My new FE holden

[srevoice]

Thanks for the pic Hewart, those front indercators are quite small, are they a after market add on. If so would that make it a standard???

[RET]

Can't claim to know "the truth", although it is out there

I'd be more inclined to think the FC bonnet mascot is just a matter of personal taste (or lack thereof )  I've seen them fitted to a Kingswood, a VC Commodore, even an XC Falcon one time.  They're a fairly universal sort of fit, unlike the FE one, which suits an FE and an FE only.

Those indicators look like trailer equipment.  Neither standard nor business sedans had indicators as factory equipment - only the specials.

Since (as Gary said) no pillar mounted light switch is visible, nor is a taxi-bar evident, I'd reckon it's a standard.

cheers
RET

PS: Andy & Rob: get a room  

[customFC]

Now Ret, don't be so negative towards the classic FC mascot. Many a FE owner has tried to disguise their less than adequate FE with the bonnet mascot of an FC. It doesn't work though, we can see right through the disguise.  
As for the mascot of the FE, it will fit another car......an FC. I have never seen this done though...I wonder why  .
Regards
Alex

[RET]

Hmm, yet I don't see one on the bonnet of your car!

And yes, while you can screw an FE mascot to an FC bonnet, it would look a trifle weird when not integrated (as it should be) with the bonnet button and escutcheon that make the FE so damned elegant.  And once you fitted that, you'd have... an FE bonnet.

cheers
RET

[gp]

Oh dear....I think I'm gonna puke  :-/

[mcl1959]

Maybe, there is a very famous Modern Motor cover with an FE ripping around Lang Lang I think with an FC bonnet mascot, the mag is dated 1958 from memory.
Possibly the FC mascot was fitted to this car as a prototype.
Can anyone post a pic as I dont have this mag anymore?
More likely is that the original owner simply bought an FC mascot and fitted it because he liked it on his car.
Dealers would have been quick to make a sale to service customers advising them that their car will look more like the new model if they buy the mascot.
Ken

[customFC]

Hey Ken.
This the 1?

Regards
Alex

[TorqueFC]

hey alex could you please send me the original size of that image, i love it!!!:D

my emails address is
kenkanifff@hotmail.com

[mcl1959]

That's the 1 Alex, what's the date on it?

Ken

[sunnytim]

This post is very interesting - I was referred tothis post following my question regarding the name of the silver/grey colour on the inside of my early ''nitrocellulose' Hi Gloss Black FB 215.
I don't accept that generally factory black cars with iridecent silver interiors are unusual and rare, and that they normally had black dashes.  I am not an FE-FC nut perse so no doubt Ken or Graham will have a better idea, but my opinion is based on the unrestored FE-FC 215, 217 and 225s I have seen over the years (less than 10).  All have had grey/silver interiors (I owned an FC 225 factory black in the 90s with Silver interior).  I now have 2 'acrylic' factory black EK's both with their original paint on the interior and it is metallic silver/grey also.  The FB 'nitro' I have just bought is also grey/silver and is clearly original paint (you can see where holden have painted over the black where it is wearing through on the door tops etc, but this is how they were painted not an addition)

The reason I am fairly sure of this is a practical one - Black is god damn hot.  Imagine if the top of your door was gloss black, and your dash and other areas in direct sunlight the burns you would get.  All FX and FJ's that were black also generally had a silver interior (dash/doortops).

I would expect that it is rarer to find a black car with a black door top/dash - and in fact would doubt the authenticity of this over grey/silver.

P.S.  As for the digressed bonnet mascot discussion, don't forget they were fitted by the dealer.  If Dad was bought a Christmas present bonnet mascot for his FE in 1959 they would have given him a FC one, which would also be the case if the car was traded and 'jazzed up' by a dealer for the lot as well I would expect.  Given every dealer in Australia was ordering and fitting accessories no matter how big/small you can also see why FC bonnet mascots show up on FB's, EK's and so many other vehicles where people state it has been there since new.

Anyway, sorry for my rant  
Appreciate people's opinions on this again.
Tim

[NosFEratu]

Hi Sunnytim

I'm not a guru on FE FC's by any means and, while I appreciate a nice original or restoration, I don't really care about what is and what isn't original - but that's me.  However, I can some information on how my black FE 225 came from the factory as I know it's full history (family car since new and I'm the second owner)..... it's paint was black everywhere the eye could see. 

Kathi

[mcl1959]

Glad you found this old post Tim - I had been looking for it to answer your question - You seem to have been lucky with all the black FE's and FC's you have seen - I have looked at Dozens over the years with very few of them having the silver dash and door tops. I also have photos of one black FE sedan having a total silver interior with the charcoal dash top. From my experience the silver dash & door tops is more common on All black specials since Single colour special sedans usually had a secondary colour on the interior which was not indicated on the ID plate. However, it is not across all the production.

Standards and Business sedans are much rarer with silver interiors but they certainly do exist - As I said years ago - they are probably fleet cars for government departments such as the Premiers Dept where Black was seen as a symbol of prestige and the silver was added for contrast.

Ken

[mcl1959]

Some pics of the car mentioned




The one that I wrecked was different - the lower dash was also silver along with the dash panel and the door jambs were silver as well.

Ken

[colt]

This is the car That I wrecked some years ago and of course now regret doing so. Ken, I did keep the tag, did I pass the numbers on to you?

Colin.

[mcl1959]

No I dont think you did - I have no black FE special recorded with your name against it

Ken

[sunnytim]

Many thanks all.  I have only seen 1 black FE-217 and a friend of mine had a black FC 215 for many years (the car now RIP).  The others I have seen around the traps have all been specials I think  The FC 215 was all silver inside.  The colour of the car I am restoring appears identical to the FE pictured with grey/silver dash/doors but black door jams.
Sorry I get a bit side tracked I have a thing for factory black cars 

[mcl1959]

No worries Tim - I like black cars as well - Hope the following brightens your day
2 black specials and 2 really unusual black standards





Ken

[Kinelea]

Hello Ken,
The Black standard FE located at the 'Cape' in the photo in this thread, has a blue/Grey color on door, Dash & surrounds, as you know an unmodified one family car.
The worse for wear these days!

Tony C

[colt]

Here you go Ken.

No: FE225  22385  S
TRIM  4-582AO
PAINT  253-5258

The paint line may be 6258? Very badly stamped. I'm sorry that I haven't got the subframe number. It was very badly damaged. All I could keep were the legs.

Colin.

[black57]

Mine is a standard.

Black with red interior. Here is a pic of my dash....



Pinky