Projects My Fairlane after sitting 45yrs in the garage.... Update, It's on for real this time!!

It would not roll off the trailer. I had to chain it to a fence post and slowly ease the trailer forward to unload it.


From behind, some body work from the only PO. All trim was found in the trunk. The car came original with a white vinyl top.


The drivers seat is split at few places at the seams. I think I'll try to repair it as is. It's a little sun bleached but I think it will do for a while. They're only original once.
There was all kinds of receipts and stuff from the 70s and a Aspirin tin from the 60s in the console. The floors are still in shiny factory paint under the carpet, no rust.


I think those miles may be original. The engine was seized but I now can turn it. I had to remove the heads, clean the bores, loosen the bearings and she finally gave way. It seems to be in good shape but we will see when I get it on the bench.



Gold 289 V or 2bbl 289. Valve cover has 289 Special on it. The 2bbl 289 was called special because it was not a 260. They did offer a 4bbl and the famous K code. All can share the same block number casting.
Paint is horrible looks like it was put on with a brush but it has protected it for 3 decades.
Transmission is a Green Dot Cruiseamatic. Also known as the dual range C-4. The very first. C-4= 1964.

The original deceased owner's son wanted to give it to me since I was a Ford guy. His new wife did not like it in the garage. I gave him $500 for it. He and his wife were happy and I was fortunate.

 

Nice, love them '64's.

 

'62-'67 Fairlanes are great cars, and you found a solid one with desireable powertrain and trim. I'd say the price was what a parts car would bring. A fine catch.

 

I like Fairlanes!!
heres mine

 

What are your plans for it?

 

Those Fairlaines had style.

 

Cool - Congrats

 

You don't even need to bother buying a lottery ticket again... $500 for that was hitting The Big One.
I like them all, but mainly GMs and early '60s B-Body Mopars... But I'd give select body parts for a '64 Fairlane or early '60s Ford big-body.

-Brad

 

Want your $500 back? hahaha Great find and best of luck with it......

 

Dearborne classics has new sportscoupe interior kits for around 600 bucks exact reproduction

 

The boxes have been arriving the past 2 months. I'm done gathering parts for right now. The car is up off the wheels.

The real work started 2 nights ago when I cut the old exhaust pipes out.
It's on!!

 

That is fantastic

I will be sure to check back in another ten years for your next update

 

man i wasnt even out of primary school when you posted about this for the first time.

 

Love those….friend of friend picked this up last week…really nice start to a 64…

 

Wow!
That is really, really nice.
I hope he has all the trim and all the doo-dads. That stuff adds up. Two NOS taillight lenses cost be over a hundred bucks.

 

He has it all..the trims perfect…fresh 289, rebuilt to stock..gonna get a “Day 2” makeover..some bolt on motor parts, rims and tires, has a T bolt hood and glass bumpers…replacing the 3 on the tree with a toploader

 

Had one myself , 289 HP nice car

 

It's up.
IMG_0047 by Travis Brown, on Flickr

This may seem basic, but there is a lot to getting a car up where you can safely work under it, especially one of these cars. I had it up on ramps but No...They have their place, but not for this kind of work.
One of the quirks of a Fairlane is the lift points. There are 4 "Jack Plates" under the car. These are just aft of the firewall "torque box" and forward of the rear spring hangers.
IMG_0050 by Travis Brown, on Flickr

The blocks help spread the load and also give a little grip. The shop manual recommends a plate to spread the load here.
First Surprise....
IMG_0052 by Travis Brown, on Flickr
As Scoob would say " Ruh-Roh Raggy"
It's one of those things I did not notice but became apparent here when I put on Jack-Stands. At first, I put the rear stands on the rail just in front of the bumper. When I lowered the car, it sat hard on 3 points.
So, either the passenger side rail is tweaked up or the driver side is tweaked down. I had planned to either rebuild that spring pack or replace the springs. Also, I want a set of Traction Masters.

I discussed this with my brother. He cautioned me on "Mission Creep". He suggested that I get it together first and see how it drives. If something needs to be "pulled"...get it pulled and then replace the springs and add the traction aids after it's square.

The car was hit and had the driver quarter replaced in 1976. This could be from that or jacking it up with a bumper jack. These cars are low and with spring load, you have to get them really high to change the rear tire with a bumper jack.
Anyway, this is another battle for another day.
IMG_0056 by Travis Brown, on Flickr
Rear Jacks moved to the "lift points" in front of the rear spring hangers. This is much, much better and now the car is sitting on 4 points. Too, the jacks are not extended. This is just better. It's solid as a rock.

