1952-59 Ford my 4.6 dohc powered 57 Custom, aka, doing it the easy way

Again, one of the most amazing builds on the HAMB.

 

So in retrospect, what was the hardest part of the build?

Someday I would love to retrofit my 55 with a Coyote 5.0 and AOD. Not even sure if t would fit.

 

Deciding wheels and paint color, lol.
Seriously, Rust repair, nothing else was even close. That took 3 1/2 years of all my spare time. Got the car 100% stripped and rust free.....not sure where the other 7 years went.
New metal: 3/4 of the floorboards, partial trunk, inner rockers, some floor supports, outer rockers, lower A pillar on driver's side, front and back lower rear quarter panels on both sides, inner rear quarters, rear wheel well outer 4" on both sides, fabricated new inner splash shields(behind grille), rebuilt front section of both front inner fenders, headlight surrounds and fender caps and lower rear patch panels and brace on both front fenders, and probably some I've forgot. None of that includes the metal work for modification's sake, like the rolled pan , cleaned off firewall, console, etc etc.
The research, interior, drivetrain, wiring, etc were all just tedious, but not hard...just more in the fun category. The final bodywork and paint were hard, but not for the length of time the rust repair took. In retrospect, if I were not too old to start another project, it would definetly be a rust free car to start.

 

That's a lot of rust repair. I'm fortunate my Ford has none and most of the work was power train, electrical, front end and brake related. I had 23 months worth of work to get it from a shell to something I could drive.

 

How did the modular engine fit in the original ch***is?

 

Snug, but almost a bolt in. Keep in mind mine is a '57 though, and there is a substantial difference from older models. It is a major undertaking I am told to install one in a '55-56. The 4.6 is a substantially wider engine than the 5.0 you are considering, not only up top because of the dohc version, but down below also. I talked to 3 different 55 and 56 owners who had done the 4.6. All three told me they had to change the front clip/stub of the frame to accomodate the width of the engine. Two used Fatman clips, the third used a Dodge Dakota clip. With that said, I did find a You Tube video of a 4.6 in a 55 or 56 with the stock frame/suspension. imho he had to butcher the frame to get it done.
Mine got a little more involved than other 4.6's into 57's because of the rack and pinion. To clear the rack, I had to mount my engine 1" further back than others did, which made it really tight to the firewall, and created the need to alter my ****** crossmember to clear the ******'s oil pan.
The real challenge to the 4.6 into a '57 is not the physical mounting and fitting, but the plumbing and wiring. The wiring harness cost twice compared to a 5.0 harness because it's twice as involved. A lot of Mustang Cobra (same engine except for camshaft grind) components is what makes the install almost a bolt in...factory exhaust manifolds from a 99 up, motor mounts, Hydroboost if you want power brakes, etc. I even used Mustang Cobra offroad downpipes to get the exhaust started.
JFYI, a 4.6 single overhead cam engine such as you'd find in a Police Crown Vic is 65 HP less than the Lincoln Mark VIII, and is no easier to install except posibly leaving more room for a normal va***n booster.

 

Good info. I really am not a fan of the M2 crossmembers. I'll probably resort to just an old 5.0/AOD eventually.

 

The 5.0 seems to be getting to be the Ford guy's version of the Chevy 350. I went to the old iron car show in Alamosa, Co. last weekend, and was pleasantly surprised to see a very large percentage of the cars being Fords. Of those, there were probably a dozen 5.0 HO installs.....no 4.6's.
Interesting......after your post being the 12,000th view for this thread, our discusion here has come around to the original reason I started it......the drivetrain install and a takeoff from Paddycake's LS install. If you want some more info on the engine/****** fitment, I posted lots of pics back starting on page one......and now I'm wondering what ever happened to Paddycake's project.?
Edit...lol, that was the "Early Iron" car show I went to, not "old iron"

 

You are doing a great job kept after it, you have got some thing to be proud of!
Until you do the body work, paint and cut and buffed a car they have no ideal how much work it is.
Most people do not understand how much work goes into making a body look straight and shine like a diamond. They think your nuts when you quoit $7000 and up to straight an old car and paint it.

 

As I posted elsewhere...everything got pretty much put back together...just still have a lot of cleanup to do. I took the car down to Fort Worth this weekend and had a no-problem trip....my fourth in excess of 600 miles this summer.
I've had a few smaller issues pop up that so far have turned into quick and easy fixes once the cause was found. I had been blowing fuses occationally on my power windows, and it turned out to be just one of the wireless door contact ****ons had come loose and apparently pushing against the other ****on in the back and shorting out. Tightened up the offending ****on and it's been fine since.
I got stopped by the cops on the way back from Fort Worth for a tailight out. Replaced the bulb even though both filaments looked good, but turned out to be one of the HD connectors I had used to make the tailight wiring unplugable. The connectors I used are the HD type used to wire up trailer wiring, and the locking tab that holds the wires tight in the connector had come loose. I ran some zip ties around the connector so the tab couldn't come loose again.
Also as discussed elsewhere, I had been losing coolant but couldn't find leaks anywhere and never had a puddle under the car. Turned out to be the radiator cap...at least I think, I'll know after some driving.
Pretty soon I'll get back to what I was doing when I had the accident in March.....working bugs out and finishing up / fine tuning stuff.

