Follow the build!

[LubeDude]

Chevy guy with a Ford!

I decided that I needed a project for the winter so here it is:

1969 Fairlane 500, 302 c4 auto Granny car. It has not been on the road for about 10 years and has been in a garage and started occationally. It vertually has "NO" rust other than some surface rust.

This will not be a "restoration", just a nice dayly driver!

I put on the era correct rally wheels and the original GT Hood scoop.

This is what will be done:

The color will be Code G9 2008 Mustang Vista blue with a silver Taledaga style silver stripe on the hood and scoop will be the blue car color and will have scripted 302 on the sides of the scoop.

The Talledaga Fairlane basically had the whole hood painted black but I am going to leave about 4" around three sides of the hood the car color!

The chrome down the middle of the car will be removed but the wheelwell and lower mouldings will be left.

Front will be lowered 1 1/2":

Engine will have a small cam, Edelbrock performer RPM intake and a 600 CFM Edelbrock carb. 351 exhaust manifolds and of coarse duals.

I will post updated pics along the way!

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Follow the build!

For a Ford late 60's model,,I've always liked their looks. I had a 67 Torino in high school that looked similar. Loved all that room in the back seat Nice find LD,,,,I'm so envious

 

[Adjuster]

Re: Follow the build!

Does it have air conditioning?

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Follow the build!

Nice LD, I'm a Chevy guy too but thats a good looking old Ford.

I think the blue will look great!

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Follow the build!

I had a 73 Torino wit a Cleavland. It rocked. Ive seen a few Fairlanes dune up. What i liked about them there not a dime a dozen.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Follow the build!

Ive seen a few Fairlanes dune up. What I liked about them, there not a dime a dozen.

No, no air!

I had that discussion with the wife before we bought it. We go to cruises and car shows all the time and we just went to one about a month ago. We never saw one Fairlane. Dozens of Camaro's, Corvettes, Mustangs but no Fairlanes. I have always been one to have something different from the norm! I think that this little car is going to be a pretty car when done! I do not know if I will keep it or not, I have a habbit of selling cars! I wish I still had the last Chevelle I sold. If I decide to keep it I will build a 351 for it.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Follow the build!

Lots of potential there. Why lower the front end? When I used to race we kept the fronts high just for the weight distribution which added traction to the rear.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Follow the build!

Lots of potential there. Why lower the front end?

Nothing I hate worse than a car with the front end in the air! Early Mustangs are a prime example, they just look so much better with the nose slightly lower than the rear! To me, "Stance" is nearly everything!

 

[brother chris]

Re: Follow the build!

LD, That is ONE SWEET CAR!!! It is one of my favorite cars, ever!
A friend of mine had the 69 and it was crazy fast....power like you would not believe!!
Take care of it, especially since there is hardly no rust!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Follow the build!

Nothing I hate worse than a car with the front end in the air! Early Mustangs are a prime example, they just look so much better with the nose slightly lower than the rear! To me, "Stance" is nearly everything!

MOST effective way to lower that front end is to install a 427 SOHC engine but then again the power may lift the front end too!

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Follow the build!

Worked on the car yesterday for about four hours, Took it to the car wash and cleaned the engine compartment out some. You can still do that here as I know that in some places you can't clean an engine at the car wash! It's still pretty ugly but I got a bunch of grime off. Installed a three guage unit under the dash. 50#'s oil preasure at highway speeds, 25#'s at Idle, and holds steady at 180*I had to remove the fuel pump to get at the oil sending unit so I put a new one on. I have a tach but I don't know where I will put it as there is not room for it on the column and even though I would like to put it on the dash I can't see myself ruining a perfectly good dash pad by mounting it there???????????????????????????????????????????????
Actually, I have on one car I had made a mount that I siliconed onto the pad so I wouldn't have to make holes. If I did that and put it on the left side I could run the wires down the winsheild post. Yep, that's probably what I will do. However I would rather have it slightly to the right in front of me as that is more "retro". Decisions, Decisions!!!!!

Put about 30 miles on the car, the most to date. Runs fantastic, shifts smoothly. I can tell that I will have to do some suspension work though, there is a clunk when you take off and when you stop. Probably the strut bar mounts. Best to just go through the whole front end! Oh, and shocks, I don't think that any of them work at all! Here comes a set of KYB's!

Actually got a thumbs up from a guy on the way home even though the car is far from a decent looking car at this point!

