1979 Ford XC Fairmont

1979 Ford XC Fairmont – Toybox

Guy Allen - Words PhotosFebruary 18, 2022, 5:00 amFebruary 18, 2022

This remarkable home-built reader resto was one of our feature cars

Every now and then in this section, we get to talk about a car we actually know very well. This is a good example. It featured a little over a year ago in our Reader Resto series, and came across as a really tidy build, with a good history.

Owner Senad Cekovic had bought it from a couple who had used the car for decades, primarily to circumnavigate the country.

Family travel, 1979 style

The Ford had managed three laps of the country, more often than not with a caravan hooked up to it. That meant it had 500,000km under its wheels and, though it had rust in the usual places, there was still life in it, in part because it had been well-maintained.

“I went over the mechanicals (it’s running a 4.9 V8 and auto) and gave it a freshen-up. I did remove the engine, painted it and the engine bay, and cleaned up the wiring loom while I was at it,” he explained.

| Reader Resto: Senad’s XC Fairmont

“You can tell the difference between a well-maintained car and one that’s been let go, just by the way it drives. This was a good one.

“It was ordered with a couple of luxuries, such as power steering and air.”

Getting the paint right was a bit of a dark art, apparently. “I’m a mechanic by trade but I tackle the paint myself and like to do it in ‘old skool’ acrylic. We’re set up to do it in the garage behind the house. Everyone says I should do it in 2 pak because it’s so much easier, and there is a bit more work involved with the paints I use. However cars like this came out in acrylic and I prefer the finish. It came out pretty well.”

However he feels it’s worth effort. There’s something about having a car coming in looking all tired and seeing it come back to life again – I love seeing that. I’ve had people look at some of my projects and ask why bother? But I can see where it will end up. It’s good.”

“Some of my other cars are loud or low, or both – this is a nice contrast. You get in and float along and sometimes forget you’re driving a 1979 model. It’s really good.

“I love the ‘old skool’ look of this thing. Particularly when they’re standard like this one, they take you back to the seventies or eighties. It’s a good feeling.”

Ford V8 does its job with ease

We know for a fact that Senad has two other builds under way and shed space has reached critical point. So the XC needs a new home.

The car is located in Melbourne. Contact him on 0421 482 830.