SURPRISE PARTY

JOHN DAVIDSON'S FAMILY GAVE HIM THIS XP-FRONTED XM COUPE FOR HIS BIRTHDAY, BUT THE REAL GIFT WAS ITS STUNNING TRANSFORMATION

- CARLY DALE

NOT many can attest to their family buying them a project car for their birthday, so we reckon John Davidson is one lucky fella, having been gifted this XP-fronted XM Falcon coupe for his 60th.

John's wife Brenda and two sons Luke and Todd were keen to surprise the birthday boy with a project but weren't sure what model to go for, so they decided to clue him in on their generous gift. Once the shock subsided, John knew exactly the kind of car he was after: I had always liked the design and shape of the early Falcons and believed they would make a great restomod, he says.

John's lads located an example on Gumtree, advertised as a rust-free, unfinished project with a 289ci V8 and a heap of extra parts. A deal was struck and it was loaded up and trailered home.

Upon closer inspection, I discovered it was an XM Falcon that had a later-model XP clip fitted to the front, John says. This appealed to me, as I wanted to own a car that was unique or different.

John got cracking on the project, hoping it'd be a great father-and-son experience. I was thinking of running the 289 and adding nice paint and wheels. I figured that $30K should do it and then I'd have a nice car, he laughs.

But the coupe had other ideas, requiring far more than a quick bolt-together and splash of paint, as the bodywork and panel alignment had seemingly been slapped together by a novice backyarder.

As the difficulty of the project had stepped up a notch, John hunted for a resto shop to turn out the tidy driver he required. If I was going to do this, it was going to be done properly, as this was to be my legacy, remaining in the family long after I have gone.

Enter Pro Customs. After seeing the chopped two-door FJ (SM, May 17) and other very tidy builds the company had turned out, John was keen to let them loose on the XM.