Projects '61 Falcon Street/Strip Gasser Build

Foot space will be tight with all the engine setback.

 

you've got lots of room. I had to bend my down tube out in the front of my cage so I could have room for my leg to work the clutch pedal. It gave my 2 more inches of foot space.

 

Hi Brian. Just found this. Watching. Good work.
Woody

 

Looking Great!

BigMike

 

I moved the engine forward 1" and cut the cowl to make install/removal easier. I lowered it 1.5" so that the crank centerline is at 18.5" from the ground.

Roll cage welding is mostly finished except for the door bars. The front roll cage tubes really stiffened the frame up. It doesn't have any noticeable twist when you offset jack it.

 

You know al those old headers you have lying around? Yeah, you might as well throw them away because they will NEVER fit your current project. Guaranteed.

I built these for my A coupe but never ran them. I'll cut off the flanges with stub and reuse them.

 

Boy these wheel wells are tight. They are tall but narrow front to rear. I initially centered the marking template at the stock axle centerline. It was evident that I wouldn't have enough clearance at the front so I shifted the cut back 1".

I used a 15" radius with the center shifted up 1" from the bottom of the rocker line. With a ride height of 14" from ground to rocker and a 28" tire, I'll have 2"+ vertical clearance and 1" clearance front and rear. The front edge of the cut is right at the front edge of the inner wheel well.

 

Looking serious. I like it.

 

Thanks, southcross.

I'll move to rear suspension soon. I'm debating traditional ladder bars (made from 1" round) versus rectangular tubing with a top round link like you are running. That set-up has the advantage of dialing in pinion angle while maintaining hole concentricity with the rear end brackets.

What size and wall thickness did you use? 3/4" rod end?

 

Yes , I used 1 " round roll bar tubing for the top bars and 3/4 rod ends. I bought the weld in sleeves .
My bars are my version of the Stott bars that Quain uses.
It allows more adjustability as far as wheelbase , pinion angle, instant center adjustments.
Are you going to use leafs or coils ? Coils are lighter and easier to change spring rate .

 

I'm thinking leaf springs for a more traditional look, though I realize its limitations.
I'll need axle floaters. How does this style with rollers clear the leaf spring clamp pin?


Maybe Chris Alston's slotted version is the better way to go.

 

Speedway 4" drop straight axle install is under way.

 

Speedway's hot rod column works good too. It comes with a quick release for the steering wheel and can be ordered in the length you need comes a double D at the other end. Saves a lot of time and fabrication.

 

Great tip. I'll try that if I can't get the stock column to work out.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Awesome build Brian, subscribed.....the FE in my Ranchero is moved back about a foot, requiring doghouse in cabin with removable panels to get to rear plugs and header bolts, be advised that steering column position can make for some serious twisting under panel to get to those items, and removable panels need to be as large as possible. Thought mine were big enough, but they definitely are not.

 

This is the dog house in my old Falcon. the 289 was moved back 10 inches. It had a Lexan cover in the middle. Came in handy you could see the motor through the cover going down the road. Found a plug wire arcing on a header one night coming home from a cruise in.

 

Now that is cool. I might have to borrow that idea.

 

that is a cool idea, wish I had thought of that....

 

Just saw this on the HAMB. Looking great !! Following along.

 

Suspension mock-up reveals that I need to pull the axle back an inch or so. It's kinda close at the front of the fender opening and looks more like an Altered than a Gasser.

 

Fiddle Picker gave me a lead on a '66 Toploader. The internals look great and for $500, it was a pretty good deal. I'll upgrade to the big input and output shafts.

 

The top style will work better with what you're doing in my opinion. My falcon always 60' better on leafs than it did with coils

 

I thought I read somewhere that the suspension could only deviate 1" from stock.

 

Correct. I moved the rear axle back 1" and I'll put the front axle back to stock location. It's 1" forward at the moment.

 

That 1inch is from either axle so a total of 2 inches is allowable . That's what Quain told me when I was building my Morris and when you start with an 87 inch wheelbase car like I did every little bit helped.

 

Liberty will take your small input shaft and cut off the splines and replace the shaft portion with a 300 M shaft for 325.00 or you can get a combo where they will faceplate it and replace your synchros and make it a crash box for 90.00 more.
that's what I am doing to my toploader. Takes about 3 weeks. They told me it will take a lot of torque and horsepower. That way you can reuse your input retainer and small block clutch fork.

 

Sounds like a more cost effective way to go.

 

Liberty's Gears phone number is 586-469-1140. Ask for Paul.

 

I moved the axle backed 1". It will be about 1/2" forward of stock location when under full load.

 

I bought a Mittler Bros. 36" throat, 16 gage capacity bead roller for the shop at work. I can't wait to use it on my own panels.