I doubt it. I can rattle can decently and paint a 1:48 scale model plane ok, but welding, sanding, bondo and myself aren't acquainted.
You can lead a horse to water........Today's the day, we get down to brass tacks. I'm still not sold on the Mont. No offense Mikey2Times. I think it comes down to one thing. How much is he willing to pay outright for the 85 as a roller. I think if he would give $2-2500 for it, I'd pass the Mont and get this:
The other side is about the same....some rust on the bottom of the door and rear arch. The trunk is pretty much rusted out, but I'll be putting in an efi tank or fuel cell. With a cage and subframe connectors It'll be pretty solid. I actually think just get a color match and paint the rust/bondo areas and roll with the patina.
The nice thing, 1963 Falcon curb weight 2300 lbs! AJE makes a K-member and A arms to use SN95 spindles and breaks and fox struts and rack.
You can lead a horse to water........
Talk about going from rags to riches...a Falcon of that year is a pre-64 Mustang.
Read:
Tiny engine compartment, (forget about anything bigger than a 5.0) antiquated front suspension, ( that’ll be worn the phck out) Excepting that K member swap( I’d be curious as to how much that thing costs) ZERO aftermarket. A leaf spring rear end that makes even an 8” ford look like a Fab 9 comparitively, ( with nothing else that will readily bolt in to replace it with) and no room in the quarters for even an 8x26x15 drag slick. Why you’d trade away a fox platform with its infinite aftermarket, interchangeability, and ( depending on the car) releative low weight is mind boggling. There is no other car that is as literally ready to race besides a Notch Fox body mustang.
Even if you dont do the Fairmont, any fox platform car has a Kmember in it already that accepts SN 95 stuff, with the main thing being that if you don’t want to, swap the “ Brakes” you don’t have to. With an engine compartment that will easily accommodate anything you want to drop in there.
You had a car that sat in the garage untouched forever for whatever reason(s)..Dont put a monster in your path.
look at the dash pad.....I’ve never seen one that wasn’t cracked and rotted to hell..it looks like it has all of its tail light lenses, and the glass all appears to be good. that’d be reason enough for me.Well, that 62 is gone...it was too far away to go see in person and I didn't have a place to stash it with the 85 still here. And I noticed he lowered the price from $800 to $600 yesterday, so there's that. I probably would have driven 6 hours each way to buy it sight unseen for $600, because it was complete minus motor and trans.
The AJE crossmember and A-arms are about $800. I have the coilover struts, would need SN95 spindles/brakes, and caster/camber plates. I probably would mini-tub the Mont, so mini tubbing and moving the leafs inboard is no big deal on a Falcon. Mainly, I always have loved the look of the 60-63 Falcons. An 8.8 or 9inch would be an easy fab. Some caltracs and people cut 1.3 60's with leafs and caltracs. I don't think the 2.3 has enough ass to cut low 1.3 60's without adding some spray at the release.
But, yes the Fox platform is why I picked the 85 in the first place. I've mainly not done a lot to it for 2 reasons. I couldn't decide which way to go. AutoX type handling, RestoMod or drag race. In the last couple of years it's been more drag race, but I couldn't bring myself to start gutting this car. I still might. But as of right now, if he wants to trade rollers and throw some cash my way, I'm probably the Green Iguana owner. (Although it is white right now). Of course, I may find the deal to be more to my liking if he just buys my car. Then I can buy another Fox, or Falcon, or Maverick. It all will hinge on his offer with the Fairmont...and more pics. He said he has another driver fender and hood for it, so it would be a complete roller.
We'd talked at length. The dashpad greatness stops where the picture ends. He said the driver's side of the dashpad is trash. He also has a 73 Maverick that is a little rougher, but complete. So I am waiting on him to get some walk around vids and more pictures on each. Just because of the Fox platform, I am leaning more Mont direction...but my first car love was a Maverick. I am waiting to see how much body rust it has. And then go from there.look at the dash pad.....I’ve never seen one that wasn’t cracked and rotted to hell..it looks like it has all of its tail light lenses, and the glass all appears to be good. that’d be reason enough for me.
