INFO GUIDE: 1967 - 1968 Ford Falcon XR GT

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Related guides: 
INFO GUIDE: 1969 - 1970 Ford Falcon XW GT
INFO GUIDE: 1992 - 1993 Ford Falcon EB GT
INFO GUIDE: 1997 Ford Falcon EL GT

This identification guide has been written specifically for the Ford Falcon XR GT. The XR GT was the first of the Falcon GT’s, and represented the true beginning of the Australian muscle car era, and the beginning of Ford’s Bathurst success, post Cortina.

The XR GT is a highly desirable collector car, with values skyrocketing in recent years. As this car is based on the same body as a standard Falcon, it is important to understand what features are unique to a genuine XR GT in order to confirm the originality of a car you may be looking to purchase.

This guide provides information on the external features, interior features, paint colours / codes, mechanical features, as well as the important engine and chassis number codes you need to look for in identifying a genuine XR Falcon GT.

Number Produced:

Total: 697 (1967 = 646 / 1968 = 51)

Period of Manufacture:

March 1967 – February 1968

Classic Register also has information guides for the following Falcon GTs:

 

Please note, this guide has been written based on a variety of online sources and enthusiast input. You should not rely on this guide to make any purchasing decision and we make no representation that all information is accurate. You should always seek independent professional advice when looking to purchase a unique car. If you have additional information, photographs or corrections you believe need to be made to this page, please contact us by clicking the button at the top of this page, or comment below.


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1. Exterior Features - Ford Falcon XR GT
XR GT Falcon.jpg Click to enlarge
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The Falcon XR GT in it's original form had the following exterior features:

  • 14 X 5.5 inch steel rims manufactured by ‘Rubery, Owen and Kelmsley’ Australia. These rims were finished with polished hubcaps taken from the 1966 Mercury Comet Cyclone GT, and were originally fitted with 185 X 14 tyres. Special chrome wheel nuts were used that protrude through the hubcap. The XR GT will have wheel markings with a small ford badge stamping and the letters LME (see images).
  • “High Performance 289” badges on the front fenders.
  • Black triple stripe decal running along the lower side/sill of the car, between the wheel arches.
  • Black triple stripe decal running between the rear tail lights on the boot lid, underneath the “FALCON” badge letters.
  • “GT” badges on front LHS grille, rear RHS boot lid and C pillars (just behind back doors).
  • Single pipe exhaust – RHS rear exit.
  • Blacked out parts of aluminium grille (different to the all-aluminium silver standard Falcon).
  • XR body is identifiable by single headlights and circular tail lights per the images.
  • The majority of cars were painted GT Gold, however, 8 special edition units were produced in Gallaher Silver on behalf of the Gallaher Tobacco brand, and 5 cars were also finished on behalf of race teams in different colours. These colours are detailed further in the paint colour / codes section of this guide.
  • Galleher Edition had a small key hole in the right rear quarter panel under the tail light, which activates an alarm system connected to the doors and boot.
2. Interior Features - Ford Falcon XR GT
XR GT wheel.png Click to enlarge
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The Falcon XR GT had the following interior features:

  • Instruments: Stewart Warner brand 140MPH speedometer, 6000RPM (with 5500 redline) tachometer, fuel, water, oil gauge, ignition warning light and high beam warning light in instrument cluster.
  • Dashboard has timber trim running through the middle, matching the trim on the instrument cluster.
  • “289 V” badge on centre of dash under demister controls.
  • "GT" badge with chequered flag on LHS dash (on timber trim of the glovebox lid).
  • Deep dish 3 spoke sports steering wheel with timber rim and moulded vinyl centre boss, containing a “Falcon GT” badge on a red/white/blue flag. Horn tabs were also an interesting feature on the wheel, as shown in close up.
  • Floor mounted 4 speed manual transmission with round shaped timber finish gear knob.
  • All black vogue / chrcoal vinyl trim on seats and door cards.
  • PVC hood lining.
  • Front and rear seats have a large retractable centre arm rest.
  • Brake pedals labelled / embossed with the Ford power-boosted imprint.
  • Handbrake warning light on dash.
  • Rubber / vinyl rear boot mat liner.
  • Heater. (Air conditioning was not available on the XR Falcon).
  • Front and rear door mounted arm rests.
3. Paint Colours - Ford Falcon XR GT
XR GT Falcon Gold 1.jpg Click to enlarge
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The Ford Falcon XR GT was available in the following colours, noting that the vast majority of cars (684 of the 697) were painted GT Gold:

