Here is the latest instalment of the Ford Fairlane Auto History Series - the ZH. My all time favourite Fairlane. Which is your favourite Fairlane? Please be sure to give the episode a Like 👍 and Subscribe as it really helps me bring you more old car history. Thanks for watching. 👍
gday Mark,,,, a while ago i left a comment suggesting you to do a series on the fairlane/fairmonts of the later 70's ..... i don't know whether you saw that comment or not but the videos lately on those cars have been awesome... grew up in a 78 model ZH marquis that was british racing green with the black vinyl top, light tints, 18" chrome wheels and slightly lowered. Cheers.
@ Thanks very much. I have done all of the Falcons (which included Fairmonts) and now working through Fairlane (ZA to ZH completed). Once I have done Fairlane I will do an LTD series and also Landau. 👍
ZK V8, ZD V8, NC V8 in that order. I had an XE for five years so I'm partial to that era of Ford's. The ZH is badass though. Drive one past a school at home time, the kids would notice it!
For the doubters of the old fashioned leaf springs...Falcons beat the best of the Euros on the world rally stage in 1968...Frank Gardner won the 1967 European touring car championship in a Falcon ..again beating the Euros at their own game..And numerous Bathurst victories on one of the toughest road courses in the world...need i go on..History speaks for itself ! great video Mark..Cheers👍
Loved this model, it was so different to what went before (& what came after) so it's a bit of an outlier in terms of style for Ford. A favourite of farmers, rural folk & others who did long distances on indifferent country roads, the Fairlane just ate the miles up with ease & comfort.
Out of all the 70s fairlanes, I like the tail lights on the ZH, even more so than the LTD, and the popular full width ZF/ZG tail light treatment. Dunno why, it’s just something that has stood out to me since I was a kid. The ZH is a very cohesive design, where the rear compliments the front, and both ends have prestige. Unlike a lot of other cars that look like 2 different committees worked on each end, in secret…..
Thanks heaps Mark, this is the Fairlane episode I was hanging out for. My experience with the ZH you might find interesting. Back in the eighties I traded my 360 VK Valiant Regal on a ZH Fairlane 500. The mistake I made there was buying a ZH with a 302 instead of a 351 so obviously the Fairlane felt gutless compared to the Valiant, but the suspension was incredible. A very comfortable ride and nice going through roundabouts with hardly any body roll. The suspension, steering and brakes all seemed to work together unlike the Valiant which was harsh in ride on rough stuff and very prone to oversteer if not treated with respect. A friend of ours at the time bought a HX Statesman Deville so we others driving Ford's rocked up to poke fun at him thinking he had an inferior car. On approach to it I remember thinking that it was quite good looking and then I started noticing how deep the paint was and the great panel fit with even gaps. Inside the dash was so much more attractive and better presented than my ZH and with fantastic vision through those nice slim pillars. We got to drive it, very soft ride and the 5 litre engine had enough poke to suit the car but if you tried to push it above its cornering limits it pretty soon let you know. This was the HX remember. I drove off convincing myself that my Fairlane was a better car and the sales figures backed me up on that right? Now I think back on that and I reckon that overall the Statesman was a better car. My ZH? I sold it privately for a modest profit and bought another Valiant. Thanks for the video again mate.
Thanks. Glad you liked it. The 351 would certainly have performed better but quite a bit thirstier. Similar to your 360, maybe a little better as they were big drinkers. The Statesman was nice enough but the styling of the Fairlane was all over it imo. 👍
Very very interesting. Which felt more - Modern Upmarket Prestigious Finely finished Assembly Comfort Performance Handling Chrysler/Holden Statesman/Ford Fairlane ZH
These cars are so interesting to American eyes who've never seen one in the flesh. I particularly love how an initial American original style was evolved and morphed into something quite different, and successful. A few of the Brazilian Fords are similar in concept. Your videos are quite valuable and fascinating!
