A factory big block Australian Falcon GT

bigmat · 26-09-2015, 06:57 PM

I recall seeing an article years ago that had a special one off Australian falcon being made for a Ford executive in Australia on secondment from the USA. For some reason I thought it was Lee Iacocca. And the engine was either 427-428 or 429. It was either an XW or XY GT.
I know about the 70 1/2 model American Falcon and I know it wasn't one of those.
All I know it was a special order by the big cheese at Broadmeadows at that time..
Can anyone shed some light on this or have I got early onset Alzheimer's. 😆

**Chopper06** · 26-09-2015, 06:58 PM

Bill Bourke XY 460?

CJR09 · 26-09-2015, 07:01 PM

xw 428

Sioso · 26-09-2015, 07:23 PM

As above Cobrajet:

http://www.garageofawesome.com.au/in...bourke-special

bigmat · 26-09-2015, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJR09

xw 428

That sounds about right. Anyone know if it still exists and have pictures. Makes it that much easier to get an xf pano engineered. If I can demonstrate Ford did it at least once already.

bigmat · 26-09-2015, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sioso

As above Cobrajet:

http://www.garageofawesome.com.au/in...bourke-special

That is the beast I was hoping it had the 429 but hey. At least it was done.
Where it is now well who knows.but it would be the ho ho ho
of gthos

HO 3 · 26-09-2015, 07:42 PM

It was originally a factory 351W Automatic XWGT and complianced as such......the 428 motor was retrofitted later when the car was shipped to the States by Ford to have some enhancements added.

Cheers Mick

290GTP · 26-09-2015, 07:53 PM

It was featured in Unique magazine a few years i would say it's still around

Falcojimmy · 26-09-2015, 08:24 PM

It's still around and the current owner has stated he will never part with it! 428 Cobrajet with a black full custom mustang interior with high back seats....
Drooooool

**Beastie** · 26-09-2015, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sioso

As above Cobrajet:

http://www.garageofawesome.com.au/in...bourke-special

Thanks for the link

- just have to love the language!!!

HO 3 · 26-09-2015, 08:41 PM

It would be interesting to get a handle on where the modifications were done in the States? Was it sent to Kar Kraft for the mods, or one of the other Ford outsourcing outfits? Was its 428 motor originally pulled from one of the early mustang cars that got the Boss 9 conversion? Does Big Al have any recollection of where it was sent?

Cheers Mick

Sioso · 26-09-2015, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HO 3

It would be interesting to get a handle on where the modifications were done in the States? Was it sent to Kar Kraft for the mods, or one of the other Ford outsourcing outfits? Was its 428 motor originally pulled from one of the early mustang cars that got the Boss 9 conversion? Does Big Al have any recollection of where it was sent?

Cheers Mick

If you can find the Unique Cars it was featured in, all the details regarding what, when, how and why were listed in the article.
I can't remember it all now but I do recall it being an in depth write up.

scotty_dee · 26-09-2015, 10:51 PM

Was a good story on it in an issue of Australian Muscle Car magazine a while back.

Bossxr8 · 26-09-2015, 11:16 PM

From memory it went to Kar Kraft.

HO 3 · 26-09-2015, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

From memory it went to Kar Kraft.

Yeah that's all I could think of..............at the time 69/70 Ford were pretty busy and had their hands full with several racing programmes and the other outsourcing mobs that come to mind were no where near Michigan from memory.

Cheers Mick

Express · 27-09-2015, 06:28 AM

http://billbourkespecial.com.au/home

http://www.musclecarmag.com.au/back-...r-issue-14.php

Stefan · 27-09-2015, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigmat

That sounds about right. Anyone know if it still exists and have pictures. Makes it that much easier to get an xf pano engineered. If I can demonstrate Ford did it at least once already.

