Fletch’s Classic Cars: Classic Restos - Series 43

In this week’s episode, Fletch sits down and reflects on the cars in his life. Firstly a ’79 XD Falcon that was by default his first-ever full restoration after being written off, which occurred just after he had just upgraded the engine from a V6 to a V8. The resto was a cut and shut, with a new front end joined on the factory seams at the transmission tunnel. Fletch had the body works completed externally, and he completed all the mechanicals. The result was excellent, and Fletch kept the car for a further five years before moving on to a 1977 Ford LTD Silver Monarch, the 1974 Buick Electra for five years, and then a 1995 NF Ford Fairlane that he drove for 18 years. All of that before the CM Chrysler. The 1981 CM Chrysler Regal had a strong connection with two members of Fletch’s family that fastidiously maintained the Chrysler for many years. It was sold to another local in the area who sadly let it fall into disrepair. In 2000 Fletch was looking for a restoration project but wanted something different and stumbled across the car again in a paddock and managed to acquire the vehicle and bring it home. Knowing the history of the vehicle and the fact that it had never been in an accident gave him the confidence to take it on. It was his second full ground-up resto, once again he commissioned the body and paintwork and then took on all the mechanicals. The outcome was brilliant, and the car looked brand new, just out of the showroom. The 1981 CM Chrysler Regal is still proudly owned and driven by Fletch some 17/18 years later and is still looking great. As Fletch would say ‘another one saved’.