What to do?

I recently posted some pics showing the repair and repaint of my 62 Falcon. When i got it about 14 months ago it had been resprayed a light metallic blue with all the trim removed, holes filled etc, lowered with blocks at the back coils cut at the front. Bit of a surfwagon? As it had been altered i wasnt too worried about not keeping it original, just wanted a useable wagon. With the rust issues i decided to fix and paint, decided on a baby blue with white roof. The performance from the 144ci and 3 speed was probably ok in the 60's but i really want to improve it if i can? So an engine/gearbox/axle swap in the near future. Thought i had a plan....
When i got the car it came with loads of paperwork including build sheet, invoices for parts etc right up to 1974. Dug out the box file with all this stuff in tonight, found some i'd missed! A previous owner had applied for the registration in 98 and stated he had bought the car from the son of the deceased owner, who had stored the car under a cover in a garage since 74. So the 60000 miles on the clock (which i thought was broken) original? Now i'm thinking, this car has survived 50 years, maybe i should be more sympathetic in my plans, keep it as original as i can? Only original once? What do you think?

 

I am all about the "non-original" custom wagon, but that's just me. I have also been accused of "butchering" a classic. I kinda like your surf wagon idea. Lowered and two tone...too cool.

 

If YOU are happy with the final out come, thats all that matters Dewey is doing his thig for his likes, I even leather bucket seated with comsole my 83 Crewzer..

IMO,if you do it and keep "taste' in mind,your gona have a real stunner.


.....I think we have all seen custom mods gone wrong....... I have a parts car with "custom?mg:" interiour work gone all wrong........

 

Tedy, you're absolutely right, taste is subjective to the makers eye. Everyone has their own idea of what they like and what looks good. I can appreciate an all original stocker and a wild custom with the same respect for a persons hard work and creativity.

 

If you're worried about modifications affecting the 'original' value of the Falcon, I doubt that it would be much of a change. Most of our wagons here are not anywhere near to top of the 'desirable' category which you would need first before any grading on 'originality' would be decided.

 

I say "Modify Away"! Do what makes you happy! I got burned out on the originality thing during my Corvette period (a dark time in my life, ugh). Too many Corvette nerds worrying about the wrong color of grease pencil marks on the firewall, the wrong type of valve stem caps, etc.

Last year I took my wagon to Goodguys and a guy parks next to me with a '49 Ford. It's been kept original, but the guy has every stupid doo-dad prop around his car - fake carhop tray hanging on the window complete with fake burger and fries, crying kid doll leaning on the back bumper, a drive-in speaker hanging on the other window. He takes a look at my wagon and says "that aluminum radiator isn't stock - they'll take away judging points for that". I looked at all his props and thought about a smart-ass response but instead smiled and told him good luck with the judging. I'm never going to convince him that his props are stupid, and he's never going to convince me that making it better than stock is bad. I told him my buddy had just pulled in and I was going to park by him. I fired up my wagon, let the Flowmasters roar, and left the spot with a little wheel spin in the grass that kicked up a little cloud of dust and watched him yell at me as he tried to keep the dust off of his car and props.

 

You could step up to a 200, or maybe even a 250.
There are some fans of the inline sixes over at fordsix.com forums, me being one of them.
There's nothing special about the 144 that would make it a collectors item, but you can just store it for posterity.

 

im somewhat partial to surfwagons...dunno why

a rare low mileage wagon....well, i would tend to keep it original.

 

IMHO, it is what you plan to do with it that makes the difference. If you plan to drive it, especially as a daily driver, then updating and improving makes a lot of sense. If you plan on special occasion use only, then that is something different. For me, I prefer to make changes that are easily undone, so all changes are strictly bolt on.

The big advantage you have with a Falcon is that it is a Mustang under the skin, so everything is readily available at reasonable cost. Were it mine, I would not think twice about changes, mainly because I do believe in driving the old cars. I would give thought to doing all the changes to make it a proper V-8, and the 289 or 302 is an easy install. A switch to the Mustang front disc brakes is a snap as well. It is, to me, fantastic to see a Falcon being cared for. Too many fell victim to saving horrible Mustangs before the after market caught up. One of my friends sacrificed a lovely, rust free 67 Falcon sedan with the 289, but minor accident damage, so salvage a plain Jane, rusted out hulk of a 6 cylinder Mustang. Even in bastard form, the Mustang was worth way more than the original, very rare, Falcon. Happened way too often, which does help explain why the Falcons are hard to find now.

 

You need to find a wrecked Fox body Mustang now.

 

When it comes to modified I'm as guilty as the rest of the crowd. To me having the car is great, making it my own by personalizing it, making it more comfortable, safer, capable of surviving in today's fast paced world, and changing it over time to meet my dynamic tastes is as important as having the car itself.

 

As others have pointed out, the car should be what you want it to be. As for the comment "it's only original once" In my way of thinking, with the modifications done by the previous owner, your car is already beyond that stage. Anything you do to it at this point will be modifying it, even if it is to bring it back to factory specs. Our 63 Falcon Ranchero has the original 260 V8. We are in the process of rebuilding it. If it weren't the original motor to this car we would skip the headache and throw a 302 Long block at it. It all comes down to what you desire for the car. If you want a classic cruiser with more modern reliability, then make the car yours. Don't do something to it because you think it's what others would want. That will only lead to you being underwhelmed by the outcome leaving you with something different than what you initially envisioned. Just my two cents.

 

Build it the way that it will bring you the most pleasure. I don't really dwell on value $$$.. to me the value is in the pleasure you get driving it around.

 

Wow, as ever on this forum some great advice and opinions. I have no problems with modifying stuff, all my cars and bikes have been 'personalised' to some degree, its just the car would be easy to return to standard now, the next step means changing engine gearbox etc, not so easy to go back. Nothing to do with the value. The main reason i would like to improve the driveabilty of the car is so my wife will drive it! She has always driven all our cars and trucks but wont drive the falcon. The car is a family thing for me so i would like her to use it. I think it would be a more enjoyable drive with more power and better brakes etc. So i think this has got to be the way to go...

 

Herb, you're right! Build it your way.......that way, you'll be happy........not someone who doesn't own it. Let them buy their own car.