‘64 Falcon Track Project

All the Ford Sisters...Falcon, Mustang, Maverick & Fairlane, etc. Try and keep your post relevant for Comet users
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Joe Travers
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Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by Joe Travers »

Went through your build thread last night, Joe.
Great work! I love your video, leading the pack! :D

JT
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1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

comethead
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Location: Palmdale, CA

Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by comethead »

Joe Travers wrote:
Thu Dec 17, 2020 10:06 am
Went through your build thread last night, Joe.
Great work! I love your video, leading the pack! :D

JT
Thanks Joe!
It’s been a learning adventure for sure. I’ve stuck to the “stock is better” recipe for so long that modifying the heck out of this Falcon was definitely out of my comfort zone.
More to come. I’m planning another track day in the spring with hopefully higher speeds and maybe a GoPro for some inside the cockpit vids.

Joe
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
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comethead
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Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by comethead »

https://youtu.be/GNCVZayAzuo

Speaking of inside vids here’s a very crappy one I took the other day on a test drive. I really need a clamp on GoPro.
Anyhow the value of this vid is in the sound so turn up your speakers friends! :D
Btw I’m sure I mentioned it somewhere but the Falcon has a solid lifter Isky cammed 302. Real deal 69 Boss 302 crank with H-beam rods and forged pistons. 10:1 compression. Massaged stock iron heads, Victor Jr. and a 650 HP double pumper. Dougs headers and a Mallory dual point distributor. Yes. 2 sets of points :lol:
It’s very responsive, winds to the moon and pulls the car along with some serious grunt :)


Joe
Last edited by comethead on Fri Dec 18, 2020 2:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
Image

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Joe Travers
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Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 6:23 pm
Location: Louisiana

Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by Joe Travers »

comethead wrote:
Thu Dec 17, 2020 12:41 pm
I really need a clamp on GoPro.
I do, too. Took the Comet for a spin this morning to keep the battery charged.
Love the fast revving 289! I'm running a similar package except dual-plane hi-rise for torque. Rockers on the loose side.

JT
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1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

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poboyjo65
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Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by poboyjo65 »

she is sounding tough Joe! puts me in mind of Steve Mcqueen ,that shifting! lol I had to look at that a few times to realize you were shifting with the phone in same hand when I saw the reflection in the tach of your hand holding the phone. :lol: so now I see why you want a go pro. They are kinda cool & you can get a buttload of all sorts of attachments for cheap on ebay,like 20 bucks. this is from one of the cheaper gopros,like 120$ maybe,I gave 60 for it used.
this is with my wore out ls rear diff one wheel breaking lose,bumping the rev limiter,but I finally get going in 3rd. :roll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4Q7UBSF2lA
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Johno

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Aussie Comet 1964
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Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by Aussie Comet 1964 »

Hi Joe, car turned out awsome, sounds great too, I haven`t been on here for a while & just catching up on the finish of your build, some great pics on the track, could have been right out of 1964 !! John
1964 Comet Caliente 2DR hardtop 302cu C4 10.61 @ 126.68mph
1964 Comet Caliente 2DR hardtop project
1964 Fairlane 500 4 dr daily driver
1964 700 Mercury Truck
1964 Comet Ranchero

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Jims65cyclone
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Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by Jims65cyclone »

Hey John....where'd you get the accelerometer mounted to your rearview mirror? :lol:

Jim
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poboyjo65
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Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by poboyjo65 »

Jims65cyclone wrote:
Thu Dec 17, 2020 9:00 pm
Hey John....where'd you get the accelerometer mounted to your rearview mirror? :lol:

Jim
didnt know what you meant,I had to go look. Do you mean the not so fuzzy dice? My sister gave me those.they're Harley Davidson dice ,,have the bar & shield in place of the 1's . I had to drill holes in them for the fishin line. I think she got them at Sturgis. It freaked me out that my goody 2 shoes nearly 70 year old sister went there! I dont think she knew what she was getting in to. :lol:
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Johno

comethead
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Location: Palmdale, CA

Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by comethead »

Joe Travers wrote:
Thu Dec 17, 2020 1:16 pm
comethead wrote:
Thu Dec 17, 2020 12:41 pm
I really need a clamp on GoPro.
I do, too. Took the Comet for a spin this morning to keep the battery charged.
Love the fast revving 289! I'm running a similar package except dual-plane hi-rise for torque. Rockers on the loose side.

