Rare Factory V8: 1963 Ford Falcon Ranchero
Trends for many offerings with a bed on the back seem to have gone toward an increase in size over the past few years, or at least not a smaller footprint in most cases, but back in 1960 when Ford redesigned its Ranchero for the second generation it got a significant size reduction and was now tagged the Falcon Ranchero, since this was now the car the smaller truck was based on. This 1963 model here on Craigslist ticks some good boxes and it’s full of new parts, so if you live near the far northeast area of our country this one might be worth checking out if you’ve been in the market for a show or go coupe utility type vehicle. It’s located in Shapleigh, Maine, and comes with an asking price of $23,795.
We’d like to say thank you to reader Mitchell G. for his great tip here! Although this Falcon Ranchero now lives on the Atlantic side of The U.S., things weren’t always that way as it was a Pacific dweller during its earlier life, residing in California before changing coasts. The seller says you won’t find rust anywhere, and while he doesn’t go into details regarding the body or what kind of work has gone into it the panels certainly appear solid, with a nice-looking paint job covering all the sheet metal outside as well.
One really positive aspect came for buyers who held out until 1963 to purchase their Ranchero, as a V8 engine became available, whereas before there was only a pair of inline 6-cylinder offerings to choose from. The 260 V8 is what can be found here, and it’s the numbers-matching motor with a few aftermarket parts around the bay to enhance its appearance. The owner also enlisted the services of Boyd’s Customs and Classics in New Hampshire to perform a mechanical evaluation, who responded by addressing everything needed to make the car safe to drive.
There’s no word on what sort of attention the interior has received, but everything we can see in there appears to either be well preserved or refreshed to a fine presentation. Down under is another area where the car’s time in California really shows, as several photos we get to view from the bottom side all seem to show nothing but a solid and dry undercarriage. If you’re finding the cost a bit optimistic, the seller also mentions that it’s only the asking price and also mentions OBRO (or the best reasonable offer), so maybe if you catch him on a good day you all can work out a deal that makes you both happy. What do you think is a fair price for the 1963 Ford Falcon Ranchero being offered here?
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Comments
Manual or auto trans would be good information…
If you look closely, you’ll see what I believe is an automatic transmission shift quadrant on the steering column.
You can see the modulator valve on the transmission in the underside pictures
Couldn’t agree with you more! Looks like a 2 pedal car to me though.
The Craigslist listing describes the truck as AUTOMATIC.
The Craiglist ad has that info.
Looks like a automatic.
Rare because they were considered somewhat of a joke. Get a real pick-up truck. They were at the end of their shelf life. But then Lee Iacocca
envisioned repackaging the Falcon line up, except the little pick up,
and the rest is history.
Hey, not so fast. In the James Bond movie Goldfinger they crushed a 4-door Continental and placed the remains in the bed of a Falcon Ranchero. Hardly made the springs move. Now that’s some payload capacity! :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHvIv01QNhA
Thanks for the memories Poppy. A ’64 Ranchero!!!
Yeah, they must have beefed the suspensions up a bit when the updated the body style!
Poppy, While a ’64 Lincoln Continental weighs close to 5,000 lbs, excluding dead bodies in the trunk, don’t believe the Ranchero could carry this load. The only scrapyard with this new car crushing equipment was Sol Walker Scrapyard in Miami, Florida. Sol was a family friend and told me at the time the production company had a second new Lincoln Continental waiting if they did not get what they wanted on film during the first take. Also, both Lincolns were strippers, or basic models, sans the engine to reduce bulk and weight. Reportedly a FMC 430 CI engine weighs ~750 lbs, this still means in excess of 4000 lbs in the cargo bed of the little Ranchero. I seriously doubt the Ranchero had even a half-ton capacity; so there were certainly some Hollywood Liberties taken.
Yes, Sunshine, I know they were taking liberties in that scene. You couldn’t see my tongue in my cheek as I typed my replies to HadTwo claiming it wasn’t a “real truck.” But thanks for the interesting information about the filming and your friend in FL who participated in making that scene. Strippers or not, it hard to watch that (now) vintage steel going through the crusher. (Next, you are going to tell me that Oddjob’s hat brim couldn’t really cut through stone! :-)
Could someone please tell me what the little air filter on valve cover does?
Is it inhaling, exhaling, or what?
I believe that is an oil breather cap
Hopefully, inhaling.
It vents blow-by gases from the engine. Emissions laws later required that the oil vapor and gases be routed back to the intake to be re-burned for emission control. Later Fords starting in about 1970 has a small hose on top of the oil filler cap that connected to the air cleaner housing, so that the vapors could be dumped into the air cleaner, inhaled by the engine and re-burned. Later emission control systems used different methods to achieve the same goal, so the hose on top of the oil filler cap went away.
yes, ’63 may have still hada ‘road draft tube’ rather than PCV (“…hose on top of the oil filler cap…”) closed system (& w/back of valve cover to carb base where pvc valve was). ’64 was last yr for (o0OP I’m gettin into the i6,
well, I’ll cont) the oil pump/bottom of dizzy block broched -out hole to fit the small dizzy bottom. ’65 U can up-grade to ford’s ele (no more points) ignition.
