ALL FORD DAY HIGHLIGHT - 1977 XC FALCON 500 UTE - JUST CARS

All Ford Day highlight - 1977 XC Falcon 500 ute

If you’re looking to buy a classic Ford, JUST CARS should be your first destination, but if you’re not sure of the model and era that would be the best “fit” for you, a stroll around a Ford-themed event like the All Ford Day is a great way to see what takes your fancy. Often, these shows will have cars on display that are being advertised for sale by their owners. This year’s All Ford Day was no exception.

One of the ‘For Sale’ cars at the event was this fully restored 1977 Ford XC Falcon 500 ute with an interesting history and an impressive specification from the factory.

JUST CARS spoke to the seller, who advised that the ute’s original owner, a WWII veteran and farmer in the Barossa Valley, ordered it with the powerful 351 Cleveland V8 and three-speed auto through Kearney Ford in Victor Harbor, SA.

As this would be his last new vehicle, he loaded it up with options, too, including air conditioning, a stereo cassette deck, AM push button radio, four-wheel disc brakes, LSD, remote driver’s side mirror and the GS Rally Pack that consisted of driving lights, sports wheels, additional instrumentation, a sports steering wheel and special décor items.

Interestingly, especially for a vehicle intended for rural use, the original owner also selected ‘Sedan Ride’, which meant a lighter 10cwt (500kg) load capacity in the tray instead of the usual 15cwt. According to the Ford Australia data sheet on display with the ute, its combination of options made it unique in XC Falcon ute production.

This ute’s second and current owner bought it out of JUST CARS in 2014 and describes it as being in good condition as purchased, with a little rust - and plenty of red dirt! - being its only flaws. Regardless, he treated the ute to a five-year restoration that included a rebuild of the matching numbers V8, rust repair and a complete, bare metal respray in its original Red Flame paint.

Inside, the dash, console and door cards were good enough to be re-used, while the seats were retrimmed in leather, as vinyl in the correct Saddle colour was unavailable.

As shown, the restoration’s only variations from stock are aftermarket wheels (Performance Challengers in 15x8 size) and moderately lowered suspension.