Back in the 70s my buddy and I used to love looking at custom van conversion magazines. We both wanted our own 'Shaggin Wagons' only difference he wanted a Dodge and I wanted a Ford. We never got the vans but he drives a Ram and I drive an F-150 so we stayed true to that anyway.
Johnathan, watching your videos brings back a flood of memories. Being a 65 year old ole fart now I go back to when I used to do the same thing, working on the 50s and 60s cars. I used to love working on those old cars back when me body would cooperate. It would be nice to talk and reminisce.
Another great video , my dad had a 58, and 59 Ford when I was a kid. I always liked the hood flipping forward design . That will be a fine ride to cruise with !
Hey Jonathan, just wanted say I really enjoy watching your channel. I'm a full time mechanic and you've shown me quite a few good tricks that I hadn't picked up yet
This '59 is well worth the effort. The way you're going, it'll outlast us all. Nice work! Love the rescue videos, thanks Jonathan! I'm so happy you found a mate for your boat, now you'll have some little boats too...
That's a beautiful car I used to have a 65 Ford galexy with that same engine and man that motor was tough!! Love the videos ty man for saving a pure American classic!
"Sent me metric bolts to put on the ball joint of my '59 Ford car. Gotta be some law against that." Seems to sum up a whole lot of things wrong with the world today. Great vid!
I had the JCWhitney catalog also after dreaming about all the parts, I have spent my life buying parts along with cars many cars. But I think I became addicted to parts, most recently I bought a complete Hillborn injection set with pump and timing cover, It looks good on my shelf, if it never gets back on an engine.
You should change the rear freeze plug, it'll be next to go. One by one I was pulling rotted freeze plugs and replacing with expansion plugs on my 73 F100, then the water started flowing behind the transmission. I had so much fun trying to remove that C6 on a gravel rock driveway.
Just loving your 59 Ford project. Close to my heart as I'm a bit ahead of you on a 59 Mercury Montclair that hadn't run since at least 1989. It's running well now, but has a heap of cosmetic work to go inside and out. Had to go through the running gear - brakes, suspension, transmission, electrical, just like you are doing. I want to see your Ford running down the road again. Best wishes.
I used to cut the pictures out of JC Whitney too I didn’t put them in albums I hung them up. You got me all choked up thinking about that. Thanks again for a good video.
@@grantw.whitwam9948 Yes sir, that one was my second favorite catalog, The sears catalog was the best, till my mother caught me looking at the ladies bra section. apparently boys weren't supposed to look at that.
One item JC Whitney carried was a complete 6 cylinder flathead engine, available with either one or two carbs. It said ideal for pumps, generators, industrial and farm use, if I recall about $120..... about 20 years ago when I was pretty active in AACA I found out that those engines were Hudson engines, the dual carb version was the Twin H model for high performance Hornets! They were in the catalog through the mid 60s! I wonder how many Hudson Hornet Twin H powered irrigation pumps are out in fields, running or not today? Most of the ones I’ve seen over the years are Ford 240/300 or Chrysler flatheads......
Another great job on an old car you fallen in love with. You're like someone who brings home stray cats. You just can't help yourself and with the videos that you produce on each of them, you keep the rest of us entertained. Great progress.
If I'm pressed for time and money some things that can be replaced don't get replaced. Pretty much the same reasons you didn't strip the car to the frame and do a full "restoration". As you say yourself, "make do with what you have." Which is excellent and inspiring advice that I have had a lifetime of trouble adhering to.
Very well..dad and I restored classics (27 ys me 14 ..frame off daily drivers no show) and sometimes we'd would have to get a 2nd ( if we could find one) for donor panels. .. we'd probably still be doing it but I lost dad to cancer 12 yrs ago and I took a ride with a water heater down a flight of stairs
I really enjoy these old car videos! I have a 54 chevy that I'm doing about the same thing with. I also have a line on a really good 46 ford pickup a true barn find hiding in a chicken coupe. I hate seeing all this old iron rusting away.
I love that you're saving this 59 Ford. I would recommend pulling the motor and replacing seals, gaskets and any freeze plugs in the back of the block as well as seals in the transmission. Might as well since you've already pulled the starter, radiator, motor mounts ect.
