1961 Ford Falcon Station Wagon
Sale price: $500,00
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Technical specifications
| VIN: | STOP |
| Manufacturer: | Ford |
| Model: | Falcon |
| Year: | 1961 |
| Type: | Wagon |
| Mileage: | 86357 |
| Transmission: | Manual |
| Got questions? | Ask the Seller |
Current customer rating:
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based on 1 votes
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Photos
Description
Up for bid is a classic1961 Ford Falcon Station Wagon. This Ford Falcon has been sitting outside parked under the desert southwest sun for 50 years. I don't know all of the car's history. I bought it three years ago at the local Rte. 66 Hot Rod Swap Meet. But here is what I do know:
HISTORY
When I got the car, the title and the keys had been lost. But I got some documents with the car, including the original 1961 Ford Falcon owner's manual, plus some maintenance records from the original owner through 1970 when the car got an oil change and a lube job at 82,563 miles. Originally from Long Beach, California, the car was sold and then re-registered in New Mexico in 1972.
Eleven years later, in1983, after the death of the second owner, the owner's heir sent a money order in the amount of $3.50 to the New Mexico DMV, as payment for a duplicate title, but the DMV responded with notification that there was no record of title issuance within the last five years, and therefore the DMV requested additional documentation including a signed affidavit of ownership and a VIN verification. All of this historical background is documented in the paper work that came with the car. Apparently the second owner's heir just gave up on all of the red tape required to get a duplicate title.
The odometer now reads86,357. I believe that is the actual mileage, because the date sticker on the Atlas battery has unpunched punch-out dates marked 68 - 69 - 70 - 71. So the car was probably parked in the 70's. Probably 1972 (the car has a 1972 license plate.)
This Falcon has a solid-lifter engine. Most likely, nobody ever bothered to adjust the tappet clearances, or the point gap, and the car just ran out of power, and was parked. But that is just a guess. As the car sits now, the engine turns over freely by hand. The service records indicate that the original owner made frequent oil changes. They had oil changes and chassis lubes performed every2,000 miles up to 82,563 miles in 1970, but there is nothing in the record about any valve lash adjustments or ignition tune-ups. The 1961 Falcon Owner's Manual recommends routine oil change, lube, and engine tune-ups every 4,000miles, but for the engine tune-ups it only specifies Engine Tune-Ups "A" "B" or "C" depending on the mileage. The manual offers no explanation of what "A" "B" and "C" mean, nor is there any mention of how often one should adjust valve lash, or point gap, or anything else specific to the engine tune-ups. In any case, after sitting for fifty years, with 86,000 miles, the engine is probably due for an overhaul.
I bought the Falcon at the swap meet in September, 2018, taking delivery the following month on October 2, 2018. I had good intentions of fixing it up. I have always admired the clean and elegantly simple body lines of the early Ford Falcons, not to mention the simplicity of their internal construction (like a total of three fuses -- for example -- all located on the light switch) but unfortunately it took me four and a half months to secure a clear title to the car from the New Mexico DMV.
By the time I got a clear title to the Falcon, I had already found another old "gem-in-the-rough," a 1952 Willys Overland pickup which got me hooked on a new project. Three years later I am still working on the Willys, and I have no time to do anything with the Falcon. Besides that I'm 70 years old now, and I'm cutting back on my pet projects to make time for some important stuff, like going fishing.
CONDITION
This classic Falcon wagon is not in running condition. I have not tried push-starting the car, but I jumped the battery, and either the starter or starter relay is frozen up after sitting for half a century. The car has light surface rust on the body exterior, as seen in the photos. The body is straight and sound, the tires miraculously all hold air, and the glass is all good. There are some scratches on the right side of the hood. I have no idea how the scratches got there, but it looks like they can be cleaned up with some sanding. As mentioned, the engine turns freely by hand. The bumpers are a little beat up, the interior upholstery is in shambles, and the hinges and door latches all work but they are stiff. Overall the body metal has good integrity, with no visible evidence of cancerous rust. There have been some minor body repairs. There is a very small amount of Bondo repair on the front left fender around the headlight recess, and it looks like the driver's door has been repainted. A small area on the left side passenger door also appears to have been repainted. I once did a little bit of work on the tailgate, just enough to get it to open and close, and in the process I removed the Ford and Falcon emblems, so they are currently detached, but they come with the car.
The upper radiator hose is missing, and there is a mouse nest in the radiator, so the radiator needs to be flushed. The engine is missing the oil breather cap. The brakes do not work, but the steering linkage, clutch, clutch linkage, shift linkage, and gearbox all seem to be functioning properly, at least as far as I can tell. I removed the headliner fabric that had rotten and fallen down, but all the headliner bows are still there. The gas tank appears to be clean and rust-free inside and out. I checked the interior of the gas tank with a 2.4 LCD remote inspection camera, and like I said it appears to be clean and rust-free, as far as I can see. The car has a gas cap, but it is not original. The shift-lever knob broke and fell off, but the broken knob is still with the car. I had new keys made. The keys fit both the ignition & the doors. The original seat upholstery vinyl is embossed from the factory with dozens of famous cattle brands like the Flying-W, 6666, XIT, and Bar-BQ, but unfortunately the vintage "country cowboy" upholstery is totally gone from the front seat, and on the rear seat it is either sun-damaged or just aged beyond practical use. Overall I would rate the condition of this sixty-year old vehicle as good and solid, for restoration, resto-mod, drag-car, or whatever.
