'56 Ford Club Sedan Mild Custom

[soltz]

Happy wrenching, keep at it you'll get there. [cl

 

[animal]

I got the GM brake booster/master cylinder mounted to run the Camaro power brakes and the discs on the back. It took some custom brackets and some "rigging" to make everything fit, but everything is tight and works with no binding. I needed a few 3/8" fine thread nuts and didn't want to drive the 20 miles to town, so I cut the dome off some stainless acorn nuts I have. The Ford brake pedal misses the Chevy steering column by a quarter inch or so... I may need to do some additional massaging to make sure everything clears everything else after I bench bleed the master cylinder and hook up all the brake lines.

 

[soltz]

I got the GM brake booster/master cylinder mounted to run the Camaro power brakes and the discs on the back. It took some custom brackets and some "rigging" to make everything fit, but everything is tight and works with no binding. I needed a few 3/8" fine thread nuts and didn't want to drive the 20 miles to town, so I cut the dome off some stainless acorn nuts I have. The Ford brake pedal misses the Chevy steering column by a quarter inch or so... I may need to do some additional massaging to make sure everything clears everything else after I bench bleed the master cylinder and hook up all the brake lines.

Don't you hate it when you have to cut those old nuts

 

[animal]

I've been busy painting signs, working on a farm during spud planting, and doing other side jobs to pay for parts for the Ford. I did get the AOD rebuilt and a shift kit added by a friend. Hopefully we'll get it buckled up in place in the next week or so. New torque converter, cooler with fan also ready for installation. Next will be finishing the brakes so I can drive it around town a little to see how things work. Slow progress, but finally progress, nonetheless. The Colorado Book Awards are this weekend, so that will slow me down for a couple of days, but I plan to spend most of my time on the Fairlane.

 

[animal]

I really need to post more!

I have been welding at a friend's shop, helping out with some big projects, and am now running a bin piler for potato harvest, working 12-hour days, six days a week, so not much progress to report on the Ford. I did break down and order a Lokar shifter, with Lokar throttle, TV, and cruise control cables. I ordered a Rostra cruise control unit, and have been piling up other parts in preparation for a winter thrash. I decided to actually paint the car, and will install the stainless trim as well. I'm thinking of a factory-style two-tone, but not factory colors. In fact, I don't know what colors will end up on the car, and probably won't until it rolls out of the booth. I spent today installing the Lokar emergency brake cable kit, made especially for the Ford 8.8 rear axle. Instead of buying one of the stupid-expensive Lokar handbrake lever assemblies, I used a 2000 Honda Civic unit. It looks brand new, got it on ebay for $20, shipped. I also got a perfect boot to fit it for another $12. $32 versus over $200 for the fancy chrome unit with their boot and trim ring. Got the brakes working, and am waiting for a fitting for the Saginaw PS pump to finalize all that. Will make my own braided stainless hose with 6-AN fittings in order to get it "clocked" right before doing the final crimp. I also bought a 53' trailer to use for storage, so I can empty out my paint booth and garage of stuff unrelated to getting the Ford finished. Hopefully I'll make some serious progress as soon as I decide to quit working side jobs and get down to it.

 

[earthman]

I lost track of this one somehow but getting caught up was entertaining. You are an interesting character Animal. Thanks for the updates bud.

 

[animal]

Thanks, earthman... I think "Interesting" is better than a lot of stuff I get called.

 

[bob w]

Glad to see you are gathering some bucks to spend on the project. Makes building a lot easier when you don't have to wait to get what you need.

BTW, I finally got to the book and am enjoying it a great deal. About half way through it now. You are a good story teller.

 

[animal]

I've been gathering up parts as I can and putting them on the shelf. Hopefully I'll get to spend the winter working on the Fairlane. Thanks for the kind words... I really appreciate it and am glad you're enjoying the read.

 

[animal]

Back at it...

I'd planned to get back to the '56 and spend the winter working on it, but life has a way of changing my mind for me. I got offered a job building a food truck from scratch, something I've never had any experience with. I spent a couple months doing that, had a health scare that sat me down for awhile (it has since been determined to be no problem), and had to spend a few weekends working on family stuff.

I finally got back to the Ford, and have been spending 10-12 hours a day, seven days a week trying to get it on the road. I keep finding more problems. I cut the trans tunnel out of a junkyard donor to replace mine, found a different trunk lid that isn't so rusted out, removed the rock-hard rear window gasket and window in preparation for installing a new one. I built inner fenderwells for the front from old aluminum signs, painted them and installed them. They make a great place to mount all the engine-related paraphernalia, such as electric fan controller, voltage regulator, starter solenoid, trans cooler/fan combo, electronic cruise control box, windshield washer and coolant recovery tanks, etc.

