Steven's path to acquiring the XT 500 started around the same time the XT Falcon was rolling off the production line at Ford Australia, when Steven's dad Stan began teaching him how to drive. By the "RIPE" old age of 7, Steven was a master of driving the family car around his local neighbourhood, with a little help from dad of course.  Stan was a bit of a car guy in his youth & would recall to Steven how back in their day, he & his mates would take their "Hotted Up" Holdens & do a bit of racing at Castlereagh drag strip, on the outskirts of Western Sydney. But it was a XD Ford Falcon that Steven remembers most vividly. His dad purchased the car brand new in 1979 & Steven spent most of his childhood riding in the back sea, feeling pretty proud.

Further cementing Steven's interest in cars at a young age, were his older cousins and neighbours. "My cousins were into all types of muscle cars particularly Ramblers, Fords XA, XT, XY's when I was growing up. Most guys in our area were into cars & those who were old enough to drive, were getting around in really cool Aussie muscle cars". Steven recalls. After leaving school Steven did his Mechanic's Apprenticeship for B.S Stillwell Toyota at Kingswood, then started dabbling in Rotory's & 4's creating some really cool & fast sleeper cars. Unfortunately for Steven, it was during a strange time in our history when police were really cracking down hard on modified cars & owners were getting into serious trouble because of these pocket rockets. This proved a big turning point for Steven who decided to give it all away & pursue other things in life.

Most of us classic car owners have spent some time with an empty garage, away from the hobby we love. But once bitten by the "classic car" bug, we ultimately come back, often in bigger spades. Thankfully for Steven & this Falcon, that's exactly what happened to him. "Around 20 years ago my brother Andrew purchased a mint all original XT Falcon, when I saw it, I was blown away. I loved it instantly. The round taillights, the extra chrome, it looked awesome" Steven eagerly recalls. Adding to his attraction to the model was the fact his parents Wendy & Stan were married in a white Ford XT Falcon over 46 years ago.

Soon Steven had the itch for his own Aussie classic & started digging around online to see what he could find. With the support & encouragement of his amazing wife Siobhan, it didn't take long to find this XT Falcon 500 in country Victoria. "I saw this Starlight Blue XT 500 all original pop up & I was immediately hooked as it's my favourite Ford colour. Then when I saw it had a 6 cylinder 221 engine & bench seats with Blue interior, I really started to get excited". Steven still strongly recalls. The initial online pictures looked pretty good & after speaking with the owner over the phone, Steven found himself quickly transferring the deposit & flying down from Sydney to inspect the car with a pocket full of cash, ready to stitch up the deal. To his great relief, the car was exactly what he was expecting. A very good solid car with no rust, in need of a good tidy up.

I'm always interested in seeing how deep the passion runs for owners to their classic cars. Do they love them because of the history associated with the brand or the relevance to their past? Steven didn't hesitate in his reply. "Yes definitely. I'm very interested in the history of the XT Falcon. I have so much memorabilia around the model. Every brochure, magazine, press ad, promotion, poster, you name it I've got it. I even have an AJAX promotion, where they filled an XT Falcon's boot with AJAX products & whoever guessed the number of packets, won the car".

The XT Falcon was released in March 1968 with a few cosmetic changes to its predecessor the XR Falcon. Unlike the XR, the XT missed out on Bathurst glory in 1968, but only just. With only 17 laps before the chequered flag dropped, Fred Gibson was leading by a comfortable margin in his XT Falcon & coasting towards certain victory, but as cruel as fate can be, a small rock punctured the XT's radiator. The engine started to cook & in a plum of white smoke, the XTs place on the pages of motorsport glory was shapley erased.

The XT Falcon was available in an impressive 10 variants. In levels of appointment starting with the base model sedan, 500 sedan, Fairmont sedan & the top of pops - GT Sedan. The wagon also had the base model, 500 & Fairmont variants. Notably there was no GT Wagon. Rounding off the XTs offering were the commercials - Utility, 500 Utility & Van. You could choose to mate your XT Falcon with 4 engines - 3.1L or 3.6L six-cylinders or rather confusingly two 5.0L V8s. The only difference was the bhp - 210 or 230, which was standard on the GT. Nearly 80,000 XT Falcons found their way into Australian driveways. Clearly showing that the XT was very desirable to local buyers.

