WELCOME to Greyled's Ford page.  I'm a tru-blu Ford man!  My Pop Watters drove Ford, my Pop Wilson drove Ford, my Father drove Ford, my Uncle had the ultimate Ford, and now I drive the Ford pictured below.  Remember the old saying, 'Don't knock it until you've tried it!'  Well I've played around with the opposing team a little, but I always came back to Ford for it's reliability and performance.  I hope you enjoy... GO FORD!

JWG ON FORD HISTORY

HENRY FORD founded Ford Motor Company in the early 1900's.  The little shed pictured above was his first factory.  He soon moved on to bigger and better things as pictured to the right, the Geelong factory built in 1926. 

HENRY FORD went through a lot during his years, including world wars 1 and 2 and the great depression.  It really is remarkable to read the full history of Henry Ford, and to see the ways in which he adapted to the ever adjusting economic climate.  Not only did he keep the Ford Motor Company alive during these difficult times, he also expanded into several other countries and provided transportation for the masses.  This alone  proves that Henry Ford was a remarkable man, an innovative and extraordinary negotiator and a true leader.            

WHEN FORD first introduced production line assembly, the time used for chassis assembly went from over twelve hours, to less than two.  The increased production was hard on the workforce and created a higher turnover of staff, whilst at the same time reducing the number of workers needed.  This slowed production as the new workers had to be trained.  Ford solved this problem by doubling pay, reducing work hours, changing hiring practices, and hiring disabled people that other companies considered unemployable.  This created a more productive workforce, staff turnover slowed, and production increased massively.  Higher production equaled a reduction in costs, therefore the price per unit reduced, which again increased demand. (Click here for more information on Henry Ford.)

APPARENTLY Henry Ford once said,  'A customer can have a car painted any colour they want so long as it is black.'  This was due to the longer drying times of all other colours which created a bottle neck within the production line.  Only Japan Black would dry fast enough.  The blue oval trade mark was introduced in 1907 and the first car to proudly sport the badge was the model A in 1928.  

THE FIRST FORD plant to be built in Australia (pictured top right), was in Geelong in 1926.  The first Ford to be produced in Australia was the Model T, also fondly known as the Tin Lizzie.  Ford purchased land  across Australia and boosted production and soon the V8 arrived.  In 1932 the first Coupe Utility was built.  The government would not provide farmers with loans for passenger cars, but they would for a utility as it was considered a commercial vehicle.  Ford's idea was to build an auto-mobile that would take the wife to church on Sunday and to the market on Monday.

THE BIRTH OF THE FORD FALCON

THE FIRST GENERATION 1960-66

The first Falcon introduced into AUSTRALIA was the XK.  The following  models were the, XL, XM, XP.

SECOND GENERATION 1966-72

The XR saw the introduction of a new body shape and unlike previous models where the V8 engines were only available in the upmarket models, now a 289 Windsor was available in more affordable base models.  This was the beginning of the true Australian muscle car which included the XT, XW, and XY.  The phase III GT HO is one of the most famous muscle cars ever created.

THIRD GENERATION 1972-79

Since 1972 the Falcon has been completely Australian designed.  The XA introduced a new rounded body shape and was followed by the XB,and XC.  The third generation Falcon offered more variations including a hardtop with frameless windows and several panel-van variants.  Also a new limited edition Cobra was introduced.  Unfortunately the phase IV GT never made it to production because of the so called super-car super-scare.  Only four XA GT's (the car that never was) were built.  Three of them were Bathurst prototypes and only one was compliance plated with the HO stamp.  Three out of the four still survive as one was written off in a rally.

FOURTH GENERATION 1979-99

Coming soon.
 But meanwhile.....

