@@HubNut A statement you'll regret if you get shot of it. I've recently got shot of an E46 330ci convertible, and a few months later, I'm already missing it's long legged, fairly unstressed chillaxed attitude, even if the 'new' car (a 2014 F20 M135i - I'm not *that* sensible...!) is more efficient, easier to drive, and massively, hilariously faster. It's also a *modern* car though, which means sod all steering feel, very linear power delivery, synthesised intake noise, very little 'seat of the pants' stuff and any pops and crackles in the exhaust are bloody theatrics, not real. Which is what really annoys me. The irony is an F20 1-series is basically the same size and weight as an E46 3-series, so I've not really downsized at all. The E46 would lightly crackle on overrun when hot, the F20 will crackle artificially and loudly in 'sport' mode, and not at all in normal driving modes - I know it's for emissions purposes but *come on* etc... I'd say getting shot of the AU Falcon should be, like, fourth on the list of cars to move on. It's very, *very* different to everything else you currently own (small, light, nippy things) so it deserves a bit of consideration in that respect. And if you do get shot of it, then try to replace it - because you will - you're looking at E39 530i/Merc E430 type vehicles, which aren't any better to run overall as they're also not easy to get parts for as so many are end of life/availability for detail parts. Better the devil you know, and all that.....!
DON'T get rid of Betty you will regret it. They don't make them anymore an its one of the last Aussie Cars before they ended the Australian car industry. We have nothing made here . Saddest day for Australia losing its car industry
Nothing wrong with moving a vehicle on especially to the right person as it makes space for future projects. Whoever buys Betty when the time comes will no doubt be an enthusiast who will continue to take care of her as you do.
Life is short, if you need space for a new car and Betty is the chosen one, that's ok. Importing the AU from Australia was great and a dream come true, but if the time has come to sell her, you have to do it without resentment, you will surely are going miss her, but they are material objects and the memories and adventures you had with her will be intact no matter what happens.
On my 02 Ute I found jeep Cherokee front discs are same,Rover K series spark plugs,vwgolf/Passat etc (00's) track rod ends, Daewoo leganza rear pads,00's new shape Mustang air filter, Merc sprinter etc diesel fan belt ( mines non AC). V6 Mondeo coilpack, MK2 Mondeo rad.
New wheels definitely give her a sporty look. I did like the GHIA wheels though, would be nice to get those repaired at some point. Getting rid of her seems a bit crazy, you won’t be able to get another one. Personally I think the Berlingo should’ve gone last year. Betty, even though the fuel is expensive, has been bullet proof. Can’t say the same for Bella. 😖
Whatever decision you make with Betty it will be the right one for you. We all fall in and out of love with cars and you will know when it’s time. BTW, The Fairmont had the sill covers from new. Might look a little better with them on but a real muck trap.
Looks great on the new wheels and tyres. I’d do without the sill trims - loses a rust trap at no cost to the appearance, in my opinion. I took the covers off my CRV, cleaned up the paint and sprayed a couple of cans of clear rock guard on them to replace the chip protection lost by removing the covers. Didn’t want to use the black stuff as it looks like you are covering rust up. Works well. 👍🏻
Glad to hear the Krown did help. It's a necessity over here in Canada with the salt they put on the roads in the winter. I've had all my cars done annually with Krown or something similar and it makes a WORLD of difference. My 2009 Hyundai Accent hatchback got totaled in an accident back in December, but it was at 255,000kms and was 99% rust-free! Had Krown done to my new 2022 Nissan Sentra that I just bought 2 weeks ago as well, even if it's pretty much a brand new car....better safe than sorry!
@@JohnSmith-pl2bkYou are not really supposed to do it right in winter, but any protection is better than no protection which is why I had it done now regardless. The best time to do it is actually in the summer when the product is warmer and has the best chance to flow into cracks and crevices and permeate the metal. In my case, a car accident totaled my beloved last car back in December so I had no choice to get a replacement car now meaning I had no choice to get it rustproofed now either unless I wanted to leave it completely unprotected through this winter. :(
Absolutely! The other thing I do about every week in winter is spraying all the attacked parts in a do-it-yourself carwash. Alarming what dirt comes off after two days of road salts ...
