Ford Falcon 1973 News

Ford Australia has confirmed the decision in a media statement this afternoon. The announcement will likely come as a shock to Ford fans, many of whom were planning to buy one of the last Falcon GTs and keep them as collector pieces. Ford will instead revive the Falcon XR8 when the new model goes on sale, using a less powerful version of the GT Falcon's supercharged 5.0-litre V8. A media statement issued by Ford this afternoon said the return of the XR8 is timed to coincide with the introduction of the 2014 Falcon sedan and Territory SUV update, ahead of the closure of Ford's Broadmeadows and Geelong factories no later than October 2016. As the Falcon XR8 returns to the Ford range, the Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) range -- which includes the iconic GT Falcon -- will retire, the Ford media statement confirmed. Ford plans a series of limited edition GT models during 2014, the company said. Ford took control of FPV late last year and brought production of the GT back in house in February 2013 for the first time since 1976. But Ford has now decided to wind up production of the GT as well. It's the second dose of bad news for Australian V8 fans in two weeks. Last week, News Corp Australia exclusively reported that a leaked SA Government document revealed that Holden will not have a V8 in its lineup by 2016 or 2018. Buoyed by a string of Bathurst victories Ford sold more than 12,000 Falcon GTs in the eight years from 1968 to 1976. As a sign of the changing market, however, it took 21 years to sell the same number of Falcon GTs from 1992 to 2012. "FPV has been very successful for the last 12 years and our relationship with Tickford for many years before that," said Ford Australia Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Service Graeme Whickman. "We appreciate all of the great team members, dealers, customers and fans who have supported FPV through its history. We look forward to sharing further details of the final FPV models and the new XR8 over the coming months." "We have received a lot of interest and continued requests from Falcon fans to bring back the XR8. Re-introducing the XR8 sedan, packaged in our updated Falcon, will make our renowned locally-engineered and manufactured V8 engine available to a broader group of people." This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

How can they not, when the Japanese hero is now the world's all-time favourite with a production total that has just topped 40 million cars. Based on those numbers, the Corolla is nearly twice as popular as the Volkswagen Beetle with 21.5 million sales and even further ahead of the T-Model Ford at 16.5 million, although it has had the advantage of selling at a time when far more people everywhere in the world own and drive cars.My first experience of the Corolla was in the 1960s, soon after the original cars landed in Australia. By the standard of the times, and we're talking here about Falcons and Kingswoods and Valiants, it was tiny and tinny but also solid, sensible and smartly priced. I was only a rider and not a driver at the time, but it also had a fun factor that was missing from other cars of my acquaintance - and you have to remember that an Austin Freeway cringed in our suburban Sydney driveway.The original Corolla helped ignite a small-car revolution and laid the firm foundation that now sees Toyota rampaging along as Australia's favourite carmaker, with annual sales that trump the combined efforts of Holden and Mazda in the other podium places.In America, the Corolla - along with the Honda Civic - is credited with the relatively recent bankruptcy of General Motors and Chrysler. Looking back to the USA in the sixties, it became the 'second' car in many American households and won over women and youngsters driving for the first time. They went Japanese and never came back. Does that sound familiar?Since the late 1970s I've driven every new Corolla model and had some fantastic fun on the side, including flat-out track laps in pursuit of an Australian racing championship and several forest fights in the Australian Rally Championship. And a Corolla has never let me down.And that gets me thinking about the Honda 750 four. You see, the Honda stalwart from the seventies was tagged as the Universal Japanese Motorcycle because it could do anything, from high-speed pursuit duties with the Highway Patrol police to daily commutes to touring the world in the days before long-distance motorcyclists switched to BMWs.In the same way, the Corolla should be known as the Universal Japanese Car. It's as sensible as an accountant, as dependable as a bullet train, and as predictable as a new tech toy from Apple.  It's also a bankable investment on the secondhand scene and will never offend or annoy. It doesn't have the attitude of an Alfa, or the performance of a Porsche, but a UJC is just fine and we have 40 million signatures to prove it.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

Bands bicker over what holds tracks together: guitars or drums. We find out which rules a different kind of track. The coffee-heads over at Ice Break thought a drag race was the only way to settle the deep-rooted guitars vs drums battle for supremacy.Facebook fans were along for the ride and helped customise two classic Australian muscle cars to represent the two camps – and which will be the prizes in a coming competition. The guitarists were championed by a 1973 VJ E44 Valiant Charger 318 V8, modified to take two in-built Marshall amps in place of the back seats, a custom guitar holder in the trunk, a wah-wah pedal accelerator and a colour-shifting Harlequin paint finish.Drummers were represented by a 1970 XY Ford GT Replica 351 V8, with a snare drum air intake built into the bonnet, a Zildjian cymbal steering wheel, a fully adjustable drum hardware roll cage, and a bass drum beater gear shift.Sydney’s Eastern Creek Dragway was the battleground, with the winner supposedly settling once and for all who holds the track. Aussie muscle car fans have the chance to win the two cars – plus two more that will fight a future battle. Log on to Facebook/com/icebreak for more details. 

