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Author
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Topic: 64 Tbolt replicas?
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32valveGT350
Gearhead Posts: 143
From: Briz Vegas, QLD, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 02-19-2006 10:36 PM
 
Anyone running a 64 Tbolt replica? I'm looking at running the driveline out of my falcon in a 64 4door (can't find a decent 2 door down here). Can't afford a strong FE, so i figured I'd stick my alloy headed 351C and toploader into a 64 Fairlane. Any hints, tricks, mods i should look at doing?
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Rory McNeil
Gearhead Posts: 1889
From: Surrey, B.C. Canada
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 02-20-2006 02:12 AM
TomP has been racing a very authentic 64 Tbolt clone for years. There are some pics of it in the M&M "Members Pics" section. Maybe Tom will give you some ideas.------------------
78 Fairmont 428 4 speed 10.20@131.5mph 1.32 60 foot
80 Fairmont 302 5 speed 12.8@105mph
85 Mustang NHRA M/Stock 302 5speed. 12.36@106.88mph 1.63 60 foot
59 Meteor (Canadian Ford) 2 dr sedan 332, auto
74 F350 ramp truck 390 4spd
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TomP
Gearhead Posts: 6376
From: Delta BC Canada
Registered: Dec 99
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posted 02-20-2006 02:30 AM
Yep, tips. A 351C doesn't fit any better than a 427 does. The exhaust ports are very close to the control arms and you need to cut the shock towers back to be able to clear any exhaust. If i were to do it for a street car i'd use the struts like RRS and others sell and eliminate the upper control arms all together, then the front face of the shock tower could be a flat sheet of steel from the frame rail to the top.Also, the 2 door and 4 door are the exact same body with only the doors and door jambs being different. It would be possible to convert a 4 door by using 62-64 two door sedan doors and modifying the door post and quarter panel.
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32valveGT350
Gearhead Posts: 143
From: Briz Vegas, QLD, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 02-20-2006 06:24 AM
One of the tricks guys use down here on the 64-66 mustangs and the early falcons is the replace the front suspension with the cross member out of a Mitsubishi L300 van, basically bolts straight in to the front rails... I was thinking if the 64 fairlane was the same rail/track width i'd do that and flat wall the bay. Otherwise there are guys that have used a mercedes front suspension/crossmember in 67-68 width stangs... I haven't got the car yet, but whats the track width on them? what width 9" do they need?
Converting a 4 door to a 2 door is well beyond my metal working capabilities, so i'm happy to stay 4 door, but swapping in either of those bolt in type front ends is fine by me (I have a massive issue with strut type front suspension and the way RRS advertise it as the be all and end all of front ends, so for me to fit the RRS setup would require going back on my word)
I was also thinking about just getting the 427 kit from crites and running the clevo as a stop gap, going to a FE in a lil while...
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32valveGT350
Gearhead Posts: 143
From: Briz Vegas, QLD, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 02-20-2006 05:35 PM
One other question, are you running the factory Thunderbolt style "traction bars" (seem to be ladder bars to me?), or are you running a different setup?
I was thinking of going caltracs, because ladder bars are so far from street legal down here....[This message has been edited by 32valveGT350 (edited 02-20-2006).]
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TomP
Gearhead Posts: 6376
From: Delta BC Canada
Registered: Dec 99
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posted 02-22-2006 12:37 AM
I'm running the TBolt type traction arms, but not on the street. They are like a non-adjustable ladder bar. They give no allowance for body roll at all.I have no idea what a Mitsu300 van suspension even looks like but i worked on a Mercedes all day today and that setup looks adaptable. Fairlane is 58" track width same as a 65 Mustang or Falcon. Rear end is 58" overall but that's really too wide to give any decent tire clearance without going to +35mm offsets on the rear wheels which make the tires (tyres?) a bugger to get in past the wheel opening.
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