Picked up a 54 Customline, its actually my old car that i sold about 6 years ago when i was around 18. I was looking for an old daily driver and really wanted to get this car back and follow through with the plans i originally had for it. I sold the car at the time because i didnt have the tools and space to really do what i wanted. Now i do. Heres a few pics of how i picked it up yesterday The car is totally unchanged from how i sold it with the exception of power steering being added. 239 y block, 3 on the tree, 12v conversion, runs like a top. T-5 swap is definitely in the future, need an overdrive for highway cruising and it also pops out of 2nd sometimes which gets annoying. Paint bubbles here and there but overall a clean car
So i took the car to the shop today to start tinkering with a few things. Heres a few more pics I am not a fan of the interior, the seats are in solid shape but the tweed...... Gotta go. Im planning on a pleated or tuck n roll style interior like i did on my 62 belair. Heres a pic of that. All EZ-Boy upholstery panels and seat covers, some rattle can attention and elbow grease. I had around $1100 ish dollars in this interior Im trying to figure out colors to go with the brown paint. Im thinking maybe a deeper pale gold for the pleats and piping with a white outer, similar style to the seats above. I have a bunch of carpet and vinyl samples coming
So on the ride home i noticed a pretty mean rattle under the front end. Quick look and realized the sway bar bushings are non existent haha. The 3" slash cut exhaust tips gotta go in favor of some 2" rolled stainless tips. I pulled the rear bumperettes off Im looking for a new front and rear bumper. The chrome is shot on these. If anyone has a lead please let me know, doesnt have to be show quality just good driver quality. I tried to remove the front bumperettes but the nut inside the bumperettes are spinning so that was a no go. The speedo doesnt work, didnt 7 years ago either haha, so ill have to figure that out. Everything looks intact on the speedo end so ill have to inspect the trans side when i get time
Im planning on running some 15" chrome steelies with wide whites. Also planning around a 4" drop up front and 5-6" in the rear. Ill have to get into the trunk floor some and make room for the axle pumpkin and small notches. Im planning aerostar coils which i believe are 2.5-3" and a 1" spring cup spacer. I was talking to voodoo kustoms on here who has a super low 54 static dropped ( i believe around 7" all around) and he said a drop spring up front with a spacer on the spring cup creates clearance issues. Anyone else have problems with this ? Out back im thinking 3" posies springs and a 2-3" block. I dont wanna run a crazy tall block due to scrub line issues. Trunk floor and notch fabrication shouldnt be too difficult im hoping
You can get Polyurethane sway bar links and bushings from Energy Suspension cheapest way is get them from Autozone by giving them the part numbers from here: http://energysuspension.com/products.html they will get them out of their warehouse and you won't pay shipping. The link tells you how to measure for them do not order them until you have the car lowered so you will have the correct measurements.
Glad you got your first car back.Never let it go again! I like the plans you have with the interior. I think for the seats and door panels a darker "tannish" gold and white/ cream would work very well with the rest of the car.I like the tuck n roll in your Chevy, that would fit the Ford very well too! There is nothing better than driving an old car daily. My daily driver is a 55 Chevy 4dr I6 with 3 on the tree plus OD.All stock, never restored, just maintained and repaired for 60 years. Just the typical granny´s grocery getter, but I love that car so much I sold my later model back up car, 2000 BMW station wagon ( that always broke down because of electrical/ computer related issues anyways) shortly after I got the 55 and I never regreted that move.I have a couple of " too nice to drive in bad weather" cars too, but the 55 collected over 12500 mile in a year now--- just keep away from those cheap chinese wheel bearings, buy NOS or the best quality out there if you really want to drive daily. And if you plan to drive it in snow or bad weather, flush every cavity ,door, hard to reach spot with cavity wax or cavity grease until it runs out . I sealed the paint a all the little sheetmetal overlaps with OWATROL, it is a organic based oil that acts like a paint conditioner and hardens like a clear coat. I used that for the worn through areas, the drip rails, the rockers, fenderwells, wheels arches, door seams, under the mouldings, ...and if you happen to hit salt in the winter, give it a good wash shortly after. Good M+S radial tires are a must aswell.
The Jalopy Journal
