Man who bought a Ford Falcon off a mate for $5,000 to help him out finds out the VERY rare car is worth more than $100,000 after he kept it in his shed for 28 years

  • Neil Wilkinson bought a 1972 Ford Falcon XA GT for $5,000 from a friend in 1987
  • The car gathered dust and rust in his shed for 28 years until it was moved in 2018
  • In today's market, the sought-after muscle car could sell for more than $100,000
  • Original owner ordered a Falcon XA GT-HO Phase 4 before it was banned in 1972
  • He then bought a normal Falcon XA GT and modified it with some Phase 4 parts  

By Shive Prema For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

A man who bought a Ford muscle car for $5,000 and stored it in his shed for 28 years was thrilled to discover it is now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Current owner Neil Wilkinson bought the 1972 Ford Falcon XA GT, nicknamed 'Mothball', as a favour for a friend who was strapped for cash in 1987. 

Mr Wilkinson only drove the car for three months before its registration ran out, prompting him to store it in his backyard in Boronia, Melbourne later that year. 

After three years in the backyard, he then moved it into a nearby shed in 1990, where its condition further deteriorated for 28 years before it was finally relocated in 2018. 

Motor enthusiast Glenn Everitt posted a documentary about the history of the vehicle to his YouTube channel Master of Machines on Sunday. 

Current owner Neil Wilkinson bought the 1972 Ford Falcon XA GT (pictured), nicknamed 'Mothball', as a favour for a friend who was strapped for cash in 1987

Current owner Neil Wilkinson bought the 1972 Ford Falcon XA GT (pictured), nicknamed 'Mothball', as a favour for a friend who was strapped for cash in 1987

The Ford Falcon made headlines when it was lifted out of the Mr Wilkinson's shed by a crane in 2018 and is now being stored in a garage elsewhere

The Ford Falcon made headlines when it was lifted out of the Mr Wilkinson's shed by a crane in 2018 and is now being stored in a garage elsewhere

Mr Everitt noticed the car had low mileage at just 55,000 miles and much of it was still 'mint' despite the faded paint, some rust and thick layer of dirt. 

1972 Falcon XA GTs can sell for $95,000 in good condition and in excess of $140,000 in excellent condition, according to Trade Unique Cars.  

Mr Wilkinson said he only became aware of the Ford Falcon's immense value when he went to a Shannons Auction in the 2010s.

'There was a car being auctioned there, a GT Falcon, it happened be a HO. It went for $600-odd thousand dollars,' Mr Wilkinson said in the documentary. 

'I couldn't believe a Falcon of that vintage going for that sort of money. So, my attention sort of changed and my attitude changed towards the Mothball here as we call it.  

'We've done a bit of research on the car and we've found some interesting things we're trying to get the bottom of. It's become an intriguing adventure for us.' 

Mr Wilkinson said the guards on the front of the car are wider than normal GTs, which is reminiscent of the Ford Falcon XA GT-HO Phase 4. 

Mr Wilkinson (pictured) sits in his shed in front of his prized car. 1972 Falcon XA GTs can sell for $95,000 in good condition and in excess of $140,000 in excellent condition

Mr Wilkinson (pictured) sits in his shed in front of his prized car. 1972 Falcon XA GTs can sell for $95,000 in good condition and in excess of $140,000 in excellent condition

A young Neil stands next to his Ford Falcon XA GT in the late 1970 (pictured). He only drove the car for three months before its registration ran out, prompting him to store it

A young Neil stands next to his Ford Falcon XA GT in the late 1970 (pictured). He only drove the car for three months before its registration ran out, prompting him to store it 

Phase 4s were famously branded 'bullets on wheels' by the federal government and banned from roads - with only four cars making it out of production. 

A Phase 4 sold for $2.1million in 2018. 

Mr Wilkinson and his friend Dave eventually tracked down the very first owner of the car, who was another Melbourne man named Pat. 

Pat pre-ordered a Ford Falcon XA GT-HO Phase 4 with red paint and black trim in early 1972 - but was only able to get a normal XA GT due to the government crackdown on muscle cars. 

'I had a couple of modifications done through the factory, the Phase 4 extractor is from the dealership and then when I got it, the manifold, the carburetor. So, the performance was unbelievable,' he said in the documentary.  

'I had a lot of drags (drag races) in it and it was never beaten across the line.' 

Pat and his wife took a wedding photo in front of his prized car and then bought a home to settle down in. 

'I bought a house, it was a brand-new house, it had no garage, no landscaping, no nothing and I had to sell it (the car) to build a garage. I'd love to buy it back though,' he said. 

The very first owner of the car is another Melbourne man named Pat (pictured). Pat pre-ordered a Ford Falcon XA GT-HO Phase 4 with red paint and black trim in early 1972

The very first owner of the car is another Melbourne man named Pat (pictured). Pat pre-ordered a Ford Falcon XA GT-HO Phase 4 with red paint and black trim in early 1972

Pat and his wife in front of the XA GT on their wedding day. After buying a home to start a family, Pat was forced to sell his car to pay for renovations

Pat and his wife in front of the XA GT on their wedding day. After buying a home to start a family, Pat was forced to sell his car to pay for renovations 

If Pat wanted to buy the car back, he would have to pay upwards of $100,000 and would likely not be able to since Mr Wilkinson does not currently want to sell it. 

The Ford Falcon made headlines when it was lifted out of the Mr Wilkinson's shed by a crane in 2018 and is now being stored in a garage elsewhere. 

John, a representative for Mr Wilkinson, said the car is once again 'collecting dust' as Mr Wilkinson and his friends are still investigating the car's mysterious origins. 

'This is a personal journey for Neil (Wilkinson). The car has been relocated but there's a lot more information that's come to light recently,' John told Daily Mail Australia. 

'What we've discovered recently after car was lifted out, is that this car was destined to be a Phase. 

'Whether the car was built as Phase 4 but was re-labelled as a GT, we don't know.'   

This lines up with Pat's story as he originally ordered a Phase 4 before he was only able to buy a GT due to the government crackdown. 

The sought-after Phase 4s can sell for upwards of $2million, so the normal GT's link to the prized vehicle could increase its value even further.  

The Ford Falcon parked on the street in the 1970s (pictured). The car is once again 'collecting dust' as Mr Wilkinson and his friends are still investigating the car's mysterious origins

The Ford Falcon parked on the street in the 1970s (pictured). The car is once again 'collecting dust' as Mr Wilkinson and his friends are still investigating the car's mysterious origins

Melbourne

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