@@jamesfrench7299 . A few months ago I was getting some fuel, and the bloke at the next pump with a Landcruiser, pressed the presets to put $200 worth in...imagine thinking...I don't think I'll fill up today, I'll just put $200 worth in! Wow, times have changed. I was very happy to fill the tank on my Subaru Impreza for about $60. Still, doesn't stop me wanting a classic ZH Fairlane though...some day. Cheers!
Great ep! My first ride in a car was in my old mans ZH when I was brought home from the hospital after being born. Got a lot of memories of that car when I was a kid. It took us to school, camping and holidays! Pretty sure that would of done about 400000km+ in its life to. The ZH was retired in 2001-02 and it is still sitting in the shed waiting to be restored but shes pretty rusty.
Thanks very much. Wow. With that history, you HAVE to restore it. When I found my Dad’s 72 Galaxie LTD, I would have bought it regardless of condition (luckily it was pretty good) as these cars are irreplaceable. 👍
Agreed , Mark Behr deserves recognition from your AU govt for the beautiful work he’s done here on his channel & with Shannon’s docos. Outstanding work Mark. Thank You Sir👍
Great stuff Mark I had 2 ZH Fairlanes loved them still have 2 XCs and I have a BF fairlane as my daily driver and I think it is my favourite fairlane even over the 75th anniversary I owned but it's still in the family with my son in-law Great series mate thanks very much 👍 Cheers Blue
They were ( and still are ) a terrific looking car I remember my godfathers ZH back in the very early 80s. White with dark vinyl roof. He used to say he'd get sunburn on his thighs when driving on long distance trips because of the slanted screen 😂😂😂
Thanks Mark love the content. Never a fan of this model and in 1977 my brother and I disliked it that much we talked our dad out of buying a Marquis and getting a Fairmont GXL which was awesome.
G'day Mark. Another awesome video. I've heard of the Ford ZH Fairlane. Looking at the front of the car, it reminds me of our 1968 Mercury Marquis sold here in the USA. 🙂
My uncle had a 1977 ZH, in the popular light green colour with the 351 and a sunroof operated with a crank handle. It was an ex Ford executive driven vehicle. It made light work of his regular trips to the TAB and helping us move house, pulling a very full trailer.
Little story... I did my apprenticeship at a Queensland Ford dealership stating in the early 70's and a work mate of mine got married and the dealership loaned him 3 of theses as wedding cars 👍
I've always liked the ZH design. It really differentiated itself from the Falcon, Fairmont and even the more upmarket LTD. As a kid, I remember one of our neighbours had a Marquis model. Sweet looking thing and those of us who grew up watching the early seasons of Hawaii Five-O (I saw the reruns) were quite familiar with the front end design.
Great video again Mark. These were my favourite Fairlane too, even though I'm a one-eyed Holden man. In the trade the mid-model update was known as the 78 update or in the Falcon it was the XC & a 1/2. The ZH was the first (& only ?) time that a Fairlane was released before its Falcon equivalent, because of that, the first 2 months had XB engines with the 302 only having a 2 barrel carb. The 4 barrel Carter Thermoquad was fitted to the ZH motors at XC release (July 76) for ADR27A. I worked on many of these & fitted a/cond to quite a few as well. AFAIK Pre-78 Fairlane 500 had a/cond as an option, but it became standard for the 78 upgrade.
The motoring press kept saying the XB V8's were quicker. Ford insisted the XC ADR27A V8's were quicker. I do know the XC 302 in standard form was pretty woeful, but haven't driven an XB equivalent.
@@robertjefferies8739 giving away your age there. I at least existed when they were new on the lot. I actually was born during the XA model run. March of 73 👍.