I was visiting my sister and brother in law in Oceanside commie-fornia in the 70s. They had a spare car that I used to get to work about 70 miles away. It was a Pontiac Catalina 455, former rental car. One morning I noticed a big coolant leak, as a temporary fix I used one of those rubber expansion plugs. My brother in law assured me he would have his mechanic replace it with a proper one when I was through using it. 5 years later they junked the car, that rubber plug was still watertight. That’s pretty good temporary service for a big heavy car with a 455 in that climate!
zzzzzzzzi hsf s y block ( I think "292") in my crown vic I bought in eastern washington and the people there had the nastiest water (sulfur smell) in that engine block. Said it wept water out of one freeze plug but it wasn't bad and just keep an eye out on temp. It was getting late and the wife had to drive my ford p.u. so we got a motel room for the night and figured head out in morning. I had wasted my money and bought what they had which was the 50/50 mix at a gas station the night before we were going to leave. I got up the next morning, wife too, and I checked the water before leaving and it was low so I started putting in that 50/50 mix and the door was open on the room and the wife hollered at me that the water was coming out under the car. I looked and it was coming from where the trans. flywheel was so I asked permission to replace my bad freeze plug in my car from the people who run the motel and it was "sure", no problem. I set my jack under the engine and then decided to pull the forda matic back and get the flywheel out with the limited tools I had, I did and not one but all of them were so rusty looking and some leaking that I went to a NAPA store and just bought the whole set so I wouldn't have to come back. Good thing cause I had to change even the small ones at the top as I pushed my finger right through. That ol' boy who run the motel came out in work clothes and started giving me a hand without me asking for him,,,, and after he looked at the rest of the plugs said you kids need to plan on spending another night. I said ok cause here he come with a tripod to set over the motor and more tools . The wife and I was getting concerned cause this is biting into the gas money to get home. We scrimled on our meal there in the room and about then the lady who run the register brought two heapping full plates of food to us and then said if we were lonely to come up to the house in back as her husband liked me and wanted to BS me/LOL. Well we were happy campers cause we had got the motor out and the radiator too and it didn't have any fins to speak of in the front, the part you couldn't see when you are glancing and too interested in buying and not looking closer. That nest day we got out engine back in but he gave me another radiator because mine wouldn't make the trip... his words were: I wouldn't trust it to the grocery store much less the miles we had to go. Long and short of the story, that lady had give my wife the money back for staying plus a few dollars more and wouldn't take no for an answer! So after saying goodbye and all that we took off... with most all of the plugs replaced. They were some of the nicest people we had ever met and my wife and her wrote back and forth. Good memories and video. I was in my twenties then and I am seventy now
Mr. Jonathan I sure do enjoy ALL your videos they're not only entertaining but you have a lot of knowledge doing different things keep up the good work sir
Great work here... this 59 is going to be an amazing ride. My great uncle Alec MacDonald had a new 59 Ford Galaxie . Black exterior on red interior. I can still see him , wiping her down each day with a Zeolite treated brush. He took good care of her and taught me a lesson in pride of ownership. That was in a community outside of Toronto Ontario, called Steetsville . I wonder if someone ever kept her going. This one must of had a owner that took care of her, for its first 30 years. Canadian winters usually take their toll & not many would be just summer driven and put away in winter. Cheers and looking forward to her debut. Alberta Dave
I don’t understand people clicking hands down, I don’t particularly like motorcycles but I watch your videos on them anyway because it’s not the item sometimes it’s how you tackle the problem & solve things. Thanks a lot Johnathan I enjoy
I love what your doing with this car, i think you should look for stuff like this more often, I’ve watched a lot of your videos and this little fairlane series has been my favorite by FAR
Mr. Jonathan, great work on the '59 Ford. not every body has the patience to work on a car; w/o a complete restoration! nice to see your efforts in removing some of the over-spray; to get back down to the pink. please keep up all the good vids. best. walt
Always enjoy your video's, you showed me an easier way to remove freeze plugs. I am always tinkering with vintage cars and looking for better ways to get er done!
Back in the 60s most of the time we put the rubber frost plugs into they were easier and we had less problems with them leaking unless the engine was taken out to rebuild it
Glad you're getting somewhere with the 59, Jon. Rockauto do rebuilt generators for those models. I got one to do a 12V conversion for a flathead. They are from AC Delco and look nicely done. They are often out of stock but they send you an email when it comes in stock so you can order it. I have fond memories of my 59 Galaxie 4 door. Quite a sight on British roads back in the early 90s.
