'64 Ford Fairlane Project

[curleysracecars]

Hello everyone-
Long time lurker and always enjoyed this place. I have been debating on whether or not to start a build thread, but figured it may be fun to show progression of this project. This has been a back burner, spend time on it in between customers projects for almost 2 years now. Recently my wife and I have decided on moving out of state to expand our manufacturing business, and therefore this thing will probably be sold upon completion. She promises I can build another one someday...Lol.

I have done a lot of research on this and other similar forums and one thing that is always very prevalent is the idea of an end goal for the vehicle once completed. Keeping this goal in mind the entire build makes decision making easier at times. In other words, it is easy to get off course when decision making...sticking to that initial plan will keep you from going astray and minimize frustration. We all wants the newest, latest, greatest of everything but often times those pieces do not fit the initial goal set for the project. This particular car was always intended to be a street car more than anything. I am extremely busy and figured I would have very little time to go to any tracks with it. That said, I have gotten in a little too deep in some instances, but have been good about not going overboard for the cars intended purpose. I do a lot of drag racing stuff, and have recently started to take on projects in other industries as well. This project has been fun, while also challenging at times. I really enjoy the design/engineering aspect more than anything, so I sometimes go overboard with what needs to be done. Add to that, I run precision sheetmetal equipment and other CNC stuff, and you can see throughout the build that there are many instances where I put all of this to work.

The car was purchased from a little old lady locally. It was her husbands car, and her father-in-law was the original purchaser. It was a basic 6 cylinder, Ford-o-matic, Sports Coupe 500. White with black interior. I probably should have left the suspension part of it alone, and just did more of a "restore" on the car, while swapping a SBF into it....but that didnt stretch my imagination much. That said, the following is now the plan for the build.

*SUSPENSION*
Front -
*Mustang II Spindles, using a completely from scratch design of suspension geometry(only the spindle is MII based). Some dont like this setup, but I wanted to see what I could do with it.
*Viking Double Adjustable Coilovers
*Fabricated Tubular Control Arms
*Narrowed Rack & Pinion to Obtain Ideal Geometry

Rear-
*TCP Mustang Leaf Springs (5 Leaf)(wanted 2.5" wide, and had a difficult time finding lowering springs with advertised spring rates for the Fairlane)
*Tubular Front Crossmember with Incorporated Adjustable Leaf Spring Mounts (nobody could give a definitive answer as to the benefits of having a front adjustable mount, so I went ahead and did it to find out for myself)
*Custom Rear Leaf Spring Mounts and Shackles (Mustang springs are different dimensions than the Fairlane stuff, so things needed to be moved around)
*4.5" Long 4130 Chromoly Shackles
*Viking Smooth Body Double Adjustable Shocks

*Round Tube Subframe Connectors- I didnt want to go through the floor, but didnt want them hanging down low either. I ended up poking them through the rear floor pans just a bit to keep them from hanging below the pinch welds of the rockers. These also incorporate hidden passages on the front and rear, giving an ideal location to run batter cables and fuel lines from front to back on the car. (Ran on opposite sides of course)

*DRIVETRAIN*

*Engine- Pretty mild 302 from a 1968 Mustang. Bored .030" over. Basic intake, cam, exhaust, and ported/cleaned up stock iron heads. I figured this would get the car moving and could later be updated to any number of combinations
*Transmission - Rebuilt C4, with shift kit and other internal "tricks" to make them work better and last longer. Converter is a custom built piece from a local shop that should be well mannered on the street.
*Rearend - Ford 9", with stock 31 spline 3.50 gear center section. Housing has been cut down to accommodate rear wheel offset.

*Wheels/Tires*
US Mags Rambler Wheels 17x7" Up Front - BFG 235/45/17 Tires
US Mags Rambler Wheels 18x9.5" In Rear BFG 245/45/18 Tires


This covers most of the basic stuff. Much of the other stuff is kind of the "normal" mods that everyone does(ratchet shifter, fabbed fuel cell in factory location, painless wiring, etc). Paint will go back to Wimbledon White(unless someone buys it before paint), which will include underside and engine compartment.

