Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > General Discussions > Off-Topic Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 04-13-2009, 09:10 AM
t walgamuth's Avatar
dieselarchitect
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Lafayette Indiana
Posts: 38,610
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!

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 04-13-2009, 09:34 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 18,350
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.
__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 04-13-2009, 09:56 AM
t walgamuth's Avatar
dieselarchitect
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Lafayette Indiana
Posts: 38,610
IIRC, they won the monte carlo rally in 63.
__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 04-13-2009, 10:33 AM
LUVMBDiesels's Avatar
Dead on balls accurate...
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Red Lion,Pa
Posts: 2,207
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!
__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 04-13-2009, 10:50 AM
JollyRoger's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 48
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.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 04-13-2009, 11:10 AM
lutzTD's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Lutz, Florida (N of Tampa)
Posts: 2,461
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......
__________________

1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 04-13-2009, 11:11 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 254
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.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 04-13-2009, 12:13 PM
t walgamuth's Avatar
dieselarchitect
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Lafayette Indiana
Posts: 38,610
Yep.

Although I pretty much like all mustangs (excepting the weird ones based on Pintos) this sprint looked just so right.
__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 04-13-2009, 03:23 PM
davestlouis's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 571
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.
__________________
2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 04-13-2009, 04:25 PM
Mistress's Avatar
No crying in baseball
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Inside a vortex
Posts: 626
photos people we need photos
Attached Thumbnails
1963 Ford Falcon Sprint-hershels63.jpg  
__________________
"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 04-13-2009, 04:30 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 5,358
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.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 04-13-2009, 04:31 PM
Mistress's Avatar
No crying in baseball
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Inside a vortex
Posts: 626
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike D View Post
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.
__________________
"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 04-13-2009, 04:45 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 5,358
Ummm, yeah. In 1969. Moved up to a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500XL fire engine red with a black top convertible.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 04-13-2009, 05:09 PM
MS Fowler's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Littlestown PA ( 6 miles south of Gettysburg)
Posts: 2,278
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.
__________________
1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 04-13-2009, 05:12 PM
JollyRoger's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 48
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.

Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:51 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page