Ford Enthusiast

[yank with ute]

Yep, he's back!

The posts got me back into a "Falcon mood" (read that anyway you want, LOL!) and I spent some time in the back 40 looking over my collection of "projects". First time I've opened the hood of my remaining 64 in years. (Hummm, I thought the 302 was in here. Did the ex's lawyer take it for her...wait, I don't have an ex!)

When I did open the hood I noticed a few area you have come closs to but not out right mentioned. Maybe you might want to "lockout tag" this issues so they won't be overlooked as you complete the conversion.

#1 The 64 Falcon had a generator and therefore the voltage regulator WILL NOT WORK with an altenator.

- You will need a different voltage regulator*
- You will need to do some minor rewairing to the wiring bundle that runs between the regulator and radiator (if you use the stock wiring the system will short out)
- I hope you saved the CHARGING SYSTEM wiring from the Granada (wire bundle that attaches to the altenator) as it can be modified to work with the stock 64 wiring.

#2 You have replaced the solid steering shaft Falcon steering box with a later, rag joint/collapasable steering shaft (the part the steering wheel attaches to).

- Without parts on hand to examine I'm thinking you might not be able to run the later shaft in the Falcon mast jacket housing (fancy way of saying "tube" or "steering column")
- If you can the rag joint unit will require a second carrier bearing within the tube (the Falcon has only one at the top of the tube) or the steering wheel will move in all directions.
- If you go with the later mast jacket from the Granada, the stock Flacon is seruced to the underside of the dash with only one "u" bracket, the Granda needs two for stability/support. I'm digging though my magazine collection trying to find the copy of the Aussie mag "Supercar" for the photos of how they adapted the later unit to their early Falc.

#3 You suggesting the Garanda transmission crossmember section would be a base for the new trans mount -

- Happened to find one from a Maverick last night (same as Granda) and rotsa ruck! It's formed in a channel shape and the space between the ears is narrower then the Falcon crossmember, and... (yes, I love to play with dots)
- It places the rubber instulator too far back for this instillation.
- The hole for the parking brake cable interferes with the need for a bolt hole for the through mounting bolt.

-> Again, Supercar had a good idea but I can't seem to generate any intrest from the Aussies/Kiwis in my request that they post a photo of Castlemaine's Falcon V-8 crossmember.

-> So I suggest, since there is no question you have certifable welding/fabrication skills:

Cut a piece of rectangular steel tube longer then twice the width of the hole in the underfloor crossmember for the parking brake cable. The tube should be close to the mesurement of the Falcon crossmember.

Place the tube flat across the bottom of the cross member and fabricate (vertical) tabs to attach it to the cross member via the stock bolt holes.

Weld a tab projecting forward to reach the C-4 mount, gusset as needed.

Reason: Ford mounted the rear of the trans too high in the production car. You can lower the trans to the correct position (in regards to the angle need ed for the "U" joints).

As I recall the Castlemaine unit had a thin plate (not the mentioned tabs) welded to the front of the rectangluar tube and in the rear the same thickness plate was welded to the top of the tube.

Extended to the rear of the tube was the parking brake lever.

-> As I have stated elsewhere the Castlemaine unit has ears the full width of the trans cross member, side subframe to side subframe. They use four bolts to retain the drop out, two in the stock holes, two outboard.

But since their design covers the factory hole for the parking brake cable they added a new hole in the face plate of the new drop out. (Hard to explain without a visual aid).

If push comes t shove I make a mock up and try to post a photo.

(We now return you to your normal activity...)