ON THE STREET KILLERRides Rides BEN AMBROSE

1971 Xy Falcon

Words / Pics - Paul Beck

Even back in 1997 when Ben walked into Goulburn Wreckers and spotted the well-worn, rusty XY Falcon, you didn’t get much for $250. Knowing full well of the task at hand, Ben pressed on anyway as he had always wanted an XY Falcon. Over the next 24-years, Ben spent time on and off the project, whilst life outside of the garage took priority over the old Falcon needing lots of attention. But still, Ben pressed on. Panel by panel, he toiled away removing the rusted pieces, and replacing it with fresh steel that resulted in a factory styled body that was not only better that what the factory had offered in 1971, but also replicated the GT Falcon in every way with the grille (with spotlights), teardrop mirrors, fuel cap, GTstriping and of course the all-important Shaker and blackouts, all added to give the oh-so-popular look. Before the colour was to be added to the body and engine bay, Ben smoothed the outer skin, engine bay and added a unique panelling to the boot area. When he was satisfied with the sheet metal, he loaded up his spray gun with PPG Wild Violet and dumped its contents all over the barebones Falcon. The result – spectacular!

After dropping just $250 to purchase what was a rusted-out project car, Ben Ambrose had to wait some 24-years before driving the GT-inspired XY Falcon for the first time.

Originally, the HK left the factory covered in Silver Mink with red trim – one of the most desirable colour combinations for this model. The first thing Pete did was to remove the panels (including complete front end) and then sandblast the underside to clean it up and make sure there wasn’t any nasty surprises waiting for him. When the dust had settled, the bare floor proved to be in great shape and it was at this stage that Pete added a 3.55-geared Detroit Locker diff as well as HQ drum brakes and all new lines and bushes. And with a big horsepower engine upgrade planned, Pete dropped the HK off to Brett at Wicked Industries to add some chassis connectors and minitubs – just the thing to through those 15x8-inch Auto Drag Centerlines under complete with the 28x10.5-inch Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pros. Completing the underside makeover are HQ disc brakes, 90/10 shocks and lowered Lovells springs on the front end with 15x5.5-inch rims and 640Excelsior tyres. The rear end now sits lower too, thanks to reset leaf springs and Koni adjustable shocks.

The engine bay now houses just the 351-cube Clevo. Keeping the engine the main focus meant hiding the wiring, brake lines, and brake boosters, with the Astra electric power steering assembly mounted out of sight. Built by B&T Automotive and detailed by Ben, the 30-thou over 5.8-litre Cleveland has that classic GT look, whilst being topped with some EFI technology in the form of a Holley Sniper throttle body attached to an Edelbrock intake. Internally, the build also included 4V closed chamber heads and a moderate Comp Cam. Externally, there’s an Aeromotive pump feeding the engine plenty of 98-octane fuel, which when ignited, sends the gases through a pair of Pacemaker headers and a dual 3-inch system with Flowmaster mufflers.

The power pushes through a manualised C4 auto with a 2500rpm converter to the 2.75-geared 9-inch diff. Underside upgrades include a quartet of King Springs and Monroe shocks with the four-wheel-disc braking system comprising of Wilwood discs, calipers and master cylinder. Helping the XY steer like a newer model is an RRS rack and pinion assembly. The wheels of choice are 15-inch Outlaw Drag Intensity in black and silver that gives the Falcon a nastier look.

Sticking your head in any window will take you on a trip to 1971 with the seating, dash, door trims etc all reminiscent of just how a GT Falcon would have left the showroom floor back in 1971. Well almost. The console mounted B&M Shifter wasn’t a factory option back then, but Ben made it look like the Ford engineers fitted it none the less. Peter Porter Trimming transformed the XY’s worn-out insides to better than new, showing off his stitching skills. After such a long build period, Ben has certainly learned a few lessons. “I’d definitely use aftermarket panels instead of repairing the original items to save time and money as there’s so much more available now then there was back then and I’d be buying a rotisserie so I wouldn’t have to lay on the ground to paint and repair!” The effort has been worth it though with the Falcon wining a coveted Top 60 spot at this year’s Summernats as well as Best Pre ’80 Ford at Rollin’ Chrome in Crookwell and 1st 1965-1979 Ford at the Goulburn Car & Motorcycle show. I’m sure there’s more to come too with Ben planning a few more show appearances including Killer Rides Live #5 after fine-tuning the minor details and then preparing the car for registration so it becomes a weekend cruiser!

Thanks To: Phil and Nat Kerjean – Fuelworx. B&T Automotive. Luke Demain – Elite Custom Wiring. Figtree Automatics. Peter Porter Motor Trimming. Westend Performance. Pro-Street Industries. PPG Paints. My wife and Children for their patience and understanding for all the time spent in the shed.