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

[milner351]

Roger that.
It's a shame the commute would be prohibitive for the Mennonites in your area - they do fantastic work - there are some up here in Michigan too - but to the west and south - still to far for a daily commute.

I guess I need to look at the truss options - I got a pile of blue prints with the house - I'll have to look through them to see if there are any for the shop. I still have to look into the knee walls to see how the trusses are built. The guys at Carter are pretty helpful - they may be able to get trusses with the same exterior dimensions but without the "second floor" for a more open shop space. I suppose adding another 24ft would probably work - put the hoist, tall pallet racking, waste oil furnace (on top of the pallet racks) etc - in there - that would be the "dirty side" keep all the welding, grinding, etc in there. with a large slider door into the other side to keep dust down.

All in time.

[gearhed1971]

Don't fprget to put the headliner in before the windows. I'll be cutting out my brand new window seals( front and rear) to put the headliner in as soon as it gets hot. Nothing like throwing $100 down the toilet. http://www.falconparts.com/ has really nice seals, among other stuff.

[gearhed1971]

BTW, I love my cutouts. Makes kids run scared

[milner351]

Thanks! I'm planning to run some sort of "creative" headliner - something that can be removed without messing with the glass.

At this point - I'll run without a headliner at all for this year - I just want to drive the sob!

[TheSilverBuick]

I haven't had a headliner since 2002 or something like that.

Though I'm looking at getting the A/C working this summer (since the engine won't be out and the car won't be in body shop jail), so I should put a head liner in.

[1946Austin]

Don't fprget to put the headliner in before the windows. I'll be cutting out my brand new window seals( front and rear) to put the headliner in as soon as it gets hot. Nothing like throwing $100 down the toilet. http://www.falconparts.com/ has really nice seals, among other stuff.

Most people will tell you a headliner can't be installed without pulling the seals, or the windows and seals. Even the upholstery shop told me it couldn't be done on my Camaro, but they're wrong. It's not easy, but it can be done, and I did it on my car. I hung the whole headliner in and used a putty knife to double it over and stuff the edge into the seal. Then I marked the excess with chalk and starting in the middle I pulled it out and applied contact cement, and cut the headliner inside the chalk line, and pushed it back in with the putty knife. Worked it all in at 6" at a time until I got it, but it came out great, and when I showed the guy at the upholstery shop he thought it looked good too.

[milner351]

Austin - I've done one that way - and hope to never do it again! I think your skill level with material is far above mine - as is your patience!

I'm considering more of a material glued to a piece of hard insulation board sort of headliner - or even a piece of sheet metal with some bead roll work and insulation between it at the roof - removable with a few screws.

[milner351]

I'm confirmed for drag week.

The theme for the build at this point is KISS.

Cage? No - not this year - it's not going to be fast enough to require one, and I simply don't have the time or money to devote to doing one right.

Fuel system - I'm sticking with a single holley on an air gap knock off intake - the simplest fuel system is a mechanical pump on the engine.
One 3/8" feed from the tank, no regulator, no return line - stock pump may not have the volume, and - an electric has advantages of being able to drain and refill the fuel bowls for carb work without cranking the starter - so - I may go electric if time allows.
(I won a holley black last year)



Brakes - I'm hoping to only do this once - so when I assemble the 8.8 I will do so with the crown vic rear discs, and work with a prop valve accordingly. Front brakes are 11" discs (I think) that came with the M2 kit I got used - I think they are S-10 stuff - stock single piston calipers. I have a granada dual master cylinder - manual - I'm hoping to use even though it's made for front disc rear drum, I also have the granada prop valve.

Electrical - the rebel wire kit is started - fuse block is mounted and has plenty of circuits to grow into.
The plan is to run the same internal regulator alternator that was on the ranger, battery in the trunk -
**** what are NHRA rules for battery in the trunk? do all cars regardless of ET require rear mounted kill switch? ****

Cooling - 90% of the fab work to mount the aluminum radiator is done - got a start on the fan shroud, going to start with a summit nylon flex fan - may switch to electric if time allows.

Traction - caltracs are nearly assembled, going to go with DOT slicks for the track, and all season radials for the street.
The Eaton diff is like new - 4.10 gears with a 2.84 first in the AOD should make things interesting - 3.73 may have been a better choice.

Exhaust - I have thrush turbos (small case to clear SFC) and a summit X pipe kit - still need to modify the pass. header to clear the trans pan. Will have to get creative with tail pipes and cut-outs - I'm liking Randals cut out plan - but mine will be manually removable... KISS.

Interior - Still battling this one - I have Mark 8 seats - but the power tracks are nightmarish - I have a line on a manual track for the pass side - but not sure if any tbirds that shared the Mark 8 platform came with manual tracks on the driver side - may have to adapt something else - I also have some fox mustang buckets - but hope not to have to use them (pretty beat down and grungy)
Door panels I have - simple flat beaded vinyl - ebay specials.

[BBR]

Rear mounted battery = cut off switch.

That's one reason why mine is still up front!

[milner351]

Bill showed me the error of the cheap cut off switch - and I will have two holes in the tail light panel to fill - I'm not running the cheesy factory "add on" reverse lights - so that would be a natural place to mount one - look a bit wonky - but this aint about looks....

[STINEY]

I'm worried that that Granada Disc/Drum master cylinder will not have enough fluid volume on the rears to accomodate the Crown Vic calipers.

Calipers generally require a lot more volume than wheel cylinders to function effectively.

Just something to keep in mind. You can always try - it may work fine, but keep it in mind if they act wonky, the master cylinder rear volume would be a good place to start diagnostics.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I'm worried that that Granada Disc/Drum master cylinder will not have enough fluid volume on the rears to accomodate the Crown Vic calipers.

Calipers generally require a lot more volume than wheel cylinders to function effectively.

Just something to keep in mind. You can always try - it may work fine, but keep it in mind if they act wonky, the master cylinder rear volume would be a good place to start diagnostics.

good advice, though I'd start with the proportioning valve first and not use a manual balancer in the first itneration... the manual balancer immediately knocks 40% off the amount of fluid travelling through it. The adjuster knob only controls 10% of the total flow.

[milner351]

Perhaps I'm better off to research the crown vic master cylinder specs - then adjust accordingly.... - adjustable prop valve a good idea or a nightmare waiting to happen?

[Russell]

I put a Turbo Coupe rear end with disc in my 93 convertable, I did not change anything else. It stoped better with the drums.

What about wheels crown vic rear S10 front sound like a diffrent patter to me.

[milner351]

hm - russell - that sucks! There's one vote for putting the drums back on the rear - keep the granada master and prop valve...hm.


The rotors are aftermarket units with two lug patterns - I had to move the studs from the 5 x 4.75" holes to the 5 x 4.5" holes to fit my Ford wheels. The 8.8 has the 5 x 4.5 - same wheels on all four corners (vintage 5 spokes) The new 5 spoke summit wheels will have the drag tires on them.