Thanks to the gas crisis of the mid-'70s, while we were struggling with a shortage of new horsepower-packing street machines from the Big Three, our counterparts in the Land Down Under were treated to some awesome new rides from FoMoCo of Australia, including the Cleveland-powered Falcon.
The Aussies have always been big on road racing, which is the origin of the Falcon XB-GT. These were factory-designed race cars built for the sole purpose of kicking some Holden butt. Reed Herman of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is an American who took early notice of these cars, but he also understood the unfortunate red tape he would have to endure in order to obtain one. So he waited.
Rolling stock consists of...
Rolling stock consists of American Racing Torq-Thrust IIs with P245/45R16s up front and a set of monstrous Dunlop SP P335/35R17s out back.
Many years later, the Australian Ford Falcon reached an age that enabled Reed to import one onto American soil with little, if any, resistance from the Feds. Shortly thereafter, he found just the '75 he wanted. His original intention was to simply restore it, but that idea quickly took a back seat. The car is now the only Australian Falcon in the United States with a big-block conversion. Granted, it's not a real XB-GT (only 123 '75 XB-GTs were built), however, Reed has gone to great lengths to create an ultra-cool street machine that's very similar to the Aussie original.
The sheer rarity of the Falcon makes it attractive to most collectors, but for Reed, it's all about aesthetics, heritage, and building a bird of a different feather.
 Based on an iron '69 block,...  Based on an iron '69 block, the original 429ci big-block has been punched out to displace 435 ci, with 10.6:1 forged TRW slugs, Eagle H-beam rods, and an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake topped with a Holley Pro-series 950-cfm carb. The big-block employs a brutal Comp Cams solid-roller bumpstick to get things in motion. This naturally aspirated mill easily pumps out 516 lb-ft of torque at 5,100 rpm and 551 hp at 6,200 rpm. |  No, the photo is not backwards....  No, the photo is not backwards. This is a true righthand-drive Falcon just as it came off the streets of Melbourne. Reed placed Park Auto Upholstery in Hopkins, Minnesota, in charge of the mostly stock facelift. Reed added a set of Procar Rally buckets for added comfort, along with a Kenwood deck and Boston Acoustic speakers to handle the tunes. |  Reed emphasized that the XB-GT...  Reed emphasized that the XB-GT paint scheme is just as it would have been from FoMoCo of Australia, and he even managed to procure real factory components, including the front chin spoiler, air dam, and rear wing. |