We have a guy in my area who bought a 1963 Falcon brand new when he was 18 years old and he is still driving it to this day! He learned how to be a mechanic just so he could maintain the car himself. The car has numerous patches, sheet metal repairs and tons of spray paint, but I still see that guy who is quite elderly driving his Falcon to and fro. I can't imagine owing just one car for your entire life, but this guy proves it's possible.
It WAS possible. It was actually possible all the way up until cars started becoming computerized. At that point they became disposable. People complain about how unreliable and short lived old cars were. But that is simply not the case, IF you took care of them, and properly maintained them. I have a 1972 Ford Pinto Squire wagon which still runs fine. Yes, the engine has been replaced, along with a few other parts. But it has around half a million miles on it, and the body is still rock solid and rust free. It's an original Phoenix, AZ car.
My first new car was a 1964 Falcon Sprint Convertible, Small block 260 V8, with a borg Warner T10 factory 4 speed, Silver with red interior, GOD I loved that car!
@@TheOzthewiz In top condition that car would be worth around $30 to $35 thousand today. Brother had a white Sprint 260 with 4 speed, Ended up giving it to me and bought a 2nd one that was blue. Those puppies would really move and where a blast to drive.
My second car, in 1976, was a used 1964 Facon Ranchero, small block 260 with the Borg Warner T10. I've had so many cars since, but this is the only one I wish I still had!
Honestly, the fact that the Falcon became one of the best selling cars of the 1960's is a testament to its versatility and dependability. Few cars have ever achieved this honor.
There ARE exceptions! The "infamous" Chevy Citation was a BEST seller along with the equally "infamous" Chevy Chevette. But, I TOTALLY agree with you as far as the Falcon being almost the perfect car for MOST people. It was great as a DIY vehicle, for going to work or doing your grocery shopping!
@@TheOzthewiz My home was in Houston and I went to college in Lubbock - a 10-hour trip by road. Eventually, I "inherited" a '55 Dodge 4-door sedan from my parents. The engine cratered so I bought a Falcon like the one in the opening shot, except it was a 4-door. It had lots of front leg room. The seats were at least as comfortable as the "monster Dodge". And I could go between home and college on half the fuel. The only negative, was that it had these rubber conduits to bring the outside air from the firewall to the dash vents. These conduits were either fragile or prone to rot. All I know is that I replaced them more than once. It was easy to do, though. After college, I went into the Navy and my brother sold it for me. I wish I still had it.
This was back when car manufacturers had brains. They made and sold to the public vehicles that the public wanted….they were easy to drive and maintain….and were affordable. I had a ‘61 Falcon when I was in college…and it always started and ran when some other cars wouldn’t because of the cold. It was a great work vehicle, cheap to own and run…..and I would buy one like it today if manufacturers would make them. Modern cars are ridiculous.
Back in 1968 I was 17 years old in Connecticut. I purchased a 1961 Ford Falcon from a fellow high school student for $75.00. At the end of August I left Connecticut for college in Washington State which was a 3,200 mile journey. I was alone and made the entire trip and arrived at college. The car held up and was for its time a very dependable car. Mine was a 4 door sedan with a strait 6 cylinder engine and a manual 3 speed on the column transmission. I will never forget that trip back in 1968.
I had a buddy in grade school whose folks were diehard fans of these cars. His Dad drove a Mercury Comet sedan, and his mom had a Falcon wagon. They drove them forever, and kept them immaculately maintained. They were “practical” cars, solidly engineered.
They required a lot more maintenance, but had simple components that were easy to troubleshoot and replace. I recall easily/quickly replacing the electric fuel pump of my '71 VW (and adjusting the valves). Even for my '76 Chevy Van, when an interior door handle broke, I quickly found an exact replacement hanging on the wall in the "Auto" dept. at Target.
I had a base model 1962 coupe A bare as you could get. I bought it in the early 1980s at a farm auction After updating the car it could deliver over 28 mpg . With a real heater it was better than any VW. Sold it to an old guy who was thrilled to have it and used it to go into town to enjoy his two allowed daily beers. It was really a very good basic car
I had a Beetle so I know what you mean about the cabin heat. I came up with an easy solution though. I noticed that the majority of the cabin heat came out of the rear heat vents. I found some cardboard tubes that fit the vents nicely and reached under the front seats to bring heat up front. Worked like a champ.
There was one Falcon muscle car offered in the US; the '70.5 model which was available with the 351 Cleveland or the 429 Cobra Jet, basically the same options as in the Torino, but in a lighter 2 door sedan package. They are quite collectible today.
Wasn't the Thunderbolt on the Falcon platform? With a 427 FE engine? I learned to drive with a 61 6 cyl 3 on the tree. I have a 61 waiting to be put together. Love this dumpy looking little car.
The original Falcon was small and light, with the smallest production six cylinder ever made. My '61, with the two speed automatic, got mid 20s mpg. Makes no sense to turn it into a muscle car.
@@shepberryhill4912My '60 Comet 2dr wagon had a 144 in it originally, (had) as did all 1960 Falcons and Comets. The 0-60 time was the same as the 1/4 mile time, it was *dangerously* underpowered. It now has a 302, and drives like a normal car. Economy is great, but safety also comes into play here, and when a 36HP Bug can pace or pull you, there is room for improvement.
A RED exterior with an ALL red interior was a popular color combination in THOSE days, especially in convertible form. My "sweet ride" back then was a '62 RED Buick Skylark CONVERT with the 215ci AL engine and 4-speed with RED interior (naugahyde), of course!
I had a 65 4dr. That wagon would probably bring a pretty penny today. They were rare in it's day. I bought mine for $300 in 80. It was my backup car. Always started and it never failed me. Sold it in 89 to a friend that just had a baby boy so he could go to work for $150. He drove it for years.
I am the second owner of a mint condition 1964 Falcon Ranchero pickup with just 7,200 miles on it. It is a baby blue original paint car and perfect interior. The car has original wheels, engine and drivetrain. I drive it about 5-10 miles a year, just in the Michigan summer around the block a few times to keep it fresh. My grandfather bought the first 1960 Falcon sold in St. Clair co. Michigan. It was $2,000 a black two door he drove yearly to Florida and back for ten years….So in 2021 I finally got my own Falcon!
When Ford introduced the Falcon to Australia they underestimated how rough our roads were. It took two or three revisions to sort out problems with the front end .... it just broke... and also with the clutch but the Falcon went on to be very successful over a lifespan of 50+ years here.
Oh the memories... My first car, 16 years old, bought a used 66' Falcon four door.. 200 inline six. Living in the Midwest, from road salt in the winter, these cars didn't last too long as I soon would realize. All unibody and no frame underneath.. mine completely rusted through from left to right on the floor boards at the firewall... and literally broke in half. My last drive with it was home from college one day, and the steering wheel kept lowering into my lap as I was driving. So far as that the last couple miles I drove it sitting in the middle of the bench seat so my legs didn'tget crushed. Next morning.. there she sat split in half. Oh the great memories....
