I was talking to a couple of blokes at work tonight about all things automotive and I mentioned the World Famous "H.O down the Hume". These two blokes had never heard of the story and I thought that was a very sad thing as it is (imho) the greatest piece of motoring journalism to have ever been printed.

Here is the link for the story http://www.falcongt.com.au/HO-DTH.html

Check it out. If you have children gather them around the computer and tell them about the glory days before forward facing radar and traction control.

That's a great article "65. There are alot of the older muscle cars suped up in this neighbourhood, and not uncommon to hear them being driven like "wild bantchies" late at night.

B.

I think our forum deserves to have on it one of the most famous photos in motoring journalism.

When it appeared in wheels magazine it was doctored to show a lower speed (1969-style photoshopping!) however the actual photo showed the speedo off the clock.

144mph, or 231.74km/h in the new money, is no slouch for a 4-speed, 4-door sedan in 1969!

In fact, the Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III was widely recognised as one of the fastest 4-door sedans on the planet at the time.

Here's the photo, courtesy of the site in the above URL.



I seriously can't imagine doing that speed on those tiny 14" steel wheels with that skinny woodgrain steering wheel. Moreso, I can't imagine being the photographer who, sans seat belt, had to lean across (or perhaps come in from the back seat - I'm not sure) with his full-scale SLR camera and snap that shot!

I've never heard of a Falcon Phase Three GTHO, or a V8 Bolwell Nagaris, but looking at the pictures of the two cars, the V8 Bolwell Nagaris is a very nice looking car, and the Falcon Phase Three GTHO would have to be one heck of a machine to be so ugly and still surpass the V8 Bolwell Nagaris.

Those Phase III GTHOs ugly or not, were commanding $275,000 - $900,000 depending on condition, originality and race history! They were truly brutal.

had one of these in the family in the day. if only we still had it...

still got one of these in the family collection. has been since day 1. will never be sold either.

Just wandered over this page and it got me thinking about my Valiant days.

VE sedan with rebuilt ex-Charger 318 and 4spd at 7000rpm in top gear on 14inch skinny crossply's on the road to Mallala (estimated 142mph)

(note, ran out of road ... with steering wheel in the straight ahead position it floated from one side of the road to the other)
Thats what 30 plus years of wear in the front end will do I guess.

Things we did as kids, eh.


Wonder what the Bell will be like ? on a closed course, of course, we don't do that sort of thing these days do we, lol

d a v e , d a v e , d a v e ...................
Phase 3 was 1971 dude, not '69.

69 was the XW Phase 1 with the 351 Windsor.
70 was the XW again in Phase 2 form with the 351 Cleveland.
71 was the XY Phase 3 with the Cleveland again.
and 72 would have seen the greatest of all.... the XA Phase 4, also a Cleveland, but as we know, the do-gooders had a big cry, beat the story out of proportion to buggery, and killed it before it lived, along with the XU-1 V8 Torana and the big banger V8 Charger.
Bastards...........

For those that don't know the story, google along the lines of:
"super car scare 1972 australia." that'll lead you to some interesting stuff.

having been in a Phase 1, 2 and 3, IMHO, the 1 is the nicest road car, the 2 was an absolute beast and the 'raceyist', and the 3 made the 2 a bit nicer to drive around town while being just as quick on the track.
from discussions with a Phase 4 owner (1 of the 3 prototype race cars Ford built before the bun-fight, then they snuck them out the back door) who also owns an example of the other 3 "Phases", he says the 4 was the best, easily, as it was just as quick in a straight line as a 2 or 3, but handled alot better, both at low and high speed.

one things for sure.... we got robbed of some awsome cars back then!!