1963 Ford Falcon Sprint

Description

This pretty 1963 Ford Falcon is one of those cars restored all out of proportion to its sticker price. Extremely well finished, work like this is common on cars costing tens of thousands of dollars more, but with this car you get all the performance of an early Mustang combined with a unique shape that has aged particularly well.

Blending economy, performance, and style, the Falcon really was a do-it-all kind of car. You could outfit it to suit your tastes, and apparently someone want this to be a slick little sleeper that was comfortable for cross-country jaunts. It was originally Wimbledon White, but the light yellow finish on it today is far more interesting, don't you think? The tidy hardtop bodywork was treated to a makeover that gives it the look of a ¾-scale Galaxie and the detailing on the fenders and through the quarter panels is quite good. Gaps and panel alignment are good and the paint shines up beautifully thanks to modern materials. And this was no stripped-down base model, either, and as a result it's dressed up with plenty of jewelry, ranging from the arrow-shaped side trim to the beautifully sculpted bumper that frames the taillights, to the neat little "bombsight" fender ornaments up front. Nothing was modified or deleted, once again suggesting that someone restored this car because they loved it, not because they were trying to make money from it.

Black bucket seats give the stylish interior a far more upscale look than you'd expect from Ford's economy car. The ribbed seat covers look fresh and flank a correct center console with bright lid, so there's a bit of contrast in the otherwise all-black interior. Gorgeous door panels recall just a touch of the 1950s with their shiny materials and lots of polished trim. The familiar instrument panel is in excellent condition and there's a period tachometer mounted on top of the dash. Ford's familiar A/C unit hangs underneath, and is a really rare feature on any Falcon, again suggesting that the guy who ordered this one knew exactly what he was doing. The factory-issued AM radio remains in the dash and its ivory-colored buttons match the knobs used throughout the car. The trunk is nicely detailed as well, and includes reproduction plaid mats, a spare tire cover, and a jack assembly.

Stuffing a 260 cubic inch V8 in a lightweight car works really well; just ask Carroll Shelby. In this Falcon, it makes for entertaining acceleration around town and it's a lot of fun to play with that flexible torque curve on the street. A chrome air cleaner looks like a Mustang GT piece, with matching flamed valve covers that aren't exactly stock but look pretty darned cool. The big A/C compressor dominates the engine bay, but you can see that a lot of the work is quite fresh, and with power steering stuffed underneath, the fit is pretty tight. A 2-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission and 3.25 gears make it mild-mannered on the highway and with a burbling single exhaust, it makes pleasant noises without becoming tiresome at speed. A slightly lowered stance and gray Torque Thrust wheels with spinners gives it just a bit of attitude, and it rides on 195/70/14 BFGoodrich T/A radials all around.

This is a neat little car that shows quite well and runs great. Falcons are seeing some new-found appreciation these days, and I wouldn't expect nice ones like this to remain affordable forever. Call today!