Hi Mark, hope your well, nice big American looking Australian car, looks like the car you could drive long distance with no effort. I like the second styling with the rear black panel between the tail lights and the Ford roundel. The roundel badge were on UK Fords from 1976 as Ford UK brought out the MK4 Cortina and the new FWD Fiesta as these were fitted with the roundel badge and were fitted to the MK3 Capri MK2 Escort and the MK2 Granada ( similar looking Falcon ) in 1977 as the F O R D ended. Nice to see you still have your Fairlane, hope you still enjoy it. As always a great video Take care
@@shaun30-3-mg9zs I never knew the black tail light treatment was the update model until Mark noted it. I thought it must have been a styling thing for the Marquis or sportsman packages, as they were the ones I remember seeing the black treatment on as a school kid. I actually prefer the silver, particularly how it highlights the number plate recess.
Thank you Mark excellent, informative report as usual. It's my favourite as well. I considered buying one, but it was a bit big and beyond my financial reach anyway at that time. One of my neighbours had a ZH 500 which was never garaged and parked on the nature strip in front of his house. It was a beautifully styled impressive vehicle. Interesting to see the AU Fairlane which I think looked better than the Falcon. I believe the AU (falcon) was a reliable vehicle with the well optioned Ghia seen as the model to get now.
I sure liked my ZH 351, also mine had a 9"Traction Lock diff. It was great for towing my 20 ft caravan. I later had Ford F100 springs installed and it handled amazing.
I really enjoy all your videos and exceptional knowledge. It is such a pity that we no longer have a local car industry where we could design, engineer and build cars for our unique country. Skills lost.
@@chriselias307 Thank you. I totally agree re the loss of our car industry never should have happened. When I hear these ads for Let’s Make in Australia it is all too little too late. 🤔👍
@@markbehr88 Party politics aside, it's ironic that the present Labor government is the one now spruiking Australian-made, given that the destruction of the industry was started in 1984 by the Hawke Labor government with the infamous 'Button Car Plan' of Senator John Button, then-Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce. Button, a former member of the Italian Communist Party, also managed to destroy Australia's footwear and clothing industries. China must have loved that!
Absolutely agree, Ford Australia did more than just manufacture cars and trucks and GM-H as well, all one has to do is delve into a bit of history and they would see that our Australian car manufacturers played a massive role during the Second World War for instance in designing and building machinery as diverse as military equipment such as tanks, Aircraft components, aircraft engines even Ford in Geelong was in the ship building industry! They all contributed in a large way for our Australian war effort, I often think how Australia could be a lame duck in the future as with next to zero of any heavy manufacturing and thanks to our piss poor governments they have kept their heads in the sand and it seems they don’t want to acknowledge any future conflicts in our unstable world, especially may I add with China, as we would really be up S… Creek in a barbed wire canoe with all of our highly trained tradesmen etc being flushed away as we are now a nation of imports! A damn shame indeed!
I remember being a teenager in the seventies travelling to my Uncle' farm in Southern Darling Downs in my sister' boyfriend ZH doing 160 kph on single lane country roads. It just did this easy quiet safe sturdy and stable. No fuss big comfortable Australian Ford luxury V8.. Great cars
Hi mark.Another great video A neighbour down the road owned a huge farm but lived in town. He had one from new. It was always caked in dirt & mud he drove it hard. He also had it for a long time so l can vouch for the fact they were durable.
The ZG was awesome, but the ZH lifted the bar. My late father purchased a new Marquies, 5.8 in bronze gold, double awesome car. They are worth a lot of money these days for a good one.
I had a 78 ZH Fairlane. Dark metallic clue with a light grey vinyl roof. 351 Cleveland and T-bar auto. A very comfortable, very competent vehicle with a massive boot and excellent towing ability. I kept it for 13 years and deeply regret the decision to sell it. If it had one failing, it was the design of the door handles, which would break with monotonous repetition. In every other respect, it was brilliant. Great road presence and a mile-eater without peer. Like I said, I'm so sorry I ever talked myself into parting with it :(
Quite a few years back, I was at a car swap meeting in Footscray. An old man was trying to sell his ZH Fairlane, but had no takers. As I was about to leave in my XC Fairmont, he offered the Fairlane to me for only $500. I declined the offer but think about the nice car I missed out on.
