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cleanerg6e
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Here in Australia when I was growing up Ford Falcon Hardtops were commonplace. That was in the 1970's. By the end of that decade Australia's love for big two door Falcons was fading with sales really slowing so much so that in 1978 Ford Australia had 400 body shells sitting around that no one knew whether to build them into cars or just scrap them. To boost sales of those 400 bodies they were built and released as the Cobra. A white car with two wide blue stripes from bonnet (hood) front to boot (trunk). The first 19 were basically racing cars but street legal. The rest were standard Cobra's.

These hardtops NOT COUPE'S ( like calling a black 5 a jubilee because they look similar) came with three engine types. A 4.1 straight six cylinder and small 4.9 and large 5.8 block V8's. Just recently there was a fully restored 4.9 Cobra for sale in Queensland and the price in English pounds 125,000. A 5.8 Cobra would sell for around 250-300,000 pounds as they are very rare. Even one of the standard fully restored cars of models XA, XB or XC would sell for around 30-40,000 pounds. Even an unrestored body shell will cost 15,000 pounds nowadays. These were the days of course before fuel injection and all the other modern bits on cars. Certainly no computers in these hardtops. Usually 4 barrel "Holley" or Webber" carburetors and who remembers distributors with points in them. Radiator fans that run continuously because they're powered by the motor. Coil suspension up front and leaf springs at the rear etc.

To restore these cars today it's like restoring a full size diesel with many new pieces of metal replacing the rusted ones and these cars did rust.

The car from the movie Mad Max is a modified XC Hardtop whilst the yellow and blue police cars in that movie were XB Falcon sedans. The supercharger fitted to the black interceptor didn't actually work in the movie despite Max pulling or pushing a red button to start and stop the supercharger.

To think Mel Gibson got paid 50,000 pounds to do that movie. He wasn't a big star in those days, nor is he nowadays.

Here hopefully is a video of these now classic cars in South Australia when a forum had, well.....a running day.

Are these cars fuel efficient? No not even remotely. The gold car with a black vinyl roof is a "Landau Hardtop" another very rare car nowadays.

At 1:17 in the background is red hardtop and to the left of it is a car exactly the same as what I drive a G6E Falcon and the same model too. With the passage of time my car has more hp than the 5.8 Cobra in the foreground.

Oddly enough new engine parts can be bought like crankshafts, pistons etc.

Contrary to what some may think these cars were not built in the USA as right hand drives. Americans are unfamiliar with these Falcons. They were all designed and built in Melbourne Victoria. They were only available for sale in Australia. In recent years some have found their way to the USA and one or two have ended up in the UK.

Roy.

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