Chris Thornbury, Pewee Valley, Kentucky     

1964 4-door Futura

I bought my Falcon at the 2004 Falcon Club of America National Convention in Kansas City, Kansas. I was almost 15 and still at least a year away from driving. My parents have Falcons and we're active in the Bluegrass Chapter of the Falcon Club. I told them I wanted a Falcon for my first car. They tried to talk me into getting something newer like an Escort or a Focus, but I told them "No." I wanted a Falcon.

So when we found this clean beauty at the nationals, we jumped on it. I bought it from Ken Kenoyer, an FCA member in Iowa who was thinning out his collection. He brought it to me in Kentucky a few weeks later. 

All the original chrome and interior is in great shape! It just needed a paint job and a stereo. My step-dad, Andrew, painted it for me; back to the original medium turquoise metallic but with an appliance white roof and stripe. I got new carpet and a nice stereo. I drive my car to school every day and everybody knows it's me... who could miss that beautiful Falcon in the parking lot?! True to our family's tradition, I named my car Gloria.

< Taking off the chrome. ^ "You better help me sand this car, boy!"

^ Yes, I did help sand it!

And now the rest of the story...

Saturday, November 11, 2006 was a very bad day. I was on my way to pick up my girlfriend to take her to our Falcon Club meeting. I was on a two-lane country road and a funeral procession was coming toward us. So the cars in front of me pulled off to the side of the road. I pulled over to wait. But the car behind me didn’t see me in time to stop. The road was wet, he was driving too fast and he rear-ended me, pushing me in to the car in front of me. My Falcon is crushed and twisted in the back and the front, on the left side.

 

The frame is twisted so I can't fix it. I bought a '65 4-door and hope to start fixing it up this spring (March 2007.)

The good news is no one was hurt and cars are replaceable. But I’ll never forget my first Falcon.