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Projects The 63 Fairlane family wagon

Discussion in 'Traditional Customs' started by stretch58, Nov 11, 2020.

  1. fordcoupeguy
    Joined: Apr 26, 2014
    Posts: 176

    fordcoupeguy
    Member

    I gave up my pickup for a wagon. No regrets,haulin stuff in luxury now!
     
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  2. stretch58
    Joined: Apr 9, 2013
    Posts: 32

    stretch58
    Member

    Waiting to hear back from a local guy that says he has the bell housing I need. Hopefully he comes up with it.


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  3. stretch58
    Joined: Apr 9, 2013
    Posts: 32

    stretch58
    Member

    Been driving the little to daycare every morning for the past month and we’ve been having fun every day. Going to go get a tree this weekend and you know we’re taking the wagon so pics to come! Also located some rear gears that I’m going to try out. We’re definitely sticking with the 260 until it gives up the go! Anyone ever adjust the rear glass on one of these? IMG_6580.JPG


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  4.  
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  5. I LOVE that year it looks like a full size ford wagon.By the way i am still looking for a station wagon.Thanks Bruce.
     
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  6. I’m assuming the boss ( his mother) knows about this.


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  7. stretch58
    Joined: Apr 9, 2013
    Posts: 32

    stretch58
    Member

    Yeah were really enjoying it. good luck on the hunt.
     
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  8. stretch58
    Joined: Apr 9, 2013
    Posts: 32

    stretch58
    Member

    Right back at ya!
     
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  9. stretch58
    Joined: Apr 9, 2013
    Posts: 32

    stretch58
    Member

    [​IMG][​IMG]


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    We were successful in getting a tree. Question for you 260 guys! We were pulling some good hills and had a strong oil smell. When we got to the farm I piped the hood and the breathers on the valve covers sprayed oil. Not a crazy amount but enough to get on the exhaust. The previous owner had the engine worked over and they eliminated the road draft tube and put finned valve covers on with two breathers. Still gotta locate if it has a PCs valve. Anyone got any input.
     
  10. 6sally6
    Joined: Feb 16, 2014
    Posts: 2,467

    6sally6
    Member

    Better measure good if you think about a 351 in a 63. Small engine compartment is an understatement. 351 is wider than 260/289/5.0.
    It might fit but...........you'll learn some good cuss-words every time you change plugs and other stuff. +...the heat of the engine has to go somewhere so that may cause problems.....
    6sally6
     
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  11. Ken Smith
    Joined: Dec 6, 2005
    Posts: 419

    Ken Smith
    Alliance Vendor

    Eliminating the road draft tube results in all of the blow-by pressure and fumes (oil mist) going out the two valve cover breathers and onto your exhaust.
    That is not a good arrangement. I would either put the Road draft tube back in, or put a PCV valve in where the road draft tube was and hook it up to a manifold vacuum source. There are a lot of PCV threads on this site with a lot of good information.

    Great looking wagon!
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2020
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  12. stretch58
    Joined: Apr 9, 2013
    Posts: 32

    stretch58
    Member

    Yeah going to do some digging this weekend.
     
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  13. AldeanFan
    Joined: Dec 12, 2014
    Posts: 894

    AldeanFan

    Sounds like it needs a pcv added.


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  14. The 260 never had a road draft tube, it always used a PCV valve. But the '62-63 valve was located in the back of the intake manifold and used a oddball and now-discontinued valve. Yours does have the timing cover oil fill still, correct? In '64 after they figured out that this design promoted excessive sludge build-up in the heads/covers, Ford sealed both the timing cover hole for the oil fill and intake PCV hole and moved the oil fill/PCV to the valve covers where they remained to end of production of the SBF.

    To install a PCV, all you need is a suitable rubber grommet for the valve to install in one cover, usually the passenger side. Reproduction PCV hoses are available if you can't scrounge one up. You'll also need the aluminum carb spacer with the end point for the PCV hose which may be missing. That may be a bit tougher to find if missing.

