Projects Get Goose going… HELP! - 1960 Frontenac

Hi all. Good to see you again. I’ve got a 1960 Frontenac that im slowly rebuilding and upgrading here and there. Here’s what’s happened since my last post.

*New rear suspension - shocks , springs, u-bolts.
*New front shocks
*New brakes all around. (Making a noticeable clunk!)
*Dual Master Cylinder conversion.
*New gas tank and sending unit.

Anyways, all that is fine and good.
However I took it for its maiden voyage test drive today and now that it’s back parked in my driveway I can see that the front subframe / crossmember piece that the adjustable strut rod attaches to has BROKEN OFF from the rest of the rad support!
Now, I have a ‘61 Falcon deluxe parts car. I know that they will have the same piece. It appears like this is a bolt-in part of the car - is that true?
I know that the entire fromt suspension is going to have to come apart to get at this thing, along with the radiator and probably the grill and fenders. While im down there rooting around, what are some things I should or could do for major benefit? Shelby drop is on the mind, along with going to ‘65 mustang control arms.
Any and all help and badgering is welcome.

Thanks, Harley

 

It looks like it got smacked real hard with a rock or something at some point (many years ago) and then now has rusted out and snapped since the car was driven.

 

Yes, its a single mirror. I haven’t seen another one like it
Thats the part we’re talking about, but mine has cracked right underneath (and in line) with where the rad sits. The strut rod is actually sitting at at weird angle because its broken above where it sits in.
Besides the massive break in the frame the test drive went well - its a 170 that someone put in instead of the 144, and it scoots pretty good for a little car.

 

I will have to wait until tomorrow to get a picture.
Im not sure if the car is in original paint or not , I think it’s been repainted at least in places due to old bodywork where the bondo is peeling off and cracking. Most of the car is unfortunately bondo lol.
The car was originally “Meadowville Green” so yes a light metallic green. The insides of the door jambs and trunk have preseved their color really well. Luckily the parts car was the same color originally!
Here are some pictures i took today. The cockpit view and the car hiding.

 

After a closer look and comparison, that is exactly where it broke.

 

No worries about sidetracking the thread. I’m looking for tips and suggestions like this as well, since the car will be parked for a time while im fixing the brace I’ll have lots of time to work on anything else.
Currently the car has no seat belts and the solid rod steering column as well. I’ll look into that thread you linked a little closer.

Do you know of any other cars that had beefier brakes that may work with the stock 6 cylinder spindles? Or will I have to upgrade to V8 steering. I have a set of 5-lug spindles out of a ‘64 Caliente if need be.

 

Everything in the front of that assembly is welded.

Is this beefy enough for brakes?



Those are on 6-cylinder spindles.

I have seat belts from Juliano's that are mounted as in the aforementioned picture.

 

Also not to sidetrack, but can you measure from the door gap to the approximate plane of the mirror.

I want to run mine like that.

FTR: There is no standard mirror for a early Falcon/Frontenac. Ford shipped them without them, and they were added at the dealer, from what they had.

 

I sure can. Where did you get your brakes from? Scarebird kit with wilwood upgrades? Good to see you around again gimpy

 

It is 12” from the door jamb to the back of the mirror. 17” to the front. Screws thru the mirror are 3” apart.

 

That started out life as a Scarebird kit. It would appear that they departed the business for a little while, but are now, as of 4/13/2023, are under new management.

I do not know how this will affect future production, but it is worth calling or emailing them.

The rest is out of my shop, less the Wilwood parts.

The Scarebird setup works very well on these, and provides admirable stopping power, for minimum cash outlay.

You do NOT need a 6-piston caliper this big!

 

FTR: I ran stock 13" wheels over the Scarebird kit.

I had to had 3/8" spacers to get it to clear. Those were cheap, too.

Keep in mind, this was the deep-dish kit, with new hubs that I started with.

That was to fit wheels that I had in mind. The regular kit has the same stopping power, just rotors from a different source, no custom hubs, and is cheaper.

 

Thats sounds good. Cheap but SAFE equals GOOD to me!
I’ll contact scarebird to see if they’re still making the kits. Without custom hubs, do you need to modify the originals? If so that’s okay with me - i have 2 sets with both the goose and the parts car.

