order Falcon Gli get a Fairmont Ghia

xywagonxtpanvan · 18-10-2011, 07:59 PM

when i was younger i remember dads mate telling me about work colegues (ford production line workers) ordering base model cars for themselves and then fitting every option possible as the car went down the assembly line.

has anyone got one or seen one, what would they be worth?

Fordman · 18-10-2011, 08:04 PM

Hate to be cheeky, but as much as a fairmont ghia?

xywagonxtpanvan · 18-10-2011, 08:07 PM

just a title, not to sure of what came out, but im sure it was possible

**Polyal** · 18-10-2011, 08:08 PM

LOL as above

Because the tags would say GLI there is no real proof that the parts put on are factory.

Id be more interested in finding the truth about it, because AFAIK everything is JIT and synced, unless they were able to horde parts and wait until it came down the line. Even then thats a long stretch.

StealthAu · 18-10-2011, 08:11 PM

A base plated car with higher spec options fitted, would be worth about as much as all the cars people have done the same to after purchase, nothing special.

Elements · 18-10-2011, 08:12 PM

There's one very well documented case that still gets bought up quite frequently in Broady. This was called the "L____ Pack" (surname withheld because it's a public forum). This guy ordered a GLi, snuck on some Ghia trimmings, got caught, and made an example of.

RAPID_BA · 18-10-2011, 08:53 PM

i have a ba xr8 fitted with climate control, leather and premium sound. did someone on the assembly line fit my car with a "L___ pack" surname withheld 6pm special.

au2000 · 19-10-2011, 06:39 AM

well as much as people like to doubt such things, there were not as many stock controls in the past, my parents ordered a new ex fairmont in 82 & my uncle was at ford at the time, my parents paid for a std fairmont & got the following thrown in so to speak:
electric windows,
electric antenna
stump guard
it's not a huge list i agree but all 3 found their way onto the car at no cost, i think the key was to do things subtly back then & not make it too obvious,
back in 68 , my mums cousin was a supervisor at ford & when she ordered her new XT it took 6 weeks to make, he later told me many years ago the the car was re checked 3 times at every stage & had been seam welded just as often, he's also had gt shocks, am radio with speaker & a couple of minor things thrown in for good measure too.
so i'd say yes it did happen in the past just not in an extreme way, also back then if you knew someone you could arranged un usual options too

FrogInASock · 19-10-2011, 07:02 AM

A former workmate used to work for the "other" car company did pretty much exactly that. As he worked for the company, he knew pretty much when "his" car was coming down the line, so when it arrived, he got a call from his mate on the line. During the interior fitting, it got the full works from a Statesman in an otherwise standard VS (I think) ute.

He also said that this couldn't happen today as all the relavent parts are barcoded or similar and the assemblers wouldn't be able to substitute upmarket parts.

big_landau · 19-10-2011, 08:08 AM

i have seen very late model cars (last month or 2 of production) fitted with quite a few upspec parts like xd/xe/xf gl's fitted with fairmont/ghia seats and parts,bonnet badges etc.

Trevor 57 · 19-10-2011, 08:10 AM

Reminds me of the late Johnny Cash's song 'one piece at a time' -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWHni...eature=related

big_landau · 19-10-2011, 08:22 AM

i think they done it to flash them up a bit when they were just about to release a new model so they sold easier.they also may have had excess fairmont parts so they but them in a base model to get rid of the parts.

**DJM83** · 19-10-2011, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StealthAu

A base plated car with higher spec options fitted, would be worth about as much as all the cars people have done the same to after purchase, nothing special.

This.

Gobes32 · 19-10-2011, 09:40 AM

A superintendent in the 60's had a XA panel van made with a 351 which I believe was not an option back then? Simpler times my friend. I don't imagine it could ever happen today?

aussie muscle · 19-10-2011, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big_landau

i think they done it to flash them up a bit when they were just about to release a new model so they sold easier.they also may have had excess fairmont parts so they but them in a base model to get rid of the parts.

i read they did that to get rid of the 'phase 4' parts, stuck them on anything.

jcxr · 19-10-2011, 10:33 AM

There was some weird and wonderful cars built at Broady in the early years, something that would never happen now.

gcg2503 · 19-10-2011, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gobes32

A superintendent in the 60's had a XA panel van made with a 351 which I believe was not an option back then? Simpler times my friend. I don't imagine it could ever happen today?

XAs came about very late 1971 Gobes!

RAPID_BA · 19-10-2011, 10:56 AM

Was there any such thing as a police pack?

I know that people claim the older cars had more performance as a police special.

I had my ecu interrogated by a tuner in the 90s when I owned a ex pursuit car and they said it had a different map but wouldn't make any additional performance with it. It was still a 165kw spec V8

**Polyal** · 19-10-2011, 10:58 AM

Police Packs where usually K codes (not always) and some dealerships would tweek them a bit. I cant recall exactly but there was a really good article in an AMC magazine.

