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motorsportnerd
04-11-2004, 06:14 AM
Most UCP users will know a bit about American muscle cars, so I thought I'd start a thread introducing UCP users to the less well known Australian Muscle Cars.

First up, 1967 Ford Falcon XT GT.
Introduced in May 1967. Available in gold body colour only.
Number built: 596.
Engine:289 cubic inch (4.7 litre), 168kW (225bhp)@4800 rpm; 414 Nm (305ft/lb)@3200 rpm.
Suspension: Front coil springs, rear leaf springs.
Brakes: front discs, rear drums.
Transmission: Toploader 4 speed. Wheels 14 x 5.5". Tires:Olympic GT 185 x 14in radials.
Performance: 0-60 mph 9.7 secs, standing quarter 16.5 secs, top speed 195km/h (121mph).
Won 1967 Bathurst 500

motorsportnerd
04-12-2004, 06:02 AM
Second installment.
1968 Holden Monaro HK GTS 327.
Introduced: July 1968
Engine: Chevrolet 327 V8, pushrod overhead valves, four barrel Rochester carburettor.
Power: 186kW (250 bhp)@4800 rpm.
Torque: 412Nm (325 lb/ft)@3200 rpm.
Supension: Front:Independent by unequal length wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear (with axle type):Salisbury hypoid bevel with limited slip diff rigid axle with semi elliptic springs, telescopic dampers, radius rods.
Brakes: front discs/rear drums.
Transmission: 4-speed Saginaw manual.
Wheels: Steel 6 x 14in. Tyres: D70H14.
Performance: 0-60mp/h 7.8 secs, standing quarter 16.4 secs, maximum speed 184 km/h (115 mph).
Finished 1st, 2nd & 3rd in 1968 Bathurst 500.


Note: Australian muscle cars are generally referred as belonging to time period from the 1967 to 1978. Thus, this thread will run from the 1967 Falcon GT to the 1978 Falcon Cobra. I may look at later Australian performance cars in another thread.

fpv_gtho
04-13-2004, 05:49 AM
Car: Ford Falcon XW GTHO Phase 1

Engine: 351 Windsor, 600cfm Holley 4 barrel carburettor,
Power: 224kw@5400rpm
Torque: 515nm@3400rpm
Drivetrain: 4 speed toploader with LSD
Suspension: front: coil springs with strut type dampers, anti roll bar
rear: leaf springs with dampers, anti roll bar
Brakes: front: 286mm vented discs with single piston calipers
rear: 254mm drums, servo assist.
Tyres and wheels: 14x6" rims with ER70H14 radials

Performance: 0-100km/h - 6.7 seconds, 400m - 14.4 seconds

fpv_gtho
04-13-2004, 08:52 PM
Car: Ford Falcon XT GT

Engine: 302 Windsor V8
Power: 172kw@4800rpm
Torque: 420nm@3200rpm
Drivetrain: 4 speed Toploader or 3 speed C4
Suspension: Front: Wishbones w/Spring over Strut-Type Dampers, Anti Roll Bar
rear: Live Axle w/Semi-Elliptic Springs, Telescopic Shock Absorbers
Brakes: front: 270mm discs, rear: 254mm drums
Wheels/tyres: 14 x 6 in, 185SR14 radial
Numbers built: 1415
Performance: Top Speed: 124mph, Accelleration: 0-100km/h - 8.4 seconds



After the success of the XR GT, the decision was made to make the GT a permanent model for the following year. The cars durability was put to the test during the 1968 London to Sydney rally where it won the Teams prize with a 3rd, 5th and 8th placing. The car came with optional black-outs and side striping

Coventrysucks
04-14-2004, 04:55 PM
Needs more pictures. (I am on dial up at the moment and can't be bothered to go hunting for pictures myself.) :)

motorsportnerd
04-15-2004, 06:31 AM
OK, heres some pics of the XW Phase 1 GTHO in race trim. This was the car driven by 4 times Bathurst 500/1000 winner Alan Moffat in the 1969 Bathurst 1000. Moffat finished 4th in this car at the 69 Bathurst 500. Another Phase 1 was second in the hands of Bruce McPhee/Barry Mulholland.

Coventrysucks
04-15-2004, 07:21 AM
Cheers guys :)

motorsportnerd
04-16-2004, 06:26 AM
Ok, heres the next installment. This is the car that gave Australia's 9 time Bathurst winner, Peter Brock, his first start in the Bathurst 500/1000. He finished 3rd first time out in the 1969 Bathurst 500 sharing with Des West. The Colin Bond/Tony Roberts Monaro won the race.

Car: 1969 Holden Monaro HT 350 GTS
Introduced: May 1969.
Engine: Chevrolet 350 cu inch (5740 cc) V8
Power: 225kW (350 bhp)@4800 rpm
Torque: 380lb/ft
Performance: 0-100km/h 7.7 secs;standing quarter 14.7 sec; top speed 217km/h

motorsportnerd
04-16-2004, 07:06 AM
Here's something a little different. The first of the Australian Chrysler to use the famous "hemi" 6 cylinder engine. The Pacer was available as either a sedan or a coupe and in standard, E31 and E34 versions. The E34 was the most powerful of the three.

