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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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. ❤
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...
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!
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.
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!
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
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.
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!!!
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.
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 🇦🇷 🤗
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!
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).
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.
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.
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).
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.
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
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!
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 have loved seeing my neighbor in his 1960 FORD Falcon. When I moved into this rural area in New England over fifty years ago, I noticed him and his white Falcon rolling down the road. He does his own repairs and lives simply in his neat mobile home .I now have two adult sons who are similarly treated to this Falcon owner rolling along the highways and byways yet. And, recently, I discovered another 1960 Falcon in aqua paint rolling along.
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!
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.
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.
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.
This brings back memories. When I was in high school in the late '60's the father of a friend of mine bought an early '60's Ford Falcon for him to drive. It had no radio. Since almost all Ford radios of the early '60's were the same regardless of model, I told him if he could buy a radio, speaker and aerial from a salvage yard, I would help him install it. We got the radio and speaker in the dash and hooked up. I used the largest drill bit my father had to drill a hole in the passenger side front fender, but it was still not large enough for the base of the antenna to go through. My father had a reamer which I used to enlarge the hole. We got the antenna installed and the radio worked great. He drove that Falcon for quite some time.
All most got a 68 Ranchero six years ago. I had to go out of state and that was that. GOOD NEW IS I have 2 67 Cougars and a 68 Mercury MX Montego. STILL WANT THAT RANCHERO. 🤔🙏👍
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.
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. 😃
My first car was a 1964 Falcon base model two door. I loved the simplicity of the car but the one I had only had 64000 miles on it and it was eaten up. I learned how to swap engines (6 cylinder back to 6 cylinder) - I changed the exhaust and swapped out a bad drive axle on the driver side. Learned so much from that car. But they did not build them to last and these things rusted like crazy. I would love to own another though.
True, if they were driven in coastal or rust belt areas those poor cars got the body “cancer” in short order. I saw a one owner Falcon at a show last year, all original(except for upholstery and carpets), and it was from Arizona. Other than paint fade, it was really clean!
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 parents bought a new 1962 Falcon Futura with bucket seats. It came equipped with seat belts, which were rather rare in those days. Four years later when I turned 16, I drove this car every day to high school. I have very fond memories of this car!
In 2019, I traveled to Queenstown, NZ and then rode to the town of Arrowtown, and while walking around, stumbled on a super mint 1960-61 Falcon right hand drive, of course. Many great memories came back of riding on the back seat in the US, eventually driving it. Simpler times indeed.
My Dad bought a Falcon , in 1960 , I remember that car , as a child as I was born in 1960 , when we moved back to the East to be near the farm in Michigan from Seattle , Wa. that car took us on a grand tour around the Western USA and even into parts of California ... the car was white , 4 door I think it had a red interior , and we loved our little Falcon.
I bought a used 69 Falcon 2 door in 1975 for $650. It had power nothing and 3 on the tree. It came with a radio and heater. It had its quirks and I learned how to fix cars keeping it running. Sold it in 1978 for $400 (?).
My first car was a 1961 Falcon with the 144 cid straight 6 and a 3 on the tree manual transmission. It wasn't fast, but it always got me where I needed to go while getting 30 mpg on the highway. The ride was unbelievably smooth for a compact car.
My first car that I got on the road was a 61 4 door with the 144 cid inline 6 with 2 speed auto. I switched the letters on the hood so they read DORF, jacked up the rear end and painted what you could see metallic blue. A friend wrote Albatross on both rear fenders. 7 of us skipped school and road tripped to the White Mountains here in New Hampshire. Came to a long hill in Albany, NH, crested it and started down the other side towards a much steeper down hill followed by an even steeper uphill which the old Albatross could not climb. 5 people got out and my girl and I turned around and drove back up the hill and waited for the other 5 to hike up. Shortest mountain trip I ever had!😂
One of my first cars I owned was a 1960 Falcon that I bought for like 125 bucks when I started working at the now defunct General Motors in Fremont Ca. in 1967.
