Know anything about 1954 Fords?

[grasswire]

A nephew has bought a 1954 Ford that will be needing a lot of work. The rear running lights aren't functioning, which means he can't drive it after dark. Anyone got an idea of the work required to fix that? Money is tight for him and this is just one of the immediate needs. The tires are thirty years old, for example.

Rewiring the whole car?

[Racenut20]

1. Most 1954 Fords

Were made in 1954, if I recall correctly.

Seriously, he has a real gem here. If you look on ebay you will see that he can get his money back in many multiples. Just be sure and shop extensively on the internet for the parts.

[JohnnyRingo]

2. When lights don't work on old cars...

...It's almost always due to a bad ground at the light due to corrosion.

Start by removing the lens and looking for rust in the socket or ground wires that are screwed to less than healthy steel.

A voltmeter or test light is a must.

[grasswire]

8. thanks, I'll pass that on

I appreciate the hints.

[miss_kitty]

3. try these guys

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/StoreCatalogDisplay/c-10101/s-10101

Also Car talk http://www.cartalk.com/Radio/Show/
try calling them-surf thru the website

[Ellipsis]

4. ... Dis is the book, for antique and classic vehicles.

http://www.hemmingsmotornews.com

[Taverner]

5. There are many of them in Cuba

I would almost reccomend a vacation there to get parts...

[snooper2]

9. They don't have parts in Cuba...

Most of those old cars you see actually have different parts from many different cars. Fords with Chevy engines, different bodies on different chassis...

Cuba is the last place you would want to look for old car parts. Good place to find snazzy painters though.. :)

[GOPisEvil]

6. I'd go to Painless Wiring and get a whole new car for the whole car.

Their kits are labeled well and easy to use.

[grasswire]

7. a whole new car?

Did you mean a whole wiring system?

[GOPisEvil]

10. Yes...a new wiring package.

Sorry. :blush:

Painless makes kits that have every wire that's needed.

[yorgatron]

11. is your nephew going to restore the car?

or build a hot rod?
i can give you links to helpful websites in either case.
i have a '1954 Oldsmobile,and my brother has a 1951 Hudson.

[grasswire]

14. restore

I don't think the idea of a hot rod even crossed his mind. Sounds fun, though.

[MadHound]

12. First off, get an original or copy of the mechanics manual

It will have complete electrical schematics, along with all of the necessary info on how to work on the car. Rear lights out could be anything from a short in the wire to burnt out bulbs to a blown fuse.

Also start getting a subscription to Hemmings Motor News, you can find a copy in most decent book stores.

Tires are a must. Thirty year old rubber is dry-rotting as we type, and I would hate for him to be rolling down the road and have a tire blow.

Oh, and make sure whether the electrical system is six volt or twelve volt, makes a huge difference.

But let me tell you, this is a great learning opportunity for your nephew. Old cars are the best to learn basic mechanics on. But old car parts can be pricey, so he is going to need some cash to restore this lovely beast. But on the bright side, if he licenses it as a historical vehicle, he won't have to spend anything else on licensing or inspections, since in most states historical plates are one time only deals. Also, insurance on historical vehicles is much cheaper.

Please urge him not to rod it out. Too many of these fine cars are being chopped and dropped and there simply aren't that many left. Instead restore it to original, and he'll get all of the attention he craves.

Good luck, and wish your nephew the best. Working on old cars is tons of fun, and once you get into it, its almost as bad as crack for addiction.

[Roland99]

13. All I know is they were built 51 years ago.

;)

[onager]

15. Checking the ground is a good idea. Also...

If it's not a short-circuit, it might be the opposite: an open circuit. Check the wiring harness for broken wires, or frayed wires that have been rubbing against metal for umpteen years, crimped, etc. Sometimes they're broken inside the insulation and hard to see.

If it's only the rear lights not working but the others do, that's sort of a giveaway that the problem is in the rear part of the wiring harness. It could be something as simple as a connector that has come disconnected.

The best advice from above is to get an original service manual, which should have the electrical schematics in it. Then it will be a pretty simple trick to buy a cheap Radio Shack multi-meter and do continuity checks thru the wiring harness.

BTW, my sympathies. I went thru this once with a 1959 Cadillac where nothing electrical worked, except the headlights.

Sorta on-topic: I just spent a month working near Alexandria, Egypt.

Every morning our "commute" took us thru a little farm village that had about 10 1955 Chevies and Fords in it, most of them still running. And mostly with the original paint! One Chevy had that neat two-tone paint in white over green. And one of the 55 Fords was a pink and white station wagon.

They're probably running with internal engine parts out of Russian GAZ military trucks, but they ARE running.

Mostly. A couple of them were just shells, but people were working on "restoring" those.