Kansas enthusiast Tim Sutherland wanted a Ford Falcon retractable hardtop. Unbothered by the fact that Ford never offered such a thing, he built his own.

Tim Sutherland of Wichita, Kansas is a restorer of first-generation Ford Falcons who also happens to be a fan of the Ford full-sized retractable hardtops of 1957-59. Combining the two interests, Tim created his own hybrid: a ’63 1/2 Falcon Sprint hardtop with a one-piece retracting steel roof of his own design. The result may not challenge the Detroit automakers for speed of operation or packaging efficiency, but the workmanship is remarkable and the creativity is over the moon.

Tim started with a clapped-out but restorable Sprint body shell he picked up for $1,000, he told a reporter at The Wichita Eagle.  The floor pan was reinforced with a pair of 2×3-in. rectangular steel tubes, while the exterior sheet metal was stretched four inches in the rear to provide a nest for the roof panel when stowed. A series of seven electric motors raise and lower the top, and Tim also created a Thunderbird roadster-esque fiberglass tonneau that rides along in its own Falcon-styled custom trailer. Note the razor-straight bodywork throughout, proudly coated in unforgiving PPG Jet Black.

Naturally, Tim had to upgrade the drivetrain to match. He swapped in a late-model 5.0-liter Ford V8 with electronic fuel injection and an overdrive automatic transmission, allowing the Falcon to deliver 30 mpg on the highway. Hats off to Tim Sutherland for creating a machine he can truly call his own. Well done, sir. Video below.