Flat Paint Job for my Ford Falcon Wagon Finally. I don't think I could have taken a longer path to get there, but at least it's done. My Falcon's wearing new paint and the flat sheen or "hot rod flat" I was going for came out great. Special thanks to T.C. at FinishMaster in Mesa, AZ for help with the paint and advice to make this happen. I also took advantage of advice from Kevin Tetz from "Trucks" TV show. Kevin helped me with 11 Tips for a Flat Paint Job and sorta held my hand on this project.   It's a long story how I got here, you can read it all at this link: Falcon Wagon Build. It started with bodywork lessons and primer from Squeeg's Kustoms then a paint job gone wrong. Back on track, here's how my buddy Joel and I laid on this flat gold paint. I think it came out great!   Before Paint Prep:     You can see here what my wagon looked like right before we started on Saturday morning. Over Labor Day, my sons and I scuffed the clearcoat...

1963 Ford Falcon Squire Wagon Images Courtesy of Daniel De Silva   In case you didn't know, Ford Falcons were made and sold in Australia while the "compact" Ford was selling in the USA too. The cool old Ford Falcons we enjoyed all through the 60's were replaced with some 70s Falcons that looked like... cars from the 70s. In a word, YUCK. But that's another story...     Daniel De Silva of Bandit Films has teamed up with Luke from Fuel Magazine to make Fueltank.tv. It's a collection of great hot rod and custom car videos all done in HD. I've watched a few, especially this trick Falcon wagon, and I'll be back!   Dig the groovy sounds and especially dig this gorgeous right hand drive Falcon. I want it!! Hopefully my 63 Falcon Wagon Project will turn out half as nice!   [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/20471414[/vimeo]   For more Falcon fun, check out Pikesan's project: 1963 Ford Falcon Wagon Build...

As it ends up, Pikesan's not the only one with a Falcon project on their hands. I'm ashamed to say it - but Davey, my 1960 Ford Falcon 2-door sedan, has been sitting on a side-yard gathering dust since I finished Studie's transmission over a year ago. The above picture was taken at the last event, and come to think of it the only event, Davey ever attended - the Mooneyes 2010 Summer Show. I had been depending on the Falcon to get me by while Studie was stranded with transmission issues. Falcon got me through, but just barely. Falcon had been giving me worries and semi-breaking down for a couple of weeks by the time Stude had gotten back on the road. The above picture was taken in October 2010 before I had a garage and had to find crafty ways to comfortably work! I was so happy to have my Stude back, and busy with a million other things in life, that Davey just sat... and sat some more. I intended to bring the Falcon over to my garage months ago, but it never seemed to happen. The...

My Ford Falcon Wagon's Finally Got Paint   It's been a long journey. I'm rebuilding/restoring/modifying (choose what you like) my 1963 Falcon Wagon. I'm way over due on what's been done, but here's where it is now:     Shown with premium primer from Squeeg's Kustoms (Squeeg's is a TOP QUALITY paint shop, not to be confused with the painter mentioned later)   OK, fine, the car's been sitting around way too much waiting for me to get off my butt. I'm kinda off now, but not completely. Thanks to buddies here in town helping me "get off the computer!" and back into the garage... there's been some progress.   So I have one question: Do you like GOLD?   It looks great in the sun here, but I would NOT recommend this painter. Terrific Paint and Customs, a Phoenix, AZ custom painter and body shop.     The great thing about MY Ride is Me is that I don't really care all that much if you like it.   I've been working with a Phoenix, AZ painter that specializes in affordable paint. The idea was to get a...

Straight Axle Ford Falcon Gasser Meet the Chuckles Garage "Strange Bird" 1962 Ford Falcon Futura A/GS drag car.  This car started out as a $200 Craigslist beater and through some odd chain of events, became the "Strange Bird". MyRideisMe.com stumbled on Scotty Birdsall, owner and chief ornithologist at Chuckles Garage, a full service fab shop in Santa Rosa, CA. In Scotty's words, here's more info on this wicked Ford Falcon and what hits you first, the blown 401 Buick Nailhead:   "The 'bird's powered by a Littlefield supercharged Buick 401 Nailhead originally in a 1960's drag boat. The Nailhead sports a shop-fabbed blower manifold, custom pistons & rods, a wild Comp Cams bumpstick and lifters, custom valve springs and hi-flow valves, mild port work, custom pushrods, custom headers made in-house, vintage Weiand valve covers, dual Buick Wildcat Rochester 4 Jets that were modified for use with the blower with custom linkage, Nicson front cover/engine mount, custom motor plate, custom oil pan, and is backed by a built Buick ST400 transmission from a 1965 Riviera."   Can you say CUSTOM FALCON!!!??? Can't wait to hear what a blown Buick 401 Nailhead...

Ford Falcon Wagon Wheels Choice It's been a long journey. I'm rebuilding/restoring/modifying (choose what you like) my 1963 Falcon Wagon. I'm way over due on what's been done, but here's where it is now:     OK, fine, the car's been sitting around way too much waiting for me to get off my butt. I'm kinda off now, but not completely. Thanks to buddies here in town helping me "get off the computer!" and back into the garage there's been some progress. All that'll have to wait. For now, I just wanna ask a question.     Which cap?   At the LA Roadster Show, I found the Cal Custom spider caps on the left along with some Cal Custom trim rings, both still in the original, well worn box. Do you know the ones that fit on the inner ring of the wheel where a dog dish hubcap would fit? I've heard them called "Toby Rings" since a guy named Toby was the first to run'm. I don't know...  I later found the two-legged spinner caps on the right, also from Cal Custom on Ebay. Both of these...

I'm a car guy, not a web guy.   Yes, I've spent the last 3 years making MyRideisMe.com and spending a huge portion of my limited free time on the computer, but it's all been worth it. The community's growing, sponsorship is growing and that means there'll be more free stuff (see the freebies stories) and more content for everyone to enjoy.   That said, I had to spend some time in the garage this weekend to prove to myself, I am a car guy. My 1963 Falcon wagon's been neglected so that MyRideisMe.com's not. I've had a new radiator to put in for a while now and I have an Optima Battery to put in as well. My new yellow top's still waiting, but at least I've got the radiator in!     Why'd it take me so long? It was a hard day's work, but not as bad as I thought it would be. I have this tendency to over think to the point where it keeps me from getting started. Maybe that's how I'm wired as an engineer. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out....

Ford Falcon 4-Speed Shifter How-to Video     Do your choices for how you build your own ride need to make sense? To everyone?   I'm sure there's more than a few people who'd say I'm nuts for putting a Dagenham 4-speed back into my 1963 Falcon Wagon project.  I hear you.  But, I've got my reasons.   The main reason is the fact my Falcon's a rare (or maybe odd's a better word) bird.  This long-roofed wonder's an original, 6 cylinder, bench seat, floor shift, 4 speed car.  I've found one other goofy-six-by-four on Fordsix.com but just one! I like that! (have you got one?)   The other big reason (no, friends that know me, it's not just cause I'm a cheap SOB) involves some great memories and even better, life-long friends.   The Dagenham four speed and shifter that I'm rebuilding here is from my dad's friend Brad Bradly or "Harry" as his friends know him. This shifter's from his 1963 "shop truck" Falcon Ranchero that he still owns.  That Ranchero's been built, raced, totaled, re-built, raced, modified, raced again, totaled again... you get the idea! Now,...

After doing the Volk '29 Roadster story last week, I was way into traditional hot rods.  But, knowing that my daily driver/hot rod needs to be more practical, have a heater and a back seat, 1960's rods make more sense. My parents were up visiting from California and of course, poppi and I talked cars.  He had a 1964 Mercury Comet Cyclone for about 15 years or so.  I've thought many times I should do a tribute Comet, black just like dad's, high revving 289 ci or 302 ci and a modern 5 speed.  The problem is, Comet's are hard to find clean.  Plus, they're a little bigger  than I typically like.  I'm a small car kind of guy.  The Ford Falcon is the Comet's baby brotha from another motha. I was doing my usual daily classifieds browsing on Craigslist and found this 1964 Ford Falcon Futura with a V8 and 4 speed trans, front disc brakes,  and a straight body already being used as a daily driver. Typically what I do when I get hooked on a new "Car of the Week" is I go straight to Google Image searches.  My...

Ford Falcon: Turbo Race Car I met, Kelly McLearran at the Speedworld Nostalgia Drags and found out she's was more then just the pilot of this 10 second quarter mile 1963 Ford Falcon.   As if that blasting 10's with 2 less cylinders than the average racer weren't enough, she's also known to turn a few wrenches, they run E85 instead of race fuel and I'm delighted to say she's a breast cancer survivor.   If you didn't know already I'm a Ford Falcon fan. Pops was a Ford mechanic for 25+ years, so when it came to drag racing, sprint cars or of course NASCAR, we were always routing for the blue oval boys.   So when I found this killer home built Falcon at the drags way up town at Speedworld, I had to take a look. I've seen this car before and heard about the woman driving it from the forum at fordsix.com. Between rounds, we had a chat about how she made a Ford six cylinder run that hard and why, My Ride is Me. Kelly's website, Quarter Mile for a Cure, tells her story....

When it comes down to it, there's one universal truth. You can't fight the man.   Oh go ahead and fight, my weary and simple minded friends, but you're gonna lose. That's why I've decided to stop fighting and get with America's Program. Like most American's, I don't want a stylish car with features that make me feel good after a long day's work... and I don't need to tow my boat with a truck big enough to haul my family. No. I want a fuel efficient car and I don't care what it looks like or what it costs.   That's why nobody wants to get the American economy running on green jobs more than MyRideisMe.com. I've decide to do my part to contribute to the new 27.3 mpg standard for new cars by making a change to my hobby and reduce my carbon footprint.   If you didn't know, I'm building a 1963 Falcon wagon. I've always loved wagons for their sleek design and roomy interiors. I can take all my 2 stroke lawn maintenance equipment (my blower, mower and wacker too) in for service all at...

Hot Rod Pinup of the Month: Hot rods and pinups are like peas and carrots, so I'm starting a new feature at MyRideisMe.com called Pinup of the month. I'm lucky to have the lovely Kim Falcon as our first for the month of August. In Kim's own words and from her website kimfalcon.com "...but for dad, he's slipping you an extra couple bucks for gas money." "I Love music. Pin-up modeling, Photography, ROCK-N-ROLL!! Vegetarian food!!, Driving around town in the 64 Cadillac Hearse listening to the Misfits, My children! Love Rockabilly!!!! Love Tiger Army! Absolutely obsessed with roses!!!! I love to travel the world." What she doesn't say (pure modesty, I guess) is that she's super cool and all over the place in the world of pinup modeling. She was mentioned as #6 amoung modern pinups by a cool site I just found called Askmen.com. Here's a link: Top Pinups; that list includes all my favorites like Zoe Scarlett, Heidi Van Horne and Dayna Delux. Even cooler? She's also the proud owner of this 1962 Ford Falcon. A Falcon girl too? Damn! Can she get any hotter? I guess...