Pictures:

Day I brought it home.

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Getting it torn apart:
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Engine Stuff:
3G Alternator with Billet Bracket for Old Style Water Pump SBF
Basic Port Job on Stock Iron Heads
Aluminum Radiator with Fabbed Overflow
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Suspension Stuff:

Front:
I didnt like the stock front frame rails, especially under the battery tray. So I designed and made new ones, duplicating the 4 degree bend that the factory rails had, so that the core support would all still line up.
Engine crossmember was designed in Solidworks, incorporating a centerline mark to pull your tape measure from for all referencing, as well as all suspension mounting points. Individual pieces had slots and tabs incorporated in them to aid in alignment when assembling/welding. Tubular lower core support crossmember gave some much needed room for the aluminum radiator, as well as adding strength over the stock sheetmetal piece.
Upper BJ Plates were drawn, laser cut, and formed in order to build the upper tubular control arms. Also is a picture of the Pinto rack that was shortened 4.5" to help with suspension geometry.

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Rear:
Laser Cut and Formed Leaf Spring Plates with Incorporated Tie Down Points
Adjustable Shock Mount with Billet Mount
Weld Quality (laying upside down welding the front leaf spring mounts)
Rear Shackle Mounts (encapsulates frame rails, gives new location for shackle pivot point)
Subframe Connectors with Openings for Passage Ways
Rear Suspension Mocked Up (sorry for the blast of light)

Brakes:
Using the MII spindle, 1970 Mustang rotors (11.4" if I remember right), and SN95 aluminum dual piston calipers. Design time was fun. I laser cut some brackets out of steel to verify hole locations and such. Then took this information and made solid models to then machine out of aluminum. There are 2 pieces that bolt together, one to the spindle, the other to the OEM caliper bracket. This is one of the items I may try to market in the future. The MII spindle is used a lot in street rod stuff, and I am wondering if the "all ford components" aspect will be much of a selling point.

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[curleysracecars]

Sorry if those pics are way too big???

I am nearly finished with the suspension part of the build. Goal is to have all of that wrapped up by the end of the year. From there, body work will begin, then obviously paint. There is still a few things that need to be done between those two like plumbing, mounting battery and electrical fuse panel, etc.

As I mentioned, I have done mostly drag car stuff, but have expanded into other industries a little at a time over the years. Here are a couple pics as examples of past projects.

Tube Chassis for a 67 Mustang FB
Brackets for Pro Mod Rearend Housings
Yamaha and Polaris UTV's
The other car is a '57 Fairlane (our families racecar). Has a 816" Hemi Ford motor in it and has been 6.94@196mph in Top Sportsman.

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[Jetfixr320]

Nice build and digging the other projects.

Interested in the Mustang II spindle caliper brackets.

[curleysracecars]

Thanks for the compliment. I should have the caliper brackets finished and marketable in the coming month or so. Email me if you'd like to discuss them.
[email protected]

[curleysracecars]

A little more progress. Trying to make it a roller so I can get it moved around. I ended up moving the engine up 1/4" in order to get more clearance for the R&P. Rack is narrowed to match the lower control arm pivot points. Need to laser cut the upper control arm mounts, and front shock mounts to finish that part off. Out back, I need to build the upper shock crossmember. Once that is done, I believe the rear is about done. I have contemplated a PH bar, but think I have decided against it.

I also duplicated the stock fuel tank in aluminum. Original was shot, and I built this for free versus buying a repop one. Internal baffles and rear sump pickup.

I should have tires mounted on the wheels next week, and can mock everything up one last time to make sure it all fits before final welding anything on the housing.

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[wfo guy]

I'm very curious about your front end. My biggest complaint about M2 stuff has been lack of travel. Is that something you can address? It's looking good so far. I had one of these in late 1969. Kind of a teal with black roof. 289 hipo and 4 speed.

[curleysracecars]

Looking for 3" of bump and rebound. The control arms are longer than stock MII stuff, and if I did my modeling correctly (cross my fingers), the geometry should work out well. I played with arm lengths and mounting locations in Solidworks quite a bit, and was able to come up with what I thought was a reasonable camber curve, scrub radius, and minimal bump steer.

