Well, here is the deal. I have a 1964 Ford Galaxie wagon (6 p***enger Country Sedan) and I love the car. Since I have owned it I have just maintaned it mechanically and drive it everyday....I like to keep it simple if I can. For just tearing around town everything is fine. Recent events have sparked the dream of being able to drive the beast from Arizona to California several times a year. ( I make Kustom Kulture art and want to be able to drive my car to the shows ). Its about 420 miles one way to L.A. Im sick of renting "econo box" cars to run to these shows and park down the street. Besides the wagon can haul my goods and give me a place to sleep if need be. The Goal: I would like to be able to drive the car around 80mph on the trip over and have it nimble enough to react to L.A. traffic. Obviously dependability is an issue, dont want to end up stranded on the side of I10. The current set up: rebuilt 289 bored .30 over with a mild cam. C4 auto transmission, 3.50:1 gear ratio rear end, stock power drum brakes (single fruit jar...yikes), Stock power steering...works, but not great. Right now the car likes to roll around 63mph at 2800rpm. Its a bit of a pig but I can live with that. Modifications: full air ride susspension with independant corners, 4 link rear, 15 inch steel wheels. Other info: The car will need to be converted to a floor shift....I make shiftknobs a**** other things and I need to display them on my car. So there it is. Im open to ideas, and appreciate any advice. I dont have deep pockets but I have conviction...and credit. I know that an AOD trans is in order as well as a brake upgrade at the minimum. Please hit me with any info, links, oppinions etc. Currently the wife is on board so I know I have to move fast, get the parts, before she changes her mind. Here is an old picture...you get the idea.
AOD to keep the rpm's down, so your motor lives to get you there. Disc brakes so that you live while you are there......and since you already have it bagged, and I know nothing about bags...do what you can to bullet proof the suspension. If it were me, I'd make sure that if you lost a bag, it would drive on a bumpstop without dragging anything at least long enough to get off the interstate. I know that defeats the purpose of bags. ( It seems to me that airbags were invented to render a car inoperable)
Well if the 289 is relatively fresh or at least in good shape, other than proper highway gearing, I can't think of anything you would need to do. I ran my old falcon as a daily for many years with the stock 2bbl, and early C4. This was into LA regularly, commuting to work. Out to Vegas and Laughlin, etc. Just making sure that it is in tune, regularly maintained and checked out, and you should be just fine.
my recomendation is hard line the bags 3/8 brake line, carry a couple bags, fittings and tools cause you never know. I agree with everybody on the other stuff. I had a bagged truck for years never had a problem, sold it and the guy popped a bag a month later, you just never know. Brandon
Make sure your radiator can handle long stretches in traffic during the hot months. Maybe get some kind of electric push/pull fan, put in a new thermostat that will fit your driving needs. Definitely get a dual reservoir master cylinder for the brakes at the very least, even if you don't switch to disc up front.
I hear everybody loud and clear on the bag set up! It was already on the car. I have had the wonderfull expierience of loosing 2 bags since I have had it. Both times ment a white knuckle ride home to fix it. Its a love / hate relationship. The cause was just plain lack of attention to detail on the part of whoever did the work. I currently have the front torn down and I am re-working the set-up myself. Taking into account what I can do to make it #1 bullet proof (i.e. plenty of clearence, hard lined etc. #2 easy access to mounts, lines, valves etc. so when it happens I can fix it on the side of the road if I have to. When I venture out on the trip you can be ***ured I will have a well stocked "emergency kit" with spare bags, etc. Im taking it all in so keep it up..... thats why I asked. Thanks, Rodney
Any long trips are just a series of shorter ones. If your car can handle a 100 mi. trip reliably, without requiring the following:adding multiple quarts of fluids, (except gas in the tank) changing fouled plugs,clogged gas filters,flushing the radiator, replacing the thermostat, fanbelts, water pump, jumping the battery,replacing blown fuses,rehanging the exhaust system, patching the gas tank,rebuilding the brakes, replacing tires worn to the cords, the clutch isn't slipping, the auto trans is still automatic, rebuilding the brakes, replacing the generator/alternator, your turn signals, headlights, signal lights, windshield wipers, heater still work, you may have a driver! I have driven my old stuff all over the place without any break downs as long as I keep an eye out for potential problems, If I can't fix it before hand, I wont take it any further than I feel like walking. The advice on the suspension makes a lot of sense, be prepared for an air bag failure before you leave. Even the Mercedes 6.9 when new,with the hydro-pneumatic suspension came equipped with an emergency set of wooden blocks that could be wired in place after jacking the car up so that the car could be driven to the dealer. I think that it is real important that the car track as straight as possible, and that the steering have only a small amount of freeplay, (although I drove some sloppy junk when I was younger). This is important, because while you may feel that you can live with it on short trips, on a long trip due to fatigue you might let it drift way off line and then suddenly overcompenste to pull it back in the lane. Every bad trait in the steering/suspension will come out and bite you in the *** and you could lose it! Don't take a chance with your and your wife's life, not to mention anyone unfortunate enough to be around you if that should occur. Be sure you have good seatbelts. A final thought. If you drive the car for an hour at freeway speeds and stop, and it idles smooth, doesn't heat up, and will start right up in five minutes, thats a good sign. Enjoy the drive.