The American styling cues have always appealed to me (probably because they are a bit different, so slightly more "exotic" than what we are used to seeing everywhere) and the ZH is my favorite Fairlane. My next favorite is another American-ish looking model, the NC, and I have a '93 Sportsman Ghia as a classic, and someday hope to also be able to afford a ZH. In my younger days I had a '73 Rambler (AMC) Matador with the 360ci V8, and its styling (particularly the rear) is kind of similar in some ways to the ZH. Loved the video Mark, and will definitely watch lots of your others too. New subscriber here. Cheers!
Mark does it again 10 out of 10 mate. Love the ZH's. Bet that sportsman was one you wished you held on to very rare bird these days. Tho im sure the current chocolate brown fairlane would ease the pain
Hi Mark another great video , but you forgot to mention in the competition the 1974 - up Toyota Crown, which our family car was , you still see them around in Aussie country towns today , still running and not rusted out.
Thanks. The Fairlane was the top seller, then the Volvo range, then Statesman. I think Crown volume would be much less again. Of the Crowns I like the 71/72 with the fibre optic tail lights best. 👍
@@steveskrobot9496 Well, the title is ZH Fairlane not P6 LTD. If you’ve been following along, I have said I will do a separate series. Also, did you actually watch the episode as the P6 appeared twice in this episode?🤔
@@markbehr88 I did see the P6 pop up for 1 second and that gave me the idea you have plans to feature it seperately. You didnt need to feel sour over my comment. I was not picking on the video. Being an educational video, I thought you may have mentioned the crown jewel when the image popped up. Thats all I was meaning.
So classic of Aussie cars to have an old American style at least five years before, but in this case, it’s ten years! Still it’s a classic tank car and agree it’s a kind of iconic. With just a 302 and all the pollution gear I’d have thought it was slow, but I guess it was a beast, especially compared to the HX Holden’s 202 c.i. Six.
@@markbehr88 I heard dealers offered to illegally disconnect the HX pollution gear as buyers immediately noticed the power plunge. It was ridiculous. Ford at least redesigned the heads to cope and the Chrysler’s hemi sixes just required minimal changes and were least affected by 27a.
@@jamesfrench7299 Yeah, a mate's Dad had an HX Premier. 202 six. A gentle and modest man with taste, but soon enough, the local mechanic just suggested they'd remove the hoses - or block three black hoses. But the big American V8s got smashed too. I heard that 400 c.i. engines were barely making 150HP stock, and in those barge bodies!
Hello Mark , excellent presentation on the ZH fairlane. I have been watching all your episodes on all the other car brands that you have put up ,the ZH of the day did stand out compared to previous models. I will be very interested in the episodes when you get to the N series of fairlanes as I have a NL concord (06/98) with just over 130000kms red top 6 cylinder and working air ride rear suspension, a great car to drive. I look forward to the next lot of presentations you have.
We had a very late ZH Marquis metallic blue with black vinyl roof. Power front seats in crushed velour with deep cut pile carpeting. It was our first air conditioned car and my father would either have it on full blast or not at all. The 351 could barely breathe with the pollution equipment. We only ever saw 15mpg at best. But a commensurate highway car. A wonderful looking car. I later saw it and it had been horribly mistreated- so sad.
Hi Mark great video mate. My mum's father had a 76 model zh fairlane same colour as your 1. Growing up in the 80's i remember, it had sheepskin seat covers and the wheels on it were very similar to the general lees wheels. It was a 351 car with jewel exhaust and t bar auto. I love that car and it sounded amazing. Cheers ✌️👌👏🫶😎
@@biv351 a few round my area as a kid had those wheels too. Hurricane is what I think they were called. The volante style wheel on the sportsman lived on for an impressive stretch - my wife’s grandfather bought a new ‘83 ZK sportsman that had them.
