"It's a 1970 XW Ford Fairmont," Vance said.

"Running the original V8 auto combination."

The car belonged to Vance's pop and after sitting in a shed for nearly 20 years after "Pop" had stopped driving, Vance decided early this year to get it back on the road.

"My pop was living in Wilcannia when he bought it new in 1970 from Argent Motors in Broken Hill," said Vance.

"It seems it would have been a special order with the light cream vinyl interior and then Pop added a few of his own extras for the remote west driving like a bullbar, bug screen, towbar and roof racks, all of which I've taken off since cleaning it up."

The Fairmont has a 302 cubic inch (4.9 litre) V8 and despite initial thoughts of fitting a dual exhaust system, Vance has stuck with originality and kept the single pipe.

Instead of the temptation to fit bigger wheels too, he's retained the original 14 inch steel wheels along with the seldom-seen distinctive Fairmont caps for a cool original look.

Rarely seen today, his XW is essentially untouched with all original paint and trim, and unrestored interior and only 104,000 mile on the odometer.

Vance had to fit a new fuel tank and sender unit, and has replaced a few minor engine components like plugs and leads but otherwise his Fairmont is a genuine survivor.

Vance has already had his car out at the last two Friday night street meets hosted by the CWCC in Parkes on the second Friday of each month and he's eager to join with other club members on a few local car runs to make the most of his beautiful classic.

Despite the earlier restrictions imposed by COVID-19 and the uncertainty of future public events, plans remain in place for our regular annual car show on October 17 at Pioneer Oval in Parkes.

So keep your eyes open on Facebook and other media for more details.

As always you can find out more about the CWCC at their website www.centralwestcarclub.com.au

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