My new project - 62 falcon

Its a blast to drive. I was surprised with the power it had when i first drove it. I didn't think I'd be able to vet up to hwy speeds but it did.

Falcon's are awesome! I love the plan you have for it. Definitely keep the build thread here updated!

It'll be a while before the build starts, right now just playing with it as is.

I don't want to give up the old car feel too much, going to stick with a carb, no a/c or power anything. Will put disc brakes on though. Goal is to keep it under 2500lbs with the v8. The 302 with aluminum heads is only around 50lbs heavier than the six, so if I'm careful I think it can be done.

I know the 5.0 isn't "unique" but I'm trying to find the balance between easy and unique. Don't wanna be a pioneer, just want to stand out from the crowd a little.

IMO if you're gonna go around any sort of corners you HAVE to fix the geometry. There are any number of things that you can do to make that car better, but fortunately it's already got "cool" covered. But I'd drive like an old lady till the brakes were fixed, and stock the thing plows like mad.

Cool, I didn't know too much about these cars until now. Thanks for sharing; good luck for whatever is coming for it!

I've long since lost the name, but there was a company that made a kit for lowering the upper control arms' inner mounts. I think it was basically a template for drilling new mounting holes, and machined wedges with longer hardware to put the upper ball joint back into the middle of its range of motion.

I think googling for something like "Shelby mustang upper control arm relocation" will get you reams of info, probably requiring some filtering of misinformation and cruft, but with some usefulness buried within...

EDIT: Slow memory! I think it involved grabbing the spindles and brakes off a Granada.

That's the arning/Shelby drop. Lower the upper arms 1" to improve the camber curve. All that's involved is drilling new holes in the strut tower to reposition the arms.

The detailed plan for the front is:

Shelby drop.

modify upper a arm to reduce ball joint angle and mount coil over below arm.

roller bearings on upper arm.

coil overs with spherical bearings on both ends.

Adjustable strut rods with heim joints.

Lower arm with heim joint and bolt in ball joint.

Alignment with much more caster than stock.

And then evaluate bump steer to see if/what needs to be done to minimize it.

I don't think the main problems with the stock suspension are geometry, but more lack of stiffness.

I plan to use the ideas at sn65.com to stiffen up the chassis a lot, so that the stiffer suspension can do it's job.

A roundbody falcon is on my "I will own it, someday" list.

Clem

I just remember my '64 with a built 302 and toploader. It was fast as hell in a straight line, but my pal in a Fiat 850 would drop me in the twisties. The positive camber was crazy.

I had a 62 Futura Coupe in light green that I drove a daily 75 mile round trip for 3 years going to college. That was in 1963 - 1966. Loved that car and it held up to hauling four of us for the whole 3 years. Turned it over to my brother when I graduated and he ran it on the same trip for 2 years till he graduated.

dean1484 wrote: Although I like ford I have always been a mercury guy. I have been on the hunt for the mercury comet for a very long time. My dad had one. Purchased new and drive it until the late 70's. I grew up in the back on one of these. I am very partial to the small fins on the back and the taillights as compared to the falcon. I agree go EFI if you can swing it and with modern high flow cats being as good as they are there is no reason not to run them if it is going to be a street car. This was a car we found at a car show up in NH last year. I would mimic this build if I could find one.

I'm a comet fan, as well. My first car was a '62. This car:

That I then put a '60 Falcon nose on because the bodylines complimented each other:

I've also had a pair of '63 convertibles. This was my last one:

And this is what I was going to do with it:

And powered by a Lexus LS400 1UZ-FE. That project got sold for my Mustang. But if I strike it rich, I WILL build that Comet.

Comet fins on a Falcon (kinda)...that's neat. Though, I do REALLY like what the back of a falcon looks like also. Hmmm

I really like this:

It's too low (guessing air bags) but looks good.

Did the falcon front end just bolt on? That looks great!

B430 wrote: I really like this: It's too low (guessing air bags) but looks good.

That is a LOT like the white one I saw. Figure maybe 3" higher, BBS basketweaves and flat chrome door handles (the 'lift up' type) and you'd be there.

My first car was a '65 Falcon Futura. Looked exactly like this, even the wheels. Mine had a white insert in the chrome on the side, though.

Tried shining up the hood a bit: Before:

After, the overcast sky makes it look white but it's nearly red, will try and get a little deeper and see if I can get the original color back.

Looks like red oxide primer!

cool car.. kicking myself in the a$$ for not getting the one nocones had for sale last year

mrhappy wrote: Did the falcon front end just bolt on? That looks great!

Yeah. If you look at them, the Falcon nose has the bodylines circling on the side, but wrapping around the back. On the Comet, it's opposite in the front wraps around the grille but the back has it circling on the side. The Falcon front and Comet rear compliment, as do the Comet front and the Falcon rear (a friend put my Comet nose on a Falcon Ranchero to make a one-off as well). The Falcon and Comet share doors (with the Comet having a bolt on pot metal fin extension on the door). I like the way the side indentation looks on the '60 Falcon nose when put on the Comet body. it's as though the design of the indentation was made with this in mind. (the '60-61 Falcon indentation circles around, while the '62-63 comes to a point. The green one above is an earlier one compared to the OP's 62)

Is the core support needed or can i use my stock comet one?

The baby bird '62/'63 falcon is my favorite FoMoCo of all time, and possibly my favorite car period.

I want a 2 door sedan with as much modern suspension and steering grafted in as I can manage, and one of the more recent FoMoCo 4 cyl engines (plus turbo of course) bolted to a T5 .

Actually I want two of them, one as a mild looking restomod street machine, with a nice interior, AC and all that stuff, and the other one as a "turned up to eleven" AIX grade track machine. .

Starting to get a bit of a shine on it. Want to cut a coil out of the front and throw some lowering blocks in the back for now. Might be able to make it look half decent for cheap.

Also got a speeding ticket in it today. I've had a wrx as a daily driver for 2 years and never got pulled over, but driving one of the slowest cars I've ever owned I get busted for 94 in an 80kmh (58 in a 50). My last speeding ticket was 3 years ago in a yaris, I have bad luck in slow cars.

The cop just wanted a closer look.

B430 wrote: It's berkeleying awesome exactly as it is!

FTFY

So I contacted the seller of the Comet. I am going to look at it this week. After looking at the prices for the Falcon's I am thinking that this one is way over priced. That is unless it is rust free and complete with all the chrome in good shape.