The Sprint was added as an extension of the Ford Falcon Futura in 1963 (mid-season). It was only available as a 2-door hardtop or convertible and brought with it the Falcon’s first V8. To many, the Sprint seemed like a dry run for the Mustang “pony car” which would debut about a year after the Sprint. The seller’s 1965 edition looks to be in nice shape and is one of only 2,806 hardtops built that year in its last outing in the lineup.
Ford’s Falcon was one of the best-selling compacts from the day it arrived in 1960. But buyers had to rely on six-cylinder power until the 1963 model year was about half over. That’s when the Sprint was added to the sporty Futura series and came with a 260 cubic inch V8. By the 1965 model year, the 260 had been replaced with a 289 and Ford found it hard to justify the Sprint when the Mustang was doing so well. As such, it was canceled at the end of 1965. Besides the hardtops mentioned above, 300 Sprint convertibles were also sold in the final season.
This edition has had the same owner for several years, but it has been sparingly used. With some illness in the family, the timing is right for them to let the Ford go which looks to be in survivor-quality condition. It may be a little rough around the edges, but the body, paint, and interior all look to be okay. Usually, you find bucket seats in the Sprint, but this one has a bench seat. Besides the 289 motors, this Falcon also has an automatic transmission (column-shifted, unlike the Mustang). The car was treated to aftermarket air conditioning.
The Falcon seen here hasn’t run in a couple of years, but it “ran when parked”, so perhaps it just needs the fuel to be drained and replaced and the carburetor cleaned out. The vehicle rolls, but the seller doesn’t seem to be optimistic about the brakes. So, this Sprint is a project that currently calls Pleasant Hill, California home, and it’s available here on eBay where the current bid is $4,050 with no reserve.
I believe the sprint should’ve had bucket seats, and a dashboard mounted tachometer from the factory.
Bench seat was available as well as buckets. This car was ordered with the bench from the factory.
Like Tiger66 says and I agree – this is a Futura and not a Sprint. Although my 1964 Sprint Convertible did have a bench seat and was bought from the guy who ordered it.
I agree^^^, I don’t think it’s a Sprint, and if it is, it is probably the plainest Sprint ordered. The fender badge is incorrect, and Sprints that I saw, were pretty fancy cars, Buckets and console, for sure. IT’s what made it a Sprint. For comparison, Scotty G wrote up a real Sprint couple years back. While they did retain the column shift automatic, all seem to have bucket seats. According to interior images, not all had a tachometer, but were fancier than this. I think this is just a regular Falcon, and still an outstanding find, just not a Sprint.
Look at the ebay ad and you will find a picture from the Falcon Registry showing the bench seat is factory for this car.
Yep, my brother had a 65 Sprint with bench seat he bought new.
God Bless America
A Sprint or not? Let the fun begin. My girlfriend had a 1964 with the V8 until her dad took it away. This could be a nice ride, especially if it is a Sprint.
I thought it was a T-Bird that daddy took away?
Sprint or not, the ’65 Falcon is a nice body style and so long as this Ford sells for a reasonable sum, it will make a worthwhile and fun project that should not take a ton of work to get roadworthy and back on the streets.
As I have mentioned previously, contrary to popular opinion, the 289 was available in late ‘63. Very rare- but available. How do I know? An acquaintance had one- bought it new.
‘63 1/2 Falcon Sprint. 289/3 on the tree. Fender badges and all. I have also seen- held in my hand- magazine advertisements touting the 289 in ‘63 Falcons. Big picture of a ‘63 Sprint in the background.
Could it have been a Fairlane? The 289 Hi-Po was offered in the Fairlane late in the ’63 model year and Ford ran ads for it. No 289 in the Falcon until ’65 but the Galaxie got the 195 hp 289 late in the model year. So who knows if some of those 289s made it into the Falcon? Seems doubtful, though, as the 260 remained the sole Falcon V8 option in ’64. Why would a 289 be in a late ’63 Falcon but not a ’64?
Not a Sprint, a Futura. The door panels even have Futura badging. There wasn’t much to distinguish the ’65 Sprint anyway apart from the V8 you could get in every other Falcon and some badges and this car doesn’t have the badges.
Russ, a single car is not an “edition”. “ Example” might be a better word.
A guy I worked with at a Dodge dealer back in 1980 bought a ’65 Sprint off the back (wholesale) lot for a few hundred bucks that had been hot-rodded a little. Had a 289, 4 speed, Torque Thrusts. Had an aluminum 4 barrel intake that had ‘Cougar’ cast in where you would expect to see ‘Shelby’. I have never seen one since. He won a lot of street races with that car.
The dashboard tach was gone in 65, but I see one fender emblem on the driver’s side. The suspension was a bit beefier on the Sprint. 289 was 2bbl and few other minor differences. Been working on bringing mine back to life. 289 is .030 over and aluminum heads and roller lifters. Then came the new wiring harness. Had to adjust or modify the 1965 Mustang harness from Painless.