Before I watched the video i never knew there were such thing as a rubber freeze plug lol . I love what your doin to the car I am a bowtie man but I love them old Ford's like that and I've always wanted a galaxy 500 or a fairlane 500 or one like you have keep up the good work Jonathan your doin a great job
You have more patience than me, I would have yanked the motor out and done all this work on an engine stand so I could clean it all and throw a coat of paint in it so I can see the oil leaks, good job so far
Thanks for giving us a classic FORD! Appreciate all you do. Aprehensive about Rock Auto, at least Auto Zone can tell you what's Chinese, provide better/alternative parts (this is why I stopped doing business with NAPA years ago). Rock on Johnathan!
Back in the '60's when I was first learning about engines the old timers called them "Welch Plugs". Used for removing core sand after casting. I've seen many cracked blocks, but never with a pushed out plug. Just sayin'.
Loaned my brother an old 61 chevy pu i had, he brought it back and told me it started leaking coolant. What he didn't tell me was he jad just filled it with plain water. ...in January. When i got around to checking it out a couple weeks later i found all the plugs pushed out and the water pump cracked, i haven't loaned him a vehicle since then.
Hey Jonathan, i look forward every day to see what you’ve done on the 59, i wish you would gave shown how you removed the lower ball joints, i have a 57 that needs new ball joints, Keep up the good work .
Back in time, when I was really into turning my own wrenches, I replaced a lot of freeze plugs, although mostly on Studebakers, which used the dome type. Buy whatever ones I replaced it was standard practice to coat the inside with glyptol, or lacking that with #3 Permatex. I didn't use brass at the time, mostly because of cost!
Great video Jonathan, welcome to my old world...dad and I restored cars ( complete frame off)... we did mainly GM's some mustang and only 1ever Mopar ( only because it was mine...lol) we got 99% of our GM through OPG in CA....have fun👍🙂
rust never sleeps!!!! a good flush she be like new!! you wouidnt find parts like that here in canada!! they even look at ya funny for early 90s stuff!!! that car is nice, love seeing the old iron still rolling!!! take care!!!!!
metric replacement bolts for my Ford...outta be a law...too funny but true. With all you’re doing to make it more reliable, I’d for sure change it to a alternator, if just for the brighter lights at low idle speeds.
My dad converted his 59 to a dual master . His master on the 58 failed once and was a hellish ride he told me. When he bought the 59 he was about to change it cause it was leaking and remembered his ride from hell. Told me it was easy to do. And felt a lot safer
Speaking of metric threads on the car, I had a '79 Ford Pinto that had both standard and metric bolts all over it. I think Ford just put that thing together with whatever they could find in the surplus bins!
Those freeze plugs were a common fail when they were new. In 1963 I had to change the ones on my 55 pontiac. First one on the left, followed by one on the right head, followed by the ones on the rear of the block.. It might be a good idea to change them all while the vehicle is down for maintenance anyway. Wouldn't want to ruin your road trip. lol
Gotta love rusty freeze plugs. Looks like it will be a fun cruiser. one question though, did you check the timing chain for stretch? Every time I had an older ford it needed a chain.
The correct core plug size for a FE is 1-49/64". 1-3/4" will sometimes work and sometimes not. Last FE core plug kit I bought was from pioneer I believe and it had the correct size.
I wonder if those rubber freeze plugs were already in the engine when they swapped it into the car? Might explain why the one was underneath the motor mount.
As far as ball joints wearing out goes, it depends on which ones take the load on a vehicle. If the spring is connected to the lower control arm, then the lower ball joint bears the load, and will wear out first , the upper joint simply keeps the top of the tire aligned. If the spring attaches to the upper control arm, then the opposite is true.
I remember those JC Whitney catalogs. Mostly for the Model A parts section. A $6.00 coil huh?? Better be sure to include the old one in your "junk box". ;o) Ever full up your cooling system with white vinegar to dissolve the rust?? Works pretty well. The amount of work you do under cars, you need to invest in a lift. Sure does make it nice to "enjoy" working on your projects.
hey Jonathon, good work so far on the ol' Ford. how about you send me over some of your cold weather, and I'll send you some heat in return. it's 44 degrees C here (111 F) we could do with cooling off a bit - Dave
Freeze plugs (we call them core plugs) While reconditioning engines in the early 70s we had one fail, so new ones fitted to all units afterwards. On cars when one leaked it was always the back one. Engine close to the bulkhead so engine out job to change.