THE GREAT RACE BY JW

Once a year Mount Panorama roars as HOLDEN and FORD test out their four doors
The race that rattles the AUSSIE outback as seas of red and blue wash over the track
It doesn't matter if you follow FORD or HOLDEN we all agree the race is golden
Love this one or hate the other they would not be if not for each-other
The rubber, the dingles, the engines they roar, what more could a fan ask for?
We get slo'-mo',in car and tyre devastation, we even get some great pit lane education
And worry not about four pot turbo lag as Aussie V8's hunt down the flag
The true beauty of the Mountain track is you don't know who's won until the very last lap
So relax and enjoy another Great Race and let your beverage flow at a steady pace
Yell or swear or give a 'Whoo Hoo' as some one crashes and others pass through
Holden Owners Lick Dick Every Night or Fucked On Race Day
I care not what you say...
BATHURST IS ALWAYS A FUCKING GREAT DAY
GO FORD

JWILSON
copyright2012

BATHURST 2012

FPR WITH THREE SHOTS AT POLE 5 October, 2012 Ford Performance Racing has qualified all three of its cars in the top 10 at Bathurst ensuring the team has three chances at claiming pole position during tomorrow afternoon’s Top 10 Shootout.  The 40-minute qualifying session was a test of drivers and cars as temperatures moved into the high 20s and with slower times than expected the field spread was minimal.  Davison was the early pace-setter and despite being bumped to fourth by the end, he used one less set of new tyres than his rivals to give him an edge later in the weekend.  Winterbottom looked in jeopardy of missing the top 10 until a later flyer after the chequered flag vaulted him to third.  Reynolds was even less comfortable in 10th as the session built to its climax. He held off challenges from a number of drivers to claim the crucial final place in the top 10.  With rain and cooler temperatures expected tomorrow there is every chance today’s form will mean nothing when the pole shootout begins.                            Frosty top three in qualifying       Davison and McIntyre consistent   Reynolds snuck into the top 10    Mostert claimed pole & P2 DRIVERS’ VIEW Mark Winterbottom & Steven Richards - #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Ford: Practice 4: 2m09.04s – 5th (Richards) Practice 5: 2m08.36s – 8th (Winterbottom) Qualifying: 2m07.92s – 3rd (Winterbottom) Winterbottom: “My approach wasn’t to leave my lap until the end but it turned out that way. The car was good across the top of the mountain earlier today but that wasn’t the case in qualifying so we had to make some changes on the run. We tidied it up and that made it good enough to get me in the shootout. The one lap flyer isn’t our strong point but we have another session tomorrow and the shootout, but really it needs to just be good for the race.”   Will Davison & John McIntyre - #6 Tradingpost FPR Ford: Practice 4: 2m09.19s – 3rd (McIntyre)  Practice 5: 2m08.22s – 3rd (Davison) Qualifying: 2m07.92s – 4th (Davison) Davison: “Track conditions were tough with the heat and the wind. More rubber is going down but the wind is making it hard to get a set-up sorted. The track did come to us a bit early and I had a great banker lap early on a heavy fuel load which allowed us to save tyres. We probably didn’t need to make a run at the end but it was better to be safe. I caught a bit of traffic and had a bit of a moment even though I improved my time. Overall it was very encouraging and I am happy we saved an extra set of tyres so it is positive all round.”   David Reynolds & Dean Canto - #55 The Bottle-O FPR Ford: Practice 4: 2m09.46s – 10th (Canto) Practice 5: 2m08.45s – 13th (Reynolds) Qualifying: 2m08.56s – 10th (Reynolds) Reynolds:  “I was lucky to make the shootout but it is great that I am now one of the top drivers that have the chance to requalify tomorrow so that is the main thing. We weren’t that quick though on the positive side we now have the chance to make some changes overnight to improve our speed. It will probably be raining tomorrow so today might mean nothing in the end.”   Tim Edwards – FPR Team Principal:“Our only goal for the day was to get all three cars in the shootout and we achieved that which is great. The weather really changed things up and if we believe the forecast, very different weather could likely change things again so our work today may not count for much. We will work on the cars overnight and with an extra session in the morning we will continue to work on our race set-up.”     DUNLOP SERIES – QUALIFYING & RACE 1: FPR rising star Chaz Mostert overcame a slow start to finish second in the opening Dunlop Series race of the weekend after grabbing a dominant pole in the morning’s qualifying session. Mostert topped the two practice sessions prior and then was utterly dominant in qualifying, finishing 0.5s ahead of second and nearly one-second clear of third. He struggled to get away at the start and dropped to sixth, though from there he showed the pace which had put him on pole. Slick moves into The Chase and obvious pace across the top and down Conrod Straight ensured he passed all but one of the cars ahead of him, going on to finish second in the first of two races for the weekend.   Chaz Mostert - #56 FPR Ford: “I lost the race at the start. I had to double clutch off the start and then I got wheel spin so I lost places and it was all a fight back from there. I then got caught in a lot of battles with experienced people trying to defend as hard as they could which made it tough. Once I cleared a couple of those I had lost ground already but the only good thing was the car was really quick. We fought back to second, though I just wish we had another 14 laps.” Ends.

