My 1958 FC Holden business sedan

[DN2168]

I've got this happy ending feeling about this  .

Dean.

[Froger]

G'day Fred, looking under the back seat there are holes located through the main front rib where the front of the seat slides behind, were these holes made prior to the camping seat installation?
If these holes were required for the camping bed that makes it possibly your old car, Can you remember anything else about the car?
would be nice to get more information about the old FC.
You can phone me on 0418-251-566
Regards.
Leon.

G'day Leon .. My memory of the finer details of the car a little scratchy now days .. When I eventually get home I will try to find what paper work I think I might have ( hopefully ) and will give you a call ( either way ), as I remember going to the trouble of trying to get the past history of owners from the RTA ( were they called that back then , don't remember ) back in the day and having some success , but I don't know if I still have them or not ( heres hoping )...
I guess the only remote chance of knowing other than the paper work is the repair on one of the lower guards but that's a long shot as who would know what was done to it after I had it ... Looking at all the pics yours is looking a whole lot shinier than mine was , although I never did get around to buffing it ...

Cheers Fred ..

[Silver Top FE]

Hi Leon, I'm a newbie to FE & FC ownership, but i believe your car to be an ex-taxi. (very cool!)
The tell-tale signs are the grab rail across back of front seat, red interior, 256-6332 black paint from new and the interior door pull handles. Also the fact it is a "down-market" 217 business sedan, not a "Special".
I have just purchased an FE 217 (#72 from Melbourne factory) and it also has the same fittings with Red interior.
Out of interest, could you have a look on the "B" pillar, just below the seatbelt bolt and tell me if there is a small chrome rocker switch there? Apparently that was the switch for the "For Hire" light on the roof. Mine has it but I'm not sure about Sydney cars.
I have been wanting to build an FE Silver Top taxi for a long time now, and I finally found a good resto project recently. So now I'm here on the forum to try and suss out a bit of info from the experts !
I'm sure I'll be needing advice on getting parts and some resto tips.
I'm in Melbourne and am planning to go to the next Club meeting in Bentleigh.
Cheers,
Tony

[Rabbitoh]

Hi Tony,
The Business model (217) was specced for 'heavy duty'. For example, they had a better electrical system (higher rated Battery) and an extra leaf in the rear leaf springs (5 as opposed to 4). The rocker switch on the B-pillar was on all 217's (not specific to Taxis) and was to turn the interior dome light on, without opening the front doors. 

[mcl1959]

Hey Tony - look forward to seeing you at the meeting - but please note - the venue has changed we now meet at the Mulgrave country club.

Love to talk to you about your 217, I have owned a couple of FE 217's and an FC 217 over the years.  Would you be able to provide the chassis number for your business sedan - I have not seen this car before.


Ken

[Billy Blackarrow]

Please excuse my ignorance I have been watching this post but what makes it business class enlighten me please

[Froger]

Out of interest, could you have a look on the "B" pillar, just below the seat belt bolt and tell me if there is a small chrome rocker switch there? Apparently that was the switch for the "For Hire" light on the roof. Mine has it but I'm not sure about Sydney cars.

Mine had the switch on the pillar and it activated the interior light .. Not to say it didn't activate a taxi light in a previous life  ...
I'd be interested to no more of the history of these Black Business Sedans as the one I owned has sat in the back of my memory bank for all the years since , and I've had a heap of good old vehicles from that time to now, of all makes ...

[zulu]

Business Class I like that Billy, hahaha

It's a bit like Belmont, Kingswood or Premier

215 prefix on your firewall plate is the poverty pack or Standard Sedan model

219 was your Standard Wagon, the Standards were single tone paint & single colour interior

217 is your Business Sedan, which was "up spec" as Rabbitoh said with an extra leaf or 2 in the rear springs so the boot could handle things like a Salesmans sample bag & travelling case,or a Taxis luggage, beefed up seat springs (supposedly)

A heavy duty generator to handle the additional current that a 2 way radio would draw for the cab operator, and of course the chrome light switch on the drivers B pillar for the punters on the back seat to find their change for the fare or for the driver to consult the street directory.....oh, and don't forget the orthodontists delight, the taxi bar

225 was the Special Sedan, if you were flushed with funds was your top banana model with all the Stainless Steel mouldings 2 tone paint 2 tone interior

229 was the Special Wagon

2106 was the Ute & 2104 the panelvan

Good on you Sliver Top FE & Leon for finding them, there aren't too many of them out there!

