'56 Ford Club Sedan Mild Custom

[bob w]

Good tip, animal.

 

[animal]

I got everything in the engine compartment buttoned up, got the heater and defrost ducting fabricated and installed, wired up everything in and under the dash, got the digital dash installed. I'm working on the front bumper and will tackle the grille and filler panels for front and rear bumpers next. I need to take a couple weeks off from this project to do some interior renovations on a food=sales trailer. I'm running low on funds for the Ford, and this project will help there. Then my wife and I are going to Key West for a couple of days with a friend, so that will slow me down a little more, but I've been at it seven days a week for a couple months and I guess a break won't kill me.

 

[animal]

Re-building the taco trailer took much longer than anticipated. I have been working on the car lately, have finished the bumpers, filler panels, and grille. They've been blasted, and I am working on priming and sanding them around the remodeling job in our dining room. Slower progress than I'd like, but just can't leave my wife to do the wall-building and electrical work by herself. She's a trooper, says that as soon as the technical work is done, she'll put up the planks and finish the walls so I can go back to working on the Ford. I should have photos before long of the bumpers, grille, and filler panels. Next is fabrication of the custom taillight surrounds, installation of the rear window, then body and paint.

 

[Torchie]

[P [P [P
Torchie

 

[animal]

I got roped into building some "barn wood" walls in the dining room, so things slowed down again on the Ford. My wife decided this summer is the summer to completely rebuild our house, inside and out.

I did get the bumpers, grille, and filler panels finished. The grille is covered with a black "hammered" finish. It should be a nice, subtle contrast to all the gloss black on the rest of the car.

I changed out the driver's door window regulator, took both vent assemblies out of the doors so I can replace the rubber seal around them.

Hopefully I can sneak in a few hours here and there to get this thing done while still fulfilling my duties to the warden..er...wife.

 

[bob w]

The parts look nice. You've got a nice space for painting.

 

[animal]

Thanks, Bob! I built that paint room when we first moved here. I was doing quite a bit of painting back then, custom bikes, race cars, the kids' cars, and signs. I hope to start doing more as soon as the Ford is out of the way and the wife stops hitting me with new projects.

 

[Tripper]

Paint room... ummm... jealous!!! [dr[dr[dr

BoB

 

[animal]

It's not state-of-the-art by any stretch of the imagination, but it is nice to have a spot that is cleaner than the rest of the garage for painting.

 

[donsrods]

I just read your whole thread, man, I love 56 Fords. One of the cleanest, prettiest designs to come out of Ford ever. You are doing a great job on yours.

Wish I still had the Victoria Hardtop I traded for a Nash Rambler with a 324 Olds, back in the late 60's.

 

[animal]

I really like the '56 Ford, too. I love the body style. That's why I'm doing this car. I lost my butt in the trade I made for it, as I have had to fix so many problems that I didn't take the time to look for. It was a black 1956 Ford Fairlane, and I fell in love with the idea of it. Now, after over three years and way too much money, I am finally getting to the point where I can visualize it actually being on the road. It won't be a show car, but that's not what I want. I hope it'll be a dependable, fun daily driver with just a few custom touches to made me happy.

 

[donsrods]

Yep, if you are like me, you really do not want to know how much money you have in the car. When people ask me, I have to honestly answer that I do not keep track, nor would I ever want to.

 

[animal]

Yep, if you are like me, you really do not want to know how much money you have in the car. When people ask me, I have to honestly answer that I do not keep track, nor would I ever want to.

Exactly!

 

[Old Iron]

All that counts is that the ones who build and own the vehicles are the ones that are happy.

 

[earthman]

.............[P

 

[animal]

I spent the last few days working on small stuff, building parts and such. Nothing much picture-worthy, but necessary nonetheless.

I built some 16 gauge plates to mount speakers to, and welded them to the rear shelf. I also built a mounting bracket for the third brake light and drilled the shelf for it. I had ordered a package tray and it showed up bent (cardboard) so I used it to make a pattern, traced all the speaker and light mounts onto it and cut out all the holes. I'll either make a tray out of Masonite or cover the cardboard one with something to hide the damage. By the time I spend the money on return postage, the cost will be beyond what the replacement is worth. I'll just deal with the damaged part.

I wanted to get all that done before preparing the opening for the rear window and installing it, as it's much easier without the window in the way.

Yesterday I rebuilt the vent window assemblies. I had to build some brackets that were missing, such as bottom attachment mounts for the vent channel and bottom travel stops for the door windows. I got everything but back in the doors, adjusted, and ready to go.

Now I have to install the quarter glass into the lift channels, replace the run channel around both of them, and get everything adjusted and working right. This is all new to me, and this quarter window deal has me worried. The manual doesn't show much, and I'm having a hard time deciding how to determine the right order of assembly. Maybe I'll find something on youtube...

As soon as the window work is done, I'll get the back glass installed and start on bodywork. The biggest show in this area (over 600 cars) is on Labor Day weekend, so I have a little less than six weeks. I'm not building this car to win trophies, but I do get a kick out of talking about the nuts and bolts things involved in building vehicles with folks. And, a few of my friends keep bugging me to get it done and park next to them at the show. We'll see how things go.

 

[Old Iron]

Making headway [cl[cl[cl
[P[P[P

 

[animal]

Thanks, OI! I'm trying to figure out how to bend the window run channel 90 degrees without ruining it. Learning new skills everyday...

 

[animal]

Changing the thread's title

I talked to Tripper about changing the thread's title... I think after three years and change, the "begins" part of the original title is a bit dated.

 

[Torchie]

[P [P [P
Torchie