The Vagabond Falcon. Driving it home.
What do you when you buy a project car? Load the car on a trailer and ferry it home? No! No way. We are car people. We are damn fools. We do not bow to logic and reason when it comes to these machines.
No! Let's get a one-way-ticket to Nashville, buy a 55-year old car and drive it 700 miles home to Pennsylvania. I bought a 1960 Ford Falcon Sedan. It has a 144ci (2.4L) straight-six engine eating though a single barrel carb. It stays not-boiling though a radiator smaller than your gaming laptop. It sends its power though a 2-speed automatic which, tragically is dripping ATF (TYPE-F) at the rate of one drop per second.
This car is crying ATF at the rate of about ½ quart every 50 miles.
Tragic? Maybe.
Know this: I am devoted to this car. This 55-year old Falcon is my ticket home to the commonwealth. It is slow. The humongous wheel needs constant steering input. The car vaporlocks after driving hard. The radio kind-of works. And the temperature gauge rules all. I stare at that barometer of feels. If the car is cool, I am cool. If it is hot, I am anxious.
Anxiety. I am still a pile of nerves. Every moment with the Falcon is critical. I pay attention to the radio very little. I've only lived with this machine for one day. I pay attention to every squeek, bump and engine surge. This car is 55 years old.
I am devoted to her. She must stay alive. She must stay lubed. I will care for this dinosaur.
Baby, we'll make it home. You made it halfway. You can do it again.
400 miles to go. 400 miles to your new home. Then you'll be healed.
Thank you r/cars and r/regularcarreviews you make this possible. Lots of videos and a miniseries on the Ford Falcon, the ultimate American regular car.
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