THE SONOMA COUNTY FALCONS FOR FUN CHAPTER

                                          
On a June day during 1997, I was going through my morning routine (with coffee in hand) of looking through the auto section of the classified ads in our local newspaper. I had a '65 Sprint Hardtop, but my wife and I were looking for her "own" new Falcon. I stumbled across a '64 Falcon Convertible for sale in an ad that had limited information.

I called the seller later that morning and was pleased to hear that the convertible was a V-8 model with bucket seats. I later learned that this type of Futura Convertible with bucket seats and center console was sometimes referred to as a "Sports Convertible" in Ford sales literature.

I was pleased (and lucky) to learn that I was the first to call on the Convertible. I wanted to make an immediate appointment to look at the Falcon, but the owner wanted to put off the appointment for a day or two. Within an hour or two he called me back to come "right over" because he was deluged with phone calls. What I found when I arrived at the seller's home was a 1964 Falcon Convertible that was originally equipped with a V-8 and automatic transmission in solid condition. The motor was recently rebuilt, but the body and interior definitely needed some work. A deal was quickly struck at the asking price.

The convertible was a decent driver, and we drove it for about six months, but the faded purple paint and mohair-style seats soon became a bit of an embarrassment. It was apparent that the Falcon would have to be sidelined for awhile as a restoration was in order. We probably could have kept on driving it, but my wife was quickly losing interest in the Falcon and it was time to act!

Having restored my Sprint Hardtop, I was somewhat familiar with what to expect. The 64 and 65 body styles are basically the same, but the convertible version offered some unique challenges of its own.

Our goal for this Falcon was to have a dependable vehicle that would be a weekend and an around-town driver. We did not want a museum piece, but we wanted a nice car that was basically true to its original form. I would advise anybody considering a restoration or restomod to have a fairly reasonable idea of what you want the end product will be. It also helps to have a realistic idea of the work you can perform, and what you will have to pay others to do. Realistic materials and labor costs must be taken into consideration, along with a general timeline of when the job will get done.

There were two main attributes to this Falcon that were major factors in favor of its purchase. First of all, it was virtually free of any significant rust problems. Rust is the Falcon's worst enemy and it should not be underestimated. Secondly, the car was an original V-8 model. We wanted a V-8 and did not want to have to go through the time and expense of upgrading the suspension and drive train on a 6-cylinder model.

I started the restoration by removing the interior including the seats, door panels, console, plastic dash chrome, and carpeting. The convertible top would need to be replaced, but this was a job for somebody else and he told me to leave it intact until it was delivered to him for replacement.
                                                
I then proceeded to remove the exterior trim including all bright work, bumpers, grill, tail light assemblies, and windshield. I labeled and organized the parts as I stripped the car. Unless you have a photographic memory or wrench on Falcons for a living, you WILL forget where things go. I used plastic bags, boxes, and tape to label things and store parts.

I knew that I could save some money if I prepared the car body for paint. A good paint job is about 90% body preparation. The body on this Falcon was in relatively good shape and I did most of the bodywork, sanding and primer painting of the car. The car already had one re-spray and it was a tough enamel that was difficult to sand and remove where necessary. I removed the doors, hood, and rear deck and worked on these pieces individually. My neighbors must have thought I was opening a body shop because I could be seen on most weekends (for several months) working on the body of the Falcon. I made small goals for myself during this phase. I thought in terms of finishing one door on a particular weekend, and the rear deck the next. This type of thinking kept me from being discouraged by the entire task at hand. 

During all the months that I was preparing the body for paint, I was looking through the catalogs of various Falcon vendors. I was making arrangements for all of the interior items, trim pieces, and other parts that I would need to complete the restoration.

The Falcon was finally delivered to a local paint shop and was painted for a reasonable price. A high quality two-stage (base coat - clear coat) paint system was used to return the Falcon to its original "Guardsman" Blue.

After the Falcon was returned from the paint shop, I sent if off to fellow club member Bill Johns. Bill freshened-up the engine with new gaskets and installed a stock 4BBL Ford Manifold and a rebuilt Autolite 4100 carburetor. He replaced the transmission with an upgraded C-4 transmission, and he also replaced the windshield and a couple of pieces of the side glass. I learned that the side glass on convertibles is different from the hardtop variety. Whatever gremlins Bill did not remove, repair, or replace, he pointed out to me for future attention.

After the car was returned to me, it was final stretch time. I went to work under the dash and replaced the heater core and freshened-up the heater box with new seals. I also installed a new heater collar inlet gasket. The original inlet gaskets are notorious for leakage. While under the dash, I replaced the heater-cable assembly, fresh air vent tube, and antenna.

I purchased the correct interior lacquer paint from a Falcon Vendor and re-sprayed the dash, inside door panels, steering wheel/column, and other interior pieces. Lacquer may not be good for the environment, but it's forgiving to the amateur painter. After I was done with the interior painting, it was time to reassemble the interior.

Before and After Photos of the Futura Interior--note the rare Radio Delete Plate.
Click on photo to enlarge, use your browser "back" button to return to this page.

Because there were no seatbelts for the back seat, I drilled new holes for three assemblies. I went to the local auto store and picked up some belts that would nicely match the new interior. After the belts were safely in place, I installed the new interior. The carpet and padding was installed first, followed by the seats with new padding and beautiful two-tone covers, then the door panels, and finally the new dash pad. The convertible was looking great, but the final touch would be the new top. I delivered the car to Dave Brown is San Jose, and he installed a new dark-blue top (cloth-type) for me.

The Falcon was basically complete at this point. It took about a year and a half to get to this point from the time that I started the restoration. At times, I questioned the amount of my time (not to mention the money) that was being expended on this project. I persevered though, and it was worth it. My wife and kids really enjoy the new addition to the our Falcon garage. Now when its time to go somewhere, it's "let's take the convertible!".

There were many people that helped or inspired me throughout this project. I would like to first thank my family for all those weekends I missed. I would also like to thank fellow club members such as Bill Johns, Steve Dolar, Dave Brown, Jack Waller, Rich Ward and Alex Gerrits (along with the numerous Falcon Vendors) that assisted me with time or parts on this worthwhile project.

It greatly helps to have support from the members of a local FCA Chapter. FCA members have a wealth of information and are a great source of information and assistance when it comes to restoring and preserving your Falcons. In fact, you may want to consult with a local chapter before you buy a Falcon.

Back to Members Cars Page