Thanks for the laugh! I had a '65 Comet four door with the 202 inline six and an automatic in Tropical Turquoise. After my brother put it in a ditch it went sideways down the road. Also in our family was '61 Falcon two door, '63 Comet two door and a '64 Comet convertible. The only ones that I ever drove were the '64 and the '65.
Fuel economy, exhaust emission regulations and safety standards wouldn't allow it. It would turn into a modern, heavy, complex, and expensive car, requiring expensive and proprietary "scan tools" to diagnose problems.
Man! I remember being about 4 years old (around 1972) and my babysitter had a 1960 Ford Falcon. I thought it was such a cool car riding round in it. I loved it!
@@melvinhunt6976 Yes. Four. Why is that a surprise. I can remember being a baby. I remember pre-school. I remember sucking a bottle when I was in the crib and I remember our dog that I use to play with when I was still a toddler.
Wonderful little things. My dad had two of them he bought used, first a normal 1960 coupe, then a 1963 Futura coupe. The Futura was the first car I tried to drive. I wish I had that one now.
I owned a 1960 4 dr with a 144 c.i. 6 in the mid 70's. I payed $75 for it. It was black, complete and with good interior room. It had a Fordomatic 2sp automatic. Loved it.
My parents had a 1960 Falcon 4 door with the 144 cubic inch six and Ford-O-Matic. I remember how slow it was. You could just barely spin gravel with it. My father had a heavy right foot and just hated the car. He bought a used manual transmission and had plans to install it but a guy pulled out in front of my mother, my brother, his friend and myself and she totaled it. The left hand ignition key went through my mother’s knee cap, both my brother and his friend went through the windshield and I got bruised ribs from hitting the back of the front seat. The car was not equipped with seat belts and had an all steel dashboard. We’ve come a long way since those days!
@@dave1956 Left hand ignition key? Was this a model made for outside the USA? The one I had was the four door with blue interior and white exterior. Believe the automatic transmission had only two forward speeds but worked just fine. Nothing like today's 8-10 speed automatics though.
My neighbor's teenage son had one of those 2-door coupés in the late 1970s - I was enthralled by (both him and) his Falcon, and wished I could grow up much faster so I could drive one myself!
I've had 1960, 1961,1962, 1963 (first), 1964 (favorite), 1965, 1966 and 1967 plus my real first 1965 Falcon Van, with multiples of some years. My dad would buy them out of a field and strip the useful parts so I had a barn full to choose from. I was able to change a motor in half a day, under an oak tree with a chain hoist. Good times...
I bought a 1960 Falcon in 1965. It was my first car. It was the most basic car I ever owned. It came with zero frills. I’m surprised it was even painted. It was a white two door with a straight 6 and 3 speed on the column. I had it painted Competition Orange, put the shifter on the floor, used wood wall paneling for the door paneling, had the seats covered in some kind of black, leather like material, jacked it up, installed chrome rims and wide rear tires and had surf racks on the roof for all our boards. I would even run it at our local drag strip on Wednesday nights. Top speed on the track would hit a screaming 60 mph. Sadly, I eventually sold it for something newer. If I could find that car today, I would be willing to pay a ridiculous amount for it. It was full of memories of a more innocent time.
You are my absolute favorite car reviewer on the Internet. You speak in a soft tone, which is easy to listen to unlike some of them who scream and yell and try to be cool. The cars are what’s cool, not the dude who’s talking about them. I also really like the cars that you feature. They’re from a time when I first started to drive. I also saw them while working for a Chevrolet dealers used car lot. I was a lot boy, that part, I didn’t like very much as it was bitter cold in the winter and hotter than you know what in the summer! But I got the drive many of the cars you’ve featured. Hemi Cudas, big block Chevys, Cobra Jet Fords, you name it, I probably saw and drove it! Keep up the good work
Thank You!!! Mom and Dad had a 1969 Ford Falcon 2-Door!!! 4 of us kids sat in the back, and Mom had a baby in her arms, and Dad drove!!! I can't remember to much about the engine, maybe I saw the number "289" under the hood, and maybe not, it has been to many years since I was a child. I'm 61 now. and I just lost my Dad back on 01/09/2024, but seeing your video has cheered me up!!! Thank You!!! God Bless!!!
In th late 60's my dad had several Falcons. I remember hearing him say that he wished he could afford a V-8, but his finances only got him halfway there. I don't think he ever realized how far ahead of th curve he was.
My first car was a '63 Falcon (6 cyl, auto) in '71. I abused that car and then gave it to the gas station I worked at as a tire car, welded rack to hold retreads/used tires, to drive out/into the garage. The last time I checked, about 6 years ago, they were still using it. Got a beefed-up '68 Dart GTS ( high 13s in the 1/4). Wrecked it and messed up the front end. Then, I got the best car ever. A '65 Falcon (6 cly, 3 on the tree) owned by an old man and had low mileage. The money I saved on the upkeep of the Dart, I tricked the Falcon out. Cruising was good with her and I still think about her with fond memories. Thanks for this one.
Love these cars. My dad for a time owned a 63 Falcon. He swapped out the 170 and put in the 200 motor instead. It had Chevelle buckets and green shag carpeting. ❤
Hi. I've seen a lot of videos about Ford Falcon history. However, almost none talk about Falcon made in Argentina. The model was imported from Ford's local branch from 62 to 64, then assembled at the General Pacheco plant until the early 90s with 100% Argentinean parts. All models were 4 doors, except for the Ranchera light pick-up. All engines were straight six with 3.0l and 3.6l of displacement (with the exception of a small run of "Max Econo version with 2.0 four cyl engines from the Taunus/Granada in mid 80s, a big failure). Here, when somebody makes something robust and durable, people say, "It's like a Falcon". Best wishes from Buenos Aires Argentina 🇦🇷 🤗
Those six bangers were solid! Had a 61 falcon back in the day, that I bought for a hundred dollars...drove it a little while and swapped it for a mini truck and small motorcycle. The guy I swapped with said he found an inch of water on top of the pistons! Still drove down the road fine. He wasn't mad!
Had a 1965 Falcon Futura with 200 CID inline six. Loved it. Put 150K miles on it. Rebuilt the engine at 100K miles. Easiest car to work on I ever owned.
I had a 1961 Comet 2 door that I drove for 9 years in the 80s and 90s. Just as was said, it was so easy and cheap to maintain. I really love the first gen 2 door Falcon station wagon.
Whenever I think of a Ford Falcon, I think of the 1961 Falcon that was used in the 1993 movie 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' and the way it almost dragged the ground on the passenger side when his morbidly obese momma was riding in it going to the local jail to get her son Arnie out, played by Leonardo Dicaprio, after he climbed Endora's water tower one too many times.