Au Fairmont owner. Yes it’s likely tensioner, can put in new o rings on tensioner but an important special method to pull out and reinsert . Pls do before alternator damaged by oil spray. Look under rubber seal located between front door and windscreen. Also inside of boot, up under area for boot struts mounting. Both common hidden rust areas. Cheers.
Yes it’s easy to see on top, but look inside the boot, you may be surprised. That front seal is also notorious. I just keep spraying lanolin every 6 months.
Get the hose in the wheel arches and the underside of the car to wash out the salt on a weekly basis is my top tip. So easy to forget the non shiny bits. I've taken to lifting the bonnet and doing the same. It's an area that tends to absorb some of the salty stuff from the road. Do it weekly, keeps the tin worm at bay.
Even thou the sill trims are nackered and easily traps the sand in between. They still works extremely good insulating and preventing stonechips and everything that front wheels throw to the direction of sills. It is drastic difference when you dont and do have trimms and you drive on gravel roads or there is gravel on top of the asphalt. Put the trims back and cover the metal sills inside and outside with cavity wax.
I promise I will watch this one Ian but I have car issues myself at the moment (won't start again and I am at a loss at spending money on it and feeling like it's always one step away from breaking) and to be honest my mental health is really bad right now and it is just piling on a lot of existing stuff. I wish I had your resilience in these matters. Man I wish there was help for people who are this way but need their car fixing! 😢
@@HubNutRegardless of resilience, I do really appreciate you putting these out there. It definitely helps when things aren't going well to know I am not alone in liking weird old cars that break.
Betty looks great on her new wheels. Not too much metal moth either so the stuff applied years ago has certainly helped. Sil trim like a lot of other trim can become a rust trap after a while once rust starts. As for the future? Who knows but whatever happens it's great that Betty came here to good old blighty and had some great screen time on the channel.
You make a good point on being ruthless with the fleet, theres some dead wood. I think theres far more justification to get rid of Chemmy and the Shogun (possibly even Bella) before Betty. Personally, I think you'd regret selling Betty because of your history with her, but you have good reason to. 11 mpg is shocking, I thought 31 on my daily was depressing! Good luck to LMH on her driving test, and I'm really looking forward to what this year brings for the channel!
Definitely an improvement in the looks dept with those XRs. Ive got those Falkens on Mrs Mazda and Mr Swift. No complaints at all so far, 6 and 2 months in, admittedly only on 100hp fwd hatches not a 4.0 rwd Betty.😊
Falcons in general and AUs in particular are notorious for rust even in Australia let alone the UK with its moisture and salt. To be fair Betty is in surprisingly good nick still.
Those wheels look awesome, great choice and every time I've used falken tyres I've been super impressed. Personally I think the styling looks a bit less heavy without the sill trims, I would leave them off.
18:05 "Other cars I want to own" is so alien to me. Changing car is stressful, like moving house. So I keep my cars for a veeery long time (decades). I couldn't imagine putting myself through the pain of changing car on a whim. Of course, that wouldn't be half as interesting as someone who keeps changing their fleet for fun.
I am pleasantly surprised to see that no horrors were uncovered when you removed the side sill covers. Fords love to rot sills out from the inside, so yes, I think that the Crown treatment done it's job nicely inside the sills. Never been a fan of plastic covers over the sills, yes they stop the stone chips, but they can hide more serious problems that are coming from the inside out. Hope you can find a windscreen in Europe somewhere, a windscreen is probably not the cheapest thing to have sent from Australia!
With the cost of fuel and road tax i think it wise to let it go, if you can find someone to take it on .Not the car to keep ,or else sell the rest so you can run this i know what i would do. Things are going to get more costly and you have a family to think of. You are very lucky to have made such good friends to help you do the repairs or Betty would be up the back in storage.
That engine oil leak is the tensioner, it’s about to destroy your alternator 😢. Unbolt the power steering pump, remove pump bracket and it will expose the tensioner cap. Normally it needs tightening, very simple. Those centre caps are from a BA Falcon, the AU had a small Blue Oval Badge recessed into the cap (same style as the badge on the grill or boot)
@@HubNut you've shown that leak before, it was a weep then but the tensioner cap will keep vibrating it's way out. The tensioner is two parts, don't turn the inner (sets tension) it'll be the outer that is loose. The power steering lines can stay connected to the pump in the process.
