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Thread: 2.3T FalconBird Build

  1. #1
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    2.3T FalconBird Build

    Okay, so I am embarking on a long term project/bucket list build. The end goal is to end up with a race car that I will race up Pike's Peak. I've always been fascinated by that race, and have always wanted to do it myself, and something (not sure what) lit a fire under my ass to finally get started. The plan right now is to take a 2.3T (see this is relevant to this site) from a turbocoupe parts car that was included when I bought my SVO, and swap it into a 1961-1963 Thunderbird. I've always like this body style, known as the bullet birds. I know the car won't be putting out as much power at the start of the race as a lot of the big N/A V8's that will be competing, but the turbo should definitely help some towards the top. The key on this build is to make a car that handles really well, and is as lightweight as possible. That being said, I know there are far better options for the car than a Tbird, but the engine came out of a Tbird, I feel like it should go back in a better one. My end goal is to have a car that is putting out 400 HP (preferably more) to the rear tires. Yeah I know it'll take some work to get it there, but I think it is possible to reach that. That's the general idea of the project though. I think I have quite a few specifics sorted out as of now, but like any car project, a lot of that can, and will, change. That being said, if it is requested I can give a brief rundown of what my plan is.

    So the first major items on the list are:
    1- find a 61-63 Tbird. This one is kind of on hold since I just spent the car fund money on a trip to California. Short explanation, I signed up to be a volunteer on the show Mythbusters not thinking it would happen, and surprise! I get to go. It's kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I figured why not. Yeah, I'm a nerd, I accept it lol. And yes, this is kind of dumb traveling from Kansas to California to volunteer on a show. I'm alright with that too.

    2- Cannibalize the Turbocoupe for anything that I can use, or that might be worth keeping, or something someone else can use. This is where I'm starting. The first item on this part of the list is to get the car running so I can at least start with a motor that ran when I pulled it out. That way if it doesn't run, it means it's something I did, not something wrong with the motor.

    This part of the project is also where I need help. The plan is to keep my car mostly stock, so I probably won't use most of the parts, but someone might want them.
    The parts I'm keeping are:
    - Engine
    - pretty much all the engine components. I'd like to get the motor in the car and get it running before I tear it apart to upgrade it. Again, start with a running car.
    - Intercooler (it's actually on my SVO, but I didn't modify anything to put it on)

    The rest I don't really know if I should or need to keep. The Marchal lights are toast which sucks, but not much I can do about that. What I've heard are good parts to swap over to an SVO, or commonly used for other reasons are the the sway bars as they're slightly bigger, the fuel pump, the rear axle, ecu, and wiring harness. Are there any parts you can think of that I would need for my build? And are there any other parts worth pulling off that someone else might want? Or if there is a specific part you need, let me know and I'll see about getting it to you. Some stuff like the trans I might not keep unless someone wants it just because of how much space it takes up. This process probably won't be done very quickly, but I don't want it sitting in my driveway too long either so hopefully it'll go fairly fast. I'm hoping to pick the car up from where it's being stored in the next couple of weeks.

    I'll try to keep this thread updated as I go, unless there is no interest. In that case I'll just let the thread die. Feel free to ask any questions though. I'll answer them if I can.
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  2. #2
    Half Boost
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    You might try NATO or TF to see what might be salvageable parts to help fund your build. What year TC are you working with?

  3. #3
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    Good idea. I'll have to check that out. I can't remember what year it is actually. I think it's an 87, but I could be way off. I've never really cared to be honest since it was just a parts car.
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  4. #4
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    Well one change already happened. I will probably be using a Ford Falcon instead. Even though I like the Thunderbirds better, I don't think I can strip enough weight from it. The Falcon already weighs a lot less (~2500 lbs vs. ~4100 lbs for the Thunderbird). The suspension I want to run won't fit as well so there will be flares, but the weight savings is pretty drastic. Should be dragging home the turbocoupe pretty soon as well. Hopefully next weekend if everything goes as planned.
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

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    Some Boost baltimucho's Avatar
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  6. #6
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    I knew there were people that had done the swap before. That being said, mine hopefully will be quite a bit different (a more accurate term is probably crazier, but different sounds better and makes me sound sane) from theirs. My plans currently call for basically any body panel that can be easily removed to be replaced with fiberglass. Fenders, hood, bumpers, door. Yeah, not a lot of stock steel left. It'll look like a falcon, but with a widebody kit so the suspension I'm planning on running will fit. There is a difference in overall width of about 6" between stock and what I'm planning, but there will be 9.5" wide wheels on the back... Plus I'd feel really bad if I crunched an original steel fender. And feel even worse when I had to pay for another one. I'm not expecting it to be the most streetable though. It will be a race car that I could technically drive on the street if I so desired.

    There is a lot of useful information about engine fitment and whatnot in that article. Thanks for linking it.
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  7. #7
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    I guess the title isn't quite correct anymore... That didn't take long...

    The project car progress chart is already correct.

    https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3LKf5lnxQ...-no/15%2B-%2B1
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  8. #8
    Red Captain MikeFleming's Avatar
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    Mitch can changed the thread title. It's what we keep him around for. That, and to drink his beer.
    Helping SVO owners & racers since 1984

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  9. #9
    Some Boost baltimucho's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by grntRUDD13 View Post
    I guess the title isn't quite correct anymore... That didn't take long...
    Well, at least the intended car is still in the fowl family...