Back to the formal points of the thread - My passenger side lower control arm has twisted like a pretzel (probably due to the strut rod holder thingamijig breaking off and no longer holding it in place) - I have new LCAs for a ‘65 mustang as i was planning to replace them anyways. However, the strut rod is now bent and will need to be replaced. Does anyone know of anywhere to get new strut rods? I know the 1960 ones are adjustable and that’s required to make the ‘65 parts work. Are the 61 rods adjustable as well or will I have to make something custom?

 

If I recall correctly, with the less expensive kit the hubs require modification.

The major diameter of the hub is a little too big to fit into the rotor.



I recommend bringing the hubs and rotors to a machine shop, and having them sized to fit snugly.

 

I plan on keeping it atleast LOOKING stock, so steel wheels and hubcaps are staying. I have a 200/C4 combo out of a ‘78 fairmont that I’ll be putting a weber or similar 2 barrel carb on. I want to build this car to be an almost-daily driver for the summertime. As for rear ends I know of a guy who has a ‘58 Fairlane 500 who’s just letting it sit and rot. Apparently the 57-59 ford rear ends are almost the same width as the Falcons? Will have to get under and check myself.

 

That I can do. I’m thinking me and the machinist guys in town are going to be good friends by the time this car really gets going.

 

The original rear end is 56" wide.

The narrowest 9-inch that I know of is 57".

A Ford Ranger 7.5 or 8.8, until about 1991 is 56.5".

 

Lots and lots of rangers in the scrapyard. I’m sure I’ll be able to find something.
Would ‘65 mustang coil springs fit? Since I’m going to have to pull the front suspension apart I may as well get all the new stuff to go back in.
And not to be like a squeaking wheel - but are the 61 strut rods the same as ‘60? Or will I have to source or make a new one

Thanks - Harley

 

1960 and 1961 should be the same, but not the same as later ones, or Mustangs.

They are forged steel.

1965-1966 Mustang coils fit, but you might need to trim off a coil.

 

Thanks Gimpy. Thats a relief

 

I appreciate the concern Sgt and while I could leave a lot of it alone (and I will for now - not touching the engine until its parked over the winter or anything) but I’m a pretty particular guy and if I’ve got to atleast take the spindle off and the rad out to get to the brace properly then I figure I may as well replace what I need to now instead of down the line. Of course the idea is to get Goose going but I don’t mind a little extra time and money to get the goose going along with a little extra peace of mind with new parts and things.
Looking ar Juliano’s seatbelts and a lot of them look pretty stylish! Driving this car as much as I’d like to it would be wise to throw a pair of shoulder belts in there to keep me from flying through the windshield in case anything goes bad.

 

Here’s some pictures of the poor Goose as it sits: You can probably see the issue. Most definitely rust was thr main cause of death.

 

The other side is solid as a rock Smacked it hard with a hammer and everything. The only other rust spot was on the rear drivers side subframe rail, just before where the bumper bolts. Fixed it already, I’m guessing it kept getting hit with rocks from the wheel and rusted out over 63 years.
Floors are brown, but solid. Most of the car is still undercoated, with the steel still solid underneath. As far as I can tell this is the only structural damage to the car, which is what makes me think it was damaged at some point and amplified by rust over the years.
It was not a smart idea to drive the car with how this area was looking beforehand, but we live and we learn.

 

Yes fixing that it’s next up. Nothing that will make the car drive better matters at all if you can’t actually drive it. I’ll be sure to update this thread with whatever I do to the car, including fixing the brace.

 

I had stock wheels, with stock caps, on an 8.8 redrilled to 4-lug.

It has SVT Cobra rear discs now, and is still 4-lug.

 

Parts car has arrived today. Anyone know anyone looking to buy Falcon Deluxe decals or trim? Will probably make a new post or put stuff up on ebay.

I got 2 horn rings and 3 hub caps. All the trim seems to be there along with the trunk handle and stuff. Need none of it for the goose

 

The bumpers look good. Hang on to those. They are getting more rare.

 

For sure. The bumpers and the hood was 90% of the reason I bought it

 

Hey guys little update for you all.
Wildfire season has been pretty rough on us northerners and despite the best efforts of me and my firefighter brothers a class-6 wildfire has flattened 80% of my hometown, including my own home. And so the Frontenac is in quite a sorry state.

Anyone know anyone who’s got a Frontenac for sale? And/or knows what fire does to a cars structure.