XF is not an XW, not even a V8 option in an XF, I thought the XF had a different chassis than an XE, making it unsuitable for even a 351.

wodahs · 27-09-2015, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefan

XF is not an XW, not even a V8 option in an XF, I thought the XF had a different chassis than an XE, making it unsuitable for even a 351.

well there you go and I thought it was the same chassis as the XE but fords reasons were due to the emissions factor and ford wanting to drop the v8 line at that stage only to bring it back a few years latter with the injected windsor

XR Martin · 27-09-2015, 09:30 AM

Wonder what it would fetch if it was ever sold?

sly_ba · 27-09-2015, 11:34 AM

Ironic really, my old man passed up buying this car many years ago. He tells the story often. He was looking to by a GT and saw this advertised. He went to look at it - it was tucked away in a dirty old shed in the western suburbs of Melbourne. He recalls that the car was very much the worse for wear. There was a considerable amount of rust (both in the usual places and around the vinyl roof/windback roof). The rest of the car (ie interior, engine bay) were also in poor condition. Dad passed on it as it was going to be to much work and he was looking for a clean GT.

Obviously all this was before the resto... Back then dad said no one really thought much of the car - it was considered to be just another modded GT. Obviously kicking himself now...

Craig@AUDI · 27-09-2015, 11:40 AM

Those days will sadly never be repeated again, great link, thanks for sharing!

Stefan · 27-09-2015, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sly_ba

Ironic really, my old man passed up buying this car many years ago. He tells the story often. He was looking to by a GT and saw this advertised. He went to look at it - it was tucked away in a dirty old shed in the western suburbs of Melbourne. He recalls that the car was very much the worse for wear. There was a considerable amount of rust (both in the usual places and around the vinyl roof/windback roof). The rest of the car (ie interior, engine bay) were also in poor condition. Dad passed on it as it was going to be to much work and he was looking for a clean GT.

Obviously all this was before the resto... Back then dad said no one really thought much of the car - it was considered to be just another modded GT. Obviously kicking himself now...

It doesn't have vinyl roof, probably a different car.

HO 3 · 27-09-2015, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcojimmy

It's still around and the current owner has stated he will never part with it! 428 Cobrajet with a black full custom mustang interior with high back seats....
Drooooool

I think it was advertised for sale on eBay a few years ago?

Cheers Mick

**supershifty** · 27-09-2015, 12:05 PM

I've got this pic as part of my rolling screensaver, didn't realise it was the famous big block GT - thanks for the info guys.

I thought the pic was cool - now it's way cooler!

Cheers!

HO 3 · 27-09-2015, 12:13 PM

Reading that above link it looks like someone has gone to the trouble of creating a replica of the Bill Bourke special.........so there are 2 now?

Cheers Mick

Legit290 · 27-09-2015, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefan

XF is not an XW, not even a V8 option in an XF, I thought the XF had a different chassis than an XE, making it unsuitable for even a 351.

Quote:

Originally Posted by glimmerman

Those vents are horn haha I think you've been patient enough so I hope these little bits are resolved quick

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I had an XF with a 351 in it in the 90s. It was good meeting other XFs with an extra 100 cubes on them. Unfortunately all I have left is the engine as it had terminal rust

Iggle Piggle · 27-09-2015, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legit290

I had an XF with a 351 in it in the 90s. It was good meeting other XFs with an extra 100 cubes on them. Unfortunately all I have left is the engine as it had terminal rust

I think Street Machine held a competition in late 80s with a (red?) 351 XF as the prize?

Sioso · 27-09-2015, 03:41 PM

Years before Unique Cars did the story on it it was actually for sale in the mag.
It was under $100k, I think it was something like $79k or $89K and my mates and I commented on how cool it was but how ridiculous the price was.
I think it was sometime in the late 1990's.

Express · 27-09-2015, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by supershifty

I've got this pic as part of my rolling screensaver, didn't realise it was the famous big block GT - thanks for the info guys.

I thought the pic was cool - now it's way cooler!

Cheers!

I don’t tend to drool over cars but I’d make an exception for a one of a kind like this.

And this photo deserves a repeat.

HO 3 · 27-09-2015, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sioso

Years before Unique Cars did the story on it it was actually for sale in the mag.
It was under $100k, I think it was something like $79k or $89K and my mates and I commented on how cool it was but how ridiculous the price was.
I think it was sometime in the late 1990's.

My memory was it was advertised closer to the 40k-60k mark.

Cheers Mick