FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Reading some of the stories here has inspired me to tell you about "Jim", my FC named for James Alexander Holden, the guy who started it all.

I purchased him in April, 2004.  I'd been looking around for an FC for quite some time, and saw a few heaps of over-priced rubbish that were probably beyond my capabilities to restore. Then I responded to an ad in the Trading Post.

The car is (largely) in original condition - original paintwork, original interior.  The photos that follow show the paint as being better than it is - but it is still pretty good for its age.  It was the interior that sold it. The car was better than I'd hoped to buy, and cost more than I intended to pay, but I couldn't pass up the chance.

It had 70,873 miles on the clock when I took it home.  Is it genuine mileage?  Make up your own mind when you finish reading my story - but I believe that it is genuine.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/FC1A.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/FC2A.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/FC4A.jpg)

The engine bay wouldn't have sold it.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/FC5A.jpg)

I wasn't game to go to the Nationals at Jindabyne without replacing the timing gear, so I figured if I was going to do that, I might as well recon the whole engine, including hard valve seats to run ULP.  While the engine was out, I cleaned up the engine bay.  Sure, it's not original any more, but let's just call it "running repairs". Here's how it looks now:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/EngineBay.jpg)

While I was doing that little job, I found this:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/Enginebaypaint.jpg)

There's been plenty of discussion about this in the resoration board.  This is still under the new paint.

So, it's another Fountain Blue over Skyline Blue FC Special. Sure, it looks good, but "ho hum".  What makes it so special?  Read about that in Chapter 2.

Martin,

I enjoy hearing about how people acquired their cars, how they have become attched to them.

Your car is especially nice, I have a real soft spot for the early series 3 FC with the Fountain Blue over Skyline Blue with the Blue Black interior.

I hope that you are going to Orange, I would love to see it "in the flesh" so to speak.

regards

Keith

What sets this car apart from the rest is the history that goes with it.

I am the 4th owner.

The first owners were RP & ME Bracegirdle.

While the engine number suggests the car was manufactured in June 1959, I believe that it was first registered (and therefore delivered) on 31st May 1959.  The original registration expired on 31 May 1960.  In those days in SA, you could register a car for 12 months or 6 months.

The 2,000 service was carried out in October 1959.  Here's an image of the service invoice.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/ServiceReceipt2000m21-10-59-C-Small.jpg)

On 7 March 1960 Bracegirdles sold the car to 2 sisters, namely Hilma Alice Mary Birchmore and Githa Amy May Birchmore. The "girls", as they were referred to in their family, retained nearly everything to do with the car.  Here's the receipt for payment:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/Receiptdated7March1960-Colour-Small.jpg)

Here's the "girls" (obviously taken well before 1960 - I'd think even pre-1950)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/Birchmoresisters.jpg)

In addition to keeping every registration renewal certificate, every insurance renewal and every service receipt (which I have), they kept a diary of overy penny (and later, cent) they spent on the car.  Here's 2 pages from the diaty, followed by the service receipt dated 9/1/86 showing a mileage of 60,646 miles

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/NoteBookC-Small.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/ServiceReceipt60646m9-1-86-C-Small.jpg)

The work quoted on the bottom of the invoice was done and I have the recipt for it.

In 1985 the records cease.  The third owner purchased the car from the estate of the girls in Mrach 1993 with an odometer reading of about 64,000 miles.  I suspect that the girls became too old to drive the car and it was just kept in the shed.

I won't show the name of the 3rd owner because he's still alive and doing well (he's probably younger than me!) - let's call him Geoff.

Geoff was going to restore the car, but was then convinced to leave it in its original state because it was so good.  He had a few other old cars (including an FJ and an MGB Mk II), so the FC did not get much use in the 11 years he had it - approximately 6,000 miles. The first day I went to inspect the car he'd backed it out of the garage, but I couldn't test drive it because the brakes locked up (obviously through lack of use). Anyway, I went back the following week to drive it, but with a pocket full of money, because I new I was going to buy it.

