The Falcon would become one of the most successful compacts offered by domestic U.S. automakers in the 1960s. Its platform would serve as the launching point for some other best-sellers, like the Mustang and Maverick. Unlike those cars, the Falcon was available in a station wagon like this 1967 edition from Yucaipa, California. The body and paint are in a rather good condition, but the interior is where time and money will be needed. Offered here on eBay, the bidding has only reached $1,967, the interesting starting bid. Thanks again, Larry D, for finding another seldom-seen survivor.
Ford introduced the Falcon in 1960 and it would see three generations of production as a compact before giving way to the new Maverick. There would be a fourth-gen, marketed as a 1970 ½ where it was a low-budget entry in the mid-size Fairlane family. For reasons not clear, 1967 Falcon production fell by two-thirds over the prior year, yet they were mostly the same car. Of the 64,335 Falcons built in ’67, 5,533 would be the 4-door station wagon like the seller’s car (excluding another 4,552 Futura wagons).
This wagon has been offered for sale before, but the winning bidder last time didn’t seal the deal. The seller describes it as a garage find as it was in storage for a good number of years. Once free of its trappings, the car received new filters, fluids, and a battery and it fired up. The 200 cubic inch inline-six is said to runs well and the automatic transmission goes through the gears as it should. We get the idea that some more mechanical tweaking may be needed.
There seem to be no issues with the body although we’re told the driver’s side floor is going to need a patch. The seller refers to the color as Burnt Amber, a repaint, and it shines up nicely when waxed. The seller installed new taillight lenses, but it looks as though the housings themselves may be a little bent. The car isn’t a showpiece right now but should draw interest when taken to a Cars & Coffee outing.
The reported mileage is under 27,000, but the seller says that cannot be documented. The interior is where the most attention will be needed. The door panels have surface rust on the metal portions, the dash pad is seriously cracked, the seat covers worn out and the headliner is missing. But as a plus, the car retains its original black California plates which are always of interest to locals. Note the placement of a surfboard out the back. Cowabunga, dude!
Here is a good basic people mover for a money conscious family needing reliable and economical transportation. Not the type of car that grabs one’s attention but just blends in among all the other people movers of that era. Looking at this makes one remember a simpler life.
Um, no, surf is not up. Looks like someone living in the Cal. past. Jan and Dean would never be seen in a Falcon wagon, or they would have made a song about it. The only surf cars like this saw, was Lake Michigan. These were utilitarian vehicles, usually the 2nd car for mom, while dad’s LTD sat at the office and had mundane duties, like dentist appointments, or the family taxi, but no surfing.These cars were unloved, unmaintained, and new driver siblings took their turns at trying to kill it, with no avail. They soldiered on until rust took it’s toll, and was eventually turned into a new Toyota. Great find, but lose the surfboard. Couple sheets of plywood, maybe, but no surf board.
I have said it before, these are the cars that we had. Sure we wanted a big block. But the mundane six was what we drove. I would drive this one around on the weekends and fix the cosmetics as time and finance permitted.
Couple sheets of plywood worth more than this whip.
I hear, plywood prices change by the hour. We had/have some “board bandits” in our little town, I swear, I think the most of LEO’s, but sometimes,,,we have a lot of housing being built here, and the lumber guy, drops big piles of lumber, and leaves. That’s his job. Being mostly unguarded, it’s perfect for crooks, lumber is pretty universal. So a “concerned citizen” @ 5:39 am, called police, saying, 2 men in a white pickup and trailer were taking wood. A short chase ensued, the crooks ditching the truck,,,,and , this is the best part,,,the crooks are still at large,,,
I surfed daily for many years, and still do on rare occasions. This Falcon would make a fine surfmobile, the basic requirements of which are: 1) goes down the road. 2) hauls surfboards. Classic good looks and an interior already immune to surf wax, sand, and soggy wetsuits is a definite plus.
In 1968, that color was called Sunlit Gold
Sounds beachy to me.
Great little wagon, and as the guys said zero to 60 eventually. Little work on that rotten floor board, seats and headliner and cruise. Boy do I miss the simpler times. as Alphasuds said, mom went grocery shopping and kid ferrying with one of these workhorses. Good luck and happy motoring!
cheers
GPC
“…black California plates which are always of interest to locals…” like provenance, I never get it (“But X owned it!”; “c’mon, it was in x race”) the blk is out 4 me, 2 B avoided.
Now the vehicle? Much more. Ending an era, the style changes, this is a car of interest. Falcon wuz the us ofa response to the vedub bug’s decimation of their auto industry. It squashed the bug w/HP, size, options, room, etc. Spawned the SUV and muscle era (bronk’n stang) we are still under to some extent. Here is a historical document of that and a DD. Altho I like the ’round bodies’ the most (’60/3 chero, bird, waggies, sprint, etc) these hold appeal as well (2nd to the just mentioned). Using the straight lines of the earlier era (see the post ’50s bulge-mobile’s change to early ’60s straight lines, and onto the muscle’s ‘humps over the wheels’) some of my favs.
This could fit my usual MO, buy affordable, drive/rehab, after many mi/mo consider researched upgrades (DSII and 32/36 carb would go on @ purchase), cont to drive till struck by the next project. However this scheme has been pretty decimated by the net sales and use of car auctions.
This 1? may B keep as my ‘last car’?
Thnx 4 post, may look this 1 up~
my parents had a 1968 blue Falcon wagon. took it all the way to the west coast and back to Illinois. Have some great memories of that car
nice Ranchero looking wagon. Engine was good enough for getting around. I had the same engine in my 81 Mercury Zephyr.
My older sister and her husband bought one of these new. It was light blue in color. No idea what ever happened to it.
The car they traded in for it was a burgundy color 1964 Falcon convertible.
I love station wagons…even Falcons!
That California sun did a number on the dash!
“I live for the sun because we have fun. Sun, sun, sun, sun. Ooo, ooo, ooo, oo!” (I’ll be singing that tune all afternoon!)
I had a ’66 blue Falcon wagon with a 289 auto trans and loved it. It never gave me any serious problems and I wish I could find another one like it today. I was a trade happy person back then and I traded it for a ’68 Galaxie which I later traded for a ’71 LTD Country Squire wagon..
The front part of this car looks very similar to the 1967-8 Australian XT Falcon. Tough cars, you could walk on the bonnet and not dent it.
Try that today with the aluminium foil cars forced down our throats.
Funny you mention that .. My first car was a very tired, 10 year old 67 Falcon Futura 4 door sedan . Star Wars was still playing everywhere, and we would go to the drive in, sit on the hood with our backs on the windshield and watch the movie. We never dented the hood !
I grew up down under with this model falcon and some of you may remember the 67 Falcon XR GT. Legend. And then the later GTHO Phase III Bathhurst winner. Same platform I believe. This falcon here is so straight that it would make a wicked restomod sleeper with a nce V8. I’m loving it bigtime daddy. Surf’s up.