This is an XP Falcon.
This is not a really good XP Falcon mechanic.
Fig 1
This is a group of XP Falcons
And, this is a really good XP Falcon mechanic
Not to take too much away from Fig 1, and really, to be fair, I should put in a better pic of him here
You see, the bloke pictured in Fig 1 – let's call him by his alias of 'Laurence' – his grand claim, nay, pick-up line, was "I'm a really good XP Falcon mechanic", in answer to my stage whisper/shout in a nightclub, "I've just bought an XP Falcon", and the rest, as they say……….
(The irony of Laurence's pick-up line was not lost on me at all when I was forced to sell my beloved car so we had money for our wedding. True, she needed a new engine and was due for rego, but I wish so much I had been able to keep her.)
He was fairly good with older vehicles, and had owned an XP in the past. But for all Laurence's showmanship with spark-plugs and bog, as far as early Falcons go, he was a mere belt on the fan, when compared to Murph – as seen in Fig 2.
This is my Ford, 1966 XP Falcon. With a 170 Pursuit engine (that's 6 cylinders and 170 cubic inches), a Borg Warner 35 gearbox, with 3 on the tree, and a rumbling sports exhaust. Originally painted Honey Gold metallic, with matching vinyl interior, I had it re-painted red (to make it go faster), and the interior done out in white vinyl with red felt inserts, and black plush carpet. Oooh, and don't forget the faux-tiger skin across the dashboard. I paid $800 for it, and sold it – my eyes cloudy with tears – 8 years later, for $800. Best car I've ever had.
My XP and I, we went places. We experienced many highs and lows. We were in a short film together, and even had a story written about us in a surf mag in Brazil!
(shame I can't understand what it says)
Anyway. With all this love we had for each other we also had difficulties. She was older than me, and needed extra care from time to time. That's when we found Michael Murphy from Early Bird Restorations and Spares. A master of the early Ford.
My Xp and I spent a lot of time at Murph's workshop. I ended up working for him to pay for work he did on my car. You know, making coffees, cleaning up, moving cars, and doing (supervised) small jobs on other Fords he had there. Mick is a funny bugger. Quite a character. So, the time I spent at the workshop was never dull.
About a month ago, Mick called me, out of the blue. It was great to hear from him, and last week, I took the entourage over for a visit. They were most impressed, and laughed at all his stories, but the best part for them was his racetrack……..
Kid heaven!
Onya Murph
Leave a reply