351 or worked 302

[markrenee08]

Hey guys,

im about to buy my first classic (pretty novice)..always wanted one and now have the cash to get one yay.

im stuck between 2 XC's one is worked 302 and the other pretty stock 351 both around same price

both in really good condition, i had my heart set on 351 but 302 is slightly better cond and looks really good compared to the 351

any info from u guys would be really really appreciated...

Mark

[cs123]

Buy the car in overall better condition paying attention to the body (rust), paint and trim condition. There is a lot of cost in fixing this stuff and if you buy a good honest base to work with you will be in a good position.

The 351 is a better engine performance wise, even over a worked 302 but neither is where it's at for performance clevos these days.

Just buy the best overall car.

[Tex Scrotum]

The 3 most important things to consider when buying these cars are;
Body condition
Body condition
And
BODY CONDITION!!!!!!!

Really can't emphasise that enough 😉

The mechanicals are the easy part.

[Falcon Coupe]

What they said ^^

[gcg2503]

Obviously body condition is VERY important

But to go against what has been said above I would need more information

Is the 302 a beige, brown trim 302 with a better body?

Is the 351 a Blue GXL with a sunroof?

Personally, I would need more information to make a call.

[markrenee08]

Thanks for the input guys

I called both owners are both were stripped down and resprayed and advsied minimal rust but rectified

also they are actually both 302 so im now leaning towards this one

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/strat...dan/1084557543

the owner advised most parts have been replaced/rebuilt, suspension, steering, motor rebuilt, gearbox rebuilt, new tailshaft, 2 pak painted by himself 1 year ago, new tires...

not sure what type of 302 motor...didnt know there were diff types

seem decent deal?

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by markrenee08

Thanks for the input guys

I called both owners are both were stripped down and resprayed and advsied minimal rust but rectified

I'd be very sus about this.

As other have said, take your time, do your homework.
This MIGHT be a good car, but its also possible to hide a lot of bog under a new paint job. If it was done properly, the seller should have lots of photos of the build.
And as I mentioned, very suspicious of somebody claiming minimal rust.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Sorry mate car looks like an abortion to me, XC Falcon with XB Grill, XB Bonnet, a spoiler in the middle of the boot lid, and strange XB GT badges and paint, painted boot latch, black door trims, white seats, standard base model dash etc etc

The car is all over the place and has several identity issues, it will be a car that would be quite embarrassing to drive IMO. At that price you can do much better.

[bathurst77]

You can always fix or replace a crook engine in a good body (if youre not worried about matching numbers)

Much harder to fix up a crook body if the engine is good.

[Tex Scrotum]

Originally Posted by markrenee08

Thanks for the input guys



I called both owners are both were stripped down and resprayed and advsied minimal rust but rectified



also they are actually both 302 so im now leaning towards this one



http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/strat...dan/1084557543



the owner advised most parts have been replaced/rebuilt, suspension, steering, motor rebuilt, gearbox rebuilt, new tailshaft, 2 pak painted by himself 1 year ago, new tires...



not sure what type of 302 motor...didnt know there were diff types



seem decent deal?

I think I recognise that car from a build thread on this forum and I think the guy mentioned he was going to sell it.
I'll see if I can find it.

[Tex Scrotum]

I tried but failed to find that thread.
But that car looks very familiar.

[damo76]

ouch $22500, i remember when you could pick a v8 one up for $1500. Looks nice though, i do believe the xc was one of the best falcons made, apart from the door handles lol.

[damo76]

Check for bog around bottom of doors and fenders, bottom corners of back window and in boot gutter.

[SSVPom]

That's big money for something that has clearly been messed with over the years.
Go for the one with the better body work.

[cs123]

The paint scheme looks a bit confused to me. Personally for that asking price I'd be looking for a nice original car.

[mik]

i would not be in a rush even though you have cash burning a hole in your pocket, no doubt there would be others kicking around worth having a look at,
personally i would be a hesitant to pay that much cash for something that does not even have all the panels one color.
Edit: i ve seem some magnificent cars for sale for half the price on this very forum, think carefully grass hopper..

[gossy]

Can't say I've seen an XC with an XB grill before, looks quite odd but easily fixed.
Personally, I think you can get a better car for that money.
Just my 2 cents.

