62 Falcon - $5k challenge, how will it rise from the ranger's ashes?

[milner351]

Dropped off two drive shafts at shaftmasters - they're going to make one good one out of the pair, cut the balancer / damper ring off the trans end of the Fox driveshaft, put on the truck 8.8 end, then balance the whole thing.
Best of all he said they should have it done in a day or two at most. Sure is nice having a place like this a few minutes from work.

[mike343sharpstick]

Getting close now, you gotta be getting a little excited to drive this!?

I nearly cross-threaded the bolts for a valve cover on my Edelbrock heads, the next day I ordered the ARP stud kit to avoid that forever. I have had the valve covers off/on a couple times and I fully recommend them. Other miscellaneous stuff not so much.

[milner351]

Valve cover studs would be nice - but these edelbrock covers are the only ones I had on hand (out of several sets) that clear the comp roller rockers - and they require a long allen head capscrew on the inboard center bolt... so that's what I'm running all around, and in the headers for now - allen heads.


Hit a snag today - after getting the alternator mounted and crank / water pump pulleys in place, I decided to switch gears to the rear axle.

Fought with the pile of 8.8 crown vic axles to get the brackets etc required to mount the calipers to the axle housing...
I got all new calipers pads rotors hoses from rock auto for a great price and was going to mount everything up.
Not so fast - what's this? Yup - we're not getting disc brakes this year! These are NOT a bolt on - the bolt patterns look identical - until you start measuring - the crown vic bolt pattern is wider in both directions - so the mounting pads will have to be cut off the cv axles and the ranger axle, then the cv mounts positioned and welded to the ranger axle.... too much screwing around this close to DW.

The 8.8 drum set up will go on and we will press on. The Master is for a manual brake granada with disc / drum anyway.

I'm not going to go fast enough to require c clip eliminators, and I'm running DOT slicks not true slicks so hopefully this is not a problem for tech. I think I'm going to run standard studs and lugs too, not long studs and open lugs.

[Beagle]

I'm confused what you mean by welded to the axles.. do you mean housing? I'm with BBR, I know a lot of people who bolted slicks onto a Fox with stock axles and never got checked at tech.

[milner351]

axle housing tubes, sorry, I should have been more specific - in the end, there is more of a difference between the 8.8 Ranger axle housing and tubes, and the crown vic axle housing and tubes than I expected.

[1946Austin]

Having a great driveline place close is definitely nice! We have a place called Six States a few minutes from my house. When I built my Falcon I took two drivelines there and they removed parts from the Ranger driveline, and a 1st gen Camaro driveline, then put in two new adapter U joints, and put it all together to build one. Total cost was $43. I about fell over when they gave me the bill. That's a lot for such a low price!

[BBR]

Most people will see a 62 Falcon, 5 lugs and assume it has Ford 8" or 9" without even bothering to look under it.

Keep plugging John! Drums will work fine!

[milner351]

yea - it's not going to be fast enough to require 4 wheel disc, or aftermarket axles, long studs, open lug nuts, or a cage.
I will do a happy dance to rival James if this thing starts knocking on the door of 11s.

[mrocketscience]

yup - we found the same thing - it will be interesting to see if it really stalls at 3000 - I don't have much of an engine in front of it.

I have a TCI Street Fighter in my 57 Ford. With a footbrake, you'll probably see about 2,200 stall speed. With the engine combination you're running I would expect to see something in high 12's in the quarter.

[milner351]

Thanks for the info mrocket - I'm glad it stalls a little lower than I expected. 12s would be fine with me.

I got the driveshaft yesterday - $80 to shorten, cut off balancer ring from the AOD end, swap 8.8 ends, and balance, done in a day.
Shaftmasters FTW.

Got it home, wire wheeled it and rattle canned it - good enough. Too many other things going last night to to get any other work done on the car.

[Russell]

I am an Optimist! If you can get it to hook my guess is mid 12's! Any guess on how much it weighs?

http://www.wallaceracing.com/et-hp-mph.php 300hp and 3000# = 12.55 @ 106.76 MPH!

[milner351]

the weight is surely in my favor.

These cars were built LIGHT.

2360lb was the factory curb weight with an all iron inline 6 and iron case 2 speed auto.

I have added steel to the body with frame connectors, jacking rails, etc, but - the 302 / aod with aluminum heads and intake and headers should be lighter weight than the all iron OEM power train.

I'm confident the car will be less than 3000 with me in it - maybe as low as 2750, I weigh less than last DW but still too much - about 225.

[Beagle]

I am an Optimist! If you can get it to hook my guess is mid 12's! Any guess on how much it weighs?

http://www.wallaceracing.com/et-hp-mph.php 300hp and 3000# = 12.55 @ 106.76 MPH!

300 hp is pretty pessimistic. lol. It should be 350-370 or there abouts.

[Russell]

hopefully the scales will be working at one of the tracks and you can get an as run #. The tracks around hear always clame the scale is broke on TNT night....

[milner351]

For $15 I can get a weight slip from a local landscape supply - it won't give me corner weights, but it will be a total.