Our family had both a Ford Falcon and Maverick, at different times. My mother had a Falcon. I was too young at the time to now remember what year it was, but it was an early model, either 60 or 61. When she had it it was around 1967 or so and it was pretty much a junker by that time. I remember it having constant breakdowns and she eventually got rid of it and replaced it with a 65 Rambler American. A couple of years later my father bought a Maverick. It was the first new car our family ever had. He only had it a couple of years because it proved too small for a family with five kids and he traded it in on a Plymouth station wagon.
1963 4 door Falcon was my first car inherited from my grandparents..l admit l was a bit embarrassed driving it at first, not exactly a 'cool car' at the time but l grew to enjoy driving it. Three on the tree and a pull out manual choke!
Appreciate the Australian reference 🇦🇺👍 we got the 144, 170 and 200ci sixes and later a 250, and the 289, 302 and 351 Cleveland and Windsor V8s. Falcons were made in Australia until 2017 and were very popular, we also got utes and panel vans based on the wagon platform. Fun fact, only 713 Woody Falcon wagons were sold in Australia. They were called the Squire
I bought a '68 base model Falcon Tudor as a $100 estate sale special upon the passing of a neighbor in 1988. It had 28,050 miles in it. The executors couldn't find the keys (the elderly gentleman had passed alone at home and they didn't find him for some weeks, we suspect the keys went into the bag with him) so all I had was the trunk key and I pulled the ignition lock out to have a duplicate made. The only splurges on this car's equipment were white sidewall tires and an AM radio. Even in 1990 I had friends who had never seen a three-on-the-tree. It was surprisingly roomy and I was able to transport a disassembled tandem bicycle in the back seat. I used it for work when my pick-up was in the shop for two weeks, and I drove it to evening classes when I was in graduate school, and to geology department field trips. I have fond memories of the car, including the complaints of one neighbor with a very high opinion of his Clenet knock-off Mercedes copy and his wife's Aupurn copy, who thought my gold-and-primer compact parked majestically on the street in front of my house. I don't remember the gas mileage from the 200 six, but it wasn't terribly painful.
My grandfather had a 2nd Gen Falcon. It was a red, 4-door, with three on the tree and a 6-cylinder under the hood. It was a basic but reliable car. My biggest memory of riding in it was the dog on the back shelf with the head that would bob when the car moved. Funny what you notice when you are a kid.
Bought a used 63 Falcon in 1968, simple, reliable, fun to buzz around town in. Later traded it for a 1967 Buick Special, dark blue, white interior. Wish they built cars like that now, no computers and never paid more than $12 for tune up.
At my current age, having grown up with cars of the '60s, I am resentful when I open the hood of a modern car and barely see an engine through the miles of wiring and tubing and mysterious ancillary components. It infuriates me that it is not even possible to choose to buy a simple, lightweight, easily diagnosed and repaired car. People have gone crazy about safety, adding a huge amount of weight and multiple computerized "driver assistance" features, instead of just... paying attention, keeping focused out the windows, and, ya know, being a "driver."
Blew the lug nuts off my Econoline van on a cross country trip. The tires I had while cool looking were to bit too big for the chassis. A trucker stopped, popped out the broken lugs and took me to the next town in the middle of nowhere Utah. They had a small junkyard that had an old Falcon sitting there. The owner of the shop popped those out and I hiked back to my van with a pocket full of lug nuts which thankfully fit. Finished my trip to California then back to Wisconsin. Thanks Falcon!
My parents had a 1960 Falcon wagon. It was pale blue. I loved that car. I almost cried when I heard my mom, while turning into the driveway, lost the brakes and steering and hit the corner of the house, totaling it. Thank goodness she didn't get hurt.
During it's 1960-1970 production run the Falcon was available in the following body styles: 2 door sedan. 4 door sedan. 2 door hardtop. 2 door convertible. 2 door wagon. 4 door wagon. 2 door sedan delivery. 2 door pickup (Ranchero).
A friend of mine had a 1960 black 4-door sedan Falcon. It was slow as molasses. A really weird thing about it were the windshield wipers, they were powered by engine vacuum, the faster the engine revved, the slower the wipers would run. One day we were driving through a thunderstorm and during a severe downpour the wipers slowed so much we could barely see what was in front of us!
I bought a fleet 1960 Ford Falcon in 1960 new for $1550. I drove it 98,000 miles until 1970. Replaced the fuel pump myself for $60 in 1968 and the ball joints professionally8😊😊 in 1969 for $200. Sold it in 1970 from my driveway for $650. When I called the person I sold it to 6 months later, he would not return it for the price he paid. Think about that! Ten years of ownership for a battery, one set of tires, one set of brake linings, ball joints and a fuel pump plus $900 depreciation. It was a time in my life when I was a poor graduate student and I really needed the value. Thank you Ford.
My first ever vehicle was a 10 yr old, 1963 Falcon 4 door wagon. Equipped with the aforementioned 170 CI engine and the two speed automatic. The one special feature the car had was the power window in the rear liftgate. The car served me well for about two years while I saved up enough money to buy something a bit more substantial (and not as nerdy).
Great video. You guys in North America sure missed out on some ripper Aussie Falcons like the GTs and XR6 Turbos, Utes and Fairlane versions. Fantastic cars! the ford 4 litre inline six is a local Aussie legend!
In 1966 I was hanging out, with some school friends, at a local ice cream shop. One of the guys had a 63 Falcon. He had put a 352 ci engine in the car and he came by to show us. He did a burn out on the street, but he didn't change the rear end. One wheel spun and made a lot of smoke before it blew out. We had a good laugh and helped him change the wheel.
I was a little kid when my folks took me along while they shopped for a Falcon. I am pretty sure it was the first year of Falcon. I remember that Ford had the Peanuts characters in their printed ads and I think that Charlie Brown and Snoopy played an important part in selling my Mom (and me) on a Falcon. It was a four-door white with red roof and Mom and Dad drove it for many years. They got fantastic miles per gallon and were so pleased to improve from their 1954 Ford. Thanks for the straight forward info and pictures!
In 1976, my dad and I dragged a 1961 Ford Falcon Futura 2-dr sedan from its years-long resting place, where its axles were buried in the area's sandy soil. From another engine-swap project, I had a big block 240 CID engine with manual transmission that came out of a 1965 F-100. I pulled out the Falcon's 140 CID engine and automatic transmission and put in the big block and manual transmission from the pickup, using home-welded mounts. Had to cut a hole in the hood to clear the air filter. J.C. Whitney had a 3-speed shifter, which I mounted to the floor. Added the clutch pedal from the F-100. Moved the battery to the trunk. Re-upholstered the interior, including carpet--not only on the floor, but also on the ceiling! Put on an unintentionally textured blue paint job on it. I drove it many miles while attending a couple of universities over three or so years, then sold it. It was such a sweet ride! Fond memories.
