The Steptoe & Son Superoo

Found in a box of old speedway photos, this fascinating shot of a Falcon production sedan is not identified, although it looks to have been taken at the Liverpool dirt track around 1973. Note the ‘351 GTHO’ signage on the front guard. Make that an ex-351 judging by the smoke.

My fading memory is that this Superoo Falcon, with sponsorship by the Steptoe and Son Swap Shop, was a Tasmanian car that appeared on the mainland a few times.

This was a period when a feature field of speedway sedans would be made up mainly of Australian muscle cars, with a few Minis and maybe a Mustang for variety.

Monaros and Toranas were the most popular choices and the relatively few Fords that appeared were mostly 302 powered. A 351ci Ford was a rare beast.

Most speedway sedans were built up from shells found in wrecker’s yards but this one looks in better condition than most, including the GT scoop.

It must have been a mover when that motor held together.

Getting a V8 sedan to handle on dirt was quite an art. In a 1972 edition of Speedway Racing News suspension guru Alan Heasman revealed his set-up secrets. Pretty simple, he said.

“With a Ford Falcon you have got to drop the top control arm down one inch on both sides. It is done this way: where the wishbone bolts onto the body, it is bolted on with two bolts and you just drill the holes further down.

“Apart from that it is just the same as a Holden. Heavy duty sway bar, heavy duty shock absorbers etc.”

Mind you, the owner of the Steptoe & Son Superoo had his own ideas on how to make the beast handle. Note that the front tyres are significantly wider than the rears.