Projects '61 Falcon Street/Strip Gasser Build

What is going to power this ride?

 

460 with D2OE-AB 429 Police Interceptor heads. It will be a pump gas affair around 10:1 CR. I'm hoping for 500 hp after working on the exhaust ports.

 

That will be fun for awhile....

 

I made a transmission crossmember from some old roll bar tubing lying in the corner.

 

Yep, then you get used to it and it ain't enough!

 

If you gotta rebuild you might as well make a 500 something and get after it.

 

Ladder bar crossmember was made from 2 X 2 X 1/8 wall, with 1/8" doubler plates on all cuts. I'll run outriggers from the subframe connectors to the rockers and those will get doublers, as well.

 

I saw a post recommending Stock Car Steel for ladder bat tubing. They have quite the selection and ship fast. I used 1" OD X .156 wall for the main tubes and 3/4 OD X .156 for the braces.

 

Why spend $80 on a set of ladder bar brackets when you can spend a little less than that on 3/16" flat bar and a half a day making your own?

 

Stock Car Steel's 1" OD X .156 wall tubing is a bit tight to thread directly for 3/4-16 rod ends. Theoretically, it's .688 ID but the 11/16 (.688") drill bit still bit into it pretty hard.

I didn't have the proper 45/64 (.703") bit I needed for 50% thread engagement so I had to leave it at .688". It was a tense moment when I ran that Chinese tap into the undersized hole...

 

I tried my hand with the gas lens for the first time. It does a great job of flooding the area with gas so you can run your tungsten out in tight spots.

I admire a guy that can lay a beautiful bead on angled round tubing. It ain't easy as the pros make it look. I better keep my engineering gig.

 

Lower tube first bend back from pivot I visualize as a potential weak spot or flex piont..

 

Brian,

It is hard to tell from the picture, but just in case, tapping goes a lot easier if you use cutting oil or similar lubricant. I assume you know that, but like I said, just in case.

Thor

 

I noticed you are aiming for 50% thread; why? You should be all set with 1" od and .156 wall tube. Using a starter tap would help.

 

Yeah, it's always ideal to have straight truss members for tension/compression loading considerations. I wanted the upper and lower tubes parallel for rod end adjustment purposes, hence the bend. The braces triangulate it well and straddle the bend so I think deflection will be minimal. Maybe I'll do a Method of Joints analysis on it.

Don't have a starter tap in that size. I went with 75%. It was slow starting but worked out OK.

 

Since this will see a lot of street duty, I went with bushings on the front pivots and angled the ladder bars in 12 degrees. That should give a sufficient amount of articulation on uneven surfaces. I'll add a panhard rod to control lateral movement.
I'll add outriggers between the rockers and subframe connectors to stiffen up the ladder bar crossmember.

 

I hate stripping paint but it is a good way to pass the time when you are "working" (wink, wink) from home.
The reward is finding lead joints.

 

Its coming along nicely eh! I dig the work. Can not wait to jump into my Henry J AFX build, soon...

-Shiny

 

The reward is finding solid metal......

 

You do know the there were never any Henry J's in any FX class.

 

I decided to go with '65-'73 Mustang HD leaf springs and shackles. Since I moved the axle back 1" and the Mustang leafs are longer than stock, I had to make an upper shackle pivot tube. Roll bar tubing worked well after a little I.D. sanding.

Leftover 3/4" OD ladder bar bracing tubing serve as the sliders and they were drilled out to accept 1/2-13 Grade 8 bolts. 3/16" plate was used for the floater brackets. I'll run a panhard rod to keep bending loads off the brackets. The ladder bar will have two brackets each side to put the fasteners in double shear.

 

Brian,

Any updates on the Falcon?

Steve

 

It's been slow going lately. I narrowed the rear and hard welded the ladder bar brackets and floaters. Next tasks are ladder bar bracket back plates, shock and panhard mounts. I'm waiting on a buddy to machine a rear housing straightness jig before I brace it and weld the ends on.

 

I felt like a little sheet metal work so I roughed out a firewall and floor panels. 20 gage steel was used for the foot wells and .032 aluminum everywhere else.






The set-back 460 and plans for three pedals make for some tight spaces. I had to cut a window in the panel for rear head bolt clearance. I'll probably split this whole panel so I can pull a head off without disassembling the whole firewall.

 

VERY nice work!! Can hardly wait for the next update.
Question (you knew that was coming, right?!)...
COULD you have shortened the rear axle enough that cutting out the rear quarters would not have been necessary?
I realize the inner wheelhouse would have to be totally re-done and enlarged as well as narrowing the back half. Just looking and think'in.
Keep up the good work.
6sally6

 

Thanks!

You won't get much tire in there without back-halving the car. Even if you cut out the wheel wells, you only have 12 inches from rear subrail to the fender flange. Leaving room for suspension movement, body roll and tire removal, you'd probably be lucky to get an 8" tire back there.

 

Trunk rot.



I can't find patch panels for this thing so everything has to be fabbed with my rudimentary equipment.

 

Looking good!

 

Your “equipment” looks like it is up to the task so far! Great work.

 

Looking good!!! Literally fitting a battery box on mine last night in exactly the place you have replaced that rusted section, to the RH side of the fuel tank.
Are you retaining the stock fuel tank?