As soon as this XT Falcon 500 landed in Steven's garage, some 18 years ago, he instantly set to work on his plan to restore the Falcon to concours condition. Every part & component of the car had to be an original part from Ford Moto Company (FOMO). Looking back now Steven realizes what a mammoth task he set himself with the concours restoration. "Back then there were not a lot of parts around for the XT Falcon. I spoke to hundreds of people trying to track down the various original FOMO parts. A lot of them mentioned they previously had XTs, but ended up scrapping, as no one wanted the parts. I went to loads of swap meets in search of the correct FOMO parts, I'd find them, but then they just weren't up to scratch quality wise. So, I would have to buy 2-3 of the same part, then use bits of each to make 1 really good part". The pain in Steven's voice was still evident from this gruelling procedure for his commitment to the ultimate concours restoration.

Steven's path to acquiring the XT 500 started around the same time the XT Falcon was rolling off the production line at Ford Australia, when Steven's dad Stan began teaching him how to drive. By the "RIPE" old age of 7, Steven was a master of driving the family car around his local neighbourhood, with a little help from dad of course.  Stan was a bit of a car guy in his youth & would recall to Steven how back in their day, he & his mates would take their "Hotted Up" Holdens & do a bit of racing at Castlereagh drag strip, on the outskirts of Western Sydney. But it was a XD Ford Falcon that Steven remembers most vividly. His dad purchased the car brand new in 1979 & Steven spent most of his childhood riding in the back sea, feeling pretty proud.

Further cementing Steven's interest in cars at a young age, were his older cousins and neighbours. "My cousins were into all types of muscle cars particularly Ramblers, Fords XA, XT, XY's when I was growing up. Most guys in our area were into cars & those who were old enough to drive, were getting around in really cool Aussie muscle cars". Steven recalls. After leaving school Steven did his Mechanic's Apprenticeship for B.S Stillwell Toyota at Kingswood, then started dabbling in Rotory's & 4's creating some really cool & fast sleeper cars. Unfortunately for Steven, it was during a strange time in our history when police were really cracking down hard on modified cars & owners were getting into serious trouble because of these pocket rockets. This proved a big turning point for Steven who decided to give it all away & pursue other things in life.

Most of us classic car owners have spent some time with an empty garage, away from the hobby we love. But once bitten by the "classic car" bug, we ultimately come back, often in bigger spades. Thankfully for Steven & this Falcon, that's exactly what happened to him. "Around 20 years ago my brother Andrew purchased a mint all original XT Falcon, when I saw it, I was blown away. I loved it instantly. The round taillights, the extra chrome, it looked awesome" Steven eagerly recalls. Adding to his attraction to the model was the fact his parents Wendy & Stan were married in a white Ford XT Falcon over 46 years ago.

Soon Steven had the itch for his own Aussie classic & started digging around online to see what he could find. With the support & encouragement of his amazing wife Siobhan, it didn't take long to find this XT Falcon 500 in country Victoria. "I saw this Starlight Blue XT 500 all original pop up & I was immediately hooked as it's my favourite Ford colour. Then when I saw it had a 6 cylinder 221 engine & bench seats with Blue interior, I really started to get excited". Steven still strongly recalls. The initial online pictures looked pretty good & after speaking with the owner over the phone, Steven found himself quickly transferring the deposit & flying down from Sydney to inspect the car with a pocket full of cash, ready to stitch up the deal. To his great relief, the car was exactly what he was expecting. A very good solid car with no rust, in need of a good tidy up.

I'm always interested in seeing how deep the passion runs for owners to their classic cars. Do they love them because of the history associated with the brand or the relevance to their past? Steven didn't hesitate in his reply. "Yes definitely. I'm very interested in the history of the XT Falcon. I have so much memorabilia around the model. Every brochure, magazine, press ad, promotion, poster, you name it I've got it. I even have an AJAX promotion, where they filled an XT Falcon's boot with AJAX products & whoever guessed the number of packets, won the car".

The XT Falcon was released in March 1968 with a few cosmetic changes to its predecessor the XR Falcon. Unlike the XR, the XT missed out on Bathurst glory in 1968, but only just. With only 17 laps before the chequered flag dropped, Fred Gibson was leading by a comfortable margin in his XT Falcon & coasting towards certain victory, but as cruel as fate can be, a small rock punctured the XT's radiator. The engine started to cook & in a plum of white smoke, the XTs place on the pages of motorsport glory was shapley erased.

