Hot rodding has an enemy. We're not talking about the government or the cops or those crabby neighbors. We're talking about rust. Here at Rod & Custom, we won't sleep until we've eradicated every freckle of rust around. This month we set our sights on the rusted front crossmember on R&C Editor Kevin's '56 Ford Victoria.
The elements had a 50-year head start and by now had munched away a lot of the passenger-side half of the piece. It might not have been such a big deal if it was only the radiator crossmember, but in the case of Fords of this generation, the crossmember also serves as the front locating point for the lower control arm. Kevin's plans called for some dropped spindles and disc brakes, but nothing could be done until the crossmember was made safe again.
The only solution to this common problem was not to repair it but to replace it with a new fabricated part. Luckily for us, Dagel's Street Rod Shop knows all about building custom crossmembers, and also happens to be located just down the freeway in Orange, California. Gary Dagel and his crew made this job look simple, but in fact, there is a lot involved in getting the new crossmember to fit correctly in relation to the framerails, radiator, and lower control arms. The end result, however, was worth all the work.