Cooling is a big deal in these cars- the stock radiators seem inadequate nowadays. You should be able to get a factory-fit aluminum unit to replace your stocker, and if you team the right thermostat, fan, shroud, and maybe even a supplemental electric fan on thermostatic switch, you should be able to idle eternally in bumper-to-bumper traffic without overheating. That's the goal- to idle in gear, in 100-plus degree temps, and not overheat. Keep working on the cooling system until this is possible. Additionally- the AOD is a given (you'll appreciate the added mileage), and aftermarket disc brake kits are readily available and score highly in the 'common sense' category. I wanted all this stuff for my wagon (check the links in my sig to see mine) and now it's everything I wanted and more (it hauls *** and corners well too) and gets more than 20 mpg on the freeway. Just stepping up to the aluminum radiator helped keep it cool, but I've also got a high-flow water pump and aluminum heads. I still run the stock fan and shroud, and have no issues with overheating at all. I have the confidence to take it anywhere, and it IS nice to have that feeling.
rivguy and Scotch have some great advice, as well as others... Brakes: A Granada master cylinder should bolt right up, in place of the stock single reservoir. When I switched to discs on the front of my '62, I just asked for a '79 Granada master cylinder at the parts store. I also added an adjustable proportioning valve in-line to the rear brakes. I used Granada spindles, calipers, rotors, etc. All of the replacement parts are readily available and very reasonably priced. The Granada spindles also lower the car another 1" to 1-1/2". Airbags: As long as you pay attention to (and prevent/avoid) any rubbing that occurs to the 'bags and air lines, you should have a reliable and trouble-free ride. Some people swear against 'bags, but if they are installed properly they can last a long time, without any problems. Semi trucks put tons of miles on them (larger versions). Trans. and Shifter An AOD is a great idea. I think you'll be very happy with that addition. Your existing 3.50 gears should work great with it. I think Lokar and Gennie make good looking floor shifters that'll work on the AOD. There may be others, also. Power Steering: That's kind of a tough one. You could rebuild everything in your stock system and have decent steering. The control valve (down by the slave cylinder) is prone to leaking. The factory PS does make it VERY easy to steer that heavy car. There are aftermarket rack & pinion conversions, but they can be rather spendy. Any other questions, just ask! Malcolm
I couldn't agree more. I was blessed with mine, a bone-stock '66 Chrysler. I have driven several 4 and 5 hour trips without a problem. I just make sure to carry a floor jack (a low profile for clearance), a spare, extra fluids just in case, a spare belt, and a spare hose or two.
I drive mine everywhere! San Diego to Laughlin Nevada on it's maiden voyage. San Diego to San Francisco. To Vegas. To Paso Robles. To El Mirage towing a 3 rail motorcycle trailer. AND is my daily driver (minimum 60mi. round trip)! I got it about 3yrs ago. I rebuilt the 352fe a little over a year ago, flush the AOD trans once a year. Have replaced all rubber hoses on it front to rear, top to bottom. New radiator and brakes (single pot drum/drum) immediately after getting it. Numerous fuel filters though and a few power steering hoses because of it sitting as low as it is and being static ride height. I think once you get over the "head trip" you'll learn to not stress over it.
All the above advise is sound, however, if money is an issue, try 3:00 gears. Cheaper than an AOD trans. Power drums are fine, just use a dual m/c. Upgrade as finances allow.
Just for the record I have learned my lesson when it comes to dropping cash into a project. If it needs to be done.....it will be done. There is nothing worse than to have to undo your work or fix someone elses. Doing things in stages where I dont have to backtrack. I try to do it right the first time, if I cant afford it Ill wait till I can. Thats why the car is in primer a**** other things. Having said that, yes its going to cost money and Im prepaired to spend what I have. Right now that 289 runs strong, only around 10k on the motor. I would love to put in a 351W down the line. Can anyone point me in the right direction for an AOD that I could use behind the 289 for now and bolt up to the 351W later? Thanks to everyone for the feed back....Im taking notes.
One thing that hasn't been addressed -- What year is your 289? If it's a '64 block, it will only accept the older 5-bolt bellhousing. Unfortunately, you can't bolt an AOD to it. If it's a newer block (6-bolt), then you won't have a problem. As far as I know, you should be able to bolt a small block AOD to any (6-bolt) 289, 302, or 351W.
I'm with G***ersGarage, install a 3.00 diff. A 3.25 may be a better way to go considering the big car/little engine combo, even so the 3.00 should work ok. Need tires? A pair of rear ones perhaps 2" taller makes a difference in the gearing dept. OD's are nice, but not always the answer. Since you're an Arizona guy more than likely the car runs cool. I'd be up for tossing the bags, especially since you're gonna be hauling stuff. Try to strike a balance between being overly low and stock height. I had an FE GT390 powered 62 Ford wagon with all synchro three speed. It was all stock except for the 390 and headers and sat very low even with the stock and un-altered suspension w/ gas shocks. Good runner, had no problems towing a 3000# 23' sailboat across the desert in August to Lake Powell and other times to Lake Mead. From SoCal fwiw.
I went out there and checked yesterday...It is a 64 block/5 bolt bellhousing so that does limit my options as far a s AOD is concerned. Im thinking about that one. Also when I say Im going to haul stuff...its art stuff. There wouldnt be more than 300 lbs at the very most in the back of the car.
if you really want the overdrive (and you don't mine spending some bucks, although probably no more than a good rebuild on an AOD would cost), check out a company called gear vendors. they make external overdrive units for non-overdrive transmissions that bolt in place of the tail section of your ****** and basically give you a five or six speed auto. they claim noticeable benefits not just in mileage but in acceleration due to more even distribution of power and torque over their respective curves. you'll need a shortened driveshaft for your specific car (like $150) but otherwise the kits come with everything you need. i think they're definitely worth some thought.
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