1958 Country Sedan project

Well, the sun came out today. FINALLY!
First time in many days... could be weeks even.
So fired up the wagon for a short road trip.


Just running to the storage unit. Nothing grand or special, but I like the drive and was nice to get the new cooling system up to temp with no problems to report.

She runs like a top!

Yup, there's 53 years of my life stuffed into one little unit. Ol' Berry would probably toss it all out searching for the holy grail, but a good bloodhound could make 6 months of house payments on some careful ebay sales of much of it.


Oh well, someday I'll have my own house and garage again.

 

Great pics of a beautiful car! Thanks for sharing Jairus!!

 

Hey, just got in the mail an NOS 1958 Ford speedo cable! YUP, tags and everything. No evidence of wear at all other than from sitting on the shelf for 53 years.
So.... tomorrow I pull the old cable off the "Surf Rat" and see if I can get the speedometer working for the first time in nearly 2 years of my daily driving.

Jairus excited.
(It's only 8:30 and I want to go to bed now so tomorrow comes more quickly)

 

Speedometers are so overated. With a cruiser like yours any speed your at is the right one.

 

looks pretty darn cool to me!

 

Well, here is the original speedo cable. The transmission end of it at least.


The end should be connected to the core, but has been twisted off.
I estimated the cable had become locked up due to friction or wear and it eventually twisted the weakest point. Sooooo.... I installed the new cable and fired up the motor for a test.
All I managed to do is destroy the new cable same way!

This told me that the head must be froze up from rust. Not much up there but a magnet spinning inside of a steel bell. But... there are bearings. So next step is to pull the instrument panel and check it out.
I figure the original cable might have been good when it was attached to the replacement motor. But... since the car sat in a field for untold years...

...before the Seattle Lutherans got ahold of it. The speedometer head got corrosion in it and locked up the mechanism. Soon as it was put into gear.... the original cable went bye bye.

Oh... and I also need to order another cable.

Not a total loss, as I learned some stuff today.

 

As we all do with your posts. Keep us posted Dr Watson, good luck with freeing up the speedo drive!

for "Classic wagon resto/maintenance" category rating.

 

Hya J
http://macsautoparts.com/1949-59-fo...ry-fac-17262-kt/camid/F50/cp/JS0R3CHL1085249/

cheap fix...for the cable anyhoo

 

Wow Rick. The price is sure right, but.... I already received another core just today! No chance of wrecking this one as I plan to make sure the head is loose and in good working order before turning the key again.

 

oops...late as usual...

(im gonna try to find 2 secs to call tomorrow)

 

Just saw your 58 wagon on tv. It was shown parked at a BBQ joint in Salem. It was on kptv channel 12 "on the go with Joe" segment.

 

Yup, that was me! Just got back from the shoot after getting up at 5.
If you are living in the Willamette Valley, consider coming in sometime this coming Saturday for the Show'n Shine, excellent BBQ and BEER! Plus... it's for a good cause.

 

I will. Watching that smoked pork get pulled apart so early in the morning sure made me hungry. It made the granola bar I was eating not so appealing.

Your car looked good!

 

Nothing says they couldn't get built

 

Nothing but the lack of $...