Hope For Us All

[Petrolhead]

This is a Ford Falcon FPV GT-P

FPV (Ford performance Vehicles) is a bit like your Roush - it takes Falcon off the assembly line, chucks a hand-built 315kW (approx 420hp V8) engine, big brakes, trick suspension and a whole lot of creature comforts at it, and sells it for around NZD$80,000 (US$49,000)

I was lucky enough to take one for a test for a week, it hauls ****; 14-second quarter miles all day long, and would easily dip in the 13s with a little bit of effort

[scumdog]

Sadly though SandyBoy, we got no Thunderbirds new here in N.Z.!!

They have all had to be imported by some keen person wanting one (or wanting one to sell) as were most American 2-doors or convertibles, we did however get quite a few American 4-doors of various types (normally non-performance ones) right thrrough until about 1967 or so.

I use to own a right-hand steer '63 Galaxie convertible with 429, they used a '59 Edsel speedo assembly and guages on the right-hand drive dash, in fact a lot of our dashes were odd-ball, i.e. '57 Chevs had '56 dashes, '56 Fords had a '55 speedo and our '46 to '48 Fords had US '42 dashes.

My '55 F100 is NZ assembled and right-hand steering as is my wifes '62 Fairlane.

[SandyBoy]

+
I am fairly familiar with the Commodore. They are nice. But, when they re-badged them & bring to America....they flop. Our Pontiac GTO was a Commodore Coupe, and allthough the power was there, it was not taken to the heart of most Americans. Why? I have NO idea.
I have also seen in pics, the Falcons.

Most Americans today are blinded by the Japanese & German cars, who are outselling our domestics. Me? There are 1 or 2 that I'd buy - but not to worry, as i cannot afford them
Audi A8-L W-12 or Audi A8-l S10
Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas Super-8
Jaguar XK Convertible
All of which are at or a little bit over $100,000

The Falcons look "wrong" to me as Ford (well the ones
i've seen in pictures) mixes design elements.
For example basically a Ford branded model, wear our
Mercury branded product's tailamps and wheels, for your
market. The brain screams NO! & cancels it.
The GMs do not seem to do that. But.....let it be known,
that I have actually seen very very few of their products
designs in your part of the globe.

[Penelope]

SandyBoy, I am off to an all Ford day this weekend and will post some pics of some Ausiie Fords for you next week. The run is in the capital of Western Australia (the state in which I live) and I am hoping that we will get 8 to 10 T-Birds as well.

I imagine that there will be one or two examples of the most famous of all Aussie Falcons, the XY GTHO Phase 3, which sell for over $500K. They are an awesome road car and won our great road race here in Oz quite a few times (Bathurst 1000).

[SandyBoy]

IF IF IF ya see one, take a pic. I never even HEARD of it !!
Do you get Corvettes there ? I cannot begin to imagine the cost. Here, now, for 2009 one can take a new 2009 FAST to $ 90,OOO USA $$.
ZO6 Model - with every option. They sell like 3,000 units a year, like that.

[Penelope]

Will do Sandy, in the interim here is a link to some photo's of one that give you a pretty good insight to them. To say they are revered in all circles would be an understatement. They are still quick even today, but this was in 1971 and it was an Aussie built muscle car that originally cost something like $4500AUD or $3600USD.

http://www.australianmusclecarsales.com.au/muscle_view/94360

As for Corvette's I imagine you could order one through our Holden dealers, but dont really know.