My first car was 1962 Falcon, straight six, & three on the tree, which I bought used in 1976. What a great car! Not only was it easy to drive it was so easy to work on. Lift the hood and you could reach everything with ease. Only had to crawl under it to drain the oil, replace the yoke and drive line, and pull out the clutch. I dearly miss my Falcon.
Nice overview. I had one of the first, a 1960, purchased in 1965 with 140,000 miles on it. I happily drove it over half the country until 1966 when I got a '66 Mustang with a 289. I was in heaven, but I still wish today I had that 1960 Falcon. You haven't lived until you've driven a car with no heat/defrost and vacuum-operated windshield wipers 500 miles through an east coast blizzard!
The car that brought me home from the hospital - a blue 1962 Ford Falcon 4-door sedan (1:15) in 1963. My dad drove his beloved Falcon until 1969 when he traded it in for a 1966 Mercury Comet 4-door sedan. Loved our Falcon. Great memories. 😃
Ya know, I never thought very highly about the Falcon. However, and like a lot of things, I'm coming to realize that car was much more than my initial sophomoric conclusions. After this video, I have a new-found respect for this car. "Better late than never" is a phrase I'm having to embrace as I grow older. You guys have a new subscriber.
My first Falcon was a 61' Wagon with the deluxe package and HD suspension which I put to good use. It was a very durable car. I bought it used with a 144" and 2-speed auto for my wife, but I ended up driving it a lot. The 144" was very tired when I bought it and finally blew up on me on my way home from work. So I replaced it with 200" out of an Econoline van and did my typical race prep tune to it. A fun side note was I used the wagon to haul my slicks, tool box and floor jack to the drags when I raced my 68' Charger R/T 440. One night we got a little rain at the track and they were going to call it but asked the racers if they wanted to continue, we did. The Charger was a bit too much to run even on street ovals so I decided to run the Wagon. I eliminated everybody but a Mustang with a built V8. I knew I had to get to the end of the grandstands before I gave it full throttle, I even had my brother ride in the back seat for extra weight on the rear, but when I heard that loud V8 leave the line behind me, I floored it before getting to the end of the grandstands and she spun the tires and the Mustang caught me at the line. It was the most successful day/night of drag racing I ever had in my years of the sport. So close, but no big trophy but a great memory.
Had a 60 two door. Stone cold basic. 3 on the tree, no air, am radio. Loved that car while communting back and forth on the weekends from college. Surprising how fast that little booger was.
Haven’t read all the comments yet but he could have mentioned that the car was also sold here in Canada as the Frontenac but only for the 1960 model year at Mercury dealers until the Comet replaced it.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
We have a guy in my area who bought a 1963 Falcon brand new when he was 18 years old and he is still driving it to this day! He learned how to be a mechanic just so he could maintain the car himself. The car has numerous patches, sheet metal repairs and tons of spray paint, but I still see that guy who is quite elderly driving his Falcon to and fro. I can't imagine owing just one car for your entire life, but this guy proves it's possible.
Someone should do a story on this guy. I’d Love to hear it
That's a great story!
Prob wants to be buried in it...
It WAS possible. It was actually possible all the way up until cars started becoming computerized. At that point they became disposable. People complain about how unreliable and short lived old cars were. But that is simply not the case, IF you took care of them, and properly maintained them. I have a 1972 Ford Pinto Squire wagon which still runs fine. Yes, the engine has been replaced, along with a few other parts. But it has around half a million miles on it, and the body is still rock solid and rust free. It's an original Phoenix, AZ car.
No need to be a mechanic because those old Falcons were so easy to maintain and work on.
If Ford offered that same Falcon today; I would rush to buy one. I loved that car 'back in the day'!
Was the first car I got behind the wheel to "learn" how to drive. Could barely reach the pedals. 🤫
I'd rush to buy a Toyota with a 20r and 5 speed.. anything with that powertrain was excellent
💯👍🏻
Unfortunately FORD would of ruined the modern FALCON by making it a Front Wheel Drive ..😢
Dad bought a 61 for 1500 bucks in 1963. Great car. 22 mpg and lasted till 1968
In Argentina the Ford Falcon was so popular in all its versions and 500,000 units were manufactured between 1962 and 1991.
also had a sad reputation as many Army's green painted Falcons were used by the dictatorship death squads
The Ford Falcon would be even more popular in Australia. Ford Australia produced the Falcon from 1960 to 2016.
The narrator should have added this information
@@martindione386...3 on the tree & 4 on the floor wasn't necessarily talking about the transmission
@@JTA1961 Sad but True!
My first new car was a 1964 Falcon Sprint Convertible, Small block 260 V8, with a borg Warner T10 factory 4 speed, Silver with red interior, GOD I loved that car!
Being a "Ford guy", back then (not anymore) I really liked those Sprints.
@@TheOzthewiz In top condition that car would be worth around $30 to $35 thousand today.
Brother had a white Sprint 260 with 4 speed, Ended up giving it to me and bought a 2nd one that was blue. Those puppies would really move and where a blast to drive.
My friend here in Australia just imported one.
My second car, in 1976, was a used 1964 Facon Ranchero, small block 260 with the Borg Warner T10. I've had so many cars since, but this is the only one I wish I still had!
Honestly, the fact that the Falcon became one of the best selling cars of the 1960's is a testament to its versatility and dependability. Few cars have ever achieved this honor.
There ARE exceptions! The "infamous" Chevy Citation was a BEST seller along with the equally "infamous" Chevy Chevette. But, I TOTALLY agree with you as far as the Falcon being almost the perfect car for MOST people. It was great as a DIY vehicle, for going to work or doing your grocery shopping!
@@TheOzthewiz My home was in Houston and I went to college in Lubbock - a 10-hour trip by road. Eventually, I "inherited" a '55 Dodge 4-door sedan from my parents. The engine cratered so I bought a Falcon like the one in the opening shot, except it was a 4-door.
It had lots of front leg room. The seats were at least as comfortable as the "monster Dodge". And I could go between home and college on half the fuel. The only negative, was that it had these rubber conduits to bring the outside air from the firewall to the dash vents. These conduits were either fragile or prone to rot. All I know is that I replaced them more than once. It was easy to do, though.
After college, I went into the Navy and my brother sold it for me. I wish I still had it.
The Toyota Corolla could probably wear that mantle
The engineers that designed the Falcon knew what they were doing. Todays engineers don't know what their doing.
There weren’t many other cars around then until you started getting the Japanese cars.
This was back when car manufacturers had brains. They made and sold to the public vehicles that the public wanted….they were easy to drive and maintain….and were affordable. I had a ‘61 Falcon when I was in college…and it always started and ran when some other cars wouldn’t because of the cold. It was a great work vehicle, cheap to own and run…..and I would buy one like it today if manufacturers would make them. Modern cars are ridiculous.
My great aunt had a 1963 Falcon in powder blue/baby blue. It's still running to this day. Imagine that!!
