For Brett, his indoctrination into discovering a world of cool started on his dad’s shoulders while visiting local swap meets at the crack of dawn. It was there that he learned the importance of history and design while combing through endless aisles packed with everything from vintage cars and snowmobiles to outboard motors and even chainsaws. There’s always one fateful day that sets a path for the future and for Brett it was at a swap meet where he was startled by the sounds of a V-8 firing up. Turning to face the thunder, he saw a small white car with a fender script that read Falcon. From that point on he became consumed with the model, focusing on saving as much as he could, mowing local lawns till he had enough to find one of his own.

By the time he earned his license it wasn’t long till he located a ’61 Ford Falcon Futura project car. It gave him the opportunity of rebuilding his first engine, lowering the suspension, and even laying down his very first paintjob. Per Brett, “There’s nothing better than going out driving, exploring backroads where you’ve never been, and seeking out classic architecture to appreciate.” As the years passed, he continued with his passion for Falcons with a slammed ’63 Squire wagon with enough room to haul swap meet finds and kayaks for recreation. Finally, it was time to start the search for another Futura hardtop envisioning the build of a streetcar with enough zest to take on local track days, hill climbs, and autocross events. After months of searching, he located what appeared to be a clean ’63 model with six-cylinder power and a bagged stance, so he made the deal. Once the car was home, however, it proved to have plenty of issues once he started to look deeper into its layers, discovering its needs for plenty of fabrication to repair rust issues.

Unfortunately, the car sat for a few years until Brett met with good friend Mike Champagne of Stafford, Connecticut, to spearhead the project and bring it back to life. The pair shared the same vision of what it would take to infuse the perfect combination of road-race elements and performance while also adding subtle changes to accent its classic lines. To get started, adding strength to the factory Unibody structure began with removing the rusted floorpans, replacing them with fresh bead-rolled steel panels, transmission tunnel, inner rockers, and custom-fabricated rollcage. The rear sub rails were then boxed with custom subframe connectors tied into the floors. Out back, a Ford 8-inch rear packs an Eaton Detroit Truetrac spinning 3.00 gears linked to Moser 28-spline axles. It’s suspended in place by a TCI Engineering triangulated four-link and sway bar deftly matched to JRi single-adjustable coilover shocks with PAC Racing springs. For razor-sharp handling, a Classic Performance Products MINI Sub-Frame Kit featuring their exclusive upper and lower tubular control arms and stock spindles combines with JRi single-adjustable coilover shocks wearing PAC Racing springs, Maier Racing billet shock top mounts and MOD shock tower brace. When it’s time to stop, a Wilwood dual master moves fluid through stainless lines to matching 11-inch drilled-and-slotted discs with four-piston calipers anchored at each corner. For the ultimate road-race look, a set of 16×7 Konig Rewind-model wheels wear BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW rubber, sized P205/50ZR16.

Bringing plenty of power to the party meant jettisoning the original six-in-a-row in favor of a V-8 mill. Brett had CREB Engineering punch an ’89 Mustang 302ci block to 347 ci, filling it with a Scat forged steel crank linked to matching rods capped by Wiseco forged aluminum pistons while a Trick Flow cam sets the beat. A set of massaged Ford E7TE iron heads make plenty of seamless power, especially when matched to a Redline Performance intake with a squadron of 44 IDF Weber carbs rebuilt and tuned by Jim Inglese to deliver the punch. It sparks to life through an MSD ignition with exhaust moving through a set of Sanderson headers to a custom 2-1/2-inch ceramic-coated exhaust with Black Widow mufflers. Other cool bits include a Powermaster alternator and starter, FlowKooler water pump, Optima battery, Griffin aluminum radiator, and K&N air filters. Power moves through a ’67 Ford four-speed Top Loader, modified by Champagne, with dual-friction clutch and lightened flywheel linked to a driveshaft by Denny’s.

When it came to addressing the body, there was plenty of metalwork for the pair to handle before any custom work could commence. Digging into the panels revealed plenty of body filler masking the evils of the past (earning it the name “Warbird”), requiring the replacement of the quarter-panels and trunk extension panels with fresh steel from Schott as well as sourcing a pair of rust-free doors. Up front, heavy-duty fiberglass fenders from US Body Source were added along with a matching replacement hood to act as a base for several subtle updates. To add allure, a Harwood fiberglass ’67 Camaro front lower valance was sectioned and widened along with adding a chin spoiler while matching fiberglass bumpers were widened and pinched along with fabricating a steel roll pan out back. Even more cool includes a functional ’63 Thunderbird air scoop molded from an original hood, shaved cowl vent with mono-wiper, custom radiator cover, and ’64 Australian Falcon XM-Series DeLuxe fender spears. With all the fabrication complete, Champagne followed in making the body sharp while also setting all the gaps. He then laid down the vibe with a coating of Ford Wimbledon White from Tamco. Added details include glass by Tony Misiura at Vintage Glass, stainless polishing by Ben Candal at Qualworks, and bumper wrap by Sam Scrivner at Peak Graphics.

To bring an equal amount of performance styling inside, the factory dash was shaved and filled with the addition of a rare radio delete plate, all accented by Futura dash trim. The original gauge area was then modified to house a Racepak IQ3 display dash to monitor the vitals while a Sparco R345 wheel with Sweet Manufacturing quick-release mounts to a Laughlin aluminum column. A Hurst Competition-Plus shifter pulls the gears through a JOES Racing 3-inch setback stick while a GRP4 Fabrications vertical handbrake is ready for action and a Vintage Air Gen II mini heater kills the chill. Custom-fabricated interior panels continue the race theme while a Kwik Wire 14-circuit harness ties it all together. Finally, Racetech RT4000WLB low back racing seats were custom covered in black vinyl by Mitch’s Kustoms in Monson, Massachusetts, who also fitted the Schroth Racing four-point harness to the seats. The result of two guys working hard in a small garage with the same objective of building a wicked car the way it was done decades ago is still cool and we dig it.