.jpg)
Before the 400 Cobra hardtops that were released in 1978, the Ford Motor Company of Australia built 13 'Pre-Cobra' XC Falcon 500 GS hardtops which were modified in-house at the 'Parts and Accessories' (P&A) workshop in Broadmeadows.
It would be wrong to think that the Cobra was born almost out of the ‘blue’ so to speak. In fact, in December of 1977 Ford produced 13 'Pre-Cobra' XC Falcon 500 GS hardtops with chassis numbers commencing with JG65TE. The modifications included wider rear wheel arch openings to homologate the vehicle for the 1978 ATCC season, and were essentially designed to make the Falcons more race durable. The changes made to these hardtops later formed the basis for the 'Option 97' Cobras. However, unlike the 'Option 97' cars, they came in various colour and trim combinations. Records indicate that seven were raced and six were sold to various dealerships which marketed them as 'Homologation Packs'.
One such example is JG65TE80050K which has sat unregistered and unused since 1982. The story goes that the owner bought the car from Peter Warren Ford when it had 11,000kms on the clock. He drove it for a while, then parked it up where it has sat for 30 odd years, with barely 35,000 kilometres showing on the odometer in that time!
Originally this pre-Cobra special was allocated to Kloster Ford in Newcastle, NSW and had a number of options later found on Cobras (Options 06 – Power Steering, 11 – Laminated Windscreen, 45 – Limited Slip Diff, 53 – 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 67 – Dual Exhaust, 68 – Sports Handling Suspension and 76 – Intermittent Wipers). The engine code is T for the 5.8 litre V8 and the transmission code was L for the single rail 4-speed gearbox, the paintwork is in striking Pine'N'Lime which looks fast, just standing still.
Daniel Brown, a friend of the owner was asked to help find a new home for this special car – in doing so, Chester Fernando from Muscle Car Stables was contacted, and had a ready and willing buyer - the pre-Cobra special was snapped up quicker than a toupee in a hurricane.
An Odd Duck
"It’s a bit of an odd duck, it’s not a Cobra or a race car – but it is an important part of the hardtop’s race development history," says Daniel, "sure, it’s probably going to need some work replacing rubbers, seals, hoses, rebuilding the brakes but where would you find another?" he continues, "I challenge someone to find another matching numbers example with less kays."
The pre-Cobra hardtop had been poorly repainted back in the day, but the interior presents very well for its age, a reflection of the low kilometres travelled. "The engine bay looks in worse shape, but all the homologated components such as the extra bracing are still there", says Muscle Car Stables proprietor Chester who’s owned more than a few Cobras in his time.
Unique to the pre-Cobra and Option 97 – Bathurst Cobras (of which only 30 were built), these cars were fitted with extras such as an idler arm brace, strut tower bracing, twin thermatic fans, rear tramp rods, engine oil cooler, gearbox cooler, reverse hood scoop, wider rear wheel arch openings, anti-sun glass, long range fuel tank and front and rear spoilers. All in all, the pre-Cobra special is a Bathurst Cobra in disguise albeit in standard colour chart hues.
Rarely does a car this special go on the market, and we truly believe this is one of those moments where upon reflection, many will be kicking themselves when realising the rarity of these cars and their place in Australian motoring history.
Source: Survivor Car Australia
.jpg)
