Overdue Project Car(s) Update

Last blog I spoke of Rusty (my ’65 Ranchero) and all the things that can be used for Blaze (’65 Falcon). Well, I got the 289 in Rusty up and running after replacing the carburetor and distributer, both originals with stuck parts. I changed the oil and filter and then fired it up. When filling the radiator I found numerous leaks. All beyond my ability to repair. All these bad parts were original. Rusty had been sitting in a body shop for a few decades or so. I replaced the radiator with a 3 row aluminum one from Auto City Classic, Inc.

Ew! It’s all rusty!

Some may wonder why I picked up “Rusty” the Ranchero. Some background of Ford in the 60s, the small block V8 vs the 6 cylinder. Early 60s the Falcon was primarily a 6 cylinder car with lightweight suspension and small brakes. Perfectly adequate for the intended purpose. An economical family car.

Doing stuff!

Donna swore if I didn’t write up what I was doing THIS is what she was going to post:

He pried some stuff, he stabbed some stuff, he ground some stuff, he cut some stuff, he welded some stuff.

So, here is my version:

As mentioned in a previous blog post, all the 60-year-old rubber chassis components are well beyond their useful life. This includes the rear leaf spring mountings. I ordered front leaf and shackle bushings with new hardware. Parts have arrived and now the installation begins.

The drivers side shackle mount was loose in the frame. The factory weld was broken. Fortunately the mount and frame were in good enough shape the reinstall and weld back. I have a Miller mig welder but it needs to be cleaned up and some repairs are needed as well has some consumables. Rather than fixing and using that, I opted for a flux core welder from Harbor Freight. (Sometimes referred to as the “metal hot glue gun” for DIYers.)

I cleaned up the weld areas with a grinder and wire wheel after fighting the removal of the old bushings. Tack welded the mounting sleeve and finished welding both sides. The passenger side was secure, I just added some insurance.

Next I will tackle the front leaf bushings. These are pressed in and will require substantial force to remove the old ones and install the new ones. I going to use a ball joint press to accomplish this. Part of the project.

Here are some shots Donna grabbed from the security cameras. She says she does it for the blog. I think she just wants to keep an eye on me.

“There are no problems, just new projects"

Stay Tuned!