Little bit of Ford history.

2011G6E · 21-06-2011, 11:22 AM

Here's an interesting little bit of Ford history I thought people might like to see.

Setting the scene first: back in the mid-1990's, my brother in law and I went to a farmers property which was loaded with old cars over about five acres. My bro-in-law was picking up a 1937 Ford ute, and I had my eye on a 1938 DeSoto...for $50! Anyway, while walking down the back, I saw two old white Falcons sitting side by side. They were both XK models, very straight, pretty much rust free, white with red interiors (which were in excellent condition and included rear venetians), and all chrome very good including un-dented hubcaps and trim rings. I guess a weekends work would have got them both on the road again. The guy had picked them up off a neighbouring farm a year or two earlier, and wanted to get rid of them as well.
I looked under the bonnet and saw the little metal plate (it's about 40mm wide by 80mm high) shown here spot welded to the side of the engine block, and prised it off to keep it.

Why did I do that, you ask?

Because both cars were going to the dump to be pushed over the edge into the scrapheap..."You can have them both for free if you want to take them away", he said.
But, blinded by the big old DeSoto, I said no...

...utter, utter, tool...

Jim Goose · 21-06-2011, 01:19 PM

no no no no no no...... I think we all have been there and kicked ourselves with hindsight !

aquahead2001 · 21-06-2011, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Here's an interesting little bit of Ford history I thought people might like to see.

Setting the scene first: back in the mid-1990's, my brother in law and I went to a farmers property which was loaded with old cars over about five acres. My bro-in-law was picking up a 1937 Ford ute, and I had my eye on a 1938 DeSoto...for $50! Anyway, while walking down the back, I saw two old white Falcons sitting side by side. They were both XK models, very straight, pretty much rust free, white with red interiors (which were in excellent condition and included rear venetians), and all chrome very good including un-dented hubcaps and trim rings. I guess a weekends work would have got them both on the road again. The guy had picked them up off a neighbouring farm a year or two earlier, and wanted to get rid of them as well.
I looked under the bonnet and saw the little metal plate (it's about 40mm wide by 80mm high) shown here spot welded to the side of the engine block, and prised it off to keep it.

Why did I do that, you ask?

Because both cars were going to the dump to be pushed over the edge into the scrapheap..."You can have them both for free if you want to take them away", he said.
But, blinded by the big old DeSoto, I said no...

...utter, utter, tool...

Keeping away from the sad loss of these vehicles, Ford had an engine rebuilding facility in Ballarat for a long time, not sure when it closed. I know they did up a variety of Ford motors, I had a 1,600cc mkII Cortina that had one a Ford Reco Engine and I have now a 1964 Fairlane that I suspect has a Ford Reco Engine. I remember getting under the car once and remember seeing the stainless steel tag on the block.

HULK EF · 21-06-2011, 03:48 PM

administer self kicks to the head! lol

TheInterceptor · 21-06-2011, 07:41 PM

Why didn't you inform us!!!!!!!!!

2011G6E · 22-06-2011, 01:32 AM

Hmm...not really sure there was much of an internet in the early 1990's...I seem to remember crap dial-up...little early for this forum...

Don;t worry, I've been kicking myself over stuff like this for decades now, every time I stumble across this little tag in a set of drawers in my shed. As they say, "Hindsight is 20/20 vision"...

TheInterceptor · 22-06-2011, 01:24 PM

Ah yes sorry just realised the 1990's bit

Guess you can look at it as owning a little peice of history.

Bobman · 23-06-2011, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Hmm...not really sure there was much of an internet in the early 1990's...I seem to remember crap dial-up...little early for this forum..

Aus.Cars in the newsgroups was going strong then and still going well into the mid 2000s but is now over-run by trolls and spammers.

2011G6E · 23-06-2011, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

Ah yes sorry just realised the 1990's bit

Guess you can look at it as owning a little peice of history.

Yes, but if I had been in possession of half a brain back then and had a teensy bit of foresight, I could now be looking at two pieces of history in the form of a matched pair of very early Falcons...

I imagine this sort of rebuilding was done back in the days when you used to see adverts in car magazines for various products to use when your "yearly valve grind" came due...maybe if the engine was wallaby-ted, you'd be able to get it rebuilt by the factory?

Imagine what that would cost nowadays...