Sometimes a vehicle comes along and it really makes a person stop and think of how they can make sure that it ends up in their driveway. Unfortunately, that happens to me several times a day, but it’s really happening on this 1962 Ford Falcon Sedan Delivery! This perfect winter project is listed here on eBay with an unmet opening bid of $5,000. This little hauler is located in Silverado, California, a mere $900 from our house. Wait, $900? Arggggg..
This car was sitting in “dry storage in dry San Bernardino, California” for 27 years which had to help preserve it at least a little bit. It is supposedly “near rust free with the only compromised metal is on the driver floor about a foot square and in the angle for the passenger floor… both an easy fix.” NADA lists a low-retail value of a 1962 Falcon Sedan Delivery as being $11,400, an average-retail value of $21,200, and a high-retail value of $43,600! That upper number seems quite high to me, but maybe somewhere towards the middle/average number for a nice example? Just over 1,500 sedan delivery models were produced in 1962. This car has a 1963 grille in it, unfortunately. The next owner will want to track down a ’62 grille to keep things looking, well, like a 1962 Falcon.
There’s just something about the first-generation Ford Falcons that gets to me, and a sedan delivery would be the Holy Grail, in my opinion. This is a running car but there’s something wrong with the transmission, it “has first, second and reverse… It feels like a adjustment issue.” The body sure looks good and solid with some dings and dents to take care of. There sure is a good look to this car, that faded paint is as trendy as Cary Grant glasses, huge beards, and full arm tattoos are now, and as acid-wash jeans were in the 1980s.
I would guess that it’s a linkage issue as to why the shifter isn’t working correctly. Maybe there’s a two-decade old mouse stuck in there somewhere. My old 1974 Dodge van had serious linkage issues with the three-on-the-tree before my brother and I converted it to a floor shifter. Which, of course, wouldn’t work the normal way so we had to install it backwards. Talk about a shifting learning curve, but it made it theft-proof! As I said on the 1960 Frontenac post, pretty much any and every part is available for a Ford Falcon so don’t fret too much when looking at the interior photos. The all-important dash looks great, however. There will be some work to do on the floor pans and elsewhere even though this is a California car that was in storage for almost three decades. This baby was made for hauling, literally, and hopefully it’ll be put to use again in the future.
I believe that this is Ford’s 170 cubic-inch inline-six engine which would have had around 100 hp when it left the factory. According to the seller, this “engine starts right up, runs quiet and free of smoke.” I’m assuming that this one will come out and a V8 will take its place under the stewardship of the next owner. A nice little 260 V8 would be great in this car. Did I just say that? I’m usually a keep-things-original-spec guy. This car looks like it could be a relative bargain and a great project for someone. How would you restore this sedan delivery?
Small, late model fuel injected V8, air conditioning, brake upgrade & air shocks = tow vehicle and race support for my small race team. “Lucky” that it’s not in North Carolina…
Jamie, just think how many batteries you could house in the back when you convert it to battery-power! (hee hee) (crickets)..
Friend of mine in high school had a Ford Falcon with a manual transmission (3 speed ?) on the floor. He had trouble with the transmission and come to find out that transmission was made in England. He had fun getting parts for it and that was in about 1980. That car was a 64 I think. 3 on the tree transmissions were notorious for linkage issues. My 67 Plymouth Valiant from many years ago had the same issues. Had to shift it just right or you had to open the hood and “readjust” the linkage with a large screwdriver. Perfect high school first car!.
Re: The Transmission
Ford used a 4 speed known as the “Dagenham”, (not to be confused with the top loader), which was sourced from their English operations in Falcons AND Econolines. In Econolines they were column shifts!!!, Yes a column shifted 4 speed. Falcons used a floor shift.
The Dagenham (loosely pronounced “dagenm”, not dagen-HAM) were pretty fragile transmissions. A 3 speed in a Falcon should be pretty bulletproof.
The Dagenham had Glass gears, and the 3 speed was pretty weak if you started horsing the 100 HP. Local ford dealers carried all the 3 speed parts in stock, easy to pull and fix. Had plenty of linkage trouble also. On any car with 3 on the tree, if you had to reach down under the hood and free up the linkage you got greasy hands right quick!!!
I finished high school and started college in a 61 Falcon sedan. damn I wish still had it…
Hi,
I don’t like NADA values for most vehicles and these seem out of this world. Hagerty numbers for a wagon range from $5k to $17K, which sounds more reasonable. (I know not the exact same vehicle but close enough. And being a kid that grew up sitting in the cargo area of a 62 wagon with two of my 5 brothers, I know these vehicles well). If the NADA numbers were inline with reality people would be all over this. Because there is profit to be made or at least you wouldn’t lose money fixing it up and using it. Just my 2 cents worth.
As for the floorboard rust, that is normal. My dad fixed our with old license plates, sheet metal screws and roofing tar.
Bob S
Exactly.
