(first posted 7/9/2013) So this is what I stopped to shoot the other day, before I got distracted by the ’65 Ranger F-250. When I first spotted it, I thought it might well be the Sprint, which became collectible a very long time ago. Why? It was the first V8-powered compact from Detroit, and a rather appealing one at that.
Admittedly, Studebaker had the 1963.5 Falcon beat way back in 1959, offering a choice of six or V8 in its Lark. But the Stude V8 was a heavy old-school affair, and as tough and lovable as it was, it wasn’t the ideal mill for a compact. But Ford’s brand-new thin-wall ultra-compact Windsor V8 certainly was, first appearing in 1962 in the Fairlane. With the success of the sporty Corvair Monza, it made all the sense in the world to plop it in the Falcon too, and one wonders why it took so long.
Undoubtedly to grace the new semi-fastback hardtop roof style that appeared in the Spring of 1963, along with a similar one on the Galaxy and XL. The Sprint came standard with the 164 hp 260 CID two-barrel version, but it was also optional on other Falcons. That explains the 260 V8 badge on that non-fastback roof coupe in the background.
This isn’t a Sprint, just the Futura Sports coupe. And a six, I have to assume, since the 260 V8 badge is missing. Of course, whether it’s still a six is another matter, as this lot seems to enjoy messing with our heads. But one would assume that if a V8 had been transplanted, it would most likely have dual exhausts, although the Sprint didn’t. I’d like to think it has a nicely warmed-over six and a four speed stick backing it up. As well as some other wheels.
Considering the F250 I’d say if they swapped in a V8 I’d bet they would have upgraded to the 5 lug V8 brakes and rear axle.
I bought one of these in the early 80s for $900. Just gave it regular maintenance and sold it 25 years later for $5000. I think I missed this when it first appeared: “first posted 7/9/2019”.
“first posted 7/9/2019”.
Well, it is the Futura….
I just went back to the Futura and corrected it… thanks!
Ford didnt offer V8 engines in this body over here the stronger suspension and hubsc were adopted and finally the cars didnt fall to pieces as readily but they waited until 66 to give them some power.
The strengthening efforts basically ended up using the convertible sub-structure for all cars by 1964 or so. Mind you they didn’t actually sell the convertible, nor any 2-door bar the commercials (and they used the short sedan doors too, the sharing of body panels to cut the number of pressings needed was impressive).
The US Falcon got beefed up components in 1962 since they were needed for the Fairlane and it was cheaper to have one set of parts that fit the compact and intermediate, and then the Mustang.
sexy, sexy car.
When two eras clash.
“Bob…meet Lido. Lido’s gonna be taking over some of your details…”
I had no idea that Ford had beaten Chrysler and GM in the compact V8 race by six months. Chrysler is understandable since the 273 wasn’t ready until MY1964, but GM doesn’t have much of an excuse since the SBC had been around since 1955 and could have easily incorporated the 283 into the Nova for its 1962 introduction (which many dealers actually did in over-the-counter installations).
It’s also even more ironic when one considers that McNamara’s people-mover was envisioned as nothing more than basic transportation in the most traditional sense. Of course, by 1963, McNamara was long gone (and went on to some more substantial (but dubious) accomplishments).
There apparently was a mindset in the Big Three…well, FoMoCo and GM, anyway. Compacts…were for tightwads. For blue-haired elderly librarians. For skinflint farmers.
The story of the Falcon is well known. But the Nova mimicked it…went it one better, even, with their four-cylinder. After the flash and glitz and engineering experimentation…and expense…of the Corvair…the General was all about playing it safe. Maybe, someone must have thought, McNamara had it right.
Then, in comes Lido…tipping over the apple cart…
Well, the Falcon outsold the Corvair by more than 50% and it didn’t take any great stretch of the imagination to see that the Falcon was cheaper to build.
As for the Falcon V-8, the Sprint was a commercial flop when it did arrive and led GM to not take the Mustang as seriously as they probably should have, so…
Well, it was McNamara who brought Iacocca to Dearborn out of one of the regional sales offices, so they were well-acquainted. Also, Iacocca’s immediate predecessor as head of the Ford Division was not McNamara, but Jim Wright, another of the Whiz Kids. (McNamara became group vice president from 1957 until his brief stint as president in 1960.)