[markrenee08]

Thanks again guys

Its def hard not to pounce with cash ready to go

Really appreciate ur feedbacks...i did have my heart set on 351, best to sit and wait hopefully something comes along that has clean body, 351 and good paint job gt look, doesnt have to be powerhouse just something thats realiable, looks nice and sounds lumpy 😊

If anyone selling please let me know

[Express]

Photographs do a fantastic job of lying and even then in those pixs the car looks average to me.

A good going over in person is essential and for that money I think you could do better.

You say it's a fresh paint job (1 year ago) and the ad says the paint not 100% ???

I’d wait

Personally I’d trawl Ford forums, clubs and shows until I felt knowledgeable enough to make an educated decision on what condition a car should be in for the money I’m prepared to pay.

You'll love the car much more if you do.

Check the car out for the learning exercise then move on to some others as well.


.

[FG50T]

Far too much anyway in all honesty.

[Tex Scrotum]

With $20,000 to play with I would rather have a car with rough but ORIGINAL paint rather than something that's been repainted and looks nice.
If the car has ORIGINAL paint then you know it's honest, even if it's Poo Brown or Baby Vomit Green!
A flash shiny new paint job can hide all manner of problems which could break your heart in years to come.

If the paint is new and the seller hasn't got LOTS of build pics then you have to be very careful!

A decent restoration is very expensive on these cars if there are body issues, a lot more than $20K😉

[xmcoupe]

Originally Posted by markrenee08

Hey guys,

im about to buy my first classic (pretty novice)..always wanted one and now have the cash to get one yay.

im stuck between 2 XC's one is worked 302 and the other pretty stock 351 both around same price

both in really good condition, i had my heart set on 351 but 302 is slightly better cond and looks really good compared to the 351

any info from u guys would be really really appreciated...

Mark

Ford built many 1000's of XC Falcons.

The two you are looking at are not the last two in existance!

You are fortunate that you have money read to go - make the most of it, spend some time researching, looking, listening and buy the best that you can afford.

Other AFF members have offered some good advice.

You will be surprised at what is really out there.

[jaydee]

Go the 51, you will always regret not having one and settling for the smaller V8, don't get me wrong, 302s are good, but like they say...
There's no substitute for cubes.
Ahh to be young again with a big wad of money burning a hole in your pocket and looking for a nice car.
Oh yeah, by the way, good choice going for the XC, had mine for over 30 years and still get a kick out of driving it.

[STINKY NINJA]

Take your fridge magnet...

[Harrison]

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/bunda...=LF-automotive

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by Harrison

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/bunda...=LF-automotive

Can't believe how much they ask for ***** boxes these days, that car is a shocker for the price, realistically worth not more than $1500-2000.

[Tex Scrotum]

Originally Posted by markrenee08

So clearly body is #1 priority



tbh im new to all these classics and kind of not confident knocking around the gaurds and boot liner lol



is it as simple as expecting *ting ting and not a *thud thud (bog)



me father inlaw knows a bit of old classics and owns HG ute, will have a yarn with him about it all and try and learn as much as I can



Thanks again for the vital information

If you want to get to know these cars then go to the PROJECT CAR threads and scroll through them until you find the model you're interested in, then spend a few hours (days) reading through them.
Project car threads are generally full of photos, great tech info and heartbreaking stories.
After reading through a few dozen threads you will soon become familiar with the rust prone areas and how much work it can take knocking these cars into shape.

There's plenty of great builds in there and I guarantee you'll learn a heap but more importantly it will arm you with some valuable info that you won't find in books or magazines.

Learn, learn, LEARN!!!

Be patient.

It probably took you along time to save those 20 Gs so spend a bit more time doing some research!

You won't regret it 😉

Cheers and good luck 😃

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by markrenee08

Hey guys,

im about to buy my first classic (pretty novice)..always wanted one and now have the cash to get one yay.

im stuck between 2 XC's one is worked 302 and the other pretty stock 351 both around same price

both in really good condition, i had my heart set on 351 but 302 is slightly better cond and looks really good compared to the 351

any info from u guys would be really really appreciated...

Mark

Mate if you were prepared to pay 25 for that one on Gumtree, have a look at this one in Perth for 20, you could get it shipped and have change for 25. It's only the 302 but it's a GXL and a very nice car in a very rare colour.
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/singl...ce-/1087176433

[markrenee08]

Yea mate nice and clean but not settled on that colour and keen on 351, thanks for keeping an eye out mate

[fordmfp]

Dam that blue GXL is awesome!! Love the colour and it looks bloody tidy