The Build Series #9 | Blackmans XB Falcon GT Coupe | Howard Astill
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- Опубліковано 13 жов 2024
- #9 of The Build Series is Blackmans XB Falcon GT Coupe
One of only 4 Blaze Blue XB GT Falcon Hardtops ever built, one being John Goss' race winning XB GT race car, this GT was originally sold through Peter Warren Ford in Liverpool, NSW.
The idea was to build a restomod GT without modifying the body but upgrading the running gear, brakes and suspension to make the Falcon a show car that could be driven and enjoyed. The GT is fully engineered and running the original matching numbers 393 stroker Cleveland, with reconditioned heads, roller rockers, extractors, 750DP Holley and Pertronix electronic ignition. The engine bay is designed to look stock with the original genuine air cleaner, coil, horns etc and the car comes with the original exhaust manifold supplied. The gearbox is a fully manualised C4 with 2,500 stall and then through a custom thick walled tail shaft and strengthened 9" with RRS disc brake conversion, Eaton 31 spline Tru Trac and 3.5:1 gears. The motor was built by Shane's Race Engines, Albion Park, NSW and dynoed at 376Hp.
PPG Blaze Blue 2 Pack paint was applied to both sides of all panels and multiple coats of clear applied to give the car a show quality finish. GT bonnet stripes and the GT 351 badging were painted onto the body. The Horn stripes were then applied as per the McLeod Ford Horn cars of the 1970s. As the car was factory ordered with the protection pack, the car came with chrome bumpers and these have been rechromed. Every nut and bolt has been re cad plated, re-zinked or re chromed as per factory. New green glass has been fitted to the car with the original rear screen still in place.
On the inside, the original black trim was changed to white and modified as McLeod and Peter Warren Ford did in the day with genuine Trad trim in Blue Spectrum. The dash and steering wheel were restored, the radio/cassette player works perfectly and has Bluetooth, the Golde sunroof was fitted as per factory and includes the factory offset to the overhead interior light. A Howard Astill build plaque is fitted to the GT centre console and notes the car is Build No. 11. The Hardtop is fitted with factory power steering and has covered under 3,000 Kilometres since the restoration was completed in 2015.
The GT is running a RRS power steering front end with struts, 350mm 4 piston RRS alloy calipers with slotted rotors on the front and 330mm RRS calipers with slotted rotors on the rear. Lovell springs are fitted front and rear.
Riding on 3SDM 18x8.5" front and 18 x 9" rear alloy star mags with Nitto Semi Slick 245 front and 295 rear tyres. The Hardtop features a fully detailed under carriage with heat coated extractors and stainless 3" exhaust through to standard XB exhaust tips.
Aussie Muscle, great looking cars, excellent job boys.
Glad you enjoyed it
Beautiful car Beautiful job Astill you do great work
Thanks Dave, it has a new home in WA now with the matching number engine back in it.
Wow what a car has
to be the best xb gt
2 door coupe in the
Country.Well done
Howard Darren and
Dale Lucky New owner
Thanks Josh
Hey Howard, thank you so much for the content. Love your work truly amazing. Your channel is on full time in my shed as inspiration.
Thanks mate, appreciate the support
Great Show....Thank You, so very Much
Our pleasure, we will have more in the new year
Just two words fit totally awesome.
Thank you so much 😀
Another great episode and it was great to see Darren in there too!! Dale's Holden shirt vs the two Ford ones made me chuckle.
Yeah he keeps hanging in there
Outstanding gentlemen wow what a piece of machinery credit to you Howard,Darren and Dale..
Beautiful coupe Darren would've really turned some heads every where it went I would imagine 👍👌
Sure did
My 2 Favourite all time Australian Muscle Cars 🚗 r the Ford XA , XB , XC Coupe .
And the other Favourite is Chrysler Charger with the 265 Hemi E38, E49 .
There's an original XB one owner near me . And a 265 Hemi Charger down the road .
Love ❤️ watching 👀 u guys . Thx 4 sharing. Xcellent
Thanks for sharing! Your luck to have some close by. You dont see too many out any more
@@AstillDesign
A mate of mine own one in Newcastle. An XB . We were both on the Australian Slalom Canoe Team & Rev Heads .
