The GT Special, which was called RPO
(Regular Production Option) 83, featured certain GTHO
Phase 4 bits such as the 780 cfm Holley carburetor
and the exhaust headers, but it did not have the camshaft
and valve gear modifications of the Phase 4, or the
special "finned" sump of that car.
The result
was a bit of extra power (about 330 bhp at 5400 rpm),
most of which came in at the higher rev ranges, but
the scope for race development was much greater than
the standard GT’s.
Some of the GT Specials featured
four-wheel disc brakes, as did the last batch of normal
XA GT’s, the advantages of these in racing being
obvious.
To achieve homologation of the new brakes,
250 cars had to have them, and Ford argued that their
Landau model, a fully optioned and dressed-up hardtop
with 351 cu.in motor and four-wheel discs was a variant
of the GT Falcon.
The rules stated that if a particular
component was to become part of the future standard
production car, its incorporation in the race cars
was within the regulations. Ford's 1974 Falcon GT was
to get four-wheel discs, but Ford built enough XA GT’s
with the new brakes just to make sure they were covered.
In all, there were 259 built. The next GT to hit the stratosphere of Aussie Muscle Car collectability - you bet!
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