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I have a genuine one owner 1974 Fairmont Hardtop which was bought as a special order and delivered to my Dad on 24th Sept 1974. It had 52,000 km when I got it in October 1979. Over the next 29 years, it has been stripped and had the vinyl roof removed and new paint, it has had the original 302 worked, the power steer and air con removed. The 2.92 BW diff was replaced with a 9" and has had 3.55, 4.11, 4.89 and now back to 4.11 gears. The diff is now a Summers Bros axled, Detroit Locker. The car was drag raced for many years and ran a best of 12.13@114 mph with its "baby" 430 hp motor in 1991. |
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The auto was removed sometime around 1981 and has had a Top-loader until recently when it was replaced by a Tremec TKO-600. The 302 was replaced by a 351 Cleveland which has had various rebuilds varying from a 430 hp up to a roller cammed 512 hp unit. The car now has a 480 hp Cleveland carrying the original engine number! |
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The body is very original but has been bare metalled three times over the years and was rotisseried and changed to Midnight Blue around 1991. The whole car is detailed including blue painted underbody, leaf springs, brakes etc!! The car was shown for years in Hot Rod and Custom shows and has been featured in many magazines and calendars between 1981 and 1995. |
| Although the car was still driven for a few years after I got it, it now only has 81,000 km on the speedo. Being that it had 4.11 and 4.89 gears for most of that time, the mileage is probably less in reality, than that shown on the speedo. I have all the original registration papers, glovebox manual and recently managed to get from Ford Australia, all the original order and delivery information. Even though I didn't get it for 5 years, I dreamt of the day I would get it and not being a GT, I always had plans to modify the car to MY standard. I still have the car which I will pass down to one of my two sons. And, I have the car that I want. .....and it has never been owned by anyone else!! |
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Specifications:
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Engine : 351 Cleveland. Built by Shane Cable and Athol Burns at Cable and Burns Race Engines in Melbourne. |
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Modifications : 4V Closed Chamber Heads modified & with inlet and |
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Gearbox : Tremec TKO-600 5 Speed gearbox |
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Diff : H. R. W. Nodular iron diff casing, |
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Body : Paint colour : Mercedes ‘Midnite blue’ by A. E. Automotive, Burwood, Melbourne |
All of the above (incl brakes, leaf & coil springs) painted body colour. All bolts/nuts satin chrome or zinc plated
All body mouldings, brackets and engine bay in body color
Hidden windscreen washers, wiring, and heating
Additional information on eXBee:
The eXBee was a full feature car in the following magazines from 1980-1999
Custom Rodder 1980
Street Machine 1984, 1991 and 1995
Street and Custom 1989
Cover car for Street and Custom 1989
Street and Strip 1988
Street and Strip Calendar 1989
Best of Street and Strip 1989
Performance Street car 1999
The car was also shown at the Victorian Hot Rod Show in 1981 and 1982.
The owner organised and attended the Australian Falcon Coupe Club Road Tour from Toledo, Ohio to the Ford 100th at Dearborn, Michigan in 2003. Howard drove an XBGT Coupe owned by a New York Cop from Toledo to Dearborn. 23 XA, XB and XC coupes attended from across the US and Canada and Howard was the only Australian who attended.
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