    The other thing to check is to see if your valve covers are baffled at the holes. All OEM and the better aftermarket ones are. These motors can spew considerable oil out the breather under load if the covers aren't baffled, particularly if the motor is getting tired. Some aftermarket aluminum covers that lack baffles can have them fitted if they have the molded-in bosses near the holes but it can be a bit of a PITA to do. Any '64-up OEM SBF valve cover will have them and fit your motor. Any '64-68 260/289 PCV valve will work, but some of the early ones used a threaded connection with a brass elbow with the hose connection which is also probably missing so use a newer version.
     
  15. I owned a 64 version. I just did the 3 speed auto c4 with the 5 bolt bell. On mine. It all worked out well. You have to change the detent plate on the column and make sure to get the shift linkage or at least the little lever bar or just modify your old one. Other than that it had disc brakes and dual master up front and all worked great.
     
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  16. Pontmerc
    Joined: Jul 13, 2013
    Posts: 320

    Pontmerc
    Member
    from Finland

    351w Will not fit, no Room for exhaust manifolds.
    I had an 347 (stroked 302) and aod in My 63.
    They do fit.had to lenghten trans crossmember support arms and some other usual small stuff.
    Driveshaft was Bolt on, after yoke change.engine was Bolt on, but you hot to check, that your car is late production.2 freeze plug motors had different mount Holes than later three plug ones.
    Oh jeah, speedo cable was Direct fit and Works.
    This was Also 260 twospeed car.
     
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  17. Crites makes headers for the 351W into the 62-65 Fairlanes, so they can be got in there.... Still not an real easy install.
    The first-gen Falcons and Comets on the other hand need the shock towers cut to get the 351W in with any sort of reasonable exhaust. I've seen a 351W in a early Falcon with stock exhaust manifolds and uncut towers, but they were off the 221 and choked the motor so badly that there was no power gain.
     
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  18. Pontmerc
    Joined: Jul 13, 2013
    Posts: 320

    Pontmerc
    Member
    from Finland

    Got to Be very hard install.
    Almost hard to believe.
    few hours Ago, I just Yanked tired old 221 out of an 62, and itse very tight fit especially at passenger side. Oh Well, everything is doable If you Cut and weld those springtowers.
     
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  19. stretch58
    Joined: Apr 9, 2013
    Posts: 32

    stretch58
    Member

    This is great info. I'm going to tear into it this weekend if I get some time. It has a plate at the rear of the intake with a brass plug. I'm assuming this is the location that the pcv valve was. It has aftermarket valve covers and i need to replace the gaskets so ill inspect that and see what I find. hopefully adding the pcv valve with the carb spacer I happen to have from an early bronco im working on will hep with tuning the carb. Seems to run really fat and im getting horrible mpg. My 68 f 100 with a 390 and a tc four speed gets better mpg then the wagon.
     
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  20. stretch58
    Joined: Apr 9, 2013
    Posts: 32

    stretch58
    Member


    Going to stay SBF. Located a motor and trans out of a 67 mustang that a coworker has had under his stairs for 15 years. Hopefully go threw it and have ready for when im done working on my 68 f 100
     
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  21. For rear glass there is not much to move around, it just a larger window regulator, there that friction type stuff holding the glass to the channel.
    You may want to check if the regular bushings are worn. or just grease the channel up.
    If you have power window, on the driverside gutter there is a limit switch, that basically turns on/off the power to the power motor.
    Other than that you have the two side channels, and across the top.

    note that the top of the tailgate edge wipe seal both inner and out are very very hard to match up, the repops dont actually work. easier to draw the profile and find something that works before destrying what you may have.

    be careful working on the window with the tailgate down and having the window in the up position, there a huge chance it would fall right off the track!!
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2020
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  22. jetnow1
    Joined: Jan 30, 2008
    Posts: 2,156

    jetnow1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from CT
    1. A-D Truckers

    I used to back my parents 63 wagon out of the garage as my mom hit the mirror one to many times. Started doing that for her when I was 10. Took my driver's license test in it, they could not believe I could parallel park it so easily. It was black with wood grain sides, red vinyl interior.
     