Very nice wheels and added to the rear spoiler, it gives an added sportier look. I love it. I had a similar situation too with the XJ a few year ago where I spotted an área needing welding when I was fitting new tyres.
Betty looks spot on with the new alloys. Its going to be a difficult decision in regards to Betty, but if you did let her go a Hubnutter would most likely take Betty on and Cherish her.
Personally, I would recommend keeping. She is very rare in the UK and you don't see any other UA-camrs with a car like that. Also, your history with her. Here in Australia the values of locally made cars are on the rise. Can she be kept just for limited use, long trips perhaps with a club registration?
Betty does look good on those alloys. I would utilise the old alloys as a just incase winter tyre set, especially when the weather becomes a bit snowy in Wales.
It’s great an AU so far away from home. There are still so many in the road here as well as the Holden Commodore. Sadly, no cars being built at all in Australia. My 17 year old son just bought his first car, a VZ SVZ Commodore with the 3.6 litre Alloytech engine. He’s chuffed! Fuel here in Oz is around $1.95/litre but for a student with a part time job, it’s manageable for him. This car was made in 2006 (before he was born….) but had only only done 128,000km and owned by an elderly man from new. He didn’t drive or much.
It's sad yet interesting what a UK winter will do to a relatively modern Aussie car. They simply weren't prepared for it, yet i thought it would go further than it has, without showing holes, so far. I advocate a good hosing of lanolin spray underneath.
I've owned AU Falcons in NZ. DONT skim brake rotors. Always replace them. If you skim them you get massive brake shudder. I also own a BF Falcon ute. Same scenario. Sills are common rust issue & also the rear parcel tray rusts. Can be seen from inside the boot
I wish we'd start using the salt alternatives available for gritting roads. The cost is 5% more. Less than repairing the infrastructure that rots out let alone peoples cars!
The lady's looking mighty fiiine! I had doubts before, but with those 60 section new tyres, I think they work really well. The old tyres made the wheels look tiny, these look perfect. Comfy sidewalls, with that retro / Aussie outback cruiser look. Nothing to worry about underneath. I can't believe you are even considering letting her go. If needs be, SORN her for 6 months a year. The Pajero Jnr needs to go quickly, it has way outstayed its welcome. Anything bought as a project to make money needs to be turned over. Similar with Miss HubNut's old car. I guess Junior Miss will be needing wheels before Uni too.
I find it strange but when you're on video driving Betty I feel a lot more relaxed than when you are driving your other cars. I like the car because out of all of your cars it's the one i would be happy to drive myself.
You did right with the wheels Ian, I had something similar on my old 1999 Corolla ( last model made in Australia and I always regret we got rid of it ) which also had a spoiler and it looked very sweet ! All of these big sixes drink fuel. My old Holden HT did about 14mpg in town , But at least the juice was only 33c a litre back then . They are designed for highway driving , many were owned by sales reps who drove phenomenal distances and needed a comfy drive .
LPG conversion tends to burn valves on older cars without sodium filled valve stems because of the lack of the cooling effect of liquid fuel entering the engine.
Interesting to see what you did about the covers under the doors I have a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee and it has those plastic covers running along under to doors and I have been wondering what was going on underneath them the rest of the car looks to be pretty good not much rust for its age so I am just hopping that my car is much like yours I have decided not to look my 4ltr motor I think does about 16/18 mpg just going around town mid 20s on a run my last one ran on LPG at about 60p a ltr that was good but not many places sell it these days.
Our car hobby always gives us headaches, especially when you have more (now 6, going back to 5). I also pulled the trigger on my 1982 Ford Transit MK2, that is going now that I have by chance found a reasonably good 1987 Transit MK3 and it saves me a lot of work, bodywork is much better. I wish them much wisdom in your choices Ian, I understand the dilemmas.
Very nice with the rims! More cohesive with the body style. The removal of the side trims didn't ruined the design, won't be missed. Each market, around the globe, has demands. That's why a big car made for flat, dry and large roads feel "luxury" on the roads of Wales. The same when I saw Brazilian vehicle imported to Europe and they don't have rust proofing and can be too "noisy" because we prefer short gearing...
