65 Fairlane pro-touring build

[mongocanfly]

Man, that dipped body looks great.. I wish we had someone local that could do that..
I'd love to get my next one dipped..only hesitation I'd have is I've heard some horror stories about dipped bodys that have the remover bleed out of seams after paint, taking the paint with it..

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Man, that dipped body looks great.. I wish we had someone local that could do that..
I'd love to get my next one dipped..only hesitation I'd have is I've heard some horror stories about dipped bodys that have the remover bleed out of seams after paint, taking the paint with it..

I've had several dipped without any significant issues. They immerse them in a neutralizer after the parts come out of the tank and before they apply rust preventer. I think the experienced shops do their best to prevent the seepage out of the pinch welds from happening, but I've heard the same stories. The alternative is soda or glass bead blasting - each of which has its own issues. Or you can bake them at high temps in an oxygen free oven, but that doesn't remove the rust. This puppy had so much undercoat and rust i figured I'd roll the dice. It's not cheap, but there's no way I could hand strip it and grind/DA it enough to do a decent repair job. So far, I've only seen two places I'll need to watch out for. I'll post before and after pics when I treat those areas.

[mongocanfly]

They used coal slag on the IH, it worked well,
no complaints except they warped my doors...it was evident that happened when they blasted inside the door, the media was hitting the crash rail in the door ..I'm pretty sure that's what did the damage..
The travelall has some huge unreinforced panels, so I'm a little worried about the large areas..I may do those by hand..

[Vic1947]

The TCI custom front IFS kit arrived. It came with the X-member, Ridetech coil over adjustable shocks, tubular a-arms, R&P steering and Wilwood DynaPro brakes and dropped spindles. I need to do some patchwork on the inner fenders, etc. before I can remove the stock suspension mounts and shock towers. I've been sidetracked due to working on a friend's ride - turbocharged LS going into a '70 GTO. But once the plumbing is done on it, I can return full speed on the Fairlane. I finally got a pair of glasses yesterday. It's been four weeks since cataract surgery on my right eye and 10 days since they did the left eye. I wasn't one of the lucky folks that could see great after the procedure. In fact, my wife has been hauling my sorry butt around since I wasn't cleared to drive. I can see pretty good with the new glasses, though. For a while I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to weld again, but I think it's gonna be okay.

[62c30]

Just seeing if anything was going on here, I'm looking for motivation to work on my Fairlane.

[SCOTI]

I was hoping for an update as well....

[MP&C]

Vic, one of the factory defects common to the 65 is the passenger cowl fit to the top of the fender.. (before you get too far along) :






We did a slice and dice to bring it down in the rear a bit



welded and dressed




We also repaired trunk seal channel, drip rail, sail panels, etc. Have a gander through here, it may give some insight into other trouble spots to check out.


https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...e-build.86935/




.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by 62c30

Just seeing if anything was going on here, I'm looking for motivation to work on my Fairlane.

There hasn't been much happening with the Fairlane since my last post. Not sure if I mentioned it earlier but there's a '70 GTO occupying one of the spaces in my shop. I agreed to help a friend put a turbo on it and it's been keeping me tied to the whipping post. When it arrived, it had no engine or trans in it and no kit or anything for the turbo, so all that had to be done. Lots of decisions along the way. It's nearing completion, so I've started sneaking a few hours here and there on my project.

Originally Posted by SCOTI

I was hoping for an update as well....

Alrighty then - see below.

Originally Posted by MP&C

Vic, one of the factory defects common to the 65 is the passenger cowl fit to the top of the fender (before you get too far along) We also repaired trunk seal channel, drip rail, sail panels, etc. Have a gander through here, it may give some insight into other trouble spots to check out.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...e-build.86935/

Thanks for the tips! I figure all those areas will need some TLC. The NOS RF fender I bought will need work for sure. It has some shipping damage right around where it meets the cowl.

OK - a few new things to mention. First of all, I bought a direct fit shifter from Forma Cars for the MT82 six speed that's mated to the Coyote engine. Seems to be a really nice piece. It feels very solid and has a nice short throw. From what I've read, one of the main complaints Mustang owners have about that trans is the shift quality. So this should be a huge improvement.

I've also started the TCI front cross member installation. I can tell already I'll need to do some extra patching on the frame rail before the kit pieces can be attached. I've posted a shot of both sides to show how much room this mod creates. Hopefully, it's enough for that big, wide DOHC engine.

Once Andrew gets the GTO back to his garage, I should be able to post more often.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

There hasn't been much happening with the Fairlane since my last post. Not sure if I mentioned it earlier but there's a '70 GTO occupying one of the spaces in my shop. I agreed to help a friend put a turbo on it and it's been keeping me tied to the whipping post. When it arrived, it had no engine or trans in it and no kit or anything for the turbo, so all that had to be done. Lots of decisions along the way. It's nearing completion, so I've started sneaking a few hours here and there on my project.
Alrighty then - see below.

Thanks for the tips! I figure all those areas will need some TLC. The NOS RF fender I bought will need work for sure. It has some shipping damage right around where it meets the cowl.

OK - a few new things to mention. First of all, I bought a direct fit shifter from Forma Cars for the MT82 six speed that's mated to the Coyote engine. Seems to be a really nice piece. It feels very solid and has a nice short throw. From what I've read, one of the main complaints Mustang owners have about that trans is the shift quality. So this should be a huge improvement.

I've also started the TCI front cross member installation. I can tell already I'll need to do some extra patching on the frame rail before the kit pieces can be attached. I've posted a shot of both sides to show how much room this mod creates. Hopefully, it's enough for that big, wide DOHC engine.

