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My Wagon Mods!!!!

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fastmerc
Member


Joined: 09 May 2006
Posts: 71
Location: Santa Clara, CA (Nor Cal)
My Wagon Mods!!!!

1967 Squire Wagon. Started life as a 390 2V with AC and P/S. 500 interior package and a power rear window...that's it! Oh, AM radio. (No power brakes!)

Engine: Went to a 428 but dressed it like a stock GT 390 with air injection and working A/C! NOS 428CJ cam, C7AE Police Interceptor intake manifold and C9Ux 725CFM Holley, Rhodes lifters and a windage tray. Internals were balanced for weight consistency across 8 rods/pistons, and all sharp edges were removed from pistons, and polished. 68 Cobra Jet distributor with Pertronix conversion. Ran well!!! CJ Valve covers and HIPO air cleaner for beauty! Just installed a Dura-Spark distributor and need to complete wiring it in. Pertronix ran good. No complaints, but curve was wrong for motor. Too much pinging upon accelleration. I had a cracked head which took out a valve guide, and put later model non-smog heads back on. So eliminated air pump etc, installed adjustable rocker arms ala 427/428SCJ. Almost done!

Trans: Early type C6 Cruise-O-Matic replaced with 69 428CJ C6 with R-servo and cast iron tailshaft housing. VERY stout 2cnd gear shifts!!!!! Wow!

Rearend: Replaced stock 9" with rebuilt Versailles version, new bearings and a 3:00 4 pinion T-lok rebuilt with all new parts.

Brakes: Front- installed 71 Fairlane disc brakes- spindles/rotors/calipers and proper smaller diameter brake booster to clear valve covers on the big block. Rear- rebuilt Versailles units with all new parts.

Exhaust: Replaced original single system with custom built aluminum coated dual exhaust, built by Don's Custom Exhaust of Columbus OH I believe. I sent him stock parts, and he rebent aluminized tubing for me! Since there was no RH exhaust for these cars, he duplicated the LH side in inverse!!! Worked great!!!!! Fit my flowmasters like a glove!!!! SOUNDS AWESOME at speed! His work was perfect, with tubing seams at the top and just plain nice work!!!!! They still look good!

Wheels: Original 60's American Mags- Torque Thrust, 15x8.5 out back and 14x7 up front. Polished outer rings, painted spokes. Look bitchin' on the car with the "stance". I think I have 255's out back and 225's up front.

Suspension: Installed 69-70 Cougar Mustang 15/16" front sway bar. Makes a big difference on the big block car! Replaced upper a-arms with reinforced Granada-Versailles type. Replaced lower a-arms with stock type. Most else untouched. New tie-rod ends to fit disc spindles properly. New strut rod bushings.

Interior: Installed a 69 Fairlane front seat back, to gain headrests. Never like that low-back unprotected feeling....toooooo many moroons driving around here, and with good brakes now, I don't necessarily trust the guy behind me to stop as fast as I do! Made up a custom tilt-away steering column that came out great!!!! I've even had people swear on bulletin boards that they saw a stock one at Fab Fords....... ooops! That was my imposter!!! Still haven't the heart to cut my dash to put in a modern stereo, so AM radio lives! New carpet, new seat material, headliner and white paint.... Rebuilt the rear window motor, as the original drive gear had self destructed. Adapted a later model window gear to fit, works great, less worry about it breaking again!

Body: repaint with factory bronze metallic, PPG two part paint. New weather strips in doors. Have yet to finish the wood grain on the trim...... lost motivation! Repainted engine compartment with a glossier than semi, but less than glossy paint, with hardner in it. Came out great and is pretty tough! Polishes up nice. Cleaned every nut and bolt, plastic fitting, piece of wire....


What would I do different????????????

Engine/trans: Build a nice 351W combo for the car, perhaps with a 4 speed AOD trans behind it, and some higher gears for the road. This would make it peppier around town, but give me good cruise rpm's for the long trips to LA. The 351W is just plain "good all around" for a Ford. Great torque and reasonable mileage when tuned and driven properly. I could even see using a 2V to boost the mileage a tad too! Mild cam.... Wife sez she'd drive it!!! AC works too!!!

Rearend: Man, if I'd known then what I know now. I musta put $1200+ into making the Versailles rearend fit the wagon. Had to move the spring perches too.....!!!! I now know that 92-02 Crown Vic brakes will almost bolt on to the stock 8 & 9" housings with only some slight trimming required on the housing flange, and some spacers that I now sell to properly hold the bearings and rotors in proper position. It is a MUCH cleaner solution than the Versailles housing, and it weighs at least 30# less. That Versailles housing is just plain huge all around!!!!! The e-brake implementation is much cleaner too!!!

Paint: HATE THE PAINT!!!!! (Actually the job was BEAUTIFUL!!!) Shortly after I had it painted, perhaps 3 years, the clear coat started lifting from the base coat in some spots!!! They repainted it, but anything that wasn't repainted at that time, is now suffering the same problem!!!! If I had the "do-overs", I would never have used the two part paint, but gone with an Imron or a one part paint..... I hate clear coat..... It just doesn't seem to hold up well to the conditions........ It goes into the shop soon for repaint and a new windshield.... caught a rock last time out.... Sad((

The balance of the stuff I would have done as I did. No regrets!
That's what I remember.....
fastmerc

Post Mon May 15, 2006 1:58 pm 
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leadfoot25
Junior Member


Joined: 07 Apr 2006
Posts: 47
cool

sounds nice, you gotta post some pics, 2v's don't neccessary get better mileage depending on the type of 4v your comparing it to, most 2 barrels have larger primary jets than the 4, if you keep your foot out of the radiator...LOL you'll get better mileage with the 4v.

Post Mon May 15, 2006 6:02 pm 
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fastmerc
Member


Joined: 09 May 2006
Posts: 71
Location: Santa Clara, CA (Nor Cal)
It runs!!! ...well ran.....

OK, wired up the DuraSpark II just fine, primed the carb and the old gal fired right up first try!!!!! Set the timing and warmed it up to temper the springs and parts. Did this again, to make sure all the fluids were staying where they should be, before venturing out onto the roadways to scrub the rust off the brake rotors!!!! ( We've been avoiding this project a while..... Sad )

BUT, once I felt that the brakes were online OK, and that the engine was not going to grenade, it was time to kick it in the balls!!!!

WOW!!! The combo of the new heads and the Duraspark really made a difference!!! I still have some carb bog to deal with, but the overall seat of the pants impression is WOW!!!!! It's a hang on proposition!!!

I get significantly less pinging than with the older CJ distributor. This duraspark version has been modified to only allow about 10 degrees of manual advance. The rest is vacume and or initial setting. She idles good too!!!!

So, I want to sell the car eventually, and she knows it...... just took her for a drive last weekend, and on the way back to get a dribble of gas, she blew her power steering hose, just to tell me how displeased she was with the idea!!!! At least the AC still worked in all this CA heat!

I need to post some pic's......
Steve

Post Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:02 pm 
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66SideOiler
Newbie


Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 9
Location: Dayton OH

I have wanted to do a wagon since I sold my first car a 67 full size ford wagon. I have been looking for a 66 or 67 fairlane wagon to with our 66 fairlane GT and our 66 galaxie Conv. I would love to see some pics of your wagon
_________________
66 Fairlane GT 427 Side Oiler
66 Galaxie Conv. 390 4Spd
87 T-Bird Turbo Coupe

Post Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:36 pm 
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