Here are some stuff that has been sent to me by various generous folk, along with my attempts to explain what they are.

Engine bay markings

Here is the engine bay of an original, fairly unmolested XA.

You can see the ‘OK’ paint marking on the front of the drivers side rocker cover.

Note that the placement of the ‘OK’ letters can vary on the face of the rocker cover, as can the spacing between the letters.

The other rocker cover carried the ‘CK’ label, which was mentioned here, but it also had an emissions label.

These emission decals were applied to US supplied engines. Here is the decal on a 1970 Ford Mustang.

And a 1971 Mustang.

Notice how the difference between the early ‘notched’ rocker and the late ‘chamfered’ rocker cover affects the label.

As an aside, for the 1973 model year in the US it appeared that some 351C engines fitted to Mustang/Cougars and Torinos came with rocker covers that had the ‘Powered by Ford’ enbossed on them, but most came with just the ‘Ford’ oval.

This resulted in different placements of the label.

1973 Mustang with PbF rockers.

1973 Cougar with Ford rockers.

The sticker moved to the top of the rocker cover - where it must have been much easier to read - and the layout changed.

The later U.S. emission decal in original detail.

It is also worth noting that the ‘OK’ stampings were popular in the U.S.

It appears that imported engines fitted to 1973 XA Falcons did not have this yellow label attached to their engines.

However, the US exported, Australian imported 351C engines carried a large yellow ‘DSO’ sticker on the passenger side rocker cover.

However, it would appear that, in many cases, attempts were made to remove the sticker - either at the factory, or at dealers. Unfortunately, this seems to have resulted in the unsightly and ragged yellow ‘splodge’ that adorns many 351C powered GT’s now.

Interestingly, this original XW GT-HO Phase2 has the remains of the sticker in a completely different location.

Here is the emission sticker for a late 72 XA. It is fixed to the front face of the pax side suspension tower.

Note also the Bib Stillwell dealer sticker, which includes a stock number.

XW-XY GT petrol cap and ring

XW GT driving lamp brackets

These are the curved brackets to mount the driving lamps on the front of an XW GT.

They are relatively simple, and crude, affairs, being just curved brackets welded to the existing grille support brackets. But they are clever and effective for all that.

Here is a regular XW showing the ‘normal’ grille support brackets, and the gap that the curved sections protrude through.

XW-XY Super Fringe radio

Note that this radio has chrome buttons signifying it has come from a Fairmont, Falcon GT or Fairlane 500.

XW GT speedometer and tachometer

XR GT gearbox floorshift hump

XW-XY Top Loader shifter

XA - XB Top Loader shifter

UK XC front indicators

We have already touched on the fact that Ford in the U.K. changed the rear indicators on the coupes to those from a Triumph Dolomite. What is less expected, and less explicable, is why Ford U.K. changed the front indicators on the XC models that they sold here. Above is the standard Australian Ford indicator lens as seen on this XC GXL.

This is what was used on XC’s sold in the U.K.

Ford U.K. seem to have taken a standard U.K. Ford orange indicator assembly from a MkIV Ford Cortina and fitted it to a rather crudely made fibre glass plug which then attaches in the stock Australian location.

We are not entirely sure why Ford U.K. did this, unless it was to push the indicator further forward out of the grille, and have it less recessed like the standard Australian one, perhaps for visibility angles. This is puzzling as the cars have side repeaters in the front wings, so the lens above doesn’t need to be seen from the side.

I guess we may never find out why it was done.

It would be good to find some good photos of XC GXL’s from here in the U.K. when they were new, for comparison purposes.

Thanks to Wayne for tracking down these pieces.

Elecric boot aerial from an XB hardtop

Limited edition badges

In 1975, to celecrate their 50th Anniversary, Ford of Australia released some celebration cars with special badges. The cars were 200 ZG Fairlanes and a specially coloured batch of 50 P5 LTD Town Cars.

Town car badge was a different colour.

Later, to celebrate 25 years of the Falcon, Ford put celebratory badges on a batch of XF Falcons. The cars were available in three colours: Silver, White and Regency, as below.

[Australian Ford Register UK] [History] [The Cars] [Members] [Bits and Pieces] [Bits and Pieces 2] [Fairlanes] [The Scottish GT's] [Corporate Colours] [More Specials] [Stuff] [XB in detail] [XA ute restoration] [XT wagon] [EB and EL GT] [The 'Last' V8] [Untitled118] [Untitled119] [Untitled120] [Untitled124] [Links] [Visitors] [Events] [AusCCA] [Site History]