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

[STINEY]

I'm probably going to run the plastic trim pieces through the dishwasher, then spray black with plastic satin finish paint if I can find it, don't like the look of super shiny trim.

I'm making a long detailed to do list while on vacation, it's sort of frightening how many little details are still left on this car, that's "almost done".

Be sure to turn OFF the "heated dry" setting


Almost done..... has that ever actually happened?

[BBR]

Tick tock time's a wastin'!!!!!

[milner351]

BBR - tell me again where your cage came from and how you've managed to pass tech with the removable behind the seat bar?

are you running 5 point belts or factory three point?

In other news I found some cool indicator lights on ebay that should fit the open holes in the dash nicely - one will be used as the alternator trouble light that's required to make it charge right - it's not currently.

I will fill the other holes with stainless button head bolts or switches as required. they used to be occupied by the factory choke, and hvac push pull cables. with aftermarket ac/heat/defrost - they're currently vacant.

Since we filled in the cowl vents - I can cut out the cowl sheet metal under the dash and give the hvac box more room to be higher on the firewall and not encroach into the passenger foot well as much.

I may be swapping from v belt to fox or sn95 serpentine, which will require sending the southern air compressor and brackets back for a swap - or - refund - and using fox compressor and brackets instead - need to talk to southern air, it's been a while so I'm likely well past the refund stage.

I'm going to run a wire from the trunk solenoid through the neutral safety switch to the starter trigger terminal - that SHOULD get rid of the dragging starter issue.

I have a long list of to-do's, and plan on working out bugs starting in the very early spring. I'm not going to go broke trying to heat the shop when it's stupid ridiculous cold outside.

[Casper]

Wonder how rare these things are? http://prescott.craigslist.org/cto/4333083049.html

[milner351]

^^^^ NICE! I want one of those!

[BBR]

BBR - tell me again where your cage came from and how you've managed to pass tech with the removable behind the seat bar?

are you running 5 point belts or factory three point?

It is a Maximum Motorsports 6 point bar. I've managed to get by because nobody has checked and I try not to draw attention to it. It is definitely on the list of things I will change before DW this year though. I have never needed to take the harness bar out, so I might as well just weld one in it and be done with it.

I have both. A 5 point harness for the track and I use the stock seat belts on the street.

[milner351]

Thanks James. I figure if i can cover the attachment points with roll bar padding, and the car is slow - they'll let it slide. I can't get away from this subject - it keeps coming back into my mind. I like the Rhodes racing kits out of crete IL near where I grew up - they have DOM kits that are competitively priced and have reasonably priced options for "pro street" rear bars and side bars that will make the cage much easier to deal with on the street with rear seat passengers.

I just don't feel comfortable with the cross bar behind the front seats being in the car when someone is in the back seat on the street. Remember the movie Deathproof? He slams the brakes on and the poor stupid blonde pretty much concussions herself to death on his roll bar dash tube.... I don't want that happening to anyone I know in a panic situation on the street.... I'm over thinking this I know...

My car was never made with three point belts - so adding the cage gives me a solid point to mount the third point - the car doesn't have much of a B pillar to put that mount without the cage.

The mental gymnastics continue.

[squirrel]

If you're concerned about the safety of your passengers, don't put in a roll bar or cage.

[milner351]

Jim - there's plusses and minuses on both sides of that argument.

If there's no cage - there's not much support to the "greenhouse" of the car.... that's one vote in favor of the cage.

If there's no cage - there's no place for the third point of a three point seat belt - another vote for the cage.

The only negative I can see with a cage - for the safety of rear seat passengers - is the cross bar behind the front seats, which I want to make removable, along with possibly the door bars.

this is not a drag car, it's a street car that I want to go fast in a straight line... eventually going faster than 11.50 will be a problem.

[VTJUNK]

Wonder how rare these things are? http://prescott.craigslist.org/cto/4333083049.html

That's actually a 61, fenders, hood are different than a 62 or 63. First year for the Falcon sedan delivery and quite rare. 1,988 produced for sale in the US according to the Falcon Club of America.

[BBR]

I ordinarily would not have bought the one with the removable bar, but a friend was selling it and it was too affordable to pass up!

[milner351]

yup - many things in many of my projects were driven by "too good to pass up" More on that in further installments of how the falcon flies.... or doesn't.


here's the cage, the optional pro street rear bars are curved to follow the contour of the roofline and go into the trunk through the package tray near the C pillar.

http://www.rhodesracecars.com/8-Poin...ET_p_8600.html

[Casper]

I will continue to think it over - center of dash definitely looks more "60's" to me, where as the ricers have killed the "a pillar pod" thing.

hmmmm

Not to distract from your roll cage dilemma but I think the tach looks cool on the dash too. That's probably where I'd mount it.

[gearhed1971]

Wonder how rare these things are? http://prescott.craigslist.org/cto/4333083049.html

I'd tub that like a fat kid with a box of ho hos

[milner351]

I'd tub that like a fat kid with a box of ho hos

Now THAT is a gasser candidate - don't restore the wheel wells, radius them! Agree 100% with Andy - that's a first or second year falcon - not a 63.

Bill of sale - hmmmm. That makes it a bit more complicated. Someone buy this please - I've already shown you all you can do wrong on these cars - so you can do it right the first time... LOL.