Looking at a 12" coilover at ride height...hopefully.

[Godbolt]

Looks great. Love your other work as well. Looking forward to seeing this one progress.

On a side not I also bought a set of the US Mags Ramblers for my Plymouth recently and should have them on shortly.

[curleysracecars]

Thanks Godbolt.

I was able to get tires mounted and mocked up on the car. I think I like them. Once the car is painted and everything back on it, I think I will like them even more.

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[Godbolt]

I think they look really good.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Looks good man!

The pictures of your previous fab work are phenomenal. Very nice work!

[curleysracecars]

Thanks guys. Much appreciated.

[Dave R]

Awesome. Wish I had access to the tools used on your parts. My build would be going a little different. Keep it up!

[parsonsj]

Love the metal fab! Please keep the pics coming.

[curleysracecars]

Thanks for the compliments guys. It has been a little slower than I was hoping for. I took the week between Christmas and NY off from work, expecting to spend a whole week on the car. Unfortunately 2 days was consumed by swapping an engine into my younger brothers Honda...when will they learn that they are not racecars?! On top of that, it seems we may be moving a little sooner than expected so I am now really under the gun to get this thing at least to a sellable state. I figured I'll keep plugging along and before starting the paint process, decide where we are at and if it needs to be sold before paint. Worst case, the new owner could pick his/her own color.

I finished the rearend housing. Completely welded all the brackets in place, then went about straightening the housing. One tube came back real nice...the other fought me and is still off slightly. Luckily the narrowing fixture eliminates that as being an issue down the road. Still cross my fingers that the width is correct...I am a little OCD and terrible at finalizing any critical decisions.

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This week I planned to get the upper shock crossmember completed as well. It was suppose to be a pretty simple, quick job. Form the frame plates, cut tube, weld tabs in place, weld everything into car. Of course the dimpled spare tire well hung down too low preventing the tube to go up where it needed to be. I absolutely hate cutting sheetmetal around tubes. Its super time consuming and you're always worried you'll take too much material. Fortunately this turned out nicely, and with a little silicon bronze on the top side, it will blend into the trunk and maybe strengthen everything up a little more?? Also, notice the 2 different shades of gray one the factory sheetmetal behind the doubler plate. For anyone who hasnt worked on an old Ford, that is because Ford galvanized all their sheetmetal. It was a great idea on their part, but a terrible idea when you're the guy who wants to weld to it. Sanding paint off is one thing...getting through the galvanize is just a pain in the butt.

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I was able to finish the crossmember (just got in from final welding). This is, I hope, the last time this housing has to go back under the car before it is painted and installed for the final time. I always try to look ahead at what I, or the next owner may want to do. The upper shock crossmember is overkill for a normal shock, but everything is now in place for someone who wants to put coilovers on the car in the future. Tabs on the housing for some links, remove leaf springs, install coilovers...and you're on your way.

Those shocks are some old Koni's that came off our drag car. Dont worry, the correct ones will have a little more bump travel. ;)

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[curleysracecars]

I tried shrinking the size of the pictures this go around...hopefully it works.
I was able to spend some time on the front suspension today and am overly pleased. I spent quite a bit of time modeling this stuff in Solidworks, and from what I can tell it was worth it. I laser cut all of the upper mounting tabs and only one needed a bit of touch up to work out correctly. The shock mounts I cut are off a bit so I will recut them and get them installed.

I mocked everything up with 4° of caster, but have 1/2" of adjustability to move the top of the spindle back further if desired (notice spacers during mockup stage). I read alot about anti-dive, but never seemed to get any definitive answer as to whether it was needed or not, and if so how much. I remember reading that it was a "fix", or safety deal for the old lady driving to the grocery store. I mocked this up with 1° of anti-dive, though the caster changes very minimal during bump. Camber curve was another thing commonly brought up, and commonly having different "ideal" scenarios. I decided on somewhere around to 1° per inch of travel, and having positive camber during rebound if possible. This is one area everyone seemed to bash the original MII geometry, so I spent some time trying to make it as best as possible.