 

Time for an update..this thread got all the way back to page 6!
I think I posted elsewhere that I finally got a speedometer to work...gps from Speedhut. I sent it back last week to have them modify the night lighting on it, so hopefully will have it back in a week or so.
In the meantime, I finally got around to pulling out the gas tank vent tube I had installed. I reran one up and around inside the trunk. It was the only way I could get some "uphill" on the first few feet of the tube so gas can't slosh into it. Hopefully that'll fix the spewing out gas problem.
While I was working in the trunk area, I decided to fix the problem I have with the electric solenoid not poping the trunk open. I'm pretty sure the problem was caused by the trunk seal sticking to the body. Even when I pulled the mechanical release, I'd have to give the lid a pretty good tug to break it loose. It finally dawned on me a thin coating of silicon on the seal would probably do the trick, and it did. I also went ahead and added a spring loaded popper. Now it pops open first time every time. That may change when summer temps get back, but for now it looks like it's good.
The high beam dash indicator I had originally installed somehow was a blinding high intensity version. I ordered a new normal intensity from Ron Francis and got that installed.
I ordered and received a new set of stationary quarter window seals from Dennis Carpenter to replace one that couldn't be reused when I repainted the car and pulled the seals off. Hopefully next week I'll get the seal replaced on the car.
I finally got my cell phone to pair with the bluetooth radio. That took a dozen tries.

 

Added a second 12V outlet tonight. Just can't have enough of those nowadays. This one I wired so power is on constantly so I could charge cell phone, ect. without the car running.

 

And I went Urban-Amish on my car.. power nothin', no frills, no extras.

 

HaHa..Yeah, I hear ya!. BTW, I ordered a power antenae last night. The hidden electronic one doesn't work worth a damn.

I thought I did a post here on Speedhut GPS speedometers/gauges...can't find it.any one remember seeing it?

 

Texas57

Did you just pick up a 12V outlet from the local parts store? I want to install one in my car but not sure if I should research them or just pick one up. There probably isn't too much to them, but I don't want a fire hazzard.

 

thought I did a post here on Speedhut GPS speedometers/gauges...can't find it.any one remember seeing it?

I did see it Rich, not sure where. I am using Speedhut gauges in my Sunliner, so interested in your experience.

 

Maybe on the main board.
So far my experience has been great. To recap what is happening since I apparently didn't post it here........ I love the GPS speedometer I got from them. In daylight, it's just what I wanted (of course it was, you get to design them yourself!). However, I did not like the night time appearance, especially compared to my TPI set that I had in there. I was hoping to keep the smaller gages, and just replace the speedo and tach, but the night lighting was dramatically different. This was 100% my fault, btw, I didn't pay close enough attention to their very accurate day/night view on their website. Also, when I designed and ordered, I had no idea the extent they could customize these things, even beyond the step by step they lead you through in the design stage. Anyway, I saw in their FAQ one customer asked if they could make gauges to match older existing gauges, and their response was "In most cases, yes". So, I called and told him I was very happy with the performance, and appearance of the speedometer, I just didn't like the night lighting, so "can you alter the nightime appearance without altering the daytime appearance?" He surprisingly said "Yes!".
He said they would basically have to rebuild the gage since what I was looking for used an old style lighting technology, but they could do it. I commented that it sounded like it was going to be expensive, and he replied since it is not a result of an error on our part, you'll have to pay shipping and a service charge of about $20. I thought that was just freakin' awesome customer service! I mean, they're going to reconstruct the gauge to fix an item I neglected to add for 20 bucks!!
Anyway, I packaged up the speedo along with my old one so he could match the lighting, and sent it insured USPS. According to their tracking number, they delivered it last Thursday, but when I called Speedhut today because I hadn't heard from them (they were suppose to call for a credit card #), he said no, they hadn't received it. Damn. He was going to do some further checking, then get with his uncle, who works for the Post Office there, to check on their end.
So, Customer Service has been great so far IMO, I honestly don't think receiving/not receiving the package was their fault, but he seems to be doing what he can on his end to locate it.

 

some pics....day and night. The GPS speedo is on the right.

