Real Deal Sprint: 1964 Ford Falcon 289
Looking for the real deal, when there are a lot of fakes out there? Well, this is a real 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint originally a 260 V-8 and now a 289. It’s here on craigslist for $9,600 in Pahrump, Nevada, near Las Vegas.
There’s a story here, but the retiring owner gives us only the bare bones. He owned the ’64 in ’66, having bought it from his friend, Don, who installed the five-bolt 289 (condition now unknown, but it looks well preserved). The four-speed T-10 floor shift was already there, but the owner added a Hurst shifter in the period. “I street raced this car in Seattle,” he says. “It was quick, block to block.” Other features include front disc brakes and a posi-traction rear end.
At some point, the owner apparently lost track of the car, but then rediscovered it in 2010. The details of that are probably great. In any case, he had the car blasted and prepped for paintwork, bought a new windshield, but there the work stalled with the car still needing floors and other metal work. The bumpers will probably need straightening and rechroming. The dust proves a long layover.
The owner says that all the trim and rare Sprint parts are present and accounted for, but many are off the car. At least part of the back seat is there and looks decent. The front seats are down to their frames. The original steering wheel is certainly a plus.
The tag decodes as a four-speed, 260 V8 bucket-seat Sprint with a console, originally Rangoon Red with red trim. The Sprint model debuted in 1963.5 (same time as the Mustang), as either a two-door hardtop or convertible.
In addition to the V-8, it came with an under-hood stiffening strut, tighter suspension, bigger brakes, five-lug wheels, a console, and that floor shifter. The car did well in racing and was a winner in the 1964 Monte Carlo rally with ace Denise McCluggage at the wheel. The GT-40 was still ahead.
So what say, want to carry this very deserving Sprint on to completion? It’s halfway there. There’s even a title.
Auctions Ending Soon
2006 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 SCBid Now8 hours$15,000
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now3 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now3 days$3,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now3 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now5 days$10,500
Comments
Pricey for a dissembles project car that needs everything. It is a cool car and has a great story, that has a ring of truth (which is rare occurrence in ads these days), but that still doesn’t make it worth the asking price. Many prospective buyers forget they are buying a car, not a story.
Steve R
What is the “real” of the deal if the original engine is gone? While I’m a novice when it comes to cars, I think that almost $10,000 for a Falcon that is a disassembled puzzle seems a bit too much. I like this year of Falcons, but I don’t think they are highly sought after.
The price seems to have sentimentality inflating it. It is also less than halfway complete. The high $$ steps are yet to be done.
For $9.600 I could buy alot nicer car and drive it. Anyone that would buy this for that price. Isn,t looking around and is in a hurry to empty their pockets .
One of these are my next build, I’ve built a Pontiac, a Road Runner, a 70 Camaro and a 67 Chevelle SS with a 427, but never a Ford. I’d like one of these with a solid cammed 289-302 gt-40 heads and a 4-speed. Would be fun !
Yeah it’s a 10k puzzle. Haggle fun too and win a little. Nice car. The 289 only makes it better than the original. No hang ups here about all original. A Falcon fan will see the value in this rust free Sprint; now and more so in the future.
David,
” the car still needing floors and other metal work.” Doesn’t sound ” rust free” to me.
Maybe I’m misunderstand the rust free part?
Hi. No prob. Per editorial rust has been blasted and prepped for paint ready for new metalwork. The rust should be abated
Not sure why ford got rid of the hardtop styling & raised the roof of the next gen falcon, making it look like grandma’s car.
“The Sprint model debuted in 1963.5 (same time as the Mustang), as either a two-door hardtop or convertible.”
Same time of year, roughly, but of course the Stang debuted a year later in 1964.5 as a 1965 model. The “1963 1/2” Sprint was a ’63 model. The Mustang killed the sales of these Sprints.
That steering wheel, BTW, was also used by the Mustang. The only difference was the hub emblem.
What tiger66 said…..but Sprints do have a cool factory.
I could see it selling at that price if it were a rag top..
As a teen growing up in the suburbs northwest of Detroit in the 1960s, between a father with GM, and high school friends that were senior execs at Ford, and Chrysler, I got to ride in a bunch of, and drive a few, amazing cars. One that didn’t go to the same school, but attended the same church, was Don Hotton, whose father was Andy Hotton. Don had a silver Falcon Sprint, 4-speed. In that era, Mercury division ran an advertising campaign around three Cougars running around Daytona for 100,000 miles continuous. His dad’s company built those cars and was heavily involved in running the program. Don relayed stories about the drivers dodging turtles in the dark. One of the spare motors from that program was in Don’s Falcon, and ever since I have had a fondness for silver cars. Less than a decade later I was part of the team that campaigned the Gray Ghost 64 Tempest in the Trans-Am series that is at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion this coming weekend.
I have enough going on in my life already, but every time a Falcon Sprint like this one appears, I think about building a hot rod. With some work and a little know-how, all of the things that can make a Mustang hang with anything modern in the corners can be used with a Falcon.
If you don’t recognize the name Andy Hotton, he was the owner of Dearborn Steel Tubing that did lots of work for Ford, including building the Fairlane Thunderbolts.
A buddy of mine just finished his 64 Falcon with an original 260. It was stuck and needed a rebuild so he bored it .60 over. It sounds and looks good! He is looking for the driver’s side trim from the door to the fender.
I wish it was closer to me. I would go look at it and if it was solid and had all the parts, I would be ready to negotiate to bring it home!
Had one in HS. Loved it.
Great story, but seller says 64 Sprint was only available with the 260, but they were also fitted with the 289 a little later within 64. That’s why there are so many of them racing in Historics, as they were lighter than the Mustangs.
on price, it’s like all the others:
“…fan will see the value…”
Gimmie ‘the round body’ (’60/3).
Ah, yes, the’ 64 Falcon, I remember it well, couldn’t afford the Sprint or the Mustang, but remember it well. In the Air Force with a $125/month paycheck, and ended up with a 170 ci, 6 cylinder, 2 door Falcon for $1860 after trading in a ’57 Fairlane 500. Now, THAT’S the car I wish I had today, daggum it.
i just bought a 64 sprint out of calfornia it runs very well i dont think its a 260i i need to check the numbers just striping it for repaint and interior
Was this car originally from Washington? Is the coloring a root beer reddish, 4 speed on the floor, bucket seat thank u