Welcome to 2023. I hope you had a grand holiday season and all those nifty new parts and accessories from Santa fit properly and nothing needed to go back. It was good to see all the Chapter holiday get-togethers. Maybe you have a special story to tell and you can share it in the News magazine. Anyhow, we’ve made it to a new year and we need to start thinking about the upcoming show season and those can’t miss opportunities to share our rides and the Falcon story. Again this year, our magazine editor, Janet Wilkerson has created a Calendar suitable for hanging in a conspicuous location to help you plan and remind you of what is going on and when it is going to happen. Be sure to mark the various regional meets. The 2023 National Convention/Meet in Kansas City (Overland, Park, Kansas) is already marked in July. Details are available in this issue and online at www.fcaclub.com. 2023 also marks the 60th Anniversary of the introduction of the V8 engine and the Hardtop to the Falcon line. To this day cars equipped with these items are highly prized and highly sought after. A week doesn’t go buy that I don’t get a request to help someone find a Futura or Sprint with these features. My first Falcon was a 1962 four door sedan, six-cylinder with three on the tree. I bought it my Freshman year of college because it was cheap transportation with good fuel economy, after all gasoline was 19 cents per gallon. It wasn’t long before I found a wrecked 1963 Galaxie with a 289 and a fully synchronized three speed transmission. The swap was on and fairly straight forward. The beginnings of a love affair with Falcons that has lasted some fifty-eight years, and it included a couple of Sprints along the way. If you have a story that you’d like to share, let Janet know and we’ll get it out. If you haven’t heard, Mary Wagner will be stepping down from the position of Chapter Coordinator. If you are interested in knowing more about this position, please contact Mary or me. Thank you to Mary for all your service to the FCA. Finally, the new website is just about de-bugged and working very well. If you haven’t registered for the National Convention/Meet, give it a try. You’ll find it simple and convenient. If you need assistance with anything club related, just go to Our Club and you’ll find contact information. If you want to buy or sell, get technical help, go to the Forums. Let us know what you need. The goal is to provide a place to serve your needs. Until next time, stay healthy and safe, enjoy your Falcons and Rancheros, and if you are on the road, take a youngster long. Jim Guthrie (FCA #12897) guthriejasr@gmail.com • 816-288-7469
