[Neeek]

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for modifying cars - mine's hardly as it was built in 1977. If you own it, you can do what you like with it to suit your own needs, wants and desired, full stop.

But to my mind there are several things that make the FBT what it is, not least the fact that they only made 106 of them. My personal gripes about FBT77 that detract from its FBTness:

- the FBT was available in 2 colours - Regency Red and Navy Blue. FBT77 is now neither of these, and the gold BA GT stripes down the sides don't help either. And on the subject of colour, what part of the FBT's engine bay is painted day-glo metallic blue? If it matched the paint on the outside you might forgive it... but come on...

- the FBT came with frankly the best looking wheels ever fitted to a Ford Falcon (or derivative) - 17" 6-spoke Speedlines. Where are FBT77s? Tell me the wheels are still "with" the car. Please...

- FBTs are supposed to be understated, are they not? I think that's their appeal. So why does FBT77 have red painted calipers? They're not Brembos and they just don't suit the "subtle" style of the FBT, IMO. All I can say is thank Christ they're still there at all - I thought the new wheels were 16s when I first saw them and if that was the case then the brakes would've been gone too because they won't fit behind a 16" rim. Glad I was wrong…

- nice CB aerial. No, really. What's next, an eight post roo bar? ;)

Sorry, but for FBT77, it no longer stands for Fairlane By Tickford… perhaps Fairlane By Terry would be more appropriate (I'm not going to insert the other obvious word beginning with F, although I must admit I want to)?

No serious offence intended, but I knew the car quite well when it was in my circle of friends, rode in it many a time, steered it a few as well. The previous keeper tried damn hard to keep it as the factory intended. Bloody shame he had to let it go really, moreso after seeing it on Sunday.

As I said, I'm all for modified cars, I honestly am. But with such a limited "special" I can't think why you'd go to the trouble of such mods that are costly to put back to original unless you didn't care for the car's exclusivity. Imagine if someone grabbed an XA GT RPO83 (of which 250 were made - more than twice the number of FBTs) and put big spoliers on it, swapped the motor for a 351W and trimmed the interior in crocodile skin... he'd be lynched. Not suggesting that Terry should be, but I'd hope you can see where I'm coming from.