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If
you are considering buying or selling a Falcon or just looking
for spare parts, it is important to be able to identify the
exact model of Falcon you are looking at. Falcon kits and
cars, made by JBA Engineering Ltd between 1982 and 2004, fall
into 2 main catagories; those based on a Ford Cortina Mk3
and those based on a Ford Sierra.
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Cortina
Based Models - Roadster, Plus Two, Sports & Tourer
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do I know its a Cortina based car? - Cortina based
models can be differentiated from the Sierra based models
by looking at the suspension . The Mk3 Cortina had a
solid (Live) rear axle which physically joined the two
rear wheels together in one solid assembly with an integral
differential in the centre. The front suspension can
be seen in the picture to the right and can be differentiated
from the Sierra by looking at the chassis. The Cortina
based chassis rises, as it comes forward, to pass over
the suspension arms and coils, then falls steeply towards
the front bumper fixing points. |
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Falcon
Roadster - The
first model to be produced by JBA Engineering Ltd
in 1982, it is also known as the 'Original Falcon'.
The car has a one piece top bonnet section which opens
at the front and is hinged in front of the windscreen
giving it a 'crocodile' like apearance when opened.
The main body is all aluminium with fibreglass wings.
It has a tall, upright windscreen with two wipers
and short doors with large sidescreens. The Roadster
has no boot because the petrol tank is housed in its
place. As the Roadster was the first model produced
it does not have a model suffix on its chassis number.
Roasters were in production from 1982 until 1985.
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Falcon
Plus Two- Introduced
in 1985, the Plus 2 is much longer than the Roadster
mainly due to the addition of a rear bench seat for
two small children, extra luggage or a dog. The body
work is based around a steel frame with aluminium
and glass fibre panels and offers a rear boot for
the first time. It has a tall, upright windscreen
which bolts down directly to the top of the bodywork
and features two windscreen wipers. The bonnet is
hinged along the centre line and opens from both sides.
This model has longer doors with bolt on sidescreens.
The Plus 2 was in production from 1985 untill 1988
and the chassis number incorporates the suffix 'P2'.
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Sports - A
return to the two seater , the Sports is a smaller,
lower and more sporty looking car. The bodywork is based
around a glass fibre Central Body Unit (CBU) with aluminium
and glass fibre panels. The car has no boot because
the petrol tank is located in its place, housed within
an aluminium surround. The windscreen is shorter, slopes
and features three windscreen wipers. The bonnet is
hinged along the centre line and opens both sides. The
Sports was in production from 1988 to at least 2001
and the chassis number incorporates the suffix 'S'. |
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Falcon
Tourer - A
direct replacement for the Plus 2, the Tourer was introduced
in 1990. The car could be configured as a large two
seater or have a rear bench seat for children, luggage
or a dog. The bodywork is based around a glass fibre
CBU (cockpit) with aluminium and glass fibre panels
and an opening rear boot. The windscreen is short, slopes
and incorporates three wipers. The bonnet is hinged
along the centre line and opens both sides. The Tourer
was in production from 1990 to at least 2001 and the
chassis number incorporates the suffix 'T'. |
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Sierra
Based Models - SR and TSR
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do I know its a Sierra based car? - Sierra
based models can be differentiated from Cortina based
models by looking at the suspension. The Sierra has independant
rear suspension by means of semi-trailing arms, coil springs
and separate dampers. The differential is directly mounted
to the chassis and drives the rear wheels through flexible
drive shafts. The front suspension can be seen in the
picture to the right and can be differentiated from the
Cortina by the coil over damper above the top wishbone.
The chassis rail slopes gently forward towards the top
wishbone and then carries on level towards the bumper
mounting points. |
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Falcon
SR - Introduced
in 1991, the SR was the first of the Sierra based cars.
Almost identical to the Cortina based Sports it had
an entirely new chassis and CBU to accomodate the Sierra
running gear. Designed as a two seater sports car, the
SR has the shorter, sloping windscreen bolted to the
sides of the CBU and three windscreen wipers, The bonnet
is hinged along the centre line and opens both sides.
During production a rear boot and a sloping radiator
grill were added. The SR was in production from 1991
to 2004 and the chassis number incorporates the suffix
'SR'. |
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TSR - The
last model to be introduced by JBA Engineering Ltd in
1993, the TSR was a larger version of the SR designed
to be a large two seater or have a rear bench seat for
children, luggage or a dog. The TSR CBU is physically
taller, longer and wider giving more room below the
steering wheel and enough leg room for the tallest driver.
It has the now standard shorter, sloping windscreen
with three wipers. With a larger boot and fuel tank,
the TSR is idealy suited to continental touring. As
with the SR, the bonnet is hinged along the centre line
and opens both sides. The TSR was in production from
1993 to 2004 and the chassis number incorporates the
suffix 'TSR'. |
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WHICH KIT? AUGUST 2OO2 JBA Article - August 2002
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