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Thread: Out for a spin.

  1. #91

    My new record.

    Woohoo! I drove The Wonder Falcon 6,118 miles in 2016 without a single breakdown.

    The Falcon is my daily driver and it makes the trips to and from work fun.

    Miles in 2015: 4,305
    Miles in 2014: 4,280
    Miles in 2013: 3,999
    Miles in 2012: 291
    Dennis Pierson
    Tampa, FL
    "The Wonder Falcon"

    '63 Futura Hardtop (260, Ford-O-Matic, bench seat)

  2. #92
    That really is a "Wonder Falcon." If I put on 60 miles a year it's a good year, but I'm hoping to do more this year. Maybe 80 miles!

    Roger Moore

    63 "Flarechero"
    powered by: 347ci stroker | Tremec T5 | 8" 3:45 TracLoc rear



  3. #93

    23rd Annual Ford & Mustang Roundup 2017

    Quote Originally Posted by Luva65wagon View Post
    That really is a "Wonder Falcon." If I put on 60 miles a year it's a good year, but I'm hoping to do more this year. Maybe 80 miles!
    Hello, Roger.

    My goal is to put 100,000 miles on the The Wonder Falcon. It will take maybe sixteen more years at the rate that I am going. I am 55 now, so I need to hustle!

    My wife and I drove a pleasant 230-mile round trip From Tampa to Silver Springs on Florida Scenic Highway 301 to attend the "National Parts Depot's 23rd Annual Ford & Mustang Roundup 2017". We drove up on Friday afternoon, spent the night, attended the show, and drove home yesterday afternoon. The temperature dropped to the mid-fifties and I got to use my heater! It worked very nicely and kept us comfortable warm. The car ran smoothly and quietly. Perfect. I felt like I was driving a luxury car.

    Commemorative Photo 1-07-2017.jpg

    The awards were given based on "people choice" ballots. I selected the following car as "Best Mustang". It is my ideal Mustang, completely stock with whitewall tires, wheel covers, and a 260 V-8. What a beautiful little car!

    IMG_0709.jpg

    For "Best Ford" I chose the black Model A. The green and tan ones were cleaner and in better shape, but the black one was a little dirty and looked like it had been driven. Anyone who drives their Model A to a car show is a hero and deserves an award.

    IMG_0723.jpg

    For "Best of Show" I bowed before the Wonder and the Grandeur of a 1960 Lincoln Continental. Oh, my gosh.

    IMG_0730.jpg

    ... and I loved the 1929 Model A speedster. Dang, I would enjoy taking that little car for a spin.

    IMG_0721.jpg

    We enjoyed the show!
    Dennis Pierson
    Tampa, FL
    "The Wonder Falcon"

    '63 Futura Hardtop (260, Ford-O-Matic, bench seat)

  4. #94
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    1,430
    A car show in January!

    What a great state you live in.

    Jeff Watson
    Seattle, WA
    '63 Tudor Wagon (170 - 3 spd.)

  5. #95
    Yeah... but what's up with all that wetness and people wearing coats? I didn't think people wore coats in Florida.

    Roger Moore

    63 "Flarechero"
    powered by: 347ci stroker | Tremec T5 | 8" 3:45 TracLoc rear



  6. #96

    I love my Falcon.

    I have not posted for a while because nothing has gone wrong that I needed advice on to fix. My last breakdown was three years ago when the fuel pump quit. I drive my Falcon to and from work every day and all that happens is that the car starts instantly. The automatic choke works perfectly. The Ford-O-Matic transmission performs wonderfully. The car rides smoothly, it handles great, it runs quietly and smoothly, steers effortlessly, and accelerates instantly. The car performs perfectly every time. I marvel at how well this car performs. It does everything that it is supposed to do. The Ford engineers did a fantastic job on the design of this car. It is is an absolute joy to drive. Falcons are wonderful little automobiles. I really really really like my Falcon.
    Last edited by ew1usnr; April 5th, 2017 at 07:30 PM.
    Dennis Pierson
    Tampa, FL
    "The Wonder Falcon"

    '63 Futura Hardtop (260, Ford-O-Matic, bench seat)

  7. #97
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Ellensburg
    Posts
    217
    Love reading this - would love to have a daily driver Falcon myself but can't see that happening unless I am single.

    Quote Originally Posted by ew1usnr View Post
    I have not posted for a while because nothing has gone wrong that I needed advice on to fix. My last breakdown was three years ago when the fuel pump quit. I drive my Falcon to and from work every day and all that happens is that the car starts instantly. The automatic choke works perfectly. The Ford-O-Matic transmission performs wonderfully. The car rides smoothly, it handles great, it runs quietly and smoothly, steers effortlessly, and accelerates instantly. The car performs perfectly every time. I marvel at how well this car performs. It does everything that it is supposed to do. The Ford engineers did a fantastic job on the design of this car. It is is an absolute joy to drive. Falcons are wonderful little automobiles. I really really really like my Falcon.
    Scott Zimmerman


    '65 Falcon Futura 2 door hardtop, 289 V8

  8. #98
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Fredrickson
    Posts
    977
    Dennis,
    I think you forgot to mention something important..........
    it's a BEAUTY!


    Gene Smith
    Fredrickson, WA
    '65 Ranchero Deluxe
    302, EFI, 4-Spd
    Granada Discs

  9. #99
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Federal Way
    Posts
    906
    Great to hear Dennis.
    (Funny thing is I was just wondering about that.)
    ....but there's got to be something to tweak?...??
    You may need to get another falcon or maybe a ranchero as a project.
    Don Bartlett
    Federal Way, WA
    61 Four Door Sedan
    144-6, 3 on the tree



  10. #100
    Quote Originally Posted by dhbfaster View Post
    ....but there's got to be something to tweak?...??
    You may need to get another falcon or maybe a ranchero as a project.
    That can be a dangerous thing to wish upon someone...



