Hot Rods 1963 Falcon Futura build... DONE...

Figured I might as well start a build thread on this ol girl..

Let me say this first... I'm not really going for the "gasser" look... I'm going for the look of a drag car in the summer of 1966 (better make that summer of 65 so my thread wont be locked under the new rules) .. I'm going for as much as a period correct look as I can, while still being able to drive it to town, and race it on the week ends... with that being said... If you don't like the direction that my build thread is going in, or you think you don't like the way I'm doing something... tell your buddies, tell your wife, or even call your mom and tell her... but don't cludder up my thread with useless bullshit...

Now that that's been said.... It's a 1963 Ford Falcon Futura, I bought it back the first of the year with plans on building a weekend toy, street/strip car.... It has a stock 289, C4, and 9-inch under it..

I'm building it in stages, focusing on one section at a time( It's the only way I'll get anything done)..
Phase 1.. the underneath.. subframe connectors, traction bars, wheel tubs, ect
Phase 2.. interior.. headliner, windlace, bucket seats, roll cage, ect...
Phase 3.. exterior.. body work and paint, front wheels, lettering, ect
Phase 4.. drivetrain..


Unfortunately I work for a living so this will not be finished over night, but hopefully I'll atleast be driving it next summer if all goes right...



Here's what it looked like in the 'For Sale" thread I bought it from..









So Myself and a few friends made the 8 hour drive over to Illinois to pick it up... Here we are on the way home..



and safe back in her new home...




I then made a trip up to Crites Restoration to order some parts... Like a Hood, Bumper, gravel shield, radiator, sub frame connectors, Traction bars, and a few other small things... It took me a little while to get it, but I have to say the quality is top notch...

Her she is with the new hood...







I then loaded it on the trailer and took it to my friends house to weld the sub frame connectors, and Traction bars in, plus fix the tubs... It's not that I can't weld, it's just he welds for a living welding, and I only do it every now and then... so It was common sense to have him do it..

Here's the Crities traction bars that's going in..




Subframe connectors in.. now time for the traction bars..




And that's where the trouble started... I was at work when my buddy called me and said man you aint going believe this, but when who ever narrowed the rear end only cut one side... yep, you read that right... an automotive genius had in his infinite wisdom cut one side down four inches, instead of two inches on each side.... and then to beat all, he welded the flange back on crooked...


So.. I bought a 9-inch out of a 72 Mach 1 Mustng, which is 61 and 1/4 inches wheel mating surface to wheel mating surface.... or in other words, just right...




Which is the point we are at now.... I'm leaving in the next few minutes to take the new 9-inch housing out to my friends house, and I should be able to bring it back home in the next few days so I can start getting ready to start Phase 2...


I'll try and update as I can...

 

Looks like a fun car.

Let's see, summer of 66 drag car, straight axle, radiusd fender wells, traction bars, full interior, roll bar - son I'm afraid what you have there is the basic prescription for a Gasser

 

Cool Start - likely guy #1 took rearend to guy #2 and said that he wanted rearend narrowed as cheap as possible. so, why 1966 for the year you selected to build? plan on any modifications to engine/transmission?

 

The front seat looks to be in excellent shape, keep it and use the money you were going to spend on the buckets on stuff to make it faster. Nice project.

 

Looks like a really good start on a cool project----Have Fun!

 

The driveshaft tunnel on those cars is pretty narrow, so I suspect that the previous owner was simply trying to center the pinion so that the driveshaft would fit up into the tunnel better than with the pinion off by 4 inches to the passenger's side of the car like those diffs are stock. As far as the flange being welded on crooked......no excuse for that.

I suspect that you'd be money ahead if you used his beginnings and welded the flange on using a fixture.

 

I sir, believe your right...

I don't know, just seems like a good round number... It's going to be a FE block and top loader 4 speed for sure... just don't know if I'm going to use my 428, or something else.... I'm really wanting the side oiler, but damn that's a lot of money....

The front seat was the first thing that had to go... unfortunately I didn't fit in the car with that seat.... the steering wheel was laying on my legs and I couldn't steer... It now lives in my sons bedroom...

 

Thank you sir..

I thought about that, but the driveshaft isn't in the tunnel... it runs plum out of it by the time it gets to the rear yoke...

 

fenderwell headers, gotta have fenderwell headers!!!!!

