[Rodbender]

After owning this poor decrepit convertible Futura for 20 years, I'm finally fixing it up. If you choose to follow, you're welcome to the resurrection of my 1963 Falcon from January 2nd, 2020 to when I get it on the road. Since this is a garden variety convertible, I can make my mods to it without hacking a really rare car. Like every story about a car, it starts as a complete car. She was made on All Fools Day in the year 1963. She was Corinthian White with a red standard interior and white top. A buck seventy engine with a 3 on the tree and buckets seats with the console rolling out of Lorain, Ohio.
My plans are to do a moderate update on the car, 302 V8 with a 5 speed and a 9 inch rear. I'm going with the '65 power steering, linkage and disc brakes. It's a typical midwestern car with some fairly amateur work done by brazing and welding in sheet metal patch pieces. The rest was held together by slathering tar and some kind of mesh to it. (Mainly, on the bottom)

 

[Dominick 1]

Welcome
At least you have something to start with
Keep us posted

 

[Action]

Thanks in advance for sharing!!!!!

Action

 

[redrag]

i love it . mine was corinthian white with red interior

 

[Rodbender]

So, after looking the car over, I decided I needed a lot more better parts. I had two halves of a couple cars shipped up from Texas. I have the pics but they won't load. The file is too big it says. One half was from a convertible and the rear half from a sedan or hardtop. While the rear section was standing up in my backyard like Cadillac ranch, I took the opportunity to set a couple rims with mounted tires in the wheel houses. I measured the distance between the wheel flanges and came up with 54.5 inches. I found a narrowed 9 inch housing and axles of 54 inches and bought it. I'm aware the stock was at 56, but most folks have issues with tires rubbing at that width. I'll try to find a way to add these pics. Bear with me.

 

[Iowan]

Sounds like a great project!

 

[Rodbender]

Here's a shot (I hope) of the two halves that I started with. I hope this pic works.

 

[Rodbender]

Here's some shots ofthe rusted through trunk area.

 

[Action]

Got yourself some metal puzzles!

>>>>Action

 

[redrag]

thats true ambition

 

[Rodbender]

So, I thought I'd get the needed parts separated by drilling out the spot welds.

 

[Dominick 1]

Man that's a lot of work

 

[Action]

You are ambitious.

>>>>Action

 

[Rodbender]

Yes.There's a million and one spot welds holding your vintage Falcon together. My thoughts were to start at the rear and work forward since the rear of the car was facing out. So, I started the disassembly of the trunk floors and removal of the rusty azzed frame rail. I decided to do one side at a time in order to keep the rigidity of the body so nothing shifted. Obviously, all the trunk panels needed replaced .

 

[RPMagoo]

-- Man that's a lot of work --

-- I agree, and as Action says --"You are ambitious".

 

[Action]

Thanks for posting the pictures. It is good to see the work.

(And I am glad you are doing that not me.)

>>>>>>Action

 

[Rodbender]

At this point I was still gung ho on doing the rear section of the car first.

 

[Action]

Ouch. And you were doing awesome!!!!


>>>>>Action

 

[Rodbender]

So, as I was chopping away at the rear, I thought about how I was going to reassemble the car. I was about to cut rear quarter panel loose when I thought, "There;s no support there." That's when I changed course.

 

[Dominick 1]

That poor thing has lived a hard life