FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

FC build 18852 of Adelaide. Is there a way of pinning down a more accurate date of manufacture than my May date? Is there a table available like the engine one for bodies?

Need to know the release date of this flagship zephyr. It's a Mk2 and I think they came out in mid 58. All fe in pics. Looks hot so the custodian of pic said it was the opening day in 58 of this servo but mid 58 in Adelaide is cold hence the zephyr dating is important. Black and white cabs started in pirie st Adelaide in 1950. Some might be interested in the bumpy pic. (http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/19/4de88ce5b9e07f53970fa8686335f6a5.jpg)
Just thought I'd share some interesting pics for Alex and other themed car enthusiasts.
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/19/0fa57b5c6ec3ef55e1c74781f3aeef37.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/19/57c5dd0559c6b2bbc89e193104b4b1de.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/19/86d5ec9849f968c6909524848b173654.jpg)

Blown up so u can see

Good luck with finding a specific date. I thought I was lucky enough to work out the most likely quarter mine rolled out.
A table would be great. May be an avenue worth pursuing.
In NSW the rego told me that they may have a date recorded for the initial registration, provided you know the original licence plate number issued.
I was stuck there because it was changed to ACT and the motor registry here didn't have any record of the changeover.
Hillsdons Holden (original dealer) had just relocated when I tracked them down, and they had only just thrown out all the old paper records.

I can date using my database to within a week or two - how close do you want. The database contains over 2000 cars worth of data and is twenty years of my work. I will have a look when I get home.
The most accurate dating is with body number, chassis number and engine number.
the pic shown is definitely post may 58 because there are at least 2 FC's in the picture.

Ken

Are you sure. Do you have a way of blowing it up and identifying the fc models. It could be mine. I think what you are seeing is the top bar of the nudge bars and one isn't a badge it's a bonnet scoop I think.  If someone can blow up any person that has the fc's then I can take it to his neighbour who can tell me if his car is featured here which would be very exciting to see that it's mine cos I have all the proof. I have cropped and blown them up and screenshot certain ways etc.

I have this that I haven't shown anyone. I wonder if the mortlock library have the old serial no records. It just got me thinking more when the zephyr came out in June. Remember that I have other doc with his name regarding a December Fj engine, this car and a few other taxis. I reckon his wife may have used the jumpy sedan. I'll ask the lady. But if someone in Adelaide out of your contacts Ken could go to a place to search it would help. I spoke to the neighborhood again and she was Shitty because the other house near hers is a 1980's house and he built it for his daughters. They have let it go and won't rent it out. So she wasn't as obliging this time. I put a note in the letterbox but no reply. But I'm still trying to track them down and the old wife is in a nursing home somewhere lol. I don't wanna look like a stalker. (http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/20/bd8fae038cca04e83efafc039da0cc5b.jpg)
Ken it's a pity there's no 50's database like this.
http://www.familytreeoz.com/search-ancestry-records.html?view=genList&id=17

Ken, there would be a way to estimate how many cars still exist. You should get a rarer Chevy or even Aussie model of car that's rare and see if there's a correlation with those group of a percentage of surviving cars. It would need to be cars of same era. Without knowing that a correlation exists it won't work but if you got a standard deviation similarity btw results then statistically u could work out roughly an estimate of how many fc's exist taking into account length of production. I have found a pattern that many only fc and fe cars were not kept as long as later models. I think this would be an interesting stat to ask as long as it's accurate to give you an idea of the length of time they were registered. I think brakes, electric wipers  and the size of the cars had a lot to do with it. Sorry if I'm boring you to death but I wonder this stupid stuff.

Deano, the two under the black & white words are FC's, if you look closely you can see the lower grill bar and blinkers.
Jim

Behind the Zephyr from right to left
FE special
FE special
FC
FC
unknown - can only see the roof
FE
In front of bowsers is an FE standard or business sedan


I already have a pretty good idea of what percentage of cars are left. I can even work out the most popular colours, how many of each model were made and practically anything else you need to know.
I am a maths teacher and statistical analysis is easy once you have a large enough data base. This is why I have spent so much time amassing the numbers. The Internet has been very helpful to get the missing data from other states such as WA and QLD where I could never have hoped to have gotten all the data by myself.
Ken

Hi Deano,
The Mk2 Zephyr in the photo could have come out anywhere between mid-58 to 62.
Before that the Mk2 had a slightly different grille, and higher roofline. Other than that, very little external difference.
I can see at least one FC, 3rd from the right.
Prof

Ok. I'm only doing everything on the phone. I can't get on my computer due to teenagers. I updated the build page cos I think I found the garage. Cos I'm so shit at seeing properly I'll leave it to you guys to comment. I found some obscure car pics too.

Ok. Just listened to the voices in my head and they told me to double screen shot the thing as to not lose pixels. Kids. I can definitely see the middle one is an fc now cos event the vertical grille bits but I'm not sure about the one next to it. But the dude fits the description. WW2 veteran, slightly odd looking fellow. I shall show the neightbour next time in Adelaide. Looks pretty good.
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/21/369fb7d888cd7e409148b9cc87e49afd.jpg)

I cut the wifi. Then it's all mine!

