'64 Ford Falcon T/A

[afx]

Here is a picture of the car as it appears today.  As noted in owners information summary above the car was painted orange but a latter owner.  However you can see the original color “Sunlit Gold” on the trunk area flanges.  

Note too how they bulged the top edge of the rear fender, not sure if this is original mod or a later mod. 

David wasn’t able to get any engine bay photos but I have contacted SVRA to see if I can get any additional information – stay tuned.

[djflyer]

Here is a picture of the car as it appears today.  As noted in owners information summary above the car was painted orange but a latter owner.  However you can see the original color “Sunlit Gold” on the trunk area flanges.  

Note too how they bulged the top edge of the rear fender, not sure if this is original mod or a later mod. 

David wasn’t able to get any engine bay photos but I have contacted SVRA to see if I can get any additional information – stay tuned.

 

 

Hopefully the rest of the pictures came through for  you.  This was actually car #33 as the display sign showed, they had to modify it to #39 with tape.

Interesting story about the car from the team:  It is pretty much in "barn-find" condition as it appeared at Road America this past weekend.  The car was a factory light-weight version with fiberglass hood, fenders, and doors; the roof and rear quarters are steel.  They went through the engine to get it up to running in the Saturday qualifiers but something broke (in the diff as I recall) and they couldn't run in the Sunday race.  They still ran the stock brakes - disc fronts and drum rears.  The wheels are actually new units that were made to look like the originals. Their big question was restore to original or bring to current competition specs...hmmmmm.

[Gramps46]

David, thank you for the update.  I saw this car race back in the day but did not know at the time it had lightweight body panels.

[DustyMojave]

The "Lightweight" Falcons were special model created by Ford originally to allow them to race that way in FIA competition such as FIA World Rally (Modern WRC) and in FIA Group 2 in international Competition. Any cars raced in production-based race classes were required to be "Homologated" by the factory with paperwork indicating how the car is built and specifications for it, and with proof of production of a certain quantity of cars built that way. Since SCCA was the FIA sanctioned race organization in the US, Sedan and Production Sports Car class race cars were required by SCCA to be homologated. Ford homologated Falcons specifically for the Monte Carlo FIA rally in '63, being the 1st of the season and most well-known event of the World Rally series. Like the Indy 500 of Rallying. They were used the rest of the season too but were known by the Monte Carlo name.

Special equipment was used to make the cars competitive against lightweight sports cars by European manufacturers. Fiberglass hood, doors, trunk lid and front fenders. Plexiglass door, windwing, back and rear 1/4 windows with fabricated aluminum (instead of much heavier diecast zinc) frames for all the side windows, K-code hi performance engines, HD clutch and T10 trans with optional gear ratios, tubular headers, special large diameter (2.5") exhaust with Ferrari hangers (little rubber straps with metal ends), wider wheel rims, spindles, 9" rear axle and brakes as used in the Galaxie, heavy duty springs and sway bar, and a number of other special features were included. The engine compartment brace that came to be called a "Monte Carlo bar" and new mounting holes for the front upper a-arms 1" below the standard ones and most of the rest of the features of the later Shelby GT350 R were developed for the Falcons before Mustangs were in production. 64s were also homologated with this set of features. For 1965, Ford homologated GT350s. Ford offered for sale all the special parts for the Monte Carlo Falcons (and the later GT350Rs) through all Ford dealer's parts departments.

I worked on restoring one of the original 1:1 Monte Carlo Falcons back in the 1990s and learned of some of the features I hadn't known about earlier.

Many of the Monte Carlo Falcon features were used on the blue number 17 A/Sedan Falcon of Pete Cordts shown above in restored condition in the picture from the Monterey Historics. His car started life as a 1963 and was raced that way for a year painted Chestnut metallic. For the '64 season he re-bodied the car as a '64. He worked at Shelby's shop at the time. Later, he replaced the Falcon with a '67 Shelby Trans Am Mustang. Then later still, after I had Tech Inspected his race cars many times, he worked Tech Inspection alongside of me. Great guy.

Just to be clear...Ford was FAR from cheating in homologating with these features or even unusual in doing so. Manufacturers from Austin Healey to Ferrari to Chevy and Pontiac did such things in homologating special edition models of their cars for competition.

[Ron Hamilton]

Thanks Randy.  

Misted on the Champagne Gold and flat-out hated it.  The metal flake was way to big.  I'm in the process of over-spraying the solid color Sand Beige.  May not be 100% accurate but it looks much better - stay tuned.

I've found that the metallic flakes in some of the Testors' lacquers are a little large, especially for us replica stock builders. I have found some new  metallic colors in the Tamiya line in the past year that I have bought, but have not tried on a model. That Falcon is coming along great!!!

[afx]

Finally gave up on my first paint job so the Falcon is soaking in the purple pond for round 2.

[Dann Tier]

Sorry to hear about the paint on the body, you will fix it and have a VERY sweet build when done!!

[afx]

Thanks Dann.  

Stripping went well - thankfully.