The last time this car went through eBay it “sold” for $5,001 but the sale was never completed. Cars like this don’t fly below the radar, if the NADA valuations were correct it would have much more interest and a correspondingly higher bid.
Steve R
Like Bob S I remember these cars well. My family’s business had several of these and my Dad would let me sit on his lap so that I could shift the gears. Always wanted one done up in the old Yellow and red Coca Cola livery that I remember so well. I’m glad it’s in Cali or I’d be tempted for sure.
yellow and red coke livery? I am not familiar…
Nice project for someone.
I was ready to hook up my car trailer until I saw that it is a 62 with a 63 grille. LOL
I don’t think most people would notice. Or care.
I had a 1962 Mercury Comet S22 a few years back. The grill was mangled and there is zero aftermarket support. I found a near perfect one from Desert Valley Classics for $150. I lucked out! I don’t usually have that kind of luck.
Believe me, Steve, someone would have mentioned it!
A run down of my ownership
http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/falcon-pages/479242-latest-project-1962-mercury-comet-s-22-a.html
Here is someone else trying to sell it now. You can tell by the fresh paint on the right fender.
http://classiccardb.com/mercury/160257-1962-mercury-comet-s-22-2-door.html
That is one great looking Comet!
its still on ebay now with an opening bid of $5000
I still chuckle at the memory of me at sixteen years old speed shifting the family ’62 Falcon wagon and the shift handle coming off in my hand on a 2nd to 3rd “slam” shift……
I had a 62 Mercury Comet S22, which was just a fancy Falcon and it had a stock two speed transmission. This transmission may be working perfectly if the owner does not know that it could have a two speed AT in it.
Not a Ford fan, but I will say that straight six was very smooth running. I do not think I would change it for this delivery wagon.
Are you serious? The car has a fricking clutch pedal! You really think it could be a 2spd automatic? And someone could actually not realize it? Lol
I had a 62 sedan in 1976 when it was just a (rust-free) $200 beater.
it also had the ’63 grille.
late year production?
replacement by someone unconcerned with correctness?
might be either.
You could be on to something, Chris. I didn’t think of that with the ’63 grille.
Buy this truck? You betcha! I attended a grade school that was run by
Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. The University owned a small fleet
of these that were used to ferry supplies around the campus. Used to see
them all the time dropping things off at our school. Their trucks were red
with the univrrsity logos on them. And yes, they were all 6-cylinder, 3-speed
column shifts. The only extras they came with were AM radios and heaters.
The State Of Illinois sure got their money’s worth out of them, as they worked them until sometime in the early ’90’s, when the last of them were
finally put out to pasture. And it was our auto shop class at University High
School that kept them running all through the ’70’s and beyond. We did
everything to them including body work. I recall that they were honest,
simple cars that you could keep maintained on a really tight budget. Just
too bad the tin worms ate most of them.
Too bad the Frontenac sold, someone coulda bought it and bolted the front end sheetmetal onto this Falcon and end up w/ a Frontenac Sedan Delivery!
Hey, RicK – I just talked to the owner of the Frontenac and it’s still available! He took down the auction because there weren’t any serious bidders and he didn’t want it to go for $1,000.
Had a 63 sedan with that engine and an automatic. It buzzed around like an airplane. The Sprint models must really launch, because that six came right on the power. Unique mechanical sound to it. That manual choke to the right of the column was a very useful feature on cold mornings.
Jamie Palmer and Ken Carney, well done both of you. I would follow Jamie’s thoughts regarding how to make the truck updated for safety reasons among other things, and Ken, I remember owning a few of these for my business at one point and they were great. The local service station took care of them and often said how simple they were. Also slow, but it didn’t matter. The trucks were in metropolitan traffic all the time.
motor’s fine to keep (unless looking for sub 20s mph).
Discs up frnt, T5 behind the 2.8L & good to go w/all
the modern traffic. Don’t 4get – it’s a ‘stang’s grandfather
& that brought the muscle car era (look to my pic, it’s
4 WD cousin, to see what brought in the SUV era).
BTW: this vehicle is perfect sz & body style for many of us.
Wish a similar was made in this country 2day!
Have to get a later block – 65 up to take on the neat transmissions. Worked over a nice 1964 S-22 convert with the 4 speed dagamond…..couldn’t up grade for nothing….smaller block at the bell housing on early 6’s….they got wider in 1965…
Thanks Maestro, and you’re right. It didn’t matter how fast these trucks
really were, they had a lot of staying power and would last for years–even if you didn’t, or couldn’t maintain them properly. Falcons were
forgiving little cars that could take a beating and come back for more.
The Rancheros and panel deliveries benefitted from this toughness
as well. I guess that’s what they mean by the phrase “Built Ford tough.”
I think 5k is to high as a kite. Maybe 2500. This is going to be a money pit in no time flat.
Never seen one of those and Ill be 54 next month. Good luck to a rich collector.Too rich for my blood. I have a friend who owns a restored 62 falcon coupe.