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New toy! 65 Fairlane

14K views 63 replies 10 participants last post by  Von 
#1 ·
After that stupid car wreck and realizing I'm mortal... decided it was time to get rid of the motorcycle. Traded it for a 1965 Ford Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe. 289 and 4 speed.
She's a little rough around the edges... good bones though.
I wasn't sure I wanted to go through with the trade, then he started it up... DAAAAAMN Sounds just like the 65 Mustang I had (and wrecked) when I was 19. No other motor sounds like a healthy 289.

a little rust. interior is definitely... um, original equipment, as in wore out. and the suspension...
Even as ..used as it is, I think I could take my wife's Grand Prix GTP in the quarter.
 

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#2 ·
Had to come see the pic as promised in the gubment thread. Nice looking oldie you got there. Congrats.
 
#3 ·
Man that is one of my favorite cars..I almost picked up a K code marina blue one same drivetrain combo..Regret it to this day.. Is it an A code or K code car?
My father has a 65 Comet Cyclone..small block 4 speed car but its a bit on the aggressive side..lol :mrgreen:

Great car!...Very rare combo in a fairlane period let alone a 65..Good job!
 
#4 ·
very nice ride, old tattered original is better than furry crap glued every where....how about a 3/4 shot from the front?
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please :mrgreen:
 
#6 ·
ramzoom said:
...I almost picked up a K code marina blue one same drivetrain combo..Regret it to this day.. Is it an A code or K code car
Wow, I'd be needing a knee replacement from kicking myself in the butt!
A code, 4 barrel and borg-warner t-10.

I'll try to get some better pics this weekend, although it looks better from a distance... in the rain. Original color was honey-gold but somebody decided to go with crappy-prep-job-orange-peel-black.

What I've always wanted is to have an old car and an old 4x4. Old enough that I can work on them and can afford the parts.
Was going to stay original, restore it... can't afford that! The mechanical bits aren't bad but upholstery and chrome bits add up in a hurry.
And I read in the fairlane forums that bucket seats from a late model Acura coupe bolt right in...
It'll be a daily driver so I'm thinking pertronix ignition instead of points and I'm investigating different TBI systems. Holley's would be cool but I think I can make an adapter plate and use the TBI and ECM for late 80's GM 305 for 1/4 the price and twice the reliability. I know it's been done. I want to quiz somebody that's done it first, see what performance is like.
She sounds and runs great with that big Carter AFB on it but it's been decades since I've tuned a carb, and they always need tuning. I likes me some efi.

When I started looking on craigslist I was looking for a 60's coupe, any make, or a Ranchero or El Camino that needed a motor so I could have a use for that 3.4 I built for my trooper and put a 700r4 behind it.
Maybe later...
 
#7 ·
That is a very rare combo to have a factory 289 4 speed in a 65 fairlane..I would absolutely return it to stock. If the Carter is an issue the best thing you can do is grab a new edelbrock and throw it on..very easy and they work great right out of the box..they are nothing but a carter copy..probably around $300 but keep the old carburetor. Does it still have the factory shifter? The one on our Comet was removed for a Hurst but the factory one is in a box safe and sound..I love these 64/65 Comets and Fairlanes..Falcons are cool but dont do it for me like the other 2 models..Seriously though I would keep it as stock as possible or mild changes but retaining the factory stuff/60's look..Acura seats in it to me would be treason..lol..Just too rare a car..Far rarer than the Mustang, Comet and Falcon in 65 with the same drivetrain.

Heres our Comet...Factory Cyclone 289/4 speed....(no Acura seats :protest: :protest: )
 

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#8 ·
Yeah, I got to thinking and decided high back buckets wouldn't look right. My wife wants to try her hand at upholstery, I'll take one of her old sewing machines in to be serviced and turn her loose on the seats.

I would like to keep it as stock as possible (won't truggy it out or put Blazer running gear under it...LOL) but the points HAVE to go... I'll keep them and the stock coil in the trunk as backups... in case I get too close to an EMP burst or something...

I've messed with the Edelbrocks before, had one on my 72 Jimmy/383 stroker. Good carbs, but still a carb. It'd be a while before I went to EFI, I'll hang with the Carter a while, see how we get along. I don't know if the Carter is stock or not. It looks pretty new, maybe a PO rebuilt it.
And I don't know if the shifter is stock or not. Probably is, looks old enough. Some pitting on the chrome. has a gate on it for reverse.

I forgot I snagged the pics from the craigslist add. I'll just upload a couple of those.

