Features Doing Falcons Right

Ford "Did" the Falcon right, and I'm doing it as close to the way they did it as I can.

This is the way we got "Buttercup". No cancer, almost totally original everything, including paint.


And this is what she looks like now.




I did do a $5 resto under the hood...

Then:






During:




















Now:








I still have to get the correct decal pack for under the hood. Then it's on to the other things.

More pics here: http://s185.photobucket.com/albums/x247/Rotorranch/1964 Ford Falcon Futura/?start=all

Rotor

 

And that Dura spark II is one of the best mods you can do to your engine in my humble opinion! I hid my ignition box in plain sight just behind the valave cover on the firewall, and built a custom harness with a Weatherpack type connector out to the distributor. I't amazed me how many folks have missed seeing it altogther.

 

how come your FALCON's license plate says MAVERICK?

 

Easy for a guy with a V8 '64 to say. Tell that to a fella trying to DD a '60 with a 144/FM2!

 

It could be worse Bigcheese327... you could have a Smart Car!!!

Rotor

 

Because that's what I am. I belong to a group of car guys & girls called the Mavericks.

 

Ahhhhh

Wonder how many folks see that and think " Geez, that dumb ass doesn't even know what kind of car he has "

 

Ya don't have to step too far to get to comfortable daily status though, I've been driving the wheels off the wagon for the last three month now with it's 200/C4 combo. The only thing it's not completely comfortable with yet is our notoriously fast local freeway speeds around town. I think I might just have an overdrive/auto deal worked out for it though.

 

I drove my 62 Ranchero with the 200/C4 combo and 15" wheels as a daily for about 3 years! In So cal traffic and 75 + freeway speeds no less.

 

Hey Rotor whats up! underhood looks good.

 

Have to agree.....the Falcon was one of the best looking cars Ford ever produced.....timeless IMHO. That is why I have been a Falcon fan since I was 5 years old.

Sent from Mr. ModelT's DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

Hey Don, do you remember what the rear axle gear ratio was in you Ranchero? If I can't get this overdrive worked out before Lone Star Round Up time I might just throw a tall geared rear in it but I'm a little worried 'cause acceleration isn't what I could call blistering with the 3.50s in it now. More like tollerable, ya know?

 

I am out of my comfort zone on the freeway with my 200/c4 and 3.20 gear combo. just too many rpms me..... gets to 60 quickley but without O/D I make my freeway trips as short as possible. I will keep the c/4 but at one time i was planning a t5 swap to be able to roll 70 or 75 mph at a reasonable engine speed.

 

it had a 3.50 gear. I drove it home from Arizona with the 13" tires, cruising around 65. It was So Much Happier with the 15"

 

Damn! My 14" wheels and 3.50 gears have me wanting to shoot myself at anything over 65. I had a set of 2.79s in my '62 sedan years ago with a 200 C/4 combo and all was happy at freeway speeds, but an eldery nun on roller skates could beat it out of the lights everytime.

I am kinda saddled with the C/4 in our wagon at this point, because it is obstensibly has been built for my girlfriends use and she refuses to learn to drive a real trans. Probably best for all sharing the road with her as I see it! I have measured, figured, checked and looked at adaptable overdrive trans units until I'm blue in the face and haven't really found what I'm looking for. At this point a machinest friend and I are in the begining stages of adapting a Laycock-Volvo over drive unit to an extra tailshaft I have for one of my C/4s... We'll see how practical and repetable it turns out to be.

 

Yeah, they probably do.......

 

On the subject of diff gearing. When we purchased the convertible it had the Toyota diff with 4.11 gearing. Even with the 15 inch wheels the revs were way too high at highway speeds. This is running a 250 six and Borg Warner automatic.

I have just fitted a 3.00 ratio 8 inch Ford diff. Just a couple of small jobs to do and it should be back on the road this weekend. As long as it cruises nicely down the road I am not really worried about performance all that much as it is just a cruiser anyway that I want to be an easy driver for the wife and daughter.

 

Hi back at ya 64falconsix!

I'm in the same boat here... 3.25 gear with the F-O-M is good for 60-65 max from the sound of the motor. 65 MPH on the downtown connector through Atlanta is asking to get run over!

I've thought about a taller rear gear, but I worry that with the 2 speed trans it would hurt the performance from a standing start too much. I really don't want to change the driveline, since the car is so original.

One day I'll hook up a tach and see what revs it's actually turning.

Rotor

 

My mom bought a 61 comet wagon NEW in 61. It had a 144 and the aircooled two speed auto. It was her daily for about 5 years and she and my dad would drive it everywhere with us kids int he back. In those days So Cal traffic pretty much cruised at 65 and they had no trouble keeping up with traffic at that speed. I think we have become so used to overdrive transmissions and low RPM that we forget how it used to be.
It's the same thing with my current daily - a '66 VW Bug with a 4.37 ring and pinion. At 65 I am doing 3200 RPM and at 70 its about 3500, sounds like it's going to come apart any minute now ~ has for the last 125,000 miles in fact

 

I hope the dents are aftermarket and not really original - or someone should have taken it back to the dealer when new

 

I hear ya about being used to overdrives and such. I too have put about a million miles on 40 horse, 4.37 geared bugs and my original Falcon coupe with the 170 and Ford-O-Crapic. I've got an older buddy from here on the H.A.M.B. telling me to just suck it up and deal with it... Nope! I can't stand the feeling of screaming along at ten under everybody else's speed in the right lane while traffic comes screaming past. I just don't trust humanity that much! My training back in the roundy round days always said that being at the FRONT of the pack kept you out of harms reach. My mentor/race car owner on that had a very simple philosophy... "Just drive faster than everbody else!" Time is ticking down to Lone Star Round Up when the female and I are to drive this little gizzy to Austin. Gotta get this overdrive deal worked A.S.A.P.

 

You don't need to 10 slower than everyone else. Just buzz the motor - they can take it!

 

My brain can't!!!

 

It also kills the gas economy. We have a speed limit of 60mph here that is pretty strictly enforced so if I can cruise around that I am happy.

 

My 61 Comet wagon with a 200/C4 conversion lives over there now. It's probably happy as can be

 

My '65 Ranchero with a 200 and C-4 had a 2.80 screw in it. No speed demon, but it would cruise 70, 75 without a lot of wrap. Does your car have the original engine? The later engines, '68 on up run better, it's mostly the head; bigger valves and intake ports. My '64 wagon is a 170, 3 sp, a 3.50 screw in it. If I keep it, it'll get a 5 sp. I really want a '62, they're my fav. Mike.

 

Just bought myself a 60 Falcon for parts to build up a 61 comet/falcon. I will be taking the front clip power plant dash interior among other things. Probably converting the comet into a 2 door. If there are things needed PM me.


Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

Heres a picture of the hood i mentioned before. I finally got the stance right and happy with the ride comfort, it hits a tad bit rough cause i still have the bump stops in, but i do plan on taking them out and shortening them