Ford Falcon 1967 Problems

It’s often the original model in a series that becomes the much admired classic in later life, and that’s certainly the case with the first Falcon GT Ford launched in 1967. The XR Falcon GT can lay claim to a number of firsts. It was the first Aussie muscle car and the first V8 to conquer the Bathurst mountain, just to name a couple of its most significant claims to fame.Later GTs and their HO offspring were more powerful, faster, and famous, but none were better. Today the XR GT is a highly prized classic, one that is appreciating in value as its popularity grows.The GT was one of the smartest marketing moves ever seen in this country. Ford was building a high speed pursuit car for the police when some smart marketing men thought it would make a great high speed road car and, perhaps more importantly, a potent race car for races like Bathurst.Using the police pursuit spec as a base a GT specification was developed. The GT was based on the XR Falcon sedan, the first to offer a V8 engine, and was enhanced with some special go-fast gear and dress-up equipment so it looked the part.All apart from a handful of special build cars were painted ‘GT Gold’ with black GT stripes down each sill and across the boot lid, while the grille was also blacked out for added effect.GT badges adorned the grille, boot lid and C-pillars. It wasn’t over the top to the point of being garish it just about looked perfect.Inside, there was a Mustang-style woodrim steering wheel, extra dials with the speedo going all the way to 140 mph (225 km/h), and there was a Hurst shifter jutting out of the centre console.The engine would be a more powerful version of the standard 4.7-litre pushrod V8. The compression ratio was boosted, it had a sports camshaft, four-barrel Holley carburettor, special intake manifold and exhaust system.All that added up to 225 hp (168 kW) at 4800 revs while torque was 305 lb. ft. (413 Nm) at 3200 revs, enough to power it to 100 km/h in a little over 10 seconds and 195 km/h. It was the fastest car ever produced in Australia at the time.The V8 was linked to a four-speed manual gearbox with the final drive delivered to the rear wheels via a limited-slip diff.Underneath the glittering gold panels the suspension had been stiffened with heavier springs, bigger shock absorbers and a larger front anti-roll bar.The steering ratio had been reduced, disc brakes were fitted to the front, and the wheels were wider and fitted with radial tyres.The XR GT is almost 40 years old and will have many of the problems that affect all old cars.Rust can be a particular problem, and their high performance meant that many have been crashed, some a number of times. That means a thorough inspection is needed to determine the condition of the body.The good news is that it’s not too difficult to find replacement body parts, as they’re the same as those on regular XR Falcons. Finding second-hand body parts in good condition, however, does require patience and persistence, but it’s worth the effort in the long run.Mechanically there is nothing daunting about the GT. The 4.7-litre V8 is a simple and durable unit and there are plenty of parts available to rebuild them. The same goes for the gearbox, rear axle, suspension, steering and brakes.The difficulty with the GT is replacing those special GT parts that might be missing. Things like the steering wheel, gearshift, and wheel trims can be very difficult and expensive to find when needed.A pre-purchase inspection by a GT expert is highly recommended. A good place to look for an expert is your local Falcon GT club, and there are clubs in every state whose members will be only too happy to check a car for you.There’s not much to talk about on the safety front here. Airbags were a thing of the future in 1967; even seat belts were optional in 1967 although the GT did come with lap-sash belts up front.• authenticity is a must• must be complete with all special GT features• rust and crash damage• great looks• rumbling V8 performance• not recommended as daily driverOne of the great Aussie classic cars; the XR GT is a head turner that’s fun to drive and appreciating in value.

It's often the original model that becomes the much-admired classic in later life, and that's certainly the case with the first Falcon GT Ford, launched in 1967.  The XR Falcon GT can lay claim to a number of firsts. It was the first Aussie muscle car and the first V8 to conquer the Bathurst mountain.MODEL WATCHThe GT was one of the smartest marketing moves ever seen in Australia. Ford was building a high-speed pursuit car for the police when some smart marketing men thought it would make a great high-speed road car and, perhaps more importantly, a potent race car for events like Bathurst.Using the police pursuit specification as a base, a GT spec was developed. The GT was based on the XR Falcon sedan, the first to offer a V8 engine, and was enhanced with some special go-fast gear and dress-up equipment so it looked the part.All apart from a handful of special build cars were painted GT Gold with black GT stripes down each sill and across the boot lid, while the grille was also blacked-out for added effect. GT badges adorned the grille, boot lid and the C-pillars.It wasn't over-the-top to the point of being garish, it looked just about perfect.Inside, there was a Mustang-style woodrim steering wheel, extra dials with the speedo going all the way to 140mph (225km/h), and there was a Hurst shifter jutting out of the centre console. The engine would be a more powerful version of the standard 4.7-litre pushrod V8. The compression ratio was boosted, it had a sports camshaft, four-barrel Holley carburettor, special intake manifold and exhaust system. All that added up to 225hp (168kW) at 4800 revs while torque was 305lb ft (413Nm) at 3200 revs, enough to power it to 100km/h in a little more than 10 seconds and, at 195km/h, it was the fastest car ever produced in Australia at the time.The V8 was linked to a four-speed manual gearbox with the final drive delivered to the rear wheels via limited-slip diff.Underneath the glittering gold panels, the suspension had been stiffened with heavier springs, bigger shock absorbers and a larger front anti-roll bar. The steering ratio had been reduced, disc brakes were fitted to the front, and the wheels were wider and fitted with radial tyres.IN THE SHOPThe XR GT is almost 40 years old and will have many of the problems that affect all old cars. Rust can be a particular problem, and their high performance meant that many have been crashed, some a number of times. That means a thorough inspection is needed to determine the condition of the body.The good news is that it's not too difficult to find replacement body parts as they're the same as those on regular XR Falcons.Finding second-hand body parts in good condition, however, requires patience and persistence. Mechanically there is nothing daunting about the GT. The 4.7-litre V8 is a simple and durable unit and there are plenty of parts available to rebuild them.Same goes for the gearbox, rear axle, suspension, steering and brakes. The difficulty with the GT is replacing those special GT parts that might be missing.CRUNCH TIMEThere's not much to talk about on the safety front. Airbags were a thing of the future in 1967, even seat belts were optional, although the GT did come with lap-sash belts up front.FORD FALCON GT 1967Not recommended for daily drivingRumbling V8 performanceAuthenticity is a mustRust and crash damageMust be complete with all special GT featuresGreat looksRATING12/20 A head-turner that's fun to drive and appreciating in value.

