John Goss Special

[hot351]

Hi Guys,

Does anyone on this Forum know or anyone at Biante confirm please, if the upcoming 1/18 John Goss Special is going to be made using the new castings with the correct front guards and grille and proper bonnet hinges?

I went to order it thru my shop and they told me that it was the old style body with the wrong front. This is what they are advising their customers.

If that is the case I won't bother - and seemingly at that shop nobody is bothering too - but I would assume that Biante would like to confirm this.

If Biante is using the new casting with the corrected body, then this should be noted so that the shops can advise the customers.

Thanks Hot 351

[Julian Fogarty]

The JGS will definitely have the new front end, hinges, decoration etc.

[hot351]

Julian,

Thanks very much for the prompt reply. I am pleased that this model will be made with the new casting.

To ensure that potential buyers do get this model, I guess you need to communicate this to the retailers as my shop is not the only one telling their customers the wrong info.

Thanks

Hot351

[Graeme]

With the announcement of a 1:18 scale John Goss Special model car, I thought I might try to clarify some of the details surrounding the actual cars.

First up, there were only two external colour choices and one interior trim specification ... Emerald Fire (green) metallic / Polar White combination, or Apollo Blue metallic / Polar White combination, the interior for both being white vinyl (no cloth insert option) contrasted against a black dashboard and black carpet.


The John Goss Special is based upon the XB Falcon 500 hardtop, with the following stipulated options:

302 2V V8 engine (with single system exhaust)
4-speed manual floor shift or 3-speed automatic floor shift
Sports console
Carpet
GS Rally Pack
Sports Handling Suspension (with 185SR14 steel belted radial tyres)


The XB Falcon series GS Rally Pack normally consisted of:

GT type bonnet with NACA ducts and bonnet locking pins
GT type (12-slot /14” x6”) silver painted road wheels (dress trims excluded)
GT type full dash instrumentation
GT type three-spoke steering wheel
GS specific side stripes

Variations of the GS Rally Pack as applied to the John Goss Special cars are:

GT type road wheels painted Polar White
GS specific side stripes deleted


In addition, JGS cars featured body side vents from the Falcon GT hardtop and also featured GT-style painted bumpers (Polar White) and GT-style metallic paint accents to the lower body sections. Metallic paint elements also covered the bonnet, engine bay, chassis, and feature sections on the ‘A’ pillar and waistline, as well as the rear feature panel between the tail-lights, and were bordered by specific orange striping. The standard Falcon 500 front grille remained, but like the road wheels and bumpers, this was also painted Polar White.

A Ford dealer bulletin dated 30th July 1975 confirms that the cars were to be released for public sale in August 1975, but the bulletin did not confirm actual build quantities. Sports Car World magazine (December 1975) reported that Ford had quickly sold an initial allocation of 400 JGS cars and that further cars were being manufactured. Three years ago whilst visiting Broadmeadows with my mate Paul (a Cobra man), and courtesy of the late Adrian Ryan, I was permitted to peruse the build records for XB Falcon 500 hardtops. The JGS has no specific chassis build prefix, so the cars were simply absorbed into the figures relating to all XB Falcon 500 hardtops ... the overall "500 Hardtop" numbers for 1975 make interesting reading :

8 : January

41 : February

53 : March

85 : April

43 : May

91 : June

280 : July

277 : August

95 : September

236 : October

187 : November

95 : December


It has been suggested in the past by JGS owners (participating on the Ford Forums website) that their cars were manufactured between July 1975 and November 1975 inclusive ... the build records certainly confirm significant spikes in production for July/August 1975 and then again in October/November 1975. Based on the Falcon 500 hardtop production numbers, I reckon it’s not unreasonable to assume that 400 JGS cars were manufactured in July/August for public release in August 1975, and that a second wave of cars came on line in or about October 1975. I haven’t yet unearthed a John Goss Special which has a September 1975 build plate.

The July 1975 Ford dealer bulletin also stated that “all other minor options as available on 500 hardtop can be specified”. For certain, JGS cars were not made available with either the 351 2V or 351 4V (GT) V8 engine options, and accordingly, neither four wheel disc brakes nor the venerable ‘top loader’ gearbox and ‘9-inch’ differential combination will feature on any original John Goss Special.

Finally, whilst I have not uncovered any record of the regular V8 option dual exhaust system being made available on the JGS, some cars are known to exist which have the factory option Borg Warner limited slip differential.

[inter]

With the announcement of a 1:18 scale John Goss Special model car, I thought I might try to clarify some of the details surrounding the actual cars.

First up, there were only two external colour choices and one interior trim specification ... Emerald Fire (green) metallic / Polar White combination, or Apollo Blue metallic / Polar White combination, the interior for both being white vinyl (no cloth insert option) contrasted against a black dashboard and black carpet.


The John Goss Special is based upon the XB Falcon 500 hardtop, with the following stipulated options:

302 2V V8 engine (with single system exhaust)
4-speed manual floor shift or 3-speed automatic floor shift
Sports console
Carpet
GS Rally Pack
Sports Handling Suspension (with 185SR14 steel belted radial tyres)


The XB Falcon series GS Rally Pack normally consisted of:

GT type bonnet with NACA ducts and bonnet locking pins
GT type (12-slot /14” x6”) silver painted road wheels (dress trims excluded)
GT type full dash instrumentation
GT type three-spoke steering wheel
GS specific side stripes

Variations of the GS Rally Pack as applied to the John Goss Special cars are:

GT type road wheels painted Polar White
GS specific side stripes deleted


In addition, JGS cars featured body side vents from the Falcon GT hardtop and also featured GT-style painted bumpers (Polar White) and GT-style metallic paint accents to the lower body sections. Metallic paint elements also covered the bonnet, engine bay, chassis, and feature sections on the ‘A’ pillar and waistline, as well as the rear feature panel between the tail-lights, and were bordered by specific orange striping. The standard Falcon 500 front grille remained, but like the road wheels and bumpers, this was also painted Polar White.

