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ditchdigger
ditchdigger SuperDork
3/16/13 3:39 p.m.

I am not too impressed with the fit. It took 5 hours of careful trimming, glueing an screwing to install. It is a bit loose in spots and all the edges that needed to be finished weren't.

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rear in.

top tip! heat a piece of conduit with a torch and cut/melt perfect round holes for seat and belt mount points

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all the bits trimmed off.

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I managed to find a rattle can close to the interior red and redid the kick panels

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Much better than before! Now to clean up the door panels.

The_Jed
The_Jed Dork
3/16/13 4:41 p.m.

Nice!

ditchdigger
ditchdigger SuperDork
4/7/13 4:54 p.m.

Got a quick wrenching session in this afternoon.

Back when it came out from the alignment shop it never felt quite right.

 photo 20130315_134610_zps2a5bb953.jpg

It still wandered all over the road and felt loose and vague. I put it on the rack and noticed the center link was rattling loose. Not sure if it was my fault or the alignment techs. I swear i remember cottering the rod ends but they were missing and I did reassemble it many times. After tightening it all up it drove better but still had heavy wooden steering, didn't self center and was all over the road.

Today I bent up some longacre style toe plates  photo 20130407_131403_zps1bc1c8a8.jpg

Damn! that is some serious toe out that got created when I tightened up the center link. I did a quickie tie rod adjustment to almost 1/8" to in and it is finally starting to feel like a driveable car. no more wandering and much lighter steering.

I also took the time to install the sprung hinges I took off the ranchero that Ransom cut his rear quarters off.

old  photo 20130407_125429_zpsde83bd87.jpg

new  photo 20130320_083752_zps2f7b1664.jpg

in  photo 20130407_125439_zps10d7078d.jpg

Much nicer than dealing with a rattling prop rod.

ditchdigger
ditchdigger SuperDork
5/15/13 10:10 a.m.

The car has never been pleasant sounding, but lately it started getting worse and then 2 days ago I was embarrassed to be seen in it.

Started with the most obvious culprit. The exhaust downpipe donut

 photo 20130513_170901_zps239b89fb.jpg

It was pretty beat looking

 photo 20130513_171116_zps52f779f3.jpg

But no dice. It still sounded like a total E36 M3can.

Ahh! There you go

 photo 20130514_171302_zps7eb749d8.jpg

Holy Crap! Quietness!!! And you can actually hear the faint burble of what might be a nice sounding engine in there.

In other news I have started collecting pieces for the next phase

 photo 20130513_165246_zpsbc341a14.jpg

Thank you Ransom for your generous contribution.

ransom
ransom GRM+ Memberand UltraDork
5/15/13 10:22 a.m.

In reply to ditchdigger:

You are most welcome! Glad to have been useful for a change

Ranger50
Ranger50 PowerDork
5/15/13 12:20 p.m.

Holy E36 M3balls. Look at all that wrenching room!!!

ultraclyde
ultraclyde Dork
5/15/13 3:10 p.m.

Man this thing looks great. Of all the old cars I've had, I never replaced the carpet in any of them. That makes a HUGE difference in my whole perception of how nice the car is, and I never would have realized it.

There are a couple sub-challenge priced comet/falcons that are original and straight, but not nearly this cherry. Still, I daydream about picking one up and building either a late-4cyl DD or a gutted track monster.

Dusterbd13
Dusterbd13 HalfDork
5/15/13 8:22 p.m.

mmmmmm..... gm tbi swap in vintage car......

a man after my own heart. please tell me thats the 2.8 throttle body, and that youre converting to hei style ignition control powered by a 7730 ecm.

personally, im doing a 350 tbi swap on a 64 chevelle.

michael

SilverFleet
SilverFleet Dork
5/16/13 12:32 p.m.

Very cool build. I'd love to have an old car as a daily driver again, but the winters up here are just too brutal. Keep it going!

ditchdigger
ditchdigger SuperDork
8/31/13 6:36 p.m.

I made another thread about the front shock breaking

 photo 20130820_171029_zpsa50658d7.jpg

Today I fixed it. Keep in mind that the bulk of the fab work was done VERY hurriedly so it is not pretty.

Years ago I picked up some Pro Shocks mustang II coilovers at a swap meet because why the hell not. They have been kicking around since and this failure got me thinking about them. There are a few coilover kits out there for falcons/mustangs so I copied them

A trip to the steel yard rewarded me with some stamped steel flanges, pipe caps and a chunk of 3"X1/4" angle.

 photo 20130826_091320_zpse0218ff3.jpg

A little weldy weldy and we have an upper mount

 photo 20130827_161802_zpsfcfc6467.jpg

The angle became the lower mount.

 photo 20130831_132459_zps17c55e97.jpg

et viola

 photo 20130831_140545_zpsea61b0cc.jpg

Now my math on the springs came out to ~550 and that is one of the rates that pro offers these with. I figure the motion ratio on the springs is about 2:1 so that would make it about 275in/lb wheel rate. I have daily driven rabbits with 350lb wheel rates and my E30 had IE3's on it so I am not afraid of stiff. so lets throw them on.

