Hello! My name is Tomab, I'm the proud new owner of a 1964 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon that has been "field kept" for the last 20 years. I recently took her 220 odd miles to my garage on the back of a Uhaul trailer. It has 157k on the odometer, the original sales paperwork, and detailed maintenance records. It's had an oil change every 2k since the day it left the Kansas City Assembly Plant. My daily driver is a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis which may have more rust than my wagon -- but that's not why I'm here. I'm by no means a mechanic, and I'm certain I'm going to run into many scenarios where I'll need to turn to the interwebs for guidance.
I'm glad you asked. Maybe you can help me figure that out. The basic plan is to make it a summer Sunday driver, family wagon. The kind of vehicle you might take to a picnic, to get groceries, the zoo, etc. Not a daily driver, and not so much a show car. Make it drive. Make it drive safely. Make it look good. Get it running, replace fluids, gaskets, worn out necessary parts. Fix the brakes, switches, headlights, turn signals, maybe seat belts, floor pans. Then touch up the rough spots on the body. Maybe a paint job down the road.
Sure. I may have missed it, but what engine does it have in it? I assume it's a V8, but it could be a straight six. Aside from all of the normal things that go into making it run and then making it safe for your family, what are you going for here? Do you want to keep it original so it to looks like it did the day it rolled off of the assembly line? Or do you want to have a restomod with nice aftermarket wheels/tires and other bits like that?
It has the 260 V8 with 157k miles. I'm looking at restoring it in the original style, but not necessarily every detail. Wheels, tires, disc brakes. Possibly a new engine if we ever need to go that route. Maybe some improved lighting on the interior. It may need new seats, depending on how clean I can get them. Maybe rig up a low profile aux jack for the radio. I'm not really sure where to draw the line. I want to keep it mostly original, but with some improvements.
Sounds like a good plan. We have a 260 V8 in our 63 Ranchero. It's been built with mild performance parts. They are great little motors and have lots of potential. I never cease to be amazed at how a set of tires and wheels can alter the look and overall vibe of a vehicle. A nice set of period mag wheels could be just the things to give your car a little attitude. Overall, I think that getting it running and driving is the most important step. Once you have done that you can cruise it, enjoy it and see where you want to take it from there.
Hey Tomab. I'd suggest doing a Thunderbolt "tribute". It would be pretty easy if you don't do a 427 with dual quads, fiberglass fenders and doors, aluminum bumpers, acrylic windows, and other neat stuff.
Howdy Tomab, Looking in pretty good condition for being outdoors for so long. Good luck with tidying up, hope to see more pics soon!. Cheers
Welcome aboard! Looks like a good score, complete, and very restorable . I'm glad you saved it from becoming permanent yard art. Good luck! Pop in now and then for some updates.
Yes. I guess I'm not sure where to put the updates. Ripped up the carpet, discovered very little remaining floor pan. Removed the rear bench, as the bolts were not really holding on to anything anyway. A lot of shop vac action. Replaced the battery as the old one had a best by date of Nov92. Replaced the ignition lock cylinder, as the tumblers were worn away to garbage. Replaced the ignition switch, the old one fell apart and refused to stay together. Rebuilt the Carburetor, because the accelerator wouldn't move an inch. After spending some time tinkering, determined the coil was no good. Replaced with a new one. Replaced the distributor cap and rotor because they were very crusty. New spark plugs are cheap, so I picked up 8 of those. The old spark plug wires had melted some how long ago, got new ones. After some frustration finding the spark, I replaced the points and condensor. Sparks great now. That leaves me with where I'm at now: Starting the Wagon
A late welcome but already keeping up on your wagon . A suggestion would be to join Fairlane Club of America $35.00 and the most knowledge on the net for our wagons. Four years on my build from 2010 -2014 and got the most from their members and archives. Just an opinion though.