I'm just the crazy m-effer who looked at a Mustang II one day and said "bet I can make it fast." after a couple of 13-second fox bodies (and a 4-banger fox body and a 4-banger Mustang II).@74stang2togo with friends like you, who needs enemies or Fox bodies!?!?! Haha. I got to thinking, it should be easy on a Mav or Falcon to use bars in the front leaf mount and then either something like a Max Motorsports torque arm or even a Battle box to mount an actual Fox 8.8. Turns out, AJE makes a fab'd cradle to go in early mustangs and mavericks that mounts the upper bars on the rear end and the lower bars go into the front leaf pockets. So you can pretty much have a front and rear Fox suspension setup. Although I think leaf springs can be made to work pretty well with some Cal-tracs and are easy enough to move inboard for clearance and use coil overs.
So I wait for him to go to where he has the Mav stored. He says it has a little body rust. I'm no body guy, so I am hesitant to see it. I can handle floor pans and structural fabrication. Just not sure I have the skills to make panel repairs and not have to spray bedliner on the car to hide the welts.
It’s like the title says:@74stang2togo with friends like you, who needs enemies or Fox bodies!?!?! Haha. I got to thinking, it should be easy on a Mav or Falcon to use bars in the front leaf mount and then either something like a Max Motorsports torque arm or even a Battle box to mount an actual Fox 8.8. Turns out, AJE makes a fab'd cradle to go in early mustangs and mavericks that mounts the upper bars on the rear end and the lower bars go into the front leaf pockets. So you can pretty much have a front and rear Fox suspension setup. Although I think leaf springs can be made to work pretty well with some Cal-tracs and are easy enough to move inboard for clearance and use coil overs.
So I wait for him to go to where he has the Mav stored. He says it has a little body rust. I'm no body guy, so I am hesitant to see it. I can handle floor pans and structural fabrication. Just not sure I have the skills to make panel repairs and not have to spray bedliner on the car to hide the welts.
Nope, wouldn't wish that pain in the ass in anybody here. Im just saying that he has the solution to his race car aspirations right outside of his kitchen door. It's the easiest, cheapest, and has the strongest availability of aftermarket and oem parts in the freaking country. AND...So is mike say'n we all should be installing tooges into fairmonts?
Well...thats two for you now.It doesn’t take extensive body work skills to repair rust. Just the right tools and a willingness to try. You might have to do something twice, but you’re used to that.
Mike is saying he’s the only one around here who is allowed to be different. Anyone else who tries or expresses aspirations of such gets an immediate lecture that amounts to “that’s too much work, just stick with the belly button…lemming”.
It’s like the title says:
Time to stop and think.....No make that:
Time to go to a mental rehab facility and check yourself in for about a month.
It kills me as to how big the letters are that are written on the wall in this example.
You have minimal skill with body repair but you’re posting pictures of cars ( or talking about) that are full of rust, requiring extensive body skills.
Youre talking about all the work you’re gonna have to do swapping out this k member, or that 8.8 with this kit, or that kit and making a 19” century rear suspension work with some sort of dorky traction bar. and even if you do that....Swapping in a k member on a 60’s era shock tower car ( and both the falcon, and his later edition version the Maverick have massive shock towers) is gonna be a fairly intense time with a sawzall, and/or spot weld bit.
Then you’re left with that big assed open area that most of the hackers down here just cover up with pop-riveted in galvanized 24 ga steel from home depot.
Lets say you do that.
Then you’re taking an 8.8 out of.......Ohhhhh I don’t know...what? Some SN car?
It’s gonna be too long. And now you’ve got to narrow yourself one of those. Then buy new axles to fit it.
As I said before, neither the falcon or the mav have a wheel tub big enough for any decent sized tire, and now, not only are you having to relocate spring perches and hanging points, you’re cutting the hell out of the wheel tubs just to allow for a 10.0x26.0 slick or DR.( unless you plan on cutting the front of the quarters)
Add even more pop-riveted in 24 ga. sheetmetal.
Heres the knuckle rap on your forehead.....
HELLO,.....DREW!!!....YOU ALREADY HAVE THE CAR THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO FIT WHATEVER ENGINE YOU WANT IN IT!!! YOU ALREADY HAVE THE CAR THAT HAS AN 8.8, AND IF IT DOESNT, ONE WILL JUST BOLT RIGHT THE FCK IN. IT ALREADY HAS A DECENT SIZED WHEEL TUB, AND ONLY NEEDS MINI TUBBING TO ALLOW FOR A REALLY DECENT SIZED TIRE ( 10.5x28.5) Why do you spose every Chevy boy in the 90’s put a SBC in a Fox Mustang?
Why are you hell bent on adding a barn “find” to get “lost” in your garage?
PS...that 4 door Mav was the ugly phase for PRO-Stock....All that changed in 1978.