It is difficult to look back over the 25 years of owning the Coupe and not think about the time it was sitting in the garage year after year, and I even got to the point where I was thinking seriously about selling. By now a few may have figured that having a good circle of friends, each lending their support you can achieve a lot. Equally, at home between my wife and I... we share the workshop time so we can get things done, we need to get done. We also enjoy our cars by going all kinds of places together and that makes a world of difference. Driveway drinks in the summertime...
I cut down on the labour costs by doing a lot of the strip out work myself. I was also able to keep driving the car as I took what had to be removed out, take it over to Robbie and he started the door cards, back seat and rear parcel tray. In the meantime I continued to drive to and from work until he was ready for the rest of the car. Here is a close-up of the upholstery before it was completely redone. Driver's seat upright. The collapsed driver's seat. The rear seat and original (55yeqr old) carpet underlay. The rear floor area leading into the boot (trunk) The extent of carpet underlay and rot ... !!!
As I was cleaning everything out, I came across a 1963 coin underneath the back seat. Knowing the seat had never been out of the car, I wondered how long it had been there ?? had it fallen down there years back? or had it been placed there purposely ! A little bit of research showed that some factory workers placed small denomination coins into cars as good luck talismans. It was a European thing and interestingly the factory where the coupe was built used many European family's who had migrated to Australia after WWII. The coin was generally a denomination of three or six. The one I found was a silver 1963 Aussie 'three pence' coin. I couldn't believe how good the condition was...considering its age. I like to think this was the reason the car came to me, after all, I am the 3rd confirmed owner from the factory. I really feel this car is a 100% survivor from that era. Didn't realise I was collecting coins as well as cars... This car... even after so long... still dishing up surprises...
Just prior to the change out of upholstery.... out for a cruise before the car goes over to Robbie.... Fires in the Nation's Capital and my wife and were thinkin' where can we get the cars to a safe place. Three cars... two people... that's going to mean some sacrifice. The fires came within just a few short miles of our house... with ash falling in our front yard. We devised an escape plan but luckily did not have to put it into action.
That is a great goal.... How far is retirement away??? It would be great to meet up and shoot the breeze and all things US motoring & Aussie motoring...
Excellent Budget36 we aim to please here down under... I guess all of the stories and places are interweaved.... and I am not shy in taking photos when we have gone places. I guess because the coupe has been a daily driver for sooo many years there is a lot of history to tell. Never the less we will end up back in the 1930's !!!
Some engine bay bit's and pieces clean up while the coupe is away at the upholstery guy. 55years of induction work The clean up... Primer coat... but what colour to paint it.... not sure I liked that orange/red very much.
Seeing the picture of the coin reminded me of when I bought my old Austin sedan, and found two Canadian pennies in the hood when I was tearing into it! They were tarnished, but brand new, and the same year as the car! Guessing they were intentionally stuck inside the hood frame work by an original owner; maybe for luck? The two coins are still part of the car as I incorporated them into the headlight switch knob, and another knob on the dash.
Great to hear that you kept them as part of the truck. Even better that you made something functional out of them. I ended up putting mine in the ashtray with other things I have in there as I'm a non-smoker. I was thinking of making some sort of feature, such as hangin' from the rearview mirror or maybe in the steering wheel.
The obligatory before and after shot. For those who were wondering what the powerplant was here it is. Pretty much a replica of the Mustang 6 Cylinder motor. The Aussie Falcon did not come factory fitted with a V8. In the US Ford fitted them with a 289 Windsor. They were a bit of a rocket compared to the six...but then the Mustang fairly much replaced the Falcon on the US market. However, here in Australia, the 144, 170, or 200 CI engines were all you could get. Since then many have swapped them out with various size Winsdors or Clevelands. BEFORE It is amazing how some basic cleaning up and refresh in the engine can really make a difference to the eye. AFTER I decided I was tired of the red and toned it all down a little making it Black !!! Final touch ... adding the decals. SWEET !!!