 

Oh yes sir... they are on the list... I forgot to mention them, but they are going to happen....

 

Can't wait to see it finished!

 

Yes Sir you got yourself a very nice Ride and take your time and stick to the plan She will turn out Awesome and 1966 was a very good year

 

Hmmmm......interesting Idea. I can't say I've ever seen a Falcon Gasser....

 

Ray Charles??





.

 

Ray Charles has a Falcon gasser? Man....I learn something new every day!

 

Haha good comeback!


JB_Roadrage , cool build man, keep at it .


.

 

Me either....

Thank ya sir... I sure hope your right...

I know right.. what can I say, I think outside the box...

Thank you sir, I plan too...

 

Great looking Falcon! Looks like a really great start, and should put you way ahead of the build with what's already done!
I recently got my '63 Futura on the road also, and kinda doing it in stages too, although different than your stages. I did the drivetrain and suspension first, then started interior. Now I'm waiting until this winter to finish interior, and do the rest of the body work and paint.

Falcon build:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=810807

 

I just went through your build thread and all I can say is you work fast.... I like seeing other ways of building the same car.. you know, different ways of doing basicly the same thing... It's really interesting to say the least.... I like the way you did your door panels, very creative.... one thing though.. In the video of you sitting in your car, you look awful young to be retired already...

 

I'm subscribed,,love the old round body Falcons. HRP

 

Few small updates...
Here's the axles we pulled out of the 9-inch that was in the car... both axles the same length.. lol




and the the aftermath of welding the flange on crooked.. all the little sparkelys




But got the new 9-inch in place and bolted up.. and went to mount the traction bars...




The passenger side went on smooth and straight... but the driver side was off a touch... The mounting flange was off 1/32th's at the point where the traction bar bolted to the crossmember... which really threw it off where it met the axle tub... Here we're trying to get it to hang straight to figure the best solution .. ended up cutting the flange loose and rewelding it in the right spot...




After that got straightened out, my buddy started on the wheel tubbs... they had been cut into when whoever cut the rear fenders, but never fixed...
Drivers side..




Passengers side..



That's all I've got for now, but should be bringing it home probably next weekend or so... have to do a few more little things, then it's on to phase 2, The Interior.. which I'm hoping shouldn't take long...


I'll post more pics, and update as I go along...

 

What a Great job and Thanks for bring us along

 

Will be following this. I cant wait to start on mine. I have one ahead of mine still. I have the Crites traction bars and hood.

 

Thanks! I'm old enough to be on social security, but just got good genes from my dad! He was 20 yrs. older than my mom, but looked younger!

 

Thank you sir...

Hold on... are those fiberglass fenders I see ???

Really.. well good for you.. I'd have never dreamed you were old enough to draw social security... Hell you look younger than me, and I'm just 40...

 

Something you might want to do before you get around to putting your crossmember in, is take a 9/16th inch rod that is long enough to go through both sides at once, and make sure the mounts for the traction bars are the same.... this is where we ran into trouble with mine... the inner bolt hole for the drivers side was 1/32 lower on one side, which really put the traction bar in a bind (11 degrees to be exact)

To fix it we had to cut the mounting tab completely off and weld it back in the right spot... not real happy about that to be honest...

 

Well I brought the Falcon home from my buddies house today...




Got the Subframe Connectors and Traction Bars in and all welded up..












Plus noticed that the front axle wasn't exactly square, so it was straightened and moved forward a couple inches for good measure.. I don't have pictures of that, but I do have a couple video's of it backing out of the garage where you can kinda tell it's been moved forward..


Just for the record, the engine hasn't been ran for a while..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W9xyXKgb3g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsylmrTqUfM


and what the hell, here's a ride I took in it about a month age when I had it out to clean the garage some...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chzkws465a4


I've got a few other things I have to button up like a few rust through places in the trunk to patch, and a couple other little things, then it's on to Phase Two... the interior... head liner, wind lace, two front seats, 60 style Sun tach, and finish the roll cage... hopefully that wont take long and I can get started on Phase Three, the exterior...


.

 

Looking good,I know you gotta be happy having the car back home. HRP

 

Thank you sir... And yes, I'm so glad to have it back home... It was bugging me not being able to mess with it...

 

that is one sweet falcon !