Projects 1960 Ford Falcon

Hey All!

My wife and I purchased a 1960 Ford Falcon as my 1 year sober anniversary gift/project. Everything appears to be stock as far as I can tell. It’s the inline 6 with the two speed ford-o-matic. It runs and drives pretty smooth 95xxx miles on it. I was kind of hoping to add some pep in its step ie. new engine and/or mods. Definitely want to add disc brakes, suspension. New/rebuild carb…What fits? Where to look for parts? Any general ideas on what you all think would be cool/practical? I’m not trying to build a race car but just a light hotrod style to her. I took 4 years of mechanics in high school but my knowledge is relatively limited. Any information and or ideas would be much appreciated and thank you in advance for my ignorance.

 

This is it btw

 

Welcome aboard!

You may be able to pep it up a bit with a proper tune-up. I would start by rebuilding the existing carb if possible. I think this carb is a matched unit designed to work with the distributor to provide proper ignition advance, assuming both the carb and distributor are the correct original units. Otherwise, changing either unit may require changing both for best performance.

Before you get too deep into it search the HAMB or Google for more information on Ford's "LoadaMatic" ignition system.

 

I owned one of those in the 70's. Thats what drove me to drink! A 289 fits in those with stock parts.

 

Congrats on your 1 year sober anniversary. Glad you are well on your way in this journey. I learned to drive in the parking lot of a Phillips 66 in my brother's 60 Falcoon, 6 cyl 3 on the tree. Very cool body style. One of the gas station employees had a hopped up 289 in his '64 Falcon "sprint" and it was a runner.

I'd approach it like a 6 cylinder M*stang. Collect all the SBF drive train and suspension parts and system by system switch it over. You can do front suspension and brakes while it's still a driver. Maybe find a M*stang 8" rear and swap that in. I like the idea of a 5.0 roller cam engine out of a Fox body or an Explorer. M*stang was based on the Falcon so it's not 100% different, although there are some differences.

 

That’s

Thanks! Found a really interesting article on the loadamatic if anyones interested.
http://m571.com/yblock/loadomatic.htm

 

Thanks Paul. Very useful info. So I’m guessing the rear end is necessary to hold up to the extra HP ya? Also any year I’d be looking for on the 5.0 roller?

 

The 1960-1961.1 Falcons do not make good V8 swap candidates.

They are not only made with thinner gauge metal throughout the structural components, there are also fewer layers of metal in the structure. Even the subframe rails are thinner, and are smaller in both in width and height.

Unless you are up for a ton of welding and fabrication, I would not put a V8 in any Falcon that was made before the second-half of 1961. There is a reason why Ford did a full structural redesign only 18-months after this chassis was introduced.

I have owned several Falcons over the years, and my family even more. I have been deep in the metal of all of all of the chassis changes.

I have a 1960, right now. I had to add a bunch of metal to keep it from cracking, and it only has a 200-hp inline-6.

It even has cracks in the doors, from them being closed too many times. There is metal fatigue by the division bars.

They are that thin!

 

^^^^ saved me from @‘ing you

 

The Falcon made from 1960, to the middle of 1961 had:

Smaller, failure-prone upper ball joints.
A rear axle with a 6-3/4" ring gear! I broke teeth of mine with the stock 144.
They don't have the 2.77" 3-speed that the later models have. They have a 2.66" (distance between shafts) 3-speed. It is not only weaker, but it is smaller. This is important, because it makes for a very small transmission tunnel. When I still had my stock floor, I had to mill the top of my T5, and dimple the tunnel to get it in there, and it still hit.

 

I am stuck waiting for parts and supplies to continue what I am working on.

 

I have now taken a '60 about as far as you can take one, without putting it on a tube chassis.

I am not speculating, or working from distant memory. I was driving mine yesterday.

I am happy to answer questions.

 

Well shit that’s definitely good to know. I’m new to Falcons in general. What would you suggest? One of the mustang v-6s?

 

So, you weren’t driving a hot rod Lincoln? Lol

 

Or just simply stick with the engine it has? Honestly I’d just like to be able to give it HWY legs. Which I’m planning on changing the drums for that reason too

 

I’d give my left nut for that solid little car with that engine. I’d prefer an original three speed column shift.
Really nice car there.

 

Listen to what Gimpy is saying... That looks like a nice little '60, don't mess it up. If it still has the OEM 144 six, a later 200 six with a mild build will wake it right up and won't require nearly as many mods to have a decent result. Use a C4 automatic and the rear axle will live longer.

 

I like the 250cuin six. fits really well, light and enough power to move pretty well in that light body. But, it has the same rear bolt pattern and crank flange as the SBF V-8s. So you must have a matching clutch housing. I put on in a 66 Ranchero to replace its origianal 170 and it was a significant upgrade in power. Nice driver, not a hot rod.

The front end suspension parts on 60 will need an upgrade too.

