I wish I was "Down Under"

[mikeholzer]

So, maybe it was something that Harvy said in another post, but I got to thinking again about how much I'd like to visit Australia and New Zealand. I was planning on taking a long cruise down that way after graduation, but life has a way of screwing with things, and that may not happen for another ten years...

Anyway, I was thinking about a friend of mine who is very much into Australia and Australian Pop Culture. One too many viewings of Mad Max posessed my friend Reed Herman to build the ride pictured here:

1975 Australian Ford Falcon



1975 Australian Ford Falcon



1975 Australian Ford Falcon

Ford never actually produced this car with a 429. Instead, this car was hand built from the ground up by a guy who has an attention for detail which might possibly rival mine (and that is saying something). As I recall, the dyno numbers put this thing in the mid-500 hp range (naturally aspirated and on pump gas). It was a truly unbelievable car built by a guy who gave it all up so that he could get back to building Ducatis. There's no accounting for taste; he's the same guy who warned me not to get an FJ. He thought I should buy a more modern sport bike that I can find parts for more readily. Well....

The reason, I guess, that I even bring it up is that I understand that after Reed sold this car, it found its way back to Australia, and now is available as a rental for some serious dough. I realize that Australia is not a tiny place by any stretch of the imagination, but this car really stands out. My first ride in it made me nearly load my shorts. I have to believe that amongst your travels, some of our Aussie brothers have seen this car around and can say for certain that it is one-of-a-kind.

Interesting write-up of this car:

http://www.carcraft.com/featuredvehicles/aussie_falcon/index.html

[RumBoy]

Ah, the ol' XA ford falcon.  Nice

[Harvy]

Nice one Mike....... your engine info is correct.......GT falcons were (from that era) 351ci with either Windsor (rare) or Cleveland blocks.
They were fairly common back in the day, but the fuel crisis of that time saw the government hold all the manufacturers (including the Japanese) to ransom and the GT style cars were phased out of production or importation for quite a while (govt said "if you keep building muscle cars, we are not going to purchase our fleets from you).

Its only been in the past 10 years or so that both GM ( I think the Aussie Monaro was exported to the US and sold as a GTO?) and Ford have started building fuel guzzlers again.

Interesting that it has found its way back to Aus again..

Big block Chev and Ford engine transplants are not that uncommon here.

Harvy

[rktmanfj]

Its only been in the past 10 years or so that both GM ( I think the Aussie Monaro was exported to the US and sold as a GTO?) and Ford have started building fuel guzzlers again.

Harvy

The Monaro was sold mostly intact as the GTO from 2001-2006.

Unfortuately, there won't be anymore GTOs, or Pontiacs, as far as that goes.     

I read that just about anything Pontiac has that is worth keeping on will be rebadged as Chevrolet in the very near future.

Randy T
Indy

[teeeeeceeeee]

Ah, the XB GT Coupe if my memory seves me correctly. Reminds me of my friends Works GTHO I spent alot of time with in my youth. Factory Black with the "QC" works 351C which put out 500+/- HP. Man was that thing wicked on the street. Here it is racing at sandown in 1972:



TeeCee

[teeeeeceeeee]

[Harvy]

Randy, there won't be any more Monaros built here either.......They were phased out (again - yep they stopped building them for quite a few years) a year or so ago. But you can still buy its replacement here........ its a Commodore which is extensively modified by HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) and sports one of the LSx (x=a number, maybe 7 now, not sure) Chevy engines.

Harvy

[Klavdy]

There was a lister, Captain Jake (anyone heard from him?) Texas if memory serves me correctly, who had one of the original Mad Max cars.

I THINK this is he,







The GTHO Ford Falcon was at one stage the worlds fastest accelerating four door car.


You could also get a Ute version,




The Chrysler Valiant Charger two door six cylinder was quicker over the 1/4 mile,



Tune ups with the Chyslers triple webers could prove challenging though,


Factory colours were different then too,








Australian cars handle,brake & accelerate far better than their American counterparts,dramatically so.

[Harvy]

Hey Klavdy...... I've had triple Webbers on 2 of my previous cars.........found them quite easy to work on........ first experience I had with them was on a LC Torana which I used to rally.......head was 12 ported, larger valves, HeadMod headers out to a tuned length exhaust that exited thru a single hotdog just behind the drivers door....... 186 red bored to 192, and all the trick top end components. It ate Falcon GTs quite easily. Second was a Charger......went like stink, but handled like a buck of shit.
The trick with webers is to get the linkages correct.......after that its pretty simple.
Harvy

[freespiriteng]

You guys have all the luck.  That Falcon looked closer to my Cobra Jet than any Falcon I ever knew of.  Probably a lot lighter too.  Not to make any angry but I suppose you guys actually have Mustang II Cobras with a real suspension instead of these things here.

Joe

[gradice]

Ah, the ol' XA ford falcon.  Nice

Sorry Brother, but that's an XB.....

[rktmanfj]

You guys have all the luck.  That Falcon looked closer to my Cobra Jet than any Falcon I ever knew of.  Probably a lot lighter too.  Not to make any angry but I suppose you guys actually have Mustang II Cobras with a real suspension instead of these things here.

Joe

That body style was, for the most part, sold as a 'Torino' in the US, but my first car was one that was badged as a Falcon.  It was a 70 1/2 model.

302/C4 auto, it ran okay..

Randy T
Indy

[gradice]

Hey Gang,

If your into the Big Blue Oval, then check out these beasties!!!!

http://www.fpv.com.au/index.aspx

[RumBoy]

The rear brake lights tell me it's an XA. But whatever, it's all good. Most parts are interchangeable on the XA-B-C's 

Ah, the ol' XA ford falcon.  Nice

Sorry Brother, but that's an XB.....

[Harvy]

That body style was, for the most part, sold as a 'Torino' in the US
Randy T
Indy

Randy....... the Torino was never officially marketed in Aus, but I know of at least one brand new one that came into Aus for motoring Journalists to play with.
Yes it was similar to the XA-XB-XC Falcon, but the body, though similar to the Aus Falcon, was larger. 60's era Falcon in Aus and US were the same beast, just yours had the steering wheel on the wrong side......


Harvy

Harvy