Introduced: 1970
Engine: 245 Hemi 6 cylinder. The VG Pacer sedans were available as the standard Pacer (245 Hemi, 185 hp with 2 bbl), E31 Pacer (High Performance 250 version of the 245, with a 2 bbl carb, about 195 hp)and the E34 Pacer (Even higher ouput version of the 250 E31 engine with a 4 bbl carb, wilder camshaft, etc, around 235 hp).
Transmission: 3-speed manual.
Suspension: Front - torsion bars, non-parallel control arms, anti-sway bar and tele shock absorbers. Rear - rigid axle with semi elliptics and tele shock absorbers.
Brakes: front discs/rear drums.
Performance: Pacer: standing quarter 16.4 secs.
Pacer E34: 0-60mph 8.8 secs; standing quarter 19.9 secs.
Top speed was about 179 km/h.

fpv_gtho
04-19-2004, 05:09 AM
Car: 1969 XW Falcon GT

Engine: 351 Windsor V8
Power: 216kw@4800rpm
Torque: 522nm@3200rpm
Driveline: 4 speed toploader or 3 speed C4 with LSD
Suspension: wishbones with spring over strut type dampers and anti roll bar, live axle with leaf springs and telescopic dampers
Wheels: 14 x 6.0 in with ER70H14 radials
Weight: 1500kg approx

motorsportnerd
04-22-2004, 07:16 AM
Unlike in the US, there are several Australian cars with six clyinder engines which are considered by Australian enthusiasts to be muscle cars. These include the Holden Torana XU1 and Chrysler Charger R/T series.

The Chrysler Charger R/T E38 was designed as an homologation special for Australia's series production touring car rules of the late 60s and early 70s. Each of Australia's Big 3 (Ford, Holden and Chrysler) produced special homologation cars for the catagory, the jewel in the crown of which was the Bathurst 500 at the Mount Panorama racetrack. Probably the ultimate "homologation special" was Ford's Falcon XY GTHO Phase 111 (of which more on later in the thread), but the Charger R/T also epitomises these homologation specials.
Two weeks before the 1971 Bathurst 500, a Charger R/T E38 in the hands of Doug Chivas won a mini-enduro race at Sydney's Oran Park. For the 1971 Bathurst 500 there were three semi-official Charger R/T E38s entered. These were for Leo Geohagen/Peter Brown, Norm Beechey/Jim McKeown and Doug Chivas/Graham Moore. There were four other privateer Chargers. The best of the Chargers in qualifing was the Geohagen/Brown car in 8th.
In the race itself, the Chargers couldn't match the Falcon GTHO Phase 111s, and the Geohagen/Brown entry was the first Charger home in 7th place.
The E38 might not have been a success at Bathurst, but it remains a much loved and popular classic. It was the fastest six clyinder car in the world at the time it was released. Even today its acceleration times can be favourably compared to modern 6-clyinders cars from BMW (M3), Porsche (911), Nissan (Skyline) and Ford (Falcon XR6T).

Specs:
Introduced in September 1971.
Engine: HEMI 4.3 litre 6-clyinder with triple Weber carburetors. Power 210kW@5000rpm. Torque 433Nm@4100.
Suspension: Front - independent torsion bars, upper and lower control arms and antiroll bar. Rear - semi-elliptic leaf springs, and a Hotchkiss type live axle.
Brakes: front discs, rear drums.
Transmission: 3-speed manual.
Performance: 0-60 mph 6.1 secs, standing quarter 14.8 secs, top speed 203 km/h.
Weight: 1,400kg.
4570 mm long, 1880 mm wide and 1370 mm high.

ace
04-22-2004, 08:44 PM
HQ gts monaro 1973

ace
04-22-2004, 08:51 PM
1970s torana's

crisis
04-23-2004, 12:26 AM
HQ gts monaro 1973
What sweet memories. I love the style of these. Forget that they handled like shit and in standard form had less power than a 4cyl Camry. They looked cool. Great back seats too.

