[John & Shirley Harvey]

Neither the shop manual or the master parts catalog, or the body parts catalog shows any holes other than the ignition and cigarette lighter between the steering column and the radio. They admit that there were air conditioned cars, but do a poor job of showing what the dash controls look like. With non-air conditioned cars, I think the outside air controls were a couple levers on the top of the instrument cluster. Do you see any vents in the fire wall for outside air?

[John & Shirley Harvey]

Somewhere in the area of 7/8 inch. Modern thing stripe tires work just fine.

[John & Shirley Harvey]

Why do we have to go to a Camaro platform? Ford has a perfectly good platform–Mustang. They are actually selling Mustangs at a profit. Not only that, but Ford is not flirting with another bankruptcy, unlike Government Motors is. Ford has continued Mustang pretty much following the original concept, while GM discontinued Camaro, then tried to resurrect it as a retro design. Ford simply continued to make new Mustangs as an advance of the original concept. I loved my 63 Falcon Convertible. I never was stung by the “Pony car” thrill. I’m driving an Explorer right now that has over 300,000 miles on the clock, still doesn’t use oil, doesn’t drip, and pulls my car trailers just fine.I used to be a GM fan, but I have to admit that FOMOCO has made some fantastic vehicles in the last 30 years. At 70 years old, I fully expect that my Fords will last until my kids take my keys away from me.

[John & Shirley Harvey]

I sure hope that you have access to the whole donor car because there are computers and micro processors hidden in the wiring harness all over the car. The 4.6 engine and it’s transmission are a fantastic machine, but the electronics that go with it are a lot of what makes it work, and they can be a nightmare if they are failed or missing.
If this is sitting on a stand or something, be absolutely certain you know exactly what year it is, because the electronics were tweeked every now and then, so if you don’t get everything right, it will drive you blind.
I remember dealing with my 94 Crown Victoria, when it passed 250,000 miles, the electronics started to fail. WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!!

[John & Shirley Harvey]

Send me an email at 50scars@frontier.com, and I’ll scan the parts book page that shows the codes for the patent plate and the wiring diagrams from the shop manual.  Unfortunately, there is no master schematic, but each system has an individual plate.

John

 

[John & Shirley Harvey]

There are a number of after market suppliers for add on air conditioning units.  They can supply all of the parts, brackets, pulleys, etc that are needed.  If they do not include an auxiliary fan, buy one.  Flatheads are notorious for barely adequate cooling systems for around town use.  Also, have your cooling system thoroughly flushed, and maybe even have your radiator specially cleaned before you use it.

[John & Shirley Harvey]

The problem with DOT 5 fluid is that although it does not absorb moisture, if you use it in a vented system, such as those before disc brakes, the moisture that does enter, and moisture will enter, will collect in the low points of the system, like low bends in the lines,  This results in rust in those places, and also, if your car is subject to freezing temps, frozen blocks in the line.

[John & Shirley Harvey]

As a general rule, any detergent motor oil sold today is far superior to anything sold in 1954.  I would find it unlikely that your car has not been using what ever was current in motor oils, simply because the “currrent” oils were what were going to be available.  I’ll have to dig back in my memory banks, but it seems to me that if you get an oil that has the rating on the cap of SJ or lower letter, like SH, you even get some of the zinc.  I think I recall  that SM is the one with the reduced zinc content.  In truth, if you are not driving 20,000 miles a year, pulling a trailer or drag racing, SM is not likely to damage your engine.

 

[John & Shirley Harvey]

There is a place in Staunton, Ill named COUNTRY CLASSICS, that offers a lot of cars, too.  Be absolutely certain you have a local person go look at their offerings, because I classify the place as an outdoor yard for questionable cars, if not out right refugees from the junkyard.

[John & Shirley Harvey]

There isn’t any paint code.  Back in “the day”, the factory never figured anyone would care about the exact color for the under side of the visor.  Just like the red centers for the wheel covers.  Most of the ones I have seen have been a flat medium to dark green.  I think the color was picked because sun glasses at that time were always green.  You want a flat color so it doesn’t contribute to reflections inside the car. Probably the darker, the better for reflectivity.

[John & Shirley Harvey]

There is some paint available from Martin Seynour called REFINISHER’S BLACK, which is the correct sort of smooth but not glossy paint for the inner panels.  I usually find it at Napa auto parts stores.  The reason that paint is usually gone is that it is about as durable as india ink in that application.  The purpose of even painting those parts at the factory was so you didn’t realize that your car wa rusting away right there on the dealer lot.  I like the way glossy looks

[John & Shirley Harvey]

As a Kit, probably not, but if you take your parts book to a full line auto parts store that has been around for a while, and has boooks, not just the computer, they just might be able to fix you up.  You could alos go talk transmission shops that employee people with gray hair.

[John & Shirley Harvey]

I had a 63 Falcon convertible many, far too many, years ago.  I loved it.  I’d actually like to have another one, now.  I think the 63 Falcon hardtop is a stunningly beautiful car.  I wouldn’t object to having one of them, either.  The Comet convertible and hardtop of 1963 are pretty neat, too.  Unless I succeed in winning the lottery, I am not likely to fulfill the dreams of having one of each.  I hope he was successful in retaining the original lines of the car.

[John & Shirley Harvey]

I hate to sound like a dumby, but when is the auction, and what is the address?  I don’t really have the time to mess around, but if I can make it, I will also go there with a truck and empty trailer.

[John & Shirley Harvey]

You have to watch out for exactly which C-4 transmission your are getting.  There are a bunch of different ones.  They range from th light duty ones used in Mavericks and Fairmonts, through the mdeum duty ones in Grenadas through the ones used in LTD and Crown Victoria, through those used in light trucks.  I can not give you any pointers on how to tell the difference, but I can tell ou from bitter experience, that if you get one from anything less than a Crown Victoria, you will be sorry.  The bad part is that they will all bolt up just fine.

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