You may remember way back to XR where the Interceptor became the GT but with the 289..Quote:
You mean like the base model Falcon's with GT running gear supplied to the NSW police in Cambridge Blue and black trim? Used car dealers loved to buy these at the government auctions and convert them to GT's with the aid of a wrecked Fairmont or GS pack. I drove a few up for Blair Shepherd and Bert Marwood. You could hammer them around the Putty road and up the New England flat strap and the Highway Patrols ignored you, thinking it was one of the lads in a hurry.
Now my memory is not all that clear on this but I am absolutely sure that the XY Interceptor was a 351 2V not a 4V. I remember one of the guys in Brisbane driving one to run it in and was terrified by the bonnet flapping at 150MPH.
The police cars were no faster than any others but there were lots of rumours around which bore no relation to reality.They were still pretty quick.
I am not sure about the XW, but it may have had a 4V, as the ZF Fairlane had a 4V which changed to 2V in ZG.
Actually the fastest XY GTs that I ever drove were 2 press cars in Quicksilver and Peppermint (faster than a couple of HOs I drove). The Quicksilver manual was bought by a colleague who got it home to find a "blueprinted by Fred Gibson" tag on the sump. Noooo Ford didn't dummy up press cars in those days. Heaven forbid! They were seam welded also. i remember driving the first TC cortina press car. The thing went like excrement off a shovel with about 8 secs 0-100. Funny about the production ones.
The XC of course had the ****house emission 351 which would not pull the skin off a custard.(relatively)
The XD also had the the Carter thermoquad motor and I remember running out of petrol a couple of times going to work in my XD GS wagon with a 351 auto at 9MPG. It still went pretty well and would chirp a bit into second. For some crazy **** by the marketing boys you could not get a 351 XD ESP which was the successor to the GT,as they wanted to reposition it as "European" inspired.
I built one for Edsel Ford when he was deputy MD and it caused hell to pay as it was not in the computer and a guy had to walk beside it down the line. It should be worth something! But of course there are probably dozens of them now.LOL The plant manager rang me fuming and I pointed out Edsel's name was on the car.
Regards Philip A