Actually they are on timed wifi that drops out automatically at bed times etc mowahahahahahah

What do you think NES, is the left one with the poxy extra bar an fe. I reckon that b$#%ard on the right is mine. The zephyr is new, my fc was may 58 and the Sheila with the rights to the photo said this was opening day. First day of trade. She said her blurb has 1958 on it.

And if I do it again the left car looks round so I think it's mine. The other one was Pirie Street company owned ones, this was owner drivers. He had an Fj cab initially that was turned private. I reckon was his Mrs car, she was a bookkeeper. Then I have docs somewhere for 2 more cabs after.

Stuffs me. I'm high on endone after my surgery getting my head cut open for a new brain (well cancers removed)
Ain't no way I can see a light wind

I had cancer emphysema shit taken out of my lungs at 16. I think this car shit makes ya sick lol. I dunno what sort of flux shit they'd find in my head.

Deano can you recheck your body number and see if you can find a chassis number on your car. I feel the number 18852 is wrong since this places it between 10-18 December 1959, which is not in step with the engine number. If you can find the chassis number this will help a lot.

Ken

Ok. After the weekend. Ken do you now think there is 1 fc or 2 in pic?.  Thanks mate.

definitely two FC's

2 FC's side by side. I also don't get what you mean about one with an extra bar??

Ken

Think he might have mistaken the lettering from the photographer supered over the photo?
Jim

Yeah I put it on the big 19" monitor. Thanks guys. Yes the curves bit looks plain as day as the writing but on my pissy phone it makes me look like a weirdo for not recognizing it. But yeah in hindsight I still should have clicked. Oh well. It just increases the odds now that 20, b-grade licences were given as the article states. Interesting articles. But on other things I wrote the number down on, it says same number but I will check on Tuesday.

a zephyr is a light wind

How's you brain going. What did they find in there?

.

Ok. I did a bit to the car. I checked the I'd plate and its definitely that number. Not sure why it's showing a 59 but that's what fits with the seat. Later today I'm going to sand down layers of paint on the back qtr to see what colours it had where. So the 18852 body number is correct so I will go with that. The L motor isn't the original I don't think. I'll post up the head number Ken and get you to identify that for me and do same with gearbox. Bit hard til kids go to school.

Well 18852 dates the car to December 1959. It is not a 1958 model car. If you can locate the chassis number then this acts as a confirmation. The car should have embossed seats, chrome trim extension from the C pillar right back to the fin and the rear door windows should not wind all the way down into the door body, they should stop about an inch out.

Ken

Ken thank you heaps for that. You can see why if I know when that pic was taken, on opening day, then I can date the cars in the pic etc. It does have the embossing on back seat but that is likely to have been worn out and replaced being a cab. I'm so glad I got the licence cos I may have doubted it's authenticity but I have left black panels on it for now too. Could you tell from the winder mech part number as it's all stripped or other inner door parts? Is it real late on the December run then? Also here's that Iindent I was talking about. If it is a late one then where is the markings for the number as I had trouble finding it today. Keep getting the cars mixed up. It is possible given it was an L engine that it has an incorrectly written number on the rego as I wouldn't think another fc engine would have been changed so early in the docs if you get me. The reason I'm thinking it's the correct engine is that often in my days as a mechanic working on new trucks the rego place made errors. Am I crazy or could the "64" in the number be right and the first digit wrong etc and it be a typo. I'll check the head as I said. Remember I'm trying to date the car. I don't have the l block. A few times I've spoke like it still has that engine in it. Now Ken, I doubt that it ever run out of rego. But cos I have more than 1 rego slip they all give the 6 or 12 month rego date options as 9/12 or 9/6. So given that the engine is a may one (if engine was for that car) then it looks like it correlates with May and not June, so the 9 December rego date seems more plausable thus verifying the Dec 1959 body. I think I might be right with it being a Dec engine too but was written wrong when first registered as long as u can verify that an engine starting with 64 could be a December block 1959! Bloody hell.  (http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/27/f3e9d4d5b2774481bd4ce4bbf6461290.jpg)

Ok, in theory a December 1959 engine would be about L64---- so your theory about the mistake on the rego paper could be correct. The simplest way to confirm the date is to cross check with the chassis number. This will confirm without a shadow of a doubt. With the data to date I can only get as close as December 1959. Chassis number will tie it down more.

Re the indent in the rear quarter - I thought you were talking about under the extension chrome piece. The marks you are showing in the picture are common to all FC's it is just an unfinished join under the chrome fin. No point in going to effort fixing something that will be covered up.

Ken

Thanks. I'm just going to post up a pic comparing the rear fins as there aren't many pics about.

Ok Ken, revisiting this here before I put on build page, the gearbox from taxi is 16/12/1959 build date and the engine is 18/12/1959. So what date was the last fc made? I have it home and I'm glad it's the original head and gearbox. Must have a million Kay's on them lol.  (http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/06/e989203cbe81f2caa3eabdb6860a3d60.jpg)