Taking Flight – A Formerly Forlorn Falcon Gets Fresh Feathers – and a Lot More Ponies!
When Ford introduced the Falcon in 1960 it was the first small car offered by the Big Three automakers. It was marketed as an affordable, economical passenger car option, which is probably why the base engine was an anemic 95-horsepower six-cylinder. Grant Smith’s 1963 Falcon, built by Cruzer’s Customs, is a completely different spieces! 
While the V8 was bit peppier, it’s safe to say that no one in 1963 – manufacturer or customer – thought stuffing a 450-horsepower V8 into the small Falcon would ever be viable. These days, though, almost anything is possible in the horsepower department, so Grant Smith’s modern version of a high-performance Falcon is right at home on the roads around his New Braunfels, Texas, home.
Once Grant had decided he wanted a 1963 Falcon, he found what he thought was a suitable car online. As is all too often the case, though, it wasn’t as solid as it looked. There was much more corrosion than initially met the eye. “Typical mistake: not checking the vehicle well since this particular car had significant rust,” he says.
Thus began an eight-year rebuild journey that involved two different shops before Grant brought the project to Cruzer’s Customs. The rust issues had proven to be too challenging for the previous shops. “At first the restoration was not handled well, and the rust issue among other things was glossed over,” Grant says. “I lost the money spent.”
A second shop worked on the car for another year and a half with little success, which led Grant to Cruzer’s to properly finish the job. That meant undoing the previous mistakes as well as getting the project back on the right track.
“Most of the metal on the car was completely replaced,” Grant says. “A donor car had to be purchased to help replace most of the front. The only metal that did not need significant work was the roof.”
In addition to all the metal work, the roof-down restoration involved serious upgrades to the suspension, driveline, and interior. The result is far beyond what the original Ford designers envisioned for the 2,300-pound econobox that originally sold between $2,000 and $3,000.
The 1963 Falcon’s underpinnings utilize a custom front suspension built by Cruzer’s that features rack-and-pinion steering and coil-over shocks among other upgrades. The rear suspension is a Ridetech triangulated four-link system. Stopping is controlled by 13- and 14-inch Baer disc brakes, which operate behind Forgeline 18×5.5- and 18×9.5-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin tires.
The 5.0-liter Ford Performance Coyote V8 breathes through a custom intake system designed and fabricated by the team at Cruzer’s. Exhaust waste exits through Ultimate Headers and Magnaflow mufflers and pipes. A Vintage Air accessory drive system performs those chores while the engine runs cool thanks to a C&R Radiator package. The Bowler 4R70W four-speed automatic transmission is controlled by an Ididit column shifter. The engine is surrounded by custom-fabricated inner fenders and a smoothed and recessed firewall, with billet aluminum hood hinges in place of the originals.
The restored 1963 Falcon body has been treated to its share of refinements, as well, including a shaved cowl vent and reshaped bumpers that are tucked closer to the body. LED headlights from Holley light up the road in front while digital upgrades to the rear lights improve visibility to cars following the Falcon at night – if they can keep up. The smooth BASF paint – a period-appropriate hue called Pantone Green – was expertly applied by the crew at Cruzer’s.
The interior features a front bench seat from Snowden Custom Seats and a reshaped stock rear, both of which were covered in light gray Moore & Giles leather with textured inserts by the stitchers at Gabriel & Sons Custom Auto Interiors in New Braunfels. A stock dash house gauges from Dakota Digital as well as the original push-button AM radio. An EVOD steering wheel sits on the Ididit tilt column. A custom under-dash piece houses vents for the Vintage Air system. Advance Plating brought all the brightwork up to standard, and an American Autowire system links all the electronic elements.
After years of struggles with the rust, Grant says all the work and sacrifice were worth the effort, especially hearing the throaty V8 when the car came to life for the first time. Any advice for someone tackling a similar project?
“I would check for rust,” Grant says. “In this case it would have been better to start with a different car.” And, he says, it’s important to find a reputable shop like Cruzer’s Customs that can handle the work. “The old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ really applies to restoring cars,” he says.
Photos: John Jackson
