1958 Ford

Sedan

352

Art Carr Fordomatic 3 speed

Clear

Gasoline

This is a 1958 Ford Custom 300 Tudor sedan that was set up for AHRA Junior Stock class in 1966. It remained essentially unchanged through the two previous owners until I bought it in 1998. Over the years I have made some changes, but I have kept all of the parts it had when I bought it to maintain its history. The engine is a 352 FE with Tri-power built originally by Grant Piston & Ring Service in Alhambra in 1966. Their stickers are on the chrome valve covers installed at that time. I had the engine refreshed by Burbank Speed and Machine in 1998. I replaced the dykes rings to conventional rings because I wanted to drive it rather than race it. I also added new bearings, new water pump, Cloyes Tru-Roller timing set & Melling oil pump. I recently changed to a Comp 280H cam. The original Erson 515H hydraulic cam (.535 lift, 308 gross duration) comes with (but lobes a little rusty). Otherwise, the parts described below were used to build this engine in 1966. 1960 C0AE-D 360 HP heads. The heads were built to AHRA Junior Stock rules. The ports are stock but 2.19” intake and 1.66” exhaust valves were used. The chambers were relieved around the valves to unshroud them. Double springs with aluminum retainers and Ford adjustable rockers. Cast flat top pistons. Compression ratio is about 9.3:1, so it runs well on pump gas. Stock rods, don’t know what bolts were used. Ford Tri-Power intake and carbs. Probably taken off of a 406. The Tri-Power works great. Tuning manual included. Engine was balanced in 1966. Dual point Ford distributor with cool clear cap and vintage Rajah spark plug clips. Vacuum advance is locked. I am using modern plug wires for reliability but the original solid core set with Rajah clips come with. Custom Skibstead fender well headers. I don’t know who Skibstead is or was but he welded a name tag on one of the headers. Painted with VHT white but the paint just doesn’t last. One header has a crack at a weld (see pix). Art Carr-built Fordomatic with high stall converter. Trans works well, in fact normally, except that it shifts hard. Just a great, fast, hard shifting trans. Converter flashes to around 2800 RPM. The cast iron Fordomatic is a three speed transmission with two forward drive ranges on the shifter. It is NOT a two-speed. And it shifts hard and fast. Did I mention that? Great transmission. 4.56 gears in a 9” rear. I had a rebuilt 4 pinion Traction-Lok limited slip unit installed. A custom Thunderbolt-style fresh air system. When I was driving the car I used a repro T-bird Tri-Power air filter, which will come with the car. Custom deep oil pan with access plate to allow servicing of the oil pump. Custom long traction bars. I use rubber snubbers but the original steel adjustable snubbers are included. The air box, oil pan and traction bars were built in 1966 by Don Sauer, who used to wrench for Les Ritchy. Four Stewart Warner Greenline gauges were mounted in the center of the dash and the Stewart Warner Greenline tach was installed up top. The tach was non-operational so I had it rebuilt by North Hollywood Speedometer with a modern VDO movement. Now it will work accurately with any ignition system. The oil temp gauge needs repair. Original short exhaust system included. Exhaust system is designed to be quickly and easily removed at the track. Custom Stockton Wheels “Milner” model wheels installed. 14x7 up front and 15x8 with custom 5.5” backspacing in the rear. Tires are Mickey Thompson Indy profile, F70 in front and G60 in the rear. Rear wheels and tires are centered in their wells and are the max you can get without cutting or moving stuff. Wheels and tires are old but still very good with some abrasions. Original stock 1958 radiator was bad and I replaced it with a 24” Mustang radiator. Original radiator comes with. I cut one coil out of the mid-1960s Galaxie station wagon front springs to lower the front end so as to get some upward suspension travel. I enlarged the rear brakes from the stock 1-3/4” set-up to the 2-1/4 set-up. I also converted to a dual reservoir master cylinder for a dual drum system, both changes for safety. Car drives nicely like a stock 1958 Ford. Car was weighed at 3610 lbs. Mileage is unknown because the speedometer is disconnected due to it being set up for drags with a 4.56 rear end. Odometer reads all zeros. There are two tow points at the front that are attached to the frame. A custom tow bar is included and an on-board tow light harness was installed in 1966. New battery. I had the generator rebuilt with a new armature. I replaced the turn signal switch with a Fomoco part and recently replaced the headlight switch. All electrical is in good working condition. Body: I replaced the fuel tank with a new one because the old one was nasty from old gas. Front fenders had some dents and waves and were massaged back into factory-fresh condition by the master metal shapers at JT Metal Works in Newhall, Ca. Car has some rust. Just ahead of the rear tires, both sides, have small rust areas. Two patch rocker pieces are included. The trunk lid has rust at the bottom edge. A spare trunk lid is included for repair parts. There is rust in an area on the right rear trunk floor near the trunk-mounted battery. The left outer tail light trim panel is rusty. The chrome trim above the grill is rusty (chromed metal, not stainless). The FORD letters are missing from the front. I have three of the letters. Doors are very nice. Floor pans are excellent. Some surface rust in the front, but no real rust. Solid! Trunk separation panel as required by AHRA back in the day. Black spots are old adhesive (the guy originally set it up as a business coupe). Also, there is a dent on the bottom of the rocker just behind the right front tire. This was filled with bondo until it fell off. No idea. The repair rocker will help with this area as well. It is not rusted. The rest of the body is in very good condition, having benefited from being in the dry California valleys all of these years. A previous owner had the car painted in Wimbledon White at a budget paint shop. The body was not prepped, so scratches and such can be seen under the paint. It is also flaking in spots. A 20 foot paint job. There are cracks around the hood bubble, typical for such an old installation. Amazingly, an original uncut 1958 hood has made it through all of the previous owners and is included. The driver’s door window has cracks. The windshield has some wiper arm damage on the passenger side. Rest of the glass is in good condition. Windows go up & down normally. Interior: The interior was stitched in Tijuana in 1966. The seats deteriorated so I had them reproduced by a local automotive upholstery shop. The door panels, kick panels and the headliner are original and in good shape. The threads on the passenger sun visor rotted so I removed it. It comes with. I located the owner who set the car up in 1966. His name and contact info will be provided to the new owner. I have extensive receipts and technical info as well as an owner’s manual, technical specs brochure, factory repair manual reprint and an original parts number book. There is a lot of info here. Pix will also be provided on a CD. Car has a clear title and is currently registered. Car has a set of California black plates (front plate is not on car now, but comes with). I should not have to write this, but there is always someone who will ask, so… NO! This car cannot be driven to Billings or Dallas or Ontario or Madrid or Helsinki or wherever the hell. It’s got 4.56 gears in it. Have it transported, please. Car comes with a 3.25 Traction Lok-equipped center section so it can easily be swapped for cruising. I will not deliver, as I do not have a trailer or truck. I will work with the buyer if he/she arranges to have the car picked up, just be sure to arrange for all of the parts as well as the car. I cannot store the car. Car can be flat towed provided the driveshaft is disconnected from the differential and secured under the car, or the driveshaft can be removed if you bring along a Fordomatic yoke. Car can be inspected in Santa Clarita, California 91387 which is in north Los Angeles County about 10 miles up the 14 freeway from Interstate 5. Freeway close. Link to a slideshow with lots of pictures:http://s136.photobucket.com/user/58c...ideshow/58Ford