I joined a Fairlane club for the forums, technical articles and vendor lists. But their forums kinda suck too. You guys are stuck with me.
 

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#9 ·
The gate for reverse is factory...If you go with pertronix get the ignitor 2..
I had the regular pertronix and if you leave the key in the on position it will burn out...the ignitor 2 series eliminates that issue..
I had it in my 64 Volvo..

You found yourself a very cool ride..!
 
#10 ·
Please keep it stock or mod it so it looks mid/late 60's still

good luck and keep us updated as time travels by
 
#12 ·
ramzoom said:
That is a very rare combo to have a factory 289 4 speed in a 65 fairlane..I would absolutely return it to stock. If the Carter is an issue the best thing you can do is grab a new edelbrock and throw it on..very easy and they work great right out of the box..they are nothing but a carter copy..probably around $300 but keep the old carburetor. Does it still have the factory shifter? The one on our Comet was removed for a Hurst but the factory one is in a box safe and sound..I love these 64/65 Comets and Fairlanes..Falcons are cool but dont do it for me like the other 2 models..Seriously though I would keep it as stock as possible or mild changes but retaining the factory stuff/60's look..Acura seats in it to me would be treason..lol..Just too rare a car..Far rarer than the Mustang, Comet and Falcon in 65 with the same drivetrain.

Heres our Comet...Factory Cyclone 289/4 speed....(no Acura seats :protest: :protest: )
Dude, are you on the Yahoo Comet List? I have a 63 S-22 convertible.
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
Had to dig this old thread up. Drug the old girl into the shop yesterday.

Took about 15 minutes to drop the exhaust. Would have been 10 but one of the nuts on the manifold was a different size, took me a few to realize why I couldn't get a bite with the socket... not a lot to the exhaust.
Pulled the drive shaft and transmission. The T-10 needs a rebuild. I thought it just had shifter problems so rebuilt the shifter, resurfaced the flywheel and replaced the clutch and throwout bearing after I got it. Turns out it needs a lot more than that. Bearings and synchros are shot. I've had a T-10 rebuild kit on my ebay watch list for a while now.
Pulled the gas tank this morning, it's got a hole in it... and some rust.

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I'll pull the engine and freshen up the gaskets, she's kinda leaky.

I wish I'd put it on a lift before I traded my bike for it... The cancer is a lot worse than I thought it was. (isn't it always?) Now debating how far to go with it. It's WAAAY beyond my skills and resources to do a restoration. Or even repair all the rust. it's bad...

And I've got about $1500 to $2000 in NOS and used parts I bought from FCA members. Grill, headlight trim, another gauge cluster, NOS dash panels and radio, other stuff I can't remember... all still boxed up and stuffed in the car.

I've let my membership to the Fairlane Club expire. haven't posted or even looked at it in over a year. Might check out the Yahoo group CatFuzz mentioned.

I dunno. I'll get it running and tagged, go from there.

I knew it had some loooow gears from the few times I drove it. Tried turning one of the back wheels and counting pinion turns. ... Might give it another try, must have done it wrong because I came up with 5.5:1 Lowest I saw available for the Ford 8" is 4.6something.

I need to build a coil spring compressor before I start on the front suspension. The coils for the 62-65(?) Fairlanes and Comets are beasts... Zero compressors currently available will work with them.
 

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#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
Son of a .....

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... really!?

2 bolts like that on the left side, 1 on the right. I need to go through the rear brakes anyway.
 

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#16 · (Edited by Moderator)
When you decide to go ahead and pull that engine... but forgot you loaned your cherry picker out to a buddy.

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I spent a good 2 minutes wandering around the shop looking for the cherry picker.. WTH?!? Where IS it? It's not tiny like a screw driver or ratchet...
That lift is so dang handy.
 

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#17 ·
While I'm cleaning the 289 up and freshening gaskets I'll get some numbers off of it. It has a 6 bolt bell housing pattern... and they were a 5 bolt pattern in 65. My 65 Mustang had a 5 bolt pattern. Gonna see what I find about the block and find out when they changed that pattern.
may NOT be the original engine....
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
Gen1Trooper said:
That is a very rare combo to have a factory 289 4 speed in a 65 fairlane..I would absolutely return it to stock. If the Carter is an issue the best thing you can do is grab a new edelbrock and throw it on..very easy and they work great right out of the box..they are nothing but a carter copy..probably around $300 but keep the old carburetor. Does it still have the factory shifter? The one on our Comet was removed for a Hurst but the factory one is in a box safe and sound..I love these 64/65 Comets and Fairlanes..Falcons are cool but dont do it for me like the other 2 models..Seriously though I would keep it as stock as possible or mild changes but retaining the factory stuff/60's look..Acura seats in it to me would be treason..lol..Just too rare a car..Far rarer than the Mustang, Comet and Falcon in 65 with the same drivetrain.

