Yes, that is much longer than any normal 4 door. Note the two piece rearmost window on each side, also the folding footrest. I expect to see jump seats in there.

Thanks guys, very encouraging.

David--the top is easy to repaint, you could change it in a weekend. Almost every dark color looks good with ivory.

Howard, the air duct is just a slight mod of the standard duct. If I had to make one from scratch I would shape it out of wire mesh and then cover it with fiberglass.

Pretty exciting times here at Speedwell Garage--would have brought you up to date sooner if I hadn't mislaid the camera.....

Big news is that the car is painted and came out OK. I only wanted a "nice enamel job" as that's more likely what the original had, and for my own stuff I am not that fussy. It was still pretty nerve wracking as I don't paint that much anymore.

Using the lift arms to hold the front fenders worked fantastic. Blowing the shop out with a leaf blower on 3 occasions before painting left me with hardly any dust problems.

Very pleased how the rear ensemble came out. I had a visual problem that too much under-car was showing. Made a valence out of 55 "Reynolds Wrap" to fill in.

Firewall shot is to illustrate how much detail and fabrication is necessary since the car is sectioned; for cool weather Maryland, heat and defrost are necessary so had to move all those components around and make a custom firewall liner.

New windshield is on order and every day a few more pieces are bolted on. I have to keep dipping the charge card in cool water to keep my wallet from smoldering.

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Never mind, think I got it. With your stop positioned as it is, it catches on the edge of the pan as the lever is rotated forward. The casting is relieved in that area, but the pan flange is full width there and stop is coming up under it. Just rotate your stop to where it is in my picture.

The little L shaped stop that is under the locknut on the setscrew on the shifter lever needs to be rotated 90 degrees clockwise so that the long part of the L contacts the transmission case when the trans is shifted into reverse. As it is positioned now you will never get reverse.

Really can't see anything else wrong, which has got me wondering if y'all are mistaking the stop hitting the case too soon for the lever hitting the pan??? Hard to imagine a tolerance stackup of a magnitude to cause that problem.

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A Patrician splash pan will not fit as they are shaped differently around the bottom of the rear quarter to accommodate the senior tail light.

The 51 200 has in fact a one year only splash pan as the bumpers were relatively tight to the body that year (sleek!). For 52 the bumper was moved further away from the body. I believe I have some in the magic basement--will look tomorrow.

When all is right with the world the Easamatic has a very short travel and a light but not touchy feel. I seldom use more than my big toe in my 56--you should certainly never have to lift your whole foot and press it on the pedal in anything short of an emergency.

That is correct for 53. Only the 52s had two lines: one vacuum, the other going to a breather mounted on the firewall. On the 53-6 units the breather was mounted on the Treadlevac itself. The vacuum line should have a tee near the unit with one branch going to the Treadlevac, one branch to the vacuum tank, and one to the manifold fitting behind the carb.

Have never encountered that in many dozens of Ultras. Can you take a picture for us? Either someone made a lever or your pan is pushed in. Oh, suddenly hits me that could happen if the shifter shaft was way bent. That would go hand in hand with your park problems. Best take the shaft out and roll it on a flat surface to check.