READERS’ RIDES
1982 Michael FORD St XE James FALCON
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1982 Michael FORD St XE James FALCON
THIS HIGH-SPEC V8 STILL HAS A FEW MYSTERIES TO REVEAL
WORDS & PHOTOS MICHAEL ST JAMES WITH GUY ALLEN
This is an unusual car – it was built to police spec, but in this silver colour. I’ve chased its history, and on the verification papers it’s one of only six in this colour.
The police cars were generally blue, white or yellow, I can’t find anything with silver. Given the high spec, it perhaps ordered for someone in police command.
I’ve had a lot of Falcons in the past, including ESPs and always loved the shape. They’re a good car to be in.
I’ve done a bit of a tidy up on it – nothing too crazy. The engine now has an electronic ignition, all the instruments have been sorted out and freshened up.
The body was good when I got it – no rust. They generally rust at the top of the rear quarters and the front firewall, but this one was fine. I got a few patches of paint cleaned up and a coat of clear over it.
It’s running a 5.8lt V8 with a genuine C4 floor shift and a factory 9-inch diff, which is pretty rare in these.
It’s also running factory discs all round and air-conditioning, which tends to support the idea it may have been ordered for someone senior in the force. The production numbers on the car support that, but I don’t really know all the details at this stage – it’s something I want to clarify, maybe through one of the clubs.
I enjoy driving these old cars, the smell of the old leather, the petrol, just the general feel of them.
(Michael is selling the car. See TradeUniqueCars.com.au)
Lester Powell 1987 HOLDEN CAMIRA
THEY MAY NOT BE FOR EVERYONE BUT CAMIRAS HAVE THEIR FANS
WORDS ? PHOTOS DAVE CAREY
People think I’m nuts, but I’ve had a few Camiras; crazy I know. I enjoy driving them and they’re easy to work on. This is a 1987 JE-model Camira SLE, so it’s top-ofthe-range. It’s got power steering, a power aerial and power mirrors; all pretty good for its time.
I saw it on Gumtree; it was for sale over in Perth, but was originally a Melbourne car. It had done only 80,000 kilometres and was advertised as a completely rust-free example when I came across it. The Perth owner had stuck it in his shed for a few years but I’m not sure why; maybe he thought it would go up in value! Anyway, I bought it and had it trucked back here to SA.
It’s got 115,000 kilometres on it now and is my daily driver. These aren’t well loved, but they’re getting older and people still remember them.
Bernard Nicholls & Tony Greville 1966 PONTIAC GTO
BIG V8 COUPE STILL DELIVERS THE THRILLS
WORDS BERNARD NICHOLLS WITH GUY ALLEN ? PHOTOS GUY ALLEN
Bernard (at left, above) has had this car for 33 years: I first saw one on the road, and then bought Unique Cars magazine until I found one. I didn’t know what it was until I tracked it down in the magazine.
“This car was in Kings Cross and was fully original. The owner had all the info – where it was made, when it came off the assembly line. A complete maniac!
“So what I did, I just made the car the way I wanted it. Four-speed automatic (a TH700 out of a Commodore), new heads, sent to America for them, cam, disc brakes (HQ units went straight on). The four-speed gearbox was absolutely unbelievable. It just sits on 2000 at 110km/h.
“It’s a bit of a handful to drive – the steering box needs adjustment. For what it is, it’s been 1000 per cent better than we expected. It’s a 415hp package at the wheels, so it’s not slow. It doesn’t weigh as much as you might think – about 1450kg, according to the paperwork.
“It oversteers, and sometimes you’re busy, but once you get it flowing it’s good. The bloke in the Ferrari got a bit of a surprise…”
(The lads were with us on this year’s Targa Tas Classic Rallye.)