The car comes with two manuals, the Owner's Manual and an original vintage '60 to '63 Ford Falcon factory 438-page shop manual, The manuals are in good shape. I am not familiar with the proper way to grade collectible books, but I would say that the interior of the 48-page Owners manual is in mint pristine condition, while the cover shows only a very slight amount of scuffing and handling. Shop manuals, in general, are often dog-eared and grease-smudged, but the one that comes with the Falcon is clean and it lies flat, with no pencil marks or underlining on the pages. Overall it is in excellent used condition for a softcover manual. It did not come with the car. I bought it separate off the internet. Inside the front cover is a 5/8" x 1-3/4" return address label which identifies it as having been previously owned by a couple from Old Wethersfield, CT.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: 1961 Ford Falcon 4-Door Wagon
Condition: Not running
Engine: 144ci straight six
Transmission: Manual 3-Speed
Rear Axle: 7-inch
Axle Ratio: 4.00:1
Color: Code "D" Starlight Blue
Trim: Code "54" Vinyl Brown/Tan
Mileage: 86,357 original miles
Wheels: 13-inch 4-lug
Tires: Klēber CK801S P185-80-R13whitewalls
Spare: 2 spares (neither one O.E.)
Jack: O.E. bumper jack
Keys: Two (2) duplicate keys
Title: Clear New Mexico Title (issued Feb. 12, 2019)
TERMS
Included in the sale are two spare stainless steel Ford hubcaps in fair used condition, a brand new Nakamoto brake master cylinder (made in Taiwan), and a spare 1970 six cylinder 170 ci engine, complete with all of the engine accessories (less air cleaner, starter and flywheel) which (I was told) was in running condition when it was pulled from a surplus airport tarmac staircase-mobile.
The above description is based on my honest appraisal, with no warranty or guarantee of condition, expressed or implied.
Inspection by potential bidders is welcomed, and advised.
I have a car-hauler trailer. Delivery of the Falcon can be had for $100 plus $1.35 per mile from NM87056. Ask for a quote if you need transport.
Opening bid: $500
Winning bidder to pay$500 down payment thru Paypal, balance due in cash on pickup or delivery. Or, at bidder's option, pay full amount using Escrow.com.
If you have questions, please feel free to ask. I usually check my email twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
85
Also published at eBay.com
HISTORY
When I got the car, the title and the keys had been lost. But I got some documents with the car, including the original 1961 Ford Falcon owner's manual, plus some maintenance records from the original owner through 1970 when the car got an oil change and a lube job at 82,563 miles. Originally from Long Beach, California, the car was sold and then re-registered in New Mexico in 1972.
Eleven years later, in1983, after the death of the second owner, the owner's heir sent a money order in the amount of $3.50 to the New Mexico DMV, as payment for a duplicate title, but the DMV responded with notification that there was no record of title issuance within the last five years, and therefore the DMV requested additional documentation including a signed affidavit of ownership and a VIN verification. All of this historical background is documented in the paper work that came with the car. Apparently the second owner's heir just gave up on all of the red tape required to get a duplicate title.
The odometer now reads86,357. I believe that is the actual mileage, because the date sticker on the Atlas battery has unpunched punch-out dates marked 68 - 69 - 70 - 71. So the car was probably parked in the 70's. Probably 1972 (the car has a 1972 license plate.)
This Falcon has a solid-lifter engine. Most likely, nobody ever bothered to adjust the tappet clearances, or the point gap, and the car just ran out of power, and was parked. But that is just a guess. As the car sits now, the engine turns over freely by hand. The service records indicate that the original owner made frequent oil changes. They had oil changes and chassis lubes performed every2,000 miles up to 82,563 miles in 1970, but there is nothing in the record about any valve lash adjustments or ignition tune-ups. The 1961 Falcon Owner's Manual recommends routine oil change, lube, and engine tune-ups every 4,000miles, but for the engine tune-ups it only specifies Engine Tune-Ups "A" "B" or "C" depending on the mileage. The manual offers no explanation of what "A" "B" and "C" mean, nor is there any mention of how often one should adjust valve lash, or point gap, or anything else specific to the engine tune-ups. In any case, after sitting for fifty years, with 86,000 miles, the engine is probably due for an overhaul.
I bought the Falcon at the swap meet in September, 2018, taking delivery the following month on October 2, 2018. I had good intentions of fixing it up. I have always admired the clean and elegantly simple body lines of the early Ford Falcons, not to mention the simplicity of their internal construction (like a total of three fuses -- for example -- all located on the light switch) but unfortunately it took me four and a half months to secure a clear title to the car from the New Mexico DMV.
