Genius idea or insane.

falcon_master

Well-known member
Ho everyone I had two questions one engine related and one safety. My engine question is does anyone know how to convert from a generator to alternator and is it worth it but my second question is the one I'm pretty happy with. On my previous post I'm always worried about safety so today I'm walking after school and I see a drag car with race seats and I thought that's it. Why can't I install 3 race seats side by side in the front and just put a harness in each I know it'll cost some extra $$$ but it's extra safe. My thing is I know there isn't stock brackets so what I was thinking is run a piece of steel under the car from frame rail to frame rail and bolt seats to it so there not going anywhere. My question is cldo you think I could fit three race seats side by side in the front and will they work or will the floor come out with them. Thanks
 
First on the alt yes it is worth it. More electric at low speed and less load on the engine. Second on the three racing seats you can get 3 in a row you would just need to get skinny ones and you could make good mounting points. In my opinion i think racing seats are uncomfortable, and the middle would be a challenge to get in and out of. And a side note 5 point racing harness is not leagel for on road use nother thst a cop will ever in force that. Also what is your car there might be other safety items to look at first. And why do you want 3 front seats?
 
There are threads and diagrams for the alternator conversion, not too complicated. I would think that 3 racing seats would push the drivers position left of being centered with the steering wheel.
 
Howdy,

Ive seen you worry about safety with this car since you started posting. A 5 point seatbelt is not necessary. The lap works fine, a 3 point is at most you need, but jt sucks installing it.

If youre worried about safety, change out the stock steering column for a collapsible one from 67 or 68+, thr one you have now will go through your chest if the front end is imploaded in.

Then id change the brakes over to dual res power disks. They make kits for 6cyl so all yoy need is the old spindle and the kit bolts on around it.

Id add more support to the underbody of the car like cross braces and crap.

Remember though, if this is a putput through town kind of car to get you to school and back, nd maybe work, i wouldnt worry too much. I still have the single res manual 4 wheel drum brakes and they stop fine (theyre also completely new, liness and all). I will be doing dual power disk/drum though this summer. The steering box was just rebuilt (which is why i thought of this) and im not worried about it. I daily drive mine, and im up to 65-70 on the highway regularly. Ive only added lapbelts. Remember, people drove for years in cars like these and theyre all still here. So dont fret so much. Get the car running first before you worry about all this. Have fun and dont be scared. Ive seen a guy drive a model t with wooden wheels doing 35 down the road, talk about spooky.

Good luck,
Ryan
 
Just think you will not have to worry about the air bags killing you, like recalled ones :) Just stay off the phone and drive aware.
I think that a three point would be good.
About the seats, they say three is a crowd :unsure:
 
The three seats would be a no go for me. Keep the bench and add the lap belts from a donor vehicle. If you want to add 3 point belts you can but I would stick with the lap belts initially. The alternator mod is an easy one. The guys at the falcon nest make an adapter bracket to replace the one for your generator that is really slick. I know that it is blasphemous but I put a GM 1 wire alternator on our car and it has worked great. It was just what I had on hand at the time. Most of the guys use the 1 wire ford unit.

I know that you are excited about getting to drive the car, but don't put the cart in front of the horse. Get it running first with what you have.

Just my 2 cents,

Kevin
 
For the sake of sounding like a broken record, i think that trying to fit 3 single racing seats would be a very tight squeeze with even narrow seats not to mention where are you going to mount the belts too? usually they use the roll cage as the shoulder strap mounting points, i would stick with a lap belt and the bench seat much more comfortable for sure, the alternator swap is pretty easy and should definitely be considered that or look at a powermaster powergen unit which is a alternator in a generator housing very nice if you need the additional wiring for the dummy charge light. Also get that car running first man! last thing you want is to spend money on this car to find out the engine is clapped out and you dont have any money left over to fix it, its not much fun having an old car you cant drive believe me :(
 