Taking the special "GTHO" wraps off son James's race car for this year, Moffat declared the Blue Oval teams are ready to take it up to the Red Lions.Holden has won the past two constructor titles with 14 to 12 race wins in 2010 and a dominant display last year, winning all but four races.While no one is suggesting James Moffat is ready to win the title, his father and DJR boss Dick Johnson believe he is ready to go much better than his two fourths places at Queensland Raceway and Surfers Paradise last year."He's very brave just to take the family name to racing," Moffat says. In his first year in the main game, 27-year-old Moffat finished just 23rd, but with enough moments of brilliance to attract the attention of other drivers such as Craig Lowndes who declared Moffat the one to watch this year."That's a big compliment coming from someone of his calibre," says young Moffat. "I'm not getting too far ahead of myself and I won't say we will win every weekend; I'll just be building on my experience."The advantage this year is I know what to expect." He says his father has been "more of a help than a hindrance"."The only hindrance is the fact that people expect too much of me, which is only natural," he says. "The biggest things dad has taught me over the years are the importance of preparation and finishing." DJR preparation last year was thrown into disarray with their championship-winning chief engineer moving to Triple Eight and their replacement dying early in the season. DJR competed all year with only one full-time engineer.Johnson says the new four-car team now has a host of full-time engineers and they have sorted out the "technical issues" that haunted them late in the season. "We've now recognised the problem that was put into the cars at Queensland Raceway," he says."You don't go from being a top three qualifier to the bottom two without some dramatic change. It was a human error issue."We had a huge void in our engineering for most of the year, but now we have one of the strongest engineering teams."Johnson says his relationship with his former Ford opponent was also strong. "He's unlike the typical driver's father. He knows when not to interfere. He knows James is getting the best treatment possible."Johnson says the GTHO cover for the Moffat car had brought back a lot of good memories. "But it just shows how far technology has moved on in 40 years," he says. "The major difference is today you have more grip and stopping power."Those old race cars were basically road-going cars but damn fast. Today they are formula race cars."1973 Ford Falcon GTHO race carEngine: 5.7-litre V8Power: 224kW @ 5400rpmTorque: 515Nm @ 3400rpmTransmission: 4-speed synchro H patternTop speed: 225km/h0-100km/h: 6.4 secsQuarter mile: 14.2 secsBrakes: 286mm discs (front), 254mm drums (rear)Wheels: 6 x 14-inch steelWeight: 1524kg2012 Ford Falcon V8 SupercarEngine: 5-litrePower: 470kW @ 7250Torque: 650Nm @ 5500rpmTransmission: 6-speed sequential0-100km/h: 3.4 secsQuarter mile: 10.8 secsTop speed: 303.8km/hBrakes: 375mm discs (front), 343 discs (rear)Wheels: 11 x 17-inch alloysWeight: 1345kg

Married with a daughter (who is also a Ford fan), Mr Watson currently has an FPV GT 335 sedan, the latest in a long line of Ford products."We have had around 20 Fords - various models, not just Falcons - after some Holdens. We have had many Fords, one has followed the other ever since and we have no plans to change camps," he says.Mr Watson looks at the red versus blue rivalry as something that is now generational. "When it started it was Moffat versus Brock and has grown since then to have people either red or blue, now we're talking second and third generation fans as children follow their parents," he says.The family has had an FPV GT since April - the supercharged 335kW version - and now wouldn't have anything else. "I absolutely love it, the supercharged V8 has plenty of power - we use it for normal road work, not track days, we don't push it that hard, but it has plenty of poke for overtaking," he says."We're also restoring an old XB Falcon - a full bare-metal restoration - with 393 stroker V8, that will sit proudly next to the new GT," he says.A big shed and a tolerant wife are two key ingredients to Daryl Leaker's impressive stable of Holden product. The 1998 HSV Senator Signature 220i shares garage space with a number of Holden, HSV and HDT machines."I've got a very big shed for them all, I've always liked Holdens because my father was a Holden salesman so it is in the blood I guess," he says.Mr Leaker hasn't always just owned Holdens - a Mitsubishi Pajero replaced a Ford Territory recently, but there balance of power has always been to the General, harking back to his formative years with a Holden salesman for a father."It was great when Dad was selling Holdens, I got to drive GTR XU-1s and 327 Monaros when they were brand new," he says. "When I turned 21 I bought myself an HQ GTS coupe and got some discount through my father, I wish I still had that car as well."The HSV shares shed space with a VN SS Group A and an HSV Statesman, as well as a HDT VK Brock Commodore SS in silver and an HJ Monaro four-door."I'll always be a Holden fan - I think I'd die of shock if the missus came home in an FPV GT," he says.

