Ford Motor Company first introduced the Ford Falcon to the public on October 3, 1959 with the 1960 model. The Falcon was sold until 1971 when the Ford Maverick took its place as an inexpensive family vehicle. The Ford Falcon was originally priced from $1,975 to $2,660 for the top of the line Challenger model.
The 1965 Ford Falcon was available in three engine choices. The Squire Six and Squire Cruise-o-matic models came equipped with a 2.8-liter, inline-six-cylinder engine with 105 horsepower at 4,400 rpm. This engine has a bore of 88.9 mm and a stroke of 74.68 mm, with a compression of 9.1:1.
The second engine choice is a 3.3-liter, inline-six-cylinder engine with 120 horsepower at 4,400 rpm. This engine has a bore of 93.47 mm and a stroke of 79.5 mm, with a compression of 9.2:1. This engine came with the Fairlane six and the Fairlane Cruise-o-matic models.
The largest engine is the 4.7-liter V-8 engine with 200 horsepower at 4,400 rpm. This engine has a bore of 101.6 mm and a stroke of 72.89 mm, with a compression ratio of 9.3:1 and was available in the Challenger models only.
The tune-up specifications for the six-cylinder engines is as follows: the spark plug gap is 0.34 inch and the type is BF82, the distributor point dwell is 37.5 degrees and the distributor point gap is 0.25 inch. The engine timing is 12 degrees before top dead center. The idle speed is 485 rpm. This engine has hydraulic valves and the intake valve opens at 13 degrees before top dead center. The fuel pump pressure is 4.5 psi.
The V-8 engine has a spark plug gap of 0.34 inch and the type is BF42, the distributor point dwell is 27 degrees and the distributor point gap is .015 inch. The ignition timing for the manual transmission model is six degrees before top dead center. The ignition timing for the automatic transmission model is 8 degrees before top dead center. The engine has hydraulic valves and the intake valves open at 20 degrees before top dead center. The idle speed is 575 rpm for the manual transmission model and 500 rpm for the automatic transmission model. The fuel pump pressure is 5 psi.
The six-cylinder engines have a fuel rating of 21.2 mpg in urban areas, 11.2 mpg in the city and a highway rating of 16.7 mpg. The eight-cylinder engine has a fuel rating of 15.4 mpg in urban locations, 8.9 mpg in the city and 12.9 mpg on the highway.