The ideal choice of wheel, tyre size and tyre make. I have standardised on A rated Falkens on both my dailies and find them very reassuring. I think Betty looks good without the sill trims too and if it helps stop rot then it can only be a good thing. (Jag X-type and S-type both suffer.) Love the Border Terriers by the way.
Never got Betty but those wheels make a huge difference, looks so much better. Get rid before she rots away, give her some TLC, mint her up and move her on, the memories will always be with you.
Early in the video I was thinking how much I would love a barge like that to float around on. Then you mentioned that you're thinking of moving it on! But in the cold light of day, the MPG is a serious reality check. This sort of car doesn't really feel like it's for UK or European motoring. I can see someone loving it though.
The UK and EU are littered with gas guzzling turbo V8s and V12s purely designed for everyday local motoring. This car is not unsurprising in that department.
Poor Betty these damp salted British roads are not treating her very well another great video has always Ian and Carly miss/mrs hubnut and hublets and hubmutt 👍
There is something insanely satisfying when one sees refurbished wheels and brand new tyres.
You feel in love with Betty. keep her not as a daily driver, but as a treat for the summer months.
I don't have good enough storage to have a car just sitting around.
Agreed - and maybe reserved for longer journeys, too.
Yep don't get rid you will regret
@@HubNut A statement you'll regret if you get shot of it. I've recently got shot of an E46 330ci convertible, and a few months later, I'm already missing it's long legged, fairly unstressed chillaxed attitude, even if the 'new' car (a 2014 F20 M135i - I'm not *that* sensible...!) is more efficient, easier to drive, and massively, hilariously faster.
It's also a *modern* car though, which means sod all steering feel, very linear power delivery, synthesised intake noise, very little 'seat of the pants' stuff and any pops and crackles in the exhaust are bloody theatrics, not real. Which is what really annoys me. The irony is an F20 1-series is basically the same size and weight as an E46 3-series, so I've not really downsized at all.
The E46 would lightly crackle on overrun when hot, the F20 will crackle artificially and loudly in 'sport' mode, and not at all in normal driving modes - I know it's for emissions purposes but *come on* etc...
I'd say getting shot of the AU Falcon should be, like, fourth on the list of cars to move on. It's very, *very* different to everything else you currently own (small, light, nippy things) so it deserves a bit of consideration in that respect.
And if you do get shot of it, then try to replace it - because you will - you're looking at E39 530i/Merc E430 type vehicles, which aren't any better to run overall as they're also not easy to get parts for as so many are end of life/availability for detail parts. Better the devil you know, and all that.....!
DON'T get rid of Betty you will regret it. They don't make them anymore an its one of the last Aussie Cars before they ended the Australian car industry. We have nothing made here . Saddest day for Australia losing its car industry
Nothing wrong with moving a vehicle on especially to the right person as it makes space for future projects. Whoever buys Betty when the time comes will no doubt be an enthusiast who will continue to take care of her as you do.
Life is short, if you need space for a new car and Betty is the chosen one, that's ok.
Importing the AU from Australia was great and a dream come true, but if the time has come to sell her, you have to do it without resentment, you will surely are going miss her, but they are material objects and the memories and adventures you had with her will be intact no matter what happens.
@@maxeluy spot on
Tim is a champion!
Loving those wheels. The small amount of rust is a real win.
Looks so much better with those wheels now!
Yes, the sporty XR6 or XR8 wheels are much better looking…
Excellent choice on the Falkens. It's my go-to brand for when any vehicle in the family needs tyres. Can't fault them!
On my 02 Ute I found jeep Cherokee front discs are same,Rover K series spark plugs,vwgolf/Passat etc (00's) track rod ends, Daewoo leganza rear pads,00's new shape Mustang air filter, Merc sprinter etc diesel fan belt ( mines non AC). V6 Mondeo coilpack, MK2 Mondeo rad.
Oil filters datsun 100a, polo/fabia amongst others.
Betty looks much better with the xr8 wheels,I'm glad you went for those great video Ian.
New wheels definitely give her a sporty look. I did like the GHIA wheels though, would be nice to get those repaired at some point. Getting rid of her seems a bit crazy, you won’t be able to get another one. Personally I think the Berlingo should’ve gone last year. Betty, even though the fuel is expensive, has been bullet proof. Can’t say the same for Bella. 😖
Betty looks so good with the XR 8 wheels and removing the trims looks so much better also
Betty looks good on her new rims. It will be a sad day if you let her go, but you have to do what is right for you at the end of the day.
