An ex-cop brought you donuts? What are the chances of that happening?Hey Dale, Thanks for coming by with the donuts
See you soon Dale!
Putting the 64 on a diet.
Moderator: redstangbob
See you soon Dale!
Currently Birdless....we'll see how long that lasts!
Past Birds: 1962 Hardtop Corinthian White "The Survivor"
1964 Hardtop Gunmetal Gray "60Fore"
1986 Turbo Coupe Regatta Blue
Past Birds: 1962 Hardtop Corinthian White "The Survivor"
1964 Hardtop Gunmetal Gray "60Fore"
1986 Turbo Coupe Regatta Blue
Well after collecting a couple of parts cars and lots of research its time to get started. Went to a local Sand and gravel yard and put the bird on the scales.
with an estimated 1/2 tank of fuel. Fender skirts, a spare and a jack in the trunk, it weighed in at 4600 # even. What are the chances of that? This is how she sits now. [img][img]./image-archive/i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z36 ... ans030.jpg[/img]
I plan to update this as progress is made. Hopefully it will be interesting.[/img]
with an estimated 1/2 tank of fuel. Fender skirts, a spare and a jack in the trunk, it weighed in at 4600 # even. What are the chances of that? This is how she sits now. [img][img]./image-archive/i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z36 ... ans030.jpg[/img]
I plan to update this as progress is made. Hopefully it will be interesting.[/img]
Did you ever stop to think and forget to start again?
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Ian M Greer
- Posts: 514
- Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:22 pm
- Location: North Bay On. Canada
How about this for a suggestion , I just received may latest magazine from my local thunderbird club . In it our president shows a 1962 with an updated Lincoln Mark VIII 4.5 ltr (261 cu inch V8) with 32 valves 4 overhead cams port fuel injection and a little extra tweaking mated with a Lincoln 4 speed overdrive automatic transmission . By the way it puts out 600bhp at the rear wheels . I'm assuming this is an aluminum block . Could definently cut down on your weight plus give you modern day engine technology and transmission not to meantion the hp boost .???????
1963 M Landau Caspian Blue (Remember Not All Birds Fly South)
Member #-12090
Member #-12090
If that engine is sending 600 hp. to the rear wheels it's had much more than "a little tweaking". Stock that engine makes about 290 SAE net hp.
Currently Birdless....we'll see how long that lasts!
Past Birds: 1962 Hardtop Corinthian White "The Survivor"
1964 Hardtop Gunmetal Gray "60Fore"
1986 Turbo Coupe Regatta Blue
Past Birds: 1962 Hardtop Corinthian White "The Survivor"
1964 Hardtop Gunmetal Gray "60Fore"
1986 Turbo Coupe Regatta Blue
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Ian M Greer
- Posts: 514
- Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:22 pm
- Location: North Bay On. Canada
Gary theres no doubt in my mined what you say is true , theres no doubt the motor has had upgrades to produce that kind of horse power . But I must admit one would never know the engine swap had been done as it fits in like a glove . Ian
1963 M Landau Caspian Blue (Remember Not All Birds Fly South)
Member #-12090
Member #-12090
The though of a modern day drive train is very entertaining. I would love to see pics of this as well. Truth is I am trying to keep a somewhat original look to the car. Changes that only real car buffs would notice. Some would never take aluminum parts and paint them. So you may have to look close. If i do not reach my target weigh then so be it. I will enjoy trying.
Did you ever stop to think and forget to start again?
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blunderbird
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:23 am
Re: Putting the 64 on a diet.
not sure where you got with this, but I'll grave dig since I am thinking along the same lines for my 65...
-engine/head swap! Iron FE's are heavy...there is an easy +250lbs to be lost there just going to a Windsor with lots of aluminum thrown at it.
-copper brass radiator and ac condenser is heavy, I gutted all the AC equipment off my car, next up is the heater box in the car, target here is another 150lbs total
-manual rack and pinion, not for everyone but the pumps and gearbox are another easy 100lbs, from the measurements I've done a mustang II rack should fit fine with some fab work
-the original power seats look cool, but aren't that comfy IMO and weigh a solid 80lbs each
-stock steel wheels are very heavy, replace with a nice aluminum/mag wheel and lower profile tire, could lose 100lbs here with proper tire/wheel choice
-the window regulators are heavy, i don't really get why the tiny rears roll down either, so i'll be replacing the motors with solid bar to make them fixed. i'd like to swap to manual windows in front too.
-replace steel fuel tank with plastic fuel cell in the trunk
i think stripping 1000lbs off the car really isn't all that hard, but just requires giving up the originality and luxury. the thing to remember, is just on size alone your always gonna be stuck with a big heavy car.
-engine/head swap! Iron FE's are heavy...there is an easy +250lbs to be lost there just going to a Windsor with lots of aluminum thrown at it.