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  10. #10
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by baltimucho View Post
    Well, at least the intended car is still in the fowl family...
    Lol. Never thought of it that way.

    As an update, I might have found a car. It's kind of rough which really doesn't matter since there will be a lot of fiberglass, but the price is a little high for the condition. We'll see if the guy will go down any.

    http://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/5145961046.html
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  11. #11
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    Well, I thought I had a deal, but it's looking like it's not going to happen. So close. Oh well, there will always be others. Looks like I'll be tearing into the Tbird parts car first.
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  12. #12
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    So ended up finding another falcon more or less locally. Ended up coming with a 289 motor which is a nice bonus. I'm not using it on this build, but my wife is wanting to build an old Bronco, so maybe it'll find a home there. I'm picking it up Saturday. It's kind of rough, but it was also cheap, and it'll let me learn how to do some metal work and sheet metal repair. Yeah, that probably makes me weird actually wanting that, but it's a good skill to have. I'd post pictures, but they're pretty bad. I think they were taken with a potato they're so pixelated. So those will be posted fairly soon. I think I've reached the point where I'm like "oh s**t I'm actually starting this". This is a bucket list build so I'm a little bit excited about it.
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  13. #13
    Some Boost baltimucho's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by grntRUDD13 View Post
    ... Yeah, that probably makes me weird...
    On this forum, that makes you normal.

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  14. #14
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    Yay I'm normal somewhere! I'm just going to roll with this as being a good thing...
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  15. #15
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    20150815_144823.jpg20150815_172603.jpg

    So took the first step in starting the project and bought a Falcon! It's a 1962 model, and for my uses will be a good starting point.

    First the bad:
    - Needs new rocker panel (New one included)
    - Original door bent (came with complete set) I think it was lightly hit at some point, but really i'm not sure what happened. There aren't any scratches on the door or rocker, and basically nothing other than that was damaged, not even the glass or window mechanism. I'm thinking someone backed into it.
    - Radiator support rusted (I'd have to modify it to fit a larger radiator anyways)
    - Grill messed up (Not using it either, I'll be using aluminum mesh)
    - Fenders need some body work (I just need to get them to where I can make fiberglass molds from them)

    The good:
    - Frame, subframe, etc solid
    - Rest of the body pretty straight
    - no rust around windows
    - Most of what I need to be solid and straight is
    - Price ($450)

    Looks crappy with all the different colors, but I'm pretty happy with it. The fenders and grill are just sitting on it, not attached. I just wanted to see what it would look like with them on. It'll work for what I'm going to do with it. Also, if it looks like the nose is really high, it is. The back is also really low due to having all the pieces to a 289 engine sitting in the trunk. As a result of seeing it with the nose up look, it would make a badass looking gasser I've decided.
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  16. #16
    Some Boost baltimucho's Avatar
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    And so it begins...

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  17. #17
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    So, it's been awhile since I got the car, and I haven't been sitting idly. At least not completely. Before I started, I wanted to get the car titled so at least it was in my name. This was complicated because it was sold bill of sale, and does not have a motor or trans. Most places this probably wouldn't matter. Unfortunately, in Kansas it does. For some reason the car needs to be inspected. No big deal most of the time, I bought my motorcycle out of state and it had to be inspected. The problem is that now that the state troopers are in charge of doing the inspections they essentially did away with the "antique only title" which was there so a non-roadworthy antique could be titled. Yay me... Ended up talking to a good friend of mine in a local car club who told me about a lady that can get a title for pretty much anything. Yeah it costs money, but it's only like $100, and way less of a headache. So there's the update. I am NEVER buying a project car without a clean Kansas title, or one that runs and drives and has a clean out of state title since those inspections are easier. Live and learn though right? First lesson learned and I haven't done anything to the car.
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  18. #18
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    Well, this sucks. I have tried pretty much every avenue that I can think of to get a title to this thing, and I'm basically left with 3 options. 1- assemble car with period correct engine/trans and get it titled an antique. 2- build the car like I want it and title it as an assembled vehicle. or 3- sell it and never buy anything bill of sale again. Right now I'm leaning towards option #3 as this entire ordeal has royally pissed me off. Option 2 is pretty much a no for now because I'm not spending money on it until I have a title for it, and option 1 might be out because the car has been stripped of most everything, and to get it to move under it's own power is not going to be easy. So how's that for the worst update ever? I'm thinking it ranks pretty high on that list...
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

  19. #19
    Some Boost baltimucho's Avatar
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    What about the lady that could title it for $100? Oh, yeah... Right. She just got out of jail. The heat is on.

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  20. #20
    Some Boost grntRUDD13's Avatar
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    Actually she tried, but her contact at the inspection station left and her new contact isn't as willing to bend the rules. It's really not as shady as it sounds, she apparently does this as her job so she knows her way around the system. Turns out that I know several people that have had her figure out title issues.
    Only thing that beats the sound of a big and rumbly V8, turbo whine

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