. Even got to show the old gal at a local car show...!! So this last report for the season shows the '54 brake pedal bracket fit to the car, driver-side body mount fit and tacked, '54 swinging pedal fit. Final pic shows the car going into our trailer for a ride to winter storage.
REPORT #19 (Back at it again) Back in Montana and doing the shoebox thing again for the summer. We have fitted a set of lakes pipes, painted the Nova front clip with POR 15, final welded access panels in the floorboards, and generally got reacquainted with the old beasty....not a lot of drama, but refreshing to get back into the shop. Next goal is new exhaust, wiring, driveshaft fitting, and DRIVE....stay tuned.
REPORT #20 I have been working all spring on the shoebx, but not much drama ...firewall was detailed and primed, '54 master cylinder rebuilt and mounted, battery box fabbed and mounted on the passenger side firewall, inner fender panels worked, exhaust piping remounted high and tight. All this takes time and yields very little exciting or reportable drama..(except to me...we will soon drive the old gal around the block!!)... The '54 Ford dash was temporarily mounted last fall and now, I cut the upper 1 1/2" of the '50 dash out and mated it to the '54 dash. I can now screw the altered '54 dash into the shoebox factory mounting holes and have the '50 garnish mouldings fit. I am currently filling in the ends of the '54 dash. Wiring, brakes, and then test drive. And, some paint. Stay tuned.
REPORT #21 Doing the dash. I pulled the '54 dash out, finished it with the forward upper part of the '50 dash....(hard on the '50 dash, but the '54 now fits fine and windshield inner garnish mouldings now also fit.) Also had to cut out more vertical space for the steering column which forced abandoning the funky little instrument cluster under the speedometer and filled in several push-pull knob holes from the '54 Ford days. But now it is sandblasted, welded, smoothed, and nearly ready for paint/re-install. Aftermarket gauges are installed. Check out the pics.
REPORT #22 Finally primed.... Got down to seriously sanding the corners, fillets, etc and then masking/taping. Covered the old guy with OMNI black epoxy primer...looks refreshing to see the car with paint. We also "sectioned " and altered the grille. Pics tell the story.
REPORT #23 And The Beat Goes On......... Seems like nothing is happening, even though I spend a lot of time tinkering with the old gal. To recap, the driver side body trim is installed, lakes pipes installed, LOKAR shifter installed (waiting to rebuild the tunnel)....power steering pump installed, drive shaft shortened 1" (required because of engine setback to clear Nova tierod), gas tank back in place. It will soon be brought out into the light of day for a photo shoot!!
REPORT #24 Current Photos In The Sunshine Here it is outside....looks pretty good after all this time, but there is still a bunch of details that need attending....should be a driver soon. Comments are welcome.
There is just something about a sectioned shoebox. The big fat belly just goes away and the visual result is perfect. I LOVE THIS CAR! Thanks for including us in your build.
As always, tasteful amounts of customizing are so much better than over doing things for the sake of doing them! Great work Russ! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Finding a place for the fuse panel can be a problem. You might consider opening a door in that flat end of the dash and put the fuses there. What fuse panel are you going to use?
Great point, and an issue that I think have solved and not reported on. I have a CDP (central distribution panel) from NEXUS in Lethbridge, Alberta mounted on the firewall and am now ready to start wiring the car. This CDP has all fuses, relays, etc nicely packaged into one unit. I have installed these panels under the dash in other builds and find that location to be ackward for the installer and a pain to troubleshoot when a glitch comes along. The location of the CDP may change a bit, because I am putting a 7" brake booster and dual master cylinder into the mix and may need to move the CDP. Thanks for the comment.
Report #25 Small Stuff takes lots of time!! The car is now a runner, but we are taking time to "fill in the blanks" and even re-do a couple of items....big thing is to blow the brake pedal/master cylinder install apart to allow adding a new 7" power brake booster and new dual master cylinder. This will also force relocating the CDP for clearance. Hate backing up.
This is a great thread. I wish we saw more sectioned cars, instead of the modern trend to just bag them so they lay on the ground.
50 looks great. 4" section looks perfect on a shoebox. I also like that wiring panel. Who's rockers did you buy? Did I see a sectioned woody in your pictures? Got any more pictures of the 50 woody? I'm working on a 50 woody right now.
A pair of rocker panels came with the car and I installed them....I think they were from Mac's....very high quality pieces. Went in pretty easy.
I love this. Nice, and tidy details are never backing up......full speed ahead is a slow roll....before the crashing crescendo of screaming revolutions per minute. You got vroom, vroom on blast to me. This is gonna' be a hell of a car sir. Thanks for sharing, for sure !
Eric: Still in Great Falls working on the shoebox. I'll try to check in with you when we pass through St. George, about Nov 12. Lakes pipes are hooked up, finally got the power steering plumbed, and '50 seat frame lowered to the max to allow for driver to get under the steering wheel. Pics show a bit of the work done.
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