Anyone Remember the Ford Falcon Automobile?
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Yes, here in New Zealand we see falcons from the 60's through to today. For the 'car people' it is either Ford or Holden down here.
Ford never quite mastered the subcompact or compact car. My wife had one of the last efforts, a Focus. The long sequence of them (Falcon, Pinto, and so on) never quite captured the magic of a fun small car, but they hauled a lot of people to and from jobs, school, errands, and so on. Lately people just buy SUV's and trucks, and American car makers just don't do sedans of any size. The few left are mostly latter day muscle cars. My dad went from a series of Ford subcompacts (he was sternly practical about cars) to a Toyota Tercel, now discontinued, that was by-gosh really fun to drive, a lot of zip and even a touch of styling on that little econobox.
The Pinto was actually a fun car. The defect that made some of them blow up was only for a partial year, and it was fixed by adding a gasket to the bumper. Only less than 100 were sold off the lot before Ford fixed the problem. Movies like Airplane exaggerated the problem with their jokes.
By the time the Pinto came out, they could squeeze way more HP out of a smeller engine size, but those transmissions sucked the jump out of them.
Related to this, was that the sister engines and drivetrains to the Pinto were those god awful 1980's Mustangs. Ford would be doing itself a big favor by buying up all of the 80's model Mustangs, and crushing them all. In fact, just destroy all of the 80's Fords.
My dad had one of the 80's turbo 4cyl Mustangs, that little car was pretty awesome, until the turbo internals detonated and fired shrapnel through the engine. The V8s from that era were so choked with pollution controls that they couldn't breathe, their HP numbers were abysmal compared to the same displacement engines in the late 60s-early 70s.
Though they lacked pizzazz, I have always thought the the Ford Taurus was a work horse. I never owned one, but various people I've known rolled those babies for 200,000 miles, year after year. They were a bit hulking and not great mpg, but reasonably comfortable and kept up with traffic. The automobile ratings people never liked them, but they lasted and lasted.
People I know that drove Tauruses loved them. I drove an Escape from 92 till just a few years ago. I would probably still be driving it of someone hadn’t of rear-ended me. That thing just kept going. Not a dream truck, but it did what I wanted.
Back in the era of the Falcon, my father had a '60 Fairlane 500 and a '61 Galaxy. The Galaxy had a 352 V8 and could obscure entire city blocks in tire smoke. It wasn't fast, but it could light up those tires.
The most absurd thing about those cars was the vacuum motor wipers. The faster you went the less the engine pulled a vacuum and the slower the wipers would go. I think Ford kept that system on their trucks into the '80s.
The most absurd thing about those cars was the vacuum motor wipers. The faster you went the less the engine pulled a vacuum and the slower the wipers would go. I think Ford kept that system on their trucks into the '80s.
I had a string of Fords for a while.
My first new car was an 1979 Ford Pinto ESS (European Sport Special) - well, it was really only a tape-stripe job on a standard Pinto. But, it was a very good car. I foolishly traded it in on a '79 Monza Spyder (wanted the V-6), which turned out to be the worst car I've ever owned. Mine was this color. I worked with a girl who had a Triumph TR6 - the Pinto would kick her ass in a drag race around the Mall where where worked.
The Ford Escort sold hundreds of millions world wide and for the era (mid-late 80's, it was a very good car). I had an 89 GT, it was a lot of fun.
Of course Europe got the best versions, like this 89 Turbo:
www.thedrive.com
We also had an 89 Taurus LX station wagon, third facing seat, we bombed all over the east coast in that car (wife/daughter got hit, totaled the car, they were unharmed).
After the disaster of owning a late 70's Chevy, I went old school and we bought a '73 Ford Thunderbird with the 460 ci motor. It wasn't a drag racer, but when up to speed, would scream down the highway. The wife and I had a lot of fun times in that car.
