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Barn Bird: 1960 Ford Falcon With 39k Miles

While I’m sure many of us would rather have a Mustang over a Falcon, I’ve always liked these little sedans! The styling definitely isn’t as sporty as a Mustangs, but that doesn’t mean these don’t look good. These first generation cars aren’t necessarily performance machines, especially six cylinder cars like this, but there are lots of performance upgrades available to make them a blast to drive. This 1960 Falcon is currently parked in a barn in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where it has been parked for the past 35 years. It’s said to have just 39k miles and it looks to be in nice shape. You can find it here on eBay with an opening price of $5k.

Being a low mileage survivor, it would be difficult to extensively modify it (well at least for me), but if that’s the route you want to go with it there are lots of upgrades available. Personally, I would want to upgrade the front suspension with a Mustang II front clip conversion and install a triangulated rear end kit to improve the handling. It won’t be cheap, I’d guess about $4k to do the entire suspension, but once it’s done it will handle like a dream.

Deciding what to do with the engine and transmission would be difficult for me. The Thriftpower inline six isn’t particularly performance minded, but it’s a good little motor with decent amounts of torque. If you decide to keep it, there are quite a few performance upgrades out there that can make it more fun. If you are going to go to the expense of upgrading the suspension though, chances are you’re going to want more power than what the 144 cui six can provide. Thankfully, there’s plenty of room in the engine bay for a V8. Personally, I think a modern 4 cylinder or even a V6 would be a fun option that would offer more power while keeping weight down.

Obviously, it will be up to the next owner to decide what to do with this Ford. If you’re just looking for a nice classic to drive, getting the original engine running and cleaning the rest of the car up might be the best option. Chances are it won’t take much to get it back on the road and it would be the cheapest option. It really just boils down to your interests, budget and goals. That being said, I’m curious to hear what you guys would do with this Falcon!

Comments

  1. Avatar Marvin

    Leave it exactly as is…except for modern upgrades. New interior, seals etc.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar DAN

    TURBO NISSIAN 4 CYL
    OR ls3!

    Like 0
  3. Avatar L.M.K.

    In reference to the black dash etc….Weren’t they typically coordinated with the blue exterior color ?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Bill

      I question the paint in 60 ford used Belmont blue.
      That looks to fresh to be a over 50 year old paint

      Like 0
    • Avatar JunkFixer

      I’m going from memory here and my memory is officially old, so use grains of salt as req’d: I had a ’60 blue sedan and ’61 yellow 2dr. Both were base models and both had a black dash. All of the base models I remember had either a black or light brown dash (mostly black). When you bought upmarket – like the Falcon Futura – those were the ones I remember with body colored dashes.

      I think the dash color is correct for this car.

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Pontiac Randy

    A two door 6 cylinder econobox with 3 0n the tree and little else, not running? Running away from it! Sorry. if it has sat that long in PA, it is a rust bucket as well! No No No!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jesper

      It dosnt look rusty. 5000$ is a high price, but accept engine it look like a new car.
      I could easy use it as a driver
      My last projekt is also a 6 cyl.
      So i can pay the fuel for it here in Europe

      Like 0
      • Avatar Chris In Australia

        Great PA Cresta!

        Like 0
    • Avatar john m

      rugs look tough for 35000 miles

      Like 0
  5. Avatar Big Mike

    I would take it in a heart beat, I have owned 2 of these little gems, I first bought a 61 from a Lady we went to church with but it was purple, and it only had 29K on it, it was the perfect little of lady that drove it to church and the store. When I bought it in 1987 she was 92 and decided she just didn’t want to drive anymore, but most of us that knew and cared about her would pick her up for church and take her to the store after church anyway and her 88 year old sister would take her to Dr. appt. I paid $1000.00 for the car and did not do much to it over the years and sold it at a car swap for $5000.00 10 year later. The second one I bought and still have looks just like the one pictured with my story, it is my baby, and is also the only Ford I own. I bought it because it is 1 year older than I am, and it is what I call my Sonic car, I take it to the local Sonic when they have their car shows. I also take it else where, but lately to Sonic or to one of the Grandson balls games, or to a Friday Night Cruise up in Festus, but other than that it sits in the garage covered up.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Rocco

      ’63???

      Like 0
  6. Avatar healeydays

    That is a sweet little car. Would love it if I ever wanted to take on another project, but garage is full. I would update the suspension to a more modern one. Not sure how far I would take the drivetrain, but would want it to be a driver that you’d want to get behind the wheel of. Would be fun though…

    Like 0
  7. Avatar flmikey

    …don’t think that is an original color…that being said, I think this car has been worked over at least once…and that being said, it looks like they did a good job…a closer look and 2500 clams in your pocket should buy this bird….

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Dick

    I would love to have it and keep it all stock and original in every detail. I am old school and don’t care to change a thing on a car like this.