Great down-to-earth videos. Love them. Thanks :)
Those wheels look so much better! Sets the car off nicely 👍🏻
Whatever decision you make with Betty it will be the right one for you. We all fall in and out of love with cars and you will know when it’s time. BTW, The Fairmont had the sill covers from new. Might look a little better with them on but a real muck trap.
Looks great on the new wheels and tyres. I’d do without the sill trims - loses a rust trap at no cost to the appearance, in my opinion. I took the covers off my CRV, cleaned up the paint and sprayed a couple of cans of clear rock guard on them to replace the chip protection lost by removing the covers. Didn’t want to use the black stuff as it looks like you are covering rust up. Works well. 👍🏻
I swear it was the sill trims that hid a lot of rot on my later BMW E34.
Glad to hear the Krown did help. It's a necessity over here in Canada with the salt they put on the roads in the winter. I've had all my cars done annually with Krown or something similar and it makes a WORLD of difference. My 2009 Hyundai Accent hatchback got totaled in an accident back in December, but it was at 255,000kms and was 99% rust-free!
Had Krown done to my new 2022 Nissan Sentra that I just bought 2 weeks ago as well, even if it's pretty much a brand new car....better safe than sorry!
That's the right time to do it..straight off the showroom floor...especially in winter!
@@JohnSmith-pl2bkYou are not really supposed to do it right in winter, but any protection is better than no protection which is why I had it done now regardless.
The best time to do it is actually in the summer when the product is warmer and has the best chance to flow into cracks and crevices and permeate the metal.
In my case, a car accident totaled my beloved last car back in December so I had no choice to get a replacement car now meaning I had no choice to get it rustproofed now either unless I wanted to leave it completely unprotected through this winter. :(
Absolutely! The other thing I do about every week in winter is spraying all the attacked parts in a do-it-yourself carwash. Alarming what dirt comes off after two days of road salts ...
Ooh she’s looking lovely. Keep her she’s as much as part of the hubnut story as Ellie.
Au Fairmont owner. Yes it’s likely tensioner, can put in new o rings on tensioner but an important special method to pull out and reinsert . Pls do before alternator damaged by oil spray. Look under rubber seal located between front door and windscreen. Also inside of boot, up under area for boot struts mounting. Both common hidden rust areas. Cheers.
Cheers. Already had one boot strut mount repaired!
Yes it’s easy to see on top, but look inside the boot, you may be surprised. That front seal is also notorious. I just keep spraying lanolin every 6 months.
And i thought it was the power steering pump leaking, that’s a known culprit..
Indeed but the pump and pipework is dry and I think I've topped up the fluid once in four years.
Get the hose in the wheel arches and the underside of the car to wash out the salt on a weekly basis is my top tip. So easy to forget the non shiny bits.
I've taken to lifting the bonnet and doing the same. It's an area that tends to absorb some of the salty stuff from the road. Do it weekly, keeps the tin worm at bay.
That's what I wanted to say. Costs no more than a few Euro's or pounds per week. Clear water will do.
New wheels and tyres, go on treat Betty to a good clean too!
Looks less Hafrads without the trims and those wheels look great Mr HubNut.
Even thou the sill trims are nackered and easily traps the sand in between. They still works extremely good insulating and preventing stonechips and everything that front wheels throw to the direction of sills. It is drastic difference when you dont and do have trimms and you drive on gravel roads or there is gravel on top of the asphalt. Put the trims back and cover the metal sills inside and outside with cavity wax.
That's something Tim reckoned too. Not too tricky to refit them.
I promise I will watch this one Ian but I have car issues myself at the moment (won't start again and I am at a loss at spending money on it and feeling like it's always one step away from breaking) and to be honest my mental health is really bad right now and it is just piling on a lot of existing stuff. I wish I had your resilience in these matters.
Man I wish there was help for people who are this way but need their car fixing! 😢
Happens to be a car I love too
Not sure how much resilience I have to be honest! Cars can really test us at times. One reason I own several is the hope at least one will work...
@@HubNutRegardless of resilience, I do really appreciate you putting these out there. It definitely helps when things aren't going well to know I am not alone in liking weird old cars that break.
