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34,597 Original Miles: 1961 Ford Falcon

062216 Barn Finds - 1961 Ford Falcon - 1

This 1961 Ford Falcon is in beautiful Gillette, Wyoming. It’s listed on eBay with an unmet opening bid of $3,500. This would be a nice car for someone to tinker with, it doesn’t need much and it can be used in-between working on it.

062216 Barn Finds - 1961 Ford Falcon - 3

This is an all-original car with just 34,597 miles on it since it left the factory 45 55 years ago. That’s amazing! And, it’s in good condition, much better than a lot of Falcons that have been driven in the salt and snow for a few extra decades. Ford called the ’61 Falcon “America’s savingest compact.”

062216 Barn Finds - 1961 Ford Falcon - 2

This is a first-generation Falcon, as you all know. They were made from 1960 to 1963 and in 1964 Ford went to a “squared-off” Falcon. I personally prefer these early cars, maybe because my grandpa had one. This particular car has a few rust spots, at least surface rust, and a few dings. Some brightwork is missing here and there, but overall it looks very good. The trunk even looks good.

062216 Barn Finds - 1961 Ford Falcon - 4

The interior will need a little help, but as you know, most Falcon parts are available from a few aftermarket suppliers so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting a new seat cover and dash top. You can see that this car has AC, which I believe would have been a dealer-installed option. One of you would know for sure.

062216 Barn Finds - 1961 Ford Falcon - 5

This car has the newly-optional 170 C.I.D. inline-six with around 100 hp, not bad at all. It also has the Ford-O-Matic two-speed automatic transmission, it’s truly a just-get-in-it-and-drive type of car. There are all sorts of parts and pieces available for the Falcon and that should make for a fun car to tinker with when you’re not using it. Being a four-door sedan, this car would most likely never be restored, but it would make a fun weekend car for someone to jump into the collector car hobby for a small amount of money. Is this car something that you would jump on or are there too many doors?

Comments

  1. Avatar Luke Fitzgerald

    Wow – that’s what we’re here for

    Like 1
  2. Avatar cj32769

    Thanks! I was born in ’62 and this car is a ’61 thats only 45 years old? I thought I was turning 54 this year . I just got 9 years added to my life by reading Barn Finds! Happy Birthday Barn Finds.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Scotty G Staff

      Ha! Oops.. typo, thanks for catching that!

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Cassidy

    Looks like a great car! Now I will go make my daughter wish she had been saving her money for a car, instead of wasting it on fast food.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar grant

    Personally, I love it, 4 door or not its worth $3500 all day. Wish I was closer to it, this is a nice summer cruiser.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Cassidy

    In looking at his eBay post, he said it might end the auction early if sold locally, so I checked Wyoming CL to get an idea of what he actually wants for the car, but there is only one Falcon listed and its mighty ragged. They did show “close by” cars, including this 2 door from Eastern Idaho for only $5500 obo:
    http://eastidaho.craigslist.org/cto/5605974260.html

    Like 0
  6. Avatar roger

    No Way.
    That much for a 4 door.
    I bought a 1960 2 door back in 2006 for $300.00
    No way a falcon is worth that,at least,not to me.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar fred w.

    About 1 out of twenty of these “actual mileage” car claims is true. 600 miles per year average? Really?

    The under dash A/C is dealer only, and very rare in a Falcon. I can imagine driving up a steep hill with the air on, Ford-O-Matic and a 170 six. A fully loaded school bus could beat it.

    Like 1
  8. HoA Howard A Member

    Scotty and I go back and forth on the joys of getting older, and the age correction on this car is one of them. ( 45? no, 55!) Just the same old thing, no way on 35,000 miles. Speedometers broke all the time on older cars, and this car could have been driven for years without one. I like Falcons, Good, basic family movers, usually mom’s car, as dad drove the Galaxy. We all went to the dentist or to get shoes or dropped off at school( mom’s job) in cars like these. Nothing fancy, except for the a/c. Unheard of in our family back then. I agree with the 170 motor didn’t win any races, but change the oil, and it chugged on for years, while the body disappeared around it. Great AFFORDABLE find, obviously, they’re still around, just not in the mid-west.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar five5monsters

    Total B/S on mileage! Not worth the asking price, the cool thing about this car the the A/C. Other than that 900 bucks at best.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Daren

    $900 for a running driving car in that kind of shape??? I’ll take a dozen!!

    Like 0
  11. Avatar aribert

    Drove my (was my mother’s) 61 Falcon today. 277K miles. I finally added air 3 years ago. Started driving mine when I got my learner’s permit in ’74. Basically the same car, Deluxe (exterior trim) with optional safety padded dashtop, 170, but manual and turquoise metallic color.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar George Member

    My mother had a ’61 wagon.

    The dealer installed an air conditioner, which caused it to overheat very easily.

    I don’t think there was a factor, though

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Prowler

    My uncle had one just like this one except a lot more rust…3 on the tree and he never used 2nd gear
    Always over revved 1st and right to 3rd…he said it saved the clutch
    This was 1966…I remember every few weeks it was my job to take some sand from my sand box and put it under his car on the garage floor…what a leaker.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ed P

      1st to 3rd may have saved the clutch and put extra wear on the engine.

      Like 0
  14. Avatar Craig

    “Newly optional 170″ C.I.D. in-line 6 cyl” what was the standard engine?

    Like 1
    • Avatar Ed P

      144 cid in line 6

      Like 1
  15. Avatar Terry

    Probably the 144-6.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Paul Bellefeuille

    You could go to the totally opposite end of the spectrum..
    https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5638862849.html

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Roy Crader

    I would absolutely buy this little car just to have another project in the waiting room. BUT, well you guys know the big BUTT………The $$$ is short while already in a project but i could break loose something for her. Nice to know they are still around . rc

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Gman

    I learned how to drive stick on one of these cars. I remember driving it home when mom bought it from a private owner. It had 3 on the tree it was awesome.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Bob C.

    Glad to see it has the 170. The 144 would be SLOW.

    Like 0

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