Once Andrew gets the GTO back to his garage, I should be able to post more often.

Ahh..... YOU are the buddy helping Andrew. I didn't realize that. I've followed his build from day-1.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Ahh..... YOU are the buddy helping Andrew. I didn't realize that. I've followed his build from day-1.

Yes, I'm the one. I didn't realize when we started that Andrew knows everyone on the planet. Plus, he's a pretty dang good tuner.

[Vic1947]

Patched a couple of places on the inside surface of the frame rail. I used the existing holes to locate the rear patch and marked the perimeter, then cut out a window and welded the patch in. The remaining stuff is surface corrosion and won't affect the integrity of the IFS kit. Now comes the unpleasant part - laying on my back and patching the underside of the rail.

Last two shots are of the upper boxing plates in position for welding. There's also a thick plate that goes on the underside, but only after I fix the existing rot.

.

[Rickysnickers]

Nice work!

[mongocanfly]

Nice setup on the gto..!!!
Laying on your back???..I thought you had it on the rotisserie

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

Nice work!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Nice setup on the gto..!!!
Laying on your back???..I thought you had it on the rotisserie

Thanks, Greg. I wish I still had my rotisserie. The ceiling in my shop was too low for it, so I put it on Craigslist when we bought this place and it sold immediately. So now I lay on my back, grunting and groaning.

You can see the rot I'll need to repair. Grinding and welding overhead is the pits.

[MP&C]

That looks like a battery box side.

[jaros44sr]

Impressive work

Enjoy following your threads

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by MP&C

That looks like a battery box side.

You are correct, sir! The inner panel where the battery sat will be replaced by a panel to match the driver side. I'll relocate the battery to the back of the car.

Originally Posted by jaros44sr

Impressive work

Enjoy following your threads

Thanks! I hope you're in it for the long haul. Most of my builds take at least two years.

The underside of the frame rail on the passenger side is taking shape. I plan to add one more plate to it that will cover all the patches. I had to remove the box that the strut rod attached to because it was rotted out. The downside is that I lost one of the mounting points for the new sway bar, so I'll have to scab on a threaded plate later on. I'll also gusset the rail and core support to add back some of the structural strength.

The last couple of days have been really nice, so I opened the garage door and used the plasma cutter to remove the shock tower and a-arm mount from the driver side. When I did the passenger side, I set off the smoke alarms but all the smoke and stink went out the door this time. It's starting to look like the Coyote may fit in there after all.

[SCOTI]

Amazing how much space the towers take up....

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Amazing how much space the towers take up....

Not anymore.

Sorry for the downtime on this thread. Seems like I either have other stuff to do or setbacks that bring progress to a halt. Most recently, while mocking up the shock towers, I discovered a mismatch between the locating holes in the boxing plates and the towers. After a week or two of back and forth with TCI they determined they'd shipped me the wrong towers and sway bar mounts. So now I'm waiting for the replacement parts. Most of the prep work on the frame rails is done so the next big hurdle is welding in the x-member components.

For the time being (when I'm not working on Andrew's GTO) I've been patching the core support. Overall, it's in decent shape but has a few areas that need some TLC. I'm considering grafting a Shelby GT500 scoop on the hood. The flat hood is uninspiring and needs a little something to dress it up. My other choice would be a scoop from an R code Fairlane or Galaxie. The problem with that is that you can only get them as a full hood (expensive) and not for my model. That's a long way off so I have some time to mull things over.

.

[SCOTI]

I like the GT500 piece. Even considered one for my g-body project for similar reasons as you (uninspiring flat OE look & overdone GM Cowl Induction option).

*Other GM options are on my list as well but similar issue w/requirement of a whole hood for sacrificial parts is not so cost effective.

[72 tigger]

Like your scoop idea
Nice progress

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

Like your scoop idea
Nice progress

Thanks!

Originally Posted by SCOTI

I like the GT500 piece. Even considered one for my g-body project for similar reasons as you (uninspiring flat OE look & overdone GM Cowl Induction option).

*Other GM options are on my list as well but similar issue w/requirement of a whole hood for sacrificial parts is not so cost effective.

That's the truth! If I bought a whole hood, I'd feel obliged to use it all.


The buddy project in the shop is nearing the finish line for me which means I can spend a little more time on MY stuff. I've moved on to patching the firewall extensions that function as a gravel guard at the rear of the wheel well. There was a lot of tin worm, but I was able to salvage pieces of the original to use as a pattern. Right now, I have the pieces held in place with clecos but they will eventually be welded together. I still need to mockup the fender to see how the outboard edge lines up.

A PO welded in some heavy gauge patch panels (possibly from Crites) that are meant to stiffen he area down by the toe boards. It would be too much effort to remove them, plus they do add a lot of strength. So, I'll just use panel adhesive to glue the remaining original sheet metal to the aftermarket patches that have been added. I don't care much for welding patch panels over existing rotted metal, but you see a lot of that where speed is more important than cosmetics.

[Ol Blue K20]

As usual, nice work Vic. I like the scoop too.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

As usual, nice work Vic. I like the scoop too.

Thanks, Dale. Hope you're staying dry!

I built a couple of patch panels for the passenger side. Looks a lot better without all the rot. Now I need to fab up the extension like the other side and then I'll be ready to profile them to the fenders.

[mongocanfly]

Scoop would look good..
I did a quick search, Ford does have some nice scoop options
Cobrajet scoop would look good to I think