First published in Street Machine’s Australia’s Toughest Fords #2, 2004

Aversion therapy wouldn’t work on George Papas, as Falcon GTs almost killed him twice before he was old enough to drive. However, he now owns this tough-as-nails, genuine XW GT. He was five when his sister accidentally pushed him into the path of a track red GT which ran over his foot as it swerved to avoid flattening him. This incident made a huge impact on George, who knew then and there that he’d one day own one.

George’s GT ownership aspirations started when he was just a 10-year-old nipper. He and his father, Kostandinos, were walking past a Ford dealer when his old man pointed to a silver XW GT and said, “One day we’ll buy one and restore it together, just like this one”. That’s a big statement for a little kid, and it remained a strong memory when, four years later, Kostandinos passed away.

The third impact came just three days after Kostandinos’s death, when an XB GT cleaned him up big time. The altercation broke George’s ribs and smashed his pushie, but he recovered, grew up and fell in love with fast cars. It’s been aviation fuel and nitrous foggers ever since.

“I started experimenting with four-cylinders and how to make them go quicker,” says George.

“Unfortunately, the eight police officers in three police vehicles that were chasing me didn’t share my enthusiasm. I got caught doing 180 in a 60 zone. The only reason they got me was because I ran out of road.”

The court gave him three years to walk it off (hey, that seemed pretty harsh back in the late ’80s) and the fees and fines hurt to the tune of about 10 grand.

“Three years,” he says, “is enough time to come up with something quicker, which is exactly what I did.”

A mate put him onto this Falcon for sale in Wagga Wagga, in pretty ordinary condition and asking what was a ridiculous amount of money, even for a full-factory original. George haggled, bought it and drove it for a year before spending 15 months doing a complete ground-up resto. Adding, modifying but never destroying the GT’s precious originality. Everything you see is either genuine or can be returned to that way again.

“I shit you not; my wife and I travelled just about all around the country in our car, and flew to a few places, so I could find new old stock,” reckons George. “I didn’t want to buy reproduction stuff.”

When he hit a brick wall with the task, George was blessed with perfect timing in being introduced to fellow GT enthusiast Gary Coleman, who was an invaluable source of parts and encouragement.

Sam Agius did a few mods and handled the dashboard restoration, earning huge gratitude from George. “He’s got a killer XW as well. He’s really switched on.”

The paint is of the same colour and scheme as the factory’s, but sprayed on 10 years ago (it still looks sensational, though!). Lots of blocking back, many coats. What you don’t see here are the factory five-slot wheels and the original engine, which are preserved in the garage.

This engine is seriously demented. There’s somewhere on the high side of 600 grumpy horsepower in there – enough to fry tyres in fourth and, so far, eat eight clutches.

“It’s a real pain in the arse to drive,” laughs George. “It goes like the clappers but it’s the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever come across in my life. If you’re at a set of lights, you’ve got to take off in second gear. You can’t take off in first because after 1500 revs it just breaks traction.”

His last engine ran 11.2sec on the strip, and this one has unofficially beaten an 11.0sec car. In time, George will race it and find out for sure.

Not bad for an engine everyone said couldn’t be built. Until Sam and John Agius and J&J Performance took it on, George couldn’t find anyone who would build him a Cleveland 351 with Keith Black lumpy-top pistons on six-inch rods, closed chamber 4V heads, roller cam, 4MAB crank and the other items he specifically wanted.

“Everyone’s got their own theory on combi-nations,” says George. “This one just seemed to work. J&J are absolute geniuses. They’ve helped me out heaps.

“You’ll probably think I’ve got rocks in my head, but I’m actually thinking of putting a supercharger on it. Thing is, superchargers are a lot more driver-friendly. This isn’t.”

Friendly or not, this XW is gorgeous, cool and ultra-tough. It bagged a couple of trophies, including State Champ in its class, at the Holden vs Ford Show last year, but George isn’t fussed.

“My car is my trophy,” he says. “It’s grumpy, it turns a lot of heads, it’s a lot of fun. I’ve done it
to my liking, so I’m happy with it.”

Happy enough to dedicate it to his father.

“Me and my old man were close and he was a pretty cool kinda bloke,” says George. “He loved cars, but we didn’t get to do it together, and I guess that’s what hurts more than anything. The first thing I did after I built it was take it to the cemetery and say to Dad, ‘Look, it’s done. I did it’. I reckon he would’ve been really proud.”

GEORGE PAPAS
FORD XW FALCON GT

THANKS
Sam and John Agius; John and Joe from J&J Performance (02 9681 3141); Daniel and William Gerard; Gary Coleman for parts; Frank and John Bruno; Anthony Ibbot for painting; Peter Drivas; Nick “Fixer”; my wife, Helen, for supporting me all the way; my father, Kostandinos, for the inspiration.