fpv_gtho
04-23-2004, 06:31 AM
well the power never stopped people buying V8 Commodores during the 80's when ford dropped their V8 Falcon, despite the 308 having about the same power as a 4.1 EFI X-flow

motorsportnerd
04-23-2004, 07:23 AM
Time for another Holden. This time the car which 9-times Bathurst winner Peter Brock scored his first Bathurst win - in 1972.
The Torana XU1 GTR was another of the 6-clyinder cars which fit within the Australian Muscle Car heritage. It was, like the Falcon GTHO and the Charger E39, conceived as an homologation special for the Series Production touring car rules. The car spearheaded Holden's Bathurst attack for years from 1970 to 1973.
In 1970 there were three Holden Dealer Team Torana XU1. These were for Colin Bond, Peter Brock/Bob Morris and Christine Cole/Sandra Bennett. Bond qualified 4th, Brock/Morris 6th and Cole/Bennett 24th. A privately entered car for Don Holland qualified 5th, and was the first Torana home in 3rd. The Cole/Bennett HDT Torana was the first home of the three factory cars in 13th. Bond finished 16th and Brock/Morris were only 37th.
In 1971, Bond and Brock drove the HDT Toranas. Brock qualified in 11th, Bond in 15th. Bond went on to finish 4th, Brock 8th.
In 1972, Brock won the race after qualifying 5th. Bond crashed out on lap 2.
The 1973 race was the first year for the new Group C touring car regulations, and it was the first 1000km race (before this it was 500 miles). The Brock/Chivas car qualified in 2nd, the Bond/Geohagen car in 5th. Brock/Chivas looked set to win until they ran out of petrol while trying to stretch the economy. Chivas was able to push the car into the pits and Bond took over to drive brilliantly back through the field to finish 2nd. The Bond/Geohagen car finished 3rd.

Specs:
The LC Torana XU1 was introduced in July 1970. The LJ was introduced in 1972.
Total built:LC - 1,633. LJ - 1,667
Engine (1970 LC): 3050 cc six-clyinder (186 cu in). (1972 LJ): 3300 cc (202 cu in) six-clyinder. Both engines featured triple side draught Stromberg carburettors and twin manifold exhaust system.
Power: (1970 LC) 119kW@5200rpm. (1972 LJ) 142kW@5600 rpm.
Torque: (1970 LJ) 257Nm@3600rpm. (1972 LJ) 270Nm@4000 rpm.
Suspension: Front - Independent short and long arm type with coil springs, one piece stabiliser bar, double acting telescopic dampeners. Rear - Four-link type with rubber bush suspension arms and coil springs, double acting telescopic dampeners
Brakes: front discs, rear drums.
Transmission: 4speed all-synchro M21 manual with limited slip differential. Wheels (1972 LJ) Front 13"x 8" Globe sprintmasters. Rear 13"x9" Globe sprintmasters
Performance: 0-60 mph (LC) 8.6 secs, standing quarter (LC) 16.3 secs, top speed 129 mph.
Weight: (LC & LJ) 1,103 kg.
Length: (LC & LJ) 4387mm.
Width (LC) 1600mm. (LJ) 1543mm.
Wheelbase (LC & LJ) 2540mm.

motorsportnerd
05-14-2004, 06:22 AM
It's been a couple of weeks since I posted on this thread, but it's time to continue my look at Australian muscle cars.

The 1971 Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase 3 is, quite simply, the car by which all other Australian muscle cars and performance cars, past and present are compared to.
Like many of the Australian muscle cars of the time, it was built with one aim – to win the Bathurst 500. This was achieved in 1971, when Alan Moffat put his XY GTHO Phase 3 on pole by 3 seconds and beat home two other XY GTHOs. XY GTHOs took five of the top six places in the 1971 Bathurst 500. Moffat took pole again in 1972, but the highest placed Phase 3 that year was the John French example in second.
The Falcon XY GTHO was claimed to be the fastest production four door sedan in the world at the time of its release, with a top speed of 224 km/h (140mph). Although, with the rev limiter removed, some claim it can reach 248 km/h (155mph).
The only Australian muscle/performance car of the 1970s which could match the XY GTHO’s performance were the Chrysler Charger E38/E49. The GTHO was otherwise largely unchallenged as the fastest/quickest Australian muscle car until the 1997 Holden Commodore GTS was released. Others, such as the 1985 Holden Commodore Group A and 1992 Holden Commodore VP GTS threatened to eclipse the GTHO, but ultimately both were only just able to break the 15 sec mark for the standing quarter and the 7 sec mark for the sprint to 100 km/h, so couldn’t quite match the Phase 3.
The 1971 Bathurst 500 win is also the stuff that Australian motoring legends are based on. The Phase 3 was untouchable at Bathurst that year.
The Phase 3 is certainly the most collectable of the Australian muscle cars. In the 1980s, top examples sold for A$100,000. The prices have dropped back a bit, but good cars are still worth A$70,000. Pretty good, considering it was originally sold for A$5,015 (though of course, that’s not adjusted for inflation).
For Australian Ford fans, the GTHO Phase 3 has the status of a demi-god. It’s a sign of how good it was that even today, modern Australian performance cars are compared to the Phase 3.

