8/15/2023 0 Comments 1969 ford falcon![]() MacPherson started with GM, where he designed the still-born Chevrolet Cadet, and then went on to have a long career at Ford. CC’s in-depth Falcon story is here, but to the extent that it’s relevant for this purpose, it’s apparent that the Falcon was the end result of a long line of small-car designs influenced by the esteemed engineer Earle MacPherson. The 1960 Falcon was a pragmatic design, drawing on existing practice in Europe and the US of modern unibody sedans, compact from an American perspective not so much so from a European. So let’s follow the long and convoluted evolution of the Falcon platform, chronologically, beginning with its namesake. The Hotchkiss-type rear suspension on all these cars was pretty basic and common for the times: a live rear axle suspended and located by leaf springs. ![]() Due to their protrusion into the engine compartment, they became a key factor in what engines would fit, and how tight the fit was when they were shoehorned in. Here’s a closer look at the spring-shock towers from the inside. The high shock towers are always present, as are the bracing from them to the cowl, in order to strengthen the front structure. Or 1969 Mustang Boss 429, which made well over 500hp. Those tall spring/shock towers create a very instantly-recognizable look under the hood of any Falcon platform car, whether its this 1960 Falcon with the little 85 hp 144 CID six, Here’s another shot of the front end, this one from a 1962 Fairlane. One of the most instantly-recognizable aspects is the front suspension design, a classic SLA (short-arm long-arm) design but with the coil springs and shock absorbers mounted high on the upper arm. What exactly are the distinguishing characteristics of the Falcon platform? The most fundamental one is its unibody, whose basic characteristics and architecture are readily discerned in all its variations. Numerous Ford passenger cars would be conceived and created using the Falcon’s basic building blocks, in a variety of wheelbases (103″ to 117″), widths (front/rear track from 55/54.5 to 61.5/61), performance (85 to some 500+ hp), and weights (2280 to over 4,000 lbs). There’s no doubt that the Ford body engineers and designers who put their heads together to create the compact VW Beetle-fighter in the late fifties would never have imagined their modest little baby spawning such a huge raft of cars for twenty years on. To say that the 1960 Ford Falcon was a seminal car is putting it lightly. Remodeling is always cheaper than starting from scratch. ![]() And if you ever run into a description of any of these dozens of cars (except the 1960 Falcon) that calls any of them “all new”, here’s the rebuttal to that. It’s long overdue to be given its proper name: the Falcon platform. ![]() But their fundamental structural similarities are obvious, and they all have their roots in the 1960 Falcon. They’re not that often associated as one “platform”, and some might argue against lumping them all together. But there was a precedent: Ford’s compact-midsize unibodies from 1960-1980. They were stretched, folded and mutilated into an astonishing wide variety of vehicles. New 302 CI V-8 engine, Edelbrock Performer RPM top end kit installed in new engine including cam, heads, lifters, push rods and intake manifold, Comp cams roller rockers MSD ignition, Holley 570 Street Avenger carburetor, Hedman Elite headers and dual exhaust with Crosspipe, Original restored 3-speed transmission converted to floor mounted manual transmission, Kevlar High Performance clutch, Polyurethane mounts, Air conditioning, Dual electric fans on conditioning, Dual electric fans on air conditioning condenser, Original restored rear end, New Global West suspension installed, Newer tailgate fitted from donor car, Original gauge cluster removed, cleaned overhauled and reinstalled width colorized accents, Dash has been customized to install Secret Audio brand stereo with mounted subwoofer, Auto meter comp gauges, 1968 Ford Mustang Candy Apple Red color coded exterior paint, Rear cargo area modified with wood Laminate.( first posted ) The Ford Fox and Chrysler K-Car platforms are both well-known for their many variations on the same basic underpinnings. This vehicle comes complete with a hard back book which details all stages of the restoration and modifications performed. This fully restored wagon is simply beautiful. ![]()
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