Out for a spin.

[ew1usnr]

Geneva Florida, not Switzerland. Geneva is a little town northeast of Orlando

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My local club, the Suncoast Falcons, explained in our last newsletter that they will have our club meeting at this show this coming Saturday on April 30. That was a good excuse to go for a drive so I went ahead and entered "The Wonder Falcon".

You guys would not believe how nicely my Falcon is performing now. The more and more I drive it the better and better it runs. I love the way it sounds, the way it steers, the way the suspension rides, and the way the transmission shifts. The engine runs so smooooth, and I can smoke the right rear tire if I punch the throttle. Gosh, this car is nice. In my mind, I feel like I am driving a sports car every time I take it out.

The daytime temperatures have started rising and I noticed this afternoon when I started the car to leave work that the automatic choke did not come on. Evidently the automatic choke releases when its internal bimetallic spring warms up to about 85-degrees. Those Ford engineers of 1963 were geniuses. I love how they did everything mechanically, not electronically, and that everything works just fine.

[Jeff W]

The daytime temperatures have started rising

Maybe it's time to start gathering the parts for a FOMOCO under dash A/C unit and compressor.

I think I would try and use one of the newer type compressors. I believe they are smaller and rob less horsepower from your wonderful 260.

They also make the evaporator coil that hides inside the stock heater box - but I think the big, vintage, under dash units look dynamite. I have one that I will be using on mine, but instead of cooling, mine will hold a small amp and speakers that connect to my ipod.

[Luva65wagon]

Those Ford engineers of 1963 were geniuses.

It was 1967 or 1968 that they starting thinking up all their "better ideas."

[ew1usnr]

The Wonder Falcon made it to the car show in Geneva and back to Tampa.
While heading home, I was doing 70 mph in the right lane of I-75. My lane ended due to road construction. I needed to move left, but could not fall back and merge because it was a line of bumper to bumper cars. So I sped up and swung over ahead of the car to my left. I looked at the speedometer and I was doing 80! Yowsa! I was impressed that even while doing 70 mph, the engine still had enough reserve power to be able to speed up and pass someone.

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I saw a sweet 1963 two-door wagon at the car show.

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It had the cow head upholstery, a 144 engine and a Ford-O-Matic transmission. It would be slow, but would get good gas mileage. I had the same tan steering wheel cover on the Falcon wagon that I had while in high school.

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I also liked this 1963 Mercury Monterey. It's trunk lid looked as big as the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. The back window rolls down for extra ventilation. I would enjoy driving this car.

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I passed 15,000 miles since I have owned my car as I drove home from work today. Yaaay!

Note to Jeff: My Falcon has a four-belt pulley and evidently had air conditioning at some point in the past. I considered adding a modern AC unit, but decided against it for multiple reasons. I already have two newer cars that have air conditioning, so if I really need AC I can just drive one of them. Also, my Falcon is a big nostalgia thing for me. Call me nuts, but driving in the heat with all the windows down takes me back thirty and forty years ago to the cars I had in high school and community college. As it is now, I sit in an air conditioned office all day and the heat actually feels good as I drive home. Plus, the AC would add unwanted complexity, weight, drag, and would require window tinting on my clear glass to be effective. So, .... no AC in The Wonder Falcon.

[dhbfaster]

Wow, nice pics and nice cars Dennis.
I always loved the t-birds of that era. It's almost as nice as your falcon!
That is a really nice wagon. Looks like someone really put their heart into that one.
I don't think I've ever seen one of those Mercurys- huge!
I like the old huge cars, but I think one would take up too much room in my garage.

[ew1usnr]

Huh.

My 260 and Ford-O-Matic had been delivering about 14.5 MPG for routine city driving (18 - 19 MPG highway).

Then for the past five fills the city driving MPG went up to 15.5.

Today I got 16.8 MPG! Wow!

My theories:
Warmer weather is causing the automatic choke to disengage quicker.
The engine not being cold causes the gasoline to vaporize and burn better.
The "summer blend" of gasoline works better in my engine.

[Jeff W]

Today I got 16.8 MPG! Wow!

My theories:
Warmer weather is causing the automatic choke to disengage quicker.
The engine not being cold causes the gasoline to vaporize and burn better.
The "summer blend" of gasoline works better in my engine.

My Theory: your co-worker is adding a gallon to the tank each day you drive to work. Wait until he starts the siphon in a few months...

[ew1usnr]

My Theory: your co-worker is adding a gallon to the tank each day you drive to work. Wait until he starts the siphon in a few months...

My co-workers are pranksters, but they would not put out money to buy gasoline for me (I don't think).

The little Falcon even seems to be running cooler now. The temperature gauge swings up to mid-range when the engine warms up and pretty much stays there. It moves to 3/4 while stopped at an extended red light, but drops to mid range when the car starts moving again.

The weather has been fantastic. It was 67 degrees this morning and 87 in the afternoon. I drove to work with my windows up and drove home with all the windows down. Gosh, this little car ZINGS when I step on the gas. I drive it everyday and am so happy with how it starts, rides, handles, accelerates, and sounds. It is a wonderful little car and it has exceeded my expectations. I am probably the only guy on the planet who LIKES his two-speed Ford-O-Matic transmission. The transmission provides engine braking and makes a sound like VOOO-oooom when I lift my foot off the gas. It sounds so nice. The Ford-O-Matic shifts at about 15 mph if I start off with a soft foot, and will spin a wheel at take off and shift to second at at 50 mph if I floor it from a start. The transmission shifts smoothly and it makes driving so much easier in the stop and go traffic that I commute in.

I waxed my black car this past weekend with Turtle Wax black wax. See: https://www.turtlewax.com/shop/produ...box-finish-kit
Wow! That is good stuff. It made my hood as reflective as a mirror.