I picked up this little 63 2 door for my daughter and I to build together. She loves classic cars a nd wants to learn about them. Her plans are to keep it in patina but some black steel wheels I have and lower it. We got some bucket seats out of a 65 mustang that will go in with minimal effort. We are shooting for a low budget build. Its has been sitting since 95 which just happens to be the same year she was born. We have to do brakes, brake lines, and a dual pot master cylinder. A fuel tank and some rust repair on the rear frame rails and rear quarters. And of course get it running and driving safely. we are going to paint the drivers door to match the rest of the patina. I explained to her the first thing we need to do is see if we can get it running and in the process she could learn a few things. First of was to pull the plugs out of the 170 six and turn it over by hand we pulled the valve cover to make sure all the valves moved it, turned over with no problems. While we had the cover off I took the opportunity to show her how to adjust her valves. We then did a full tune up new wires, plugs, cap, rotors, points etc. We rebuilt the carb, replaced the hoses, the belts, changed the oil, the oil filter, fuel filter and air filter. The motor mounts were rotten so we replaced them to. I was enjoying teaching her as much as she enjoyed learning. We got a battery and put some gas in a jug said a small prayer and turned the key. Once we got it running I noticed it wasn't charging so we converted it to an alternator. We went to the salvage and found mid 70s ford f150 that looked like it would work, scavenged all the need parts we could but the regulator was missing. We modified the stock lower bracket and used the upper bracket off the f150. I found a wiring diagram on the net to convert it we use a solid state regulator we picked up at the parts store. It charges great and much to my surprise all the gauges, lights, wipers, blower motor and turn signals work. The next step is brakes then suspension. I will do my best to keep up this thread
Congrats! sounds like a good plan,You guys have probably already seen this but here ya go anyway. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/falcons-done-right.80033/
Looks like a great project! I can't wait to build something with my little girl one day Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Good to see! These cars are a ball to run around in, and with a couple of subtle mods they can be great daily drivers in today's world too. You mentioned a dual chamber M/C. Good plan! There is a company who is a member here that is called ScareBird Disc Brake conversions. He sells brake bracket kits to do discs on these cars, and gives you a list of part available from any good parts house, including master cylinder. By the time all was said and one, on my '62 I was able to upgrade to discs, improve the stopping by manifold and do a dual chamber cylinder all for less than just going through the stock drums.... Which sucked when these cars were new, by the way. It's been a couple of years, but I think my whole cost was about 250.00. Just food for thought.
The falcon's chassis is almost exactly a mustang chassis. (Falcon was the prototype, so also will interchange) anyways, good luck on the build!
Looks like a great project! And, I just noticed we are pretty much neighbors. I would love to come check out your project and meet you some time. I am fixing to start on a couple projects soon for my 10-year-old boys.
My Daughter and I are doing a '62 falcon Coupe, that was her 16th birthday present. I traded an "X-Man" comic book for (#1). The gas tank was junk, so we replaced the 16 gal tank with a repop ''67 Mustang 22 gal. tank. Bolted right in. There's a LOT of help here for us.
There's a set of NOS 4 bolt ET slot 13" wheels on the HAMB marketplace if you want to ad some fancy wheels. Looks like a fun project and a great way to spend time with your daughter!
"Ohh, what was that?" LOL! Priceless. I hope she sticks with it. Enjoy your time with your little angel. They are off on their own before you know it. Here's my daughter with her first car, a Mustang GT she bought with the money she saved. "I don't want a granny cruiser" she told me. It wasn't long before she decided she did not like the attention the car brought her (We live near the ocean in NJ) and I got stuck with the car in a "trade" for my Honda.
That is a nice build. It's a wonderful idea to do that with your daughter! I like the idea about upgrading the brakes, moderne brakes for modern traffic, and wait for the motor upgrade till she got use to driving it. Only respect from here. But talk her out of the patina thing, a nice driveway paint job or a tractor/industrial enamel paint job would make this a simple, cheap and good looking driver for her. Rasmus Brynk Andersen, from Denmark.
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