'56 Ford Club Sedan Mild Custom

[Old Iron]

Looks like the camaro stub grafted on well

 

[animal]

If you are taking it to a glass shop they will remove the old windshield anyway you know. The way they normally do it is cut the lip off the gasket and sitting on the front seat, push the glass out with their feet.

I know that's the way to take it out, but I don't want to take a chance of bending the lip for the gasket. I have to cut the inside off to push it out. The outside has the stainless trim and it wont come out until the glass is out of the gasket.

 

[animal]

Jeez, what a hassle!

I got the windshield cut out of the '56. It was a struggle, but I prevailed, with only one cut from the knife I was using! Now to sand, prime, and paint the opening in preparation for the new rubber and glass.

 

[animal]

I went and picked up the 8.8 rear end I'm going to use. I measured a few times, then cut the pads off and moved them to where they'll match up with the springs under my '56. I got them welded up, and decided to work on the back bumper so I'll have a place to rest jack stands while I'm taking the old rear end out and shoving the 8.8 into its place. I'm g not going to run any of the chrome, and I didn't want to blast and paint the original bumper, so I made one out of some 3x2 tubing I had. I got the basic bumper shaped, and made some brackets. Now to decide if I'm going to incorporate the receiver into the face of the bumper or put it underneath. I'm leaning towards putting it in the body of the bumper, with another brace across from bracket to bracket at the front of the hitch. That way I can build a cool little insert to cover the hole and there won't be anything hanging under the bumper.

 

[animal]

After a 3-week "vacation" spent driving a potato truck during harvest, I was able to order some parts to continue the Ford project. I got a new windshield, the gasket for it, the front-end rebuild kit for the Camaro sub-frame, and a few other goodies. Today after work a couple of my friends and I will install the windshield. If all goes well, at that point I'll get busy rebuilding the front suspension so I can get the drivetrain in it and can get busy behind the firewall with all the under-dash goodness (yeah, right) before re-installing the dash. I left everything off both sides of the firewall to make the windshield installation easier, just because I'm kinda chicken and want to give us the best shot at getting it in without breaking it. Pictures tomorrow!

 

[bob w]

What's a world famous author and fabricator doing driving a potato truck? Makin' money I 'spose. Nice project. It'll be refreshing to see that year Ford in a sea of Chevys.

 

[Country Misfit]

Looking good

 

[animal]

What's a world famous author and fabricator doing driving a potato truck? Makin' money I 'spose. Nice project. It'll be refreshing to see that year Ford in a sea of Chevys.

Yeah, I was making some extra cash to put into the '56. World famous....

 

[animal]

Well, we got the windshield in..... none of us had put a windshield in with the stainless trim in the rubber gasket for a long time, but once we figured out the right order to install the rubber and stainless onto the glass, the install itself was cake.

 

[soltz]

coming along nicely [cl

 

[smallfoot]

Assamoosic Swamp...in Virginia???

 

[animal]

Assamoosic Swamp...in Virginia???

Yep. "Found" that sign while helping with hurricane cleanup a few years back. Couldn't resist!

 

[Country Misfit]

How do you put that kind of windshield in ? Do you use the rope method ?

 

[animal]

How do you put that kind of windshield in ? Do you use the rope method ?

We put the rubber gasket on the glass, installed the stainless trim into the slit in the rubber, then greased up a 5/32" nylon rope with ZEP hand cleaner and put it around the opening for the windshield frame to fi into. We greased up all the area of the rubber that might contact the metal and pushed the top side of the windshield assembly up and onto the frame at the top. Then we pulled the rope slowly, allowing the rubber gasket to fit over the metal frame. The whole process took about an hour. It worked really well.

 

[animal]

I removed the entire front suspension, wire-brushed the subframe, and applied two coats of SEM rust converter. I'll topcoat it tomorrow with black acrylic enamel. Now to learn how to remove/install control arm bushings.......

 

[soltz]

There are a few how to's on you tube. I used them when i did the sprint, a big hammer and a torch help
Have fun and good luck.

 

[animal]

Thanks....I'll see what I can find. I appreciate the encouragement.

 

[Old Iron]

They're not hard to do once you get started.

 

[animal]

I got the upper arms done pretty quickly....need to get a plan for the lowers.

 

[animal]

Shiny finish applied to the subframe...