Specs:
Introduced: 1971
Body: steel, 4 doors, 5 seats
Drivetrain: front engine (north-south layout), rear-wheel drive
Engine: 5,751 cc (351 cu in) Cleveland V8.
Bore/Stroke: 101.6/88.9mm
Compression Ration: 11.0
Power: 224kW@5400 rpm (claimed – real figure probably closer to 300kW).
Torque: 515 Nm@3400 rpm
Specific Output: 39kW/litre
Length: 4689mm
Width: 1869mm
Height: 1417mm
Wheelbase: 2819mm
Weight: 1570kg.
Fuel Tank: 164 litres.
Power to Weight: 143kW/tonne
Transmission: 4-speed toploader wide ratio.
Suspension: Front- struts, A-arms, anti-roll bar. Rear – live axle, leaf springs.
Brakes: Front – solid discs; rear – drums.
Tyre Size – E70 HR14
Performance: 0-60mph 6.4 secs; quarter mile: 14.7 secs. Top speed: 224 km/h (140mph).

In comparison performance figures for the 2003 Ford Falcon BA GT-P are 0-100km/h 6.4 secs; 0-400m 14.3 secs; top speed 250km/h. After 22 years, the closest car to the GTHO in Ford Australia’s range is slightly slower to 60 mph, faster over the standing quarter and has a higher top speed.

Due to the wide discrepancies in quoted facts and figures for the XY GTHO Phase 3, I have decided to take all figures from probably one of the most reputable sources, Wheels Magazine, April 2003 issue (I know that this car causes arguments, so if you disagree with any of the figures take it up with Wheels magazine, not me :) ).

Falcon500
05-14-2004, 07:03 AM
Weight: 1570kg.).[/QUOTE]
They wernt that heavy...my fathers Genuine XW GT with the endurance tank and FMX auto doesnt even weigh that! and the phase III HO didnt really have any mods that would of raised its weight more then that...its more around the 1510 mark...and even my Falcon 500 weights mid to early 1400 so im doubting this weight figure :)

motorsportnerd
05-14-2004, 07:10 AM
You could be right re weight. But as I said - all figures are from Wheels Magazine. Take it up with them.... :)
Regardless of exactly how heavy it was, the performance figures are still damn impressive, even by todays standards.

fpv_gtho
05-14-2004, 07:45 AM
well wheels probably put the car on the weighbridge with 2 peopel in the car like they do their performance tests

motorsportnerd
05-14-2004, 08:00 AM
Unless anyone has the figures from original Ford press pack or figures (which won't be in metric anyway), I'm going to stick with what I put. Outside of the official Ford figures, Wheels would be a lot more reputable than anything from the internet. Wheel's may have weighed two up, but they'd be pretty light people if Falc's 1,500 kg is right.... :)

cls12vg30
05-14-2004, 08:40 AM
Man the Aussie Chargers were awesome looking...totally different from any U.S.-spec Dodge Charger.....the Oz one actually kind of looks like a late-'60s Torino or Talledega.

motorsportnerd
05-14-2004, 08:43 AM
Yes, I kind of like the Charger as well. I'll be posting on the ultimate Aussie Charger - the E49 in the next few days. Keep a look out for it...

cls12vg30
05-14-2004, 08:51 AM
Sweet...hey what car was the black Interceptor car in Mad Max based off of? That looked sort of like that charger.

Coventrysucks
05-14-2004, 11:25 AM
Ford Falcon XB 1971?
There was quite a good article in Top Gear recently about the cars from Mad Max... :)

Are there any good sites with pics/ specs/ info of all these cars?

motorsportnerd
05-15-2004, 03:30 AM
I think it was an XB Falcon, but not a '71. The XA Falcon series was released in 1972, the XB in 1974. So, it was newer than '71. I'm sure some Mad Max fan can tell us for sure.

motorsportnerd
05-15-2004, 03:37 AM
Are there any good sites with pics/ specs/ info of all these cars?

If you're refering to Australian muscle cars, I'm afraid that in my research for this thread I haven't come across one that has all the muscle cars from Ford/Holden/Chrysler/Leyland. There is a bi-monthly magazine here in Australia devoted to them though - "Australian Muscle Car Magazine". Its got a pretty good selection of stories each issue. They tend to take one famous Aussie car (often its a famous Aussie touring car) and write a cover feature article on it and back that up with a variety of other stories. See www.chevron.com.au if you want to check it out. And there are a couple of sites that concentrate on certain models. Probably the best I've found so far is www.fouronthefloor.com.au. If I find any other good ones I'll post the links.

Coventrysucks
05-15-2004, 03:55 AM
Thanks motorsportnerd.

The black inteceptor in Mad Max is a 1973 Falcon XB GT coupe, with a concorde front.

