“This 1969 XW GT replica was my dad’s car for almost 22 years, until January 2020, when I bought it from him.
First published in the December 2022 issue. Street Machine
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It’s very emotional for me, as I used to be dropped off for school, football and work, and all the exchanges were in the car.
It began life as an Imperial Burgundy Futura with a gray interior. By the time my dad bought it, it was a custom dark green metallic with a black interior.
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Eighteen months ago, I bought a car and put it through Spruce Up. I used to be a spray painter by trade, so I changed the full color from green to brambles red. The color changes from red to bright orange depending on the light.
In terms of driveline, the car runs a rebuilt 351 Clio, the same as the GT-spec engine. It is coupled with a top loader and a nine-inch rear end.
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The interior has been completely overhauled, with reconfigured seats and new parts like the dash, door trims, steering wheel and more.
The car only has 180 miles on it since the rebuild (I’d love to see a few more, but the typical Melbourne weather has prevented that), but every time I’ve driven it, lots of nods, waves. And there have been comments. ”
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Photos: Sean McCann