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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Orange 94" data-source="post: 1293088" data-attributes="member: 17635">I'm an absolute falcon fanatic.Thought I'd share this article from Speed Hunters<a href="http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/06/hayabusa-ford-falcon-stock-car/#chapter-japanese-for-falcon" target="_blank">http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/06/hayabusa-ford-falcon-stock-car/#chapter-japanese-for-falcon</a>Hayabusa. What do you think of when you hear that word? If  you are from Japan you might think of the JAXA spacecraft which bears  the name, or the Hayabusa bullet train which speeds between Tokyo and  Aomori every day. Gearheads though, will probably think of Suzuki’s  ridiculously-fast street bike that’s been scaring the crap out of its  riders since the late ’90s.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-33-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />How about the word itself? If you didn’t know, Hayabusa  is the Japanese translation for peregrine falcon – a bird of prey which  is known for its incredible speed. Did you know those birds can hit  200mph while diving on prey? Mind boggling…<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-14-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />The  point is, whether you are taking about a bird, a train or a motorcycle –  the word brings to mind graceful movement and immense speed. What you  are looking at here is another type of Hayabusa – one originally built in the US during the 1960s.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-30-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Yes,  it’s a Ford Falcon – the popular automobile that filled North American  roads during the ’60s and was also sold across the world in various  forms during the following decades. For all its sales success though,  the Falcon was generally seen as cheap transportation and not a machine  of graceful speed.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-10-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />But  despite its economy car roots, the Ford Falcon certainly has its  enthusiast following – both in the states and abroad. It happens to be  across the Pacific where I found this particular – and unique – take on  an American classic.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-27-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />It’s  here that we meet Mr. Hisayuki Sakamoto of Saitama, Japan. Sakamoto-san  is an architect by trade and a lover of all things vintage and  American. He’s also one interesting and incredibly cool dude, but I’ll  save that for an upcoming story where we check out his personal  garage/hangout spot.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />For  now let’s stay focused on his pride and joy: a 1965 Ford Falcon Futura  two-door hardtop. Mr. Sakamoto has an especially big passion for old  school motor racing, whether its NHRA, SCCA Trans-Am, vintage GT cars,  and most of all ’60s and ’70s stock car racing. As is often the case in  Japan, he’s not just a casual admirer of this style – he lives and  breathes it. One look at his Falcon and you know this guy is legit.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-23-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />It  wasn’t like that when he started though. He originally bought the  Falcon simply because he liked the style and wanted a cool car to cruise  around in.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-31-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Over  the years though, he became more and more interested in going fast. He  attended his first casual track day and became hooked. Aside from that,  he became fascinated by the historic side of American motorsport;  studying old magazines and even visiting the US on business trips. Being  very fashion-minded, Sakamoto wanted not only to make his Falcon  capable on the circuit, but he wanted the distinct look and feel of a  vintage American race machine.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-24-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />And  while he’s a fan of gassers and other classic drag machines, he mostly  wanted a car that he could wind out on Japan’s twisty racing circuits.  It wasn’t a tough choice for him to go with the wide and low style of  1960s-era stock car. Think of NASCAR at Riverside in the glory days.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-6-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Vintage  stock car fans will point out that it was the larger Galaxie that  represented Ford in NASCAR during the mid ’60s, but it really doesn’t  matter. His mission was never to build a perfect replica, and Sakamoto’s  lighter, more nimble Falcon perfectly captures the great style from the  days when stock cars were actually stock.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-6-2-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />The  style is important, of course, but over the years this car has evolved  into so much more than a cool accessory for Sakamoto’s garage. This  Falcon has been built to run as hard as it looks.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-21-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Much  of the build was handled by a shop called Muscle Car Japan in Kanagawa.  It’s a place that’s cranked out some very cool circuit-spec machinery  and I’m very much looking forward to dropping by the next time I’m in  the area.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-2-2-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />While  it’s got the look of a full-on race car, this is no tube chassis  monster. MCJ has worked some nice tricks on the Falcon’s chassis to get  the car handling like it should. It’s got a C-notched frame in the rear  and the whole car has also been massaged to add stiffness to what was a  rather floppy machine off the showroom floor.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-32-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Of  course, the Falcon shares its guts with the Mustang, and a fellow by  the name of Shelby had no problems getting those things to take corners  back in the ’60s. Up front it’s running factory spindles with relocated  front control arms and short coil springs. HAL twin-tube adjustable  shocks sit at each corner.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-17-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Under  the hood sits Ford’s proven Hi-Po 289 cubic inch small block – an  engine that’s powered so many great race cars over the years.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-18-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />This  one is running Crower rods, high compression 10.9:1 Wiseco pistons,  K-Code heads with big valves, a Comp cam, and a Holley 770CFM carb  sitting on a Parker Funnel Web intake manifold.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-19-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />The  headers have been custom-fabricated by Muscle Car Japan and they dump  exhaust gases straight out out through a pair of four-inch pipes on each  side. The sound is radical to say the least.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-26-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Both  the engine and transmission are on solid mounts and that Long shifter  operates a Jerico four-speed gearbox with a Tilton triple-plate clutch.<img src="http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NASCAR-Falcon-Japan-34-copy-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Power  then goes through a custom drive shaft to a floating Ford 9-inch  housing that features a Detroit Locker and 4.11:1 Richmond gears.</blockquote>