Anyone Remember the Ford Falcon Automobile?

[mso489]

The Falcon pipe is often discussed on Forums, but who remembers the Ford Falcon? It was a little econo-car from the 1960's that was run out to compete with the sales success of the VW bug. It was basic, homely, inexpensive, and troubled by a gas tank that was said to explode in wrecks. My family never owned one, but we had the slightly up-market version, a Mercury Comet, kind of a pretty little bucket. As a senior in high school, I drove my mom and younger sister home to Chicago from Connecticut when my dad had to fly home for a family health emergency. If I remember correctly, and it's not just some auto legend, I believe the first Ford Mustangs were built on a Falcon platform and then grew up from there.

 

[cigrmaster]

My dad owned a Blue Falcon one that he eventually traded in for a I think a 65 Thunderbird. He hated that Falcon cause it was slow as shit. He loved his T-birds as those hauled ass.

 

[J.GANDY]

My old man owned a Falcon Ranchero. Part car, part truck. Big Ford fan, he drove Torinos after that, then Crown Victoria's. Neat cars!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

My Uncle Mark had a RoadRunner hemi with the goosneck shifter that was so powerful that it would sling me from one side of the backseat to the other with enough force to actually bruise me up, and he'd make them tires smoke on the road. It sat out behind my Grandfather's house for years. Then when I turned 16, my grandfather told me that I could have a car that was behind his house. I was so excited... but it turned out that he was offering me the Ford Falcon, 4L 95HP, could barely pull its heavy-assed self out of the backyard. I took a hard pass. We ended up using it for parts for some of our car-monstrosities we made for fun, using a Pinto body.
Uncle Mark kinda went crazy, and just disappeared. Granddad always protected that ol' RoadRunner. He never let anyone in it. Then when Granddad passed away, the car just disappeared also. I don't know the whole story, but that was a bad assed car.
The Falcon... we finally had the remains junked, and dragged off. It always remained a huge disappointment in my mind.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

My old man owned a Falcon Ranchero. Part car, part truck. Big Ford fan, he drove Torinos after that, then Crown Victoria's. Neat cars!

My dad had a Ranchero, too. I was small when he sold it, maybe about four or five years old, but I remember it.

 

[canucklehead]

You are correct, the 1964½ Mustang was mechanically almost the exact same thing as a 1963½ Falcon Sprint, just with different exterior body styling.

 

[kcghost]

I was a Chevy guy when the Falcon came out so it wasn't for me.

 

[jpmcwjr]

My dad owned a Blue Falcon one that he eventually traded in for a I think a 65 Thunderbird. He hated that Falcon cause it was slow as shit. He loved his T-birds as those hauled ass.

One diversion, a T-bird story. My Dad's best friend had a '55 Bird, and, bless him, he taught me how to drive a stick shift on that baby. I was 15 or so. I'd never be so generous if I had a stick Bird! I must have ground out a few pounds of flywheel!

 

[mso489]

I wonder if the Mercury Comet (Falcon version of Mercury) had a slightly juiced up engine. I don't remember it lagging off the entry ramp. It was no sport coupe, but it was tolerable.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I don't remember it lagging off the entry ramp. It was no sport coupe, but it was tolerable.

4L 8cyllendars in a very heavy frame made for a slow start. Now, I am only familiar with the early ones, but I don't remember them ever winning any stock awards with their small carbs and lazy rearends. It probably made for a nice suburban errand runner. But, compared to the muscle cars that were cranking out, with 300+ 400 HP... it was left in the dust.

 

[edger]

I'm old enough to remember those. You could screw off the cab and screw on another one......maybe I'm confused.....zzzzzzzzzz.

 

[mso489]

No, I wasn't challenging anyone at a red light with the Comet, strictly a four-banger errand runner. It did seem to have a little better fit and trim than the Ford, and a much better paint job or sure, kind of an iridescent emerald green, snappy looking for its price.

However, Mercury did have its days in the sun with the flat six they had in the 1950's that was still being reworked for the stock car track into the 60's. I think the savings in weight gave it an edge in addition to being well engineered.

 

[anotherbob]

I'm old enough to remember those. You could screw off the cab and screw on another one......maybe I'm confused.....zzzzzzzzzz.

I was going to make the same joke.

 

[Sonorisis]

My Dad had a '64 Falcon 'Station Wagon' He had it built at the factory to his specifications. It was yellow -- kind of a banana color. I insisted that he get the 170 cid six rather than the standard 150 cid six because the bigger engine was a seven main bearing affair and the smaller had only five main bearings. He balked at the difference in price -- which was only about $120 dollars. I insisted. The engine and the car lasted a very long time and was still in good, usable shape when he traded it years later. He finally said that he was grateful I insisted on the better engine as that's what contributed to the car's long life. It was a fun car to drive and had lots of room for hauling stuff, which is how we used it. Wish I had that car today!

 

[mso489]

Speaking of the Falcon built to order, my cuz worked construction one summer and had a Plymouth Barracuda built to order, his first car. The dealer kept calling him to accept something that was "almost as good," but he stuck to it and finally got the custom car, which he still owns fifty years later. Along with a Vette and a hot rod Ford coupe. No a.c., but still a lively driving muscle car.

 

[mso489]

Anyone remember the Checker automobile? Mostly sold to taxi fleets for its durability and long chassis that left room in the back seat for jumper seats, little pull-out seats for extra passengers before seatbelts became mandated. I think most of them were powered by Plymouth engines, but the chassis and body was unique. They were mostly fifties and sixties cars, not many or any left on the streets.

 

[STP]

The Falcon pipe is often discussed on Forums, but who remembers the Ford Falcon? It was a little econo-car from the 1960's that was run out to compete with the sales success of the VW bug. It was basic, homely, inexpensive, and troubled by a gas tank that was said to explode in wrecks. My family never owned one, but we had the slightly up-market version, a Mercury Comet, kind of a pretty little bucket. As a senior in high school, I drove my mom and younger sister home to Chicago from Connecticut when my dad had to fly home for a family health emergency. If I remember correctly, and it's not just some auto legend, I believe the first Ford Mustangs were built on a Falcon platform and then grew up from there.

The Mustang, which was based on the Falcon's unified frame design, was its demise. Even w/the addition of the 289, and their Spirt performance package, it couldn’t compete and was discontinued in ‘65.

 

[LOREN]

I believe McNamara (later in the Nixon administration) was the force behind the Falcon's production. It sold well, but it was so basic, it had a very small profit margin. Good sales numbers but not so good profit numbers. But I guess it introduced a lot of new people to Ford, whether you think that's a good thing or not.

 

[LOREN]

Anyone remember the Checker automobile? Mostly sold to taxi fleets for its durability and long chassis that left room in the back seat for jumper seats, little pull-out seats for extra passengers before seatbelts became mandated. I think most of them were powered by Plymouth engines, but the chassis and body was unique. They were mostly fifties and sixties cars, not many or any left on the streets.

I think the model was the Marathon. Illinois Governor Thompson used them as the cars to drive him around.

 

[instymp]

The ford falcons vs the chevy2's was always big at the drag races. Hubert Platt & The Georgia Shaker