Projects '63 Falcon, and '39 Chev gassers

Hey Val. Always liked your little Falcon. Be nice if you could bring the two trim pieces together where you removed the gas filler. Like the new frt wheels. Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks! Still trying to figure out what I might use to fill the trim, or go in that area? Thought about a Chevy bowtie off some vehicle, to tie in the BBC. But not unless I can find one that isn't plastic, and doesn't look funky. The two sides are tapered, so can't cut a chunk out of one to fill. Could maybe pop both off, and move each side in to connect them?

Almost forgot. Finally found an old pair of M/T valve covers for the BBC too! They were pretty fugly, but after some sanding, cleaning, and polishing, they came out OK!

 

Think I'd butt the two pieces in the center. Love this car!!

 

Yeah, that's probably the easiest. Then I'd just have a hole at each end to weld up.

 

That was my thought. Look good and an easy fix.

 

Man, did you decide to just SCARE the mice out of that car? I'm sure after you got started they all said to Hell with it and cleared out! Great job, looks like FUN.

 

Might have to cut the ends off where they butt together, as they're beveled on the ends.

 

Man I wish it would have been that easy to get rid of the mice! Never found any sign of live mice, but found a perfect skeleton in the headliner! Vacuumed six 5 gallon shop vacs full of mouse nests out before I could get to the floors and start ripping carpet, and cleaning! Tough working in there with my paint mask, filter, and a wet handkerchief all on while I worked!

 

How about one of these V8 emblems centered between them ? Real quick and easy.

 

Must be one VERY NICE KITCHEN remodel! The car still looks great and I wish I was closer to hear it go down the road! Bet it sounds as good as it looks! Joe

 

That would work if it's small enough to fit the area. Do you know the dimensions?

 

Well we've been in the home for over 25 years when I finally gave in and gutted the kitchen to the bare studs, and bare floors! She's been pretty patient waiting on me, as I had fun. So I gave her the reins on the kitchen, and just built what she wanted.
The Falcon is a bit of a beast. My buddy lives around the corner, and about a block down the street. When we're headed somewhere he said he knows when I'm ready because, "it sounds like you're out front of my house when you start the Falcon!"
I can fool him sometimes, and take the Austin. It's harder for him tto hear start up.

 

Measures 2.5" tall x 1.5" wide.

 

Hey Val, I'm digging the new M/T valve covers and rims, nice update on the ol falcon.

 

That would fit in the area nicely! Save a little work too! Got an idea who sells them?

 

Thanks Phil! I liked the Weiand covers, but the M/T look larger, and thus make the engine look bigger!

 

This one might even be better . 3 7/8" x 2 3/8"

 

I have exactly 3 7/8" between the two trim pieces, so if it sat just above them with the tips of the flags, it would fill the area well! Chevy flags, with a Ford V8 emblem! Perfect!

 

Val. On eBay. Around $11.00 with free shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Mustan...ash=item43d952178c:g:qtoAAOSwh-1W4Z7Q&vxp=mtr

HAMB mobile app

 

Thanks!

 

That emblem looks damn cool to me. Nice work on the kitchen for the wife. I'll be doing that and a bathroom remodel real soon from the sounds of things! Joe

 

Thanks! I did the bathroom before the car or the kitchen! Still haven't finished the rest the house! It can wait!

 

Just making it easier to find this thread...

 

Not a lot new in the last two years. Still driving the Falcon, and making small upgrades to the engine and cosmetics. The engine has been a bit of a beast and tends to foul spark plugs with two much idling. It likes to run out, and cruising along (better referred to as loping along) at under 2,000 rpm's fouls them in quick order.
Had the float stick last week on the rear carb and ran through 8 gallons of gas in a 25 mile trip! By the time I got home it was backfiring, and coughing so bad I was afraid I wouldn't make it! Got the rear carb torn apart the next day and cleaned the junk out of the float needle. Then decide to try non resistor spark plugs in the 468 BBC engine, and WOW what a difference! It runs out better than ever, and easily lights up the 10" cheater slicks from a rolling 2nd gear hit!
Maybe I'll finally get the body work done this year and shoot some paint. Then again maybe I'll just keep driving it as is!

Did finally wear out the M&H drag radials on my Austin gasser, and replaced them with Towel City cheater slicks! So both gassers are running cheater slicks now.

 

Hey Val, nice to see an update, was the oil loaded up with gas too ?

 

Well the Falcon is gone now. Had fun building it, and fun driving it for some time now. But all good things must end someday! I purchased a '39 Chev coupe project at a swap meet earlier this year, so the Falcon needed to go away to make space to build, and funds to build with.
I owned a '40 Chev coupe in '68 right after hi school, and always regretted selling it. But also always liked the earlier grilles of the '37-'39 Chevys too. So when I spotted this '39 at a reasonable price, I made a deal at an even better price. The '39 and I have become well acquainted over the recent months, and it's moving along pretty quickly. Spent 3 months just replacing rotted and rusty steel. Then went on with drivetrain and suspension. Hope to be driving it by next summer, even if it's not cosmetically done.

 

New project and new fun, I'm sure it will turn out great like your others. This 39 has been a race car since 59 with the same owner driver, he parked it in 68 then brought it back out in 2008, same paint, suspension.

 

Congrats on the new project. What are your plans for the Chevy ?
And Happy Thanksgiving !

 

My plans are a pretty much street driven car, with maybe once a year run at the drags for fun. I put together a 350 Chevy with 487x heads and all new SS valves, hardened seats, and the works. The cam is a Howards roller cam with .513" lift and around 286 duration. 109 LSA. Not sure which intake yet, as I have 3 or 4 to choose from. Rear axle is an 8.8" Ford limited slip with 3.73 gears, and trans is a 700R4 overdrive so I can take some long trips with better mileage. Steering column is a late 80's Chevy pickup tilt column, ran to a Vega box set up to steer front side.








Since this is a Master Deluxe and had control arm suspension I swapped in a later 50's Chevy truck front axle. Had to narrow it about 5" to get it inside the fenders. I also have done a lot of work to lower the car, as I want a gasser style build, but not one with a lot of altitude to the stance. I dropped the rear about 4.5", and the front will be slightly higher than stock, but not more than an inch or so.
So far I've replaced the bottom 4" of the entire car. New floors, rockers, lower doors, lower 1/4 panels, tail panel, lower cowl. But amazingly the car was super solid and super straight above 4"! Right now it's still in primer, and some rattle can over the welded panels. I have painted the dashboard, and firewall, but nothing else. Need to shoot epoxy primer soon before doing the bodywork. I have the holes welded up in the firewall, and extra reinforcement added to the firewall for the Corvette master cylinder mount.



I've got the brakes plumbed, but not bled as I needed to remove them to paint the firewall. I am putting the lines back on this weekend and then I can bleed them.







This old '52 Pontiac steering wheel was in the car when I bought it, so I cleaned it up, and used some Duraglass to repair cracks. Painted it "desert sand" to match the dash and installed it on the late model column.



Built up a gauge panel with new gauges, and covered it in burl wood. Did the clock delete plate to match.





Just finished the exhaust system. Running from the fenderwell headers to a pair of electric cutouts, over the axle and out the tail panel to keep things quiet inside.












I still have to do all the wiring, plus setup the radiator, and figure out an electric fan or mechanical. Need to get the one piece fiberglass tilt frontend inside the shop, and see what I need to do for building a tilt mechanism, and structurally reinforce the frontend to allow me to attach a framework to the glass nose.
Also need to do all of the interior work, and of course the exterior bodywork and paint. Plenty to keep me busy all winter and more!

 

And these are the tires and wheels a chose for the '39: