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Monte Carlo Falcons.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by metalshapes, Jul 6, 2007.

  1. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    In '63 Ford tested the waters by sending a couple ( or maybe it was just one...) 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint V8 to Europe and entered it in the Rally of Monte Carlo.
    The Car was larger than most of the other entries, but because of its huge engine ( by European standards ), and good roadholding it did really well.

    For the next year they went all out...
    They sent 16 light weight 1964 Sprint V8's to Allan Mann Racing ( famous for his race winning Cortina's, Escorts, and GT40's ).
    These cars had Dual Quad 289 HiPo engines, 4Speeds, Fibreglass Hood/Front Fenders/Bumpers/and I believe Doors and Decklid as well.
    To compete in a FIA regulated event like Monte Carlo they had to write up Homologation Papers ( a 1/2 thick stack of papers describing every spec & measurement of a car ), and appearently for the Homolgation weight they just guessed at a number ( 950 Kilogrammes, I believe ), the actual cars were heavyer...

    The Cars that were entered ( not all of the 16 were supposed to race, some were there for the pre-race trials, etc...) did extremely well.
    Setting fastest time in almost all of he stages.

    Trouble was, by showing the potential of the Falcons by entering a couple of '63s a year earlyer, the French organisers had time to react.
    They re-wrote the rules to suit the smaller engined cars, and that did the trick...
    The Falcons were penalised for their engine displacement, and that was the end of Ford at Monte Carlo. ( no reason to go back after that...)

    As a sidenote, favoring the small displacement cars bit the Monte Carlo organisers in the ass a couple of years later, when the Mini Coopers cleaned up.
    But they found a way to tweak the results again, by disqualifying the cars with highest scores ( in other words, the winners )
    Untill they came to a French entry and declaired him the winner. ( Citroen DS )
    The Cars that were disqualified ( 3 Coopers and a Cortina if I remember right ), got DQ'd for having the wrong Headlight bulbs, BTW...

    Here are some pics of the Monte Carlo Falcons.
     

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  2. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    After the Monte Carlo fiasco, the cars put in storage in England somewhere, and pretty much forgotten.

    Untill in about '67 or '68, a Roadracer found them.
    ( I should be more complete with names, etc.
    But I'm doing this friom memory, I only collected the pics because at one point I was going to build a Street version of the later Fat Fendered Racers...)

    Because they came with all the Homologation Papers, they could be entered in the production car road races, competing against Jags, etc...
     

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  3. raven
    Joined: Aug 19, 2002
    Posts: 4,698

    raven
    Member

    Well come on, tell us the rest.
    r
     
  4. chuckspeed
    Joined: Sep 13, 2005
    Posts: 1,643

    chuckspeed
    Member

    'shapes -

    Too cool! A roadrace Falcon would be hot! They had better balance than a Mustang, IMHO - the rear end was heavier - and more predictable.

    I've an article somewheres in the pile about the same mods being applied to the Comet for an African road rally - all manner of detail on what suspension upgrades, engine mods, etc...don't have the outcome, tho.

    When the '64's came out, I thought they were butt-ugly. After owning a pair - along with a '65 - I changed my mind. Really would like the suspension specs they used on the 'racers, as a stocker would heel over so hard that it was possible to put the rim on the pavement in a hard left-hander. surprised I never rolled the tire off the rim...
     

  5. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    And then later, they were modified with Gurney Westlake heads, Webers, Bigger wheels ( Gt 40 Halibrands & BRM wheels ), bigger Brakes, huge Engine setbacks, etc...

    Its that last version I wanted to build my own version of.
    But the '64 Sprint V8 I was going to do that with is long gone.
    Sold it once, bought it back a couple of years later, sold it again...
    Lost track of it now... dont miss it much.
    ( But Im building a car on pretty much the same concept, using a '70s Ford product instead...:) )

    Some pics of the later, more modified Falcons...
     

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  6. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    Now some of these old War Horses have been restored back to their original spec, and are competing in Vintage Racing...
    ( together with some recreations )

    Very cool cars, IMO...:)
     

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  7. buzzard
    Joined: Apr 20, 2001
    Posts: 4,335

    buzzard
    Alliance Member

    That's cool. And helps me visualize the Nova's that Kevin and Ryan were talking about.
     
  8. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    I misspelled Alan Mann's name earlyer...

    Here is some Info I found.


    Alan Mann
    Never a top-flight racing driver himself in the early '60s, Alan Mann turned to race-car preparation. The machines his team built were usually fast, reliable and superbly presented. Based in Surrey, and connected with Ford for much of the '60s, his team prepared cars as diverse as the Lotus Cortina and the GT40, the Escort Twin Cam and the F3L racing sports car.

    From 1965 Alan Mann Racing's cars were usually liveried in metallic red and a distinctive gold hue - in later years, restorers found that there were grains of genuine gold in that paint and rarely tried to replicate it themselves! Later in the '60s, Mann branched out into building special cars for film companies (including the notorious Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) but dropped out of motor racing at the end of the decade. He later came to run helicopter enterprises instead, being based on Fairoaks airfield near Cobham.
     
  9. I was just at the Vintage races at Pacific Raceways, and there were 2 Falcons running there. A real clean black 62 Falcon running the most screaming small block you have ever heard, and a red 64 Falcon.

    I'm pretty sure both were racing in the GranPrix class with the Mustangs, javelins, Camaros, Challengers, etc. I was very impressed....
     
  10. gtnrkix
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 709

    gtnrkix
    Member

    Very cool! Thanks for sharing.
     
  11. Gotgas
    Joined: Jul 22, 2004
    Posts: 7,175

    Gotgas
    Member
    from DFW USA

    Know anything much about the H&M LeMans Fairlane? I think that was in '64. Tin can, knuckle dragging 427, four fat tires... not shabby.
     
  12. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    I have a pretty good collection of the English Magazine Cars and Car Conversions, and in the Aug '73 issue they Track Tested this Car...

    Its one of the Falcons that was brought over for the Monte Carlo.
    And this car won the '67 British Saloon Car Championship ( Saloon = Sedan...)

    By '73 it had been modified a lot.

    The 289 had Gurney Westlake heads, 48 IDA Webers, and it was set back 15"
    4 speed Toploader, Holman & Moody parts in the Rear Axle, modified Suspension.
    9.5 X 15 GT40 Halibrands in the Front, 13.5 X 15 BRM ( F1) six spoke wheels in the Rear.
    GT40 Brakes, 12" Discs in the Front, 10" in the Rear.

    It did 7000RPM on the Straight at Silverstone, which was about 164MPH.
     

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  13. Steve 38
    Joined: Jan 5, 2007
    Posts: 500

    Steve 38
    Member

    Wow, great post! This is a period of motorsport I really love. I think the Falcons might have won the British Touring Car Championship on one or two occassions. They were fasters than the Mustangs, because of their homologation weight.

    When I was living in England in the mid'90s, I went to a couple of big historic race meetings at Silverstone. The Touring Car races run to FIA 1965 rules, but with safety upgrades. There were about 9 lightweight Falcons running, compared to about two Mustangs. They all ran the fibreglass body panels, and were very quick. They've been a favourite in British and European historic touring car racing for many years. Most were fitted with Minilite wheels, and the Alan Mann red/gold colour scheme was obviously pretty popular.

    I have an British magazine from about ten years ago which has one of those original race cars advertised for sale. It was a true barn find, as it was being sold as it last raced in the late '60s, with the big wheels, and rear guards cut out, as in the later pics Alex posted.
     
  14. hambnbeans
    Joined: Aug 1, 2007
    Posts: 47

    hambnbeans
    BANNED
    from wyoming

    Falcons are girl cars.
     
  15. Notorious
    Joined: Jul 18, 2007
    Posts: 393

    Notorious
    Member

    Once again, another asshat heard from.........
    Cool and very informative thread.
     
  16. LUX BLUE
    Joined: May 23, 2005
    Posts: 4,407

    LUX BLUE
    Alliance Vendor
    from AUSTIN,TX

    Personal cars-

    "1973 ford Hiboy f250."

    Big Truck=tiny penis.
     
  17. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    A current Falcon hillclimber from back east.
     

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  18. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,775

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    Falcons were obviously competitive and the mods probably led to the, dare I say it, GT350 and GT500 Mustangs of years to come.
    Is it only old guys like me that know the Mustang was based and shared the chassis pan with the FALCON, the girl car road-race-proven girl car!!?

