'65 falcon 2 dr wagon resto

Is that ever clean after 45 years!

 

Do you think it is worth saving these wagons? I got my "how many are left" verification back from Sam over at AIC (automotive information clearinghouse) and was truly amazed......alot less than I expected....also most of the falcon wagons were 6 cylinders but mine is a v8 with a/c

 

Sure looks like you scored a lottery ticket. Get a couple more gallons of elbow grease and shine up those brake drums.

 

Got a chance to work on the PS rear quarter replacement from the '64 falcon wagon I found at the junkyard (the rear quarters are not repopped)....drilled out the spot welds around the wheel lip and also took off the undercoating....the DS rear quarter is still in good shape except for a little bubbling at the bottom....I was able to reach through the tail light housing and clean out the debris and rats nest...the drain hole and inner part of the rear quarter is in great shape and won't need replacing

 

Those 3 holes look like 44 calibre shots. How can rust aim so perfectly?

You got some good tin to work with.

 

stormin norman,

I think there are some rust shells out there that mother nature fires at these old cars!

 

Wixom (David) was talking about one Rust conversion product that converts it Magnitite. Kinda like titanium shots...

 

I turned my attention back to the decapitated donor roof....since the B pillar is different on the 4 dr roof compared to the 2 dr it had to go...I am thinking the only real cutting will be on the A & D pillars....on the 2 dr old roof there are spot welds that go around 3/4's of the B to C pillar....am thinking that if I remove the spot welds it will just pull out....you can see pitted rust on the A pillar from the one picture so I will need to cut it just below that point

 

Wow! Is that a clean donor roof! Good strategy. Minimize the heated steel. I like.

 

I have turned my attention away from the roof situation until I get an adequate mig welder and air compressor....scored a nice '65 tailgate from Tom in the falcon club of america....it is complete and is a TX rust free piece complete with manual hand crank....cost me $345.60 which included shipping (didn't think it was too bad considering condition).....good tailgates are getting very hard to find...they have a tendency of rotting out on the bottom......I have also found another use for the wagon before it gets restored....with halloween around the corner I intend on rolling it out in the driveway and using it as a scare vehicle with a "parking for the dead only" sign in front of it....I have a strobe light and a fog machine so it will be the ultimate "falcon hearse"

 

Ooo the little ghosts will be howling on Sunday evening. Great idea!

 

The "dead parking only" sign worked out great for Halloween...got about 90 kids and some of the parents took pics with their kids in front of it.....My replacement rust free tailgate came in today from Greyhound...it is complete with functioning manual crank as well as the glass moving up and down like it should....made another friend in the falcon club of america....He actually told me that he was thinking about throwing it away until I came along seeing his advertisement in the newsletter

 

I have decided that the roof situation is something "best" that a restoration shop can handle....Just don't have the hercules "muscles" to lift and lower the donor roof off and on for measurements myself....I feel I have prepped the new donor roof enough along with cutting off the old roof skin....dropped off the wagon yesterday and Mark is "excited" about working on the old grocerygetter....The cool thing about how he runs his shop is that he allows you to work on your car there as along as you pay for the seam sealer, weld wire, etc...He also wrote up a letter stating that the roof will be done no later than 1/17/2011....thought that was a class act as some shops tell you something and don't live up to what they say

 

Tricky job even if you have helpers. Good plan.

 

yes tricky but can be done with alot of patience of measuring "3 times cutting once".....he emailed me back saying that he is going to build a pulley system to dangle the new roof over the body for raising and lowering....sounds like a good plan to me....anytime you do a roof replacement on the vehicle it needs to be perfect or you risk structural integrity