Next stop.... Distributor.... It was time to leap into the 21st Century and I had been waiting a while to determine which way I would go with the ignition system. I have an engine swap out planned for early next year (289ci Windsor)so all I need to do is keep the 'ole girl running with the six for a few more months. So it was time to retire the original distributor and replace it with an High Energy Ignition (HEI) unit. Here we go..... Original distributor removed. Check 5/16 oil pump drive. CHECK!! The new HEI unit. IT's HUGE by comparison !!! How much HUGER ??? ... This much !!! OK ... New unit in. You can see because of the size of the head, it must sit up higher to clear the side of the block. Finished unit in place and engine retimed. Gotta replace those red leads Since fitting the TSP HEI unit the engine has been so much better. A 65,000v inbuilt coil de-cluttered the engine bay, by making the standard coil pack, redundant. Also a simple single wire connect up from the ignition switch to the distributor made it even cleaner. Stock vacuum advance curve is set and works well. The red wires will go as I intend to replace them with custom-made ones of much better quality.
The first test sample of embroidery for the interior came back.... I was suitably impressed.... vinyl but with the Falcon logo from the steering embroidery into it.
New parts were arriving with some regularity... The old lap belts were not going to cut it, at rego inspection time. So I ordered a brand new set of belts and this time they were a much better match for the interior than the old grey ones. Dig those uber cool chrome buckles New parts... interior getting closer.
The stock exhaust manifold had given up the ghost so it was off the spare parts guy again. They make a great reproduction manifold which will do the job nicely. As the parts began to arrived I stored them in anticipation of fittingout the coupe on return. The flange bolts were stripped out and would not tighten up far enough to seal. Complete new manifold, gasket, and flange gasket.
As work on the coupe accelerated I realized that along the way, it had been on full registration for the better part of 12 years. It certainly was becoming a driving refresh. I guess at some stage I am going to need to get the panel and paint done. Although having said that, I am getting to like the slightly rough exterior she has. While the coupe was in for a bit of a make-over on the interior, my thoughts turned back to the 1930's. I was thinking about retirement from work, and what kind of project car would be good to do, given I would have more time. In the back of my mind, I was thinking that I might have to sell the '64 to fund $$$ the new car, whatever type of car that might be. I started hitting the car sales websites looking for that Hot Rod or Custom. My mind was still very much geared towards a three window coupe or a roadster. '34 or '32... you know the most expensive and sought after variety. The KEY element for me is that it had to be original Henry steel. I do like a car with history and original steel would have that no matter how chequered it might be. A few weeks passed by and the coupe was still in with Robbie as he experienced some supply problems with the specific vinyl I wanted. Then I was going through some of Dad's old photos and saw his old twin spinner.... I began to recalibrate my thinking about what might be practical in the Sunny State. Maybe a roadster wasn't good for what we were thinking. And... maybe a coupe wasn't so good for longer trips, with limited space for stuff. I certainly didn't want a trailer queen as we enjoy our motoring too much. What ever it was going to be, it was going to be driven. I began to think of a cool cruiser... a sled? maybe that would be the go? Dad's Twin Spinner outside his Kogarah house, somewhere in the fifties. I chased down a couple of Rods to the point that I was going to travel interstate to look at a Henry Steel three window '34 Coupe. However that wasn't meant to be, as it sold a week before I could travel. In the end, I ditched searching for what seems to be almost impossible to find and damn expensive to say the least. The idea of a '32 slipped into the past as I continued to search with a different point of view. From here on I was looking at Customs... and it was just as much a surprise to me as it was to my wife. The best part was that I could relate to Dads love of his US Chevy's with all that room inside for the family, and wide-open panoramic views through the pillarless side windows. Fat Fendered joy awaited me... just around the corner.
