The Ford Falcon was one of the most successful compact cars of the 1960s. And its platform spawned the likes of the Mustang and Maverick, so Ford surely got their money’s worth. Introduced in 1960, the Falcon got a minor facelift in 1963 and would later that year be treated to a V8 engine for the first time. So, most Falcon buyers had to settle for an inline-six for much of the car’s first four years. This 1963 wagon is in great shape and has been treated to a host of upgrades and other mechanical attention. It was a barn find in 2015 where it had been in a temp-controlled garage for 32 years.
Most 1963 Falcons came with either a 144 or a 170 cubic-inch inline-6, so they certainly weren’t speed demons. The seller says this Falcon received a rebuilt 200 CI six-banger from a 1965 Mustang at some point. The transmission is “3-on-the-tree” and the clutch and flywheel have both been renewed. Ford built more than 50,000 Falcon 4-door wagons in 1963 (standard, deluxe, and Squire). Since this wagon does not have fake side paneling, we assume it’s one of the other two trim levels.
We gather the seller has owned this Ford for nine years and most (if not all) of the work done has been done on his/her watch. The long list of repairs or maintenance includes new brakes, gas tank and fuel lines, radiator, water pump, starter, distributor, carburetor, tune-up, tires, and more. So, no small investment was made to get this Falcon back out on the road – and in style.
There was some rust in the wheel wells which has been repaired with new metal. And matching black lacquer paint was applied to match it up to the rest of the car. The wagon came with a chrome roof rack when new and the interior is original and looks like new (except for maybe the carpeting). If you like the thought of owning a vintage automobile that should be easy on gas and will carry some things, how about this Falcon? Located in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, this Ford is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $19,500. Save the cost of a restoration as most of it has already been done. Our thanks to “Joe in Hudson” for this cool tip!
Yes, it’s on my shortlist
My friend’s father bought one of these new, identical in color and interior. But his had the 8 cylinder engine, and that car was fast.
I’ve mentioned this before…. any car with a three speed column shift is a-ok with me.
200 six is a great choice. 5 main bearing block instead of 3 for the 144/170, a tad more hp, and it’s a bolt in.
My first car was a ’61 Comet two door, black with red interior, buckets, 6-popper with auto I bought for $300. It was nearly pristine. I was a freshly minted 16-yr old prone to distraction and promptly rear ended a ’65 Impala (tiny dent on it, Comet not good) three months later.
My brother-“no-good”-in-law had a cheap replacement for my near broke self…well worn ’62 Falcon wagon with the 144 column shift combo. It served me well, until I had enough coin saved up to get something I thought I “needed.”
Both of those cars, due to their simplicity, were great to help further develop my mechanical tinkering skills.