Two of the yellow pursuit cars are 1974 XB sedans, the other a '72 XA, and the car they are chasing at the start is a '72 Holden HQ LS Monaro

All you cared to know about the cars from Mad Max (http://www.madmaxmovies.com/cars/madmax/) :)

motorsportnerd
05-15-2004, 04:37 AM
Chrysler Charger R/T E49 v Ford Falcon GTHO Phase 3. This question usually starts a debate between Aussie muscle car fans about which car was the fastest Australian car (at least until 1997 when the Holden HSV Commodore GTS took the title…). Since both cars could be ordered with varying specifications and options, and since not all performance tests in the magazines of the early 1970s used modern timing equipment, it has been a hotly debated question for a number of years. Suffice to say, the Charger was the fastest six cylinder car produced in Australia until 2002 (when the Ford Falcon XR6T matched the performance of the E49), while the Falcon GTHO Phase 3 was the fastest eight cylinder car until 1997.
The E49 was, as with most of the cars I’ve mentioned, built with the aim of winning the Bathurst 500. The car was introduced in 1972, but Chrysler pulled its factory support for the race teams. So, the E49 was run at Bathurst by privateers. After qualifying in 6th, Leo Geohagen’s car finished 4th. Doug Chivas, meanwhile, qualified 9th, but finished 3rd. This was the best placing ever achieved by a Chrysler in Australia’s most famous motor race.
A couple of Chargers also raced in 1973, but didn’t record particularly impressive results.
The E49 is a rare car, as only 149 were produced.
For an interesting overview of the Chrysler Charger see http://www.fastlane.com.au/Features/Charger_history.htm.
So, which of Australia’s two most respected muscle cars do you prefer? The Charger R/T E49 or the Falcon XY GTHO Phase 3?

Specs - as per E39 except as follows
Introduced in 1972.
Engine: HEMI 4.3 litre 6-clyinder with triple 45 mm dual throat Weber carburetors
Power 226@5600 rpm. Torque 433Nm@4100.
Transmission: 4-speed manual (replacing the E39’s 3-speed).
Performance: 0-60 mph 6.1 secs, standing quarter 14.5 secs, top speed 203 km/h.
Weight: 1,372kg (in comparison to 1,400kg for the E39).

fpv_gtho
05-15-2004, 05:30 AM
Thanks motorsportnerd.

The black inteceptor in Mad Max is a 1973 Falcon XB GT coupe, with a concorde front.


It was also heavily based off the bodykit on a Falcon Concept shown at the time. The kit was made by an aftermarket company but i believe now theyre out of business

Falcon500
05-15-2004, 05:45 PM
You could be right re weight. But as I said - all figures are from Wheels Magazine. Take it up with them.... :)
Regardless of exactly how heavy it was, the performance figures are still damn impressive, even by todays standards.
Well the 4 point alloy rool cage the competition hoeys would of added a mild bit of weight but the top lodaer would of shed some more kilos off the car rather then the FMX my fathers XW GT has andalso they hoeys didnt comewith radiosand a few other thing to keep the weight down a mild bit....
Mostamerican used to think the road warriors car (as the first movie was called in america) was a torino...but they recently found out it was an aussie falcon and we have had alot of them leave our shores because of this....even the english are getting into it getting several falcon from our country...
The body kit was the same as the concorde falcon pannel van concept in the mid 70s...kits can still be bought brand new you can find them through the websites that motorsport posted....
The charger while fast was not as fast as the GTHO it was quicker in a straight line and also was slightly more agile but its akylies(spelling?) heel was not the 3 speed gearbox this was proven in 71 with the e49 it was the breaks they didnt fail but they faired much worse then the breaks in the big ford or the over breaked torana....

oh btw if you want some more info on mad max try www.madmaxcars.com.au i think thats the link this is off the top of my head...

fpv_gtho
05-15-2004, 11:58 PM
its achilles, and year, all of the cars racing from that era wouldve been able to shave a fair few seconds from their lap times with a better set of stoppers. theres a company that is selling front suspension and brake kits for old mustangs and falcons up to the XF and they claim that particular kits will make the car outhandle things like late model HSV's. worth a look i dare say

cls12vg30
05-16-2004, 01:07 PM
Mostamerican used to think the road warriors car (as the first movie was called in america) was a torino...

Not quite correct there. The first movie was indeed called Mad Max in the U.S. The second movie was called The Road Warrior, then the third one was called Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome

ace
05-16-2004, 05:56 PM
the Night rider's stolen cop car (Mad max)

Falcon500
05-17-2004, 02:51 AM
Not quite correct there. The first movie was indeed called Mad Max in the U.S. The second movie was called The Road Warrior, then the third one was called Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
allrighty then i lernt something here...the funny thing is the american movies everyones voices where redone other then the singers in the first movies and it is the highest grosing film on the lowest budget! also for australians Peter Brocks (raceing ledgend) brother done alot of the stunt driveing in the movie...

i2s2bme
05-27-2004, 06:25 AM
:p the E49 is still the fastest 2 door production 6cyl vehicle produce with standing quarters as stated by numerous articles of the day as 14.4 sec. and some as low as 13.8 sec. Its best at bathurst was a 3rd. placing although its sucess at bathurst was not at its potential in N.Z. on the other hand it won the equivelent to bathurst 7 yrs in a row driven by todd brothers and allan moffart took his bathurst winning phase 111 to try and restore fords as no 1
could not catch the kiwi chargers and was quoted as saying the todd brothers charger as the fastest chargers in the world
THE BEST 6CYL. IN THE WORLD IS AUSSIE MADE :p

fpv_gtho
05-27-2004, 06:48 AM
THE BEST 6CYL. IN THE WORLD IS AUSSIE MADE :p


some BMW fans may find that a little hard to grasp. since the introduction of the XR6T, the E49's Australia's best title has gone from fastest 6 cylinder, to fastest naturally aspirated 6 cylinder and now youve dubbed it fastest 2 door 6 cylinder.

