Howard Astill's BOSSXC - Summernats

[Wretched]

Howard Astill was commissioned to build a XC Falcon from the ground up with FG Falcon interior and "luxuries" with stonking V8.

He has a YT site and documented the whole process in great detail and the entire playlist can be found here - https://youtu.be/cWZsHM1UPlI

Now they're at Summernats and voting for the people's choice in the top 60 has started.
It'd be nice to get this Ford the love it deserves.
If you want to vote here and reference entrant 2151.

I highly recommend checking out the YT channel for the build process on this car. Huge amount of effort.

[MrEL]

I'm in 2 minds about commissioned builds.
Yes the owner only come up with the idea and signed a very large pile of cheques. In this case they have kept very very low key.
But to the media and public it will always be Howard Astills car.
Yes him and his crew put it together but received a huge amount of money for doing so.
Why would you get someone to build you a car that will become very well known knowing that it will never be "your" car?

[Citroënbender]

It has parallels in other industry. Some would be happy to live in a Seidler house, own a James Gleeson painting, have a celebratory dinner catered by Neil Perry… If the build is good enough, the car's owner is paying for the privilege of being its custodian.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by MrEL

I'm in 2 minds about commissioned builds.
Yes the owner only come up with the idea and signed a very large pile of cheques. In this case they have kept very very low key.
But to the media and public it will always be Howard Astills car.
Yes him and his crew put it together but received a huge amount of money for doing so.
Why would you get someone to build you a car that will become very well known knowing that it will never be "your" car?

I understand what you mean. However why wouldn't you use the services of someone who knows how to build a car to show standard, can be daily driven and comply with all state regulations?
Did you by hand build your own house? Still your house, just built by trades people.

If you watch the actual series you'll understand why the owner did this.

Should I be in a position to afford to have a project car, I would rather spend the $$ on seeking assistance rather than the car sit in a garage for "when I have time" and likely never get done. In addition, you get the expertise of someone who does it for a living and knows the best way to achieve what it is you want to do without skimping on quality.

[XRtowcar]

Why buy a custom Ferrari? If you have the cash it’s because you can, and probably haven’t the time or the ability to do it yourself, so you get the best guys to do it.
Wish I had a spare million to do something crazy.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

It has parallels in other industry. Some would be happy to live in a Seidler house, own a James Gleeson painting, have a celebratory dinner catered by Neil Perry… If the build is good enough, the car's owner is paying for the privilege of being its custodian.

Can relate.

[Franco Cozzo]

I randomly stumbled across it at Summernats today







The build quality is next level and the paint is unbelievable, a testament to whoever built it. It's like every millimeter of the car has been thought about and done in detail.

Although I wonder why they go to the effort of a restomod type build, retrofit all this modern technology into it, like ABS, then use a 429 with multipoint injection rather than a Miami or Godzilla, and it has fluted glass sealed/semi sealed beam headlights still.

[Giant Cranium]

looking forward to seeing it tomorrow,

and hopefully a ls doing a skid...

[whynot]

Originally Posted by MrEL

I'm in 2 minds about commissioned builds.
Yes the owner only come up with the idea and signed a very large pile of cheques. In this case they have kept very very low key.
But to the media and public it will always be Howard Astills car.
Yes him and his crew put it together but received a huge amount of money for doing so.
Why would you get someone to build you a car that will become very well known knowing that it will never be "your" car?

In Episode 33 of the series on YouTube, there is a long segment with the owner. Worth viewing to understand the history of the car and why the owner decided to have Astill do the work.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I randomly stumbled across it at Summernats today


The build quality is next level and the paint is unbelievable, a testament to whoever built it. It's like every millimeter of the car has been thought about and done in detail.

Although I wonder why they go to the effort of a restomod type build, retrofit all this modern technology into it, like ABS, then use a 429 with multipoint injection rather than a Miami or Godzilla, and it has fluted glass sealed/semi sealed beam headlights still.

You should seriously run through the YT series, the effort Howard goes to on the panels and their alignment is just bordering obsession. In the last vid he said the panel gap was within 0.5mm across the board and he was happy with that. Howard has a good relationship with PPG and the car spent a fair bit of time up there getting painted.

Seriously if I had the $$ I'd commission Howard to restomod a 69 Mustang fastback with a Miami engine.

The owner had the engine, i cannot remember the reason behind that but they do cover it.

[Rallye Sport]

Love the car and respect the build but the idea of those FG blend doors and shafts deep in that dash makes me shudder

[Wretched]

Well it achieved the following:

• Top 10
• 2nd Top Special Effects Finish Paint
• 3rd Top Body Work
• 1st Top Pro Touring
• 3rd Top Undercarriage
• 1stTop Interior
• 1stPeople’s Choice
• Superstars Finalist for MotorEx

https://www.whichcar.com.au/events/s...-summernats-35+

[Poetic Justice]

I really respect the car and the work but the modern interior isn’t doing a lot for me!

