'65 Ford Wagon - barn find

[hotrodfords]

I picked up this Country Sedan 2 weeks ago. Grandma fresh, totally stock and out of a barn - still has bias ply tires with inner tubes (when's the last time you saw that?) They even hold air.

It's got a 390 4bbl, 3 on the tree (!), and the Borg Warner OVERDRIVE. 3.25 31 spline 9 inch one legged rear. No roof rack. 127,000 miles. 390 compression checked 135-145 on all cylinders.

Do I:

Throw on some torq thrusts, buff it out and just drive it?

Build a motor and paint it?

[Huskinhano]

Wow, that's a real nice find there! At least to me it's pretty cool as is. I'd do the first, TTD's buff and drive it. They came with tubeless tires. Someone must of had flats or someone was a throw back.

[Deaf Bob]

3 on the tree with overdrive and a big block....siiiigggghhh! Drive it as is..

[68scott385]

Wheels & drive it. jmo

[hotrodfords]

I'm leaning to the buff-n-drive option. My dad thinks I'm crazy to even think of putting a nicely painted built engine in the thing - says "it would ruin it". It also has a real honest to god bullet hole in the rear door. I'd like to keep that!

[Shelty]

damn thats cool

heck id find some center caps for the rims and just drive it as is. that thing is way too cool.

[Beagle]

Hmm. FE, 3 pedals, long roof. When I saw it I thought Mark 5 turbines... O/D ? Cool!

[hotrodfords]

Yep - dog dish caps would look cool too. Paint the wheels body color.

I actually have a Lincoln Mark VIII 4.6l 4v and AOD trans (have the whole car) that I was looking for a home for. While looking for a properly patina'd full size to drop the thing in, I found this wagon. Wagon's original drive train is too cool to yank out.

[hauen]

I think I'd find some original hubcaps and call it good.

[JOES66FURY]

Droooooool. I am a big fan of beauty rings, poverty caps and body color wheels. Cheap, simple and classy. What a great score...the 3sp option has me all weak in the knees...This may be my new favorite...

[silver_bullet]

Too cool! my first car was three on the tree w/overdrive... love it!

[Beagle]

I have a 65 Falcon wagon , 289 3 on the tree. They shipped it from Cali to Texas - the guy said "We couldn't figure out how to make it stay in Park"... uh. Yeah. I got to back it down off the car carrier's top deck, kid didn't know how to drive a standard but had a commercial drivers license? Heeheee....good times!



I bet those would look pretty good on it

[mrocketscience]

Yes, vey nice! For sure drive it as is, and I'm a fan of Torque Thrusts so that would be my choice. Congratulations on a cool score.

[milner351]

Damit man - you're killing me! Fantastic find! congrats! Drive it as is after a thorough safety inspection - maybe a new fuel tank, certainly all new filters and a careful go -through of the brakes, lines, wheel cylinders, etc... The ratio's on that three speed must be wild! The only thing I'd be tempted to do that would take away the originality is a duraspark distributor out of a mid 70's ford truck so you can do away with the points (they're available rebuilt for cheaper than a pertronix or like kind points conversion, and as BBR has done in his pick up thread you can add an HEI module for super cheap)

[hotrodfords]

...maybe a new fuel tank, certainly all new filters and a careful go -through of the brakes, lines, wheel cylinders, etc... ...

It's almost like you've done this before?

Yep, this thing has "double pumper" brakes, and is running off a 1 gallon gas can. It moves under it's own power and we debated winching it up on the trailer or driving it on the trailer. You can guess which option won; dad was frantically pumping the brakes as it rolled up on the flat of my trailer. We noticed the right front was bleeding on the trailer as we strapped it down. We're swapping 77-79 T-bird discs on the front - not even screwing with the drums on the fronts. Rear drums will be treated to a solid, standard brake job.

Thanks for the tip on the ignition...