Wiring has dominated my time for the last week or so. I'm finally starting to notice fewer wires hanging around loose. I keep finding things I need to do to facilitate the wiring process, like gluing insulation/sound deadener on the firewall and floor while it's still kinda easy, before I put the dash back in the way. I also built a console to cover the huge hole needed for the Lokar shifter and it's weird lever.

I got the dash in earlier this week, and have been wiring switches, heater, windshield wipers, mounting and re-mounting the fuse block a few times. I live in a "Poke & Plumb" town of about 70 people. (Poke your head outside and you're plumb outta town). The towns closer than 100 miles away are devoid of businesses that cater to rodders. All the parts stores carry the bare essentials, offer to order parts that aren't everyday items. I've been doing a steady business with ebay, getting items that the "what is the application" drones at the parts stores can't seem to understand.

As soon as I get the wiring to the point I think I may be close to finished (I'm not ever confident enough to say I'm done), I'll prepare the rear window opening and get the back window in. I still need belt-line whiskers in all the windows, gaskets for the wing vents, doors, and trunk, as well as window run channel, a new window regulator for the driver's door, and more piddly stuff before installing the interior.

I still need to build the front bumper and grille. I did get the headlight buckets repaired and all the wiring done for the front of the car. New horns are installed and wired. the electric fans are wired, and all the wiring forward of the firewall is in looms and clamped in place.

My initial plan was to have the car on the road by Memorial Day. That may not happen But I'm working at it steadily, and unless I have to go back to work to buy parts, I'll hopefully have it some in early summer. Then I can get back to writing and finish the third novel in my "Hammer" series.

Sorry I'm not good at documenting progress... I get busy working and am not good at stopping to take pictures and make entries here. I'll try to do better. Here are some pics of the progress so far.

 

[bruno]

When you get to work you really get to work! I like those inner fender panels , excellent job.[P[P

 

[MercuryMac]

Animal, way to go, guy, now you've got me thinking of my old high-school car, a salmon pink '56 Meteor two door. I think mine is even a Club Sedan, just like yours. [Meteor is a Canadian version of a Ford body with a different grille and usually a Mercury motor. Should I dig it out and add it to my list of projects. Anyhow, Keep chugging along on your car. [P

 

[Skip]

Animal, way to go, guy, now you've got me thinking of my old high-school car, a salmon pink '56 Meteor two door. I think mine is even a Club Sedan, just like yours. [Meteor is a Canadian version of a Ford body with a different grille and usually a Mercury motor. Should I dig it out and add it to my list of projects. Anyhow, Keep chugging along on your car. [P

Yes. Good lookin' car. That's the same color as my 4-door '56 Victoria that I bought when I was 19 and in the service.

 

[kenny c]

Wow, nice work.

 

[earthman]

'atta boy

 

[DozerII]

That's some great progress. [P[P

 

[animal]

Thanks, guys! I spent yesterday wiring switches and indicator lights, then tying up wires. I got an insane amount of satisfaction when, at about 6 pm, I noticed there were only wires to the radio and gauges hanging. I figured what the heck, I'll see what happens if I hook up the battery and turn the key on for the first time. No smoke or fire, so I turned the key on...still no pyrotechnics. I turned the key and it started and ran! I stopped at that point, picked up some tools, and went in the house earlier than normal before something happened to ruin my mood.

MercuryMac, those Meteors are cool-lookin' cars. I had a salmon '55 mainline club sedan at one point and a salmon and white '55 Mercury Montclair. If you decide to do something with the Meteor, it would definitely be one of only a few I've seen on the road.

 

[Torchie]

That's some great progress. [P[P

^^^^^ What he said^^^^^^.
Love the mid 50's Fords and Mercs. My High school car was a 56 Merc Montclair that was done as a "Mild " custom.
And Mac. As far as I am concerned the Canadian Fords and Mercs had the coolest grills.
[P [P [P
Torchie

 

[animal]

Got the wiring in the engine compartment done, wrapped in loom, and clamped up out of the way. Wired up the ignition, fan controls, etc. so I figured I'd give it a shot. Turned the key and it started right up. Everything works, and only one small leak. Next is wiring up the digital dash panel so I can watch the gauges while I let it run awhile and tweak some stuff.

https://youtu.be/sWACrjBDXrk

 

[animal]

The video I posted in my last comment shows this... a little. I needed clamps to run the tubing from the windshield washer pump to the tee for the nozzles. I didn't have any small enough, but got to looking around and found a bag of coax clamps. I removed the small nails they come with, drilled the hole out to 1/8" and riveted them to the firewall. They work great, are small and unobtrusive, and should last well. Sometimes you find what you need in an unexpected package...