Unchopping a chopped 57 Ford Ranchero windshield

I still say you need to brace it forward & rearward of the bulkhead.

Once you take it off the Rotisserie or slice off the Qtrs, you can guarantee that the body will move, but you can't predict how it's going to move. The braces will stop that.

I learned that as a kid on my 1st Muscle Car build... the HARD WAY!

 

Are the existing quarter panels on the Ranchero in such poor shape that a patch panel couldn't fix it?? Will you be replacing both passenger and driver rear quarter panels? If so, I'll take your drivers side as it is in better shape than the one on my Ranchero.

I'm really enjoying this thread and watching your progress. Keep up the great work!

 

Thanks for the comments, yes we will be replacing both Ranchero quarters which are the same as Ranch Wagon & Del Rio... as noted the original ones were very patchable... but, as anyone reading the post will quickly learn... I'm the idea guy with a stash of 57 parts and I'm paying to have the work done... this isn't my first Rodeo but I misscalculated the amount of time required to pull off the roof restyle... now I'm forced the make the rest of the car worthy of the investment... the only way to have access to bed and fender wells to hammer and dollie out the dings out is for the quarters to be out of the way... hence the replacements... a lot of solid usable sections are being removed and that is why I mentioned in an earlier post "if ya see something being cut off - PM me if it would help on your project"... and as I have mentioned earlier the repro repair panels I'm aware of today aren't factory perfect... wish I could say it ain't so... but, the wall hangers are gonna be used

 

I'm lovin' watching this car come together!!!

 

Some Fairlane 500 rear fenders would look cool on it... just shorten them but keep the angle on the fin above the tail light and the nicer wheel wells.

 

Brace yourself... Phase III begins...



Point taken

 

The door braces will unbolt...

 

I kept forgetting to shoot this... back to the rocker panel end cap replacement... I mentioned before we had to rework the repro to appear stock... but, I never followed up with a photo of the finished repair... again, it would have been easier to have fixed the dented one had we known the repro didn't match the factory panel... the repro design was to eliminate the lap joint****uming that if you were replacing it it was the worst rust wise and the die stampings left larger radius on the flanged area... so, now we know



Now it looks factory...

 

This the repair we were avoiding...

 

This shows the rear portion of the door brace bolted in the latch/striker plate holes

 

Front section of the x cross-bracing



Rear section can be unbolted to allow removal of the door brace



Odd shot... you are looking down into the cab with the body of its side

 

Thom, Sure is taking lots of work to brace that body for the repair work. Bet you will hang on to this one to enjoy it.
Several years ago a CMS (USAF) I worked for in the Comm Sq at George AFB offered me his plain jane '57 Ranchero if I would do all the mechanical work to get his '58 Edsel Pacer up and running. I didn't have enough mechanical know how to do the work. I think he took his shop manual and did what he could. The stuff he wasn't comfortable with he had farmed out.

Dave

 

The bracing doesn't block as much access as we thought... and with each door being removable it will allow additional access if required

 

Tell me I should feel good about this... right, all I see is more work that is normally "out of sight out of mind"

 

Even the areas that seemed almost done still need more attention... do folks really appreciate something they can't see... I've always been of a mind set that if your going to do something do it right... but, "majoring in the minor's" comes to mind

 

How "nice" do you want it to be ?

Some people want everything perfect, and will pay for it,
other will put most of their money where it shows.

 

The pics are good but I gotta say... I liked them better with the girl! There is just no comparison; even with the bandana!

 

Unfortunately... the repair and replacement work has to be finished top & bottom to be sealed... once ya go that far it isn't that much further to make it factory perfect... which was never perfect anyways... my heart just isn't into this never ending project... I'm sure I'll feel better about it when its in paint...

 

they are waiting for paint too

 

Lighter areas are the coated repro panels

 

nice

 

Thanks for the comments... at times I don't know if I'm posting to many details...

This is a follow up... I had mentioned in an earlier post we had heavy pitting in this area on the replacement cowl but it was good on the Ranchero... Scott transferred the section... I wasn't there to take photos before it was done... Scott gave me a copy of some of the progress shots he had taken and this photo shows the transformation... now ya see why I had a hard time doing a visual after it was completed



Photo from the inside of the car



Photo from the outside of the car

 

IMHO I think the more info the better, if it too much for someone they can skim over it, this has been a really interesting and informative read for me and I always look forward to updates!

 

X2. This one will be perfect, near as damn it, the way it´s shaping up.

 

That's a really good point, thanks for that too!

 

I love the detail shots you are providing as it provides good reference for those of us with 57 Fords in need of some repair.

I do have one question, what are you using to blast the metal? Are you using sand or some other type of media?

 

I'm using coarse crushed glass for blasting. It cuts fast and is reasonably priced, $20 / 50 lbs.