Popular Post Liam-B Posted November 24, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted November 24, 2013 So, I bought this to keep my sedan company : Seems like early falcon utes are all the rage now. Actually been looking for ages as some of you might know. It ended up being the least rusty one I could find in my search over the last 10 months. Its actually really straight, the tray is in really great shape, no dents and still has the original wooden boards as well. It Has bit of a ratty look but I have toned it down a little since buying it. The metal gold flake is quite in your face but its kind of cool. I think I might paint the B pillar sides the same cream body colour though but keep the roof as it is. Im not sure about the pin striping or the gold seats but its one of those things the more you look at the more used to it you become. Gives it a bit of character I suppose! It has a XW 221 pre cross flow engine, BW35 auto with T bar floor shifter, headers, twin exhaust, XF radiator with twin electric fans, stock drum brakes and stock diff, Mercury Comet metal chrome dash surround, plus its lowered of course! I have swapped my steering wheel over, makes it a bit more roomy in the cabin as I am quite tall and these things are not renowned for there interior space! It drives pretty good, better than I thought it would ha-ha. I need to do a few more little things but for now its a good useable ute to have some fun in, plus it was already registered here in Victoria. That was actually the selling point as made it easy to get in my name, so pretty happy with that 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted December 14, 2013 Author Share Posted December 14, 2013 So, I ended up Painting the sides of the roof and I also painted a spare correct model visor I had laying about. Looks heaps better now I reckon. Cheers to camel for popping around helping me fit up the visor, bit of a two man job as you have to stretch that sucker on. Been driving it heaps, nearly sorted all the bugs out of it. Needs a carb kit next, not looking too flash. Also need to put taller gears in it, its no good for cruising at 100. Luckily I still have the 3.5:1 diff from my XP sedan project, so will swap the gears over at some stage. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted December 30, 2013 Author Share Posted December 30, 2013 Pic of the ute tray, finally got around to it! Bonus! I got the fuel gauge going today, put a new 6 volt regulator, as the old one was stuffed. Still no go, so also had to replace the gauge as it had burnt out. Its good knowing how much petrol is left, that is for sure! Also gave it a oil change ready for the cruise to Phillip island Kustom Nat's. Should be a big turn out, its a 3 day event but I am just going for the sat. Will have to cruise at a leisurely 80-90 as my diff gears are really short at 4.0:1 However I just won a 2.83:1 ring and pinion to fix that though just need to install it one weekend. Then I can get back into the XP sedan again. I have been neglecting it a little bit as of late getting this one sorted! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 So, carby was leaking a bit of fuel. I pulled it apart, gave it a big clean out and fitted a new kit through it. Seem's to be a bit better idling now as well when its hot, although the idle jet is pretty worn on the needle itself but it will do for now. At least its stopped dripping precious fuel onto the exhaust. Last thing I need is the thing bursting into flames on me! I bought a cheap ebay electronic distributor for it, man its made a big difference to the smoothness at higher rpm, it starts first turn of the key when cold now and I have advanced the timing up for a little more power. It goes really good now, the engine seems a lot more eager. Probably the best bang for buck mod you can do. I highly recommend one for the money! Oh, its also got a Bosch transformer ignition coil that I had laying about, it happens to be off a Porsche 911 Turbo haha, maximum fat spark now. Still other things to do as expected for an old car but I can jump in and drive it anywhere for ute duties or just cruising around in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 Sweet pic of the ute with an old triumph bobber. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 This is going into the ute, 302 Windsor. Needs a tidy up before fitting it in though. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 Randomly parked in front of this last week, thought I better get a pic. That F100 needs to be lowered and some wheels and it would be sweet to roll as is! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted May 24, 2014 Author Share Posted May 24, 2014 Progress. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Liam-B Posted July 27, 2014 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 27, 2014 Small update, well a big one really. Pictures speak for themselves! Fits in there really nicely, did not even have too many problems. Just need to sort out all the little things but getting there! Big ups to Camel for coming over and giving me a hand to get the old engine out and the V8 installed in one day. Nice work! XY steering box fitted up. Needed bit of a trim to the box and slight tap to the body. It fits in quite well. Had dramas with the drill bit catching the crush tube on the only hole that needed to be drilled but got it sorted in the end thankfully! After the steering box was bolted up, the engine and gearbox went in nicely. Just need to sort a few things to finish it off. The starter motor I have doesn't fit and the engine cross member brace doesn't either, so have to get those this week. Lots of other small things to figure out but its all simple stuff. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Liam-B Posted September 15, 2014 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 15, 2014 So, I got it running. Finally! Its been a hard slog, had a few headaches along the way (usual engine conversion stuff though really.) The exhaust headers have been a complete nightmare, mainly trying to make them fit with the column shifter linkages and I also struggled to find a starter that would clear everything but it least its all sorted now. Things are tight in places, that is for sure! Off to the exhaust shop tomorrow to get the open headers welded up to the existing twin exhaust mufflers. I also took the time to get heaps of stuff working properly that was not working at all before, like the horn, speedo, handbrake, lack of stereo etc. You know, the basic stuff haha Looking forward to a test drive to make sure everything is all ok! Will post a vid when that happens. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 ok, picked it up from the exhaust shop, sounds good, although maybe a bit too quiet for my liking haha. Its just barely legal at least the guy reckons. Noticed on the way home the carb has a flat spot, need to tune that up. It goes well though when you drive through it and put your foot down though. Also needs a wheel alignment badly, will do one myself this weekend. The steering box needs adjusting, bit of free play there as well. Lastly, there is a small drive-line vibration at speed, I think due to the pinion angle not being inline with the trans output shaft. Will need to measure that with my angle indicator and get some shims into the diff perch where it meets the springs I reckon. Small things at least, easy enough to sort out over the next few days 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Long time since last update! Basically been using the ute on the odd occasion over summer, occasionally as a work horse as seen here haha. Pretty happy with it overall. Turns lots of heads, sounds great and goes well enough. Still sorting little issues as I go along but hey, its a 51 year old car! Thought I would post up the scare bird brake conversion that I did recently https://scarebird.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=65 Its a kit from the states that lets you keep the existing stub axles. The guy supply's the part numbers for everything needed to complete the kit, so I bought a lot of the stuff from Rock Auto in the USA real cheap. Brake rotors I got here. All you get in the basic kit is the bracket and 5 stud stub axles. (He does 4 stud if you prefer.) Lots of kits available for all kinds of old cars. Anyway, picture time : 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 One more of the Honda Dax 70. Fits in the tray snuggly with my tool box haha. Might put a thread up in the 2 wheel project section eventually 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 So, awhile back I noticed the engine was dripping a small amount of coolant from the engine onto the LH exhaust pipe. Did not think much of it at the time, seemed to be ok and not really use any extra coolant. Last weekend I was driving around and it dumped quite a bit when I parked it at a mates place on his driveway, so I thought I better have a closer look around the head bolt where it seemed to be coming from. I presumed it might be leaking past the head bolt itself somehow but had a proper look just now. I took the bolt out, no signs of coolant there but found that the head is porous and cracked! Dam. Looks like I might be buying a new set of cylinder heads then!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 I got the heads off the ute today and had a look what I had on there. Stock standard 1968 302 2V 63cc heads, which would be around a 9.0:1 comp ratio. Wheezer heads indeed. So, I pulled the trigger on a set of Edelbrock 5023 E-street heads, the ones with the 1.9' inlet valves and 60cc combustion chambers. This will be way better than anything ford ever made and plenty fine for my set up, plus a nice weight saving as well. I also got some ARP head bolts and some Crane roller tip rockers as my existing stock ford ones had just started to wear through the hardening on the tips. Still need to work out push rods and gaskets but all this is on target for under my $2000 budget. The bottom end looks great though, its got 30 thou over pistons and the bores are in really great shape, like new. The cam and lifters currently in there are too good to think about replacing just now, so will leave a cam upgrade for another day. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Current mood : In other news, I have pulled the steering box out, its shot. It used to knock and always be really heavy after driving around for a bit. So thinking of putting a power steer rack in. Also ditched the column shift linkages and bought an ididit column shift cable conversion kit, that should free up a lot of room around the drivers side exhaust headers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Wow, just realised I haven't updated my build thread in awhile, A lot has happened since April haha. Fitted my choice new E street heads Also fitted some new Comp Cams roller tip rockers All back together now = happy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Also thought it was about time to upgrade the brake master to a dual XB Falcon 1 inch bore Mounted a remote VH40 up under the front wheel housing for max stealthness. Stops so much nicer now with this upgrade, along with the new front discs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Also got a complete new custom twin 2.25 inch exhaust made for it , sounds really good now. The guy did a sweet job on it. Super close to the floor as well, along with a couple of dumps at the back now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Took it for a decent drive out to chopped back in october with some fellow old school members, you might have heard about it in other threads? If not go check it out! Such a rad event Took it for a skid in the dirt drags. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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