Scored a nice '52 Victoria on eBay yesterday for a parts car. Pretty nice for a parts car, though. It's complete and has very little rust - typical north Texas car. It has the automatic transmission pedals and steering column I need for my Vicky, and it also has factory tinted gl***...and a good Texas ***le. I'll probably sell it once I've removed all the stuff I need, which isn't very much, really. It would make a great car to build! Mmmmmmm! Hardtop cruisin' on a summer night... More photos and info later...
Here are a few more photos of the new parts car...I think? That should have been the engine... And one of the interior... And of the dash... And one of the front end...I hope. This is the first time I'm trying to post photos into the text of a message using a new technique from SKOH73. So far it seems to be working just fine! Thanks SKOH73! You'll no doubt notice that I haven't mentioned how much I paid for it... That's on purpose. I don't want any of you guys showing up on my doorstep with a big stick and an evil at***ude! Let me just put it this way, I've paid an awful lot more for an awful lot less...! Sometimes you just get lucky!
Progress report: The first step was to repair the driver's side window which was down and couldn't be raised. From the condition of the seat, it had been that way for some time. After taking the door panel off, I removed the window regulator, thinking it might be stripped. It was dry and stiff, but these things are pretty stoutly built and probably impossible to strip. The bushings were still tight (amazingly!), but the arm looked a little strange. The rear regulator bushing was also dry and stiff - the one that's attached to the window - so I loosened it from the door and lubed it with Marvel Oil through the armrest screw hole. Then put it back together. Turns out the only problem was a slightly tweaked regulator arm and a missing clip - both probably caused by the stiffness in the mechanism due to lack of lubrication. Put it all back together and it works like a champ. Still haven't found the clip in the bottom of the door, so I ordered a new on from a vendor on eBay. The rest of the windows work stiffly, too, so they'll all need to be lubed so I can keep the windows rolled up so the car won't get wet inside. I've already adjusted the deck lid as much as I can so that it will fit properly and not leak, but I ran out of adjustment on the hinge mechanism before the lid fit properly. Anybody got a fix for this? Next trick, maybe today, is to remove the front seat and clean the floor, once again to prevent moisture from eating at the floors any more than it already has. Even though this is a parts car, I don't want it to be ruined by exposure. It's plenty nice for the next owner to build, and I want to keep it as nice as possible for him. More later...
Is that an A/C unit under the dash? I don't see any thing under the hood that looks like it's connected.Looks like you made a good score,speaking of ebay I think I saw saw a vendor that has tilt columns for the 52-56 Fords.
Thanks, Jeff! Yes, that is an air conditioner...vintage 1958. The compressor, the compressor bracket and pulleys are in the trunk and all the rest of it is still in place! The car came with all original paperwork including dealer invoice, hang tags, booklets and stuff. It also came with the original instruction book for the air conditioning. Pretty cool. And yes, I've seen the tilt columns as well. I'm looking for a very original appearance in the interior of my project Vicky and an aftermarket steering column just isn't going to get it. The one in the parts car is very nice and is, of course, a drop-in fit. I just got through taking the interior out. What a yucky job! Car was full of dead rats and other really disgusting stuff...all very wet from our recent rains. Glad the worst of that chore is over. Still have to s****e the floors and hose it out, but that can wait a day or so. The good news is that the floors are almost perfect. One hole about the size of a softball under the driver's feet, but that's it. It's a much better car than I thought. More later...
Progress report: More progress today. The yucky stuff on the floor had pretty well dried out during the past couple of 100+ degree days, so I decided to shovel it out today. Took the door sills off, ripped out the old carpet and insulation and then scooped as much of the loose stuff up as possible and put it in a trash can. Then went back with a steel s****er and s****ed as much of the old crud off the metal as I could and swept it out. The area under the back seat and behind the rear seat side panels was where the rats had been living and was packed full of nesting materials. So... I took the side panels off and cleaned both sides out all the way to the bottom of the quarter panels. It was full of dirt, too, wet still from the recent rains...and fire ants! I love old cars! More later...with photos, since I know how to put them into the message thanks to a tutorial by skoh73! Thanks, Scott!
Nice score! probably a good thing I live half the globe away from you or I'd be bangin on your door wanting the " parts car" ! well done.
I'am with 4t6ford,and live on the other side of the world. I wish there were parts cars in that condition here... As for the steering coloumn,i used a early 67 to 69 falcon one.Got rid of the three on the tree and put a toploader 4 speed.The coloumn was a blank one with only a indicator stork. Used a con rod from a flattie to bolt it to the dash and trimmed a couple of inches of theend to fit it back in the car. Looks really good and clean. hope that helps you. If you decide to move the 52 vicky on please send me a pm.
Thanks! This car will definately move on at some point in time, but not before I get the blue Vicky pretty much squared away. I plan to use the steering column jacket, steering wheel, tinted gl***, bumpers and guards, and a few minor items that my blue Vicky is either missing or that are better on this car. The take-off parts from the blue Vicky will go with the yellow Vicky when it is sold. Luckily, the blue Vicky is a pretty nice car and needs little. The yellow Vicky is also a pretty nice car, as a few of you have noticed, and would make a great project in and of itself. I don't plan to brutalize it as I borrow parts, but to preserve it for the next owner...and there will be one. Thanks for the steering column tip, KSK. The plan is to use the Fordomatic column from the yellow Vicky to shift the TH350 in the blue Vicky. I really want a stock looking interior. The car is to have a mid-50s vibe and any late model parts would be out of place. Been in the 100+ degree temperature range here of late, so no progress on anything until it cools off a bit. More later...
The Jalopy Journal