Thanks Paul,I have been a long time Falcon fan.
Saw a ’63 or ’64:wagon yesterday. No V-8 badges. Very cool.
Nice car, even if not a Sprint. It would look even better with the styled steel wheels available on Mustangs and seen on the ’63 Fairlane in today’s Car Show Classic post.
Don’t know what to say about those wheels? Unique.
Now THAT’S the way to style a small car. I think those and the 66-67 Novas are extremely good looking cars considering they were considered entry level.
We shouldn’t forget the 1961 V8-powered Olds F-85 and Buick Special that GM billed as compacts. I have never made the effort to compare dimensions with the Falcon, and perhaps they were a mite bigger. And they were certainly not available at Chevy dealers.
In the late 70s, I knew a guy who owned one of these, a Turquoise hardtop with the V8. It was a rusty old mess by that time, but there was something that I found appealing about it even then. He was using it as a drive-to-work beater. This 63 Falcon hardtop may be my favorite Falcon out of all of them.
The Buick aluminum V8 was available in the 1961 and 62 Pontiac Tempest as well as an alternative to the half-a-V8 that was the standard engine. It was an inexplicably rare option.
More rarer, is their Australian counterpart, the Falcon XP hardtop
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiefordadverts/5031765769/in/set-72157625160230302
Many Falcons have V8 conversions, thanks to the relative simplicity of the job (along with the fact that Falcons share so many parts with ’65-’69 Mustangs). The most important thing is to replace the 4-lug spindles with 5-lug units…unless you don’t mind breaking a spindle due to the extra weight up front!
Oh…and a disc brake conversion isn’t a bad idea either. The tiny drum brakes require a lot of leg pressure (and prayer) to get the job done.
model run. While the number of luxury and convenience options available was limited, the car was available with the full range of Fairlane/Torino powertrains, ranging from the standard 250 cubic-inch six-cylinder and 302 cubic-inch V8 all the way to the 429 Cobra Jet V8.
I assume the reason the Sprint V-8 took a while was that the small V-8 wasn’t available when the Falcon was developed and there were originally no structural provisions for a V-8. The first Falcon was engineered for minimum cost and weight, which it achieved: The 1960 car, which was roughly the size of a modern Mondeo, had a curb weight of about 2,435 lb (1,100 kg). Then you add 100 lb of engine weight and nearly double the available power and torque…
I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the Falcon Sprint. I came this close to buying one in the fall of 1963, a black 2-door hardtop with 4-speed, but I got laid off and ended up moving back to Tacoma. It would be another year before I got my black 4-speed V8 2-door hardtop, but instead of a Sprint it was a Barracuda.
Maybe the people who underestimated the first-generation Mustangs were guys like me who always considered them as overpriced and overrated Falcons.
That’s exactly what GM thought: They figured it was a reskinned Falcon Sprint and expected that the second-gen Corvair would wipe the floor with it. Of course, they changed their tune once Ford sold 100,000 Mustangs in less than six months.
The red one looks like it should include the spear and side trim that match the color and center width of the trim on the rear precisely. I think it was part of the Futura package even if you didn’t get the V-8. My father had a 170 C.I.D. OHV 6. Fordor Futura in “Champagne” with the trim center in an off-white. Certain color bodies got a red striped trim as shown in your photos. Maybe this one got a bump repair at some point and the side trim somehow got deleted on both sides. His did include back up lights in the tail light centers just like the ones on the white car.
Re “some other wheels” – Grey steelies with white walls? Or a set of minilites with period correct look road racing rubber?
Its an article from the future! … for a Futura – makes all the sense in the world 7/9/19 -> 7/9/13
Clash of two eras indeed, I always thought both the Falcon hardtop and the later sedan “Thunderbird” roofline didn’t quite work with the original round-cornered lower styling, I much prefer the original bubble roofline or the wedgy ’64-5 sedans (there the hardtop roof looks too small for the rest of the car).
We talk about crossovers proliferating now but Ford was diving in and slicing the brand-new sporty compact market up really fine with both the Falcon hardtop and the Mustang appearing one year apart.