Out for a spin.

[ew1usnr]

The morning temperature was 52° and clear with no rain and I drove my Falcon to work. I noticed a few minor glitches.
The car stalled after I had pulled out of my driveway.
The windshield became badly fogged and using the defroster made it worse.
The driver’s door had become difficult to unlatch from the inside and I needed to pull up sharply on the handle to open the door.
Hmmm.

1. After lunch I went out and started the engine and sped the fast idle up from 600 to 800 rpm in Park to minimize the cold stall potential.
2. After getting home I worked the door handle up and down and noticed that the latch wobbled. I found that the crosshead screw below the latch on the trailing edge of the driver’s door was loose. The picture shows the loose screw above the left top edge of the specification plate. I tightened the screw and the door opened properly. Yay!

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3. I cleaned the inside of the windshield with "Invisible Glass" glass cleaner. Hopefully, that will take care of the foggy glass.

We are getting hit by some kind of polar vortex this evening. Tomorrow morning is forecast to be 39 degrees, clear, with no chance of rain. Perfect! I'll get to try out my corrected door, see how the engine responds to a cold temperature, and I'll get to run my heater and see if the windshield still fogs up.

As a side note: While driving home this afternoon, traffic was stopping for a red light and a guy was trying to pull out into the street from the right. I was on the inside lane, but I slowed down and waved at him to enter in front of me. He waved back for me to go first. Wanting to get out of his way, I punched the gas and ...... my tires squealed! On dry pavement, and without even meaning to, I spun my tires! Yea! I have about 8,000 miles on the rebuilt Challenger 260 engine, and as it loosens up it just keeps performing better and better.

[Luva65wagon]

The windshield became badly fogged and using the defroster made it worse.

Your heater core may be beginning to fail and blowing steam onto the windshield. If it keeps happening, you may wanna take a peek at that.

[SmithKid]

Another tell for a leaking heater core is if the carpet is damp under the heater box.

[Luva65wagon]

The first tell, long before it leaks on the floor, will be steamed windshields that don't defog. Plus if you have antifreeze (in Florida people may think they don't need it - I don't know...) it has a sweet smell in the cabin and leaves a film on the glass.

Stay warm down there. Seeing posts on the truck forum about very cold temps down south.

[ew1usnr]

When I drove into work this morning, the windshield was initially clear. When I pulled out the heater knob it began to mist up, When I turned on the defroster it fogged up very quickly. I will have to install a new heater core.

I had previously scheduled tomorrow off from work because my wife and I are driving the Falcon up to Ocala for the ......

"21st Ford and Mustang Roundup, January 10 – 11. The show is Totally Free to 1993-earlier vehicles. Set your sights on the most fun-filled gathering of Ford enthusiasts on the east coast. Come join us at Florida's Nature Park - Silver Springs, home of the world-famous Glass-Bottom Boats. Spend a relaxing weekend in a natural garden setting to visit with fellow hobbyists and friends. This is a just for fun event! Judging is people's choice."
See the 2015 Show Flyer at: http://www.npdlink.com/store/pages/ss_ford.html
The Maverick and Comet club will be there! : http://maverickcometclub.org/event/f...rings-florida/

Ocala is about 100 miles north of here and I don't like the idea of driving 200 miles while breathing antifreeze mist from the leaky heater core, or the possibility that the leak could become worse. I will drain the radiator tomorrow morning and bypass the heater by using a piece of the heater hose to join the water inlet and outlet on the engine. How difficult is it to cut a heater hose? Do you think that I can do it with a serrated kitchen knife?

The weather forecast says that it will be around 60 degrees tomorrow as we drive to Ocala. Yea, I know that is not cold, but my wife interprets things differently. I have not told her yet that the heater will not be working. She will need to dress warm.

Ford Heater.jpg

[redfalken]

Heater hoses are pretty easy to cut. I just use a sharp utility knife or razor blade. Also, you should be able to find a hose splice at most auto stores to help make the connection. They have various sizes so measure the inner diameter or bring a sample. And pick up a couple of fresh hose clamps!

[ew1usnr]

I cut the heater hose and bypassed the heater. The temperature dropped to around 50 on the drive up to Ocala and my wife and I were both wearing our jackets.

The 21st Ford and Mustang Roundup was really something.
Silver Springs 2015.jpg

There were boat loads of cars there.
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I heard that seventeen Falcons had attended.
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They had the 50 millionth and 100 millionth Fords: A 59 Ford and a 79 Fairmont Futura.
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I really liked this 1950 Ford. It is such a nice looking little car. The owner said that he had kept it completely stock, including its original flathead V-8 and 6 volt electrical system. He said that everything worked just fine. I love the round shape and proportions of those cars and the style of the chrome grill. The styling of the early Falcons was (in my opinion) more reminiscent of this car than of the Fords of the second half of the 1950's.
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I liked this guy's 1925 Model-T. I asked if he had trailered it the show. He said "No", he had driven it. He fired it up Saturday morning and drove it 35 miles from Dunellon to Silver Springs. That would have been a blast. I wish that I could have ridden with him.
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My wife and I took a glass bottom boat ride on the Silver River. This little Florida Alligator wanted me to pass his best wishes to all the good folks in Washington State.
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