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Welcome to SpeedMaven.com. This site is the online garage for my `57 Ford Custom. I will periodically post updates on the car's construction, photos, resources for hard to find parts, and other snippets of information. This site will also be referred to in the `57 Fords International newsletter, in the section entitled In The Shop, made for the buildup of this Custom.

After much thought and serious consideration, this `57 will be built as a cruiser, with a hot rod attitude. No mini-tubs, crazy engine combos, just a nice street machine.

This `57 is actually in pretty good condition, especially for a 50 year old car. The majority of the very little rust is in the driver side front floor pan. After cutting the rear frame like my last `57, I decided I didn't really want to do that, so am now in the process of reversing that mod. The front suspension was rebuilt with LTD disk brakes, new bushings, ball joints, and a `63 Galaxie steering box and column. The car is getting a set of painted steel wheels with the OEM dog dish caps. Crites supplied the hood and trunk lid. I had planned on using a set of glass fenders, but will be using steel fenders instead, along with a pretty good set of inner fenders I picked up from a friend. Power will come from a `63 390 and 4 speed, the original 9 inch and 3.70 gears. Fun, pure and simple.

I have thought long and hard about this car, even about whether to keep it or not. I just found that I was not having as much fun with these things as I used to, with buying this and that aftermarket part, trying to keep up with magazine people. After coming to the realization that I could not and really did not want to do that, it became easier to decide what to do with this car. When I got my first `57, I remember thinking about all the cool stuff I wanted to do to it, putting in an old FE motor and 4 speed, just cruising a good sounding old Ford. It quickly turned into a giant money pit, and was a lot of fun to drive, but it grew tiresome quickly with the big solid roller thrashing the car about.

I changed my mind several times as far as engine/trans choice, finally settling on a 351W with a stroker kit, that I quickly piled a lot of money into. This one almost met the same fate, though with a Cleveland block. Instead, I let the car sit for a while, and will let it sit some more, while I formulate a good, solid plan for getting this thing together, using good old stuff, not a lot of aftermarket parts that cost a ton. Stuff I can trade for, or get from the boneyard for a song. The way it used to be, before it became a competition to see who could spend the most. i am through with that. This `57 will be a call back to a simpler, more fun, more realistic time. A joyride I hope lasts for a long time.

This is the last `57 I owned. This was the day before we loaded it up to take to Hot Rod weekend at the Gulfport Dragstrip. This `57 had the stroker 351 W, 427 inches, with TFS HiPorts, custom headers, solid roller cam, and PA C4 with 4800 stall convertor. With 10 inch slicks, on pump gas, through the mufflers, it went 11.31 at 120, best of 123 mph, best 60 ft of 1.61. It never hooked, slicks were about shot, but it went fast for a 3600 lb boat, and drove like a new car. This one may not be faster, but will be a lot more fun, and a lot better looking, no crappy cowl hood. Paint will not be yellow as originally planned, but will be Winter White.

Gone, but not forgotten.

To the right is a `57 that belongs to a friend of mine, John Feistritzer of Indiana. His `57 is a real F-code sedan (factory supercharged 312), and has been a racecar since the mid to late `60s. It has gone high 10s in the quarter but generally stays in the mid 11 range, as he doesn't have a roll bar, and doesn't plan to add one.

Page Updated Feb 1, 2010