"I used to roll my pedal car down our long driveway with my feet up because the pedals would go too fast for me," says the 46-year-old electrician.  I suppose that was the fun thing to do at that age."He graduated from pedal cars to real cars when his father bought him a 1977 XC Falcon ex-taxi.  But what he really wanted was something more exotic.A few years later he bought a 1979 Alfa GTV for $7700 at auction and even though it had "rust like you wouldn't believe on a three-year-old car", Moore had become hooked on Euro-exotica."My neighbour had a lot of Renaults at the time, he says.  "I liked the shape of his 15TS and the Alfa was sending me broke, so I decided to get one.  He wouldn't sell me his, but I got one for $1800."The love affair with French cars, in particular Renaults, had begun Over the years he's owned a Peugeot 205 GTI, two Pug 405s, a 1973 BMW 2002 tii, a 1954 Renault 4CV, a 1989 Renault Alpine GTA Turbo and a 2005 Falcon BA Futura wagon as the daily driver.  The Pugs have since been sold."Generally French cars are more comfortable and I guess I like to be a bit different," he says.  "I appreciate well-made cars and given a few million dollars I'd own a lot of cars from other manufacturers, but four is enough for most of us."Moore bought the 4CV for $500 in 1992 and has since replaced the 749cc engine with a 1605cc donk from a Renault 16TS.  Likewise, he is about to replace the 2458cc V6 engine in the GTA for a three-litre V6 from an early '90s Volvo 960.The 1988-plated engine was made under an alliance with Peugeot and Renault. The flexible engines were made from 1972 to the late '90s for use in either transverse or longitudinal engine bays in the front or rear mated to either rear-wheel-drive or front-wheel-drive.The original GTA model produced 154kW, but Moore has already fitted a bigger GT30 71R Garrett turbo that returns about 186kW.  "With the new engine and bigger cams, valves and injector and depending on the boost I expect to get over 300hp (223kW)," he said.  "I do all my own mechanicals and modifications except for wheel alignments and upholstery," he says.His interest in bigger engines stems from his amateur racing career in motorkhanas, hillclimbs and club sprints.  He mainly uses the 2002 for race duties, but the Alpine will figure more prominently once he shoehorns in the bigger motor.Renault-owned French manufacturer Alpine produced 3400 GTAs in left-hand drive and only 343 in right-hand drive between 1986 and 1991.Moore bought his rear-engined right-hand-drive coupe for about $14,000 in 2004.Apart from the engine, the rest of the vehicle is all original, although he has replaced the wheels with AZEV 255/40 17s because tyres for the original 255/50 15s were too difficult to find and too expensive."It handles well," he says.  "In slow corners it understeers and if you come on the boost mid-corner it will put its tail out a bit.  "They say rear-engined cars don't handle ... someone forgot to tell Mr Porsche that."Moore also has a shed full of bikes in need of restoring.  "I'll have to work until I'm at least 80 to pay for the things I've got to restore," he says.Allan Moore's garage:1989 Renault Alpine GTA Turbo2005 BA Futura Wagon1973 BMW 2002 tii1956 Renault 4CV1986 Honda TLR200 Trials1976 Yamaha XT5001974 Yamaha TY250A1972 Suzuki T5001970 Triumph Bonneville1968 BMW R60/21938 BMW R711937 Rudge Special

...most successful movies and continues to dominate lists of classic car films and car chases.Mad Max celebrates its 30th anniversary this year amid speculation that Mad Max 4 will begin shooting next year with actor Jeremy Renner replacing Mel Gibson in the lead. It is also believed video games based on the Mad Max series will be released in the next couple of years.While Mad Max turned Gibson into an international star, the host of vehicles used and abused were the real stars. Most notable is the black "Interceptor" driven with such lethal results by Gibsons' character Max Rockatansky.The car is a limited edition 1973 GT351 Ford Falcon XB Coupe with a 5.7-litre V8 351 Cleveland engine and a four-speed manual transmission. Only 949 XB GT coupes were built. It features a massive Weiand 6-71 Supercharger protruding from the bonnet and huge pipes sticking out of the side like a V8 Supercar.At the end of filming, the car was stripped of its supercharger and pipes so it could be sold. It was bought back for the sequel and then discarded as a wreck.The car has since been restored and is now on display in the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in England, along with KITT from Knight Rider, several Batmobiles, a De Lorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future, Mr's Bean Austin Mini and several Bond cars.Before he went on a vengeful rampage, Max also drove a 1975 Holden HJ Sandman panelvan with a Statesman front end while his yellow police pursuit vehicle was a 1974 Ford Falcon XB sedan, V8 351.A host of other cars, pick-ups, utes, caravans and motorcycles were used in the film. Director George Miller's own blue Mazda Bongo van was also featured, spinning out of control in the opening chase scene.Most of the cars were XA, XB and XC Falcons, but in case you thought Miller was a Ford fan there was also a 1972 Holden HQ Monaro driven by the villain, ‘Nighrider’. He was the head of the Armalite motorcycle gang, who mainly rode Kawasakis — 1977 KZ-1000, 1975 KH250 and a Z900 — plus Honda CB750s and CB900s.Fourteen vehicles were destroyed in the movie's graphic chases and crashes. 

