i may have a line on a 66 falcon wagon(and it's almost local!). pics one two three i'll be getting more in a bit. if there's any interest i'll post them when i get them. by all accounts it looks like a great project car.... little rust, needs new/rebuilt engine etc. my questions are: how much difference/similarity is there between the later falcon wagons... ie 66,67,68,69 one of the things that this falcon is missing is the 'magic tailgate' is it easy/possible/difficult to redo the tailgate with the 'magic tailgate'? what about adding in aftermarket a/c? i've also been doing some reading(the internet is a dangerous place!) about suspensions. When i do find the right wagon for me one of the things that i'll b elooking at is updating the suspension. Is there any particular suspension that gives the 'smoothest' ride? are these air suspension kits that i read about any good?
As far as adding A/C, I think that it would be possible. My dad had a 67 Ford pickup that had the A/C added. I can't remember if it was a Ford unit or an aftermarket...but it was a box the size of the older VCR's that was mounted up under the dash. Living in NM and AZ, I saw several cars that eventually found their way to the Southwest from other areas and their owners had A/C added. Maybe it's because my dad was a Ford guy or something, but I really only remember seeing Fords with the A/C added on. You might check with the JC Whitney catalog. Regarding suspensions...be prepared. I have had my Park Avenue for coming up on 5 years now and I have never been happy with the ride. The car has the FE1 "soft-ride" (AKA: "Dynaride") suspension, which is supposed to be the softest ride on the Park Ave. But it is nothing like the Buicks of yore. My 96 Regal had Dynaride and I loved it. My 95 Roadmaster sedan had the FE2 "Gran Touring" suspension and it still had a way softer ride than my Park Avenue. I have searched for ways to improve the ride, either with softer springs, softer struts and/or softer tires. I'm on my 2nd set of Goodyear ComforTred tires (they wear out way early, but they are very quiet). I have the Monroe SensaTrac struts put on my car. It's never been punishing, but it's just not the "boulevard ride" that Buick used to be known for. I have written to several companies that work primarily with suspensions and have gotten the same response, telling me that my suspension is designed for that car and there's nothing out there that can modify it to make it any softer. What I have found is that there are countless sources of information if you want your car to "corner like it's on rails" at 98 mph, but if you want a smooth ride...nothing. People think that "stock" = "soft". Be persistent, though. And if you find somebody who understands that "a soft ride = a happy driver", let me know. I'm still looking for good info.
Archer, let's scope your parts opportunities. Ford was pretty good about sharing parts across makes and models. You're '66 Falcon target wagon can use parts from Comets and Mustangs, of course, and early Australian Falcons, which were sold in Brazil and Argentina as well as South Africa: http://www.stormloader.com/falconccwa/hint.htm Yes, like Topher said, OEM-looking AC units and kits are available for them. I think there's a link in our Site Link Directory off the main page. Never done suspension tweaks for street use, but we'd need more info about your goals for the car. No idea about the 'magic tailgate'.
Based on experience, it takes a lot of drooling to short out a keyboard, but this page may prove that out for you: http://www.sunmanford.net/index.htm and these pages: http://www.sunmanford.net/specials.html
Hey Archer, about the "magic doorgate"...it was available on the '66 Fairlane wagon, and since the '66 Falcon wagon is essentially the same vehicle, adding it to yours shouldn't be difficult. The difficult part is going to be finding one!
tnx guys for the responses so far. the wagon i finally get will end up being a daily driver. Period. No more, no less. There will be some highway miles so some 'uummpphh' on the highway would be nice. no hotrodding or street racing. i was thinking of interior/exterior looking entirely stock but under the skin is an entirely different story. i haven't decided yet but i was thinking of whatever the latest and greatest is in terms of crate engines(302 with efi etc), trannies, etc. i do have basset hounds. now they're a great breed of dog but with their two inch legs jumping into cars isn't their strong point, so i was thinking of using air suspension to lower the rear when the dogs need to get in or out(is that practical even?) looking at the sunman ford site.. wow... right now the guy is asking $500 Canuck bucks($US=$Can, almost these days) for what he has... i'm thinking that's not a bad price! there are some more pics coming by snail mail so i'll have a better idea when they arrive but with the pics i have.. the car don't look so bad. every classic sales site i've approached say that they don't have a 66 ford falcon futura wagon and, more importantly, have never had one. so i don't think beggars can be choosers!
Archer, you might want to look up a guy here named 'CMPRSD' (Hal is his name). He has a '67 Fairlane Squire with a 428 in it. Since it's a similar wagon I'm sure he can steer you in the right direction on parts, modifications, etc. Look up his wagon in the gallery.
well...the 66-69 Falcon wagon is essentially a 65-68 Mustang....so anything you can get or do for a Mustang will work on the Falcon ! let me know if you need anything ...as previously stated...i have 4 of them in those years...and the 66(tailgate)/67/69 are for sale
Looking for part for my 69 Futura Wagon Do you still have parts for a 69 Falcon futura Wagon?? Looking to replacve some weather stripping and need a rear Falcon emblem for the tailgate (mine is missing). Let me know - thanks.
