Features Doing Falcons Right

Funny about descriptions and definitions. In Columbus, CA rake was front up, rear down. When I think back to the 60s/70s and the Calfornia cars, I think about the old Mercs that had their tales dragin'. Wasn't there a (CA) car club with that moniker?
I also thought that the straight axle gassers were considered a CA rake.
Interesting....

I had forgotten about the SkyJackers, big-assed things. White...right? ....and about the diameter of a 55 gal drum.

I Googled the term "California Rake" and found some interesting stuff. From what I found initially, it looks like there is mixed daffynitions. One guy said it depended on the car. Then I found "french rake" .......

 

Im glad i brought this up, theres a lot of misunderstanding floating around and this cleared up everything. But now im wondering about the de-arched leaf springs? i remember learning this in my suspension class in school, but never tried it cause the teacher didnt let me try it haha. Now im wondering on how it works? and if its an easy job to do?

 

My pop tells stories of how they would load the trunks of their cars with concrete block (back in the 50's Ohio) to get the "nose up, tail down" rake....you weren't nobody unless yer tail was draggin'....
Rob

 

Air shocks, 8X15 Crome reverses and great big Micky Thompson tires on the rear and 6" on the front. Looked like the front was going to run into the ground.

I had some of the first long shackles in this area. I made them myself to make my rear height adjustable. Lets just say it was a business decession on my part. How many gallons can you carry in a trunk??

 

I have always had it done for me locally at either Dunbar spring or Valley spring. There are a couple of threads here on the hamb about reversing eyes on early Ford springs, you de-arch using the same technique. I would have it done though if you can afford it just because getting them even on a car with paralell leaf springs would be a constant in and out kinda deal...

 

bttt. good post.

 

I had mine done at Deaver Spring in Santa Ana, ca. I still had to take them in and out 4 times to get them the right height...I wouldn't try it myself as it was tricky for them, and that's all they do...for years...

 

Another vote for Deaver Spring. they are really good and reliable! Plus that building is over 100 years old and if they let you in the back the furnace and the overhead belt driven pulley system for machines is really cool.

 

You know what's sad, Dunbar spring in Phoenix that I mentioned in my post was the exact same way until about ten years ago when they lost they're original building in a horrible fire. At that time, it was the oldest business in Phoenix that had survived in it's original location... 1897 or so.

 

True that! In my repeated visits I became well acquainted with the inside… and the shop dog.
Lots of cool old photographs in the office area as well.

 

Here is the progress on mine.

305 w/ a mild cam
Fender well headers
Saginaw 4speed
9" rear and Ladder bars
Pie crust slicks from hurst

Whats next ???? I think a spool and some 4.11's outa do me ok then I have no idea where I am going with this. Figured I would share in case anyone needed some low budget gasser inspiration

 

pics?

 

I will snap some detailed pics and post them up tomorrow

 

Falconize_62. I have a '62 Ranchero with a 4.0 crossflow, work in progress.I was wondering about what ADO you use and flex plate,ect. Also have you got pics of the gas filler behind the tail light.I have most of the body work done on my quarter panels done including covering the old gas filler hole.Tried more than one hinge for the tail light and will probly do a custom tail light .And anything special about eliminating the water jacket on the intake. Thankls Ken N.

 

Proud to say our 30"x10"'s will be sported on this BEAST!!!!

Almost makes me a FORD BOY.........Almost

Never the less I don't have more wood to be a part of this build!

Cody "HOTRODRUBBER" Adams

Adams Hot Rod Rubber / HURST RACING TIRES

 

hotrodrubber...
FANTASTIC! Thanks for posting all the pics of the fab work... Love it. Nice work!
papawfalcon...
I used an Aussie Borg Warner overdrive trans from a later falcon. I took the flexplate, converter and bellhousing from the overdrive unit...
I cut off and ground away the waterjacket on the intake. I used an earlier intake from throttle body version of the motor, instead of the TPI to fab the 4bbl manifold.
You will need to resurface the intake after welding on it.
I have not done my tail light door yet (the car is on hold till I finish the 66 Aristocrat trailer).
Long boomerang style hinges will work to get the tail light to swing away from the body.
I was going to use the light's mounting surface as the door and cut that out of the body.
I was planning to have to make the hinges from scratch... shouldn't be a big deal as it is a simple mechanism with a lever, stanchion and pin.
Take pics of your progress!
You may want to make it out of cardboard, duct tape and a dowel first to hone in your design...
Man, I miss working on the wagon!!!

