ALL OF THE ABOVE ONE BAD BIRD The clean factory lines of the ’64 Falcon looked great right off the assembly line, but Houghtaling has made them even better thanks to a fiberglass Sunoco-style hood. The 2-inch drop and 17-inch Weld wheels up front partner with the beadlocked rears with Mickey Thompson 275 radials for a wicked stance.
helpful, as is an owner who is involved in the build. Toss in an off-the-beaten path body style and, of course, quality craftsmanship, and you’ve got all the makings of a slam dunk, sure-fire RPM feature car. Pawling, New York welder and fabricator Gary Houghtaling didn’t realize it when he was building this gorgeous 1964 Ford Falcon Futura hardtop, but he managed to check each and every one of those boxes during the 13-year-long story that is his Ford. “I purchased the car in 2004 and did a few up-
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grades to it,” Houghtaling said. However, he sold the car to a friend in 2007 only to purchase it for a second time in early 2010—and sell it again in November 2010. You might think that after buying and selling the same car twice already, Houghtaling might be done with it. However family tragedy struck in 2011 and spurred the talented fabricator into action. “My most memorable experience in the car was back in 2010—before I really even built it—when my brother Carl, Jr. rode shotgun,” Houghtaling recalled
july2017 | RPM Magazine