** Updated on April 17, 2004 **
Our car at the Temecula Rod Run in
February, 2002
For more photos and
information on car show stuff, click here.
Rebuilding the Engine (with specifications)
The Interior Restoration Process
John in his '65 Falcon -- just after
we bought it
Here's some "before" photos of our 1965 Ford Falcon. We bought this car from a guy across town who was the second owner. Since I was planning to build somewhat of a "Hot Rod", I really wanted to find a car that already had V8 engine. As you may know, I had previously purchased a '64 Falcon, but since it was a six-cylinder, I decided to sell that one and look for another instead of attempting a complete drive train swap. I was in luck, the '65 not only had a 289 cubic-inch V8 engine and an automatic transmission, but it also had front disc brakes too! As you can probably see, it was in really nice shape. Like I said, the plan was to make this car into a Hot Rod, but keep it street friendly enough use as my daily driver.
Here are a couple more shots of it before the transformation. Notice the factory stock wire wheel covers, and knock-off simulators? Don't worry fellow Falcon lovers, I'll be putting them, and all the other original items safely away in case I decide someday to return the car to it's original condition (yea right!).
This old engine had seen better
days, that's for sure!
Here's a photo of the original 289 cubic-inch engine before the re-build. It was a 200 horsepower motor, with a two barrel carburetor. It had never been re-built, so it was getting pretty tired.
Here's a look at
the new wheels
They're Cragar Street Stars (14x6 front, 15x7 rear)
The tires are 185/70-14's (front) and 225/60-15's (rear)
Notice the front disc brakes?
I detailed them by painting
the calipers Ford Blue and then polished the stainless
brake lines and covers.
The first step in transforming the car to what is referred to as "Restomod" (restored and modified), was to replace the original wheels and hub caps with custom wheels. Before I did that replaced the stock rearend with a Ford 9-inch rearend that had a 3.50:1 ratio Trac Loc differential. Next came the engine and transmission modifications.
Rebuilding the Engine!
Me (L) and my good friend Tom Walters
(R)
assembling the new motor.
After pulling the engine, and having the block, crankshaft and rods machined, the following parts replaced the original factory pieces:
The original stock 289 c.i. block was bored out .030 over and given a good bill of health.
The stock cylinder heads were replaced with Ford Motorsports GT40 High Performance heads (They have bigger ports and valves, and mine where also milled .030 for more compression).
The carburetor is a 600 c.f.m. Holley dual feed, four barrel breathing through a K&N air filter.
An Edlebrock Performer RPM high-rise dual plane aluminum manifold gets the fuel to the engine.
It has Federal Mogul Forged Aluminum Pistons (9.62:1 compression)
The latest camshaft is a Crane racing cam with 272 degrees duration, and .484 lift.
A Pertronix electronic ignition system replaced the stock points distributor.
The exhaust system consists of Hooker Super Competition Headers (PN#6102) with 2½" pipe dumping out behind the rear tires. The complete system includes a balance "H" pipe, 3" Magna Flow mufflers, and another pair of 18" resonators to quite it down a little.
"Let's put this beast in"
Tom, my Dad and I
dropping the new beast into the car.
Before (In case you forgot!)
After the re-build. Can you
see a difference?
(Since this photo was taken I've replaced the
intake manifold, carburetor, camshaft, radiator, the valve covers and made a few
other changes as well. Read on to see more on those modifications)
I've also made the following changes to the transmission:
The torque converter is a 2400 r.p.m. stall by The Converter Shop in Chino, CA.
I also replaced the stock valve body with a late model "Select Shift" type, and added a B&M Transpak shift improver kit and a B&M Transmission cooler.
Lastly, I replaced the column shifter with another B&M item, a Quick Silver ratchet type shifter.
As I mentioned above, there's a heavy duty Ford 9" rear end outback that's equipped with 3:50-1 gears, and a Traction Loc differential replacing the stock rear end.
To keep an eye on the engine's vital signs, I
added a Auto Meter Sport Comp tachometer, and a set of Summit Racing Equipment
gauges (Oil pressure and Water Temp). After I got the car on the
street, I realized the stock radiator wasn't going to do the job,
so I replaced it with a larger, four core high efficiency
radiator, and now it runs a little cooler. Stay tuned, because as
soon as I get it running real good I'm going to take it to the
Drag Races and see what it will do!
I've done several engine modifications since having the car on the chassis dyno, but I can say that it's putting out about 300-320 horsepower the way it sits right now. I'm pleased with the performance considering it's only a 289 cubic inch engine that's driven daily to work and back. I contemplated a nitrous system to get the power I'd really like to have, but I just can't take the chance of destroying the motor if something should go wrong. Someday I'd like to a add a small blower (Supercharger) like the ones from Holly or B&M, but another $2,800-3,000 hasn't been donated to my cars budget - unless you're offering a sponsorship!
