disco man
21st September 2014, 08:46 PM
An alternative to the GT was a Falcon 500 with similar specifications,but almost invisible to the police and insurance companies.Story by Aaron Lofts.
The GT and GT-HO are the models in the Falcon range with obvious bite and growl.There is,however,another wolf lurking in the catalogue with fewer outward displays of aggression,a car that has slipped by relatively unnoticed-the 'K' code Falcon.The 'K' code Falcon is a non-GT,fitted with a 351ci Cleveland V8(with a two-barrel carburettor) identified by an engine code 'K' on the tag.This engine could be paired with either automatic or manual transmissions.
The Falcon GT and GT-HO was the dream car of many young men in the 1970's.But the combination of brute performance and younger inexperienced drivers meant the likelihood of an accident increased considerably.The GT's desirability also extended to thieves.
Hence,the two letters 'GT' attracted a much higher insurance premium,so much so that many potential buyers could not afford to buy their dream car and also insure it.An alternative to the GT was a Falcon 500 with similar specifications but almost invisible to police and insurance company's.
The kind of buyer who would order a 'K' code Falcon was very aware of what it really was,and what its potential could be.Many of those who bought a 'K' code sourced larger carburettors,exhaust headers,and made simple upgrades to help unleash the beast within.After the upgrades merely fitting a set of mag wheels made the car appealing to look at and enjoyable to drive,but ensured the car blended in with other standard cars on the road.
For extra disguise a front sun visor could be fitted,guaranteeing to camouflage the car and turning it into a true 1970's sleeper.
Over the years 'K' code Falcon's have become quite scarce due to a number of factors.The main contributor to the diminished numbers was natural attrition.As many of the original owners were young guys who wanted to drive them hard,plenty were crashed and wrecked.Add the considerable number of 'K' code Falcon's turned into GT and GT-HO replicas and you account for the majority of cars built.
A brand new 'K' code Falcon 500 was much cheaper than a GT,to the tune of about $1500.This doesn't sound like a huge price difference today,but in 1971 a brand new XY GT Falcon could be bought for under $5000! Thus the 'K' code was far more accessible to the younger buyers who couldn't quite afford something more adventurous.
Hiding under the more ordinary appearance of the Falcon 500,drivers could enjoy virtually everything that the GT had to offer without many of the negatives that came with owning the more eye-catching XY's.And creating GT replicas isn't a new phenomenon,with plenty of 'K' code Ford's turned into GT lookalikes from new,simply by adding a shaker and stripes.
Unlike some other unique and desirable cars from the 70's,you didn't need to be a company insider or 'in the know' to order a 'K' code Falcon.They were listed in the sales brochure! Although over the years a handful of special-order cars for company executives left the factory fitted with all the fruit,any average bloke could put together enough cash to order and option a 'K' code Falcon for himself.
For the price,it was hard to match the performance of a 'K' code Falcon.The two-barrel 351ci V8 pumped out 250bhp (186kw)-plenty of go 40-odd years ago,especially from a car that looked similar to the car parked in next door's garage.To buy an equally specified Monaro or Charger would cost considerably more,making the 'K' code a relative bargain.Whilst the values of these cars have climbed significantly today,they are still placed well below the cost of a genuine XY GT Falcon.This fact alone proves that even though more than four decades have passed the 'K' code is still relevant to enthusiasts for the same reasons that sold the car when it was new-a cut price performance car that didn't scream look at me.
Unsurprisingly,we weren't able to find 'official' performance figures.It appears they were so stealthy that magazines of the era overlooked them for features and tests.
There is some confusion about the relevance of the 'K' code when discussing a factory V8 Falcon.Whilst the VIN number of any XY Falcon with a factory V8 finishes with the letter K (eg;JG32LY12345K),the correct reference to the 'K' represents the actual engine code of a factory fitted 351ci Cleveland V8 that is found on the identification tag.The engine is not the same specification as the 'T' code 351ci Cleveland V8 (with a four-barrel carburettor)fitted to the Falcon GT,but it does share many of that engine's characteristics.
The appeal of the 'K' code Falcon today is largely thanks to the huge desirability of the GT and GT-HO.Just like when it was new,the 'K' code offers a cheaper alternative to the more notorious nameplates,though mentioning 'cheap' in the same sentence as XY seems illogical.If you can actually find one in good condition you can expect to pay upwards of $25,000 for it,even more for GS optioned cars,and yet more again for a Fairmont model.
The 'K' code Falcon was also available across the XA and XB range,and in the eyes of buyers it was a perfect alternative to the GT for the budget conscious.The later 'K' code Falcons sold for the same reason that the XY version did,though they did not sell as well.The new-look bonnet vents on the XA and XB saw many buyers order cars with the GS option.
The 'K' code Falcon never won Bathurst.It was never the 'fastest four-door car in the world'.And it won't be enough to prop up your superannuation indefinitly.But it is without doubt one of the first Aussie wolves that could hide amongst all the sheep in the traffic,with its understated looks and surprising performance.