The Falcon made an inglorious entry to the Australian market in 1960 when the front-end of the XK was found to be too weak to stand up to the tough Australian conditions.Ford quickly swung into action and beefed up the XK's sagging suspension, but by the time it reacted the Falcon's image was already tarnished in the eyes of Australian motorists.  It wouldn't be until the XR in 1966 that the Falcon would win the respect of local car buyers.The XR Falcon also saw the introduction of the GT model, which went a long way to convincing sceptical Australians that Ford had fixed the suspension problems when it swept to victory at Bathurst in 1967.  Today, the Falcon GT is a standout in the classic car world, attracting high prices from collectors, but for those who can't afford a GT the XR still represents a neat classic car.MODEL WATCHThe XR was the first of the second generation Falcon in Australia, and as such as a clear step away from the model that caused so much heartache for average Aussie motorists.  It was bigger all round, had the option of a V8 engine, and the safety of disc front brakes.Ford' marketing men, keen to get away from the disasters of the past, promoted it as the 'Mustang Bred Falcon', hoping to tap into the raging success of the Mustang in its homeland.  There were many similarities with the Mustang, it had similar long nose short tail proportions to those of the Mustang, and there was the distinctive kick up at the back doors.If it wasn't quite a Mustang, the new Falcon was heavily based on the American Falcon.  The XR extracted the Falcon from the '50s and firmly planted it in the 1960s with a clean, contemporary look that is still attractive today.Ford offered three engines, two sixes and a lone V8. There was the 170 cu. In. (2.78-litre) that powered the base model to the tune of 83 kW and 214 Nm, the optional 200 cu. In. (3.28-litre) Super Pursuit with 90 kW and 258 Nm, and the mighty 289 cu, in. (4.74-litre) V8 with 149 kW and 382 Nm that breathed new life into the local car market.Buyers of the 170 cu. In. engine could have it with a three-speed column-shift manual or the 3S three-speed auto; those choosing the Super Pursuit could also have it with the three-speed manual, but also had the choice of the 3S auto or the Cruisomatic, while V8 buyers only had the option of the Cruisomatic.By today's standards the XR's performance was pathetic, but in its day it was quite a goer.  A V8 sedan would get to 100 km/h in around 10 seconds and sprint through the standing 400-metre dash in a fraction over 17 seconds.The Falcon range started with the sedan and wagon, and then moved up to the 500 variants, to the Fairmont, which topped the list of regular models.  Standard features were few across the range, Ford's marketing men preferred to leave it to the buyer to choose what they wanted. It was a neat ploy aimed at forcing them to spend more at showroom.The Fairmont had the most features, with things like a heater/demister, plush carpets on the floor, reversing lights, woodgrain dash and extra exterior brightwork.IN THE SHOPFirst and foremost look for rust. Rust could be expected in the floor, the boot floor, the doors, the rear doglegs and the guards. If you care to dig even deeper you're almost sure to find rust in the torque box, but that's going to the extreme and probably not warranted.After rust you should look for crash repairs. Any car that has been on the road for 40-plus years is almost certain to have been in a fender bender, perhaps more than one.  If you're keen on a Fairmont make sure it's got all the external mouldings, and that they are in good condition. Repairing damaged mouldings, or finding replacements is very difficult.One you've cleared the body look at the mechanical condition.  Engines and gearboxes are quite robust, but after 40 years expect wear in vital mechanical components.Apart from the cost, rebuilding them isn't a problem; parts are readily available and quite affordable.  Having an XR professionally restored is expensive, but the good news is that they are a simple car and easy to work on. In short they're perfect for the amateur restorer.IN A CRASHAirbags were still in the experimental stage when the XR was launched; state-of-the-art safety then came in the form of a big solid body, power-assisted disc front brakes, optional radial ply tyres and lap seat belts.  For a few extra bucks you could have the extra protection of lap-sash seat belts.UNDER THE PUMPFuel was cheap, performance was a priority, and so fuel economy wasn't uppermost in the minds of most motorists in the '60s.The fuel economy ranged from around 12 L/100 km for a six to 16 L/100 km for the V8.LOOK FOR* Classic chrome style* Mustang-bed looks* Choice of six or burbling V8* Plenty of room for the family* Affordable and funTHE BOTTOM LINEThe XR is one of the great Falcons from the 1960s; it's affordable to buy, easy to work on, and great fun to drive.RATING70/100 (classic)