A Ford dealer bulletin dated 30th July 1975 confirms that the cars were to be released for public sale in August 1975, but the bulletin did not confirm actual build quantities. Sports Car World magazine (December 1975) reported that Ford had quickly sold an initial allocation of 400 JGS cars and that further cars were being manufactured. Three years ago whilst visiting Broadmeadows with my mate Paul (a Cobra man), and courtesy of the late Adrian Ryan, I was permitted to peruse the build records for XB Falcon 500 hardtops. The JGS has no specific chassis build prefix, so the cars were simply absorbed into the figures relating to all XB Falcon 500 hardtops ... the overall "500 Hardtop" numbers for 1975 make interesting reading :

8 : January

41 : February

53 : March

85 : April

43 : May

91 : June

280 : July

277 : August

95 : September

236 : October

187 : November

95 : December


It has been suggested in the past by JGS owners (participating on the Ford Forums website) that their cars were manufactured between July 1975 and November 1975 inclusive ... the build records certainly confirm significant spikes in production for July/August 1975 and then again in October/November 1975. Based on the Falcon 500 hardtop production numbers, I reckon it’s not unreasonable to assume that 400 JGS cars were manufactured in July/August for public release in August 1975, and that a second wave of cars came on line in or about October 1975. I haven’t yet unearthed a John Goss Special which has a September 1975 build plate.

The July 1975 Ford dealer bulletin also stated that “all other minor options as available on 500 hardtop can be specified”. For certain, JGS cars were not made available with either the 351 2V or 351 4V (GT) V8 engine options, and accordingly, neither four wheel disc brakes nor the venerable ‘top loader’ gearbox and ‘9-inch’ differential combination will feature on any original John Goss Special.

Finally, whilst I have not uncovered any record of the regular V8 option dual exhaust system being made available on the JGS, some cars are known to exist which have the factory option Borg Warner limited slip differential.

Great info there, well done and Thank you

[sleepy]

They must of been a good seller i can remember seeing a few around in the sleepy little tasmanian town i grew up in. They had a sticker on the rear panel from memory with 302.

[GTHO Racers]

Love the JGS, not too many good ones around though. As far as options go cloth interior maynot have been a factory option but plenty of XB's including JGS' had dealer fitted cloths inserts, remember the McCleod horn cars.

With the production of the JGS, will we finally see the 1:18 Onyx Black XBGT hardtop?

[Maximus]

GTHO Racers, is this what you are after?

http://www.biante.com.au/product_16278.htm

[Graeme]

Love the JGS, not too many good ones around though. As far as options go cloth interior maynot have been a factory option but plenty of XB's including JGS' had dealer fitted cloths inserts, remember the McCleod horn cars.

With the production of the JGS, will we finally see the 1:18 Onyx Black XBGT hardtop?


Cloth option (Trim code W2) wasn't factory available on the JGS, but on any other Falcon 500 hardtops with this option the inserts were black cloth against the white vinyl ... it all looked pretty swish with the contrasting black carpet and black dash.

As to the XB Falcon GT, just thought I'd mention that Onyx Black wasn't an available paint choice until the 1974 build year.

[Paull]

Nice work Graeme. Great to see some detailed research.

Look forward to seeing the model.

[murf]

well done G-MAN ,Bainte could use this kind of knowledge know.
thanks
Geoff

[BILLFORD1]

Absolutely hanging out for the release of this car with all the updates/mods to the old original molds !!!

[GTHO Racers]

Thanks for the info. Graeme I didn't realise that XB's weren't available in Onyx Black until 1974. It seems weird considering XY and XA's were available in Onyx Black. I have heard that Ford hated painting coupes in black due to panel fit.

W2 trim is the best option in XB's, it looks great on just about any exterior colour. The interior I was talking about was the dealer fitted cloth, which only covered the centre of the seats.

Cheers

[Graeme]

...

W2 trim is the best option in XB's, it looks great on just about any exterior colour. The interior I was talking about was the dealer fitted cloth, which only covered the centre of the seats.

Cheers

Understood GTHO Racers ... you're right about some dealer variations ... XB factory cloth option differed from XA in that the whole seat facing was covered ... I've attached here an original brochure image of a XB Falcon 500 hardtop interior in white with cloth option.

Biante now has the Emerald Fire JGS on their website home page turntable, with release scheduled for 10th November ... the only errors I can see from the outside are the stainless steel wheel arch mouldings and red wall tyres that have been incorrectly carried over from the Falcon GT.

[Still ferrari fan]

From my own observation, most cloth inserts were done by the dealers to make the car more appealing and sell quicker.
My own one has still got the cloth inserts, and they are on top of the vynill.
This is, as i have been informed, a clear givaway of dealer modification.
But, I am hapy to be proven wrong.

[Graeme]

...

My own one has still got the cloth inserts, and they are on top of the vynill.
This is, as i have been informed, a clear givaway of dealer modification.
But, I am hapy to be proven wrong.

Bert ... is that really you? ... and so, you still have the old yellow bird, eh!

And, yes, if the cloth is layed over vinyl, then that is definitely not a factory fit item.

[Still ferrari fan]

Hello Graeme, how yer doing, still got the Jag?
Yes, I still have the yellow banana bender!
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc302/jamathi05/ motormodels/Anuschka27.jpg

[FastRedCars]

Yes, I still have the yellow banana bender!


WOW...very neat & nice ! Lovely machine.

[My Element]

mines waiting for me at the shop