    Like 1
  9. Avatar Big Al

    I would hunt down a 50 ford grill and skirts, change the stance. Oh yeah, how much for a 3.5 ecobost motor?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Keruth

      THAT was what I thought, and an IRS for the canyons. Skip the skirts, go for the full running/sleeper route.

      Good thing the barn is already full, but the wallet is low anyway, oh well.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar PJ

    I wonder if a Turbo 4 out of a new mustang would fit….

    Like 0
  11. Avatar KevinW

    I’ve owned three early sixties Falcons, all V-8 powered from swaps. You can put a stock, small block Ford in these and still get really good gas mileage because it’s a light car. But then, it’d be too tempting to not tromp the gas every now and then!

    Like 0
  12. Avatar mike d

    Looks pretty good to me, the 6 cyl should be easy to tear down and rebuild an excellent start for the novice

    Like 1
  13. HoA Howard A Member

    I agree, the color combination is a bit odd. It sure looks like a repaint on the outside, and it would be a big deal changing the inside all to black. Most I’ve seen were the same color as the outside too. I guess it could have 40K, these cars rarely made it to 140K, and the engine could have looked like that after only a few years. Falcons were good cars,,,,for the early 60’s. If you’ve never driven one, you may be in for a rude awakening of what an economy car was like in 1960.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve65

      The tired paint under the hood matches the exterior color. It seems unlikely that someone doing a color change would go to the effort of painting the engine bay but not the interior. If anything is non-original, I’d surmise it’s the black interior. But most likely it’s painted the same way it came from the factory. Possibly an exterior repaint, but a repaint in the same color.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Rocco

        Plus, the trunk looks like the same shade.

        Like 0
  14. Avatar ROTAG999

    After wrecking my 56 chev in high school i was car less my brother inlaw had been using his work buddys 61 2 door Falcon for a work car he offered it to me for $25.00 bucks not sure why i turned it down body was straight and a deep blue for paint i had ideas of putting my SBC in the Falcon but never pulled the trigger.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Guggie 13

    I had one of these while I was in the Coast Guard in the 60s , good little car and good on gas, sold it to a shipmate who was getting out and going home , it never let me down !

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Floyd

    I found a 66 falcon put abound 18,000 into it 8 for the car rest upgrades V8 8.8 rear end posie disk breaks all around new front end to hold the 350 v8 runs like hell.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Rustytech Member

    By my memory the early Falcons had a black dash except the Futura which was color coordinated with the exterior. This car was sitting along the road for sale last fall, I was very surprised at how little rust it had. It looked like it had had a repaint at some point, but a long time ago. I think the price is about $2k too high but this looks like a good project.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Fred W.

    Only drove one back in the day, my sisters with Fordomatic and 144 six. 0-60 in FOREVER. Would have to be a V-8 for me to consider.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar chad

    the 250 or 200, a T5 transmis, frnt discs – that’s it (o0OPPps a DSII ignition 2). & yes there’s plenty tq (240 @ 1600rpm) but 144 is not enuff (lower tq) to drive defensively in today’s world.
    This car created the muscle car revolution (stang) AND the sports UTE (early Bronco) so I give respect & honor. It wuz built by ford to challenge the Bug which decimated the Amer. auto industry like the “jap invasion” did 10 yrs later. Since there wuz no response to the second we fell behind.

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Woodie Man

    I think we’re getting a mite conspiratorial here. Looks like its pretty much original. I’m guessing the exterior colors’ gloss is a flash reflection. Seems like a nice basic…I mean basic….car from a basic time when strippers were strippers

    Like 0
  21. Avatar Wrong Way

    I learned to drive in one just like this one! More importantly I learned how to turn a wrench! They were great cars it lasted through 4 boys and a mother one by one we all owned it at one point! Lots of great memories! First kiss and all! LOL

    Like 0
  22. Avatar aribert

    Kind of late into the comments – tried to post earlier today but my phone would have none of it. I agree w/ Howard A that not that many Falcons reached 140K miles, but then most cars of that era were also scrapped prior to reaching 140K.

    My parents drove our ’61 Falcon Fordoor (deluxe trim) to about 126K miles when it was handed down to me. At around 145K maintenance became a chore as numerous parts reached the end of their service life at about the same time – that fact that I was driving the car 100 miles/day (and 1/3 of that in stop and go) did not help things. I happened to drive the Falcon today. Picture taken today at my workshop garage. Car now has 280K+ on the odo and the 170 special has been replaced by a later 200 w/ a 2 bbl Weber. It may be ’60s basic economy transportation, but part of my drive today included a freeway stretch (70 mph speed limit) and for part of that I was in the left lane (and was not holding up traffic).

    Like 1
    • Avatar ROTAG999

      Pretty Dang Nice shape aribert

      Like 0

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