Saving Granddad's Falcon

[Luva65wagon]

That'll do ya.

Motor looks nice. You may find after bolting stuff on that your masking left bare metal exposed. You may want to hand-paint those areas once things get installed. But looks really nice. I'm fond of black motors these days.

[PhilC]

Though I'd share some pics of the process Don's car is undergoing. These are examples of the way I remove dents and prep for epoxy.

This happens to be the driver's fender and I chose two dents on the crown near the door edge to show off.

The first is a shot of two deep dents from the backside of the fender, out of sequence, but the one with the steel rule shows the depth before I started. I roughed them out with a door skin dolly and hammer (has a nice high crown) and the next one is after working them a bit more. At this point, all my reference was from the exterior using a block with 80gr to show highs/lows.

I continued working the lows, slowly bringing them up and running a well worn body file over the surface to highlight what I was doing. Rather than take pictures after each step, I was just repeating the same one over and over until I was satisfied, I just took a few shots after I was finished.

More next post.

[PhilC]

The reference shots show the size of the small depressions remaining, about 2mm or so diameter and maybe a mil or so deep.

For gee whiz, I went ahead and lightly finished it off so there were virtually no depressions left.

So, the obvious question will be how long did this take? A little over an hour from start to metal finished condition. Never happen in a collision shop, those were maybe half hour dents from paint removal, bang 'em out, apply filler and ship to paint shop for primer. Good thing I'm not doing collision work anymore.

[dhbfaster]

Man...it's quiet out there on the forum lately.
So, here are a few pics so you know Phil and I aren't sitting on our butts.
Well....at least Phil isn't.
Seriously though, it's hard to believe those are 50+ year old parts in those pics.
Meanwhile, I'm working on the parts list and ordering tons of stuff....HOLY COW the cost of all those seals and little parts!!!
Also working on painting lots of miscellaneous small parts, and starting to work on the trim.

[Luva65wagon]

We're all just watching you work for a change.

I wish. It's been non-Falcon all the time of late. Sold my '67 pickup last week to another member and that has put me into an unexpected rush to finish-up the '66 before Spring and the need for the truck grows. Or before the May Swap Meet. Try and I might to avoid WIAI projects, they keep happening! Gene is heading out with a pile of metal to Steve's to powder coat probably today.

I think the others will slowly come out of hibernation and start working on their cars again.

The work I'm seeing done on your car is impeccable. I wish I had that much space to spread things out and work! Do yourself a favor, though, while it's all apart, buy some Dynamat sheets and put it everywhere you can. I did this to my wagon and Ranchero and it makes the joy of driving these cars all that. Not cheap stuff, but well worth it.

[dhbfaster]

Whew...my big parts orders are all in
Do they have an emocon for a guy throwing money in the air?? or one for a guy sick with "While I'm at it" disease? It's a good thing I have been married for 29 years...my wife still loves me after all this (I think).
My big parts orders are all in...
I have some Dynamat "like" stuff Roger...it was a bit cheaper then Dynamat...but I hope it will get the job done "ok". If not, I'll live with it. I think it has to be better than spraying tar on the floor again.

[SmithKid]

Don, I think we all feel like we've been in that boat! I know I do, but am happy with the result! At least, I seem to keep doing it. This pic isn't exactly like throwing money in the air but......

[dhbfaster]

Yep, and although I wouldn't exactly call myself "set for life" I'm fortunate enough to be able to do this without taking any food off the table or kids out of college, etc...
AND, the more I think about all of your cars the more I truly understand what all of you have put into your cars and I know it's an elite group to know a falcon this well- or any car for that matter. The only way in is really time AND money AND love for the car...in some combination. No way you can even do it with money alone in my opinion, but on the other hand sometimes part of it can be done better with money, and definitely faster. My problem is I'm kind of an "all in" kind of guy.

My Dad will be here June 5 for my youngest son's HS graduation and I am really motivated now- it sure will be fun for him to see it. I don't know when the next chance will be and he's at that age he should have a few more years, but you never know. It will be a miracle if it's drivable by then, but sure would be nice. I'll be pretty surprised if it doesn't bring a tear to his eye either way.

I'm having a lot of fun too.

Meanwhile, speaking of knowing when you're over your head (and would end up taking 4 more years for DIY)....check out these pics Phil sent of my rear quarter...all those dents....then nicely hammered out...(it amazes me)...then with the stuff on top. I think he did the epoxy coat today of the body today...looking for some pics soon!

[SmithKid]

Looks like Phil is doing a great job for you Don. The body work on my car was in the form of numerous cancer spots that needed to be cut out. Very few dents. The guy I selected to do the repair/paint took WAY too long. But it is on the road and I'm really enjoying it now. Hang in there!

[dhbfaster]

Piece by piece things are progressing...another fender and the hood primed today (as well as all the prep work.)
Picked up the last batch of sand blasting...metal heater parts, the horns, and also some small powder coated parts- generator bracket, and part of the horns.
The horns were in really bad shape- after I'm done with them they will look beautiful, and hopefully they will still work too!

[dhbfaster]

Nice weather today....got the rattle can rattling...had so many little parts out in the yard it looked like a garage sale. Painted the horns, coil, visor parts, rear view mirror, and touched up some engine parts.

Got into the trim work today too...successfully got three dents out and polished over...and successfully added three new dents!

Meanwhile, Phil laid epoxy on the body late last week...

[ew1usnr]

Hello, Don.

Wow! Your car is going to be gorgeous.

I saw this 1960 Falcon transmission cross member listed on e-bay. Does your transmission mount have one forward-projecting cantilever as is shown in this picture? Is this cross member assembly missing a cantilever piece, or is this how it is supposed to look?

1961 Falcon transmisson cross member.jpg

Or does your transmission mount have a double forward-projecting cantilever as is shown in this photo of a 1963 - 1965 Falcon T-10 manual transmission cross member?
1963 - 65 Ford Falcon Transmission T10 Mount V-8.jpg

Diagram:
rear_support.jpg

Thanks, Dennis.

[dhbfaster]

Mine is similar to the first picture...except the spring steel piece that goes to the transmission seems to be longer than that one in the picture. (AND, mine is now nicely restored...)

[Luva65wagon]

All the original Falcon cars until about '66 (don't quote me) used the cantilever springs. The first image (the ebay part) doesn't have the correct spring. It looks like a piece of hot-rolled flat steel. The spring for it is supposed to be similar to the V8 part you pictured, but without the extra support "S" piece. I think the 6'r uses only two leafs, and not 3, but this is only from what I've personally seen and that isn't exhaustive or conclusive. All my cars have had 6'rs with double leaf supports.

And I have too many of these parts piling up at home - not sure how or why I came upon them - but every time I go and open a bin, there's a greasy tranny mount.

They all take the same rubber bits, but mounting bolts may differ.

I recently finally learned enough about these and had [what I thought to be] an epiphany about why my wagon, since day one of me owning it (3 different transmissions, half-dozen differnt clutches, new driveline, new rear-end, new shocks, crank/bearing swap, new motor mounts) chatters when I try to back up against a load. Drives me crazy! So I bought all new tranny mount parts and rebuilt it like new. No change at all. This alone has prompted me to put the thing up-for-sale because I can't allow myself to invest in the change it to a V8 or newer 6. I've pretty much concluded the car is simply too heavy for a 8.5" clutch. I'd have to change engines to a later 200 to get around that and keep it a 6.

OK... Back to your regularly scheduled program...

[dhbfaster]

Got a quote for time to install the headliner...8 hrs to install the headliner and wind lace? Does that sound right to you guys?