 

267385694_616505909675239_3561734635214876703_n by Travis Brown, on Flickr
I've been gathering parts. On New Year's Eve my wife and I traveled to Mississippi to get some Fairlane parts. The guy was parting out the Fairlane sedan picture above. Yes, the car was better than it looks. It's really sad, it was such a nice car.
You kind of get put on the spot. I've been kicking myself in the butt a little....I should have got more parts but...did not think about it. Dang it....There's my rear springs...I did not know they were that good.
I got....
The wiring harness...
new stainless brake lines (I don't know if I'm going to use them)
backing plates, front hubs, front drums, rear drums, new wheel cylinders, new shoes, all the new hardware, a brand new power master and booster still in the plastic, a new gas tank, cap, fill hose and sender, two used lower control arms, new stainless fuel lines. I almost got a great front bumper but I did not have the room. I should have made the room.
Like a said you get put on the spot....If I had more time....more time to think.....but I got a lot of what I needed.

 

I love those '64 Fairlanes... Will be following along!

 

Think I would have the block of wood at a 90 degree to the jack stand.

 

What saltflats is trying to say is the "fork" on the jack stand is aligned with the grain which tends to split the wood. If you turn the jack stand 90 degrees, the fork will be across the grain which can help prevent the wood from splitting.

Note to all: Before I get under any vehicle I make sure it is supported by at least two different devices because for me a set of jack stands is not enough, I want more, I want a floor jack or a spare tire or stacked rims or something, anything that will keep that vehicle from becoming one with my face. Jack stands, even the nice American made ones have been known to slip or fail.

 

I'm using multiple safeties.

 

Whew!
It's a lot of nasty work. It's lots of slow work too. I'm using Penetrating oil, spraying all the fuel/brake line clips. Then, it's a delicate procedure of wire brushes and screw drivers to loosen those rusted lines from those 58-year-old spring clips.
Lord have mercy!!!! A 1964 Model being 58 years old!!!
Punchlist.....
The seal under the rear axle brake block/axle vent...
Universal joints...

 

Engine...
1968 Ford 302
Stock Bore, '68 4V heads, Weiand 8011 Intake, Summit 500 CFM 4BBL, Crane Fireball 294 (Crane's duplicate of the 1969 Cobra Kit Cam 2000-5500 RPM) Mallory Unilite distributor
Transmission...
Ford C-4 with 2400 stall
Rear Axle...
Ford 8" with Eaton Tru-Trac 3.80 gear ratio
I want to use a set of Traction Masters
Wheels...
original 14" steel, black I may just use chrome lugs....If I use caps, it will be 1961 Galaxie dish caps.
Tires
BF Goodrich double stripe G-78s rear
BF Good rich 7.35-14 Silvertown Blackwall front
IMG_0049 by Travis Brown, on Flickr


^^^^ like this but Blackwall

 

Cool Fairlane & love the plan! Tire cooker
IIRC, Ford had recall on '68 302 pistons? Check 'em once, check 'em twice......

Joe

 

IMG_0053 by Travis Brown, on Flickr
IMG_0055 by Travis Brown, on Flickr
Yikes!
yuck...
I had to back the adjuster all the way in to get the drum off. There was lots of penetrating oil around the studs and hub, lots of gentle tapping with the ball peen, sever sessions with the rubber dead blow and finally some prying with my two largest flatheads but it come loose. It took about an hour of work to free this drum.
Both axles pulled out fine, reversing the drums did the trick. Axle bearings and seals look really, really good.
As said above, lots of dirty and at times delicate work.

 

Joe,
I replaced those pistons with....If I remember right, TRW Flattops. It had slightly dished pistons. That engine was "ticking". It turned out the "ticking" was the #1 piston skirt bouncing off the crank up and down in the cylinder. If you heard it, you would have thought it was a lifter.
It sure surprised me.

 

I thought the recall was a skirt problem but would never guessed it was this
Someone's pen slipped on the drafting table?
Remember this from a '68 289 re-build back in the '70s. Block was stamped 302, crank M1 but pistons were checked for good measure. Yeah, chunk the rail rockers ...

Joe

 

For what it’s worth…that stall might be a little tight for that cam..might wanna look at a 3K

I’m running a 2500 stall in my Falcon with a cam that’s got a 1800-6000 RPM power band…it stalls at about 2100 rpm….not high enough imho….I went with what the cam company recommended…2500+ stall..well as you know torque, vehicle weight also impact how it will stall..in a heavy car it might stall at 2500…in a lighter vehicle…2000…in hindsight I should have called and had a converter built for my car versus and off the shelf buy…