Cheers, Gary
   

[Billy Blackarrow]

Thanks for the information Gary now i no what it is all about 

[Froger]

Good stuff Gary ..
Think you've answered most of my questions..
Any clues as to why mine had a camping seat installed

[zulu]

Gday Froger,

These camping seats were available after market, or could also have been installed by the dealer that sold the car, there are a few different types

There were places that altered your original seat into a camper, in Melbourne there was a firm called Baileys and in Sydney it was a mob called Canopy Industries, not sure about other States or Cities

Cheers Gary

[Froger]

Thanks Gary ..
I Knew the day I sold that car I would regret it .. Familiar story 

[Silver Top FE]

Hi guys, thanks for clearing up that mystery about the rocker switch on "B" pillar. Than actually makes sense now, 'cos mine has NO switches fitted in the front door jambs. I thought someone must have pinched them over the years, but I'm guessing they came from the factory just with the empty holes?
NEWSFLASH....i just went out and looked at mine, and the interior light has it's own switch on it which works fine, and the rocker switch on the pillar appears to do nothing....go figure.

[Silver Top FE]

G'day Ken,   D'oh....I live in Highett and can just about WALK to the Bentleigh Club!
But will get over to the Mulgrave Club Tuesday. Will get back to you with chassis number once I get it up on the hoist later this week. I got no paperwork with it, but the old rego label from 1995 says Serial number 1743404 and original Reg No. GOK 728.
I'm dreading getting it up on the hoist, as I'm sure it will need just about everything replaced. Brakes are just about siezed to start with, clutch makes funny noises and it looks like it's been neglected for a long, long time, so I'm guessing all shokers, rubbers etc...will be shot too.  Once I have all mechanicals done, it will be off to the body shop, then the paint shop. Interior is passable and looks original, so hopefully a good clean will bring it up.
I don't want to muck around with this on the never-never...I'm gonna knuckle down and get it restored and on the road ASAP. 

[mcl1959]

Good stuff silver top - You will find that your black FE business sedan was more likely a commercial car rather than a taxi. I would be able to tell by looking at it but things you should look for are holes under the dash where the meter was attached, holes in the firewall where cables come through etc. Government departments often bought standard and business sedans for commercial use and these were sold on to private buyers when a newer model was purchased. Taxis on the other hand were generally run into the ground and then replaced, the used taxi may have been bought after it finished life as a taxi but its condition was not likely to see it saved.

Of all the business sedans I have owned, none were taxis. The taxis simply had too rough a life and never made it past 5 years old.

The seats were definitely reinforced - The resto I did on one of my sedans included adding the reinforcing wires from a stuffed 217 seat into a standard seat to make it original. The roof light switch can be repaired or replaced to make it work as it should.
The hardest pieces to find are the plastic piece which goes across the bottom of the rear of the front seat and 2 plastic surrounds which go around the sides of the rear seat - does your car still have these?
I have a grand total of 23 recorded FE 217 models recorded - not including yours out of the 3000 odd FE and FC' on my database.
But FC 217, that's another story - only 7 recorded and 5 of them are black.
The FC 217 finished up in early 1959 and was never made again
Ken

[Silver Top FE]

Hi Ken,
my car is actually FRANKSTON CREAM
ID plate FE 217 --72-M
Trim 26484
Paint 256 6332
It came from Warnambool, so I was guessing a Country Taxi, but who knows. It was last registered there in 1995, still with what I'm guessing are it's original plates: GOK-728

#72 would be fairly early in the manufacturing run I guess? How many FE 217's came out of Melb factory in total do you know?

The headling is a beautiful thing....just about perfect, except where it meets top or rear window. Unfortunately it's rusting under there (not so visible from outside on body) and lining has split away, but will know more when we pull out the window, and hopefully my upholsterer can perform some magic on it. The sunvisors are also a beautiful thing perfect.
I'm normally a stickler for restoring cars to their factory colour, but I've had my heart set on a Silver Top taxi ever since buying all the livery over 20 years ago, so it's gonna be black with silver roof  unless you can find me an original black one in the meantime?....lol
Hey, are complete new rubber floors available anywhere? Rare Spares don't seem to have them. Mine is fairly intact except for in the foot wells, but would be nice to have new.

[fcwrangler]

There is repooduction mats listed on ebay original lines and emblem for $800, they also list a boot mat for $420 I think, thats a great looking car hope you have lots offun driving it around.
Regards Jim

[leon]

G'day Jim and Fred I'm posting a recent receipt from the people in Victoria where I got My rubber mats, the ones you see on EBay would be originally from these people and the ones on EBay are trying to make some big proffits but not from me or you.
I hope this helps you when you require original rubber Matt's.
Regards.
Leon

[fcwrangler]

Thanks for the heads up Leon, I was thinking about odering the mats of ebay, but now I'll go straight to the source. Have you fittted them yet, if so how did they go. I also noticed you are in Campbelltown, I'm at Bargo, almost neighbours.
Thanks, Jim

[leon]

Hi Jim, Fitting the new rubber Matt's are just great they just virtually slide in on their own, nothing like the original parts.
Regarding the matt's it's about 4 to 6 weeks wait after they receive a $40 deposit, They're really nice people to deal with.
Looking forward to meeting up with you soon either at one of the meetings or on a club run.
If there is anything I can help you with re' car information just drop a line, you'll find all the fellows and gals on this forum are very helpful with their vast encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to the old FCs/FEs.
Regards.
Leon