Betty looking very good with new rims and wheels.
Don't need those plastic sills, looks good without them and sills may survive better without them.
Betty looks great on her new wheels. Not too much metal moth either so the stuff applied years ago has certainly helped. Sil trim like a lot of other trim can become a rust trap after a while once rust starts. As for the future? Who knows but whatever happens it's great that Betty came here to good old blighty and had some great screen time on the channel.
Sounds to me like you’ve already made your mind up Ian!
look for a limo braker, loads of AU based limos and hearses over here.
I'm jealous that you have Tim to look after your cars. Could you send him over here to me in the US?!
Those replacement wheels are a great improvement Ian.
Good choice with the wheels. Those tyres should be great too.
Wonderful. Love watching your videos.👍
I wonder whether the original owner knows the car is now in Old South Wales.
Lovely, mate.
XR8 wheels and no sill covers suit betty a lot. good choice ian
You make a good point on being ruthless with the fleet, theres some dead wood. I think theres far more justification to get rid of Chemmy and the Shogun (possibly even Bella) before Betty. Personally, I think you'd regret selling Betty because of your history with her, but you have good reason to. 11 mpg is shocking, I thought 31 on my daily was depressing! Good luck to LMH on her driving test, and I'm really looking forward to what this year brings for the channel!
Always enjoy the videos on the channel good luck with everything 👍👍👍
Definitely an improvement in the looks dept with those XRs. Ive got those Falkens on Mrs Mazda and Mr Swift. No complaints at all so far, 6 and 2 months in, admittedly only on 100hp fwd hatches not a 4.0 rwd Betty.😊
Falcons in general and AUs in particular are notorious for rust even in Australia let alone the UK with its moisture and salt. To be fair Betty is in surprisingly good nick still.
Those wheels look awesome, great choice and every time I've used falken tyres I've been super impressed. Personally I think the styling looks a bit less heavy without the sill trims, I would leave them off.
Time for a ruthless clear out (except Ellie and The Daihatsu's).
the charade needs to go its worn out but the kenari is a decent example
18:05 "Other cars I want to own" is so alien to me. Changing car is stressful, like moving house. So I keep my cars for a veeery long time (decades). I couldn't imagine putting myself through the pain of changing car on a whim. Of course, that wouldn't be half as interesting as someone who keeps changing their fleet for fun.
Ha, I've had 151 cars in the 38 years I've been driving, I love the thrill of seeing another purchase and trying a different car 🙂
"it's not a transmission oil leak, it's automatic underside corrosion protection" 😂😂😂
Love the new wheels Ian. Love Betty would hate to see her go.
I am pleasantly surprised to see that no horrors were uncovered when you removed the side sill covers. Fords love to rot sills out from the inside, so yes, I think that the Crown treatment done it's job nicely inside the sills. Never been a fan of plastic covers over the sills, yes they stop the stone chips, but they can hide more serious problems that are coming from the inside out. Hope you can find a windscreen in Europe somewhere, a windscreen is probably not the cheapest thing to have sent from Australia!
With the cost of fuel and road tax i think it wise to let it go, if you can find someone to take it on .Not the car to keep ,or else sell the rest so you can run this i know what i would do. Things are going to get more costly and you have a family to think of. You are very lucky to have made such good friends to help you do the repairs or Betty would be up the back in storage.
How much is the road tax?
That engine oil leak is the tensioner, it’s about to destroy your alternator 😢. Unbolt the power steering pump, remove pump bracket and it will expose the tensioner cap. Normally it needs tightening, very simple. Those centre caps are from a BA Falcon, the AU had a small Blue Oval Badge recessed into the cap (same style as the badge on the grill or boot)
Thanks Adrian. Certainly explains why the oil level is actually dropping. Never has before.
@@HubNut you've shown that leak before, it was a weep then but the tensioner cap will keep vibrating it's way out. The tensioner is two parts, don't turn the inner (sets tension) it'll be the outer that is loose. The power steering lines can stay connected to the pump in the process.
Probably the most common leak on an Intech too! Yep, tightening them often does the trick 👍
Series 3 AU’s had the side trims as standard. Even the base model Forte.