Falcon500
05-27-2004, 07:28 AM
:p the E49 is still the fastest 2 door production 6cyl vehicle produce with standing quarters as stated by numerous articles of the day as 14.4 sec. and some as low as 13.8 sec. Its best at bathurst was a 3rd. placing although its sucess at bathurst was not at its potential in N.Z. on the other hand it won the equivelent to bathurst 7 yrs in a row driven by todd brothers and allan moffart took his bathurst winning phase 111 to try and restore fords as no 1
could not catch the kiwi chargers and was quoted as saying the todd brothers charger as the fastest chargers in the world
THE BEST 6CYL. IN THE WORLD IS AUSSIE MADE :p
Fastest accelerating 6 cylender in the worl into the turbocharge prsche came out....
Moffat...not moffart....not many things shit me but seemingly mispelling a persons name on purpose does.....
Also you forgot to mention that he was raceing at your home tracks not his own which his cars where setup for....
But that said the chergers where good cars and had a good price tag to match (at the time)

escort mexico
06-04-2004, 10:30 PM
you haven't mentioned the the lotus cortina/ cortina gt 500.
these cars beat many of the "muscle cars" of that era

motorsportnerd
06-05-2004, 01:35 AM
While the Cortina GT and Cortina Lotus are great cars and won the Armstrong 500 at Phillip Island in 1963 and Bathurst 500 in 1964 and 65, I left them out on purpose. They are BRITISH cars, not Australian cars. This thread was about Australian muscle cars.
But, both the GT and the Lotus were great little cars. Jim Clark drove one on numerous occasions in Europe (particularly in the BTCC) in the mid 60s.
If you want to start a thread on British performance/muscle cars, then the Cortina GT/Lotus would be one of the greats.

fpv_gtho
06-06-2004, 05:05 AM
whilst the cortina's outclassed the BMC Mini's, and the Mini's outclassed the XK Falcons, the XR GT was a better ca than the Cortina's. it would be a great car, but t would also be one of the slowest and possible least impressive for those unknown to the car

phase III
07-07-2004, 01:21 AM
the fords lost their name for performance in australia in the late 80's and the early 90's. now theyre back with the fpv which equals total performance.

fpv_gtho
07-07-2004, 05:21 AM
I dont know if i would say it exactly like that, but the 2 biggest mistakes Ford has made are pulling support out of local racing in 1973 and dropping the V8 in 1982. They did go back on these decisions by reintroducing the V8 in 1992 and puttingg back their support for V8 Supercars in 1998.

Falcon500
07-11-2004, 02:25 AM
A slight modification to your post fpv they still sold falcons with v8s untill 84 ;) they stopped production in mid 83 if i rember correctly i had the full run down in the first issue of street machine my father owns...

fpv_gtho
07-11-2004, 02:29 AM
ive seen it heaps of times that they stopped making them for the Falcon in 82, so perhaps there was enough stockpile left to last till 84 or 84 etc. i know though theres a 72-82 ford v8 club and i can only imagine those years are intended so that its the locally made V8's in the club

Falcon500
07-11-2004, 02:42 AM
ive seen it heaps of times that they stopped making them for the Falcon in 82, so perhaps there was enough stockpile left to last till 84 or 84 etc. i know though theres a 72-82 ford v8 club and i can only imagine those years are intended so that its the locally made V8's in the club
Ok if your sure your right...this information came from street machine 84 november-december issue and was a few months behind the times when it was printed....prehaps the club members didnt like the XE,XF models ;) because the last ford built with a v8 was in 84 and it was an XE and the following year came the XF which with 2 facelifts lasted untill 89 when the EA came out...

fpv_gtho
07-11-2004, 03:28 AM
yeah the XE Fairmont Ghia ESP was the last V8 model and perhaps the best Falcon of the 80's. I dont think it really matters what the exact year was, either way the XE was from 82 to 84 and the XF never had the V8

Falcon500
07-12-2004, 04:50 AM
I know the XF never had the v8 but they had a nice injected 6 which could of replaced the 302...and the day glow orange melinum ute was something that would of been great...also my faveorite issue of street machine march 86 i think it was with their XF GT ont he cover would of been fantastic...they made an injectuion system for the celvland and compared it too the walkie....if only they had a bit more money with a 5 speed Getrag it would of improved the ecconmy and more then likly its top end too....

fpv_gtho
07-12-2004, 04:54 AM
i think the average buyer at the time didnt waste their time looking at the figures, just drove the thing and wen from that. if it pulled hard off the line and sounded great, they assumed it was powerful. something the Ford 6 wouldnt have gone good at, as it lacked the low end torque of a V8 and then theres always the sound. even though the figures showed the Ford 6 was as powerful as Holdens 308

Falcon500
07-12-2004, 05:20 AM
Well me and a mate test drove a 6 cylender xf and when he took off we bothn started smiling and when he went screaming around a corner and took off from it we started laughing...it was really good :) also this had extractors so it sounded allright too ...we wanted to get the mill and drop it in a cortina ...if ford done a few things to the cortina they could of had a 6 pot screamer that would of swayed a few torna buyers.....and imean it!