    Yes, those long nose short deck oh so unique Mustangs we all know and love were born in the Falcon's nest.
     
    banjeaux bob likes this.
  19. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    Could you Scan and Post that ad Steve?
    Any pics with it?

    It might not be this ( Blue) car, cause I think I remember reading an article about how the Driveline was swapped into a Mk3 Cortina for the Super Saloon racing class... ( but I could be wrong about that, could have been an other one...)
     
  20. Kustomkarma
    Joined: Mar 31, 2007
    Posts: 898

    Kustomkarma

    Killer post! It really gives me some ideas for the '64 Comet I'm building. The interior was rotted to pieces so I threw it out - guess I'm half way there.:) Did these race cars ever run drum brakes or 6 cylinders?
     
  21. Steve 38
    Joined: Jan 5, 2007
    Posts: 500

    Steve 38
    Member

    Alex, I'm just installing a new scanner, so will be able to scan and post the ad as soon its its up and running. Its only a very small ad, taken from the short lived British magazine 'Historic Racing' which was only around for a year or two. Great magazine though, while it lasted.

    The Falcon appeared in the August/September 1994 issue. The text in the ad says: "1964 Alan Mann built Ford Falcon. Factory team car. Driven by Terry Zangler. In driveable condition". The seller was from Sweden.

    The front wheel arches are heavily flared, rear wheel arches are cut out and flared, as per the cars in the later pics you posted. Also, the bodywork behind the front wheel arches has been cut out following the lines of the exhaust, exposing the exhaust on the front guards, and the sills.
     
  22. You may like this photo of recent track day.
     

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  23. Steve 38
    Joined: Jan 5, 2007
    Posts: 500

    Steve 38
    Member

    Sorry, I forgot to say, the wheel arch flaring was slightly different to the cars in the pics you posted. More 'bubble' type flaring. But these cars would have been changed from year to year, and as they found their way into privateer hands, would have been chopped around a lot.
     
  24. hambnbeans
    Joined: Aug 1, 2007
    Posts: 47

    hambnbeans
    BANNED
    from wyoming

    Mustangs are girl cars too.
     
  25. Bluto
    Joined: Feb 15, 2005
    Posts: 5,113

    Bluto
    Member Emeritus

    I saw one of the cars race at Willow Springs

    At least one made to H-M in Signal Hill The shop Buill Stropp had for years

    It was black with gold bumpers..... had to be 68-70
     
    banjeaux bob likes this.
  26. rixrex
    Joined: Jun 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,433

    rixrex
    Member

    Rilly kool stuff..what publication/newsletter/site/phone number, anything I can get to follow modern racing of these vintage cars? most of it is in California at Laguna Seca? where is Willow Springs?..Inspires me on how I'd like my 63 Comet to look, or early Barracuda, Rambler,Lancer,Lark...Yeah
     
  27. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

  28. Martync
    Joined: Oct 15, 2007
    Posts: 3

    Martync
    Member
    from UK

    Hi there, I live in the UK and back in 1979 my two brothers and I Brought one of the Alan Mann 64 Falcons.
    The guy we got it from payed £1500 in 1967which was quite a lot of money then.
    The picture shown earlier in this thread of Ljungfeldt running the Swedish rally is my car.
    Reg no ZE1054 which is Vin No or chassis No 4H13F125407
    For the last 4 years I have been restoring the Falcon back to original spec or as close as I can.
    Early 289 HiPo 5 bolt block
    Dual Carters on Carter inlet
    3 pot discs on the front end
    Close ratio toploader
    Galaxy rear end with LSD
    Glass fiber Hood, front fenders, rear deck, and doors (which were horrible) Aluminum Bumpers front and rear.
    As far as suspension goes, rock solid Koni shocks all round so solid the trunk floor cracks.
    Shorter top wishbones, the list go's on!!
    Cheers, Martyn.
    PS: absolutely no grip in the wet but fun!!!!
     

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  29. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    If you could post some pics, that would be really cool.

    Welcome to the HAMB...
     
  30. garvinzoom
    Joined: Sep 21, 2007
    Posts: 1,169

    garvinzoom
    Member

    Douche bag.

    Cool thread though, Thanks!!
     

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