Hi, I feel like I finally have to say it so here it is. I never wore a seat belt until my drivers test when I was 16. Most of us where never belted into a car seat when we were little. Most of us rode our bicycles like Evel Kneviel, but at least he wore a helmet, not us. So that being said, I'll add one more thing about the seat. If you are serious about driver safety you need a head rest. All modern cars will give something behind the head to prevent whiplash. The original bench seat will never have a headrest. If it is so important to you to feel safer I would suggest a bench seat with headrests or pair of high back bucket seats. I have gotten them from the junkyard. They will need some minor fabrication to make them fit, but it can be a fun project. Good luck
 
falcon_master":7x8ptci7 said:
Ho everyone I had two questions one engine related and one safety. My engine question is does anyone know how to convert from a generator to alternator and is it worth it but my second question is the one I'm pretty happy with. On my previous post I'm always worried about safety so today I'm walking after school and I see a drag car with race seats and I thought that's it. Why can't I install 3 race seats side by side in the front and just put a harness in each I know it'll cost some extra $$$ but it's extra safe. My thing is I know there isn't stock brackets so what I was thinking is run a piece of steel under the car from frame rail to frame rail and bolt seats to it so there not going anywhere. My question is cldo you think I could fit three race seats side by side in the front and will they work or will the floor come out with them. Thanks


Hi Falcon_Master, yes as many have already stated the alternator is a worth while upgrade. IN my opinion though the racing seats and belts aren't a good idea for a daily driver type of street car. But ultimately this is your car and money to spend on it as you see fit.

I do remember what it was like getting my first car at 13 (a 1928 Model A Ford, worked all summer to buy it) and then all the ideas I had about building it into a hot rod. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you might look at it my parents weren't going for the hot rod at all, so I set about restoring it. My father helped me when he could and that in itself was a great bonding experience. Worked on it in all my spare time after school and weekends. Took me about a year and a half to restore it. Joined the local Model A club and also read everthing I could find about Model A's. Many other people did help me learn too, a couple of uncles that were mechanics, two local Antique Ford parts stores, and severial shop owners, etc. Had so much fun with that car at the car shows, cruise's, parades, club meets, and the driving skill events. But most of all it taught me many mechanical, welding, paint and body work skills, gave me confidence and even more important gave me the ability to get many jobs that provided for my family over the years even to this day. After that first car next I built my first hot rod, then my first race car, and many many others.

So my point is that you-have your whole life ahead of you to build lots of cars, and of course you can also keep modding your Falcon over time as your finances become better in the future. It's good that your thinking of your options so you can come up with a reasonable plan for your car that will work for you and your budget. My suggestion though is that you really keep it kind of basic right now. This is so that you don't get bogged down on your first car and your first time at a rebuild / buildup until you gain some more experience. If you haven't picked up a complete shop manual yet this should be one of your first moves its a real valuable resource on info about your Falcon Model. The 1964 Ford Falcon and Comet manual looks like this

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-Ford-Falc ... 4B&vxp=mtr

You maybe able to check one out or use it at your local library too for free. In any case you can read all about your cars systems and how they all work, spend some time reading it as it will save you a lot more in time and money. I want to encourage you to keep your spirits up and make some progress as your able, keeping your eye on the final goal. Best of luck on your 1964 Falcon (y) :nod:
 
The safest thing for a streetcar is 3 point belts with headrests. A harness, roll cage, and helmet all work in tandem to protect you in the event of a crash. If one of those are missing, there is no point to any of them.

Without the helmet, you’ll give yourself traumatic brain injury From striking the roll cage. Without the roll cage, a harness will prevent you from slumping over during a rollover and crush your spine. Do it all, or none of it.

I welded up some brackets to install headrests on my bench, then installed 3 point belts up front for me and my wife. Padding the pillar has crossed my mind, but I haven’t gotten to it yet.
 
as the others have said, an alternator conversion is easy to do, and there are diagrams for the wiring conversion available from a number of sites, like this one;

https://www.mustangsteve.com/gentoalt.html

as for the safety aspect, the best piece of safety equipment for any car, is the thing between the drivers ears. use that piece in a proper manner and you can eliminate virtually every other piece of safety equipment on a motor vehicle. i have avoided many accidents by pay attention to what i was doing, and keeping a weather eye out for what everyone around me was doing, and taking appropriate action when necessary.

personally i dont think three racing seats will fit in the front of a falcon, let alone having the middle passenger be anything near comfortable sitting in front. lets be real here, there isnt enough room in the front seat of a falcon for three people. the middle passenger has to have their knees up in their chest, and that is wihout a/c installed. install a/c and you may as well have bucket seats in front, which is what my 64 falcon will get eventually. heck even as much room as my grand marquis has, there still isnt enough room in the front to have three passengers.
 
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