My first new car was an 1979 Ford Pinto ESS (European Sport Special) - well, it was really only a tape-stripe job on a standard Pinto. But, it was a very good car. I foolishly traded it in on a '79 Monza Spyder (wanted the V-6), which turned out to be the worst car I've ever owned. Mine was this color. I worked with a girl who had a Triumph TR6 - the Pinto would kick her ass in a drag race around the Mall where where worked.
The Ford Escort sold hundreds of millions world wide and for the era (mid-late 80's, it was a very good car). I had an 89 GT, it was a lot of fun.
Of course Europe got the best versions, like this 89 Turbo:
This 1988 Ford Escort RS Turbo Is America's Forbidden Rally Fruit, and Now You Can Buy It
Europe got the best Escorts, but now's your chance to own one stateside.
www.thedrive.com
We also had an 89 Taurus LX station wagon, third facing seat, we bombed all over the east coast in that car (wife/daughter got hit, totaled the car, they were unharmed).
After the disaster of owning a late 70's Chevy, I went old school and we bought a '73 Ford Thunderbird with the 460 ci motor. It wasn't a drag racer, but when up to speed, would scream down the highway. The wife and I had a lot of fun times in that car.
Speaking of mammoth Fords, I learned to drive in a 1974 Ford LTD Station wagon - with the faux wood panelling! It was not the coolest car in the high school parking lot, but I made more friends when you could fit a bunch in the back/rear seats. Did you know you can fit 17 guys in one of those things after football practice? My dad wondered why the shocks went bad so soon...?
I put the car out if its misery around 1977 when I got t-boned in one of those hilly, unprotected San Francisco intersections.
I put the car out if its misery around 1977 when I got t-boned in one of those hilly, unprotected San Francisco intersections.
My first car was a 63' Mercury Comet. It was in excellent condition when I bought it in 74'. I paid $250 for it. As a 16 year old, I ran that thing into the ground with multiple trips through Mexico and back and forth from Pasadena Ca. to San Francisco, to Sedona Az. and to every concert anyone wanted to trade a concert ticket for a ride. Always with at least 4 people in the back seat and 3 in the front. I never preformed any type of maintenance or did anything more than gas up for the whole 2 years I owned it.
I sold it for $350 to buy a red 62 Ford Falcon wagon that again I seemed to never be alone in. Always hauling a bunch of people. I traveled to Argentina in 74' and found out that they were selling brand, spanking new Ford Falcons there. It was a treat to see them very shiny and new in car lots. Ford Falcon is an underrated classic. Sweet memories of days gone by........
I sold it for $350 to buy a red 62 Ford Falcon wagon that again I seemed to never be alone in. Always hauling a bunch of people. I traveled to Argentina in 74' and found out that they were selling brand, spanking new Ford Falcons there. It was a treat to see them very shiny and new in car lots. Ford Falcon is an underrated classic. Sweet memories of days gone by........
My first car was a '63 Falcon 4-dr. Slow was a kind understatement. It did 0-60 in something like 30 seconds. Top speed was a little over 75 downhill with a tailwind.
Its replacement was almost the exact opposite - a '63 T'bird. 4200 lbs of solid lead sled, but it had the 2nd most powerful engine Ford made (outside of the police interceptor). That thing would absolutely fly. I don't know what actual top speed was, but I had it several times at 120 & still going up, plenty of pedal left. It was starting to float at that speed so I never tried it higher.
Got a ticket once for 95 in a 70 zone (early :70s, pre-55 limit) that cost me all of $10.
I could have beaten it because the cop put the wrong state for the license, but I figured I wouldn't push it, for obvious reasons. -laugh-
Its replacement was almost the exact opposite - a '63 T'bird. 4200 lbs of solid lead sled, but it had the 2nd most powerful engine Ford made (outside of the police interceptor). That thing would absolutely fly. I don't know what actual top speed was, but I had it several times at 120 & still going up, plenty of pedal left. It was starting to float at that speed so I never tried it higher.
Got a ticket once for 95 in a 70 zone (early :70s, pre-55 limit) that cost me all of $10.
I could have beaten it because the cop put the wrong state for the license, but I figured I wouldn't push it, for obvious reasons. -laugh-
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