Words: Tommy Parry
Living in Southern California comes with its share of problems, and while the temperature and the traffic tire Nick out, the abundance of rust-free vehicles helps alleviate some of his fatigue. Browsing the local used car papers has an energizing effect on him, and when he stumbled upon this ‘63 Ford Falcon with clean panels, he was ecstatic — even though it lacked an interior and had clearly seen better days.
Its lightweight design, if you could refer to it as such, fit his build ethos. “The main intent with the car was to build something that was meant to be beat on,” Nick adds.”I’ve done as much as I could on my own, but skipped a few steps by ordering suspension from another chassis (Mustang) and modifying it to work for my configuration.” The front Bilstein coilover conversion and a 3-link rear end with a watts link offered Nick the suspension geometry of a ‘65-‘67 Mustang. Wilwood disc brakes at all four corners would help ensure he’d have plenty of time to drive and grow with the car.
Those disc brakes are housed inside a set of stylish ET Lt-III wheels, which fit perfectly in the wells and give the Falcon an athletic stance. The mild stagger — 245-section fronts and 275-section rears — provide the tail-happy, agile character he was after, as do the Borgeson quick ratio box and the KRC pump and drive kit. “It’s a real handful,” he says.
Its Foxbody 302 motor is largely stock, but benefits from a set of Flowmaster headers, a Holley Sniper EFI system and a freshening. For a car that weighs a mere 2,700 pounds, 300 horsepower is more than enough. In fact, that power-to-weight ratio necessitated a half-cage, and made the Empi Roadster-style seats feel completely inadequate. Down the road, some Sparco Pro 2000 seats should give him the mid-corner stability he’s after.
While the maturity and high standards show with the parts and the execution, the exterior needs a special acknowledgement. Nick and his father sanded off the unsightly top layer of paint and revealed a glimmer coat of gold underneath. “The paint job has its imperfections, but the patina and imperfections are what I like the most,” he explains.
Considering Nick built this car over the last couple of years while balancing school and a part-time job, you have to tip your hat. Of course, his father’s involvement helped immensely, but the 21-year-old’s ambition was the driving force. He’s an experienced mechanic, but much of this build was new territory; his curiosity pushed him forward through the build. “I urge anyone to attempt a project like this," Nick says, “because you will be forced to learn so much, and there are skills I learned with this project I will never forget."