The Cops 👮♀️ couldn't catch him . The engine was " Worked " I used 2 drive it & would spin the wheels in 1/2/3 .
There was a Jail break in Newcastle & the Crims pinched it . Flipped it when they slammed it in2 2nd gear at a 160 ks . Snapped the tail sharft .
Would love ❤️ 2 have the case 2 own one . And put in a Windsor 441 cu inch stroker with sbf hemi heads . Would be wicked .
Considering the effort everyone put into quite a special and rare car, I can understand why enjoying such a special car could be such a nightmare to drive, let alone park anywhere?
Pity there aren't more of these cars and less obliviously unaware numpties around?
But what a transition and a great story Howard. I'm really enjoying the build series.
Good to have you along. The driving not so much, it’s just the unaware people
This car is top notch. Love the close up shots and the photos on the road.
👌
Thanks Ross
Another great vid Howard 👌👍its good you had Darren on to talk about the car , on a side note id let him cut a hole in my roof after seeing that👍
Im sure he would love to do that for you
Love the chapel guys awesome insight to what it really takes to get to those standards. Oh and that’s a really kook t-shirt Dale :)
Thanks, yeah Dale is special
Another supreme effort. The combination of all involved has certainly helped produce one of the best Coupes in the country.
Amazing !
If I could afford it, I would've put in an offer most certainly.
Yeah it didn’t last long
Loving these detailed videos of your builds especially the XB 2 door
Cheers mate
This is aviation quality work, Howard! Well done.So refreshing to see meticulous restorations awash in a sea of modified cars that have been slapped together using bodies that look like hell, or ""patina". I figure I've got time to build one more car from the ground up- a 1970 Mustang f/b with a whipple charged Coyote & a sequential 6 speed. This is the quality of build I'll be striving for.. What an inspiration you are., many thanks.
Thanks Brendan, My dad was my inspiration to be able to get things done without him finding something wrong.
Such a beautiful car. I actually like the McLeod decals, suits the blue very well. And it sounds awesome. Hope the new owner enjoys it, he's a very lucky guy.
Yeah it’s a good look, I’m sure he will enjoy
Great build 👏 👌
Thanks
Very nice Coupe....I love that interior 👌...
Something a bit out of the ordinary
The quality of the build is next level. Top work.
Much appreciated!
such a nice build, congrats to the new owner, hope it gets driven now and then : )
Yeah I think he will
Another amazing car, alot if work especially with the fact that not many repo panels available at that time. Nutted it out as usual Howard. Guessing that this car was the cause of repo panels yo be redeployed. Fantastic job and vid Howard.
Cheers Joe, it all started through Facebook and people asking what I was using
Great show beautiful car.
Thanks mate
I love your talk back show very interesting 👍
Thanks Paul, we try to keep it informative
I love watching your videos, thank you. It’s amazing your level of patience. You never cut any corners.
I try not too, but my moto is Plan for success not perfection
Just subbed been watching the channel for while love the build serious playlist
Welcome aboard! Filming the next one tomorrow night
@@AstillDesign awesome I hope it's the orange xa fairmont, build 13 I think?
Better than new , what an incredible job from you all
Bet it cost a bomb and worth every cent 👍👍👍
Yes they do cost a lot of hours and a few dollars
Incredible car and workmanship! Well done lads!
Thanks very much
well done for a great build
Thanks
Great work Howard
Thanks mate
Thanks Howard, Dale and Darren, what an absolute amazing coupe one of the best I've ever seen great work fella's, the build quality is second to none well done.
Howard could you please ask Darren what brand of wheel that is would like to look into them.
Hey mate, Darren said no longer available
@@AstillDesign thanks fine mate thanks for asking.
Well done fellas 👌👌
Thanks mate
Haha dale out numbered by fords. Another top video really enjoyed this 👌
Thanks for following
That T shirt Darren has on looks like an old Rufus shirt. Awesome build Diary
Yeah it does a bit, he said he picked it up at a show recently
Love it, want one...