BATHURST 2012

FPR AIMING TO REPEAT FAMOUS FORD FINISH FOR 50TH FORD PERFORMANCE RACING – BATHURST 1000 PREVIEW   FPR running a livery inspired by Ford’s 1977 1-2 finish David Reynolds and Dean Canto paying homage to the 1967 Bathurst winners Winterbottom to continue title push Davison chasing second Bathurst success in 100th event   FPR IN BRIEF: Ford Performance Racing is using past Ford Bathurst successes as an extra incentive as the factory Ford team chases its first success at Mount Panorama in the 50th anniversary edition of the Great Race. Title contenders Mark Winterbottom and Will Davison will run the same livery used by legends Allan Moffat and Colin Bond when they finished 1-2 in the 1977 race. Team-mate David Reynolds will pay homage to the first Falcon GT race winners in Harry Firth and Fred Gibson when he trades his regular race number 55 for 52D – the number used when the duo won the 1967 race. Winterbottom and co-driver Steven Richards are among the race favourites after finishing second at Sandown, while former Bathurst winner Davison is looking for his second success in the race in his 100th event where he is joined by experienced Kiwi co-driver John McIntyre. Reynolds and Dean Canto were cruelly denied a podium last time out and have the pace to get among the four cars that have so far won every race in 2012.   FPR BY THE NUMBERS: FPR is starting its 10th Bathurst 1000 Winterbottom is also starting his 10th Bathurst and has four top 10 finishes in the last five years Two-time winner Richards is lining up for his 20th great race start He holds the record of the closest ever pole position at the track (0.0012s) Davison is making his 100th V8 Supercar event start at Bathurst McIntyre is pairing with an Australian driver for the first time in his Bathurst career Reynolds has won at Bathurst, winning the Porsche Carrera Cup round in 2006 Canto remarkably has more experience at Bathurst than lead driver Reynolds                    FPR's Bathurst tribute livery       The Bottle-O's tribute to 1967      Ford's original 1-2 heroes          The moden vs the classic '67   DRIVERS’ VIEW Mark Winterbottom - #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Ford: “It is a real privilege to run such a historic livery in what will be the biggest Bathurst ever. One of my biggest memories of Bathurst is the 1-2 finish from 1977 and while I wasn’t born when that history was written, it is cool that 35 years later we are respecting Ford’s greatest win at the mountain. We’ve had a really good preparation, the team has given us great reliability all year, the momentum is good and each year we go there wanting to win it. That said you have to roll with the punches and if everything works out we will be in with a chance. It is hard to be good all day, but if we use our strengths we will be somewhere in the mix at the end.”   Steven Richards - #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Ford: “Harking back to the history of the famous 1977 1-2 is pretty significant given this is the last year of the true Ford and Holden battles at Bathurst. This year we go there with three cars capable of winning. Last year we were good enough to be on the podium, but this year I really have enough confidence to say that when we get to Mount Panorama we will have the speed to challenge for the race win. The speed of our car has been great and I am sure our other two cars will be in contention as well.”     Will Davison - #6 Tradingpost FPR Ford:“Bathurst is by far the most important race of the year. While every race counts to the championship it is impossible not to get that extra burst of excitement and energy going into the race. Mount Panorama is an incredibly special track and with the form we have I know we go in with a good chance of winning, though it is a unique challenge and you need the racing gods on your side. After a disappointing Sandown we will be giving it a red hot go as we had the pace but lost points on the championship front. My crew have been meticulous in their preparation and we need a big haul of points but for me this race is all about the glory of winning after 161 laps.”   