    But Dennis, your daily travels may seem mundane to you, but your writing about them and posting the various pictures of the car parked here and there are great. They exhibit life connected with the Falcon you love to drive. I post a lot of picture of things I'm doing to bring cars back to life, but your pictures are of the life lived with the car. Far, far, better and more interesting to me.
    Roger Moore

    63 "Flarechero"
    powered by: 347ci stroker | Tremec T5 | 8" 3:45 TracLoc rear



  11. #101

    Smile Day Care Center

    Quote Originally Posted by Luva65wagon View Post
    But Dennis, your daily travels may seem mundane to you, but your writing about them and posting the various pictures of the car parked here and there are great.
    Hello, Roger.

    I pass this Day Care Center sometimes when I drive home from work, depending on the route I take, and always enjoy seeing the art work. I made it a point this past Friday to stop and take a picture of it:

    IMG_3157.jpg

    IMG_3159.jpg

    My little Falcon continues to run perfectly. The car is so low-slung that I look up at all the traffic around me. Sitting behind that 260 V-8 makes me feel like I am driving a sports car.

    I like to think about who the original owners of this car might have been. It was probably a young married couple because of it having an automatic transmission and bench seat. The wife probably wanted something small and practical but sporty. The husband must have had a good income to be willing to spend the extra money to get it in the the fancy Futura trim and with the new small block V-8. They must have thought that they were on top of the world with their new Falcon back in 1963.

    It is such a nice little car.
    Last edited by ew1usnr; June 10th, 2017 at 07:31 PM.
    Dennis Pierson
    Tampa, FL
    "The Wonder Falcon"

    '63 Futura Hardtop (260, Ford-O-Matic, bench seat)

  12. #102
    Quote Originally Posted by ew1usnr View Post
    Sitting behind that 260 V-8 makes me feel like I am driving a sports car.
    You are driving a sports car Dennis! Your car, outfitted with the 260, is not far from what Carroll Shelby built his first Ford powered car based upon. And you know how that turned out.

    Cool building too!
    Roger Moore

    63 "Flarechero"
    powered by: 347ci stroker | Tremec T5 | 8" 3:45 TracLoc rear



  13. #103
    I love hearing these stories about daily driven Falcons. I bought mine in 2015, and have put 18,000 mile on it since then. I can't afford to have a car that doesn't start, stop & run well every day. It has to be reliable and do it's job; no yard art or trailer queens for me.

    My wife's car is a brand new Honda, and it's really nice- the base model has more bells & whistles than we really need, it's absolutely reliable and averages 39.5 mpg. But it has no soul, sound or history like the Ranchero. When I want a fun drive, the Ranchero is always the first choice.

    ew1usnr, I thought it was interesting that you wondered about the original purchaser. I've thought the same thing. Many Falcons & Rancheros I see advertised seem to be 6 cylinders with automatics, yet someone must have been feeling fairly sporty to order my Deluxe Ranchero with a 289 & T10 4-speed. It's certainly the options I would have ordered (if I could have) as a car-crazy 15 year old!

    Enjoy the ride
    1965 Ranchero Deluxe
    factory 289 4 speed car

  14. #104

    Confederate Statue

    There has been a controversy in Tampa over a Confederate memorial statue that is in front of the Hillsborough County Courthouse. The County Commission is anticipated to vote to remove it to Oaklawn Cemetery this July 19. My wife and I drove The Wonder Falcon downtown to see the statue before it was moved:

    IMG_0284.jpg

    IMG_0268.jpg

    Then we drove to Oaklawn Cemetery that is about six blocks north of where the statute presently is. Oaklawn cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Tampa. This marker commemorates the Battle of Fort Brooke where Tampa fought off an attack by a US Navy warship:

    IMG_0288.jpg

    We also saw the grave site of some 2,000 year old Indian remains that were reburied in Oaklawn. The Indian graves are under the slab ringed in red brick. The other two markers in the foreground are grave makers for unidentified soldiers and settlers from Fort Brooke. They date back to 1825 and the Seminole Indian wars.

    IMG_0295.jpg

    IMG_0293.jpg

    The plaque reads:
    Here lie the buried remains
    of a small band of
    Native Americans who perished
    about 2000 years ago.
    These remains were discovered
    in 1987 during construction
    of the Tampa Convention
    Center.
    Let us honor the memory
    of these and all Native Americans
    who have lived and cherished
    the land we call Florida.
    Last edited by ew1usnr; July 10th, 2017 at 06:08 PM.
    Dennis Pierson
    Tampa, FL
    "The Wonder Falcon"

    '63 Futura Hardtop (260, Ford-O-Matic, bench seat)

  15. #105
    I like your outings. Makes me wish there was more posts like these from us all.

    Interesting about the statue. Though I think there is a lot of "baby out with the bathwater" knee-jerk issues ("It upsets me, therefore it needs to go"), but I don't agree with that sort of mandate. I feel there will always be controversy until people finally decide to let history be history for history's sake. Observe and learn from the lessons of history. If you erase history, we may find ourselves repeating it. We only have problems when history, or what should be relegated to history, if bad, evil, unfair, is still held up as a banner for how we should be today.

    But then, of course, who decides what is bad, evil, and unfair. I can think of only one answer... the greatest of these is love.

    Love, love, love. (add musical note here)
    Roger Moore

    63 "Flarechero"
    powered by: 347ci stroker | Tremec T5 | 8" 3:45 TracLoc rear



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