Dale & Christine's XC Falcon Cobra:

Submitted 03-11-2003, Published 12-06-2004

Dale and Christine's
XC Falcon COBRA:

(Back to trueblueford Visitors Cars.)

You can discuss Dale & Christine's COBRA by going here...

The finished product - but wait until you see how it started!!!

Prior to 1977 the GT ruled in Australia - but when it came to the XC - Ford took the fatal position of ending what had been one of the most legendary runs in Australian history! But alas - all was not lost with the 351 GXL and later on Cobra filling the niche for at least another season - but not long enough. Now those who know their history know that it is the Cobra that is the rarer of the two, and this example is no exception - although number 287 was almost rarer that it should have been...

Rust, dings, rust and more rust - and some like their challenges bigger than most! Thankfully for good old 287, Dale was more than up to the task...

According to Christine, it "all started on the 19th Oct 1997, when my husband - Dale came across a falcon Cobra in Tarragon for sale. The car was no 287 and had no extras - just a 302C with 4 speed - but we went down and had a look anyway." Sounds good! Time to save a Cobra... It took him a week, but as soon as Dale made up his mind, the car was loaded up, brought home and the pulling apart began as many projects do - not stopping until he had a bare shell. Twelve months later, it was time to send the shell down to the panel beaters where the paint job took a further 12 months again - ahhh the things we do for a quality job!

Now when you've got Cobras in your blood...most guys would kill to have wedding photos like this! According to Christine, one of the two Cobras pictured now resides in the 'States...

Not one to sit around and watch idly as life passed him by, Dale took to the pile of bits with enthusiasm knowing that a bright shiny shell would soon be his - and that next to the new paint anything less than perfect was going to look out of place!!! So the pain-staking process began of cleaning and re-coating all the bolts and nuts, taking care to place each one back where it belonged lest the beast not look original!

While this was happening he used the opportunity recondition the motor, carefully inspecting every item from his great pile of bits - restoring what could be restored and finding replacement bits for the rest. But while you're doing it you might as well do it properly - and poor quality repro bits would never cut it for this little blue and white sheep...

Above: Like we said - Dale loves his challenges...

Christine fills us in on some of the events of the twelve months leading up to receiving the painted shell back from the beaters: "Dale bought, found, begged and borrowed a lot of new old stock - so much so that he cleaned out Westpoint Ford in Hoppers Crossing of any N.O.S that they might have had for the XC!" - and making sure he'd have plenty of spares for just in case anything went wrong in future too...

Just in case you missed the other wedding shot. They kinda grow on you don't they?

After 12 months the car was finished and ready to come home from the panel beaters - with everything all boxed up and ready to put put on the car - it took Dale a tiny two weeks to put together the classic coupe from a bare shell to a fully restored and road-going Cobra - so it was first registered and on the road in time for the All Fords Day in Febuary 2000, Since that time the car has been a multi trophy winner for Dale & Christine - picking up it's first trophy at the All Ford Day in 2000 - and then again in 2001. 2002 wasn't such a good year - only picking up 2nd at the same show (gotta give somebody else a go sometime!) but all would soon be forgiven with the 25th Anniversary Celebrations of the Falcon Cobra where it managed to score Best Restored Cobra - leaving Dale & Christine suitably chuffed!

Just in case you've ever wondered what 43 Falcon Cobras would look like all grouped together...photo taken from the 6th floor of the Sherraton Hotel on Geelong's Waterfront. Hmmm...Blue Oval Heartland...

Now you might say Dale did it all on his own - but as any bloke knows, success in the garage means a mighty good woman to back one up and Christine was no exception - in fact so proud was she of Dale's efforts that it was she who submitted this story and pictures on Dale's behalf! So to both of you I tip my hat - you deserve to be proud of a job well done and another classic saved from the scrap heap. And as anybody knows these things aren't exactly thick on the ground - so Dale's got himself a positively collectable classic in which to cruise around and help keep a smile on his and Christine's face...

Dale and good friend Greg stand beside the finished product - and justifiably proud of 287's
ever increasing trophy haul!

(Back to trueblueford Visitors Cars.)

AU Home / Contact / Links / Home Page / Feedback
EL Home / Galleries / Showcars / Visitor's Cars