Geometry as it sits now:

Caster - 4° at Ride Height
Camber - -.5° at Ride Height

Camber Curve -

Bump 1": -1.05° Rebound 1": 0°
Bump 2": -1.85° Rebound 2": +.3°
Bump 3": -2.65°

Anyone have any concerns with these numbers? Or any other numbers I should be looking for before locking all this stuff in for good? Bump steer will be another deal, but will need to wait until the rack is mocked up to do so. Having already narrowed the rack, I am hoping it will be fairly close to begin with. Wanted to use stock style tie rod ends rather than heims, but I dont think the tie rod ends will be long enough to reach the spindle since the rack has been narrowed.

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[Btamayo23]

Wow awesome fab work! Keep the pics comin. Love the wheel choice by the way.

[windows]

Wow. Great fabrication skills! Looks really good.

[curleysracecars]

Thanks guys. This thing is for sale at any stage of the process...so dont be bashful. ;)

I put the driver side mounts together and mocked everything up with tires and wheels. I probably could have gone with a slightly bigger/wider tire but for the most part I am happy with it. How close do you get to rubbing and other issues, rather than being on the safe side and making life easy, ya know?
With the wheel openings on this car not being a consistent arc it is tough to find the most desired spindle CL fore/aft. I notice all the other Fairlanes, from stock to the Ring Bros. build, seem to have the tire in the same place mine is currently located. It is tough to get a picture of it, but it is hard to get the tire diameter to be concentric with the front part of the wheel opening. Add to that, the opening tapers off and away as it approaches the rear of the car, and it makes for a lot of wondering as to how it would look in different locations. I will probably try to move the spindle CL forward 1/4-3/8" and see what it looks like there. Then I need to re-figure the caster adjustability. That should put me at around 4.5° of caster at the minimum of its adjustment. From what I've researched, this is not an issue and will probably never be less than this. Any input?

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[Godbolt]

Looks really good to me. Nicely done.

[Rebob]

All I can say my friend is you have some skills !!!! Very nice work, like metal porn.
Rick

[curleysracecars]

Thank you!

I have done a few more things...never seems to move along quick enough.

I had to do some thinking on making up the mount for the passenger side of the rack and pinion. The idea of the removable crossmember was to allow removal of the oil pan while the motor is sitting in the car (works great actually). Unfortunately that means the rack needs to be removable also. The driver side rack mount wasnt too difficult and utilizes two of the mounting bolts for the crossmember. For the passenger side, I ended up utilizing one of the "lightning holes" that I had lasered into the crossmember. I machined two small pucks with a .150" shoulder on them. Then drilled a thru hole in one of them and threaded the other one for a bolt. The one welded to the rack mount tube is threaded, the other one installs from the back side and acts like a thick locating washer. Both piece register in the 1" hole in the crossmember, and cannot move unless the bolt falls out. Only thing I need to change is the T-bolt clamp...I hate chinese junk.
Sometimes the laser isnt available for one simple part. I then draw things up in Solidworks, get a flat pattern and build it the old fashioned way. The driver side rack mount was done this way.

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A quick mock up shows the tie rods and lower control arms pretty close to parallel. This along with the narrowed rack, and I hope bump steer only needs minimal adjustment. I really wanted to use a standard style TRE, but it seems going from a Pinto rack to a MII spindle isnt a common thing. I went ahead and ordered the studs to use heims and spacers to make it all work correctly. I will machine some parts to adapt the 1/2-20 thread on the tie rod to the heim joint size needed.

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Today I laser cut some more small parts. Gussets for the shock mounts, control arm mounts, and also the gussets/shock mounts for the lower control arm. Here is a picture of one tacked together.

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Someone had asked about increased travel in the suspension compared to a MII setup. I was hoping for 6" total, but I am not sure that is going to happen. Looking at available coilovers and measuring some things out, I will more than likely go with a Viking coilover that has a touch over 5" of travel. Still more than MII setup, but not the 6" I really wanted. I could go longer by making the upper mount stick up higher off the frame rail, but I am afraid of making it too long to where it has a large mechanical advantage over the frame rail and begins twisting the rail itself.

