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In May 1969 the first of the XW GT's rolled off the Broadmeadows assembly line. Ford had upped the ante with the XW by fitting the 351 cubic inch (5.8 litre) Windsor V8 with an output of 290 BHP (217KW) and 385 ft/lbs. of torque.
With bigger brakes, a final drive ratio of 3.25:1, a huge 36-gallon (164 litre) fuel tank and suspension modifications to take the extra power and torque, the XW seemed to be the ultimate Grand Tourer. But more was to follow...
The HO variant, which arrived one month later,
was a real street racer. HO stood for "Handling
Option" in "Ford-speak",
however most of the modifications added were
to the engine. It now developed 300bhp (225KW).
The 351 got a bigger (600cfm vs 450cfm) carburettor,
hydraulic valve lifters, revised camshaft,
heavy duty alternator, alloy inlet manifold,
a three-inch heavy duty tail shaft, heavier
front roll bar, beefed-up coils, stiffer shocks
and a new rear roll bar.
In its first appearance
at the 1969 Bathurst race an XW GTHO came in
second, in spite of wrong tyre choice which
saw the works cars pitting for unscheduled
stops throughout the day. Production of the
XW model resulted in 2,287 GT's from May 1969
to October 1970 and 662 GTHO's from July 1969
to October 1970.
Also see:
The
Ford Falcon GT Story
Cleveland 4V V8
Falcon
XW GT Review
Falcon
XW GT Identification Guide |
Ford further refined
the XW GT with a Cleveland 351 engine, still
with 300bhp. The Cleveland engine was used
in some late Phase I GTHOs (also known as Phase
1.5) produced around March & April 1970.
These were a long way short of the proper Phase
IIs as far as development is concerned... using
the standard hydraulic Cleveland engine (but
with 600cfm Holley carburettor), wide ratio
gearbox, 28 spline diff, standard drums, etc.
The Cleveland powered Phase II GTHO which commenced production in June 1970 sported
a 750cfm Holley carburettor and improved gear ratios with a lower 3.5:1 rear axle.
Other changes to the Phase II included, solid camshaft & lifters, bigger
push rods, guide plates, close ratio gearbox, "Daytona" diff (which
incorporated nodular iron carrier, 31 spline rear axles, larger pinion flange
and bearings, larger axle bearings, etc...), bigger diameter tail shaft, larger
universal joints, 2.5" wide finned drums, brake proportioning valve, etc...
Allan Moffat won Bathurst in a Phase II after leading from lap 2.
- Engine Specifications:
- Type: 351 cubic inch Windsor V8 (5.763 litre)
- Power (DIN): 216kW (290bhp) @ 4800rpm
- Torque (DIN): 522Nm (385lb-ft) @ 3200rpm
- Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
- Fuel System: Ford Autolite '4300' 450cfm 4 barrel downdraught carburettor
- Bore & Stroke: 102 x 89mm (4.00 x 3.50in)
- Configuration: Front mounted, longitudinal, 60 degree V8
- Head Design: Pushrod & rocker OHV with hydraulic lifters
- Ignition System: Single point distributor
- Exhaust System: Cast iron manifold, low restriction twin exhaust
- Manual Gearbox :
- Type: 4 speed all-synchronised
- 1st: 2.78:1
- 2nd: 1.93:1
- 3rd: 1.36:1
- 4th: 1.00:1
- Reverse: 2.78:1
- Manual Gearbox :
- Type: 4 speed all-synchronised close ratio
- 1st: 2.32:1
- 2nd: 1.69:1
- 3rd: 1.29:1
- 4th: 1.00:1
- Reverse: 2.78:1
- Automatic Transmission:
- Type: 3 speed C4
- 1st: 2.46:1
- 2nd: 1.46:1
- 3rd: 1.00:1
- Reverse: 2.20:1
- Rear Axle:
- Type: 9in removable carrier type, Limited Slip 'Traction Lok' Diff, 28 spline
- Ratio: 3.25:1
- Suspension:
- Front: Independent ball joint, coil springs, shock absorbers, wishbones and anti-roll bar
- Rear: Hotchkiss type with semi-elliptic leaf springs, shock absorbers and live axle
- Brakes:
- Front: 286mm (11.25in) Servo assisted Discs
- Rear: 254mm (10in) Servo assisted Drums
- Steering:
- Type: Re-circulating ball power assistance (Optional)
- Ratio: 16:1
- Wheels & Tyres:
- Wheels: 6.0 x 14 Steel - Painted Steel '12 Slot'
- Tyres: 185 x 14 - E70HR14
- Instrumentation:
- Speedometer: 140mph
- Tachometer: 6000rpm
- Oil Pressure: Gauge
- Water Temperature: Gauge
- Fuel: Gauge
- Ignition: Warning Light
- High Beam: Warning Light
- Brakes: Warning Light
- Clock: Analogue
- Dimensions:
- Length: 4689mm (184.6in)
- Width: 1869mm (73.6in)
- Height: 1397mm (55.0in)
- Weelbase: 2819mm (111.0in)
- Front Track: 1496mm (58.9in)
- Rear Track 1486mm (58.5in)
- Weight: 1500kg (3308lb)
- Turning Circle: 11.2m (36.6ft)
- Fuel Tank: 163.8lt (36.0gallons)
- Seating: 5
- Performance:
- Top Speed: 217km/h (135mph)
- 0 - 60mph (0 - 100 km/h) - 6.4 seconds
- Standing 1/4 mile (400m) - 14.8 seconds
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