John McIntyre - #6 Tradingpost FPR Ford: “I think it’s pretty fitting that I am going to Bathurst for my sixth 1000 start in car number six in a retro livery from 1977 which is also my birth year. Still with all of those things on my side, we will need everything to go right for us on the day both in and out of the car. After the Sandown experience we are all a bit wiser as a team and I now understand the way car six works in a long race situation. To be driving the Factory Ford with a Bathurst winner as lead driver is a head start, we as a team will need to do the rest. I really can’t wait to get there and soak up the atmosphere for what will be a very special event.”      David Reynolds - #55 The Bottle-O FPR Ford: “This is obviously the best race of the year. Everyone looks forward to it the most and you’d rather want this race than the entire championship. The car I’m driving this year at the mountain is different to what I’ve driven in the past but looking at this season the change has been a very good thing. I think we are in the top three driver pairings in terms of outright pace and while I lack a little bit of race experience at Bathurst, I doubt it will have any bearing on our chances. We are running the same livery as the 1967 race winner and it is sensational – it looks amazing, the guys have really done it proud so hopefully Dean and I can repeat the efforts of the first Falcon GT win.”   Dean Canto – #55 The Bottle-O FPR Ford:“Every driver loves racing at Bathurst and this year will be even more special with the historic livery we are using. The team has done an amazing job to be as accurate as possible and when you get up close you can see the detail. Dave and I were unlucky not to be on the podium at Sandown so with a chance to refine our pit stops since then we think everything is now in place to have a big chance at winning the race.”     Tim Edwards – FPR Team Principal:“Bathurst is the one event we all rank above every other and winning it is the only goal we have when we go there each year. This year takes on extra significance due to the 50th anniversary and we are very proud to be racing in the colours of some of Ford’s greatest ever triumphs at the mountain. We think the fans will get a real kick out of it and it certainly gives us as the factory Ford team an added incentive to win. Our preparation has been as planned and the pace of all three cars at Sandown shows we’re quick enough so we will keep doing what we have been all year and let the weekend unfold.”     EVENT NAME: Bathurst 1000 DATE: 4 – 7 October LOCATION: Bathurst, New South Wales FORMAT: Thursday – 3 x practice sessions; Friday – 2 x practice sessions. 1 x 40-minute qualifying session; Saturday – 1 x practice session, 1 x Top 10 Shootout; Sunday – 1 x 20min warm-up, 1 x 161-lap race   CIRCUIT: Mount Panorama LENGTH: 6.213-kilometres DESCRIPTION: The fastest of all V8 Supercar circuits, with cars reaching close to 300kph along Conrod Straight, Bathurst has it all, from a tight and twisting climb to the top of the mountain, to a fast flip / flop ride down that rewards bravery behind the wheel. This circuit is without a doubt a complex engineering exercise considering that two drivers need to be comfortable with the car set-up and that this event has now become a six hour sprint, such is the competitiveness of the field. TRACK RECORD: 2m06.80s – Craig Lowndes (2010), practice FPR BEST RESULT: Qualifying: 1st – Mark Winterbottom, 2007/10 Race: 2nd – Craig Lowndes/Glenn Seton, 2003 & 2004 Ends.