So I'm the 4th owner.  Since buying the car I've done the following:
Recon the motor.
Fitted new shockers
Fitted mud flaps, a Smiths heater (the round NASCO style, not the beehive model), reversing lights, bypass oil filter, grill badge and bonnet "bird". I've also put in an Air Chief push-button radio (and hidden a CD player in the glove box - one speaker in in its correct place, the other is in a box under the front seat).

The paint is very thin in places - back to the undercoat in a couple of spots, and the Fountain Blue is pretty dull and needs a coat of polish a couple of times a year.  The floor mats are the originals - and while the front one has a few small tears, they are still quite serviceable.  I won't toss them out because they have the blue fleck on them. The boot mat is a bit torn around the edges.  But hey, this is a fifty year old car and it isn't supposed to be perfect.

In October 2006 I took it to Ceduna (800km from Adelaide) to a local car club 30th birthday celebration.  I have a boat that I leave at a mate's place over there. So Jim had to put the boat in and out.  Why not?  That's what these cars did 50 years ago.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/Fish2-1.jpg)

Jim will never win any prizes, but I love driving it, and I love showing it off.  I try to drive it at least once a week - generally it happens  - but not always.  I bought it to play with - to use - and that's what I do. 

 

I forgot to tell you - the odometer now reads 86,800 miles.

Wow, an amazing history of a very well cared for car. I hope that you are able to enjoy it for many more years to come.

Keith

Great read Martin and thanks for sharing it with us.  :)

You shouldn't worry at all what anyone else thinks about your "running repairs" as they are keeping it running which is the most important thing.  IMHO it's no good at all in having something locked away in a garage as the return on investment is in the driving of it - but, as I said, that's just my opinion! 

I hope you keep enjoying Jim for many more years to come.

Kathi

Wicked car great history not to many around that have not been restored .....you just can't replacate 50 years of patina ........FC427........

Excellent Martin, Great original car & what a blast to have all the history, thats the way to find em.
Gary

What a great story to have to go with a fabulous car.  Those papers are a wonderful record of the car over so many years and a real bonus to have come with it.

Thanks for sharing the story.

Cheers
David

Hey Martin
Nice story and pics.
Have you ever been back to the original house and taken pics out the front....I think that would be cool.
My car too is onto it's 4th owner and I have history that goes back to the early 60's from the second owner. Unfortunately, no info on owner #1.
I love the pic with the boat....a classic shot.
Regards
Alex

Thanks for a great post Martin. Good luck with "Jim". It's great that you can get to drive the car regularly.  ;)

Cheers..........Ken

Thanks for all your comments, people.  I agree with you all   ;D  ;D  ;D

Funny you should ask about pics out the front of the houses, Alex:

This used to be Bracegirdle's house (owner no. 1).  It probably didn't have the palm trees in 1959

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/HouseGlandore.jpg)

This photo of the Birchmore girls' house was included with all the other documents:

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/HouseGrange1.jpg)

and this is how it looked a couple of years ago.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/lewis1411/HouseGrange2.jpg)

One of these days I'm going to go back to the Bracegirdle's house and ask if I can put Jim in the driveway for a pic.  I'll also get around to getting a pic of Jim at owner no. 3's house too, so I've got the complete history of homes.

Interestingly, the "girls'" house is on the esplanade at Grange beach - across the road from the beach.  Apart from a bit of rust re-appearing over one headlight peak, I cannot find any other rust in the car.  It has obviously been garaged all its life, and well washed.  There were rust repairs over the headlight peaks in July 1986.  The diary records that it was fixed at a cost of $90.00.  I have a set of replacement peaks, so when the current rust cancer gets too bad, I'll replace the peaks completely.

Beautiful story of the history of your "Jim". Those old photos of the previous owners are priceless. You can just imagine them girls driving around in Jim, back in the days.

I can go back 3 owners of mine, but I tried to contact the 3rd one back, which he is from this forum, but he didn't get back to me. Oh well I will keep trying.

Again its a wonderful history lesson and well worth the read.

Cheers
Janette

Nice one Martin. Good to hear the story and even better with the photos.

I have an FE Standard Sedan that was owned by 2 sisters from new until they died and has only travelled around 50000 miles. I bought it off their nephew so we call it The Aunty's car. I could not imagine two sisters in this age sharing a car let alone doing it for over 30 years. Times were certainly different then.

Robin