The 6 injected 6 was not sleepy by any standard and is one of the things that would ofkilled the 253....it was more powerful then the 253 and just as powerful as the 308 and also had more torque then the 253 as well...

fpv_gtho
07-12-2004, 05:45 AM
well still thats an injected 6 compared to a carby V8, and the EEC-IV engine management ford had hooked up to their 6's were said to be one of the worlds best at the time, so it wouldnt have been hard for Holden to give themselves some breathing space.

Falcon500
07-12-2004, 06:12 AM
Yeah but still the way people rate them i find is strange if i was going for a 6 they wouldbe very high on the list...

Shev GTR XU-1
09-27-2004, 09:59 PM
While the E49 charger was one of Australia's most classic muscle cars, the XU-1 Torana was superior. As it had simliar power to weight in its bathurst form, and is much lighter, therefore been easier on its brakes also being more nimble around corners. Bathurst 73 was in the bag, but usual to things at bathurst, not everything goes to plan.

All of the aussie big 3 had they're specials that were homolgated for Bathurst, as they were the CAMS rules at the time
1. The Falcon GTs had their HO's
2. Not sure about the Chargers but I'll go out on a limb and say the E49 is an example of one.
3. The Torana GTR XU-1s had their run of Bathurst specials each year (all built in sept... 71?/72/73)

The figures quoted earlier for the XU-1 power figures are the non bathurst ones, and while I can't back this up with evidence (ie websites) I have seen figures in the 13's for 1/4 miles times for the 73 XU-1 Bathurst specials. Mind you, 13's have also been seen for the phase III.

On another note, it would be interesting to have some info posted here about the 'supercar scare', with the phase IV, GTR XU-1 V8, Charger V8

Cheers :D

Shev GTR XU-1
09-27-2004, 10:18 PM
I forgot to mention, it was published in the current edition of Australian Muscle Car that in 1977 Ford put $1million (est $4million these days) into the Motorsport Falcon GTs, so it wasn't until recently that they were supporting the teams with fundage.

Well invested $1million though, XC's 1-2 at Bathurst, althought the A9X got the better of them for the next 2 years :cool:

Cheers

charged
10-15-2004, 05:20 AM
Fastest accelerating 6 cylender in the worl into the turbocharge prsche came out....
Moffat...not moffart....not many things shit me but seemingly mispelling a persons name on purpose does.....
Also you forgot to mention that he was raceing at your home tracks not his own which his cars where setup for....
But that said the chergers where good cars and had a good price tag to match (at the time)Moffat raced the phase three at winton,mallala etc which are very similar to new zealand racetracks,so you cant use the argument of local tracks,the reason the nz chargers won was they were far better sorted out than the equivilent aust chargers,the chargers well and truley out handled the Phase 3 its just that it had a shit load more grunt up the mountain and down conrod.The phase 3 was built for Bathurst!

Falcon500
12-11-2007, 07:10 AM
Moffat raced the phase three at winton,mallala etc which are very similar to new zealand racetracks,so you cant use the argument of local tracks,the reason the nz chargers won was they were far better sorted out than the equivilent aust chargers,the chargers well and truley out handled the Phase 3 its just that it had a shit load more grunt up the mountain and down conrod.The phase 3 was built for Bathurst!

Long dead thread but a long lost post there.

And some really bad spelling on my part too.

But yeah phase III was built to zoom down the striaght wasnt near as good for the slower tracks. Too heavy and didnt have the chassis setup the chargers did.

And guys if your going to revive a dead thread please add somthing worthwhile 10 words posts not really going anywhere is not cool especially if its been dead since 04.

mudder
12-12-2007, 02:37 AM
Car: 1969 Holden Monaro HT 350 GTS
Introduced: May 1969.
Engine: Chevrolet 350 cu inch (5740 cc) V8
Power: 225kW (350 bhp)@4800 rpm
Torque: 380lb/ft
Performance: 0-100km/h 7.7 secs;standing quarter 14.7 sec; top speed 217km/h

These were imported to South Africa at the time. They were hugely popular here. Chevrolet produced a "lookalike" badged as the Chevrolet SS. Available as a 308/Tri-Matic or 350/Powerglide... Attached image of my first 'street rod' attempt of such a car. Apologies for the quality. Its a scan from a bad photograph. Early 90's.

