thanks paul  that explains why we got them from canada

frank i do have a book on ford in australia its 21 years old now but its our best book on the history of ford hear which like canada started in 1904 fords were first assembled in geelong from 1904 to 1925 when the factory in geelong opened  so fords first factory was in my home town & if i look out my office window i can see the giant ford sign ford is also #1 sponser for our geelong football team.

according to my book lews ute design was a world first followed by gm holden copying it lew designed all of our coupe utes untill 1976 when he retired he was also responsible for a lot of other inovative designs a mk1 cortina fastback they only came in sedans & a mk2 zephyr station wagon the roof line of which he cut of a gm holden he also came up with a convertable version of our falcons in the 60's but yes it probably is where the ranchero's & elcomino's came from apparently old henry was very impressed with the kangaroo chaser.

you can google lewis bandt & heaps of stuff comes up you can also google ford factory geelong then click on highlights of ford australia which has all of fords models & info up to 2001 & for those intersted you can just google geelong to see all about where i live.

you can also google ford discovery centre whick is our  museum & has info as well.

moz. geelong victoria australia.

graduate 1980, bus, truck, car, hot rod, boat, submarine, hovercraft, hydrafoil, firetruck, mobile home, jet, helicopter, cruise ship, motorcycle, bicycle, santa's sleigh, clock, alloy bullbar, alloy fuel tank, lens, dr who's tardis, matter - anti matter warp drive buffer & y-block lover

Paul,

         That's interesting, never knew that. Moz, is there some kind of a book or article on the utes? Probably explains where we Yanks got the idea for the Ranchero and/or El Camino.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Moz: Ford of Canada was formed If I recall correctly, in 1904. And was given exclusive rights to export to certain areas, including Australia. Hence since we didn't get the Y-block into production until 1955, you didn't get them until then either.

Paul

mark

that explains why we never got them all our stuff came from canada henry wouldnt export to australia for some reason, yet in 1933 when lewis badt designed our coupe utes he went to america in 1935 so henry could meet the man who designed as he called it "the kangaroo chaser".

i met lewis bandt once he came in for petrol at the service station i worked at, he had 3 cars which he designed that he owned one of which was his 1934 ute, he drove it every day sadly at the age of 76 while driving his ute home from making a tv documentry about it he was killed in a head on collision with a 5 tonne tip truck. he gave ford australia some amazing vehicles. he was also the person to change the customline's into  coupe ute mainlines as you can see mine in my signature.

moz. geelong victoria australia.

graduate 1980, bus, truck, car, hot rod, boat, submarine, hovercraft, hydrafoil, firetruck, mobile home, jet, helicopter, cruise ship, motorcycle, bicycle, santa's sleigh, clock, alloy bullbar, alloy fuel tank, lens, dr who's tardis, matter - anti matter warp drive buffer & y-block lover

Hello Moz,The Y-block was not available in Canada in the cars until 1955 either.We got to use the flathead for one more year.272's same as yours.Never did get the 239 Y-Block here.Regards Mark

  

my pleasure mark

yes it is true we got 4door sedans only no vickys or club coupes, customlines & our coupe utility which we called mainline.

our 57's came in 1 or 2 colors & some with a black stripe on the quarters & our 58-59's came in 1-2or 3 colors (all different) untill mid 59 when we got the tank fairlane.

interestingly our f100's were all the same as usa & canada but we didnt get the y-block untill 55 & it was the 272 only our f100's had the 292 as did our thunderbird's.

moz. geelong victoria australia.

graduate 1980, bus, truck, car, hot rod, boat, submarine, hovercraft, hydrafoil, firetruck, mobile home, jet, helicopter, cruise ship, motorcycle, bicycle, santa's sleigh, clock, alloy bullbar, alloy fuel tank, lens, dr who's tardis, matter - anti matter warp drive buffer & y-block lover

Hello Moz,Thanks for that answer.I sold a neutral switch to a fellow in your part of the world last month.I asked him to email me a picture of his 57 Customline.When I got it was I ever surprised.It is almost identical in color and body and exterior trim to my 56 Fairlane.Interesting to see the steering wheel on the opposite side.He told me he bought in the mid 70's and it was one of 500 produced  special edition with a "blackstripe" on the rear quarter panel.Nice looking car.Now I know why its a 57.He also told me that 2-doors were never available in  "Ozzy" but many have been  imported afterwards by buyers.Thanks Mark

  

it is 12v for sure... My appologeeeeze. Wne tthru it when i was doin an alternator conversion.

William



1957 Ford Fairlane 500

292 Bored .30 over

Fordomatic

chuck

what you were told is true we never imported 57 or 58's into aus we still had enough 55-56 bodys left over for another 2 years we did keep importing engines though it was the first time ford australia was out of step with ford usa & canada.

moz. geelong victoria australia.

graduate 1980, bus, truck, car, hot rod, boat, submarine, hovercraft, hydrafoil, firetruck, mobile home, jet, helicopter, cruise ship, motorcycle, bicycle, santa's sleigh, clock, alloy bullbar, alloy fuel tank, lens, dr who's tardis, matter - anti matter warp drive buffer & y-block lover

ohh.i'm sorry.. said that wrong..it's a 12 volt system, but he has the polarity backwards..gotta go fix it

William



1957 Ford Fairlane 500

292 Bored .30 over

Fordomatic