JT
I’m digging your 63. Bonus points for running a solid cam! Pretty cool 8)
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
Image

comethead
Posts: 5692
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2003 7:44 pm
Location: Palmdale, CA

Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by comethead »

poboyjo65 wrote:
Thu Dec 17, 2020 1:57 pm
she is sounding tough Joe! puts me in mind of Steve Mcqueen ,that shifting! lol I had to look at that a few times to realize you were shifting with the phone in same hand when I saw the reflection in the tach of your hand holding the phone. :lol: so now I see why you want a go pro. They are kinda cool & you can get a buttload of all sorts of attachments for cheap on ebay,like 20 bucks. this is from one of the cheaper gopros,like 120$ maybe,I gave 60 for it used.
this is with my wore out ls rear diff one wheel breaking lose,bumping the rev limiter,but I finally get going in 3rd. :roll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4Q7UBSF2lA
Hehe you caught that little McQueen blip :lol:
I just got a cell phone mount for the cage for $15 on eBay. Lets see how it works.
Man o man your car is sounding killer!!! And of course your video production skills make my vid look like it was recorded by a Neanderthal. Thanks :x
Yeah.... shifting and recording with the same hand ain’t too smart! :lol: :lol:

Joe
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
Image

comethead
Posts: 5692
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2003 7:44 pm
Location: Palmdale, CA

Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by comethead »

Btw I just ordered a Pertronix rev limiter from Summit.
I passed 7300 rpm at the track without really wanting to. It was pulling hard.
But I think maybe set it at 6800 to be on the safe side. I don’t know....
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
Image

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Joe Travers
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Location: Louisiana

Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by Joe Travers »

comethead wrote:
Fri Dec 18, 2020 1:58 am
I’m digging your 63. Bonus points for running a solid cam! Pretty cool 8)
Thanks! Revs fast, pulls hard. 8)

JT
Image

1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

comethead
Posts: 5692
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2003 7:44 pm
Location: Palmdale, CA

Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by comethead »

Joe Travers wrote:
Thu Dec 17, 2020 1:16 pm
I do, too. Took the Comet for a spin this morning to keep the battery charged.
Love the fast revving 289! I'm running a similar package except dual-plane hi-rise for torque. Rockers on the loose side.
JT
Hey Joe I’m about to check the valve clearance on this solid lifter 302. I’ve done hydraulic lifter adjustments using the running method but I’ve never done a solid lifter engine.
Any tips? What’s the reason for running the rockers loose?
Thanks for any info!

Joe
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
Image

User avatar
Joe Travers
Posts: 2424
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 6:23 pm
Location: Louisiana

Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by Joe Travers »

comethead wrote:
Thu Dec 24, 2020 4:18 am
Hey Joe I’m about to check the valve clearance on this solid lifter 302. I’ve done hydraulic lifter adjustments using the running method but I’ve never done a solid lifter engine.
Any tips? What’s the reason for running the rockers loose?
If you have the cam card with manufacturer's specs, use it to set hot lash. Warm up the engine to operating temperature and let it sit for a few minutes. Several different methods to check clearance but I like to go through them one side at a time, front to back, using a remote switch to bump the engine. If you do this, have a starting charger on the battery to keep it from dying. Starting with #1, bump the engine until the exhaust valve just starts to open and check the intake rocker. Then bump it around until the intake valve is almost closed and check the exhaust rocker. That will guarantee the lifter is sitting on the base of the cam lobe.

I don't have the card for mine, so I pulled the covers and checked them all cold and wrote down clearance for each rocker. Then I compared clearances overall and everything was very close except one intake valve which was .007" loose and I tightened her down. Final cold lash was 0.014"/0.016", which is a tad loose for aluminum heads. Running the rockers a tad loose is mainly a safety precaution for me. The factory lash is usually the recommended minimum lash. Too tight, you can hang a valve. Too loose, you can break a lifter.

JT
Image

1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

comethead
Posts: 5692
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2003 7:44 pm
Location: Palmdale, CA

Re: 64 Falcon Track Car

Post by comethead »

Right on thanks!
Seems straight forward enough. I checked the specs on this cam and it says .028. Seems kinda loose compared to yours. I’m using stock iron heads and aluminum roller rocker arms. I’ll check them first to see where my engine guy set them. He’s in his 80s now and it’s been years since he built it so I’m not expecting him to remember.

Thanks again!

Joe
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
Image

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