But again, todays police packs are nothing like they used to be, usually brake and rims package (just premium) and the smaller tacho readouts.

Anyone else wish they could go back to the 60's/70's?

johnno3 · 19-10-2011, 11:06 AM

Interesting thread.
I worked at Holden's at the Elizabeth plant in 1984. When an employee ordered a car, the foreman would come around to each work station & let us know it was an employee order. The foreman would also supervise the work done on the car at each station under his responsibility, as it went down the line, to make sure the car was as good as it could be. I don't remember any unauthorised options being fitted other than extra coats of paint, but the attention to detail was quite intense. I don't know if this practice was officially sanctioned by Holden senior managment but they surely must have known about it.

Gobes32 · 19-10-2011, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcg2503

XAs came about very late 1971 Gobes!

Woops, my bad. I must admit that when I was told the story the gentleman infact told me it was the 70's too. Slight brain fade.

Employees have been stood down over "value adding" their vehicles. There was a case of one employee during BA launch fitting sat nav to their vehicle. He was found out and disciplined. It is not worth your job, seriously.

OLD BALDY · 19-10-2011, 12:21 PM

XA's were optioned with 351 I bought a P'van new, called G.S. bought from Strapp Ford Doncaster Vic. Had an XW G.T. as well ( G.T. was stolen and stripped. I demolished! the X.A. rallying it for a year!!!) The XW was one of the last built came with clev motor, rear and front spoiler, extractors etc from X.Y.

Mr Hardware · 19-10-2011, 12:41 PM

I heard that there were XF GL sedans fitted with 427's from factory by employees for themselves!!!!!1111oneone

Nope, it's just a whole lot of BS like some of these 'anecdotes'.

johnno3 · 19-10-2011, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

Was there any such thing as a police pack?

I know that people claim the older cars had more performance as a police special.

I had my ecu interrogated by a tuner in the 90s when I owned a ex pursuit car and they said it had a different map but wouldn't make any additional performance with it. It was still a 165kw spec V8

I had a 1969 XT Fairmont, factory V8 (must have been one of the last XT's). It had the bigger XW vented disc brakes & calipers (these could well have been fitted later in its life) & had a speedo with 1mph graduations on it as opposed to the 5mph graduations on standard XT speedos. When I paint stripped it back to metal, there was a drilled hole in the roof, antenna maybe? As it was a V8 fairmont & not a Falcon 500, I'm thinking it wasn't a standard patrol car but maybe a detectives car?
I don't know which state's used XT's for cop cars, but it spent almost all of its life in SA as it had a very early 'R' rego plate on it
Any thoughts or info anyone?

b2tf · 19-10-2011, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

Was there any such thing as a police pack?

I know that people claim the older cars had more performance as a police special.

I had my ecu interrogated by a tuner in the 90s when I owned a ex pursuit car and they said it had a different map but wouldn't make any additional performance with it. It was still a 165kw spec V8

As per Polyal Police spec was 'K' code or in the later models 'OPT20'. No real performance upgrades in the OPT20, it was more electrical and suspension.

Bossxr8 · 19-10-2011, 02:12 PM

Ford also had a process for special purchasers or press vehicles. The cars were pulled off the line at preset points and had a full QC process done it, as well as extra stuff like boot lid liners added etc.

My dad got one of his BA XR6's done this way when he told the plant manager his car was coming through and gave him the SIDO. But Ford scrapped this a few years ago and no employees could get it done anymore.

As Gobes said, one guy in Broady told his mates on the line to fit extra stuff like leather and satnav to his BA, but got busted by the dealer who knew those options weren't ordered on the car. He claimed he knew nothing about it and it was a production mistake, but he got fired for it and later re-instated, but then resigned.

You could get away with that sort of stuff in the good old days but you can't now.

davenl5l · 20-10-2011, 09:24 AM

ford still did weid stuff in the late 90's my 1998 nl failane v8 one of the last ones built has a ba fuel pump factory fitted! i know this because i had to get the local ford dealer to change it as the nl one didn't fit and you need a special tool for the ba one!!!!!

gcg2503 · 20-10-2011, 10:21 AM

With respect to the earlier cars (namely XA and XB) a police pack car could have either the K code or T code engine

Please note that the T code was the GT engine

Have seen numerous examples of XA and XB interceptors with the T code engine fitted from factory

LTDHO · 20-10-2011, 01:01 PM

It would be worth the same as any GLi with Ghia extras.

Unless Ford can verify it as a limited run. Which they wont.

SteveJH · 20-10-2011, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davenl5l

ford still did weid stuff in the late 90's my 1998 nl failane v8 one of the last ones built has a ba fuel pump factory fitted! i know this because i had to get the local ford dealer to change it as the nl one didn't fit and you need a special tool for the ba one!!!!!

That doesnt make sense, the BA didn't come out until 2002, 4 years and three models after your fairlane.