For context about this apparently random post readers should refer to the suggestion from Kitdoctor on Hewey's thread
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/heweys-1950s-single-garage-cottage.325444/post-11611790
Unfortunately, I have no magnificent photo archive like Bob Heine regularly shares with us and can't provide a photo of the actual car that was mine. However, this one is pretty close to the same, the only visual differences being that mine didn't have the optional water leak, marketed by Ford as a sunroof, or those Globe mags. Mine was built in October 1971 and those Globes didn't become an option until the next year. Mine was the same colour, Electric Blue, with the same black interior.
Mine came with the five slot wheels Ford used for several years.
I should stress that mine and the one in the pic above are just garden variety XY Falcon GT's, not the super desirable XY Falcon GTHO Phase 3, but nonetheless a pretty special car both then and now. Visually the only exterior differences were that the latter had a boot (trunk) lid spoiler and the front spoiler was a bit different. Mechanically, the Phase 3 had solid lifters, a different cam, a 780 cfm carb rather than 600, proper extractors and higher compression on the 351 Clevelands both had. From the factory, the GT was said to have 300 horsepower and the Phase 3 380 but both figures are considered to have been understated by Ford. The Phase 3 was the fastest four door car in the world at the time.
Like Kitdoctor and Hewey, I had coveted one of these since way before I had a licence. Via a large dose of good fortune early in my career, and a disciplined approach to personal financial management and saving that I've always had, I found myself in the remarkable position of being able to buy this outright, no loan, in February 1975 at the age of 19 years and 8 months. It was my second car.
To buy it new in 1971 you would have had to hand over $4,250 AUD to a Ford dealer. I think my memory is correct that I paid a used car dealer $3,195 for it. It had about 35,000 miles on the clock. I recall it revealed a bit of a rattly water pump not long after I got it but otherwise no issues.
It had the standard Top Loader and 9 inch rear end with the standard 3.25 final drive ratio. No power steering or anything else, no aircon, AM radio. They did come with boosted discs on the front but just drums on the back.
I had been working after school and on Saturdays pumping fuel in the days before self service at a local servo (gas station) since I was about 15. While I gave it away after I finished school I still hung around there a lot and sometimes got pressed into service if they were really busy. One of the mechanics there I was friendly with had an XW GT and drag raced it a bit and eventually became a bit sought after as a performance engine builder, unfortunately succumbing to the big C in his late 40's. He helped me boost the engine's performance a bit with some head work, extractors and a bigger carb. I also put the standard 6 inch wide 5 slot wheels in the corner of Dad's garage and replaced them with 7 inch wide ROH mags (which very slightly rubbed on the guards over bumps if I had back seat passengers).
This car was my only car until October 1980 when I traded it on a brand new XD Fairmont wagon with 351 Clevo and FMX auto. Why did I do this? Good question, to which I don't have a good answer. I think I was just wanting to update my ride but I was married by then and, while kids didn't come along until 1984 we were planning a 12 month trip around Australia towing a caravan. At that stage it hadn't really started to become apparent how valuable and desirable these cars were going to become. I think Ford's discontinuation of the availability of cars with the correct number of cylinders, i.e. 8, in 1982 was a bit of a catalyst for this. I can't recall exactly what trade in I got on the XY but have the feeling it was about $2,500. The full price of the Fairmont was something like $12 K.
Because a Ford could no longer be had with 8 cylinders I ended up keeping the XD until 1990.
I mentioned that the XY was my second car. Surprisingly enough my first was a Ford too. This was a 1967 XR Fairmont with the 289 that I bought from my Dad a few months before I got my licence when he updated to a new XA. By the time I had a licence the C4 auto in that car had been replaced by a top loader manual because no self-respecting young man would be seen dead driving an auto in those days. Again, my mechanic mate at the servo around the corner from home helped me considerably with that. I was very lucky to chance upon one of the beautiful curved chrome shifters with the reverse lock out used in the XR GT. Over the time I had that car the 2 barrel carb was replaced by a four barrel and extractors added, and some wider chrome steel wheels. Again, not the actual car, but it was like this, colour and all.
When I bought the XY I sold the XR privately for about the same as I'd paid Dad for it a couple of years earlier, but i didn't tell him that.
Anyway, Kitdoctor, that's my XY GT story. For everyone else, you know where the delete key is.
(too soon?). I can see how that was the sensible decision at the time though. Thanks for taking the time to share.