By the time I got a clear title to the Falcon, I had already found another old "gem-in-the-rough," a 1952 Willys Overland pickup which got me hooked on a new project. Three years later I am still working on the Willys, and I have no time to do anything with the Falcon. Besides that I'm 70 years old now, and I'm cutting back on my pet projects to make time for some important stuff, like going fishing.
CONDITION
This classic Falcon wagon is not in running condition. I have not tried push-starting the car, but I jumped the battery, and either the starter or starter relay is frozen up after sitting for half a century. The car has light surface rust on the body exterior, as seen in the photos. The body is straight and sound, the tires miraculously all hold air, and the glass is all good. There are some scratches on the right side of the hood. I have no idea how the scratches got there, but it looks like they can be cleaned up with some sanding. As mentioned, the engine turns freely by hand. The bumpers are a little beat up, the interior upholstery is in shambles, and the hinges and door latches all work but they are stiff. Overall the body metal has good integrity, with no visible evidence of cancerous rust. There have been some minor body repairs. There is a very small amount of Bondo repair on the front left fender around the headlight recess, and it looks like the driver's door has been repainted. A small area on the left side passenger door also appears to have been repainted. I once did a little bit of work on the tailgate, just enough to get it to open and close, and in the process I removed the Ford and Falcon emblems, so they are currently detached, but they come with the car.
The upper radiator hose is missing, and there is a mouse nest in the radiator, so the radiator needs to be flushed. The engine is missing the oil breather cap. The brakes do not work, but the steering linkage, clutch, clutch linkage, shift linkage, and gearbox all seem to be functioning properly, at least as far as I can tell. I removed the headliner fabric that had rotten and fallen down, but all the headliner bows are still there. The gas tank appears to be clean and rust-free inside and out. I checked the interior of the gas tank with a 2.4 LCD remote inspection camera, and like I said it appears to be clean and rust-free, as far as I can see. The car has a gas cap, but it is not original. The shift-lever knob broke and fell off, but the broken knob is still with the car. I had new keys made. The keys fit both the ignition & the doors. The original seat upholstery vinyl is embossed from the factory with dozens of famous cattle brands like the Flying-W, 6666, XIT, and Bar-BQ, but unfortunately the vintage "country cowboy" upholstery is totally gone from the front seat, and on the rear seat it is either sun-damaged or just aged beyond practical use. Overall I would rate the condition of this sixty-year old vehicle as good and solid, for restoration, resto-mod, drag-car, or whatever.
The car comes with two manuals, the Owner's Manual and an original vintage '60 to '63 Ford Falcon factory 438-page shop manual, The manuals are in good shape. I am not familiar with the proper way to grade collectible books, but I would say that the interior of the 48-page Owners manual is in mint pristine condition, while the cover shows only a very slight amount of scuffing and handling. Shop manuals, in general, are often dog-eared and grease-smudged, but the one that comes with the Falcon is clean and it lies flat, with no pencil marks or underlining on the pages. Overall it is in excellent used condition for a softcover manual. It did not come with the car. I bought it separate off the internet. Inside the front cover is a 5/8" x 1-3/4" return address label which identifies it as having been previously owned by a couple from Old Wethersfield, CT.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: 1961 Ford Falcon 4-Door Wagon
Condition: Not running
Engine: 144ci straight six
Transmission: Manual 3-Speed
Rear Axle: 7-inch
Axle Ratio: 4.00:1
Color: Code "D" Starlight Blue
Trim: Code "54" Vinyl Brown/Tan
Mileage: 86,357 original miles
Wheels: 13-inch 4-lug
Tires: Klēber CK801S P185-80-R13whitewalls
Spare: 2 spares (neither one O.E.)
Jack: O.E. bumper jack
Keys: Two (2) duplicate keys
Title: Clear New Mexico Title (issued Feb. 12, 2019)
TERMS
Included in the sale are two spare stainless steel Ford hubcaps in fair used condition, a brand new Nakamoto brake master cylinder (made in Taiwan), and a spare 1970 six cylinder 170 ci engine, complete with all of the engine accessories (less air cleaner, starter and flywheel) which (I was told) was in running condition when it was pulled from a surplus airport tarmac staircase-mobile.
The above description is based on my honest appraisal, with no warranty or guarantee of condition, expressed or implied.
Inspection by potential bidders is welcomed, and advised.
I have a car-hauler trailer. Delivery of the Falcon can be had for $100 plus $1.35 per mile from NM87056. Ask for a quote if you need transport.
Opening bid: $500
Winning bidder to pay$500 down payment thru Paypal, balance due in cash on pickup or delivery. Or, at bidder's option, pay full amount using Escrow.com.
If you have questions, please feel free to ask. I usually check my email twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
85
Also published at eBay.com