Heres our Comet...Factory Cyclone 289/4 speed....(no Acura seats :protest: :protest: )
I rebuilt the Carter after I bought the car. Still a great carb. Last month I fired it up and let it run for a few minutes... water pump was leaking, couldn't run it very long. But she sure sounded sweet.
Did you see the trailer load of Ford parts I picked up a few months ago? Posted it in the M715 thread. One of the carbs I got was an Autolite 4100. haven't looked for a tag or numbers on it yet. I think my car came with one originally. It could be rebuilt but don't know if it'd be worth it to actually run that carb. I'm pretty sold on the Carters and Edelbrocks.

lorenzo816 said:
Great classic car.

sub'd for updates
:)
oh no, now there's pressure...
May be a while on real updates and progress. Still debating a plan of attack. Showed my wife the rust underneath. She's been jonesing to drive it but said if it's that bad maybe we should just sell it... Well... can't get nuthin for a rusty hulk that doesn't run. I already have new front floor pans for it. It's $200 for the T-10 rebuild kit.
I'll open the trans up and see how bad it is. tentative plan is go ahead and replace floor plans, gaskets on the engine and rebuild trans. Then slap a seat in it and take it around the block... see how I feel about it after that. Lincoln seat, not Acura! The stock seats are freakin impossible to find!! And the console shifter bezel... impossible...

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Spent yesterday trying out my coffee cup warmer... unloaded all the parts I'd collected from inside the car and put them up. The car leaks more than I thought it did. Some of the old 60's Ford NOS boxes rotted pretty quick.
 

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#20 · (Edited by Moderator)
Been getting hammered with overtime, not much time for playing in the shop.

I took the intake and exhaust manifolds off, oil pan and valve covers. And the water pump and timing cover. What I could see of the innards look fantastic. no wear at all on the cam lobes, chain looks good. The little bit of the piston skirts I can see look good.
I know that's not very scientific... but if it aint broke... so I'm not going to pull the heads or pop the rod or main caps off.

I did find some ugly wear on the fuel pump drive concentric, on the cam. Like maybe the pump wasn't on tight or the pump lever was bent. haven't looked at the pump real close yet... Probably just get a blockoff plate and go electric pump.

Still trying to figure out where the rat turds in the distributor came from. .. I know, probably from a rat's butthole... but how did the rat's butthole get under the distributor cap?

For now I'll keep the stock points dizzy. other than the turds in it, it's in good shape. If we decide to keep it after the test drive I'll get a new HEI dizzy for it. I likes me some HEI.

While cleaning parts I found this...
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Inside of the timing cover, where the water pump mounts. I was afraid I'd find something like that... that cover is the biggest weakness of the Ford V8s. hate it. At some point a water pump impeller rubbed up against the cover. It's old wear, the current pump wasn't the culprit.
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Bleh, that's ugly. The cooling system had all kinds of ugly going on in there.
 

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#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
I thought I remembered something about cover plates for the water pumps... Some did, some didn't.. Did some googlin and some applications had aluminum timing covers with cast iron pumps (like mine) and I think others had aluminum pumps with cast iron timing covers. Looks like the ones with aluminum timing covers are supposed to have covers on the backs of the cast iron pumps.
At least 2 of the previous pumps on my engine didn't have covers...
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#22 ·
Well.... still lots of overtime and catching up on other stuff. I get maybe a couple of hours a week to mess with the car.

I found out my car really is supposed to have an aluminum pump on it. Found out the hard way... The cast iron pump housings are about 3/8 of an inch thicker. So the old mounting bolts were too short. I didn't really think through the ramifications of this as I went to the hardware store and got new bolts. I knew it would affect the alternator bracket but figured I could cut down one of the old bracket spacers i have and fix that. But the whole thing is 3/8 thicker... snout and pulley mount too. Which means the water pump pulley doesn't line up with the crank pulley..

Did MORE research on the different pumps and timing covers... every damn car I buy is a transition year... and Ford was very busy in 65.

But gaskets are replaced, just needs another new water pump. I think this pump I have will work on the 351W... if I decide to do anything with it.

I opened up the T-10 4 speed. NOT as bad as I was expecting... I knew the bearings and seals were shot. All the gears looked great, no chips or goofy wear. The shift forks are wore out.
In a week or so I'll order another water pump and a T-10 rebuild kit, plus 2 new shift forks. Hoping it wasn't a transition year for Borg Warner too... I'm reading that they didn't do a whole lot of documenting when they made revisions.