To quote our daughter, Karlie - "Daddy has a Hot Rod"
A trip to the drag strip is planned for late April 2004, so once I have the results I'll post them for the world to see.......
After we tackled the drive train modifications, the exterior emblems and other chrome came next. We've replaced the old chrome parts with factory replica replacement parts. So far we've replaced the mirrors, the hood and grill ornaments, the gas cap and all of the side emblems with new ones. You don't realize how bad the originals are until you see the new chrome and colors. They make such a difference! Next came the interior.
Here's the interior as it was before the new upholstery
It's hard to tell in the photo, but it looked much
worse in person!
As you can see, the interior was in need of some work. The tattered front seats were covered with some old sheep skin seat covers and the carpeting was pretty worn.
Here's the new interior as it looked before I installed the new
dash.
Here's a shot of the
re-chromed dash after I got it installed.
The photo is a little blurry, but it looks
fantastic in person!
Here are a few before and after shots of the door panels and rear seat.
This project was a complete interior re-upholster, including replacing the carpeting, door panels, a dash board refurbish and painting all of the metal. As you can see, we've changed the color from the original light green color to basic black. We decided to use replica replacement fabric and materials instead of going custom to keep the car somewhat original, except in black. A childhood friend of John's named Rick Caywood did the paint work, while John did most of the other work himself including installing the seat upholstery, door panels, arm rests and carpet. Those items and the floor mats and headliner (which I have yet to replace since mine is still in good condition) were purchased from Dearborn Classics. The interior project is now finally completed except the seatbelts. It now looks better than new.
Baby Blue on Wimbledon White -
ya gotta love it!
As you might not have noticed in the first photo of this page, we recently re-painted the stripe on the side of the car. It was a very dark green color, so John decided to paint it light blue. We both think it looks much nicer, and seems to get more attention at the shows. In fact, our very first Cruise Night car show after doing it netted a trophy! It was for Best Daily Driver. It was our first one, and John was very excited.
Look ma, no fan!
I removed the engine driven flex fan and install dual electric fans. They're thermostatically controlled by a sensor I mounted just under the upper water neck. A simple turn of the knob determines the temperature that the fans turn on. The turn off automatically at a pre-set temperature. The coiled silver wire at the right side of the photo is coming from the thermostat to the sensor that's attached to the radiator.
Dual Electric Fans!
I decided to be "thrifty" (okay, cheap) and see if I could find a pair of fans without spending a small fortune, so I made a trip to the local Ecology Center wreaking yard. As luck would have it, I found two 10-inch diameter fans that were nearly identical in design. The total cost including the thermostat, which I bought at Kragen Auto Parts was under $60.00. While I was in the cooling down mode, I also added a bottle of Water Wetter by Red Line. With these two modifications combined we were able to drive the Route 66 Rendezvous car show cruise route a total of four laps without overheating. That says a lot because each lap takes 45 minutes to an hour in bumper to bumper traffic in 100 degree heat! Needless to say, I'm happy with the results. An added plus was that this change also freed up an additional 20 H.P. as well.
New Valve Covers!
I got tired of the leaking chromed steel valve covers so I replaced them with new cast aluminum covers from Ford Racing Products. I used rubber gaskets and studs instead of bolts which makes for a much easier installation.
The new valve covers and a cleaned up compartment!
While installing the new valve covers I also cleaned up the wiring and hoses which made a big difference in the look of the engine. The covers are about an inch taller than the old ones which also makes the motor appear slightly larger.
New Tunes!
After four years without a decent sound system I finally broke down and put one in. The new stereo is a JVC unit with AM/FM/CD and 80 watts of power. In the front I installed two Pioneer 6 1/2 inch coaxial speakers and in the rear two Rockford-Fosgate 6x9 inch triaxials. It's not what some would consider a state-of-the-art sound system, but it sounds pretty decent to me.
I wanted to keep it as user friendly as possible without being overbearing in the car. I found a under dash mount at Best Buy that worked out great. It's a black plastic module that after mounting under the dash, the head unit snaps into it just like in the newer cars. The stereo has a removable face too so I can take it out easily to keep it very inconspicuous if I choose to.
New Seat Belts!
Another modification I've added is new front seat belts and shoulder harnesses. They're retractable, unlike the ones that were in the car so they're much more comfortable and safer than standard lap belts. I debated between them and racing type harnesses but decided on the easier to use belts and to keep the car more retro than "Boy Racer".
Stay Tuned for more, 'cause I'm never done!
If you're
Interested in seeing some of the car shows we've entered, click here.
To see my other current and former cars and toys, click here.
If you have any questions, send me an email (off2glamis@earthlink.net).
I'll be happy to share whatever experience I can with you.
For those interested in joining the Falcon Club of America, click on the logo below:
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Last Update: April 17, 2004
