XA GT-HO PHASE 4    

1972 JUNE 16th -22nd Within this week the only Lot 6 Brambles red XA FALCON GT built to GT-HO PHASE 4 Racing spec that was completed before June 25th 1972 it was XA-3 which was taken to Calder Park Raceway for a shakedown driven by John Wynne that moment was captured with a photo taken by Geoff Sharpe In XA-3's absence Racing Team manager Howard Marsden invited Mel Nichols & Uwe Kuessner to the secret location of the Ford 'skunkworks' warehouse to see how the two Brambles red XA FALCON GT were being built to GT-HO PHASE 4 Racing spec for Allan Moffat and Fred Gibson They would not be aware of a completed 3rd car that was destined to be for a third Bathurst driver Bruce Hodgson Like many very unhappy with the demise of the GT-HO 4 So we won't hear the story from Hoddo "It didn't happen so it's not worth talking about " to quote Bruce Hodgson. As we know

Bruce did end up with XA-3 as a Rally car after the car went through a minor process of changes adapted from the London to Sydney marathon XT Falcon drawings for the correct ride height which proved to be a disaster costing the failure of the QC20 engine due to the weight difference of the 351 Cleveland compared to the lighter Windsor 302. This caused the oil pick up to loosen and oil pressure to drop to 25psi, not only that there was no cable connecting the Halda rally meter to name a couple of failures including tyres being shredded which still happened but not to that degree. Colin Russell did drive the car on rally type of bush tracks in the Black Forest near Woodend before Bruce took the car for rallying Howard accepted Bruce Hodgsons feed back that that the Lot 6 boys were not really experienced to set up a rally car so Howard gave the GT-HO PHASE 4 to Bruce to take to his workshop in Griffith NSW to set up to his own satisfaction. Bruce changed the engine which originated from and earlier March built Road registered XA FALCON GT which was built for racing with a V72319P engine number.

The other 2 Racing GT-HO's XA-2 & XA-1 Lot 6 Brambles red XA GTs built to GT-HO PHASE 4 Racing spec now XA-2 was completed almost a year later May 1973 sold to Keith Goodall XA-1 sold to Max Macleod of Macleod Ford Horn cars fame for John Goss to use the car as insurance for spare parts then completing the build the placing it up for sale on the Macleod Ford car lot many months later and sold

All 3 Brambles red 3999 delivery Lot 6 hand built XA GTHO PHASE 4 Factory prototypes still survive XA-3 has the most interesting history It was the only one of the 3 completed in 1972 and before the June 25th bad press