1963 Ford Falcon Sprint
 

I saw a beautiful red one yesterday out cruising. I was smitten by the looks of the fastback roofline. I'm a sucker for a fastback roofline.

It looked like a mini nascar stocker (grand national back in those days, IIRC).

I briefly entertained the idea of looking one up and buying it but I remembered what American made cars handled steered and braked like in the sixties and immediately vetoed the idea!

They went in a straight line pretty well for sure!

Ford must have shipped all the equipment for making early 60's Falcons to South America after they finished making them in North America. You could buy brand new ones in South America in the later 1970's.

IIRC, they won the monte carlo rally in 63.

The Falcon Sprint also morphed into the Mustang GT with the same Hi-Po "K" 289 engine. A buddy of mine had a 1964 GT fastback that was QUICK!

In high school I had a 65 Falcon coupe with a 302 engine out of a mustang mated up to the original six-cylinder 3 spd standard transmission. The low gearing made it a fast 1/4 miler. In those days you could pull stuff out of the junkyard that would make you cry if you found it again today. Hurst "mystery shifter", glass packs, dude, for $500 you could ride it like Andretti.

my buddy bought 427 high riser stuff over the counter in the 60's 70's, man those were the days. I like the falcons, but the mustangs will always be my favorite. no cars in the 60's really handled. my 62 vette could be out braked by a yugo, literally, I almost hit one because I couldnt stop. it had 4 wheel manual adjust drums......

Owing to its basis for the first-gen Mustang, many factory and aftermarket braking, steering and suspension upgrades available for the Mustang can be adapted to such a Falcon.

Yep.

Although I pretty much like all mustangs (excepting the weird ones based on Pintos) this sprint looked just so right.

The 65 convertible Mustang that lives at my house rides like an ox cart and handles like a pig. It's great for Friday nights, going out for a burger with the top down, but other than that, not worth a hoot as a real, everyday car. It's a 289 2 BBL automatic, and while it sounds fast, it really isn't.

photos people we need photos

I had that same car in a powder blue. 260 c.i, 4 bbl Autolite carb, 4 speed.

Biggest non-handling, non-stopping, log wagon riding car I have ever driven! But, boy, oh boy, what a screamer from a stop light it was! Worked well with the ladies also.

you sold it????????noooooooooooooooo.

Ummm, yeah. In 1969. Moved up to a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500XL fire engine red with a black top convertible.

Got some old Ford Blue blood here in mercedesland.
If you could get the pieces for the Monte Carlo Sprints, you'd have a car that could run in almost any crowd.
In '63 they were running a 260 cid V8 with 260 HP ( as opposed to 164 in street trim). ( HP ratings were gross as opposed to net so power wasn't quite as good as it looked, but pretty potent for only 260 cid.--later Shelby 289 and 302 were pushing over 340HP)
2 3/4 turns lock-to-lock as opposed to a mamouth4.6 turns in stock configuration.
11 1/2" Bendix/Dunlop front discs, and 11" rear drums--stock was 10" drums all around.
Most bizarre was the front suspension settings, 3/8" toe OUT and 1 degree negative camber--very high steering effort but it cornered!
And of course, adjustable Konis at all 4 corners--set at their hardest setting.
0-60 in about 7 1./2 seconds

I restored a '64 Sprint convertible, but it handled like a mid sixties FoMoCo product. I am much happier with the W126 for ride and handling.

I've been trying to find a cousin of these cars, a 66 Merc Comet. I've been surprised at how rare they are. The small bodied Falcons and Comets fell under the hot rodder's torch, and now there is few of them left.