1963 fairlane gasser? what wwill it take

I have a 1963 ford fairlane. I was going to build a 60s custom but have always love a old gassers. I have looked on the inter net and cant find any 1963 ford fairlanes at all. Is it posable to do? What will I have to do And what an i looking for as far as a budjet for some thing like this?

 

you can buy a straight axle kit complete with everything from speedway motors for under $500. the way you set up the rest of the car will determine how much cash youll need

 

I was told that gassers didnt have to be a straight axle? i that true? and i know that the floors have to be replaced and it has a ford 8 inch, and it has a ford 260 v8 and a 2 speed auto trans. and the interior is shot and needs compleat redone. i would like to beable to drive it on the street.

 

If you are not going to get too carried away, leave the bumpers on it, and make it a street hot rod or modified production car.

If you replace the motor and trans with a robust 302 and later transmission (C4, AOD, T5, Toploader, Tremec) you will have a car that will be able to keep up with traffic anywhere. Freshen the suspension and add a few chassis upgrades (better brakes would be high on my list, along with wheels and tires), and you will be good to go.

Paint and interior can be as good or austere as you want or can afford. Have some fun with it; these are neat old cars.

 

if i kept the 260 what kind of trans can i put behind it i would like a 4 speed auto can that happin? and i read that it need to run mid 12s in the 1/4?

 

No. The 260 has a 5 bolt bell housing.

 

so theres no trany that will go to this 260 but a 2 speed auto? ok what will it take to put a 302 in it. and what is a good trans to back it and what do i have to do to the rear end? what about the breaks is this a kit that i have to buy or is it some thing can i get from the swap meets

 

You can still put a manual bellhousing from the same time period behind it if ya want a manual. Otherwise, a simple mod to your motor mounts by extending the bolt-up area 1" will allow any later 289/302 to fit. Then you can use just about any small bell pattern auto you want. I'm looking at a 351W (swap headers) and AOD for mine.

 

ok what kind of chassie can i put under it that already is a straight axle and i can build off of?

 

I wouldn't bother with a straight axle under a fairlane... just build it like a modified production or superstock car. Of course you can build it anyway you want..but "gasser" looks dont always have or need a straight axle. Plenty of them specially 55 chevy's and the like used stock A arm suspension up front, they had ball join spacers and taller springs up front too.

 

ok i wont this to look like a cool ass car form the early 1960s? that can get me i alot of shows and alot of bang for my buck?

 

http://www.critesrestoration.com/litening.htm

Well if it's early 60's you want then go with the super stock look, aka "thunderbolt".

Check out this thread..might get the juices flowing
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=136384

 

what other ideas do you guys have?

 

you dont have to put a straight axle under it. the only thing that you should absoloutly do is put a manual trans in it

 

My father is building a 62 Fairlane Gasser, with a 460 Lincoln V-8. You might see him on here somewhere.

The straight axle we have is from a 38 Pickup, and the rear end is a 9 inch from a 77 Winnabago-Econoline. and the motor is from a 77 Lincoln Continental.

 

I've always liked the looks of 63's. But seriously unless you throw away half the weight, that 260 ain't going to cut it, especially with that tranny.
Rather than sink a ton of money into the 260 and play mix and match with the bellhousing, you may as well find somthing bigger and better to start with. Maybe a 351 with a C4?
I had a 64 with a 260 and a 3 on the tree. I always liked that car, but it was no world beater.
Good Luck!

 

I found a 302 and a c4 trans but how do i get the car to sit as high as a gasser? I saw one gasser where he cut the rear quarters so the biger wheels and tire would have plenty of room wich i like that idea.

 

Hopefully this fairlane will give you an idea. You'll see it's a custom frame all the way from front to back. (not my car)

 

Forget the straight axle. No need for it. Most gassers didn't use 'em. Just use high lift front springs. You can get a sizable tire under the back of these without radiusing the rear fender openings...plenty of tire to hold a mildly hot smallblock. I would suggest fiberglass bumpers, front and rear. Early Econoline seats. I like these with an auto trans instead of a 4 speed, but that it purely personal preference. Consider a fiberglass hood (without the T-Bolt scoop).

 

Look for a cheap 55' Ford pick up front end . There are many around due to people changing to Mustang 2 front ends .
As for the rear just use spacer blocks on the axle housing .
That will work out just fine .

 

so besides lifting it what elss do i need to do to make this into a gasser?

 

You dont need to axle it. You could make it more like a super stocker.

 

straight spoke americans up front, and wide steeles in the back w/ hurst pie crust. Radius wheel wells?

 

Here's one that was a swap meet I went to last week. It had spacers in the front springs to keep the nose up a little. Sold for $2300. Wish I got there earlier. It still had the 1965 winternationals decals in the window.

 

Ya know what never mind.

An SBF bolts right in there if its already an SBF car.

260s came with automatics behind them and also 3 speeds and 4 speeds. You have to use the early bell houseing if its a '63 motor.

 

As you can see, there's a lot of options. If you want a head-turner at shows, I suggest a 289 Hi-po (if you can find an original, all the better) and use that with a 4 speed manual to give it a period correct race platform. Fairlane Club of America is a good group, but lean towards more original than modified....food for thought. The gasser look is entirely on how you want to do it, either axle or not.

I have a '48 F1 front end at my disposal, and may try that with mine, but not sure yet. I also have toyed with the idea of mounting a 2000-ish Lincoln LS frame and drivetrain under it as well, but that wouldn't be HAMB-worthy, yet it would be quite streetable on today's roads. (with the economy, I won't touch my car this year) Lots of Mustang performance options also work with these cars, so as you can see you can go anywhere with your car. My suggestion is to not be in a rush, do alot more research on your car, and then decide what direction you want to go. My $.02

 

Here's a '62.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=354523&highlight=1962+fairlane

 

Yes you can!
There were a slew of '64 1/2 Mustangs built with 3-speed automatics, 3-speed manual, and 4-speed manual transmissions and 260 engines. Also, other Ford and Mercury models with a 5 bolt 221, 260, or 289 V-8s were available with the same variety of trannys...so the pieces are out there.
As for a gasser look, why not build a Thunderbolt type car. Those factory sponsored race cars always had the gasser look, in mho. I think Tasca Ford built a '63 Fairlane drag car...I may be wrong about that, but a little net searching will find it, if there was one. Anyhow, the '64 Fairlane Thunderbolt is a drag race legend that could be copied using the '63 bodystyle. Crites Reproductions even has the T-Bolt style hood for the '63, I think.
If you aren't familiar with the The Thunderbolt, there is a good thread on them here on the H.A.M.B., as well other sites. Also, if you want to find some information on some FAST 260 powered machines, look for stuff on the net about the 260 Cobras. You will be pleasantly suprised!

 

go t-bolt

 

Here's a '62 Fairlane w/tbolt hood scoop from back in the day.