*Official 57-60 Thread
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 297
Likes: 0
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
My Project in Waiting
I bought this truck in the late '90's promising my wife that I wouldn't tear into it until I retired. I was still building my '56 at the time but always had liked the '57s and couldn't pass it up.
The body is pretty decent and it came with an extra grille that isn't as straight as this one. Is that a '57 front bumper?
I'm partial to Big Window trucks even though they can get pretty warm on sunny days. My '56 is also a BBW.
This Y-block came with it sitting right where it still resides. It's a '62 292 truck engine. I'm thinking about using it in front of an AOD trans. I'm one of those 'darksiders' that goes for modified suspensions (= low) & drivetrains but stock bodies.
I just recently moved from Calif. to Arizona and it's currently sitting at my friends house while we added a large garage to my house to put my shop & projects in.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 263
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I got the correct hood this weekend off of a '57 F-600 in an all ford junkyard (90% of which are trucks) for $50. From what I know, the '57 and '58 have the same hoods but different grilles. The hood is very nearly perfect. It has one small ding in the front but otherwise perfectly straight. That truck also has a very nearly perfect grille. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is white instead of chrome. I tried to get it last weekend but it has more bolts in it that a hardware store. They all have about 55 years of rust which doesn't help the matter. Plus there are a few that are very hard to get to.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
Likes: 138
From: Orcas Island Wa.
So you moved from a no road salt state to and even drier sunnier one.....Not me. Another week of solid rain ahead and gloomy here in Wa. Good looking truck you got there...... I don't promise mine anything like that because I don'e see any way to retire. My plan is to just build lighter and smaller things from wood until I my eyesight gives out.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 297
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From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Grills
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 263
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If I had the chance, I would get that painted grille. Since they don't reproduce them, a straight painted one is a good candidate for rechroming (if you can afford it). They do take a bit of effort to remove; I found a '57 in my local pic-a-part and immediatly grabbed the hood and then spent the next few hours getting that grille out. It was painted and looked OK until I got it home and found some dents repaired with bondo.
I think I will go back with a torch and delicately melt the bolts to remove the grille. That seems to be the only way I can get it without spending a weekend on it. In 1957 they wanted to make sure that if the truck so happened to be driven down the grand canyon and flipped 150 times, the grille would stay on. At least 14 bolts holding that thing on, 4 of which are easy to get to...
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 263
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I tried breaking them off but the clip that held the nut still on the grille was allowing the nut to spin. I was able to perform surgery with the torch and finally get it off. It is now safely at my house awaiting me to get it chromed. I have no idea how much it will cost..