I think I’d prefer something custom after seeing that

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Poetic Justice

I really respect the car and the work but the modern interior isn’t doing a lot for me!

I think I’d prefer something custom after seeing that

Its funny the perceptions on it, for me the modern interior is the part I like the most, that and the detail they've gone to

Though the most disappointing aspect of Summernats to me is all those cars in the shed where they display these builds - they look like they're never driven and they're stored in sheds and get trailed around to shows to sit in a shed with mirrors under them.

Which is interesting as one of the others who I was with at Summernats, she said the same thing that its a shame they're treated as 'art' rather than as a car.

[Poetic Justice]

Yeah, you ought to want to have it out and about but judging on some of the behaviour I’ve seen over the past few days not sure Id want my car of that caliber out among those who might harm it

[whynot]

I am almost afraid to ask this question ... but would anyone like to hazard a guess at how much brass the owner sunk into this project? I can recall reading somewhere that there was over 4,500 hours of labour.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by whynot

I am almost afraid to ask this question ... but would anyone like to hazard a guess at how much brass the owner sunk into this project? I can recall reading somewhere that there was over 4,500 hours of labour.

Not sure if it is any indication but some of Howard's early videos he mentions that builds can be between 250k - $1m. It just depends on what the owner wants done. I'd hazard this one was around the $500k+

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by whynot

I am almost afraid to ask this question ... but would anyone like to hazard a guess at how much brass the owner sunk into this project? I can recall reading somewhere that there was over 4,500 hours of labour.

Howard did hint at the cost being several hundred thousand.

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I randomly stumbled across it at Summernats today


The build quality is next level and the paint is unbelievable, a testament to whoever built it. It's like every millimeter of the car has been thought about and done in detail.

I saw them designing the paint on YT. It's Ford blue, of course, and it is pearl, with flake and crushed glass. Really "pops" as they say.

[cs123]

Undeniably incredible skill by Astill and his team to build that car. Interesting to see that even those guys can't get the door rubbers to line up perfectly

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Howard did hint at the cost being several hundred thousand.

It seems eye watering at first but there's plenty of blokes out there prepared to drop 400k+ on a Ferrari or what not, so if it gives you the same feels etc then why not?

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

I never understood fitting new car interiors into classics.

The whole idea of owning a classic is to own, drive and enjoy a car build years ago, never felt the desire to change it.

I saying that I always thought that XC's had a strange interior, stuck between the XD Falcon and TE Cortina, the interior never seemed to suit the shape of the XC in my opinion.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

I never understood fitting new car interiors into classics.

The whole idea of owning a classic is to own, drive and enjoy a car build years ago, never felt the desire to change it.

I saying that I always thought that XC's had a strange interior, stuck between the XD Falcon and TE Cortina, the interior never seemed to suit the shape of the XC in my opinion.

Horses for courses.
Personally I like the restomodding scene, improves upon the original's flaws and allows it to live on with improved technology. In this instance I am not a fan of the FG interior (didn't even like it in the FG), but that's the beauty of owning the car, you do what you want.

For me, should stars align in my favour, I would restomod a '69 Mustang Mach 1 (or just a coupe) in a similar fashion to Robert Downey Jnr's 70 Mustang, albeit in my own style.

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by Wretched

I would restomod a '69 Mustang Mach 1 (or just a coupe) in a similar fashion to Robert Downey Jnr's 70 Mustang, albeit in my own style.

Now that's a nice car!

[Wretched]

The YT link below is post Summernats and review of the car and the things that need to be fixed that he didn't get a chance to do before heading to Canberra. Had to be a URL link as the tags don't seem to like a time jump in the video.

https://youtu.be/2f5PQU6xtlc?t=917

[Wretched]

So the work now begins on getting the car ready for Motorex. Fixing all the issues that weren't able to be addressed prior to Summernats.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Wretched

So the work now begins on getting the car ready for Motorex. Fixing all the issues that weren't able to be addressed prior to Summernats.

[YT]gk97rl_93FU[/YT

Following on from the old 'Murrican Hot Rodders with a Jag rear end

[Raptor]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Following on from the old 'Murrican Hot Rodders with a Jag rear end

Inspired by those clever Jaguar engineers no doubt but that's all brand new (polished cast stainless steel) custom made in the US of A.

Check out the price, and that's USD

https://kugelkomponents.com/independ...r-suspensions/









.

[FTE217]

As many mentioned you just can't not admire a persons/builders vision passion and having the $$$$$ to take on these jobs.
I get people against it tampering with ol skool but all to its own.
I admire these type of builds and wish I had that kind of $$$ to play but yer nah never in my life but its great to see.
Having attended more than 25 + SEMA shows you just marvel at it all, your head turns left right and centre and the mind boggles what people do, type of cars and the mods astounds you.
I like Astill types and at the sametime can walk up to an original of any nice brand that I liked and admire it just the same.

[tasdex]

Interior colour is “ who ever your god is “
fuggn ‘orible !