SP Rides: The Flyin’ Falcon
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Name: Roy Holmes
Age: 32
Occupation: Navy
Hobbies: Cars, Harleys
Year, Make, Model: 1965 Ford Falcon Wagon Deluxe
Color: Dark Green with white roof
Engine/Drivetrain: Rebuilt Original 289 V8, heads, pistons, cams, rebuilt “Green dot” C4 Automatic transmission, Falcon valve covers, Moroso distributor, Champion Radiator, upgraded manifolds, x-pipe and re-hung exhaust, polished carburetor and filter, MSD Blaster Coil, rebuilt converter by Kalakaua Converters
Exterior: Bodyworked & repainted roofline, Future & 289 badging
Interior: Bluetooth Radio & Sound System
Suspension: Rebuilt front and rear suspension, coil springs, leaf springs
Wheels/ Tires: 15” American Racing Equipment Wheels, BFGoodrich Radial T/As at 205/60R15
Like many classic car enthusiasts, Roy Holmes was practically born into it. His father did it all…drag racing, mechanic, welder. He was one of the first in Norwalk, Ohio to go 8 or 9 seconds in a Camaro with all drum brakes. All of his uncles and cousins built (and still build) cars and you could say that Roy spent a lot of his time at Summit Motorsports Park, one of the most legendary dragstrips ever created.
Listening to a guy like Holmes is like hearing a fountain of knowledge at full blast, at the very least when it comes to this beautiful 1965 Ford Falcon Deluxe which just so happens to also be a four-dour wagon model. Which is useful when you happen to be replacing practically everything on the car.
Originally, Roy came to Oahu with no expectations of building such a build. He had a Harley Davidson that got him to a certain point of satisfaction, but soon left him itching for more to tinker with to keep his idle hands busy. After finding this ’65 in the ads, he bought it the next day and got to work.
Although still incredible to look at, the roof had some rust issues which he took care of in short order by removing all of the weather stripping and sanding it down into paintable form with some additional body work. A quick repaint took care of the now gorgeous roofline and he moved onto replacing more parts after parts.
Essentially, everything under the well-maintained, evergreen-coated exterior has been replaced. We’re talking the front and rear suspension. This includes all of the ball joints; the coil springs as well as the leaf springs. The wheels were swapped from the previous owner’s that rubbed a little too much due to the tall tire walls, to American Racing Equipment 15” wheels with a beautiful polished lip now sit on the ride with much lower profile BFGoodrich Radial T/As for that classic look.
The engine itself is the original 289 V8 and Roy preferred to keep it. One look at it though and you can tell that it’s been given a total refresh. It’s practically blinding and has been rebuilt with slightly different heads, pistons, gorgeous valve covers, a new MSD ignition and all kinds of extra goodies like the intake and carburetor. This ride is affectionately known as the “Green Dot” because of it’s abnormal shifter pattern. Holmes has the original trans and converter rebuilt as well for additional reliability.
The only thing that’s been left as is, for the most part, is the interior. It’s in great shape even for its age, and also features a Bluetooth radio that mimics the original along with a decent set of speakers. However, for Roy, the car is all about getting in and out without a fuss
Really, what this car is about, is being refreshed. Roy bought it to drive and to talk story with. “To be honest, I like old stuff and the way it was built. Having it to talk about is what I enjoy,” says Roy.