 

I REALLY like the orangy glow of the "old" gauges. If I was wanting to replace the complete set, I could live with the off-white.
The GPS speedo was really easy to install...worked right from the get-go. response time is unbelievably fast.
Standard features include, odometer, trip odometer, altimeter (I really like that),0-60 timer in mph and feet, 1/4 mile timer (records time and mph automatically when you reach 1/4 mile), records fastest mph mode, clock and comp*** (like that alot as well)

FORGOT.......MADE IN THE USA (Odem, Utah)

 

A light just came on.........at one point he called me Mr Pierson (my wife's name) I corrected him and explained the caller ID was in my wife's name and repeated my name to him. Now I'm wondering what name he was looking for when he was checking their receiving log-in records. I'll call him in the morning.....hopefully that's the problem.

 

Where did you mount the antenna Rich?

 

This worked for me because I have a "square" steering column cover. Look closely at the first pic I posted. You can just see a little of it behind the hazard switch, reflecting in the dash panel bezel. I just layed it up there while I was testing it and it worked great, so I'll leave it there. I did not want it on the dash, so I was going to run the wire all the way back to the rear package shelf.
An alternative would have been to sneak the wire up inside the A pillar garnish moulding and attached it to the rear view mirror. Your convert. will have many more options.

 

Me too.

 

No luck so far finding my lost gauges. A younglady that works at speedhut did another search and turned up nothing, but she said she'd keep investigating. The post office here checked and got a gps readout of where the package was scanned when delivered. It was about 60 feet North of Speedhut. They are in an industrial park with lots of other businesses. The 60 feet from Speedhut at least confirmed I had the package marked correctly. Speedhut told me their USPS mail/packages are always delivered to their office. The usps delivery notes for that day say it was left at the door. $#@!!!

 

Updates....I'm still waiting on my new replacement speedometer. Should be in this week. The PO never found my lost one, and declined insurance coverage stating according to their records it was delivered. The roundy round starts!
In the meantime....To replace the useless under dash electronic antenae, I got an electric power antenae installed on my back fender. ran the cable and relay wire up to the radio only to find out the marine radio I have does not send a signal to the wire that is normally powered for a signal to the antenae. Instead I installed a rocker switch on the console, and ran ignition power to the switch and back to the antenae. When the switch is left on, the antenae goes up and down with the ignition switch, but I can also use the rocker switch to put the antenae down when I need to. Really cool.....I sat in my metal roofed garage in Amarillo listening to KOA in Denver!! Exactly what I was looking for. Yeah!! The wire I was talking about is only the relay signal wire. The antenae motor is wired for always hot.
My friend at the speed shop finally got his lift open and some spare time, so I had him get my car up in air. I put 8K or so miles on it last year...time to check things out. Fortunatly everything looks good. Differential has a small leak at the pumpkin, but fluid level was still full. No engine or ****** leaks anywhere. I do have a coolant leak at the lower radiator hose where I had to sleeve an oddly shaped hose to make the connection. I'm going to have to look for an alternative hose eventually. I adjusted my hand brake.
I had kip install 1" lowering blocks in the back. A lift and an axel jack...took 15 minutes, LOL!! I wanted to see if that small amount would hopefully make a small improvement in the handling. My car was actually at least an inch higher than oem in the back because of the Ranchero/wagon 6 leaf springs I'm using, so the lowering blocks brought that back down to oem except for what I added with tire height.
I was having a handling issue with the car on downward curves, feeling like the back end wanted to come around. It got worse with a full tank of gas. The california rake guys on the main board here tell me it "comes with the territory". Anyway, that subtle change made a huge improvement in handling. Really happy with the way it handles now, and I still have an adequate amount of rake. Lowering the back also increased the positive caster by about 1/2*...that's a good thing on my car with the rack and pinion for handling as well.

 

A down the road project will be to improve the steering. Yep, different from handling. I have a little lumpyness in the steering in parking type manuvers. I believe I can eliminate it by fiddling with the steering joints. When I first set up the column to rack joints, I modified a block for the support bearing to lower it from it's original design.. Not sure what I was thinking, but in doing that I decreased the angle the double joint was having to work (made the angle smaller/tighter). I need to replace that support bracket.

 

Didnt think it would make so big of a difference. Gotta get me some 2" made or bought...

 

I guess that's why road racing cars are low to the ground, and no rake. Me, I've got to compromise. I had it out for an hour again today...this time I filled the tank, and I'm still impressed with the way it handles now.

 

But are you able to keep the rake in your car? Its just that it looks great =)

 

My '59 is really fussy about the rear tire air pressure. How is the '57? My buddy set it at 34 and the back end of the car bounced over bumps harshly, even got sideways if I was hard on the gas when it happened. Rear leaf springs are stock, using stock Monroe shocks and Hankook 15" radials all around. I have very little weight in the trunk. It got better at 32 and now I have it set at 30 and its a lot better.