IT WAS believed to be a dramatic new turn in Australian car development when Ford started manufacturing the XR Falcon.
When she was 13 years old, Mount Gambier resident Maddy Potter spotted a turquoise-coloured 1966 Ford Falcon XR 500 station wagon for sale in car-yard window.
Falling in love with it at first sight around five years ago, Maddy’s dad Bruce put his daughter to the test when he asked her to name the make and model of the rustic-looking car.
“I told her, if she could name it then she could have it,” he said.
“She knew I had room in the backyard because I had sold some of my other vehicles, but I just thought why would she want a station wagon in the first place.
“She told me what it was and that one day when she grew up she would have a horse and dogs and her car would need room for them.”
Bruce said everybody thought Maddy was joking at the time, but she never waivered.
“We have done a bit to it including reupholstering the seats and door cards by Squizzy’s Upholstery director Taylor Fry,” he said.
“Maddy bought a full roll of the original interior material and she plans on also making a couple of cushions out of it.
“It also has had the dash replaced with a Mustang dash and the tyres have been changed.”
Bruce said Maddy would often take the car down to the beach with her friends “piled” in the back bench seat.
“I like that the vehicle has lots of room and we can all go together on car runs,” Maddy said.
“We have all worked on the vehicle together too so it holds a lot of memories.”
Maddy said she found the vehicle quite easy to drive.
“I have a bit of a passion for older cars and have researched them a bit from car magazines,” she said.
“I think it is actually easier to drive than a modern car and I think overall driving the older vehicles has made me a better driver.”
Maddy said she liked how the roof and body of the car were different colours.
“We have a GT Ford colour called Wild Violet at home which we are thinking about using on the car,” Bruce said.
“I have been doing a bit of mucking around with paint lately and there is this technique called lacework.
“You spray paint over a lacestyle curtain onto the car and I think we might do it to the roof of the station wagon.”
With parts sourced from right across Australia, Bruce said the vehicle had all its original chrome which was rare.
“She wants to replace the original motor and put a V8 in it,” Bruce said.
“She takes it on all the runs she can go on, because even though it is an old car, it is extremely reliable.
“It has good lights and brakes and is just a bit slower than normal.”
Maddy said she called the vehicle her forever car and would have it in her shed for her lifetime.
SPECIFICATIONS:
ENGINE:
inline-six engine, 200 ci
TRANSMISSION:
Three-on-the-tree manual gearbox
COLOUR:
Two-tone original opal green metallic
INTERIOR:
Reupholstered factory metallic turquoise
WHEELS:
BF Goodrich 225/60/14 fronts and 225/50/15 rears with standard hubcaps