@@AstillDesign Thanks Howard awesome series clearly motivating allot of folks
I was just wondering? Do you polish the chrome trims? You mentioned they were stainless? My VB chrome trims need some pots and scratches fixed.. can I sand them back and polish or do they need chrome plating? Thanks and absolutely love watching your content
Not sure about VB commodore trim. They could be anodised aluminium. If there stainless steel they can be sanded and polished. If there aluminium they will need to be re anodised. A job for the platers
Loved this build, amazing car. Very sad ending, ie, had to sell. Do we know what it sold for $?
Thanks Mick, wasn’t had to sell just a change. He still has other projects. $275k
It’s for sale right now in Bunbury…. $350k 😅
Great video Howard, Who would you recommend to use for zinc plating?
A Class metal finishes Lonsdale SA
Another great video and a great car, thanks Howard!
I know how Darren feels about driving something like that on the road, I had a VE SS ute that I spent a small fortune on and the amount of times I was clenching my butt while driving it because people would be tailgating me (I always sit on the speed limit) made it not much fun to drive, a lot of the time these people would be in bombs that I assume aren't insured, and even if they are their insurance company would try and pay me out for less than the paint job cost me.
Sometimes we have a lot more than money invested and that's what makes it hard
@@AstillDesign true. I'd like to build one myself and do most of it, but it's a bit hard when you're overseas working for 9 months of the year.
Awsome as usual Howard.
With all the replacement parts that you now sell, and may have in the pipeline, is there any thought of making a complete shell for sale like the Dynacorn company in the US and the ford escort Shells in the UK?
I guess it's the old supply vs demand vs price debate. Considering the price of a rust buckets, if you can find one, then the massive expense of pulling it to pieces like you've done here, repare it put it back together, I'm sure many would be interested in starting with a rust free shell. What do you think?
The problem is that officially you can’t register a rebody in Australia
@@AstillDesign that's a shame. I thought you might be able to register them as an Individually Constructed Vehicle.
@@AstillDesign well you can if they don’t know. IOW do professional looking body numbers & VIN plates etc.
When your spot welding the plenum up below the windscreen, do you put sika on all the mating surfaces before your spot weld them together?
Just along the front edge to Firewall where the water will collect. We try and run it just inside the weld area. Have a look at the van video we did last month. ua-cam.com/video/pRtNDoTom0k/v-deo.html
Cheers H
@@AstillDesign yes I had seen that, I guess I am trying to understand why and where you would use the urethane sealer (or was it adhesive?). My GT40 project will have a number of structures that need to get closed up like this and they form the structural parts of the chassis. They all have openings that allow air and moisture to circulate freely. So I am trying to think ahead about how and where I will need to apply protection.
Hi again, have a look at the panel bond products used on newer cars for fitting roof skins and firewalls etc. Cheers Howard
Howard, is there anyone out there making new boot skins for XW GT , NOT XY ?
Not really my area of expertise but I haven’t seen them.
does darren still have the big block ?
Yes he does, looking for a blue ford to put it in.
I'll be disappointed if Boss xc is your last car, you need to do the panels van.
It will be my last full customer build. The van will get done for sure
I’m not watching in the evening. I’m in the U.K.
The UK could do with this car cruising your’e roads
@@shanskinownow1610
I’ve seen only one here
I’m rocking a 2000 vt2 Hsv here in the U.K. look on my channel.
Closest I can get. The Falcon is probably the best looking car ever
You will also find that a plenum will rot really fast if the car is always parked on an incline.
Any Ford Escort owner will concur.
So true
With watching all your builds Howard they are that perfect that the owner's and you with your personal builds really don't want to drive them because of damage from road use will boss xc fit into this category when finished the owner says he wants to drive it but I think it's to good to hit the Aussie road maybe Sydney to Brisbane or Sydney to Melbourne freeways outback I'd hate to see a roo through the front and stones etc I'm not negative at all ,your car builds are just too good and too much time and money in them I don't know
It really is the nature of the beast. I put a lot of Km on the Mustang, Sydney- Newcastle Canberra plenty of times, down the coast etc. it more about were to park it for all the people who don’t care about cars. If I had the dollars I would have kept them all.
Racism!
Really!!
@@AstillDesign Let me guess? You're a bigoted straight white male!
Wheels look crap
Well he liked them, and that's all that matters