The XT Falcon was available in an impressive 10 variants. In levels of appointment starting with the base model sedan, 500 sedan, Fairmont sedan & the top of pops - GT Sedan. The wagon also had the base model, 500 & Fairmont variants. Notably there was no GT Wagon. Rounding off the XTs offering were the commercials - Utility, 500 Utility & Van. You could choose to mate your XT Falcon with 4 engines - 3.1L or 3.6L six-cylinders or rather confusingly two 5.0L V8s. The only difference was the bhp - 210 or 230, which was standard on the GT. Nearly 80,000 XT Falcons found their way into Australian driveways. Clearly showing that the XT was very desirable to local buyers.

As soon as this XT Falcon 500 landed in Steven's garage, some 18 years ago, he instantly set to work on his plan to restore the Falcon to concours condition. Every part & component of the car had to be an original part from Ford Moto Company (FOMO). Looking back now Steven realizes what a mammoth task he set himself with the concours restoration. "Back then there were not a lot of parts around for the XT Falcon. I spoke to hundreds of people trying to track down the various original FOMO parts. A lot of them mentioned they previously had XTs, but ended up scrapping, as no one wanted the parts. I went to loads of swap meets in search of the correct FOMO parts, I'd find them, but then they just weren't up to scratch quality wise. So, I would have to buy 2-3 of the same part, then use bits of each to make 1 really good part". The pain in Steven's voice was still evident from this gruelling procedure for his commitment to the ultimate concours restoration.

Steven's path to acquiring the XT 500 started around the same time the XT Falcon was rolling off the production line at Ford Australia, when Steven's dad Stan began teaching him how to drive. By the "RIPE" old age of 7, Steven was a master of driving the family car around his local neighbourhood, with a little help from dad of course.  Stan was a bit of a car guy in his youth & would recall to Steven how back in their day, he & his mates would take their "Hotted Up" Holdens & do a bit of racing at Castlereagh drag strip, on the outskirts of Western Sydney. But it was a XD Ford Falcon that Steven remembers most vividly. His dad purchased the car brand new in 1979 & Steven spent most of his childhood riding in the back sea, feeling pretty proud.

Further cementing Steven's interest in cars at a young age, were his older cousins and neighbours. "My cousins were into all types of muscle cars particularly Ramblers, Fords XA, XT, XY's when I was growing up. Most guys in our area were into cars & those who were old enough to drive, were getting around in really cool Aussie muscle cars". Steven recalls. After leaving school Steven did his Mechanic's Apprenticeship for B.S Stillwell Toyota at Kingswood, then started dabbling in Rotory's & 4's creating some really cool & fast sleeper cars. Unfortunately for Steven, it was during a strange time in our history when police were really cracking down hard on modified cars & owners were getting into serious trouble because of these pocket rockets. This proved a big turning point for Steven who decided to give it all away & pursue other things in life.

Most of us classic car owners have spent some time with an empty garage, away from the hobby we love. But once bitten by the "classic car" bug, we ultimately come back, often in bigger spades. Thankfully for Steven & this Falcon, that's exactly what happened to him. "Around 20 years ago my brother Andrew purchased a mint all original XT Falcon, when I saw it, I was blown away. I loved it instantly. The round taillights, the extra chrome, it looked awesome" Steven eagerly recalls. Adding to his attraction to the model was the fact his parents Wendy & Stan were married in a white Ford XT Falcon over 46 years ago.

Soon Steven had the itch for his own Aussie classic & started digging around online to see what he could find. With the support & encouragement of his amazing wife Siobhan, it didn't take long to find this XT Falcon 500 in country Victoria. "I saw this Starlight Blue XT 500 all original pop up & I was immediately hooked as it's my favourite Ford colour. Then when I saw it had a 6 cylinder 221 engine & bench seats with Blue interior, I really started to get excited". Steven still strongly recalls. The initial online pictures looked pretty good & after speaking with the owner over the phone, Steven found himself quickly transferring the deposit & flying down from Sydney to inspect the car with a pocket full of cash, ready to stitch up the deal. To his great relief, the car was exactly what he was expecting. A very good solid car with no rust, in need of a good tidy up.