Hi mark, sorry for the late reply. Thanks again for your message. I googled the name of the wheels and you are right. Those are the wheels that were on my grandfathers 76 zh fairlane. Cheers 👌✌️👍
@@commodorenut Globe Volante appeared on the Sports Luxury Car in Ford offerings. Eg. Fairlane Sportsman Fairmont S Pack Falcon 20th Anniversary Four Stud Cortina S Pack TE Escort GS Rally Pack Mark II
They certainly LOOKED to be the biggest Fairlane ever, apparently a later one was actually bigger, according to 'Motoring Box'. Very American looking as you said. For the reasons you mentioned, the two earlier models did look a bit Falconi-sh. Those earlier models suffered from a lot of body flex. I remember when there were still a few around they all had whiffely panels. This model seemed to conquer that problem. You do still see a few of these around too.
They look bigger than they actually are. I was just in a car park next to a bunch of modern SUVs, 4wheel drives and random angry kitchen appliances and my Fairlane looked as small as a 1960s British sports car. A lot of modern cars are like giant monster trucks and their owners don't realise it.
A great car was the ZH and LTD. A lot of people loved em. And the people who had the XC Falcon also put the ZH front end on the car, and some even put the V8 shocker on as well.
@@js-amg I’ve seen several utes and vans with the ZH and P6 fronts on them. Doesn’t really work as well as a statesman front on a Holden commercial, for the level of perceived prestige reasons that Mark noted when comparing the HX,
Thanks Mark, I agree that the ZH was the outstanding model. I could have bought one in Townsville in 1985 for $5500, but didn't. AH WELL. Where did the Siver Monach fit in the ZH series, you could do a whole episode on one of those,
Thank# Mark, my uncle had a blueish Marquis with vinyl roof, a very nice car to ride in. Ford did swing like a pendulum from rounded to square riggers & repeat with the 3rd & 4th gens. _ps: imho you'd have to be a bit of a trainspotter to call the 'upgrade' visually significant _
@@Low760 Thanks. The ZH actually had great brakes. Having driven many thousands of KM in them they never let me down once. I can’t say that about my AU1 Fairlane brakes, which I would only rate as fair. 👍
G'day Mark, Another great video I thoroughly enjoyed. In our neighbourhood early 80's Sunshine, in Benjamin st at the time. There was this ZH Marquis in that Silvery Blue colour & those hubcaps with the red crntres looked stunning. What I distinctively remember is was a high end car , look so Americana, had S.A plates on it. I remember the S.A plates nothing I seen before made out of plastic & taking up the whole area between the tail lights. Also the name Marquis, non of the boys knew how to pronounce it something that wasn't taught at Sunshine Primary School back in the day. Great video Cheers Louis Kats 👍
@@markbehr88having a classmate with the name of Marcus, I too can confirm that many of us called it “Marr-quiss” (stirring him up with mispronunciation) instead of “mar-key”
A small handful of cars left the factory with bench seat, column auto with a pull out centre armrest. Some had 500 badges some didnt. Funeral services and hire cars got them. Not many but i have seen a dozen.
@@LeopoldoNotarianni-rk9vvThe buckets and column shift was the standard fitment in the 500. The T bar was an option. Split bench was on first release Marquis. I am sure they would have been bench seats as a fleet option. The 500 badges were on the first release but not on the updates. The only exception was I have seen the 500 badge on the boot on some of the updates incl my Sportsman but not on the front guards. 👍
@@markbehr88In 1978 I got my first full time job working for Ford NZ in the Head office in front of the Seaview Plant. NZ was operating under national price controls at the time and every imported vehicle had to be individually priced up based on a formula from landed cost, and submitted to government for approval. That was my job. I remember there were thousands of vehicles imported from Australia every year. I don’t recall exactly how many, but I remember I could do about 20 per hour, and it was a full-time job, with overtime! A lot of 4cylinder Cortinas as we were short of local assembly capacity at the time, but also V8 Falcons (only 6 cylinder assembled in NZ) and body styles not made in NZ - coupes, vans and Fairlanes. I distinctly remember pricing up quite a few coupes, even some Cobras, and many vans including Sundowners. I don’t distinctly remember Fairlanes, as they were not “hero cars” but with NZs rural wealth, I am sure there were quite a few. I wonder if any of those cars mentioned survived……
Hi Mark this was great yes they were fantastic cars hope you do one on your walnut glow Fairlane. Also luved the view of your mates VG 770 hope to see that again thanx
@@mikevale3620 who wants that ? What do you need cruise control for ? Do you have trouble keeping your foot on the throttle pedal ? It also doesn't have touch screens, blue tooth, internet, infotainment, GPS navigation and a whole bunch of other superfluous claptrap and that is the whole point.