Back in 1968 I was 17 years old in Connecticut. I purchased a 1961 Ford Falcon from a fellow high school student for $75.00. At the end of August I left Connecticut for college in Washington State which was a 3,200 mile journey. I was alone and made the entire trip and arrived at college. The car held up and was for its time a very dependable car. Mine was a 4 door sedan with a strait 6 cylinder engine and a manual 3 speed on the column transmission. I will never forget that trip back in 1968.
Great story. What college? Maybe UW or WSU?
It was a real challenge to slow down on a hill and try to get into first again, remember?
My dad was a well-paid engineer, but drove his '62 Falcon to work everyday well into the mid eighties until he finally upgraded, to a '72 Ranchero! 😃
Same here , my Dad had a Blue 61 Falcon Coupe with the 6 cil.....
Next car was the Galaxy 500 Coupe...👍
Those 72’ rancheros look tough. Love that front grill on it or the Gran Torino
I had a buddy in grade school whose folks were diehard fans of these cars. His Dad drove a Mercury Comet sedan, and his mom had a Falcon wagon. They drove them forever, and kept them immaculately maintained. They were “practical” cars, solidly engineered.
YES! Ford "nailed it" back then!
Simple and reliable
What a novel concept
More simple, the more reliable; the more complex, the more complex, the more things to fail. Some cars today are too over engineered.
They required a lot more maintenance, but had simple components that were easy to troubleshoot and replace. I recall easily/quickly replacing the electric fuel pump of my '71 VW (and adjusting the valves). Even for my '76 Chevy Van, when an interior door handle broke, I quickly found an exact replacement hanging on the wall in the "Auto" dept. at Target.
@@robertmoore2049 ; Thank the government, not the company.
I had a base model 1962 coupe A bare as you could get. I bought it in the early 1980s at a farm auction After updating the car it could deliver over 28 mpg . With a real heater it was better than any VW. Sold it to an old guy who was thrilled to have it and used it to go into town to enjoy his two allowed daily beers. It was really a very good basic car
I had a Beetle so I know what you mean about the cabin heat. I came up with an easy solution though. I noticed that the majority of the cabin heat came out of the rear heat vents. I found some cardboard tubes that fit the vents nicely and reached under the front seats to bring heat up front. Worked like a champ.
My father had a 1963 four door Falcon, it was olive green, he was happy with it.
There was one Falcon muscle car offered in the US; the '70.5 model which was available with the 351 Cleveland or the 429 Cobra Jet, basically the same options as in the Torino, but in a lighter 2 door sedan package. They are quite collectible today.
Wasn't the Thunderbolt on the Falcon platform? With a 427 FE engine? I learned to drive with a 61 6 cyl 3 on the tree. I have a 61 waiting to be put together. Love this dumpy looking little car.
@@bugsy9069Fairlane platform, similar but midsized. The Comet went to the Fairlane platform in '66.
The original Falcon was small and light, with the smallest production six cylinder ever made. My '61, with the two speed automatic, got mid 20s mpg. Makes no sense to turn it into a muscle car.
@@shepberryhill4912My '60 Comet 2dr wagon had a 144 in it originally, (had) as did all 1960 Falcons and Comets. The 0-60 time was the same as the 1/4 mile time, it was *dangerously* underpowered. It now has a 302, and drives like a normal car. Economy is great, but safety also comes into play here, and when a 36HP Bug can pace or pull you, there is room for improvement.
Fairlane @@bugsy9069
I had 3 Falcons. Love em. And this guys narration too.
My buddy had a 63 falcon with a factory four speed. That was the coolest little car, bright red interior, red carpeting
A RED exterior with an ALL red interior was a popular color combination in THOSE days, especially in convertible form. My "sweet ride" back then was a '62 RED Buick Skylark CONVERT with the 215ci AL engine and 4-speed with RED interior (naugahyde), of course!
His falcon was silver... stock? I think so.
I owned two 1964 Falcon Rancheros, a 65 Falcon wagon and a 78 Fairmont. They were all great. I wish I had never got rid of them.
I had a 65 4dr. That wagon would probably bring a pretty penny today. They were rare in it's day. I bought mine for $300 in 80. It was my backup car. Always started and it never failed me. Sold it in 89 to a friend that just had a baby boy so he could go to work for $150. He drove it for years.
I am the second owner of a mint condition 1964 Falcon Ranchero pickup with just 7,200 miles on it. It is a baby blue original paint car and perfect interior. The car has original wheels, engine and drivetrain. I drive it about 5-10 miles a year, just in the Michigan summer around the block a few times to keep it fresh. My grandfather bought the first 1960 Falcon sold in St. Clair co. Michigan. It was $2,000 a black two door he drove yearly to Florida and back for ten years….So in 2021 I finally got my own Falcon!
You never had a Maverick?
My uncle in later years owned & restored a 1961 Ranchero, probably one of the coolest things Ford ever made!
My real first car - Ford Falcon. Sporty. Those were the days. Loved that car.
When Ford introduced the Falcon to Australia they underestimated how rough our roads were. It took two or three revisions to sort out problems with the front end .... it just broke... and also with the clutch but the Falcon went on to be very successful over a lifespan of 50+ years here.
Cooling system was marginal on the '60 model for Australia too.
Good to see a fellow aussie i miss my XF hence my name
@@alancsalt Ford just did not prep for Oz really.
As an Aussie, I had a four Falcons, a '72 XA sedan, a '77 XC coupe, an '81 XD sedan, and an '07 BF XR6 ute. Fun cars!
and dont forget maxes interceptor XB
Oh the memories... My first car, 16 years old, bought a used 66' Falcon four door.. 200 inline six. Living in the Midwest, from road salt in the winter, these cars didn't last too long as I soon would realize. All unibody and no frame underneath.. mine completely rusted through from left to right on the floor boards at the firewall... and literally broke in half. My last drive with it was home from college one day, and the steering wheel kept lowering into my lap as I was driving. So far as that the last couple miles I drove it sitting in the middle of the bench seat so my legs didn'tget crushed. Next morning.. there she sat split in half. Oh the great memories....
Thanks for the laugh!
I had a '65 Comet four door with the 202 inline six and an automatic in Tropical Turquoise. After my brother put it in a ditch it went sideways down the road.
Also in our family was '61 Falcon two door, '63 Comet two door and a '64 Comet convertible. The only ones that I ever drove were the '64 and the '65.
Recently took my 2000 Taurus to the junk yard for the same reason but before it broke in half.
Saw a Falcon gasser at Atco raceway in the 80's. Fell in love immediately.
Yes, I agree, they make cool gassers! The Falcon and the Willys are my two favorites in the gasser category.
I and all your subs. missed you, my brother!! excellent content as usual!!!
I was just wondering yesterday when another Old Car Memory video would drop. Thanks! This was very enjoyable.
Yup
The 1965 Falcon Sprint was my favorite. If Ford made something similar today, it might sell well.
I have a 63 1/2 Sprint and I enjoy it. Mine has a 302, C-4, and Mustang II front suspension w/power steering and power front disc brakes.