 

Get it running like a Swiss watch with what it has, first. You will be surprised how a few low-cost tweaks, such as a distributor advance kit, maximizing the carb jets, and a sweet-sounding muffler tone will do for it. It's a lot of bang for the buck. Then you can take your time to research and plan any 'next moves'.
Building on a bunch of power can involve everything from a new radiator, suspension upgrades, instruments, tires, wheels, differential, etc. An engine and brake upgrade is a good start but my guess is more could be needed.
Congrats on your anniversary. Stay strong and be proud. You're a hero in my book. Don't let hard luck and hard times set you back in your car project or in life.

 

Congrats on your sobriety, for sure! My thought would be to just drive the car as-is. Get to know
it like a friend. Go slow with changes, keep them simple and keep your budget in mind. Too many
guys start making a list of what they are going to do, then get stuck mid-stream or go way over budget,
and before you know it they begin to resent their car. The fun of a hot rod is being able to hop in it
and drive it. Second, meet up with other rodders in your area. The is the unsaid benefit of our cult.

 

Those are the pictures taken by the guy we bought it from recently.. I never knew why people did that either. But ya I agree with you on the smartest thing ever done part. I’m extremely grateful I made it out on the other side. Congrats to you too!

 

So what I’m hearing is stick with the engine. That’s good to know. Where would you all start on the tuning aspects of it? Should I do the replacement on the distributor and carb first? It does run well and starts right up, just super laggy on the acceleration and the only problem I’m running into is that it wants to die if I step on it. I know I might be asking stupid questions and I really appreciate the help.

 

Sick thank you guys so much. I really appreciate the help! I’m not gonna lie, I kinda figured I’d get ripped to shreds asking such beginner questions. So.. thanks for not doing that.

 

Nope. There is no need for a modern engine.

The 200-inch inline six that Ford offered is in the Falcon engine family, and bolts right in (there are a few caveats).

You can get those for dirt cheap from guys with Mustangs that are upgrading to a V8.

With a decent cam, a 2-barrel on an adapter, and a Duraspark distributor, you can really haul.

Mustang spindles, either 4 or 5-lug, and upper and lower control arms from the same take care of the ball joint issue (they are sold complete, with bushings, and ball joints).

You can update the steering to V8 components too, but you don't have to. If you go to 5-lug V8 spindles, you can stay with stock steering, with inexpensive spacer sleeves, for the tie rod ends.

You can get a disc brake setup for the 4-lug, or 5-lug for 6-cylinder spindles, or for V8 spindles. Granada spindles and brakes work, too, and are 5-lug.

Your rear axle is 56-inches wide. Ford 8-inch rear axles can be had about that wide, but are getting harder to find. The Ranger pickup 1990-1992 has a 7.5 or 8.8 rear axle that is 56.5-inches wide.

That one is 5-lug. If you take the parking brake cables out of the original brakes, they actually fit the Ranger brakes!

In the meantime, I would tune it, and drive it.

Before you do anything, find the accelerator pump cam on the outside of the carburetor. It is plastic, and often found broken. Make sure that yours is intact.

Looks like this:

 

That's why I said to check the accelerator pump cam.

If it is that, you should be able to baby the throttle, and get it up to speed on a flat road, with a little practice. I drove mine like that, for a long time.

 

Sadly, there is no such thing for a Falcon Load-O-Matic distributor.

The only solution is the aftermarket.

 

No, it does not.

I have a 200 in my 1960 Falcon.

I can put two fingers between the back of the head and the firewall. I can put only my pinky between the fan and the 3-core radiator. I can put only my index finger between the 3-core radiator and the grille support.

The 200 is the maximum size engine that will fit in there.

While the 250 is an evolution of the design of the 200, it has a much longer and bigger water pump. There is nowhere to move the radiator, unless you want to back the engine up, modify the firewall and cowl plenum, and make all new mounts, only to later find out that you cannot close the hood, because the entire block is taller!

If a 250 fit in there, I'd have one in there.

 

On this engine, and any other equipped with a Load-O-Matic distributor, the distributor is completely controlled by vacuum.

The distributor has no centrifugal advance (why there is no "advance kit").

That vacuum comes not from the manifold, but from a special valve on the side of the carburetor, called the Spark Control Valve (SCV). For those looking for it, it looks like a Holley power valve, but outside.

Since the carburetor actually runs this distributor, you cannot change the carburetor without changing the distributor. You can, however change just the distributor.

I strongly suggest that you do exactly that. When I swapped my Load-O-Matic for a Davis Unified Ignition HEI, it felt like I gained 40-horsepower. I did not even change, or re-gap the plugs, as I was in a hurry. Only the plug wires got changed with it, as it has a different style of terminals.

Later on, I bought an adapter, and put a Weber 32/36 progressive 2-barrel on it. That also made a big difference. It had more top-end, and could pass on the freeway.

Another thing that made an enormous difference was the simple upgrade of the front anti-sway bar, for a 1-inch one, intended for a 1965 Mustang. Instant change from floppity handling, to steady handling. Cheap, and easy to install.