-copper brass radiator and ac condenser is heavy, I gutted all the AC equipment off my car, next up is the heater box in the car, target here is another 150lbs total
-manual rack and pinion, not for everyone but the pumps and gearbox are another easy 100lbs, from the measurements I've done a mustang II rack should fit fine with some fab work
-the original power seats look cool, but aren't that comfy IMO and weigh a solid 80lbs each
-stock steel wheels are very heavy, replace with a nice aluminum/mag wheel and lower profile tire, could lose 100lbs here with proper tire/wheel choice
-the window regulators are heavy, i don't really get why the tiny rears roll down either, so i'll be replacing the motors with solid bar to make them fixed. i'd like to swap to manual windows in front too.
-replace steel fuel tank with plastic fuel cell in the trunk
i think stripping 1000lbs off the car really isn't all that hard, but just requires giving up the originality and luxury. the thing to remember, is just on size alone your always gonna be stuck with a big heavy car.
Re: Putting the 64 on a diet.
Hi, just got my account open here.
A couple comments on the diet:
Over on fordfe.com, the MAX diet I have ever seen on the Galaxie is a 63 Gal that dropped 750 lb, from a bone stock 4100 lb with iron 390 and power steering, and a 64 Gal that dropped 700 lb, same combo. If these cars had come with A/C, power windows and seats, those items (which I assume your Bird has???) will drop another 150 lb approx. if you can live without them.
The 63 Gal starts off about 4100 lb, this one ended up at 3350.
The 64 Gal starts off about 4250 lb, this one ended up at 3550.
On both cars, pretty much everything gets gutted. On the 63, even the frame is almost 150lb lighter, it is the 6cyl custom frame.
Plastic windows, no exhaust system (open headers), no back seat, carpet or bare metal floor, fiberglass hood, fenders, deck, bumpers, brackets, doors, no radio, no belt drives except fan/alt, alum wheels, no spare or jack. The 63 did still have iron heads and a roll cage, so could have dropped 850 lb but then not legal to go as fast as it did (low-11s).
Thanks for weighing your Bird, it fits my weight database assuming you had power windows/seats. OR tools in the trunk. We were at the strip one day, car running a little slow, took EVERYTHING ("a few" tools & spare parts) out of the trunk & weighed it - 160 lb of extras !!!! And that's not counting the tire and jack!
Not sure what your goals are, but swapping out that little 390 for a 462cid FE (428 block, 4.25 crank) is an easy and invisible change and less pricey than custom-making most of the body in fiberglass. The Bird probably has more deadener than the Galaxie, but still, dropping more than about 400 lb is hard to do. Heads & intake get you 100 lb lighter, 100-150 lb of deadener total, alum wheels maybe 80lb more (but then it doesn't look stock any more), after that things get rough unless somebody makes fiberglass parts already.
To me, part of the "Ness" of the Bird is its largess, it is a cruiser, not an Atkins-Diet 67 Mustang (those get down around 3200 lb bare bones but still all steel). It is hard to fight weight.
A couple comments on the diet:
Over on fordfe.com, the MAX diet I have ever seen on the Galaxie is a 63 Gal that dropped 750 lb, from a bone stock 4100 lb with iron 390 and power steering, and a 64 Gal that dropped 700 lb, same combo. If these cars had come with A/C, power windows and seats, those items (which I assume your Bird has???) will drop another 150 lb approx. if you can live without them.
The 63 Gal starts off about 4100 lb, this one ended up at 3350.
The 64 Gal starts off about 4250 lb, this one ended up at 3550.
On both cars, pretty much everything gets gutted. On the 63, even the frame is almost 150lb lighter, it is the 6cyl custom frame.
Plastic windows, no exhaust system (open headers), no back seat, carpet or bare metal floor, fiberglass hood, fenders, deck, bumpers, brackets, doors, no radio, no belt drives except fan/alt, alum wheels, no spare or jack. The 63 did still have iron heads and a roll cage, so could have dropped 850 lb but then not legal to go as fast as it did (low-11s).
Thanks for weighing your Bird, it fits my weight database assuming you had power windows/seats. OR tools in the trunk. We were at the strip one day, car running a little slow, took EVERYTHING ("a few" tools & spare parts) out of the trunk & weighed it - 160 lb of extras !!!! And that's not counting the tire and jack!
Not sure what your goals are, but swapping out that little 390 for a 462cid FE (428 block, 4.25 crank) is an easy and invisible change and less pricey than custom-making most of the body in fiberglass. The Bird probably has more deadener than the Galaxie, but still, dropping more than about 400 lb is hard to do. Heads & intake get you 100 lb lighter, 100-150 lb of deadener total, alum wheels maybe 80lb more (but then it doesn't look stock any more), after that things get rough unless somebody makes fiberglass parts already.
To me, part of the "Ness" of the Bird is its largess, it is a cruiser, not an Atkins-Diet 67 Mustang (those get down around 3200 lb bare bones but still all steel). It is hard to fight weight.