I've found a buttload of videos on how to disassemble the T-10 but NONE on putting it back together. NONE. "... assembly is the reverse order of disassembly.." well DUH! But I want to see it! with all the little hints that are included with disassembly... and how they hold all those little needle bearings in place.

The tag on the trans says it's an HEK-S, which is correct for a 65 Fairlane. I haven't researched the numbers on the side of the main case yet. When I rebuilt the shifter a couple of years ago I had to return/exchange a few parts because it has a smaller pivot pin than the 65 is supposed to have.

I'm going to order the rebuild kit from thegearbox.net. When you order from them you give them the application, tag numbers, case numbers... and they send you the right stuff. I might ask them what I need to be measuring or looking for during disassembly to verify the new stuff is right.
Good plan... I probably won't do it.
 
#23 ·
Oy vey! Yes. 65 was a transition year on the T10, all across Ford's production line.

http://www.mustangtek.com/transmission/T-10.html

And somewhere in there.. or maybe later... sometime... they switched from a 7/8" to 1" countershaft. meh, guess I'll start pulling it apart before I order the rebuild kit, measure that shaft. Really wanted to take a week off and do it all at once.

Did find a site with reassembly shown. It's a Super T10 but I don't think the differences between the two affect the overhaul process.
http://www.stingray75.nl/index.php/rest ... 0-assembly
 
#24 · (Edited by Moderator)
Took a week off to try to get stuffs done.

Got the T10 tore down. Lots of cleaning... nasty in there. Started putting it back together.

It's kinda fun. It was intimidating seeing all the parts spread out but it's not too difficult. Nothing like looking inside an automatic trans...

hee hee... got to use my 20 ton hydraulic gear puller to take the speedometer gear off. That thing is ridiculous, love it. Could have used the press, but...

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#25 · (Edited by Moderator)
I got the new bearing pressed onto the input shaft and everything put back on the mainshaft.

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Just put the mid plate, reverse gear and speedo gear back on a few minutes ago... no pics of that.

They've had a crew at work tearing down one of our old production lines. We make plastic shrink wrap films... blow a big plastic bubble and roll the plastic up into logs, then separate the layers and cut to ordered width.

Anyway.. they took down the rack on line 3. 3 story tower on a rotating platform about 30 feet across. Very well built.. TONS of good scrap metal... and I got me a load of it today! WooHoo!!

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I see all kinds of transfer and transmission and engine mounts, crossmembers, patio cover supports, a loft in the shop....
 

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#26 · (Edited by Moderator)
Yay. Almost done.
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Been working on it in my spare time. Good thing I took vacation this week... Just random fires, as usual, but they all cut into my play time. I had planned on getting the trans and at least one floorboard panel done. Not.

I could have gotten all that done if I'd known what I was doing with the transmission. While assembling the main shaft I forgot the reverse gear. had to pull the speedo gear back off, drop reverse gear on, then press the speedo gear back on. Then forgot two little washers in the cluster gear. 100 needle bearings in there, 4 rows of 25. Didn't have enough washers between the bearing sets and had to pull it back out and pull needles out, insert washers and put the needles back in. Then when I put the main shaft assembly in I couldn't get it in quite far enough. It needed about 1/8 for the gears to mesh right with the counter shaft cluster and the mid plate wouldn't seat.
I thought one of the needle bearings in the input shaft had fallen down and was wedged in there. Pulled it back out, at which point all the needle bearings DID fall out. OH, and the input shaft bearing... On Super T-10s and later T-10s the input bearing is slip fit, which males it easier to put the main shaft assembly in. But the early T-10s are press on.
Ended up putting the main shaft in 3 times. same gap all 3 times. It wasn't binding or anything. I checked movement the whole time. I think it was just me stuffing a butt load of grease in there making it hard to get it in all the way... usually more lube is better *shrug*. Kept working the shafts and giving it a good slam with a hammer and it settled in... nice and deep.. hit bottom.
that's what she said.

It's still pretty stiff. I have to put an old clutch disc on the input to get enough leverage to turn it. But I don't feel any rubbing, scraping, binding... Just really, really tight. The more I work it the looser it feels... ahem..
Eventually I'll get to put some 90 wgt in it, bolt it to the 289 and that should loosen it up good when I fire it up.

Just went out and put the new shifter forks in, new seals on the shift shafts and buttoned it all up.
 

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