Ordered a set of bullet style mirrors also which I will paint body color!

I wish I had an unlimited amout of money to spend, if I did I would do the interior but I went to the wrecking yard and found a set of bucket seats out of a Chrysler of some kind. They are cloth and are about the same blue that is in the car! They will have to do.

Later!

 

[MrBossman]

Re: Follow the build!

I need to go to my car book libary and check but Im fairly sure you could order a 427 for those.A real 'sleeper" You have a great car. keep in mind that the cars later value will be higher if you keep it 100% "correct" Thank God its not a 4 door.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Follow the build!

Dude!!! Overhauling on Iboats??? How cool! lol

I personally have always wanted a Chevy Camaro or maybe even an older Ford Mustang, I would give my left arm or right leg just about for a Bandit edition Trans Am. Always liked the Novas also. Had a chance to swap my 1983 Mazda Rx7 for a 1965 (if I remember right) Mustang that needed a little tlc but it ran, I didn't swap, should of had my behind kicked.

Nice looking car. I hear ya on the stance, lower that frontend.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Follow the build!

EEEEEe I had one of those also had a 70 how do you think I got in the mechanics trade....practiceing on them....hehe just kidding ....doesn't look like to much of a challange....how are the rear quarters,mine disappeared real fast here in snow and salt country

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Follow the build!

As to keeping it 100% original, that is only if it is a GT edition or something special. I live my life trying to keep things original as that is my job! I do restoration and manage a rather large car collection. (Crappy job, but someone has to do it)! It's nice to be able to use my imagination and do what I want on a car once in awhile.

Had it been a four door I wouldn't have bought it!

There is actually "NO" RUST" to speek of, only some light surface rust where the paint is thin. It took me awhile to find a car like that for what I wanted to spend! Thus I didn't have a lot of choice as to what I bought! I knew where I could buy a 68 SS Camaro that was pulled out of the brush for $5,000, but it made this car look brand new as to rust! I do not have the facility to do a complete restoration like that car would have needed, nor the resorces! My plan is to not have $5,000.00 in this whole project!

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Follow the build!

Cool car. My mom had a 4 door one like that when I was about 20. Ford's are a little different then Chev's but once you catch on them it's easy. If you have any technical questions drop me a line I've been driving the Ford's for better then 20 years now.

Sounds like you got a real deal if you only plan to have 5 grand in it when your done. Around here the car alone would have brought at least that much.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Follow the build!

Front will be lowered 1 1/2":

How will you do that? Cut the springs or use a spindle kit?

Either way, you should slap on a set of front disc brakes while you're at it.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Follow the build!

How will you do that? Cut the springs or use a spindle kit?

Either way, you should slap on a set of front disc brakes while you're at it.

Worked on the car Saturday, installed a set of junk yard cloth Buckets out of a Chrysler Spirit. Couldn't have been easier. Drilled eight holes and made two spacers and bolted them in. They are small so they look very nice. Much more comfortable than the old bench! Installed the Tach and went home.

As to the lowering of the front end, it will be done with new springs which I have and will install when I go through the front end!!

I would love to do the disk brake thing, but that would put me over budget by about $1,000. Maybe someday if I do not sell it when I'm done.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Follow the build!

Worked on the car Saturday, installed a set of junk yard cloth Buckets out of a Chrysler Spirit. Couldn't have been easier. Drilled eight holes and made two spacers and bolted them in. They are small so they look very nice. Much more comfortable than the old bench! Installed the Tach and went home.

As to the lowering of the front end, it will be done with new springs which I have and will install when I go through the front end!!

I would love to do the disk brake thing, but that would put me over budget by about $1,000. Maybe someday if I do not sell it when I'm done.

Humm....If you check out the automotive forums you might find that you can do a disk brake conversion from a newer ford by just changing hubs, master cylinder and proportioning valve. Get the parts at the junkyard and do the job for a few hundred bucks. Now, because I'm not familiar with that particular car I can't tell you which donor car you can use. But, I know things like that can be done. You just need to research it out on the web. Have you found a farlane site yet? There is bound to be one.

It may be possible with that new of a car that disk brakes were a option. You may get lucky and find the parts on e bay someday.

 

[Benny1963]

Re: Follow the build!

nice car .your on the right track ,if shes pulling good do your other stuff first then when you look at her .it will give you the urge to build her a motor .
im a chevy guy but loke all mof the old stuff ,problem is were im at you cant hardly find anything right know.