There's an article on this car in this month's Unique Cars if anyone is interested. (Issue 288)

Gary - that was great. I loved the close up shots of the speedo. They certainly wound her out in second gear!! 

Cheers...Ken

I have just removed this FC dash fascia from my FE.  Overall it is in very good condition with only minor imperfections. These include an extremely fine, hairline (and I mean hairline) crack on the top and bottom edges. I think this would have occurred from the screws being over tightened a little when fitting. They are so fine that I did not notice them until I removed the unit and held it in a certain light. Also on the bottom edge there are a couple of minor blemishes which look like a mark that would perhaps have resulted from the fascia being rested on the steering column during fitting or removal. When fitted to the dash these imperfections are all but invisible and this unit should please when seen. Comes with the 4 screws for fitting. I'll refund if you are not completely happy. Price is $140 firm.

Cheers.......Ken

Graham

I've recently removed some bitumen type material from the floor inside my FE. I think this was proof kote? I have a compressor so I hooked up the needle gun and it worked really well. I was careful not to stay in one place too long nor to press too hard. I found holding it at a 45 degree angle helped get underneath the stuff. I then cleaned off any remaining traces with a kero soaked rag. It's probably not much faster than the above suggestions but I found it easier than using the scraper. Ear muffs are a good idea too.

Cheers......Ken

Hi Rod

I have recently purchased some Kumho 185 80 R13 steel radials from Stuckey's Tyres in Victoria. I know it's not your preferred option but 13" tyres are getting harder to come by. If all else fails give them a call. Salesman's name is Michael Sullivan. 03 9386 5331    

Thanks

Ken, I knew the scissors jack was used for a number of models but wasn't sure of the difference between the FE / FC version and the later ones. I am running around with no jack at present so I need one sooner rather than later. I'll PM you regarding the ones you have.

Cheers.........Ken

Thanks Peter but I think these were used with the 48 and FJ series.

I'm in need of an original jack with handle for an FE please. Does not have to be in brilliant condition. If it works and looks half reasonable (or will clean up okay) that's fine 


Cheers.....Ken

Thanks Alex.

Thought this may be of some interest. It was taken in 1961 at Rocky River just out of Tenterfield. Dad bought the car second hand with 25,000 miles on the clock. It was bought from a firm which used to be on the corner where the F4 and Concord Rd begin off Parramatta Rd in Strathfield. From memory I think it was called either Pacific Auctions or Pacific Motors. Rego Number was BOE 060.

Can anyone ID the colour please?

Cheers.......Ken

Thanks. I've never seen anything like this before. The car has a tow bar so I guess the old girl has done a bit of towing in her time 

Has anyone seen springs like this before on an FE sedan?

Cheers.......Ken

I have a Teal Blue over Elk Blue FE sedan and the sun visor is Elk. According to the original paperwork the car was delivered with a visor and judging by the paintwork I would say it's always been this colour. Personally I think it looks a little odd - to the point where I'm thinking of getting it sprayed the same colour as the roof. Matching the somewhat faded roof will be the challenge!! If you want an idea of what it looks with a visor done in the lower body colour, send me a PM and I can e-mail you a picture.

Cheers....Ken

Hi Everyone

After much searching I managed to locate some steel radials matching the old 640 13 size. Stuckey's in Melbourne still have some Kumho 795 Tourers in stock in the metric equivalent 185 80 R13. Price was $122 each and they were more than happy to ship them to me in NSW. The tyres look good and appear to be of decent quality. The profile is also right and the tyres have plenty of tread. They have a thin white wall but you can always put that towards the inside if you're like me and don't fancy whitewalls. Be quick as I don't think they have too many left. Ask for Michael Sullivan. 03 9386 5331   

It was always clear thanks John. What I am saying is, that if you do the search the number "may" come up as being unavailable because those plates were never handed in. I imagine that the RTA would have records on all numbers that are eligible for re-issue, even if their records in other areas are sketchy. And any number plates (and there would have been thousands) that were never given back would be marked as unaccounted for. You can imagine the legal ramifications if they issued new plates without knowing for sure if the original set had been destroyed or whether they were in the possession of petrol thieves, ram-raiders and other crooks.

As a young bloke I collected a few sets off dumped cars back in the 60's and I have found that all of these have come up as unavailable when I did the search. Now this may be coincidental and as I said, I may be wrong. Perhaps you know how the RTA works and if so, I stand corrected. Otherwise, I thought it would be useful to offer an opinion on the matter and just see if anyone can throw some light on this subject.  

Retro

Just a thought on John's suggestion about hanging on to the original plates. I would imagine that the RTA would have it on record that these plates have never been handed in and consequently would not re-issue that number: even on modern style plates. I'm not sure how they work and I could be wrong, but you'd think they wouldn't want to run the risk of having two sets of plates with identical numbers out there somewhere.

Having said that, if old plates are in good condition there should be a provision made for allowing people to keep them if the car is registered. My FE still has its original plates and I really think it adds to originality of the car. Anyway, good luck with the restoration.

Cheers........Ken

Fatboy
There is a company in WA that supplies all the bolts and backing plates etc. I've recently had my belts restored and all the fittings were supplied.   
Their number is 08 9258 3666. Ask for Graham.

Cheers.....Ken

Yes, it's not the sort of car you'd forget in a hurry Graham. I'd love to know if it's still there.

Ken

I saw something remarkably similar to this not far from the beach at Old Bar NSW (near Taree) about two years ago. Not saying it's the same vehicle, but if not it is a real coincidence! Colour, condition and body style all the same, as best I can remember.

Cheers.....Ken

Thanks John. The description of your windlace sounds identical to mine so maybe mine is not as faded as I originally thought. It is certainly a non descript greyish colour with raised specks. As Rares does not match the original, and obtaining a close match may be difficult, I am inclined to stick with the original. If you can find the time, a photo would be great just to compare. Otherwise I will check out a few cars at Motorfest. Thanks again for the help.

Cheers....Ken