I hope to have the gussets installed and shocks mounted by the end of the weekend. At that point, I think I can officially call it a "roller". After that is figuring out the steering column and steering shaft down to the rack. More pictures to come.

[wfo guy]

Tell me about your laser, please.

[curleysracecars]

Amada Pulsar, 4000 watt machine. Its owned by a good friend of mine who allows me to use it. I do a lot of my product inventory on the laser and press brake. If anyone needs production runs done, feel free to email me.

[curleysracecars]

Was able to burn out some new upper shock mounts today. This mockup is with a 12" long coilover at ride height. Looks like it all turned out as planned, and I should have a little more than 5" of travel. I got a couple of the control arm mount gussets in place as well. Lots of welding to do once all of this stuff is finalized and in place.

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[curleysracecars]

Think the front suspension is complete. Lots of welding to do still.

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[wfo guy]

Are you planning on all your measurements being absolute accurate or am I missing the caster and camber adjusters?

[curleysracecars]

Are you planning on all your measurements being absolute accurate or am I missing the caster and camber adjusters?

Control arm mounts all allow for up to 1/2" of movement. Mount tabs are wider than the poly bushed ends, so shims will be used. I know some dont like poly, and I have thought of using torrington bearings in place of the shims to get rid of the "stick-tion" that people talk about with poly bushings.

[andrewb70]

If you alter the length of the control arm legs, won't that put the bushing in a bind?

Andrew

[curleysracecars]

If you alter the length of the control arm legs, won't that put the bushing in a bind?

Andrew

They need to be altered to the same length, otherwise yes, you are correct they would be in a bind as they are not spherical. Lowers will set track width, uppers will set camber, and the fore/aft movement taken up by shims wherever they are needed will control caster. Notice in the first pics of the stuff mocked up there are random 1/4" thick spacers in between the mounts and the poly bushing? That is to allow for adjustment.

[curleysracecars]

Not much to report, though the car is officially a roller. I need to machine some adapters to utilize heim joints on the end of the Pinto tie rods. I should get those done this week. I have a short list of small things to do before painting the car. I have been up in the air whether I should paint it or not but I think if I try to sell it, a painted car definitely will bring more money than something in primer and boxes of chrome trim and such. Wimbledon White it is. Going to try to paint the underside and engine bay the same color as well. Black in the wheel wells probably.

I did get a few small things done since my last post. Below is a picture of $160 worth of AN bolts and nuts for the front and rear suspension. Im a stickler when it comes to hardware and hate bolts with the wrong grip length. They are pricey, but in my opinion they are worth it.

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This evening I also finished a little project with the steering column. I am running a ratcher shifter to the C4, so I was able to get rid of the column shift and all the uglyness that sticks out through the firewall. I machined bushings from Acetal to adapt the stock column down to 3/4" steering shaft. This allowed me to keep the column itself, as well as the turn signal cam assembly, etc. I shortened the overall column so that it stays inside the cabin. The only thing that will come through the firewall will be the 3/4" steering shaft itself and will immediately go into a U-joint to get down to the rack.
One thing I plan to finish this week is replacing the huge hole in the firewall for the column with new smooth sheet, and then poking the small hole through it for the shaft to come into the engine bay.

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[curleysracecars]

This thing is officially for sale. My wife starts her new job out of state April 24th, and this will be sold before we leave. Should have it in primer in a week or so, then decide if I want to paint it, or let the next guy pick his own color.

I was able to finalize all the steering setup, and made stainless steel straps to hold the aluminum fuel cell in the stock location. Even hemmed the ends of the straps like the factory, and put the same bend profile on the one end that registers in the body.

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[Cop Magnet]

Sweet project, and great craftsmanship!

[curleysracecars]

Thanks Cop. Much appreciated.

[curleysracecars]

Been trying to stay busy on this project as we only have about a month left before we will be moving. If someone has any interest in it, please let me know. I will make a good deal on it if it means I dont have to move it with me.