Falcon500
12-12-2007, 03:48 AM
These were imported to South Africa at the time. They were hugely popular here. Chevrolet produced a "lookalike" badged as the Chevrolet SS. Available as a 308/Tri-Matic or 350/Powerglide... Attached image of my first 'street rod' attempt of such a car. Apologies for the quality. Its a scan from a bad photograph. Early 90's.

Thats more like it!

Plenty of potential there did you mod it much? and are these cars epensive there? (prices here of old muscle cars is ridiculous :eek:

ps i love the body coloured stockies :D

mudder
12-12-2007, 01:39 PM
Thats more like it!

Plenty of potential there did you mod it much? and are these cars epensive there? (prices here of old muscle cars is ridiculous :eek:

ps i love the body coloured stockies :D


Nope. Standard dress up goodies and the normal stuff to the engine. Crane Cam, 600CFM Holley, Edelbrock Performer intake, headers, Accel coil etc.

The attached image (ripped from a local site) shows a car that will probably fetch ZAR 30 000. Aus $ 180 000 (if I have my conversion tables correct). Since the movie "Gone in Sixty Seconds" local muscle car prices have also quadrupled.

Falcon500
12-12-2007, 07:16 PM
Theres alot of factors causing these inflated prices and while i do love these cars theres no way on god green earth im paying 30k for a ford fairmont or up to 100+k for a GT.......

Oh past porting or new heads all together there isnt much more to do there that still not a bad list of mods there :)

2ndclasscitizen
12-12-2007, 07:23 PM
The attached image (ripped from a local site) shows a car that will probably fetch ZAR 30 000. Aus $ 180 000 (if I have my conversion tables correct).

Errr, no.

30,000.00 ZAR = 5,088.16 AUD

180,000.00 AUD = 1,067,758.19 ZAR

1 ZAR = 0.169605 AUD

mudder
12-12-2007, 10:58 PM
Errr, no.

30,000.00 ZAR = 5,088.16 AUD

180,000.00 AUD = 1,067,758.19 ZAR

1 ZAR = 0.169605 AUD

Ah ! Thanks for the correction there... :cool:

Pete18838
01-09-2009, 10:23 PM
Hi My Name is Pete

First time posting , I am a Member of various Falcon GT Clubs around Australia as well as being on numerous GT Forums , I am a collector of Aussie Muscle cars between 67 -74 inparticular the venerable Ford Falcon GT .

As I have several different models I am always looking for pics of original GT's either from when first purchased ,Owners proud pics of their cars in the late 60's early 70's as these provide a wealth of detail especialy in the engine departmant of what was where , as many of you know when entering a concourse comp for you car the carrect parts & placement make all the differance between a well presented car to a Fastidously restored car .

Hopefully I can post pics of my GT's , Here are 2 of the cars that I am currently in the process off restoring An 1968 XT GT ex-race car sprints & rallys mainly , & a Early 74 XB GT with Rare option codes if any one has info or pics of these models as well as other GT's before the 70's & 80's phase of modifing & altering from original specs I would love to see some pics also early race shots of GT's racing around the country at various tracks other than the famous NSW Bathurst Track.
Best regards to all
Pete

Dodge Charger R
03-07-2009, 06:12 PM
Moffat raced the phase three at winton,mallala etc which are very similar to new zealand racetracks,so you cant use the argument of local tracks,the reason the nz chargers won was they were far better sorted out than the equivilent aust chargers,the chargers well and truley out handled the Phase 3 its just that it had a shit load more grunt up the mountain and down conrod.The phase 3 was built for Bathurst!

Yes this is correct but the reason the falcon got beat 3 times {so every knows} is Moffat was made to use his factory suspension IE the suspension the car left the factory with.This I believe was bilsteen {SPL} not only was Moffat beaten he was out Qualified and never even made a race of it J Richards also drove the car if my info is correct.So dissapointed was Moffat with the handling of falcon he asked for a grudge match with the bilsteen suspension.This was after racing had finished and was accomadated the falcon was reportedly 2 seconds a lap faster and I believe it did win.

this could be dodgy.cheers

nota
03-07-2009, 07:38 PM
this could be dodgy.cheers
What you posted is historically accurate, apparently :)

IIRC Moffat was not aware of New Zealands much stricter 'Showroom Stock' regulations (as opposed to Australia's then 'Improved Production' formula) until he arrived in the country! This obliged a hasty swap back to factory spec and settings for the GT-HO, which hampered the car as it had been carefully optimised for Oz-spec racing

But afterwards the Kiwis kindly allowed Moffat to return the Falcon to its original IP format and race it, and in this subsequent 'demonstration' race he comprehensively blew everybody else into the weeds

I guess you could argue that this last race was an unfair competition. But then again the massive negative camber seen on NZ Chargers and permitted under their local interpretation of 'showroom stock' would afaik never have been allowed in Australia's previous 'Series Production' regs, eg Bathurst 1971

I think thats about the essence of it. I've got a magazine article detailing the above, including Moffat interview .. somewhere