The GT and GT-HO are the models in the Falcon range with obvious bite and growl.There is,however,another wolf lurking in the catalogue with fewer outward displays of aggression,a car that has slipped by relatively unnoticed-the 'K' code Falcon.The 'K' code Falcon is a non-GT,fitted with a 351ci Cleveland V8(with a two-barrel carburettor) identified by an engine code 'K' on the tag.This engine could be paired with either automatic or manual transmissions.
The Falcon GT and GT-HO was the dream car of many young men in the 1970's.But the combination of brute performance and younger inexperienced drivers meant the likelihood of an accident increased considerably.The GT's desirability also extended to thieves.
Hence,the two letters 'GT' attracted a much higher insurance premium,so much so that many potential buyers could not afford to buy their dream car and also insure it.An alternative to the GT was a Falcon 500 with similar specifications but almost invisible to police and insurance company's.
The kind of buyer who would order a 'K' code Falcon was very aware of what it really was,and what its potential could be.Many of those who bought a 'K' code sourced larger carburettors,exhaust headers,and made simple upgrades to help unleash the beast within.After the upgrades merely fitting a set of mag wheels made the car appealing to look at and enjoyable to drive,but ensured the car blended in with other standard cars on the road.
For extra disguise a front sun visor could be fitted,guaranteeing to camouflage the car and turning it into a true 1970's sleeper.
Over the years 'K' code Falcon's have become quite scarce due to a number of factors.The main contributor to the diminished numbers was natural attrition.As many of the original owners were young guys who wanted to drive them hard,plenty were crashed and wrecked.Add the considerable number of 'K' code Falcon's turned into GT and GT-HO replicas and you account for the majority of cars built.
A brand new 'K' code Falcon 500 was much cheaper than a GT,to the tune of about $1500.This doesn't sound like a huge price difference today,but in 1971 a brand new XY GT Falcon could be bought for under $5000! Thus the 'K' code was far more accessible to the younger buyers who couldn't quite afford something more adventurous.
Hiding under the more ordinary appearance of the Falcon 500,drivers could enjoy virtually everything that the GT had to offer without many of the negatives that came with owning the more eye-catching XY's.And creating GT replicas isn't a new phenomenon,with plenty of 'K' code Ford's turned into GT lookalikes from new,simply by adding a shaker and stripes.
Unlike some other unique and desirable cars from the 70's,you didn't need to be a company insider or 'in the know' to order a 'K' code Falcon.They were listed in the sales brochure! Although over the years a handful of special-order cars for company executives left the factory fitted with all the fruit,any average bloke could put together enough cash to order and option a 'K' code Falcon for himself.
For the price,it was hard to match the performance of a 'K' code Falcon.The two-barrel 351ci V8 pumped out 250bhp (186kw)-plenty of go 40-odd years ago,especially from a car that looked similar to the car parked in next door's garage.To buy an equally specified Monaro or Charger would cost considerably more,making the 'K' code a relative bargain.Whilst the values of these cars have climbed significantly today,they are still placed well below the cost of a genuine XY GT Falcon.This fact alone proves that even though more than four decades have passed the 'K' code is still relevant to enthusiasts for the same reasons that sold the car when it was new-a cut price performance car that didn't scream look at me.
Unsurprisingly,we weren't able to find 'official' performance figures.It appears they were so stealthy that magazines of the era overlooked them for features and tests.
There is some confusion about the relevance of the 'K' code when discussing a factory V8 Falcon.Whilst the VIN number of any XY Falcon with a factory V8 finishes with the letter K (eg;JG32LY12345K),the correct reference to the 'K' represents the actual engine code of a factory fitted 351ci Cleveland V8 that is found on the identification tag.The engine is not the same specification as the 'T' code 351ci Cleveland V8 (with a four-barrel carburettor)fitted to the Falcon GT,but it does share many of that engine's characteristics.
The appeal of the 'K' code Falcon today is largely thanks to the huge desirability of the GT and GT-HO.Just like when it was new,the 'K' code offers a cheaper alternative to the more notorious nameplates,though mentioning 'cheap' in the same sentence as XY seems illogical.If you can actually find one in good condition you can expect to pay upwards of $25,000 for it,even more for GS optioned cars,and yet more again for a Fairmont model.
The 'K' code Falcon was also available across the XA and XB range,and in the eyes of buyers it was a perfect alternative to the GT for the budget conscious.The later 'K' code Falcons sold for the same reason that the XY version did,though they did not sell as well.The new-look bonnet vents on the XA and XB saw many buyers order cars with the GS option.
The 'K' code Falcon never won Bathurst.It was never the 'fastest four-door car in the world'.And it won't be enough to prop up your superannuation indefinitly.But it is without doubt one of the first Aussie wolves that could hide amongst all the sheep in the traffic,with its understated looks and surprising performance.