I'll bet it would sell like "hot cakes"!
Fuel economy, exhaust emission regulations and safety standards wouldn't allow it. It would turn into a modern, heavy, complex, and expensive car, requiring expensive and proprietary "scan tools" to diagnose problems.
No. It wouldn’t.
Man! I remember being about 4 years old (around 1972) and my babysitter had a 1960 Ford Falcon. I thought it was such a cool car riding round in it. I loved it!
FOUR ?
@@melvinhunt6976 Yes. Four. Why is that a surprise. I can remember being a baby. I remember pre-school. I remember sucking a bottle when I was in the crib and I remember our dog that I use to play with when I was still a toddler.
@@Stevenimich 🤪
What a cool car. That 1963 Sprint convertible was a real looker.
Wonderful little things.
My dad had two of them he bought used,
first a normal 1960 coupe, then a 1963 Futura coupe.
The Futura was the first car I tried to drive. I wish I had that one now.
I think the 63 Falcon Futura has the best styling of all the Falcon lineupl
I owned a 1960 4 dr with a 144 c.i. 6 in the mid 70's. I payed $75 for it. It was black, complete and with good interior room. It had a Fordomatic 2sp automatic. Loved it.
I had one, too, but that engine did not last as long as it should have. Then again, I was a kid and did not treat it gently.
My parents had a 1960 Falcon 4 door with the 144 cubic inch six and Ford-O-Matic. I remember how slow it was. You could just barely spin gravel with it. My father had a heavy right foot and just hated the car. He bought a used manual transmission and had plans to install it but a guy pulled out in front of my mother, my brother, his friend and myself and she totaled it. The left hand ignition key went through my mother’s knee cap, both my brother and his friend went through the windshield and I got bruised ribs from hitting the back of the front seat. The car was not equipped with seat belts and had an all steel dashboard. We’ve come a long way since those days!
@@dave1956 Left hand ignition key? Was this a model made for outside the USA? The one I had was the four door with blue interior and white exterior. Believe the automatic transmission had only two forward speeds but worked just fine. Nothing like today's 8-10 speed automatics though.
Did UA-cam commentator “jeffreywick4057” get his Fordomatic Falcon automobile with the Whirlaway steering wheel and column?
1966 Econoline Van, ignition switch was in the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm
I'm in Australia and I had an XL, XP and an XY Falcon. The XY was the best.
This is My Favorite American Compact Car Of All Time The 1960 to 1964 Ford Falcon! My aunt had one it was a simple, reliable, easy car to maintain!
Back when you could lift the hood and still see the ground.
Wish we could still buy a car like that.
My neighbor's teenage son had one of those 2-door coupés in the late 1970s - I was enthralled by (both him and) his Falcon, and wished I could grow up much faster so I could drive one myself!
I've had 1960, 1961,1962, 1963 (first), 1964 (favorite), 1965, 1966 and 1967 plus my real first 1965 Falcon Van, with multiples of some years. My dad would buy them out of a field and strip the useful parts so I had a barn full to choose from. I was able to change a motor in half a day, under an oak tree with a chain hoist. Good times...
I luv stories like this!!
I bought a 1960 Falcon in 1965. It was my first car. It was the most basic car I ever owned. It came with zero frills. I’m surprised it was even painted. It was a white two door with a straight 6 and 3 speed on the column. I had it painted Competition Orange, put the shifter on the floor, used wood wall paneling for the door paneling, had the seats covered in some kind of black, leather like material, jacked it up, installed chrome rims and wide rear tires and had surf racks on the roof for all our boards. I would even run it at our local drag strip on Wednesday nights. Top speed on the track would hit a screaming 60 mph. Sadly, I eventually sold it for something newer. If I could find that car today, I would be willing to pay a ridiculous amount for it. It was full of memories of a more innocent time.
I still have my 65 !
I haven't run into one of your videos in a while. I always enjoy them and consider them to be one of the best car programs. Keep up the good work!
Well said
No more cash for clunckers. They weren't clunkers. Dont be fooled again
They got us good huh?
The REAL CLUNKER was the so - called President!
Those "early" Explorers were the "poster boys" for CASH CLUNKERS! lol
You are my absolute favorite car reviewer on the Internet. You speak in a soft tone, which is easy to listen to unlike some of them who scream and yell and try to be cool. The cars are what’s cool, not the dude who’s talking about them. I also really like the cars that you feature. They’re from a time when I first started to drive. I also saw them while working for a Chevrolet dealers used car lot. I was a lot boy, that part, I didn’t like very much as it was bitter cold in the winter and hotter than you know what in the summer! But I got the drive many of the cars you’ve featured. Hemi Cudas, big block Chevys, Cobra Jet Fords, you name it, I probably saw and drove it!
Keep up the good work
We never owned a Falcon, but my Mother had a 69 Mustang with the 200 inline six
I had a '69 Mustang Fastback with a stock 302... that car was a real runner!
My mother read Cosmopolitan. Doesn’t mean I liked it.
Thank You!!! Mom and Dad had a 1969 Ford Falcon 2-Door!!! 4 of us kids sat in the back, and Mom had a baby in her arms, and Dad drove!!! I can't remember to much about the engine, maybe I saw the number "289" under the hood, and maybe not, it has been to many years since I was a child. I'm 61 now. and I just lost my Dad back on 01/09/2024, but seeing your video has cheered me up!!! Thank You!!! God Bless!!!
love me a falcon
In th late 60's my dad had several Falcons. I remember hearing him say that he wished he could afford a V-8, but his finances only got him halfway there. I don't think he ever realized how far ahead of th curve he was.
The way cars should be.
That was a great car. It even got great mileage way back then. My Dad sold a lot of them at his dealership. I wish I had one now. Loved it.
We need a similar model today. Basic. Minimal.
Dream on...stockholders wouldn't have it
There was an entry level minimal Fusion sold for THREE YEARS. Nobody bought it.
@@Pness9550 nobody probably knew about it. They wouldn't promote it because it's a low margin car. Profit wise.
My dad drove a friend’s Falcon once in about ‘60 or ‘61. He told me that everything felt loose, particularly the controls. He was never a Fordman.
My first car was a '63 Falcon (6 cyl, auto) in '71. I abused that car and then gave it to the gas station I worked at as a tire car, welded rack to hold retreads/used tires, to drive out/into the garage. The last time I checked, about 6 years ago, they were still using it. Got a beefed-up '68 Dart GTS ( high 13s in the 1/4). Wrecked it and messed up the front end. Then, I got the best car ever. A '65 Falcon (6 cly, 3 on the tree) owned by an old man and had low mileage. The money I saved on the upkeep of the Dart, I tricked the Falcon out. Cruising was good with her and I still think about her with fond memories. Thanks for this one.
Love these cars. My dad for a time owned a 63 Falcon. He swapped out the 170 and put in the 200 motor instead. It had Chevelle buckets and green shag carpeting. ❤
Sweet
My first car was a 64 Falcon. I wish I could have it back now!
