1961 Ford Ranchero Gasser: Funny Falcon
A quick Sunday post, about a pretty damn cool 1961 Ford Ranchero Gasser.
This car shares a lot of the same bones as our Aussie Falcons utes of the same era. You will notice the cabin and tray are slightly extended, with longer doors and rear overhang. Taillights and front grill differed, as well a host of other small subtle differences. But essentially they were the same car.
The thing I love about this particular Ranchero is the fact I knew of it’s existence prior to seeing the for sale ad, but had no idea it now resided in Australia. Always exciting when a cool car makes its way over the pond and onto our shores.
As an owner of an early Falcon myself, I always appreciate someone who has pushed the boundaries with their humble little Ford. I stumbled across this car when searching what to do with my own ’62 Falcon, and it was a breath of fresh air.
See, Australians love the early Falcon, and for a long time we have been modifying and making them our own. They have always been a budget option for those interested in 60’s classics.
But, very rarely do we see this kind of left-of-field treatment bestowed upon our humble early birds.
I personally love it, and wish more owners opted for the full blown, impractical period gasser style. Everything about this build just works. From the white zoomie headers, yellow tinted windows, pie crust cheater slicks to the interesting 306ci Windsor engine choice.
Naturally, being a gasser build, it has also been converted to straight front axle. Great for getting the front end perched high in preparation for strip duty, but I wouldn’t be going for a burn through the twisty’s on any given sunday. Also, I can’t imagine it passing a roady anytime soon. But, as far as I’m concerned, the overall ridiculousness of it all only increases the cool factor tenfold.
So what could you use it for? Well, there is a thriving nostalgia drag scene here in Australia, for which the Ranchy would be perfect for. You also have great pre-65 car festivals such as Chopped or the Boogaloo Campout– where this car would feel right at home. Or perhaps you just want to impress your mates with something completely wild. All good things.
And if it just happened to find its way out of the garage on the odd Friday night for a couple of blockies, then well, good on you! Who am I to judge!
Note: All the above photos were taken from Bangshift.com, and are from when the car still lived stateside. Below is a gallery of photos of the car currently.
You can find it for sale on “Ford Only Buy Swap & Sell Australia” page on Facebook for $28k.
To read more, head to Bangshift.com for a complete list of specifications.
1961 Ford Ranchero Gasser – Inspiration:
If you need further inspiration to buy this, or build your own Falcon Ute/Ranchero Gasser, check out these pictures found on Wayward Garage, Racers Reunion, and Pinterest.
