Car Crash: 1962 Falcon
A feature here at the Daily Driver is the Car Crash. Breathe easy - no actual cars were harmed in the making of this crash. That would be a crime, and a cryin' shame. Our Car Crash is much more fun - in a "crash a party" kind of a way. If you've ever seen a vintage car and wanted to see the interior or wondered about its restoration process, then the Car Crash is just the post for you. Join us as we explore the details of a gorgeous vehicle...Ready to get your Falcon on? We are! We met this sweet little Falcon at Jeff's Fun Run in January...
Owned by Larry of Santa Ana, this '62 is driven as often as possible. His favorite place to drive the Falcon is on the freeway, where he says it glides gracefully. Car love is in the family, as Larry's daughter is a member of the Octane Angels of Santa Ana, an all-female car club.Length of Ownership: Larry has had this '62 for about 12 years, and the love he has for this car is evident in the details.
Condition at time of purchase: He was lucky enough to find this beauty in stock condition, with the original motor.
Motor: The original engine was replaced in March of 2012 with a GM 4.3 liter V6/200 R4 combo. The tranny mount is original, not a fabricated mount, which is amazing for this swap. It has been dropped 1", but Larry did such a clean job that you can't even tell it has been modified.
The deeper story: A previous owner of this Falcon purchased it in the 60s from what he referred to as a "psychadelic couple." He purchased the car as a project to restore with his daughter. They completed the project together, and she drove it all through high school and college, then sold it. Four years ago, the dad showed up at a car show Larry and the Falcon attended. After taking a good long look at the car, he realized that this Falcon was the car he and his daughter had restored together. The gentleman called his daughter, and she came down to the show to see the car. Larry says she sat in the car for over an hour, reminiscing at the good times she and her dad had with this little '62. She had even kept the original owner's manual because she loved the Falcon so much.
The whitewalls on this Falcon are a classy touch, and Larry's specialty. He sells them at Classic Whitewall Tires in Orange, and we captured a couple of pics of his best marketing tool: the shop truck!
Larry says he has thoroughly enjoyed caring for the Falcon, and has been respectful of the quirks that are a part of this car. His current project? a '52 Ford Panel truck, in which he'll be dropping a 351 Windsor. The panel is currently in the sandblasting stage, and will soon be on its way to paint. Also in Larry's garage? An all original '40 Chevy. Sounds like we need to do a Garage Crash at Larry's place!A special thanks to Larry for letting us crash his Falcon party! Stay tuned for our last installment of the Grand National Roadster Show, coming tomorrow!