I owned a 1965 and a 1968. I inherited my father's 1967. All had 200 cubic inch 6 cylinder engines... Enjoyed them all.
Hi.
I've seen a lot of videos about Ford Falcon history. However, almost none talk about Falcon made in Argentina.
The model was imported from Ford's local branch from 62 to 64, then assembled at the General Pacheco plant until the early 90s with 100% Argentinean parts.
All models were 4 doors, except for the Ranchera light pick-up.
All engines were straight six with 3.0l and 3.6l of displacement (with the exception of a small run of "Max Econo version with 2.0 four cyl engines from the Taunus/Granada in mid 80s, a big failure).
Here, when somebody makes something robust and durable, people say, "It's like a Falcon".
Best wishes from Buenos Aires Argentina 🇦🇷 🤗
Welcome back!
Those six bangers were solid! Had a 61 falcon back in the day, that I bought for a hundred dollars...drove it a little while and swapped it for a mini truck and small motorcycle. The guy I swapped with said he found an inch of water on top of the pistons! Still drove down the road fine. He wasn't mad!
Had a 1965 Falcon Futura with 200 CID inline six. Loved it. Put 150K miles on it. Rebuilt the engine at 100K miles. Easiest car to work on I ever owned.
Had a 1969 Ford Falcon with 170 engine that got an incredible 30 mpg on the highway,,reliable and easy to work on❤
I had a 1961 Comet 2 door that I drove for 9 years in the 80s and 90s. Just as was said, it was so easy and cheap to maintain. I really love the first gen 2 door Falcon station wagon.
Did your comet have the floor matts with raised planets all over them?
Whenever I think of a Ford Falcon, I think of the 1961 Falcon that was used in the 1993 movie 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' and the way it almost dragged the ground on the passenger side when his morbidly obese momma was riding in it going to the local jail to get her son Arnie out, played by Leonardo Dicaprio, after he climbed Endora's water tower one too many times.
Great movie!
Our family had both a Ford Falcon and Maverick, at different times. My mother had a Falcon. I was too young at the time to now remember what year it was, but it was an early model, either 60 or 61. When she had it it was around 1967 or so and it was pretty much a junker by that time. I remember it having constant breakdowns and she eventually got rid of it and replaced it with a 65 Rambler American. A couple of years later my father bought a Maverick. It was the first new car our family ever had. He only had it a couple of years because it proved too small for a family with five kids and he traded it in on a Plymouth station wagon.
The Falcon continued in Australia until 2016 and was available with a supercharged Coyote.
Aussue V8 Supercar race series. Against the Holden.
We owned a '64 Ford Falcon, and it was so underpowered it was very dangerous. I learned to drive in that car, and I never felt that I was in control!
1963 4 door Falcon was my first car inherited from my grandparents..l admit l was a bit embarrassed driving it at first, not exactly a 'cool car' at the time but l grew to enjoy driving it. Three on the tree and a pull out manual choke!
Appreciate the Australian reference 🇦🇺👍 we got the 144, 170 and 200ci sixes and later a 250, and the 289, 302 and 351 Cleveland and Windsor V8s. Falcons were made in Australia until 2017 and were very popular, we also got utes and panel vans based on the wagon platform.
Fun fact, only 713 Woody Falcon wagons were sold in Australia. They were called the Squire
I bought a '68 base model Falcon Tudor as a $100 estate sale special upon the passing of a neighbor in 1988. It had 28,050 miles in it.
The executors couldn't find the keys (the elderly gentleman had passed alone at home and they didn't find him for some weeks, we suspect the keys went into the bag with him) so all I had was the trunk key and I pulled the ignition lock out to have a duplicate made.
The only splurges on this car's equipment were white sidewall tires and an AM radio.
Even in 1990 I had friends who had never seen a three-on-the-tree.
It was surprisingly roomy and I was able to transport a disassembled tandem bicycle in the back seat. I used it for work when my pick-up was in the shop for two weeks, and I drove it to evening classes when I was in graduate school, and to geology department field trips.
I have fond memories of the car, including the complaints of one neighbor with a very high opinion of his Clenet knock-off Mercedes copy and his wife's Aupurn copy, who thought my gold-and-primer compact parked majestically on the street in front of my house.
I don't remember the gas mileage from the 200 six, but it wasn't terribly painful.
My grandfather had a 2nd Gen Falcon. It was a red, 4-door, with three on the tree and a 6-cylinder under the hood. It was a basic but reliable car. My biggest memory of riding in it was the dog on the back shelf with the head that would bob when the car moved. Funny what you notice when you are a kid.
Thank you for not changing the narrator. I love this channel.
Bought a used 63 Falcon in 1968, simple, reliable, fun to buzz around town in. Later traded it for a 1967 Buick Special, dark blue, white interior. Wish they built cars like that now, no computers and never paid more than $12 for tune up.
At my current age, having grown up with cars of the '60s, I am resentful when I open the hood of a modern car and barely see an engine through the miles of wiring and tubing and mysterious ancillary components. It infuriates me that it is not even possible to choose to buy a simple, lightweight, easily diagnosed and repaired car. People have gone crazy about safety, adding a huge amount of weight and multiple computerized "driver assistance" features, instead of just... paying attention, keeping focused out the windows, and, ya know, being a "driver."
Blew the lug nuts off my Econoline van on a cross country trip. The tires I had while cool looking were to bit too big for the chassis. A trucker stopped, popped out the broken lugs and took me to the next town in the middle of nowhere Utah. They had a small junkyard that had an old Falcon sitting there. The owner of the shop popped those out and I hiked back to my van with a pocket full of lug nuts which thankfully fit. Finished my trip to California then back to Wisconsin. Thanks Falcon!
I had 2 similar stories in the mid to late '70s. Folks in middle America are the greatest!
My parents had a 1960 Falcon wagon. It was pale blue. I loved that car. I almost cried when I heard my mom, while turning into the driveway, lost the brakes and steering and hit the corner of the house, totaling it. Thank goodness she didn't get hurt.
This channel is so soothing.
The other day, I'm driving around, doing mundane chores, and I realize that I'm CRAVING the opening guitar riff.......
During it's 1960-1970 production run the Falcon was available in the following body styles: 2 door sedan. 4 door sedan. 2 door hardtop. 2 door convertible. 2 door wagon. 4 door wagon. 2 door sedan delivery. 2 door pickup (Ranchero).
I miss my 69 ford Falcon 4dr. had the 6cl 200 and was a great car. I love my 17 Fusion but wish i still had that Falcon.
A friend of mine had a 1960 black 4-door sedan Falcon. It was slow as molasses. A really weird thing about it were the windshield wipers, they were powered by engine vacuum, the faster the engine revved, the slower the wipers would run. One day we were driving through a thunderstorm and during a severe downpour the wipers slowed so much we could barely see what was in front of us!