Seam sealed the interior last week. For anyone looking for the BEST seam sealer, there is a picture of it below. Made by PPG and is called Semkit. It is aircraft fuel tank sealant. 2 parts that mix together in the tube then is dispensed with a caulking gun (pneumatic gun usually). It works excellent, nothing will touch it (acetone, lacquer thinner, gas, diesel, MEK, nothing...) and will stay flexible forever. It bonds extremely well and can be used as an adhesive to some degree. I remove this stuff from military equipment that was in Vietnam, and it is still just as good as the day it was applied. It is expensive, but check ebay for good deals...outdated stuff works just fine for our needs.

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I also was able to get the inner fender panels made up. I made the steel parts to graft into the stock sheetmetal, punched the obround holes in the factory locations, and even put the VIN number in the original OE locations. From there, I made aluminum panels that span from the upper pieces down to the frame rails. Definitely cleans stuff up nicely. I dont think I will paint them as of now...

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I also added a gusset to the front of the front leaf spring mounts, tying the 2 individual brackets together as one. It looks more complete and helps to keep everything together.

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Plans are to final prep the engine bay, underside, and front fender well areas, then prime and paint everything black. I think I have decided to go satin on the underside and any of the stock sheetmetal in the engine compartment, and then go gloss black on all of the custom fabricated pieces. Kind of give it a little contrast rather than just all being a blah satin black.

[curleysracecars]

I have been busy with the car, but havnt had much time for pictures or posting here. Here are a few shots. The idea was to get the underside painted, engine bay painted, and interior floors all painted. From there, I will remount everything, making the car a roller. At that point I can advertise it as a roller needing paint, wiring, plumbing, and some odds and ends.

I went ahead and had a torque converter built for it, figuring it would be dumb to put the engine and trans together and in the car just so the next guy could pull it all back apart. I am ordering rear axles for it as well. I had machined down some truck axles and changed the bolt pattern on them, but unfortunately they are not re-splinable (is that a word?).
I was able to get some billet pieces finalized as well. The front disc brake brackets as well as the alternator mount. This is a new 3G alternator and an old style water pump with the outlet on the passenger side. I couldnt find anyone who made a mount for this setup, so I made my own. There is a adjustable turnbuckle with heim joints that goes to the lower alternator hole, and the threaded hole in the bracket.
I also went ahead and made up some aluminum inner fender panels for the car. I dont blame on painting them as they are removable, and I figured it may be a spot for the next person to add a little of their own touch via paint color, anodize, polish, etc.

Im a little behind schedule but hoping it is listed for sale in the next week or so. Thanks for looking!

[curleysracecars]

Engine and transmission are installed.

[Motown 454]

There's plenty nice work there. Awesome job.

[curleysracecars]

Thanks Motown.

The car saw sunlight for the first time in about a year. It is officially a roller, and will be sold as it sits. I may loosely bolt some of the exterior trim and such on to make it more complete looking. Wish I could finish it, but I guess life changes means you have to roll with the punches. Here are some pictures of it outside.

[meatonastick]

I'm sorry to hear you have to sell it, I was really enjoying this build.

[Crestronwizard]

Sweet build. PM me pricing.

[wyattroa]

Love what you did with this car. Too bad you have to sell it. But family and life comes first. Where are you located and what are you looking to get for it?

[curleysracecars]

Thanks for the words guys. I am currently in Northern California, but moving to Idaho. I feel it is hard to price a project like this, but I have listed locally for $17k. That number may seem high, but there are a lot of nice new parts, too many hours in fabrication time, and all the parts to reassemble it, including some duplicates of some of the parts.

I have had 2 guys come look at it in the last couple days. Both seemed impressed with the work that has been done. One made me an offer that I am tossing around, the other said he'd think about it. We will see...

[Godbolt]

Good luck with the sale. Hopefully whoever is lucky enough to pick it up completes the build on here (nudge for Geoff B).

[curleysracecars]

It has been sold, and is awaiting pickup from its new owner. It will be traveling back to Washington state. I will mention this thread to the new owner and see if he wants to continue the build thread. Thanks for following along.