FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Stephen's FC ..
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Still cannot get the hang of the uploading photos .. so hope these work OK ..

Details of the car are .. we are the 3rd owners, and the car has travelled a genuine 45,742 miles from new .. the FC had been sitting in a shed for many years and had surface rust over the boot, roof, bonnet and mudguards. We started restoring the car in November 2009, and have just finished (August 2010).. it has had a respray outside, inside doors, on doors and body, new rubbers, Bailey channels, ..motor and gearbox painted in  standard GMH grey, and while they were out the motor, had new welsh plugs, steel timing gears, new water pump, radiator cleaned, carby overhauled, and gearbox had a kit put in .. The car had no rust in the body except for surface rust mentioned, and we put this down to the fact that the original owner had the car endrusted with a tar like substance all underneath when the car was new.. Numbers from the ID plate are .. FC-225-7673-A, Trim 277-629, Paint 253-7700, 256-7770 .. Chassis No. 8 -6526 -A, Engine No L502017 .. This makes the car the 7,673rd FC manufactured in Adelaide , and was assembled in 1958 and was the 5,526 th FC ( in any body style) assembled in Adelaide .. and according to the engine number was made in September 1958   .. Regards Stephen

I would like to add that without this Forum, life would have been much more difficult .. Thank you to the people that have helped answer my questions and to all the people that have posted on the forum, I used the search many times to overcome a problem ..Regards Stephen

      Looking great Stephen  ;D Cant wait to see it. You have done the old girl proud
      You know you cant stop at one (just ask Robin)
      Cheers Stewy.

Shes a sexy looking gal.

Thanks Fellas.. Its  Granite Grey, with India Ivory and is a bit darker than the photos,..  must have had a rare spot of sun down here at Waitpinga when I took the photos ..Thought I had finished her, but gave it a wash after being in the paddock, and the windscreen and boot leaks .. so back in the shed !! .. hope to be in this Sundays Run to Loberthal  Stewy all going well, so may see you there .. and have to stop at one, Robin's bought all the rest .. Stephen

Hey Stephen
Sweet looking ol'gal.
A credit to you!!
Regards
Alex

Looks great Stephen,if you're feeling very adventurous you'll have to make a trip up here to the Barossa so we can have a closer look!You were right about the door seals,I have put some "quick clamps" on the insides to pull the doors in and they are in to within about 4-5mm so not too bad.Hope to see the old girl in the flesh some time.Cheers,Jamie.

Thanks for the comments Alex and I reckon that we were lucky we had such a good car to start with, .. the first owner was very fastidious,.. he even kept a log book from day one, detailing every little thing he did to the car, with mileages, right up until the day it was put into storage and the second owner only drove it a couple of times, once in the Bay to Birdwood, and it just sat in his Museum until we came along.
Jamie .. Next Club run up to the Barossa !!.. I played around with my doors some more, and after spraying rubber magic on them each day for 3 days, and doing some fine adjustments on the door latches, they went in almost flush with the body .. Regards Stephen

Looks like a very nice low mileage car with history!
Nice work Stephen  ;)
Regards ACE  8)

Great looking car. Well done.
I love the number plates.

Cheers
Paul

Thanks Ace & Paul .. heres a few pages of the log book, if anyone is interested .. he first changed the oil at 30 miles .. and you can see at 44,325 miles ( 1986) it was already in storage and only started up and driven around an enclosure .. the whole book is in nice neat handwriting and details everything he did to the car while he had it, even when it was in storage he replaced the spark plugs .. Regards Stephen

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Thank you Stinky for organizing the photos for me ..  much appreciated .. Regards Stephen

Isn't it great to such a detailed history of your car,great stuff
Cheers
Deano

Stephen

What a neat old girl you have?

That log book is amazing.

Well done

Craig

Thanks Deano & Craig .. yes she is a great old girl .. her name is "Abby" and hopefully she can now last for another generation, so the kids in the future can see what their Granparents used to drive .. we have to take her into the Panel Works on Monday to get her polished and doors readjusted .. and later in the week we will be contacting the original owner, who is still living in Victor Harbor, he's in his 90's. We want to give him a ride in his old car, and see if he can remember the date he bought her so we can giver her a Birthday party on that date next month ..once the inside door trims are fitted after Monday, will try and post a few shots of the interior, it,s original and like brand new, motor has had a paint job but is still in the same condition inside except for welsh plugs and steel timing gear .. Regards Stephen

Hi Stephen,
I may be able to add a litlle bit of history to your car......This is one I all but purchased back in circa 1986-7 ( I think ) from its' original owner who I remember ( ???) was Mr Jack Henry....if this is the same one then good on you.
I went up to see this car back then and he had it in  his gagrage next to his son's Aston Martin.V8.
I put down a deposit on it and went back to Adelaide to arrange a bank cheque   ( $4500 )....I also went to the rego mob and reserved the Grand Prix plates "1958"  for it thinking why not.
Anyway when I went back with cheque in hand the old fella couldn't part with it so I left empty handed ( he did pay me for the trip etc and a little more than my deposit as an ex-gratia payment ). I felt sorry for him as I know how things are between man and car and back then fiding a one owner in great condition wasn't that difficult.....try that now!
Handed back the plates too....wish I had then as I now have a '58 anyway...but it's got it's original plates anyway ( and how I managed to get the original plates transfered to me is also another long winded story too...bloody beauracrats !!!)
So good luck bringing this old girl back to her best....he was a very careful car owner so it must be in great condition.....I think he went on to sell it locally to a "collector" but I lost interest after that moment in time.......And should have bought the next FE I saw from a guy called Henry Horn...also from down south....a great arron/cream low mileage immaculate car.....like I said plenty around them days......
Cheers

Maroon and cream FE.......sorry

well done stephen,

one of my mates spotted your car this morning and said there is a very nice FC getting around with 1958FC plates.

Having your project finished certainly makes all those hurdles along the way worthwhile.  Can't wait to hear what the previous owners reaction is when you take them for a drive.

Cheers
Peter.

Hi Spybo .. You could be right about the owner,... the chap I bought the car from mentioned his name and knows where he lives, so will be going with him, but as it was a while ago I have forgotten the name of the original owner, ( massive senior moment), and the log book does not have his name, .. but when I take the car around and get introduced to him,  I will let you know if it is the same person you had dealings with .. it's quite possibly it is,  as the chap I bought the car from is a collector, and runs his own museum of cars and petrolania .. so will let you know when I find out .. Regards Stephen

Hi Peter .. seems Adelaide is a very small place, .. cannot sneak around without getting caught out .. hopefully next week we will take the original owner for a run, so will keep you posted  ..   Regards Stephen

That should put a smile on his dial.

Hi Spybo .. sorry it took so long to get back to you about the original owner of my FC .. but the bloke I bought it from was going to arrange it, but he has disappeared off the face of the earth .. probably interstate on a car run YOU WERE RIGHT .. in a box of spares found some paper work when he put safety rims on the car, and had his name JACK HENRY  .. so I hear he is still alive, and in his nineties, so will give him a phone call and let him know that I have restored his old car .. may even be able to get a photo of him sitting inside, if he is still OK .. Regards Stephen