Two clarifications - You cannot use the Mustang Centerlink in a Falcon - It is too wide by about 1.5" The balance from 28 oz to 50 oz occurred in mid 1981, there was no other change in 1990, all 82 and later are 50oz.
We built my Father In laws 50 F1 Last year and he had swapped a 260/C4 from a Comet into it and the heads were totally shit, we were going to rebuild the engine in the truck until we got to that point and also found the crank was already 30/30. So we scrapped it and dropped a 5.3L/4L60E into it. Now it has more power than the truck can handle and gets 25mpg's.
my brother's '64 falcon sprint ht had a 260. also had a buddy with a ragtop; he wound up installing a 351 and going to a 9"rear. sweet cars!
Well then it's lucky this wasn't a '62 6 banger car , I've got a whole 'nother paragraph on 6 to 8 swaps and how to shoe horn a V-8 into the '60-'63 body for ya Mike
Feel like sending that paragraph to me? I'm going to be putting a v-8 into a '62 6 banger in the spring.
'60-'63 6-cylinder Falcons are made of a lighter gauge metal than V8 ones (when they were introduced). They do not have torque boxes (the metal that joins the subframe rails to the rockers). The transmission tunnel is TINY, too. I am not sure when, but they stopped, but they did not even have as much metal in the door posts. I had a T5 behind the six-cylinder in my '60. I required modifying the transmission case, and dimpling the floor, and it still had to be at a 5º angle, and the entire driveshaft tunnel aft of the transmission had to get removed and replaced with a widened and raised one. I have an even more hopped-up six now, that makes 199hp and 247lb.ft. of torque, is backed by a T56 6-speed, and ends up in an 8.8 rear end. Now, the entire transmission and driveshaft tunnel have been replaced, and I have added about 150lbs. of reinforcement metal, including subframe connectors. You absolutley must run an under engine cross member, and subframe conectors, at minimum. Both are easily commercially available. You should probably run a Monte Carlo bar too.
All 6-cylinder Falcons through '65 had the 'light' body shell except for the 'vert (which used the 'V8' shell, regardless of engine installed) and the Ranchero/Wagons (which had the heavier frame rails and torque boxes in the rear even with the 6). Comet was the same through '63, but in '64-65 Mercury upgraded the Comet to the V8 shell across all models and engines for better NVH control. In '66, Falcon switched to a shortened version of the Fairlane platform, although there was still two body structures; the Falcon and Fairlane with 6 and small V8s, and the Fairlane with the FE.
One of my customers has a 1964, 6-cylinder, that has torque boxes. It has been in his family since new. Data plate says it was a 6-cylinder car, since new. No signs of post manufacture welding.
Sedan? Coupe? Hardtop? Wagon? There were some variations, and who's to say that some oddball stuff didn't leak through? I used to have a sales pamphlet for the '64 Comet and it went to some length to explain how the Comet had all this additional body structure in the six cylinder body identical to the V8-equipped cars in contrast to it's unnamed 'competitor' (the Falcon). And I distinctly remember cutting the front floor out of a '65 Falcon sedan to use as repair panels and noticing the lack of torque boxes as well as the thin-gauge metal used for the frame rails, as it made sawzalling the floor out much easier.
thank you guys , I did know that , very good info. of coarse I am only 61 and been doing this for about 45 years . always learning .
No one wants to be seen with those cars anymore. The relatives are passing it down because they know that I want it...I mean, they know that non of them want it. If you pass it on to me, your long lost brother, I'll be more than happy to take it from you.
Yup, but it is easy enough to get: http://www.falconparts.com/ford-falcon-auto-parts/pc/1965-V-8-MANUAL-STEERING-CENTER-LINK-17p769.htm
Get weld-on subframe connectors. Bolt-on ones have a nasty habit of cracking and tearing the 6-cylinder subframe rails. I have slightly modified Global West ones on my '60 (1960 had a few minor unique quirks).
Ford added a lot of weight to the v8 cars. In 63 I put a 221 and 3 speed out of a 62 Fairlaine in my 60 Falcon with a 9" from a 59 ford the car weight was 2200 lbs at the local COOP. Because of the weight difference it was faster than the factory 260 4 speed cars. I put 50.000 miles on the car without problems. If I was adding more power to an early car a 6 point bar would stiffen it up with the least amount of added weight
Sure! no problem PM me with any questions/concerns it can be done entirely with factory ford parts and not a single thing will have to be cut.... briefly: - you may need mustang upper control arms '60, 61 and early '62s had 3 stud upper ball joints that will not fit the V-8 mustang/comet/falcon spindle - use a '68-'70 mustang/'70-'77 maverick split master cyl w '68 up dist. block (will require changing the fitting on one line) and original push rod with tabs welded on for brake light switch - use original '62-5 motor mounts - use a'63-5 falcon/comet or'73-77 maverick 8" rear axle w '68 mustang spring plates (or a '57 9") nothing else will fit without narrowing (versaille is 3" too wide), shorten ebrake cable springs slightly and use stock ebrake cables - a maverick 4 door sedan drive shaft is a bolt in if using a c/4 or toploader and the 8" rear - switch to a '64-5 steering box/column it is a bit shorter for more room/safety - c-4 fits nicely in the small trans. tunnel if you have a '64-5 cruise o matic tailshaft housing you can use the stock trans. mount and shifter (otherwise use aftermarket trans mount for later style mount and shifter) -'65 falcon/comet centrelink (65 only and V-8 only) - '65 Falcon/Comet V8 drum spindles or'65-6 V8 drum/disc mustang spindles ..... '66 mustang 4 puck discs bolt on no mods *Do not use later '67 up spindles (Granada/Maverick Versaille etc.) on pre'66 cars as it will change the ackermann angle and lead to dangerous bump steer condition -65-7 dodge 14" rims will fit stock caps w minor mods - alternator, electronic reg. and '70's duraspark ign. wire in to stock wiring with no cutting (just a couple connectors) - stock '63-5 v8 exhaust manifolds or 289 HiPo if you cant find either of those use '73-'77 Maverick /comet LH (similar to hipo) and any '60's log type RH no cutting and works w p/s where as many headers do not - 65-6 mustang V8 radiator (redrilled) or Maverick 250/v8 depending on which year water pump exit you use etc. etc. etc.
"Oddball Stuff" leaking through is an understatement. I was the proud 2nd owner of a low mileage 64 Sprint 4 speed, badged as a 260, in High School. It was so gutless, and me being a dumbass, I decided to pull the engine in a search for more power. I was very surprised to find that it came FROM FORD with a 221, but badged as a 260. I assume they used the leftover 221 engines from 63. Regardless, I loved that car, but it was always a pig.
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