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21 March 2018

This Ford XW Falcon GT could be the coolest car for a P plater

By Aaron LoftsAaron Lofts
A photo of Andrew Basford standing proud next to the old girl, while a few mates have a look under the bonnet. (image credit: Survivor Car Australia)

What was my Dad thinking when he backed the bank loan for this Ford XW Falcon GT?

Although I was only 18 years old, the GT was my second car, replacing a Mini Cooper S.

My Dad had bought an XW station wagon as the family car when we were younger, so I guess the model stuck and I had to have one. 

She was an April-built 1970 Candy Apple GT with the Cleveland 351 and four-speed Toploader. I bought it from a bloke in Kurri Kurri for $7,500 around 1985, which was a lot of money at the time. I worked 70 hours a week to pay it off but couldn’t afford to keep it on the road so it stayed mostly garaged. 

She was modified, and went pretty hard. Regrettably, I sold it in the early 1990s… If only I knew then, what I know now.

Memories from Andrew Basford. Source: Survivor Car Australia. 

Is there a cooler car for a P plater? Let us know in the comments.