If you can find a copy of ,"Ford:The Dust and the Glory" by Leo Levine (originally published in 1968;recently re-released as a two volume set) there are quite a few photographs and a chapter devoted to the Monte Carlo cars. I found an original copy on e-Bay awhile back and bought it for my wife.Her ex-father in law is featured in many places in it. It is a rather lengthy history of the Ford Motor Company(nearly 700 pages)but well worth the read.I just finished re-reading it last month.
I was thinking the same thing. Awesome thread. I am a GM guy, but I do like me some early Falcons. I would do a 61/62 Skylark in this style.....455.
Here you can see some of them in action. '67 Oulton Park Whoever held the camera was more interested in the Cortina's. But you can see the Falcons in the beginning, when the field is still close together. ( sound sucks on this Youtube clip...its just the noice of the projector running...)
They were probably more interested in the Cortinas because that was Graham Hill in the #105 and Jackie Ickx in the # 106, driving the Team Lotus Cortinas.
The red and gold Falcon in this clip was driven by Frank Gardner who went on to win the 67 touring car championship. I know a guy who recons he bought the remains of this car from someone in Devon here in the UK a few years ago.
Great post. A couple of useless tidbits: The "eventual" winner Henri Tovinen, a Frenchman driving a Citroen DS 23. After that debacle, he refused to drive for a French company ever again, citing that he prefered not win that way. This was a wonderful shot to the French pride as he was one of the star drivers in the world at the time. Bits of the '64 Monte Carlo can be seen in the Claude Lelouch film "Une Femme et un Homme" (A Man and Woman) The collection of "reasons" for the DQ of all english entered cars was that they were using the new Quartz Iodide head lamps, which were not included in the homologation papers. There susposedly was an issue with the Mini's highbeam dipping/ dimming switch which was hooked to a foot pedal. The switch didn't actually dim the lights, but shut them off all together just leaving the fog lamps on. This was considered a "safety" issue along with the excessively bright head lights... Mini of course won the following year in dominating style. (this was all done from memory, so please excuse any errors)
It is really amazing what hollowed out ball joints (with adjustable rose joints installed in them) will do for the handling of a Cortina...funny that a normal Cortina has all four wheels on the ground, but those team cars all hang the inside front.
If you think so much of them, why are you even reading this thread? My "girl car"... was in October Hot Rod last year!
they musta ran out of sheep in wyomung... anyway, this thread gives me something to think about with one of my americans....
One of my ongoing projects is a 63 Ranchero/Sprint clone. Mustang parts bolt up thru 67. Those Rally cars were the Shelby Drawing board. Bill
In the early 1960's I was a teenager , read about installing a FE engine in a Falcon.That became my dream car,beat all the Chevy's on a road course or drag strip.Nevermind the front heavy car wouln't turn. Got my license in the summer 0f 64,Christmas eve the same year I rolled my dad's 61 Falcon station wagon into a ditch when I got distracted by my girlfriend's tits.Pretty much ended my Falcon racing dream.......
There is an article in "Automobile Quarterly" volume 17 number 4 about the falcons at Monte Carlo. The mention the support vans that were built at the time. Econoline vans with Nascar suspension and a 427! Would love to find one of those! jerry
I love Falcon's...when they look and go like this. Also included another "girl car"...Fairlane that goes like stink.
The factory team cars that went to the East African Safari were Comets. Article in Hot Rod magazine ('64 some time....). Red, white, and blue. Very cool.
About 25 years ago i had a 1963 Falcon V8 sprint. Only one in the Netherlands at that time, maybe even in Europe. Belonged to a pimp in Amsterdam when i found it. Car was in a neglected condition but still had all the service books and even original bill of sale. Still had the original wheel spinners, chrome valve covers and chrome air cleaner.First owner ( lady ) bought it new in Florida and moved to Monte Carlo taking the car with her. Eventually the car was registered here.
A great movie and more importantly (to this crowd), the male lead plays a factory Ford racer in the movie and his character drives a Mustang in the Monte Carlo.
Although there was a Comet factory team, Ford also sent Falcons in both 63 and 64. In 63 I know that Swedes Bo Ljunfeldt and Gunnar Hagboom ran Falcons. In 64 Peter Jopp and Alain Bertaud ran a 64 Falcon Sprint prepped by Ford of Great Britian. Can't remember the other drivers.
This a nicely done falcon Sprint that runs VARA in So. Cal. And ya, Mustangs must be girl cars, I mean all the really fast ones were built by someone named Carroll. Kurt O.
The '62 is actually a '63 and having run in two TransAm races in period has the privilege of running in the Historic TransAm class. I love how that car still has the complete original interior but still outruns much of the field. More on that car here http://historictransam.com/Drivers/MichaelEisenbergFalcon.htm The other car you saw was a '65 prepared to FIA specs with a 5 litre engine, though I do not know if it has any period competition history. That is a really fast car and regularly runs in the top five out of a field of forty plus Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes and various other odds and ends. Unfortunately I can't seem to locate my time sheets from 2007. Other local cars that were not there that year include this one. And much more importantly, this former Alan Mann Monte Rally car.
Great thread.Regarding the long lost 64 H&M Fairlane here in Europe.Check this link out..and play attention to what Martin Thomas says.. http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109943 Bosse Ljungfeldt also had a 67 trans Am Mustang ,that he raced with some success in 67.It has survived here in norway,and are currently being restored. http://helgeland-motor.all-forum.net/us-euro-og-asian-cars-f10/bjornars-mustang-garasje-t180.htm
Great quote from Johnny come lately. You will go far on this forum. Glad to see you read the book "How to win friends and influence people".
my "girl cars" include a '62 tudor with a 302 and 5lugs, disc brakes, and my '66 Futura now running a 351w and Torino running gear..... they must be bull dyke girl cars then.
bluetoes, Thanks for bringing this post back up. Great post. Ignore the "hambnbeans" comments,...She hasn't posted here since August 07. Lucky667
The Alan Mann Falcons and all '64 and '65 Falcons are among my favourite cars, so when I followed an old link to this thread from another site I couldn't pass up the chance to add some pictures. And not to worry, I've been around the internet for long enough to know better than to react to posts that are obviously just there to attract attention.
Nice video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkozQCsQIKI and I am 75% sure I am going this route with my 65 ford falcon futura... other 25% of me is saying "gasser" LOOK... but I think the trans-am style would be funner to drive.
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