Bullet Bob wrote:

Hey Tarheel, If you'd like to see a good YouTube slide show of the rebuild we did last winter on the 64 Falcon you can Google "Falcon Repower Medium 2"  Maybe that will give you some ideas and get the juices flowing.

BB
 

I’ll check out it on my lunch break..thanks!

TarheelFalcon wrote:

TKOPerformance wrote:

New gears are going to run about $320 from Randy's.  I think Richmond makes them too, and they are cheaper, but they howl on deceleration, so I'd pay the premium for the Yukons from Randy's.  I've installed a couple dozen sets of Yukons and never had a single issue. 

I would definitely get a limited slip in it.  Probably looking at $500-$650 for that new.

Then all the bearings and races should be changed, and get rid of that damn crush sleeve and go to a solid spacer.

The 8" isn't cheap to build; that's where the 9" really shines because they are so much more plentiful and THE standard for high performance use.  You can look for used stuff, but I would not buy used gears, and even buying a used diff is dicey. 

A response I see on a lot of forums when someone asks what gears to run, is what kind of driving the person will be doing (highway, street/cruise,race). What would most people constitute as highway driving? Staying at a constant speed of around 55-60? I live off a highway that has a posted speed of 55mph..but then up the road I can get off on another highway where the speed posted is 70mph. I will more than likely be driving this car around the 55-60mph average and back road driving..45-50mph..(I usually avoid the highway anyway).

Highway driving to me realistically means 80MPH anymore.  20 years ago if you were running 80 around here you were the guy passing everyone.  Today it puts you mid pack, and watch out for the guys coming up behind you who insist on doing 90.  Our posted limit here is only 65, but the highways are hardly patrolled at all, and trying to run 65 you are basically a moving roadblock and prime to get cussed at, hit, or run over. 

Now, its going to vary dependent upon where you are, and what kind of driving you do, but I wanted to take some longer trips in my car, and that meant being able to run 80MPH without screaming the engine at 4,000RPM.  With a T5 from an '89 5.0, a 3.50 rear gear, and a 275/45R17 tire I'm turning around 2,500RPM at 80MPH.  Quite comfortably keeping up with traffic, not overly taxing anything, and getting reasonable mileage.  I recently made a 150 mile round trip to Atlantic City with the car, and not so much as a hiccup. 

I'm not 100% sure on a falcon, but on a 65/66 Mustang, which is pretty much the same as a Falcon, I think, the upper and lower control arms and spring seat are the same on a v8 and a 6 cylinder.  Spring, spindle, brakes, and steering components are different, though.

Hey Tarheel.......
For just a cruiser.......50--75mph.....no "cammed-up" engine.....3.00/3.25:1   8 " will work fine.
3 core radiator is a good choice ...4 core for zero problems when stuck in that NC traffic. (especially with AC)
I would go with 15" rims max....and  average width tires. Fat'uns look sweeeet butt then backspace....rim offset...rim width....fender "clearancing"....scrubbing on driveways  start to be a prob.
Nice paint....nice interior..... A/C....comfortable ride...a big priority.....
6sal6