Australian Muscle Car – July 01, 2019

Whatis it?
“A 1982XEFordFalconDickJohnsonGrand
Prixspecialedition,builtbyCountryDealer
Team(theCDT)in Queenslandandonly
soldbyselectedForddealershipsthroughout
Australia.”
Whendidyoubuyit?
“I boughttheGrandPrixoverthreeyearsago
nowfromtheoriginal/rstowners.I foundit in
primerandstillneedingmorepanelrepairsand
a ground-uprestoration.”
Whydidyoubuyit?
“I’vealwaysbeena passionateFordfanand
carenthusiastthanksto myelderbrother,Ali.
WhenI wasrsttoldabouttheGrandPrix
bymymateBrendonI knewI hadto haveit,
especiallywhenhementionedit wasthebest
possiblebuildnumberto have:DickJohnson’s
racingnumber!It’sbuildnumber 17 of only 43
everbuilt.Brendonhaddonemostof thepanel
repairsto thecarandknewthecarverywellas
hewasmateswiththeoriginalowners’son.”
Whatdoyouknowaboutitshistory?
“ItwaspurchasednewfromTilfords,theFord
dealerherein Hobart.Theoriginalownertraded
in hisbelovedXCCobrato buythiscarforhis
wife.Therewasactuallya write-upat thetime
inTheMercury, ourlocalpaper,andthere’sa
pictureof thesalesman,thecarandthenew
ownerwhentheytookdelivery.Becausehe
boughtit forhiswifeto drive,that’swhyhe
optedforthenon-turboversionof thecar.They
keptthecarfrom 1982 untilthreeyearsago,
whenI boughtit. SoI’mjustthesecondowner.
Thishasalwaysbeena Tasmaniancarfromday
oneandmanypeoplerememberit fromtheir
childhood.Somewereluckyenoughto have
beenpickedupanddroppedoffto schoolif they
werefriendswiththeowners’son.”
Howdoesit go?
“Itgoeswellforwhatit is.Thisis thenonturbo

version,butI’vehadtheengine

fullyrebuilt,includingYellaTerra

rollerrockers,IceIgnition,ACLrace

bearings,mildcamshaft,extractors,

lotsof machinework,andrunning

at 10:1compression.I didn’t

wantto gotoofarwiththeengine

modicationsasI wantedto keep

theenginebaylookingstandard

andasit cameoutfromthefactory

sowewerelimitedto onlyusing

thefactorycarburettorandair

cleaner.Thewholesteeringand

suspensionsetupwasreplacedwithne

andthebrakeswererebuiltalsosoit wouldfeel

anddrivelikea newcaronceagain.AsI said,

wehadto nishofftherustrepairsandpaintit

• ZenithBlue,of course.Wehadto fullyrebuild
  thewheels.Theonlythingthatwedidn’treally
  haveto dowastheinterior,becauseit wasin
  reallygoodcondition.It hadbeenwelllooked
  afterandis a lowkayscar.”
  Anythingyou’dliketoadd?
  “I wouldjustliketo saythankyouto the
  previousownersforlookingafterthiscarand
  givingmetheopportunityto restoreit to its
  formerglory.Andthanksalsoto myfriendsand
  familyforhelpingmethroughouttherestoration.
  Therearewaytoomanypeopleto namebut
  theyallknowwhotheyare.I’dalsoliketo add
  thatI haveplansto sendtheGrandPrixto the
  NationalAutomobileMuseumof Tasmaniain
  Launcestonfordisplaysootherscanseethe
  carandappreciateit asit’stheonlyoneof its
  kindin thestate.”

AMChadthefullstoryontheFordXEFalcon

DickJohnsonGrandPrixTurbos(andnon

turbos!)in issue#82.Mohamad’scaris seen

hereasphotographedin Tilfordsshowroom–

again!ImagesbyKevinGutteridge

Whatarethey?

“I currentlyowntwoHGBroughams.”

Whendidyoubuythem?

“I’vehadtherestoredBroughamwiththecream

vinylroofforaboutsixyears.Andin Aprilthisyear

I purchasedanotherHGBrougham,onewitha

blackroof.”

Adam Hammond

Cars: HG Holden Broughams

Hometown: Mt Gambier, SA