Thread: Rons1stRod saying hello!

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Hey guys, working on my first rod, a 55 Ford Fairlane 2 door coupe. I've pulled it apart, ground the chassis down to bare metal, rebuilt the front end with disc brakes and lowered spindles from a Granada / Monarch, set in an 8" Maverick rear axle and have a 429 attached. I POR15 coated the chassis. I cleaned the underside of the body, cut away rotting floor supports (floor pans are good) and made and welded in new ones. Self etch primered it front to back then coated it with rubberized undercoating. Setting up a Granada steering column to join up with the steering gear box from the same. Have ground the paint off the body using my 4" grinder with wire wheel and now have bare metal body. Continuing to do the same inside body then will prime it entirely with self etching primer and most likely sit for a while as I "conserve" some money to move on further. I built a 24 x 30 shop with 12' ceiling and installed a 9000 lb hoist for easier working. Love it! Anybody have any insight on the "hollow" tubular steering column and how to remove the rag joint and set up some Borgeson U Joints to connect to the gear box? Always appreciate helpful hints! Thanks!

Got a soft spot for them ....'55 Fords....that's what She Who Must Be Obeyed was driving when I first met her.
Initially I couldn't have cared less for the shelia, it was the car that took my eye.
Now?.....Well we've just celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary, and the car is long gone.
Welcome aboard Ron, it's a cool place to hang out!

Hey thanks Johnboy, is there a way to post "progress" pictures of my project in this site? I've been looking for some place since I signed up.

Originally Posted by Rons1stRod

Hey thanks Johnboy, is there a way to post "progress" pictures of my project in this site? I've been looking for some place since I signed up.

Looks like you figured out the gallery since you posted this entry. Good for you. Welcome aboard, looks like a very good start.

Johnboy, does your better half read these posts? And most importantly, is the doghouse carpeted and air conditioned?

Yep, stumbled onto the place where you post pictures alright! Geez, sorry, I ONLY posted a few thousand of the zillion I have though!

Originally Posted by nitrowarrior

Johnboy, does your better half read these posts? And most importantly, is the doghouse carpeted and air conditioned?

Yeah, She knows She's called that, (She Who Must Be Obeyed,) She knows too that it was the car that was the attraction initially.
If I call her that in public She gives me what can only be described as a 'look' and says "Yes, at all times and without question."
And yes, the doghouse, my shed, is air conditioned, and although it's not yet carpeted, I've got the carpet. And a beer fridge!

And Ron, good on ya for working out the gallery. Bob Parmenter posted some pics of our cars there for me.

You have it covered then........I still say she's pretty understanding if she's aware of that old situation with the car and all.

Originally Posted by johnboy

And a beer fridge!

And these Kiwis know how to do a beer fridge!!!

Just don't ask him how the tile work on the resort is going though!

Ron, you are doing right by that little '55. It's obvious you have taken the time to do a great job. Plus, I like them bbf engines.

As for how to keep a project logged........simply keep coming back to this thread and adding new posts as you do stuff. That is how I kept my build thread alive......every once in a while toss in a cat picture or two, and Bob will be "kind" enough to insert some pictures for you. Nothing to it.


Don

Ron, it looks like you are building one sweet double nickle Ford. I've always liked the 55 and the 56 Fords. Keep posting pictures of your progress.

And that's just the outside one.......wait 'til you see the walk-in one inside!
And yeah, Bob, you're right abiut the "Last Resort".......I've seen the builders two days so far this month.

Ron, the work you've done on the car so far looks pretty good, I reckon you'll have a bobby dazzler there.
It's obviously not going to be just a patch-up job. Good on ya!

Thanks for the input guys! I'm learning as I go, that's for sure! I was very fortunate to build a decent shop with hoist and equip it with great tools. I got impatient with chemical paint remover so I went with my grinder and a wire wheel to remove the paint. Geez, what a dirty mess that is! My sweet old neighborlady has a covered patio about 25' from the door of my shop ....... she's out vacuuming after every time I clean up. I wonder if that's why she's moving??????????? hmmmmmmmm, good thing I'm her Realtor! Hey, anybody needing a referral to a great Realtor nearly anywhere in the world, call or email me! Ok, enough commercial.

So, I'm removing the rusted outer rocker panels now, thank God for air chisels! Then I'm going to clean out the floor pans inside, underside of the roof and prime it. Got to work on connecting the steering column to the steering gear but guess there's no hurry on that. Picking up a 55 Fairlane Fordoor for parts in a month or so. Good glass and stainless and has a few minor pieces I need for my project. I'll keep posting pictures as I take them. I've got a lot more but no use putting them all on. By the way, what is a "Bobby Dazzler"?

Originally Posted by Rons1stRod

By the way, what is a "Bobby Dazzler"?

It's from a foreign language! Brother Norton sometimes needs translation.......

See this;http://www.allwords.com/word-bobby-dazzler.html

Originally Posted by Rons1stRod

By the way, what is a "Bobby Dazzler"?

Sorry, I sometimes forget that you fellas and fellasses don't speak God's Own English. A bobby dazzler is something that's bonzer.
Antipodean slang.....both those terms mean something that is top notch. Top of the class. Really nice to look at.
In your vernacular, isn't it "bad"?
As in something that's: "Real bad, man," is something that's good?