The refresh has been a long time coming, from being a daily driver for almost 20 years... to a car returned to its former glory. Always appreciated as the stalwart way to get to and from work ... and the car that does everyday things family outings..grocery shopping and the social events that we like to do. To, those special care related events. Sometimes a car takes the journey from the everyday car to a special place in the family. This little Aussie Falcon has been on that journey ...
Eventually for seemed like an ice age had passed... Robbie called and said the coupe was ready to pick up. While he had the car I took the opportunity to go over and fish oil treat the inside before the trim went in. Doors, floors all got a dousing. He gave a bit of a sneak preview of the first seat he had finished. It was the rear upper seat with the embroidery I selected. I wanted to make the interior a bit custom, so I digitised the Falcon logo from the horn ring and had Robbie place it in the centre of the rear seat. I was impressed and was really starting to see what I imagined, coming together. Robbie enjoyed working with the original colours, but with a slightly edgy feel to it. I wanted to keep the overall blue theme but wanted to break up the sea of blue that it was. We took the colours from the door cards and changed the Lt Blue to an antique/ivory white and kept the same two colours across the entire interior. This was the advance viewing...
The final result of the interior refresh.... Pretty happy... The chrome Falcon belonged to my father. After he passed away it came to me. This was the perfect place for it. When I look in the review mirror I can see him with me... Complete new roof lining. New carpet and underlay. Sound deadener added to floor. Completely hand made door cards. They replicate the original press moulded vinyl but are machine stitched. kick panels are also hand made as originals are expensive to get. Some minor work now with door handles and visors but all in all, very pleased with the results. Worth the wait.
The journey continues.... On the external front, the coupe had not significantly changed since I put spats (skirts) on in the early 2000's. The range of tyres in the original rim size of 13" was getting very slim. One way to solve this issue was to up in rim size... but how do I do that without changing our axles or front end ???!!! It was difficult to source four stud 15" wheel of any real quality.... the search was on.
The new interior out for a night test drive. It was time to do some work on the brakes. All new lines front to rear. New master cylinder. Rebuilt drums. Repack and replace wheel bearings. And a new spring kit. With the underside done and all new stopping power it was time to get some new boots !!!
Wow, we know what you are going through! We had fires here in Oregon last year that burned for weeks and came close to or into some towns where some friends live. They had places to go stay but what about the cars? Bring them to my house (20 miles from the fires) and park them in my back yard! So we caravanned them over and the only damage was a covering of ash. Scary stuff right there.
What a kind and generous offer you made. Interestingly we did have a similar offer here down under. It was going to be one of our go to plans if we needed to. Thankfully the Fire Brigade worked tirelessly for about two weeks to stop them from endangering properties. An amazing collection of cars you had entrusted to you..... all very beautiful and unique.
So now we come to wheels & tyres.... for some... it is a very defining feature of a car, a way to really make a personal statement. I gave some serious thought to ... would it be standard retro, radical modern or something entirely different. I've never been one to follow trends, I consider that even though I'm not always sure what I need to complete a look ... I know it when I see it. The challenge was to find a 4 lug rim which offered a larger diameter. 15" if possible. Increasing the diameter would give me a better range of good quality tyres to choose from. Great I said!! The coupe had done some serious distance up and down the east coast highways... on stock 13" wheels. Time for a change. Enter a local Aussie manufacturer who did a 15" × 7" steel rim in a 4 lug pattern, with the right offset to go under the guards. Just what the Doctor ordered !!! The added bonus was they were powdercoated all Black. That was just the modern twist I needed in a Steelie rim. Retro look with an edgy feel. Ok... here we go.!!! Talk about completely changing the look of a car.... Added some trim rings and custom lettering to match the make and model. The rims came fitted for original caps if I wanted. Improved stance and handling Very pleased with end result. Complete with some original paint scarring
So we have gone from this... To this ..... only took 25 years Now, this is pretty much how we roll each day going to work... I was even able to fit the original caps. So next stop.... thec1930s.
We had room for more if anyone needed a spot! My back yard never looked that good before or since, nice view to wake up and look at.
The Jalopy Journal
