Quizzes, quandaries, and questions.
I have a shopping list of resto-mod parts for the car. Adjustable shocks, modern suspension parts, swaybars, crossmembers... anything to turn a 50-year-old hulk into a driver's car and serious highway cruiser. My problem is that the original 260 motor and 3-speed FMX automatic are garbage. Do I keep the stock 260 and rebuild it with a modern 4-speed AOD tranny or replace it entirely with a late-model or 302 crate motor? I kind of sort of want to keep the original 260, but it is such a gutless turd (150 hp). Highway driving is fine... it made the trip from Alabama to Tennessee with no engine problems other than a clogged fuel system.
The following is some advice from some Ford fans in Aiken, SC.
1. Better steering (in line with your Datsun, BMW and MG) Unisteer rack: http://www.unisteer.com/ford/63-65-fairlane-rack-pinion-for-popular-small-blocks.html You'll never get the kind of precision out of the stock system that a rack will provide.
2. Adjustable strut rods (use rubber NOT urethane). This will allow for greater camber than the stock settings. I did find a company selling adjustable strut rods for the '63 Fairlane. http://www.streetortrack.com/Street-or-Track-Adjustable-Strut-Rods-pr-16135.html
3. Larger 1-inch front bar. 3/4 inch rear bar.
4. New front springs and rear; contact Eaton Detroit Spring and discuss what you are looking for try and stay away from reverse springs. Rebuild the upper and lower control arms.
5. Hydraulic shocks. Eaton carries a full line of QA1s, we put hem on the '65 hardtop and like the drive much better.
6. Good sticky tires like the BFG KDs mounted on plus sized rims. Be careful. The Falcon and Fairlane are bad about offset. Watch our video on setting up wheels if you don't already have some.
7. Structurally the sedan is much better than a hardtop. You still might consider a pair of home made subframe connectors and shock tower braces both from the cowl to the towers, and from one apron to the other like the Mustang Monte Carlo bar.
Jeff has been an invaluable resource when it comes to Mustang/Fairlane/Falcon/Comet stuff. What I'm thinking of is sandbagging parts now and installing them over the new year, followed by a replacement motor/transmission at a later date.
I really do not like the old 3-speed auto transmissions. I think a 4-speed AOD upgrade would be a huge improvement in addition to swapping the factory 8-inch 3.00 for a lower 3.77.