It featured a 289 cu in (4.7-litre) Windsor V8 engine that pumped out 225 horsepower (168kW). The engine was sourced from the Ford Mustang - the car that inspired the production of the sporty GT. The XT Falcon range updated the GT visually and gave it a slightly larger engine, but it wasn’t until 1969 with the XW that Ford got a bit more serious about its performance hero. In August 1969, Ford introduced the legendary GTHO specification. Built for homologation, it looked almost identical to the GT, but under the bonnet things were different. The ‘HO’ stood for ‘handling option’ but there was more to it than that. The Phase I GTHO used the GT’s now larger 5.8-litre V8, and gained larger Holley carburettors plus other performance tweaks. But it was soon upgraded for the Phase II version, which used a 351 cu in (5.8-litre) Cleveland engine that produced 300hp (224kW). With the introduction of the Falcon XY model range in 1970 came the Phase III GTHO. The most sought-after of the GTHO cars, the Phase III produced a whopping 385hp (287kW) from its upgraded Cleveland V8. It got bigger Holly carburettors and, again, more performance upgrades. It also received exterior updates like racing stripes, sporty wheels and a plastic front spoiler. The Phase III GTHO was Australia’s fastest four-door production car, reaching top speeds of around 227km/h. Alan Moffat had great success with the Phase III in the early 1970s, including wins at Bathurst, Oran Park and Phillip Island. In 1972, the XA Falcon was born and -- as a result of the Falcon not being produced in America anymore -- Ford Australia had a lot more input into Falcon design. Unfortunately, changes to production racing regulations meant that the GTHO was no longer required and production was stopped, but not before four examples were produced. Three of those became race cars and one was sold to a member of the public. Given their demand and rarity, Phase III GTHOs can now fetch in excess of $600,000 and this has had a flow-on effect to GS and GT Falcons of the same era. In 2007 a mint Phase III sold at auction for $683,650.  

He’s been a green superhero in The Hulk, defended an ancient Greek city in Troy, and gone to the rescue of stranded troops in Black Hawk Down. So can Eric Bana now save the Aussie large car whose woes are beyond the surgical skills of government packages, marketing campaigns and hasty engine revisions. Probably not. Don’t expect to see reports of new V8s booming as a result of Bana’s auto-focus movie, Love the Beast. But don’t be surprised if there’s a spike in sales of classic cars … and perhaps particularly higher interest in the 1974 XB GT Falcon Coupe at the centre of the film – and at the centre of Bana’s life since his teens. Watch the Love the Beast trailer here... Released nationally this week, the film follows Bana’s journey with the car through first getting it to driveable standard, then as a touchstone for his early social life, and finally to the years of dipping into racing that brought it to a crashing end in the slippery rally that is Targa Tasmania. Part home movie, part car cult film, part psychological and sociological analysis, the story is told using narrative from Bana, his family and longtime friends – and a few more recent ones like Top Gear linchpin Jeremy Clarkson, comedian Jay Leno and a teeth-grittingly tedious Dr Phil (of Oprah fame and spin-off). And it works. Through a range of mechanisms, and some great camera work – best seen on the big screen — Love the Beast manages to infect you with the near-romantic passion for classic muscle cars and racing, while not ignoring the obvious dangers. And since he’s now fairly at home in a Hollywood that is obsessive about airbrushing the personal image, it’s great to see Bana’s still proud to trot out the kind of early family photos and footage that would otherwise be cringe-worthy. There were occasional moments that seemed a little contrived, but this was mainly because they stood out against the natural charm of most of the film. It’s warm, it’s casual, and in places it’s very funny. Much like hanging out in the garage with your mates. Is Bana’s Ford XB Coupe the best muscle car? Or is it something from Holden or Chrysler, or perhaps even one of the Europeans?      

He’s consoled himself instead with a stellar movie career and a 25-year passion for his first car – a Ford XB Falcon Coupe, known affectionately as ‘The Beast’.