Old

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new

 photo 20130831_152713_zps3d64c83a.jpg

I guessed on where to set the collar and came up exactly 1/4" above the old ride height. Gonna leave it there and see how much it settles. The ride is actually a little softer than it was before and therefore it is gonna need a bigger front sway bar soon.

So far I am really pleased with it. Now I just need to keep an eye out for some adjustable QA1's or something.

singleslammer
singleslammer Dork
8/31/13 7:02 p.m.

Suhweet!!

edwardh80
edwardh80 Reader
9/1/13 7:50 p.m.

In reply to ditchdigger:

Wait!! What's with that Ferrari stamped valve-train cover you have the flange sitting on???

ditchdigger
ditchdigger SuperDork
9/1/13 8:16 p.m.

You can see the 74 Dino 308gt4 in the background of this pic

It is in for its first major service at 30K miles. Really cool car. I expected to like it but I didn't expect to fall so head over heels in love with it.

 photo 20130805_072940_zps2a976db0.jpg

A much more sedate body than any other Ferrari of that era, a flat plane V8 that sounds amazing, the most perfect seats I have ever planted my ass in, ergonomics that fit me like a custom tailored suit and the handling. I can't wait to finish it up and put the requisite 50 miles on it before I hand it back over to the owner.

The car hasn't settled. It actually came up another quarter of an inch somehow. I am so used to the look before that I don't know how much I like the level look. I might drop it down again to get a little rake

 photo 20130831_220025_zpsd3c4093d.jpg

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon MegaDork
9/1/13 8:22 p.m.

Now this is one cool project. On the EFI conversion: the ~1985 2.3 Tempo motor throttle body is almost a direct bolt on in place of the 1 bbl Motorcraft carb.

ditchdigger
ditchdigger SuperDork
9/1/13 8:30 p.m.

In reply to Curmudgeon:

I did TBI on the Fiat and really want to go port injection on this one. I have a plan on sinking some bungs into the log.

Besides I doubt a Tempo injector can handle the fuel requirements I hope to need.

Wally
Wally GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
9/1/13 8:36 p.m.

Doesn't everyone keep a Ferrari around for a workbench.

edwardh80
edwardh80 New Reader
9/6/13 5:38 a.m.
ditchdigger wrote: et viola  photo 20130831_140545_zpsea61b0cc.jpg

I took a closer look at your pics for more background details and saw what looks to be a Cobra or an Austin Healy in the background of this pic... More info?

ditchdigger
ditchdigger SuperDork
9/6/13 10:55 a.m.

It is a BT7 Austin Healey in for a bare tub resto.

I have a great job. I work in the restoration shop of http://www.sportscarshop.com

I tend to specialize in the italians. Primarily rear engine Abarths and Fiats but I also get Ferraris and others.

Yesterday I spent the bulk of my day replacing the fuel tank and rebuilding the carb on a 1932 Rolls Royce Phantom II.

edwardh80
edwardh80 New Reader
9/6/13 11:43 p.m.

Man... I just recently became a member on GRM and was working in Coos Bay, OR for a year or so after relocating from Western Australia. I passed through Eugene many times in that period - if only I knew!

My wife and I bought an old house in Hamilton (Canada) with an '88 V8 Mustang parked in the backyard; the previous owner let me have it. I'm dreaming of doing something similar to this with the mechanicals or build a Factory Five Roadster out of it. Hence I love what you have done to this old Falcon!

Sorry for the hi-jack. Looking forward to future installments.

CLynn85
CLynn85 HalfDork
9/7/13 5:51 p.m.
ditchdigger wrote:  photo 20130831_220025_zpsd3c4093d.jpg

I'm in love!

carbon
carbon Reader
9/12/13 1:29 a.m.

I always liked these. good taste, good job

ditchdigger
ditchdigger SuperDork
9/13/13 6:02 p.m.

Look what fell into the trunk today!

Off to search for what clutch/pp/flywheel combo to use for a T-5/200ci combo.

ransom
ransom GRM+ Memberand UberDork
9/13/13 6:03 p.m.

In reply to ditchdigger:

Freakin' awesome!

ditchdigger
ditchdigger SuperDork
9/15/13 7:04 p.m.

Period correct shifter found on CL today for $5.

pres589
pres589 SuperDork
9/15/13 7:11 p.m.

Curious which T5 you went with. I'm thinking about someday combining one with a small engine and wonder what sort of 5th gear ratio I should be looking for.

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