This weekend I bought a '57 Sunliner in rough condition. It was, of course, worse than I was expecting, but I bought it anyway. Now, as I contemplate what to do with it, I want to post my pondering for you wiser and more experienced folks to weigh in on.

The Sunliner's panels are very straight but ALL of the sheet metal at the bottom of the car is badly rusted, in addition to the frontmost structure of the hood, the headlight mounting panels, and the panel between the headlights under the leading edge of the hood. All 4 sides of both rocker boxes are bad. The braces under the floor pans are at least half bad. The body to frame braces are questionable. I can open both of the doors at the same time without the body collapsing, but there is pressure at the top corner of the doors when they are shut. The top frame is good, as is stainless trim and all metal high enough to where plant material couldn't hold water against it. The trunk lid is excellent! Also, I can roll the windows up and down.

There are no seats except a sad looking rear bottom cushion. The engine is a 1956 312 with Teapot, supposedly rebuilt and only briefly started years ago, but one of the spark plugs is absent so that doesn't bode well. Haven't tried to turn it yet. Trans is standard 3-speed but switched to a floor shift. It has power steering, and the pump looks like it has never been used.

There is no question that a donor car would be needed to get this thing together, if it's worth it. I looked at the Mac's catalogue and most of the panels they list for sale say "except convertible." So, I'm not sure whether even a non-convertible donor could give this car the metal it needs.

The other side of this proposition is that I also own a '57 Fairlane 500 fordor sedan. It's a project too, but far less ambitious. Currently running and driving with its original '57 312 and Fordomatic, it's even the same color as the Sunliner (black). Its rear quarters are completely rust-free; the floor pans have suffered some rot but it's hardly cancer; the rockers have some rust on the very bottom surface in a couple of spots but are mostly solid.

I see 3 roads:

1. Sedan as donor to convertible. I could transfer all of the running gear, interior trim, wiring, many body panels, some exterior trim, etc to the Sunliner and so preserve all the work and money I've done and spent on those items. I could cut up the body and use all the good metal that will transfer to get the bottom of the conv. rust-free. What's left of the sedan I could scrap, or part out, or sell whole, to recoup value.

2. Sell sedan to fund convertible project. Maybe it would be best to sell the sedan as a driver and use the money to buy a more suitable donor, or parts, or whatever.

3. Convertible as donor to sedan. the convertible has a few things that would really help me build the sedan: excellent trunk lid, complete power steering system, and a good hood skin which could be added to the sedan's good structure to make a good hood, at least. I could sell the conv with a minimal decrease in resale for those changes, then use the money to finance the sedan.

I would truthfully rather have the finished convertible, but I like the sedan too, and it would be far, far less trouble. I would feel a bit guilty about cutting up a good sedan too. They aren't building them anymore, after all. Even the conv is worth more money on the market, I wonder whether going down that road would be worth it in the end.

What do you think? Will the sedan even work as a conv. donor, or do I need a 2-door? (even the area under the rear seat, where the pump mounts, is rotted).

1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive