'63 Falcon project
Let me preface this by saying I love MSD products. But some parts of the company are sure screwed up, or at least less than perfect!
I installed the freshly rebuilt 6AL box on the Falcon today, and no spark. So I did the troubleshooting test, and got spark. Since I'd just fired the Falcon, I knew all the components were good, so went back to the diagram to double check my wiring. All good, so called MSD tech line. After a short conversation he asks what distributor I have, and then says I've got it wired wrong for a Mallory magnetic pickup, as they aren't a Hall Effects magnetic. I tell him it's wired exactly like their instructions say, and he ignores me and tells me to wire it like a points distributor. When I told him they should fix their instructions he just said, "Wire it like it had points and it will be fine."
So I wired it like a points distributor, and it worked great. I'm not sure if they don't care if the instructions for a Unilite are wrong, or if they want to leave them wrong so people will have trouble using a Unilite with an MSD and give up on Mallory? Seems like they'd want to at least fix the instructions on their web site so people who download instructions would get the correct diagram.
After getting the MSD back on I finally got my secondary links made for the ladder bar brackets. I had a single pivot point, and it allowed too much pinion travel before snubbing it, so wheel hop could be an issue on launch. Drove it around afterwards and it seems to allow plenty of suspension travel, and still control pinion travel.
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/marlinguy/media/DSCF3873.jpg.html]
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Did more cleaning and painting also. Got the rear axle, springs, and most of the frame and floors completed. Still have to clean and paint the area behind the axle and around the gas tank.
I installed the freshly rebuilt 6AL box on the Falcon today, and no spark. So I did the troubleshooting test, and got spark. Since I'd just fired the Falcon, I knew all the components were good, so went back to the diagram to double check my wiring. All good, so called MSD tech line. After a short conversation he asks what distributor I have, and then says I've got it wired wrong for a Mallory magnetic pickup, as they aren't a Hall Effects magnetic. I tell him it's wired exactly like their instructions say, and he ignores me and tells me to wire it like a points distributor. When I told him they should fix their instructions he just said, "Wire it like it had points and it will be fine."
So I wired it like a points distributor, and it worked great. I'm not sure if they don't care if the instructions for a Unilite are wrong, or if they want to leave them wrong so people will have trouble using a Unilite with an MSD and give up on Mallory? Seems like they'd want to at least fix the instructions on their web site so people who download instructions would get the correct diagram.
After getting the MSD back on I finally got my secondary links made for the ladder bar brackets. I had a single pivot point, and it allowed too much pinion travel before snubbing it, so wheel hop could be an issue on launch. Drove it around afterwards and it seems to allow plenty of suspension travel, and still control pinion travel.
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/marlinguy/media/DSCF3873.jpg.html]
[/URLDid more cleaning and painting also. Got the rear axle, springs, and most of the frame and floors completed. Still have to clean and paint the area behind the axle and around the gas tank.
Got back out after the sun went down and finished cleaning/painting the underside. Picking up the stencils today to letter the quarters. Two sets so I can do it now, and again after paint this winter.
Pretty hot today, but before it got too hot I went to Home Depot and picked up my wood paneling to use for the backer on the new door panels. Also picked up a 8'x6' piece of black carpet for the floors.
Came home and removed the two nasty door panels. Pretty wrinkled, stained, and torn.

Removed the vinyl and traced the patterns on new panel, then cut it out with the jigsaw. I had lots of cheap naugahyde left over from the Austin, so I used plain black naugahyde and contact cement to cover the new panels. I'll do the backs later, as it's too warm today!
Just simple smooth black panels, with factory trim and armrests. Less than $10 per panel, and way cheaper than repops, or custom.

Came home and removed the two nasty door panels. Pretty wrinkled, stained, and torn.

Removed the vinyl and traced the patterns on new panel, then cut it out with the jigsaw. I had lots of cheap naugahyde left over from the Austin, so I used plain black naugahyde and contact cement to cover the new panels. I'll do the backs later, as it's too warm today!
Just simple smooth black panels, with factory trim and armrests. Less than $10 per panel, and way cheaper than repops, or custom.

It's OK, 'cause those little nauga's must breed like crazy! Fabric Depot sells their hides for about $4.50 a lineal ft. in 5ft. widths! Suckers must really be big too to get a hide that wide!
Actually, naugas aren't all that big, more the size of a raccoon or possum. But their hide is extremely thick, and after the milling and stretching process, the hide ends up almost ten times the size as how it started out.
Thanks Bill! Had fun at the Wed. night cruise to PIR. Had a couple guys come over to talk and look at the Falcon. One loved the Chevy engine choice, and one hated it. The one guy said his buddy and he have a long time debate over this swap, and his buddy hates Chevys, so didn't appreciate the swap. He shook my hand and thanked me for making his buddy mad.
His buddy simply said, "I'm not shaking your hand. " and walked away. His last words were, "If you really want a fast Falcon you need to put a Ford in it."
I was loading up to leave as they walked off, and when I fired the Falcon they were about 100' away. The Ford guy spun around to see where the sound came from, and his Chevy buddy punched him in the shoulder and started laughing! It was priceless and funnier than heck!
His buddy simply said, "I'm not shaking your hand. " and walked away. His last words were, "If you really want a fast Falcon you need to put a Ford in it."I was loading up to leave as they walked off, and when I fired the Falcon they were about 100' away. The Ford guy spun around to see where the sound came from, and his Chevy buddy punched him in the shoulder and started laughing! It was priceless and funnier than heck!





