1965 Ford Falcon Deluxe Club Wagon 89D

It happened again..

Found this 1965 DCW model 89D in the middle of no where out in Colorado. Per the VIN it was originally sold out of Memphis but was last registered in New Mexico in 2001. The old man I bought it from had purchased it a few years back from someone in New Mexico but its just sat in a field. It had since become a home for rodents. The original 170ci engine is in it however the carb was off and the plugs were missing. Considering the dead mice and droppings all over inside the van who knows whats inside the engine? I already have a running 200ci to drop in it so its not an issue. There is some minor rot.. Typical back corners will need to be replaced along with a small bottom section of the drivers side rocker panel. After pulling out the front factory floor mat I uncovered some rot in the floor pans. I will need to cut them out and weld in new ones. The underside actually looks to be in great condition with the factory undercoat still on in some areas. Otherwise there is only light surface rust. Even with its issues the deal was too good to pass up, especially for a DCW.

I think the weathered "patina" look is pretty cool, however a few friends think it looks hideous and needs to be paint. After fixing the few small rot issues and pulling the dents I was really considering dropping a clear coat and being done. Everyone will probably have a different opinion about keeping the "patina" look or not. I'm really excited to start on this one so I will do my best to post updates often! Below are a few pics thus far..      

As the DCW was found out in Colorado




Pulled out of the weeds and ready to make the 1600mi trek to Pennsylvania




Before cleaning and disinfecting the inside








After a bit of cleanup and new rubber all around

SCORE!!! That's got all the bells and whistles, side trim, horn ring, "DASH SKIRT", dash pad, window trim, chrome bumpers and interior panels. Nice buy and Congrats!

Cool Find

Looks like a good find

Such a great find! And the patina looks nice, you can always paint later but the other way around doesn't work...

Wow thats pretty awesome!

Nice!  I'm for keeping the patina look, it's getting very popular at car shows around here anyway.

Thanks guys! After working on a plan the past few weeks I have decided to keep the patina look. I think it gives the van character. The plan is to first disassemble the entire van then move onto the metal work. Will repair the small rot areas, dents, dash and floors. Then will move onto re-painting the interior and probably doing a bed liner type coating on the floor. While disassembled, it'd probably be good to do an undercoat as well. Then will come the fun part of reassembling it all and rebuilding the engine etc. I have the 65 200ci Mustang engine however will be rebuilding it and adding a few performance options to maximize the hp. The interior will come last. With the long list of repairs and upgrades it may take me the next 20 years with my limited amount of free time, but I want to make sure its done right so I can drive it anywhere without worry!

Brent, you are right. It seems like the patina look has become more popular. I've seen this guy Jonathan Ward around for a while and am kinda inspired with his "derelict" car builds. Ok, so our vans aren't exactly in the same category as some of his builds but you get the idea. As he has done with his "derelict" builds i'd like to basically keep the shell of my van then rebuild everything and add the modern touches to make it a daily driver. Here are a few examples of the stuff he has done..

I'm not sure that finish qualifies as patina anymore...looks straight up rusty.

It seems like someone stripped most of the paint off before it sat outside for however long it was there.

Russell's 66 is great example and has a perfect patina finish, all natural.

Those derelict cars are legit, but not for the $300,000 price tag.

Deluxxx you sound like my buddy! It is definitely pretty weathered for sure.. Your right maybe just a bit beyond patina, but we'll see. Jury is still out, it's like 50/50 at this point. Guess it just comes down to personal preference. As Abitibi said I can't go back once it's paint, so for now patina stays.

Agree with you about the derelict cars, they're a bit much for us workin' folk!

Affirm!

Rust is Free!

Nice find !! Amazing what a good wash and some TLC can do. Interested to see its progression.

I just have to ask, What happened to those VW vans that were with it? Did they haul all that stuff out of there yet?

Your right, just the wash and tires make it already look much better! And of course taking off the Dumbo camper mirrors.. Just not a good fit for a DCW! If anybody wants them let me know, just pay the shipping and they are yours!

Russell, he still has everything out there! He's more into the VWs than anything it seems. He is always buying, selling or trading something.

Hey QCT, congrats on the find and welcome.

And I respect your avatar!

Thanks Mattimuss. Sorry, its been a while since on this thread. Hopefully everything is all sort out with that incident in El Cajon.. Tough situation there.

Just thought i'd post an update on the DCW build. Work has been busy so not much to report with the van itself. I've been brainstorming and gathering parts at this point. Last week I picked up a 63 DCW for some parts. Seems to be complete with the exception of the dash skirt. I even got myself a back seat! The front seats are also in much better condition than mine. It is really a shame what North East winters do to these vans. The 63 has a cool paint scheme and some nice patina but is rot beyond repair. It was last registered here in Pennsylvania in 1989. Unfortunately due to its condition it'll be a donor. Anyway.. i'll stop writing, here are some pics! The interior pics are of the 63..  

Lots of Great Parts on that one...SCORE!!!

I saw a two-tone paint scheme like that before a long time ago. Wonder if maybe that was an option? That's an awful nice 'donor'. Doesn't look so bad. I love the pic of the two vans next to each other with the sun setting. You hit the jackpot there Q

QCT,
    I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I've been looking for someone who is schooled in the fine art of "patina" . . .  I have a '65 EPup that has a semi-decent paint job that I think I'd like to save (at least partly because I'm not a body man).  My main question is this - What do I do with or how do I treat the bad blisters where the fender joins the cab?  Sorry I don't have a close-up.
Thank you,
Jim

NorCalBrian, from about 25ft or so away it does look decent BUT up close its rough. I started to disassemble it this past weekend and uncovered many more issues. I'll attach a few pics below and also get some of the up close exterior pics posted later. Aside from the back area in the pics, I pulled up the front floor mat and it looks like at some point someone took a piece of sheet metal and screwed it over a large rot hole. As far as the two tone paint scheme, i'm not entirely sure what the deal is? I would venture to guess it was a factory option because there was just one listed in the forum's for sale section with the two tone from Canada.. Although these are probably the only two I have seen.

Its a mystery why these pics rotate once post to the forum. On my computer they are oriented properly..

Jim, I am certainly no expert when it comes to patina. When at that stage I will rely on my local auto body shop to guide me in the right direction. Perhaps someone else with more knowledge can weigh in here?

QCT,
Thanks. I could use all the help I can get.

Jim