GRAHAM'S 1971 FORD XY GT-HO REPLICA

Graham Gillespie is a guy who just can't get enough of XY GT-HO Phase III Falcons. It's easy to understand why, given they're pretty much the baddest muscle car ever built in Oz and ooze menace just sitting still. But Graham wasn't always looking locally.

"The love for a muscle car started when I was holidaying in the States," he states. "I knew I wanted a muscle car, but didn't know what exactly. With so many cool American cars at my reach I got my hands dirty comparing them all with a fine tooth comb. Unfortunately, none of them hit the mark - they were just not up to scratch and I still would have had to do work to get it to where I wanted it. I returned with my tail between my legs."

Given the high purchase prices of basic '60s and '70s metal, let alone the highly-desirable, factory go-fast stuff, you don't want to be stung buying something you then have to tear apart and spend big on getting up to scratch. This has driven a cottage industry for shops offering punters the opportunity to get the classic car of their dreams and have it built, from the ground-up, in the style they want before taking delivery as a turn-key package.

The GT Shop in Melbourne is one such place, giving blokes like Graham the opportunity to experience what it is like to own a brand new Phase III HO today with their faithful reproductions and replicas. Let's face it, Ford only claimed to have built 300 Phase IIIs and demand still far outstrips supply today, with genuine mint-condition examples costing up to half a million dollars, GTs around $100,000 and good replicas a similar amount.

Graham first approached Ben and Tom at The GT Shop in 2012 to have them build him a "new" XY GT-HO. The 350 horsepower, Bright Yellow model was not cheap, but what price do you put on art? Graham reckons around six-figures.

"For $100K, you get a car with a 12-month warranty, you get to choose your paint and trim colour," says Graham. "The price only starts to vary with power package options. The GT Shop also takes into consideration all the driveline components."

It was those driveline components that drove Graham to come back to the boys at the GT Shop. As often happens, Graham got used to the power his GT made. While 350hp was ferocious, tar-boiling stuff in 1971, there are hot hatches with that much in 2014, so the GT Shop were tasked with building

Graham a new car - this stunning Surfer Orange GT-HO replica, packing 500 stampeding horses.

The boys soon found Graham a project starter, as Ben explains, "We purchased the car from Warrnambool in Victoria. It was a one owner Monza Green Fairmont in extremely good condition - it was a real barn find, complete with log books and 80,000 miles."

Some Ford fans would be outraged that such a cherry example was modified into another GT replica, but the finished product is definitely worth it. Starting with such a good, solid base certainly helped keep the build down to just six months; a crazily short timeframe given the fact this Ford has been totally rebuilt from top to bottom.

The 351 Cleveland has been pushed out to 393 cubic-inches and runs 11:1 compression ratio thanks to a Scat 4340 crank and SPR 030 flat-top pistons, with H-beam conrods finishing off the bottom-end. The cylinder heads are 4V close-chamber units, topped with a Scott Cook intake manifold. The cam is a custom grind Comp solid roller unit, while the carburettor is an 850 Holley double-pumper four-barrel.

Original hi-po 351 GT Falcons rocked a twin-plate clutch and Graham's 2014 model uses a Centerforce unit in front of the Ford Top Loader four-speed manual. The diff is a Ford 9-inch, filled with Tru-Track centre and 31-spline axles.

Suspension for the original GT-HOs was thoroughly upgraded from standard Falcons of the era, so Graham's car runs the same specification parts all 'round - but they're all brand new and made from modern materials. Similarly, brakes are HO-spec discs and finned drums, front to rear, respectively.

Original GT-HOs had either five-slot wheels or, later, the 15-inch five spoke "Bathurst Globe" alloys as worn by Graham's car. These wheels aren't just modern reproductions, though - they're original date-stamped items from 1972!

Interiors are one area where the trainspotters can easily pick a poor replica from one that has all the nuances covered (like the original, very rare and expensive rim-blow horn). Fortunately, period-perfect interiors are a GT Shop specialty. Graham's car features a traditional all-black vinyl interior and is HO-perfect, save for a couple of small, modern additions.

Along with the extra ponies under the bonnet, the Surfer Orange machine also scored a more practical cable boot release, along with a hidden CD player for cruising tunes. And this car will see an awful lot of cruising soon.

"All I had to do once getting the car was organise an RWC and H-plates, but that was easy. The GT shop can also do that for you if needed," Graham explained. "Now I can drive it and it recently was awarded 'Best Restored' at Showcars of Melbourne. I had planned to take it to All Ford Day in Geelong, but due to morning rain, I decided not to."

While many people would be happy with such a meticulously built recreation, Graham admits that he's already formed plans for a third car, another GT-HO, in another striking original colour - Vermillion Fire. It certainly sounds like he's making up for not finding a decent car in the USA now!

Graham extended his thanks to Ben and Tom from the GT Shop for all their hard and outstanding work, as well as Heath O'Brien from O'Brien Automotive Machining Services for the engine work.

Graham's 1971 Ford Falcon GT-HO Phase III replica - basic specs

Engine: 351 Cleveland

Capacity: 393ci

Crank: Scat 4340

Con rods: H-beam

Pistons: SPR 11:1 flat-top

Heads: Closed-chamber 4v

Intake manifold: Scott Cook

Carburettor: Holley 850cfm Double Pumper

Clutch: Centreforce

Gearbox: Ford Top Loader 4-speed

Diff: Ford 9-inch, Tru-Trac LSD, 31-spline axles