  23. Tim42
    Joined: Jul 8, 2019
    Posts: 11

    Tim42

    Long roofs rule


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  24. Elcohaulic
    Joined: Dec 27, 2017
    Posts: 2,213

    Elcohaulic

    Chris Craft!! I loved those boats. We had a 22 footer back in the sixties.

    Dad on Chris Craft 1961...png
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2020
  25. Spooky
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 2,248

    Spooky
    Member

    What a neat wagon!! I love it!! When I was looking for a Ford wagon years ago, I could not find any from the early 1960's, so, I scooped up my 1982 Granada wagon. Not HAMB friendly, but it still looks cool and is a great daily.
     
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  26. Latigo
    Joined: Mar 24, 2014
    Posts: 739

    Latigo
    Member

    Great looking wagon! I think I’d enjoy one. Owned a couple of Chevy wagons years ago for a short time but someone always wanted them more than I did.
     
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  27. 6sally6
    Joined: Feb 16, 2014
    Posts: 2,467

    6sally6
    Member

    OP has not said just "how-deep-he-wants-to-go" into the 63 wagon but............if it were mine I would swap in a Mustang II front end and solve ALL the fitment/header problems.
    Having an off-topic "M-word" pony car I can tell you the shock tower set-up was NOT.....NOT one of Fords better ideas.
    Engine swaps need to be very selective with'm/as well as simple plug changes/and fugeda-bow-dit getting headers that fit properly!!:rolleyes::mad: Saw a neat answer to SOME of the fitment issues a buddy of mine performed. He made the radiator support removable. He said with just the radiator support out of the way he could swap engines WITH the headers attached........by himself in under a 1/2 hour!! He said is the key words here because I haven't seen him do it but..........why would he bloviate ?!!
    Jus say'in
    6sally6
    PS............I would lose two of those doors and replace the front doors from a coupe (IF I could find them)
     
  28. stretch58
    Joined: Apr 9, 2013
    Posts: 32

    stretch58
    Member

    staying small block ford so no worry about fitment. that has been beaten to death lol. Why would You get rid of the rear doors? the point of the car is a family cruzer to drive everyday. just needs to be reliable and be able to keep up with traffic.
     
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  29. If you want a wealth of info on Fairlanes, join up on the Fairlane Club of America, thy have al the old magazines in PDF and an PDF indexes. There are some parts sellers that are only Fairlane junkyards.
    And yes there are a few guys with 2 door conversions on there, properly done, regardless. You are actually using this as a cruiser for your kids, so leaving it as it, makes it what it meant for. I would recommend just staying with the 260 or rebuild a 289. The C4 is the main thing I did to mine. Hopefully you have the front and rear seatbelts added.

    If you get knee-deep in some "Conversion" engine/ what not, you may miss the point of what you are already doing, is enjoying the car with your kids.

    A lot people have some threads here where they were gonna.... some day, 10 years later they just have a pile of parts and not even a driver. So drive it, keep it going and enjoy.
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2020
  30. Fisher400
    Joined: Jan 27, 2020
    Posts: 180

    Fisher400
    Member
    from East coast

    Agreed, your wagon is damn cool as is and you are having fun with your kids. Mine are young too (7,5,3) and they tell everyone they know that we have a Falcon convertible lol. If I showed my wife your wagon, she would want that over our Sprint for sure! On the topic of the 260. Nothing wrong with a 260. Fun little engines, rev nice and get decent gas mileage. If your 260 is strong, enjoy it. Even if you want to pull it and rebuild it one day, they are not expensive to do and you will know what you got. A builder might make some small improvements but they are solid engines. Most (not all) people turn up their noses at a 260 but it is nothing to be ashamed of and is rather uncommon these days. I saw earlier in your thread you were considering another trans. Have you considered a t5? I converted my sprint with a wc t5 for about $1k (trans, clutch, adapters, mounts etc).


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