I'm always interested in seeing how deep the passion runs for owners to their classic cars. Do they love them because of the history associated with the brand or the relevance to their past? Steven didn't hesitate in his reply. "Yes definitely. I'm very interested in the history of the XT Falcon. I have so much memorabilia around the model. Every brochure, magazine, press ad, promotion, poster, you name it I've got it. I even have an AJAX promotion, where they filled an XT Falcon's boot with AJAX products & whoever guessed the number of packets, won the car".

The XT Falcon was released in March 1968 with a few cosmetic changes to its predecessor the XR Falcon. Unlike the XR, the XT missed out on Bathurst glory in 1968, but only just. With only 17 laps before the chequered flag dropped, Fred Gibson was leading by a comfortable margin in his XT Falcon & coasting towards certain victory, but as cruel as fate can be, a small rock punctured the XT's radiator. The engine started to cook & in a plum of white smoke, the XTs place on the pages of motorsport glory was shapley erased.

The XT Falcon was available in an impressive 10 variants. In levels of appointment starting with the base model sedan, 500 sedan, Fairmont sedan & the top of pops - GT Sedan. The wagon also had the base model, 500 & Fairmont variants. Notably there was no GT Wagon. Rounding off the XTs offering were the commercials - Utility, 500 Utility & Van. You could choose to mate your XT Falcon with 4 engines - 3.1L or 3.6L six-cylinders or rather confusingly two 5.0L V8s. The only difference was the bhp - 210 or 230, which was standard on the GT. Nearly 80,000 XT Falcons found their way into Australian driveways. Clearly showing that the XT was very desirable to local buyers.

As soon as this XT Falcon 500 landed in Steven's garage, some 18 years ago, he instantly set to work on his plan to restore the Falcon to concours condition. Every part & component of the car had to be an original part from Ford Moto Company (FOMO). Looking back now Steven realizes what a mammoth task he set himself with the concours restoration. "Back then there were not a lot of parts around for the XT Falcon. I spoke to hundreds of people trying to track down the various original FOMO parts. A lot of them mentioned they previously had XTs, but ended up scrapping, as no one wanted the parts. I went to loads of swap meets in search of the correct FOMO parts, I'd find them, but then they just weren't up to scratch quality wise. So, I would have to buy 2-3 of the same part, then use bits of each to make 1 really good part". The pain in Steven's voice was still evident from this gruelling procedure for his commitment to the ultimate concours restoration.

Although Steven admits the restoration may never be finished on his XT 500, as he always finds some minor details to work on, I can honestly say he has done a stunning job. The level of detail is so impressive, from the correct glass with the actual date of when the Falcon was on the production line, the original floor mat, the dash & all the original gauges, the seat vinyl flawless & that's only the interior. Once you move to the outside, the Starlight blue paint work looks a million bucks. But that's all blown away when you lift the bonnet on the XT 500. I was almost speechless seeing it for the first time. The detail & effort that has gone into getting the heart of the Falcon looking exactly factory perfect, is truly amazing. Steven informs me "I spent 7 months on getting the engine bay right. From all the correct nuts & bolts, parts, hoses, leads & decals. We even went to the extent of getting all the factory markings put on. These markings were added as the XT went along the production line, the inspectors would add a dollop of paint here, an OK sticker there, in their quality control efforts. It really makes the engine bay look like it just left the factory'.

Unlike most people who build a concours classic, Steven uses the Falcon 500 as often as he can. Sunday lunch with the family is always on the cards. Steven happily says "I love taking my XT 500 for drives with the family. We'll stop somewhere for lunch & I don't stress about leaving it in the car park. I have faith that people will recognize it's a well looked after classic & they will take care around it. To date I've not had any damage to the car. I also really enjoy taking the Falcon on long drives by myself, it's my "happy place" behind the wheel & also working on it. The 3 speed manual has great torque in second & third gears, which makes it really fun to drive. I've been a member of the PMEA - Pittwater Motor Enthusiasts Association car club for the past 6 years. It's such a great club with all types of people & cars. I found them to be really supportive & interested in my XT 500. I try to get along to their runs & club events as often as I can".

During my chats with Steven while researching his story, he made it very evident how grateful he was for the massive support he received in restoring the XT 500. "So many people played a large part in achieving such a fantastic looking classic Ford. From my wife, kids, mates & many others along the way. I'd like to thank them all for contributing to making my dream come true". Steven warmly said.