I would leave the sill trims off. It’s a lot cleaner side profile, along with the XR8 alloys 👍
Betty gets a makeover..she looks good, the whole appearance has changed and looks brighter, the wheels suits her 👌
That's awesome you kept the last NZ WOF sticker and "Rego" label. Betty def looks good with the XR8 wheels!
Now is transformed 😮 looks much much better
Superb wheel choice!
Very nice wheels and added to the rear spoiler, it gives an added sportier look. I love it.
I had a similar situation too with the XJ a few year ago where I spotted an área needing welding when I was fitting new tyres.
Betty looks spot on with the new alloys. Its going to be a difficult decision in regards to Betty, but if you did let her go a Hubnutter would most likely take Betty on and Cherish her.
Personally, I would recommend keeping. She is very rare in the UK and you don't see any other UA-camrs with a car like that. Also, your history with her. Here in Australia the values of locally made cars are on the rise. Can she be kept just for limited use, long trips perhaps with a club registration?
We don't have club rego here, but you can declare some months off the road to save on tax.
The XR8 wheels look even better than the other ones you use to have👍
Betty does look good on those alloys. I would utilise the old alloys as a just incase winter tyre set, especially when the weather becomes a bit snowy in Wales.
It’s great an AU so far away from home.
There are still so many in the road here as well as the Holden Commodore.
Sadly, no cars being built at all in Australia.
My 17 year old son just bought his first car, a VZ SVZ Commodore with the 3.6 litre Alloytech engine. He’s chuffed!
Fuel here in Oz is around $1.95/litre but for a student with a part time job, it’s manageable for him.
This car was made in 2006 (before he was born….) but had only only done 128,000km and owned by an elderly man from new. He didn’t drive or much.
Love your channel. Love those dogs too x
It's sad yet interesting what a UK winter will do to a relatively modern Aussie car. They simply weren't prepared for it, yet i thought it would go further than it has, without showing holes, so far. I advocate a good hosing of lanolin spray underneath.
I think the wheels suit Betty. Again, I also think it looks much cleaner with no side skirts.
I've owned AU Falcons in NZ. DONT skim brake rotors. Always replace them. If you skim them you get massive brake shudder. I also own a BF Falcon ute. Same scenario. Sills are common rust issue & also the rear parcel tray rusts. Can be seen from inside the boot
The wheels look Great Ian🎉, bring on some better weather soon all the best mate Warren
It’s looking pretty good with the new wheels looks like a different car, good wash and clean the headlights it’ll look like new 👍
Great choice with the wheels ❤😊
Good to see yellow dot lines up with all the valves 😊
I wish we'd start using the salt alternatives available for gritting roads. The cost is 5% more. Less than repairing the infrastructure that rots out let alone peoples cars!
Why an apparently 1st world country uses salt baffles me no end. It kills cars, road infrastructure and creek life. Just bonkers.
Always part with fond memories rather than the frustration of difficult last years with a car. (good advice that I often forget !).
Good advice. The frustrations and difficulties are clogging up the barn. This is the best and most reliable car Ian has.
New wheels are good. I would leave the sill covers off too.
The lady's looking mighty fiiine! I had doubts before, but with those 60 section new tyres, I think they work really well. The old tyres made the wheels look tiny, these look perfect. Comfy sidewalls, with that retro / Aussie outback cruiser look. Nothing to worry about underneath. I can't believe you are even considering letting her go. If needs be, SORN her for 6 months a year. The Pajero Jnr needs to go quickly, it has way outstayed its welcome. Anything bought as a project to make money needs to be turned over. Similar with Miss HubNut's old car. I guess Junior Miss will be needing wheels before Uni too.
Those falkens are great. I have similar on my Hyundai and they have been great.
I find it strange but when you're on video driving Betty I feel a lot more relaxed than when you are driving your other cars. I like the car because out of all of your cars it's the one i would be happy to drive myself.
She is supremely relaxing that's for sure.
You did right with the wheels Ian, I had something similar on my old 1999 Corolla ( last model made in Australia and I always regret we got rid of it ) which also had a spoiler and it looked very sweet ! All of these big sixes drink fuel. My old Holden HT did about 14mpg in town , But at least the juice was only 33c a litre back then . They are designed for highway driving , many were owned by sales reps who drove phenomenal distances and needed a comfy drive .