The vacuum wipers were common on UK Fords as well, ridiculous things, almost as silly as the trafficators !
@@CrimeVid I never saw trafficators here in the USA except in some Bugs Bunny cartoons.
I had a buddy in the 1980s who owned a 1960 Falcon. Good tough reliable little car. 😊
When we married in 1969 my wife brought along a baby blue 1963 Falcon and two cats. Good days.
Well, except for the two cats...
At 2:35 that Falcon body had similar body lines as a Torino from 1970.
Our family's first car was a 1960 used Ford falcon. I remember us kids crying when our parents traded it for a newer car a few years later.
I bought a fleet 1960 Ford Falcon in 1960 new for $1550. I drove it 98,000 miles until 1970. Replaced the fuel pump myself for $60 in 1968 and the ball joints professionally8😊😊 in 1969 for $200. Sold it in 1970 from my driveway for $650. When I called the person I sold it to 6 months later, he would not return it for the price he paid. Think about that! Ten years of ownership for a battery, one set of tires, one set of brake linings, ball joints and a fuel pump plus $900 depreciation. It was a time in my life when I was a poor graduate student and I really needed the value. Thank you Ford.
Great Car, my first! Maroon convertible. White top. Sixties.
My first car was a used 1965 Ranchero, 289 4 barrel, it was an excellent car. Wish I still had it.
We had a ‘66…you couldn’t kill that thing 😂👍🇺🇸💪
My first ever vehicle was a 10 yr old, 1963 Falcon 4 door wagon. Equipped with the aforementioned 170 CI engine and the two speed automatic. The one special feature the car had was the power window in the rear liftgate. The car served me well for about two years while I saved up enough money to buy something a bit more substantial (and not as nerdy).
i had a 1961 1963 and a1964 falcon sprint ragoon red v8 borg warner 4 speed and sprint tach on dasboard what fun cars great video
Excellent! I love watching these old car videos!
Great video. You guys in North America sure missed out on some ripper Aussie Falcons like the GTs and XR6 Turbos, Utes and Fairlane versions. Fantastic cars! the ford 4 litre inline six is a local Aussie legend!
In 1966 I was hanging out, with some school friends, at a local ice cream shop. One of the guys had a 63 Falcon. He had put a 352 ci engine in the car and he came by to show us. He did a burn out on the street, but he didn't change the rear end. One wheel spun and made a lot of smoke before it blew out. We had a good laugh and helped him change the wheel.
I was a little kid when my folks took me along while they shopped for a Falcon. I am pretty sure it was the first year of Falcon. I remember that Ford had the Peanuts characters in their printed ads and I think that Charlie Brown and Snoopy played an important part in selling my Mom (and me) on a Falcon. It was a four-door white with red roof and Mom and Dad drove it for many years. They got fantastic miles per gallon and were so pleased to improve from their 1954 Ford. Thanks for the straight forward info and pictures!
In 1976, my dad and I dragged a 1961 Ford Falcon Futura 2-dr sedan from its years-long resting place, where its axles were buried in the area's sandy soil. From another engine-swap project, I had a big block 240 CID engine with manual transmission that came out of a 1965 F-100. I pulled out the Falcon's 140 CID engine and automatic transmission and put in the big block and manual transmission from the pickup, using home-welded mounts. Had to cut a hole in the hood to clear the air filter. J.C. Whitney had a 3-speed shifter, which I mounted to the floor. Added the clutch pedal from the F-100. Moved the battery to the trunk. Re-upholstered the interior, including carpet--not only on the floor, but also on the ceiling! Put on an unintentionally textured blue paint job on it. I drove it many miles while attending a couple of universities over three or so years, then sold it. It was such a sweet ride! Fond memories.
My first car was 1962 Falcon, straight six, & three on the tree, which I bought used in 1976. What a great car! Not only was it easy to drive it was so easy to work on. Lift the hood and you could reach everything with ease. Only had to crawl under it to drain the oil, replace the yoke and drive line, and pull out the clutch. I dearly miss my Falcon.
I had a '66 Ford Falcon back in the day that was one of my favorite cars of all time.
Nice overview. I had one of the first, a 1960, purchased in 1965 with 140,000 miles on it. I happily drove it over half the country until 1966 when I got a '66 Mustang with a 289. I was in heaven, but I still wish today I had that 1960 Falcon. You haven't lived until you've driven a car with no heat/defrost and vacuum-operated windshield wipers 500 miles through an east coast blizzard!
The car that brought me home from the hospital - a blue 1962 Ford Falcon 4-door sedan (1:15) in 1963. My dad drove his beloved Falcon until 1969 when he traded it in for a 1966 Mercury Comet 4-door sedan. Loved our Falcon. Great memories. 😃
Ya know, I never thought very highly about the Falcon. However, and like a lot of things, I'm coming to realize that car was much more than my initial sophomoric conclusions. After this video, I have a new-found respect for this car. "Better late than never" is a phrase I'm having to embrace as I grow older. You guys have a new subscriber.
My first Falcon was a 61' Wagon with the deluxe package and HD suspension which I put to good use. It was a very durable car. I bought it used with a 144" and 2-speed auto for my wife, but I ended up driving it a lot. The 144" was very tired when I bought it and finally blew up on me on my way home from work. So I replaced it with 200" out of an Econoline van and did my typical race prep tune to it.
A fun side note was I used the wagon to haul my slicks, tool box and floor jack to the drags when I raced my 68' Charger R/T 440. One night we got a little rain at the track and they were going to call it but asked the racers if they wanted to continue, we did. The Charger was a bit too much to run even on street ovals so I decided to run the Wagon. I eliminated everybody but a Mustang with a built V8. I knew I had to get to the end of the grandstands before I gave it full throttle, I even had my brother ride in the back seat for extra weight on the rear, but when I heard that loud V8 leave the line behind me, I floored it before getting to the end of the grandstands and she spun the tires and the Mustang caught me at the line. It was the most successful day/night of drag racing I ever had in my years of the sport. So close, but no big trophy but a great memory.
had a 63 falcon, 1'st car! loved it!
Had a 60 two door. Stone cold basic. 3 on the tree, no air, am radio. Loved that car while communting back and forth on the weekends from college. Surprising how fast that little booger was.
I seem to recall that there was a 221ci V8 first offered in the Falcon line, before the 260ci engine appeared... Year 1963.
The 221 first appeared in the 62 Fairlane but was never used in the Falcon. The first V8 in a Falcon was the 260 starting spring 1963.
❤ I saw guy on u tube put n a 390 in a Falcon and kepted the outside original. Wow that car is a little T Bird 🎉🐦n fast 😊
Great catch including our Canadian Hi-Po Falcons,very few sites add them.
Haven’t read all the comments yet but he could have mentioned that the car was also sold here in Canada as the Frontenac but only for the 1960 model year at Mercury dealers until the Comet replaced it.
Thanks for the all the good info on this great car!