 

Falconizer_62 I was hoping you used an american ADO.Mine came with the automatic.Could I just cut the bungs off and weld.I dont't think I can do the hinges. I'll have to search for some (need to find a pic).I have a '62 and had to replace the complete passanger side quarter panel with a '63 and did not realize the bowls that hold the tail light were different so if I remove the bowel on the drives side good .I want to change the tail lights. A'62 tail light will fit the '63 but not vica versa. good luck with the 66 Aristocrat trailor .Looking foward to your post on your Falcon. THANKS Ken N.

 

Hi gang! I have been talking for off and on for a couple of months about my girlfriends '62 wagon that we picked up after Christmas. Here it is! I suddenly have my picture posting super powers back with the new computer! So this is what I have been up to...

200/C4 combo
Weber 36/38 DGV
Mallory distributor
Late 2" exhaust manifold and 2" exhaust
14" Tru-spokes
Shelby drop with 11/2 coils cut
original paint shined up pretty well
will have A/C by summer
Getting just a bit excited to get this on the road, and hoping for Good Guys spring deal here in Scottsdale.

 

I'm jealous of your wagon!! very nice

 

just a couple of picts of my little truck.that's a 302 roller motor from FMSand a '74 maverick axle assembly w/ 3.40 gear and eaton tru track.frank

 

Here is a '63 i'm putting one of the new TCI Mll kits in. You get a lot of room after cutting out the tower's and cross brace's.. You have to weld new boxing plates on four sides of the frame rails because the stock one's are very thin.. It's coming along good with some painting before putting motor back in... i'll post more as it get them.

 

cwayne...nice. Thanks for posting pics of your work. I dig it. It's nice to lazily click through hours of grunt work.

 

Ok i ran into an electrical problem and its taking me forever to get to it cause its taking me around i circles. heres the problem, i can turn my lights on and off with no problem, both front and rear come on, and both turn signals work just fine, they just twitch really fast. I press on the break and they both light up fine, but im going to replace the break light switch cause the old one is worn in already. heres the tricky part, when the car is off, everything is switched off, but, the rear driver side light is still on, and when i switch the turn signal to the left, it goes off?
i was gonna look for some advise or pointers before i kept messing around with it

 

Rocketsam, sounds like it is time to clean every ground on your car! Not kidding... I won't discount that the wiring has been messed with at some point over the years, but usually when bizaro stuff starts happening, time to clean grounds. and by that I mean not only all the wires, but stuff like the fender bolts, tailights bases headlight bases, etc. Unibody cars are bad for this because the whole body/frame unit was used as a ground. I know your here in Phoenix, if you need to borrow, I have the wiring schematics for your car. Just let me know if you neeed them.

 

Thanks a lot.. looked at the one you are build for the little woman... to bad you could put in one of the TCI front end kits. would have been nice for her with the disc brakes and rack steering... from what i've seen it would have been a cake walk for you... nice ride....

 

I started cleaning out all the grounds and they had went off, lead me to another issue, which was the tail lights, with some adjusting i got them to work haha. I got it all straightened out and had to replace the break switch on the master cylinder cause the break lights were not working after that.

 

I hate electrical gremlins! Super mentally taxing, uncomfortable laying your back across the sill, brake pedal in your skull and dust and dirt falling in your eyes.
Hey, at least you can figure stuff out on an old car...try fixing electrical bugs on a late model...

 

ah man i dont even want to touch one of those, i hated doing that in school

 

The '62 wagon on the previous page will hopefully replace her "late model" Mercedes 300SL... If you want to know the meaning of the word futility, try chasing electrical gremlins in that!!! A large piece of my soul dies every time I work on that P.O.S.!

 

Here is a cheap way to rid yourself of those pesky shock tower suports, the hyme joints are RT and LT hand threads so you can just turn the centers and lock them down for support. inserts and joints all came from speedway and steel was from the corner of the shop. But now I'm thinking gasser...