$0.33 in 1969 is the equivalent of $4.69 today according to the RBA inflation calculator.
keep it mate!,, I'm an Aussie 👍🏼,, it's suits you mate!, I had one, yeah sucks alot of juice!,, it looks with the XR8's 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
LPG conversion tends to burn valves on older cars without sodium filled valve stems because of the lack of the cooling effect of liquid fuel entering the engine.
Isn’t that why the lpg conversion kits some with a lubricant that gets sucked in with the gas.?
The Au engine is factory specd for LPG.
I prefer the look of the shark fins, they were standard on AU XR6 Falcons. The side skirts were from series 3.
Interesting to see what you did about the covers under the doors I have a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee and it has those plastic covers running along under to doors and I have been wondering what was going on underneath them the rest of the car looks to be pretty good not much rust for its age so I am just hopping that my car is much like yours I have decided not to look my 4ltr motor I think does about 16/18 mpg just going around town mid 20s on a run my last one ran on LPG at about 60p a ltr that was good but not many places sell it these days.
Wheels look fantastic, transformed the car!
Doesn't look odd without the sill trims, so I'd just leave them off
Good video 😀
For your windscreen crack, try thin super glue and push it into the crack with a suction pad or something like that
Looks better without those rocker trim panels, and those wheels are fantastic
Our car hobby always gives us headaches, especially when you have more (now 6, going back to 5). I also pulled the trigger on my 1982 Ford Transit MK2, that is going now that I have by chance found a reasonably good 1987 Transit MK3 and it saves me a lot of work, bodywork is much better. I wish them much wisdom in your choices Ian, I understand the dilemmas.
Yep i hate space saver spares , and that new cars dont even have a spare .
Good choice on the new wheels .
3:59 The sound of that lift going up with the rhythmic clanks sounds like it should have been released on Mute Records in 1981.
Betty is transformed with the XR8 wheels. Does removing the sill covers make her a Superleggera?
Nice wheels! Sidewalls look to promise a bit of extra comfort as well! Top banana!
Great video Mr HubNut fantastic
Very nice with the rims! More cohesive with the body style. The removal of the side trims didn't ruined the design, won't be missed. Each market, around the globe, has demands. That's why a big car made for flat, dry and large roads feel "luxury" on the roads of Wales. The same when I saw Brazilian vehicle imported to Europe and they don't have rust proofing and can be too "noisy" because we prefer short gearing...
You can't call her Ugly Betty anymore. Looks great! Especially the rear styling.
The ideal choice of wheel, tyre size and tyre make. I have standardised on A rated Falkens on both my dailies and find them very reassuring. I think Betty looks good without the sill trims too and if it helps stop rot then it can only be a good thing. (Jag X-type and S-type both suffer.) Love the Border Terriers by the way.
Love Betty, got the same tyres on my Fiesta
Wonder how it looks without the rear spoiler.
They look very, very odd without it.
Originally, I voted for the Ghia alloys. But seeing the XR8's on her, and with the sill covers off, it looks smashing!
Never got Betty but those wheels make a huge difference, looks so much better.
Get rid before she rots away, give her some TLC, mint her up and move her on, the memories will always be with you.
These cars were notorious for rust in Australia - can't last long in the UK haha
Wow, the 16.4 USMPG I get from my Jeep sounds so good! 😂
An equivalent AU year and priced Range Rover gets 15 mpg and I don't hear a lot of moaning about that.
Early in the video I was thinking how much I would love a barge like that to float around on. Then you mentioned that you're thinking of moving it on! But in the cold light of day, the MPG is a serious reality check. This sort of car doesn't really feel like it's for UK or European motoring. I can see someone loving it though.
You would only be driving the barge on occasion so the MPG simply doesn't matter.
The UK and EU are littered with gas guzzling turbo V8s and V12s purely designed for everyday local motoring. This car is not unsurprising in that department.
My Toyota Corolla hybrid has the factory fitted Falken Eco Run tyres on. They're very good though not the quietest in the world if I'm honest.
Poor Betty these damp salted British roads are not treating her very well
another great video has always Ian and Carly miss/mrs hubnut and hublets and hubmutt 👍
mostly extremely mild surface rust, luckily it's only spent a few years in the uk...