My '69 Falcon Wagon is almost done...!

[SandraFofOregon]

Just a few things to work out.

Before I start on body/paint I desperately need to fix the tailgate window. I have to raise and lower the window with...ahem...ratchet straps. The rear window has no tracks, no motor, no nothing. It's just the tailgate and glass. A previous owner tore everything else out, when I got the car the window was propped up with PVC pipes. I need the tracks and either a manual or power window crank thing...I don't even know what this stuff is called.

This car has some electrical problems also. When I put it in park, when the key is on, the starter grinds. Which is horrible if the car is already started. It has a draw somewhere and I have to charge my battery once a week (battery/alt/ VR are new) My horn/dashlights don't work.

I am mainly concerned with getting the rear window in working order. I cannot find one of those universal kits for a tailgate window.

Any insight would be much appreciated! I am a beginner at everything and so far have had a great experience. This is my first ford, my first classic, and my all-time favorite car!

[yank with ute]

- The window in the 69 Falcon wagon is the same as the 67-70 Falcon wagon and Fairlane wagons of the same years.

- Have a FoMoCo parts shop emplyee check the master parts list to see if the motor and arm interchanges with the unit in the full sized Ford and Mercury of that time period. You might discover that the same motor and arm was also used in a GM or Chrysler product! The ex-GM plant here in town made parts for any manufacture that had the $$$.

Keep in mind that an auto manufacture seldom designs a one-off piece of equipment to use on their products. They tend to use units being mass produced by outside sources.

Granted, if you are on the windward side of the mountains there might not be many of these vehicles in local salvage yards. Probably more donors over in the central and eastern siide of the state where it is less humid. (I haven't visited my relatives up in Castle Rock, Washington for years but I do remember seeing the wagons in the area when I was last there.)

- OR, stop by the news rack and look through the large display ads in Street Rodder Magazine (which has the most, other rod oriented mags also attract the same vendors) for vendors of electric power window equipment. No, it won't be FoMoCo but no one says that Ford did the job in the best possible way. Besides, electric motors don't "know" if they are in a Ford, Chebbie, Chrysler product, etc.

But if the first thing on your list is the replacement of the window guide tracks, talk to a shop that repairs/replaces auto glass. They tend to carry bulk lengths of window channel which they cut to length per application.


As for the electrical problems, what I read suggests that you need to get friendly with an auto electric tech who is willing to spend time chasing down a short circuit without charging the going rate.

- If the starter motor is "grinding" at times when it souldn't have current there is a short in the wiring/relay to the starter.

- That could explain the battery drain? (I won't go into this any further as I don't have the car in front of me.)

[SandraFofOregon]

Thanks alot. That gives me something to go on for sure. I have had a hard time hunting down parts for this car! It really needed a new fender but people were going to charge around $500 ( I went to a junkyard/salvage parts online database ) but I found one with a little dent and paid $100 for it. I ordered a carb from the parts house and got the wrong one TWICE. It's a rare car, my guess they all got crushed Thanks again for your help!

[Pepse]

"This car has some electrical problems also. When I put it in park, when the key is on, the starter grinds. Which is horrible if the car is already started" I had that problem years ago, at least once. I replaced the solenoid; cured that problem. As for your draining battery? Check the condition of your dimmer switch. Had a mysterious battery drain on a '69 Connie years ago. Someone told me to check the dimmer switch, even tho it worked I thought the man was nuts, but I had nothin' to lose so I pulled the carpet back an noticed a glob of grease around the switch; it came from within the dimmer switch, shorting out the system. Not sure if it is your problem but take a look.

Later. Pepse.