Engine Bay

[RET]

The ID plate certainly confirms one thing: it ain't a "Business Sedan". They have the code FC-217, and had one paint number only. Your car is a "Special Sedan".

The TRIM number confirms that the original colour was indeed Corsair Tan over India Ivory.

[KFH]

My car is a Sept 59 Sydney build.  Its number is 33652.  Your car is 1388 after mine. If they were building 400 a day that would make it around 4 days later than mine.  Does you car have orange lens or clear at the back and turn indicators in the orange.  As I understand the orange lens were introduced early in October.

Keith

[KFH]

Forgot to mention that my car has nothing besides TOP either

KH

[ACT59FC]

Keith, my car has the orange rear indicator lenses. Don't they all have that?

Rod

[mcl1959]

All FE and FC up to October 1959 had a tail light consisting of a red upper tail / stop / indicator lens and a lower clear lens for the optional reverse lights.
The late FCs had an upper red tail / stop light and a lower orange indicator lens which also doubled as the optional reverse lights.

Ken

[RET]

There is some discussion of the different paint styles and the tail lights on this page in the Tech Info area.

cheers
RET

[Firezone1959]

I'd been wondering about this too. My FC is an August '59 built Brisbane car. The firewall has been painted black at some point but is Adobe Beige under that. The inner fender and bonnet latch panel look like they've only ever been black though.

[mcl1959]

I've checked through my Sydney plate records and it seems a good number of them do not have a number on the "TOP" line. Melbourne plates are very consistent.
One can only theorise why this is so.

August 59 is on the cusp of the change to black firewall. I would think that the body shell would have been painted in Sydney in the body colour but would have been over painted in black at the Brisbane plant when the subframe was assembled to the car.

Ken

[detective]

All FE and FC up to October 1959 had a tail light consisting of a red upper tail / stop / indicator lens and a lower clear lens for the optional reverse lights.
The late FCs had an upper red tail / stop light and a lower orange indicator lens which also doubled as the optional reverse lights.

Ken

...G'day Ken and All  ..  how common was the reverse light option, and to what models would you see that option mainly exercised  ?    Cheers to All

[mcl1959]

As far as accessories go, the reverse light kit was fairly common. Special Sedans and wagons were always the prime candidates for extras but I would imagine Utes and vans used for businesses (not farms) would have Got them as well.
It's surprising how many NOS kits have turned up during the years

Ken

[detective]

...would the reverse light option be part of a factory fit ? (as well as being offered as an accessory ?)...

...the only reason I mention this is that the wiring loom must've been designed to cater for it, as well as the clear lenses provided  ?

[mcl1959]

Not a factory fit in my opinion, they are not on the build specification sheets. Special order vehicles such as defence department or post office all list the factory fitted accessories such as oil filters and locking caps etc.

They would definitely have been fitted by dealers. I think salesmen of the day would have been sick and tired of customers asking "what do the clear lenses do?" Easier to just fit them beforehand, or offer them as a deal sweetener.

There was one wire included in the body loom to accomodate the reverse lights. Unusual, but not unprecedented, the heater demister ducts fit into factory pressed slots, the radio rear mount has a circle pressing in the firewall to locate the bolt and of course the radio fascia comes off to mount the front of the radio. Also the wiper switch has fittings in the back to accomodate the hoses as well as the wiper bases having fittings for hoses.

Ken

[detective]

...Thanks Ken  ..  the curly issues will always be fascinating to study...Cheers