I would like to have one of these & convert to SCCA livery (but the ’round body’ like this 1. Nxt yr, begins ‘square body’, not so much). Ie lower an inch, body wrk for good lookin 4 wheel flairs, larger tire, R&P steering, 3.3L
https://www.vintageinlines.com/product-page/deposit-only-aluminum-head-package
for a head, etc, etc…
Point 1: blow up the picture, is an automatic.
Point 2. Is definitely an oil breather cap. After market air cleaner makes using a PVC valve impossible.
BUT is a really nice little truck. Saw one on the side of road for sale but had to do business. Came back in 1/2 hr and was gone. Travel that road alot and keep looking for it again.
The factory PCV hose ran from the carburetor base plate over to the PCV valve which sat in a grommet on the rear of the passenger side valve cover. So, a PCV system could function regardless of which air cleaner is installed. However, seeing how this particular engine doesn’t have a visible PCV system I really hope they’ve got a road draft tube to keep things flowing.
If I remember correctly, ‘63 260’s didn’t have pcv, they had draft tubes.
V8 Falcon Rancheros are rare enough that most guys who want one, have to build one. You certainly don’t see many factory built versions. Probably why sellers price is what it is. It sure is a clean one. Good find
Hello Sam Carliles: You’re probably correct about the 1963 model years 260s having road draft tubes, but that wouldn’t apply to vehicles delivered new in California. PCV systems were installed on new California vehicles beginning in 1961.
Per Wikipedia:
“In 1961, California regulations required that all new cars be sold with a PCV system, therefore representing the first implementation of vehicle emissions control device.”
I also noticed this particular Ranchero has an oil filler tube in the timing cover. So, with the two ventilated caps and a road draft tube it should make for a fairly effective crankcase ventilation system.
The timing cover with the oil fill tube was only on the 63 260 V8 engines with no valve cover fill points. In 1964 the timing case fill point was discontinued and moved to the valve covers. With regard to the crankcase ventilation, the 1963 two barrel intake manifolds had a breather port located on the back of the manifold. This port housed the breather basket and mesh as were some of the FE style engines. On the breather port the PVC valve was mounted with a hose running to the carb spacer,
Someone earlier said these were somewhat of a joke. That’s why 60+ years later, the concept is still being copied. These were handy little pickups back in the day, popular with carpenters and the like, not everybody needed a full size truck. This is the first 63 with a V8 I’ve ever seen in my life, more common in the later ones. Rare find, and a beauty to boot
Awesome matching numbers Ute, I’d be inclined to pull the original engine & trans out to save it , fit a 351W & 4 speed , I just couldn’t help myself lol
too nose heavy.
Or
is this a drag car?
There is a registry for 1963 Rancheros that Ford manufactured with a factory 260 V8 and T10 4 speed. Estimates are 135 were built by Ford and I own one. As most 1960-63 Rancheros had an anemic inline 6 and three on the tree, the V8/4 speed must have raised eyebrows in 1963. Although slow by today’s standards, the 260 V8 chirps the lightweight Ranchero’s tires while shifting through four gears and is a blast to drive.
I heard there were a very few w/a 4 on the column (not sure if i6 or bent8).
I can imagine “it MAY be true” (not on any other falcon based vehicle, just the chero) only due to ford’s (acc all factories) “empty box” manufacturing technique in those daze.
If memory serves me correct I once looked at a white with red interior Falcon Ranchero Sprint.with V8 and factory 4 speed. Totally restored. I looked but with all the V8 ’63 Rancheros not a mention of a Sprint version which would make the one I looked at a very rare and possibly a special order automobile.
Or a Sprint tribute.
Ford did not offer a Sprint version of the Ranchero.
Ford offered the 63-64 Rancheros in either a standard or Deluxe versions. But V8 versions came with 5 lug 14″ wheels and 10″ instead of 9″ drum brakes. It wasn’t until 65 that Rancheros were offered with Sprint treatments like bucket seats and console and a tach, and a 4 in the floor manual or 3 speed automatic, and welded torque boxes. That year also came with a 289 2 barrel instead of the 260. Rancheros were pretty much a Sprint treatment version when they had all those options IMO. Ford made 900 or so of them in 65. I’ve always loved these model Rancheros.
Those valve covers are hysterical. What else would it be powered by? These days probably a procharger hemi. smfh
Well gee, I don’t know, what else would an engine with valve covers that said chevrolet or dodge be powered by? Get back to your video games
was the ford falcon (this model instead) the only merican car offered w/4 on the column?