Johnson's turbo vision - the XE Falcon Grand Prix Turbo

AUSSIE RACING ICON DICK JOHNSON HAS HIS MONIKER EMBLAZONED ON THIS RARE XE FALCON GRAND PRIX TURBO, BUT HOW MUCH INPUT DID HE HAVE IN ITS CREATION?

It’s a reasonably well-circulated theory that the mighty XE Falcon Grand Prix Turbo was a fairly desperate attempt to give Ford a chance at fielding a car in Australian touring car racing, moving forward from the axing of the Falcon V8 with the end of the XE model. But scratch a bit deeper, and it all gets muddier. As in, it never really happened that way. So why not?

For a start, Dick Johnson wound up racing a Mustang five-litre in what became Group A racing in Oz in 1985 and 1986. The reasons for that are probably to do with the knowledge base for that engine. The vast experience with the old pushrod V8 almost certainly made it easier to brew up something reliable that would produce the numbers required (although the Mustang won just the one race – the AGP support race in 1985) rather than try to refine and make durable an untried quantity in the six-cylinder turbo.

Dick Johnson’s moniker is proudly displayed on this blue racer. Image: Coventry Studio

So scratch the Grand Prix Turbo as a homologation car. So why did it happen at all? Probably because a bloke the name of James Faneco who ran a Melbourne-based operation called Country Dealer Team (ringing a bell?) figured Ford customers would still want a beefy, muscular sedan even after Ford Oz dumped the V8 option. Not to mention that back in the early ’80s, the word ‘Turbo’ was about as exotic and high-tech as a car could be. Yep, even one with pushrods and a single carburettor. Stay with me.

So why is it badged as a Dick Johnson Falcon? Probably because CDT (or perhaps Ford itself) paid Dick a royalty to use his name on the car and give it some street cred. There’s a story that Dick himself had considered building a turbocharged, road-going Falcon to sell, but in the end it was CDT that actually came up with the specification and took the risk to actually build it. Fact is, Dick’s input probably amounted to agreeing to have his name on the thing and then cashing the royalty cheques.

But that doesn’t mean the people buying the thing were in any way confused about the car itself. Regardless of who made it, it had lots and lots of Dick Johnson Tru-Blu Falcon on board including the colour, the flared guards and even the very Bathurst-looking alloy wheels.

But once you get past that lot, the actual mechanical spec of the thing is pretty amazing, and downright space-shuttle for 1982.

A Garrett turbo is bolted to a Stromberg carb. Image: Coventry Studio

What a lot of folks don’t remember is that the Grand Prix Falcon could be had with a non-turbocharged engine. I can see how that fact might have slipped beneath the waves of pop-culture history, to be honest. Nevertheless, if your insurance company couldn’t handle the turbo decal, you could opt for the atmo 4.1 six with a port-matched manifold, a blueprinted carby and distributor, and a full dyno tune. Estimates put non-turbo production at a total of 12 cars, versus something like 31 (nobody is sure today) turbocharged versions.

Pony up for the turbo and you were suddenly talking some fairly serious hardware. The entire cylinder head was now blueprinted, and the snail was a Garrett T04B unit bolted to a single Stromberg CD175 which was king of the draw-through turbo set-ups back then, not to mention a unit with which CDT had plenty of experience.

The view you would see as this one rolled past. Image: Coventry Studio

And while you may have seen pics of XE Turbos with dual carbs, these were probably modified by Mike Vine Turbos in Brisbane in the period. Tantalisingly, about half a dozen cars were reckoned to be fitted with fuel-injection, so that would be the one to have now (and then, for that matter). A heavy-duty radiator was also added to the Grand Prix package.

To maximise the turbo’s effect, the exhaust was swapped for a two-and-a-half-inch system, along with an oil cooler and a heavy-duty clutch. Non-turbo cars could be had with either a four-speed manual or three-speed auto, but all the turbo cars were fitted with the manual.

Lovells produced a suspension package for the XE with heavier springs, a lower ride height, beefier shocks and fat stabiliser bars. The Enkei alloys measured 15 x 8 and 15 x 9 which, in 1982 was a fair old set of meats. At least there was an LSD to make the most of the traction offered by the Goodrich Comp T/A tyres. Thankfully, CDT insisted on the four-wheel disc-brake set-up for the XE and an 80-litre fuel tank finished things off mechanically. Oh, and the battery now lived in the boot.

Externally, the Tru-Blu paintjob was the signature tune. But believe it or not, the colour is actually called Zenith Blue in the Ford catalogues. And even more bizarrely, there were reckoned to be half a dozen cars painted red (Monza Red, probably). And that body kit absolutely speaks for itself. It’s pure Group C, from the flares to the bonnet scoop to the rear ducktail.

Velour was the thing in the 80s. Image: Coventry Studio

Inside, it’s all about the Scheel seats and the turbo-boost gauge behind the steering wheel. Beyond that, you got a build plaque and the standard Ford four-spoke steering wheel. But the XE Grand Prix’s real claim to ’80s fame was the standard (so the story goes) inclusion of a radar detector; a first (and possibly last) for Australia. Oh, and because this baby was sold through Ford dealerships, all the stereo, door trim, instrumentation, air-con and power-steering options were yours for the taking. As such, it’s probably fair to suggest that no two of the 43 built were identical.

This particular car is owned by an absolute Ford nut by the name of (just call me) Glen. And even though it shares a garage with some pretty tasty housemates, the XE Grand Prix holds a special place in the fleet, mainly because it carries the Dick Johnson signature.

But how does Glen feel about the rumour that Dicky J had precious little to actually do with the car’s design or manufacture? “Doesn’t bother me. I’m a mad Dick Johnson fan, so as long as it’s got his name on it … I’m good.”

Glen bought the car at auction in 2007 and although he doesn’t drive it much these days, he reckons it’s a special thing to pilot when he does.

Yep, it’s manual. A rare find in today’s car market. Image: Coventry Studio

“When I do drive it, it’s completely different to a modern car. It’s not nice and quiet and boring like modern stuff. And when you put your foot down and the turbo kicks in, it really takes off. Plus I like the looks and the colour. XDs and XEs were really my thing from a long time ago.”

What’s not so certain is whether Glen’s car was one of the ones modified by Mike Vine back in the day. The twin-carb set-up suggests that maybe it was, but as far as paperwork goes, that much remains a bit of a mystery.

But hey, it is a Dick Johnson Grand Prix, it is one of the turbocharged ones and, with all that Group C attitude and Tru-Blu paint, it’s sure as hell a dinkum Aussie classic. And if just looking at the photos here doesn’t make you want to drive one to see what it was all about back then, you’re possibly reading the wrong magazine right now.