1982 Dick Johnson Tru-Blu Tribute Car

[Steve Holmes]

I had to share these pics. These were sent to me by Danny Fabish, from New Plymouth in New Zealand. Danny runs Fluid Coatings in NP, but also builds the occasional race car, and this is his latest, which is expected to run at this weekends Leadfoot Festival.

This car was built as a tribute car of the first XE Falcon raced by Dick Johnson, beginning at the endurance events in 1982. I reckon Danny has done a superb job. Everything has been done in-house except the engine build and the decals. It runs a 351 Cleveland, with Tremec TKO600, floating 9" diff etc. Wheels are 18" x 10.5", and 18" x 13.5". Its just been built as a fun car for targa and circuit events etc.

[Steve Holmes]

Few more pics

[Jac Mac]

Have those rims been built by adapting 18 inch spinnings onto the Ford 'Snowflake' centers with the OE 15" rims machined away? Clever, have to store that one in the memory bank.

[kiwi285]

That is a fantastic looking car and a real credit to Danny's skills. Do you know what class he is going to run it in at circuit events. Would like to see it in HMC but I suspect that it doesn't comply.

My favourite is the True Blu XC Coupe - that is a smart looking car too.

[fullnoise68]

Even for a Ford that is a grouse looking car. The attention to detail and the overall presentation is a credit to Danny and his helpers.

[Kiwiboss]

That is a fantastic looking car and a real credit to Danny's skills. Do you know what class he is going to run it in at circuit events. Would like to see it in HMC but I suspect that it doesn't comply.

My favourite is the True Blu XC Coupe - that is a smart looking car too.

Very skilled lad is Danny, him and his dad Wayne have always built nice cars!! Well done Danny.

Too new for HMC Mike but as its post 12/77 it is correct for Group A or C using world wide FIA and Australian Historic rules(depending on modifications) but otherwise Targa and club events is perfect.

Fantastic

Dale M

[conrod]

Look fantastic. I never realised that there was a Tru Blu XE (I always thought the Tru Blu's were all XD, and XE's were all Greens Tuf) I did a bit of searching before I put my foot in it, and found a pic of the original.

I have seen those wheels before on a Ford Forum, I think someone in Aus is making them, XE snowflake centres on large rims. The eyecrometer says the original car is running (in the pic below) BBS 16" 3 piece with turbofans fitted.


Conrad

[Steve Holmes]

Yep thats right Conrad, the XE Tru-Blu paint scheme wasn't as celebrated as the XD Bru-Blu or XE Greens-Tuff, mainly because Johnsons successes took a bit of a slump during this time. He built this new XE for the endurance races in 1982, having already won the 1981 and '82 ATCC's and '81 Bathurst with the old XD. But he couldn't get the XE coil-spring rear end to work. Finally got it sorted by about mid-1983, just before the Greens-Tuff colours appeared. But I like this colour scheme, looks good to me.

[zombie289]

Great looking car!! Didn't Dick finish 7th or something at Bathurst 1982 only to be disqualified for an illegal intake mainifold/manifold modifications or something? He also fitted a turbo 6 in this car I believe..

[jimdigris]

Didn't Dick finish 7th or something at Bathurst 1982 only to be disqualified for an illegal intake mainifold/manifold modifications or something?

It was a combination of 4V heads (The "4V" heads had huge ports and bigger valves, it does not refer to the number of valves) and matching intake manifold. That year CAMS had decreed the race cars must run with the heads currently fitted to road cars, in Ford's case 2V heads, and this is why Brock made a limited run of cars with Yella Terra large valve heads purely so they were eliglbe to be used in racing. It wasn't the only time Dicky got caught "bending" the rules, only Frank Gardner was wileyer in subtle interpretation of what was legal and what could be got away with. What really made me laugh though was one year in Group C Dicky quipped to Mike Raymond when his engine failed was he had to use Holden rings and bearings because he had no ford spares left and they were the cause of engine failure, pure bullshit from Dicky but it was TV gold

[jimdigris]

beautiful job on the replica, and interesting possibly very unique choice. I always loved the look of the early "blackwood" X series, XD, XE. This version of course is the 82 aero package. Just after Bathurst 82 the Fords were granted a much more effective rear spoiler after the flag marshalls were reporting the rear wheels of the XEs were often often off the ground, the falcons were also skipping sideways and litterally jumping over the humps down conrod, you certainly cannot understate the size of the lower dangly bits of the drivers when this was happening. Funny how it was less extreme with the XDs, they had a different rear spoiler which dosnt look to be very impressive but obviously worked well

[Oldfart]

Got to see this thing in the flesh over the weekend, it is SUPERB and what's even better the guys are honest about what the car is, a tribute car. Now that's a term the Americans used for a few of the cars they had at Leadfoot, and it's a very good term too. It allows for a few things to not be dead kosha. Nuff said!

[conrod]

I too had a good look at the car at Leadfoot, and chatted to the owner as we sat at the top of the hill after one of our runs, it is a lovely car, and very nicely finished and presented. Nice guy, and is keen to do a few race meetings in it. It would appear there will be a space for it in the Historic Touring car series (Heritage Touring Cars it will be called) as they are going to allow replica cars to run, provided the technical specs. are as per original.