  • GT Gold L1009A – (Code T) (684 built).
  • Ivy Green metallic (Code X) (1 built).
  • Avis White (Code F131) (1 built).
  • Russet Bronze (Code F782) (1 built).
  • Gallaher Silver (Code SPEC / F166) (8 built as company cars on behalf of the Gallaher Tobacco).
  • Sultan Maroon (Code F) (1 built).
  • Polar White (Code E) (1 built).

The original paint code of the car will be confirmed on the body plate, located on the front drivers side radiator support panel. See images for a description of the code location.

Examples of the colours are provided in the images.

4. Chassis & Engine Number - Ford Falcon XR GT
Body number stamo location visible XR falcon.png Click to enlarge
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The Chassis Number on an XR GT is stamped into the body of the car, as well as on the Engine block. The Chassis Number / VIN for a Falcon XR GT should begin with LD5 followed by 4 more numbers, and ending in C

For example: LD51435C

Location of Chassis Number:

  • Car Body Stamping: The Chassis Number is stamped on the front edge of the passenger side spring / suspension tower. See images for a better description of the location and typeface.
  • Engine Block Stamping: The Chassis Number was stamped on the front of the engine block, on a small flat protruding area just behind the alternator. An example of the location is provided in the images.

This numbering of both the engine and body of the car allows you to confirm whether the engine block is the original - an additional check not possible on many other classic cars. 

5. Body Number & ID Plate – Ford Falcon XR GT
Chassis and body number GT XR.png Click to enlarge
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Body Prefix:

An XR GT will have a body prefix and serial number in the following format:

JG33XY#####

  • J = Country of production (Australia)
  • G = Assembly plant (Broadmeadows)
  • 33 = Model of car (Falcon GT Sedan)
  • X = Year of production (See year and month codes in chart below)
  • Y = Month of production (See year and month codes in chart below)
  • ##### = is a unique number identifying each vehicle

 

Location of the Body Prefix Number:

The body prefix and serial numbar are stamped on the vehicle's ID plate, which is riveted to the front driver's side radiator support panel (see images). The number is also stamped into the body of the car on the passenger side of the front radiator support panel.

 

Other ID Plate Codes Relevant to the XR GT:

The following codes should be stamped on the ID Plate (see images of ID plates for a better description):

  • Transmission Code: L = 4 speed manual
  • Engine Code: K = 289 V8
  • Paint Code: T = GT Gold (Most common. See paint section for other codes)
  • Trim Code: U = Charcoal Grey
  • Model Code:  18638
  • Body Identification:  54H
6. Mechanical Features - Ford Falcon XR GT

The Ford Falcon XR GT had the following mechanical features, which should be present on an original car:

  • Engine: Ford Windsor 289 V8 (4.27l), developing 168kW (225bhp) @ 4800rpm & 414Nm (305lb-ft) @ 3200rpm.
  • Head design: Pushrod OHV with hydraulic lifters.
  • Fuel system: Ford ‘Autolite 4300' - 446 cfm 4-barrel downdraught carburettor.
  • Single point distributor ignition.
  • Exhaust system: Cast iron exhaust manifold with low restriction single exhaust
  • 4 speed manual full synchromesh gearbox.
  • Differential: Borg Warner four pinion open wheeler.
  • Front suspension: Independent ball joint, coil springs, shock absorbers, wishbones and anti-roll bar.
  • Rear suspension: Hotchkiss type with semi-elliptic leaf springs, shock absorbers and live axle.
  • Front brakes: 279mm (11 inch) Servo assisted Discs.
  • Rear brakes: 254mm (10 inch) Servo assisted Drums.
  • Steering Type: Re-circulating ball power assistance (optional).
  • Wheels: 5.5 x 14 steel rims with stainless steel wheel trim.
  • Original Tyres: 185 x 14.
  • Top Speed: 195km/h (121mph).
  • 0 - 60mph (0 - 100 km/h) - 9.7 seconds.
  • Standing 1/4 mile (400m) - 15.8 second.