This was interesting. I saw so many American Ford/Mercury/Lincoln parts on this generation. The wheel covers, the exterior mirrors, the seats and more. It was American based indeed. I see it grew in size as well. This model is full sized. I see they got luxury features like the power seats, the power windows, and more. This finally was on the game. I like how you shared the American LTD of the time to the Australian model. I saw the Marquis name as well. I did not know about that. It seems Ford in North America at Mercury was using the same nameplate as Australia at the same time. The instrumentation really looked quite American as well. I see you own one as well. The hood ornament is the same one they used for LTD in the United States during that time. It appears Holden was trying to make its way but had issues. You stated the segment was changing as well. It seems the European cars invaded Australia the same way they did in the United States. The video was good. I liked the footage and the information and content. The effort is appreciated.
With ZH boot fins Holden had fit them on HV Kingswood but drop fins n went with HJ model as HV model never went into production. Like Fairlane/Marquis dash then sporty Fairmont, I reckon pastel colours like mint green brings luxury to Fairlane especially Marquis but i do like brown over the other 3 colours in Sportsman. I do wonder if the Lincoln name was ever considered? Like most brands the last model range brings best in design n features like ZH.
Hey Mark, just something constructive, can we call the update badge what it is known as - a blue oval, instead of a roundel? Roundel conjures up the BMW propeller logo, and there's no place for them in a luxury Ford video 😄
Interesting that some of the advertising images seem to emphasise the ground clearance, perhaps to reassure the country market. No doubt the standard LSD was a nod to that market. The velour trim looked like a cosy place to be. Re: the Sportsman, did Chrysler not trademark their use of the Sportsman name on a special edition of a Charger?
Definitely one of the best Fairlanes made but in 302 it was gutless sorry my mate use to drive a white one . Even so still a great car . Fairlane went backwards after this model 🤮.Although I do love the 67 Fairlane 👌.
You need to understand the times. Ford had to replace it with something, and what they came up with was quite impressive; the latest square trend, smaller outside but much larger inside. The V8's were still offered. My only criticism was the steering wheel; too big and too close to the driver.
Interesting to note retaining the blinkers on the edge which is ultimately derivative of the XA. If you pay attention to the cabin part of the car it is Falcon all the way but the squared off ends Ford really went to town on, fool the eyes that it’s a different body. Certainly put the Statesman to shame.
I have seen a ZH ambulance with a 250 in it, but it could have been a falcon with a Fairlane front like all the 6 cyl hearse getting around Falcon wagons with Fairlane/LTD fronts and fiberglass rear nds.
It would have been good if someone had tested back to back, the stroked Holden V8 in the HSV VS GTS and the VT HSV stroked Holden V8 against the Chevrolet LS 5.7 . Just to see the difference, efficiency, sound, performance and design differences. I suspect these stroked Holden V8's from HSV will become one of the most sort after, even compared to the AWD HSV version of the Monaro and the 7.0 litre HSV. ?
Is your choice of AU Fairlane, compared to the last BA/BF - due to it having more differentiation at the front and back, to the Falcon its based on ? As opposed to the BA/BF which looked very much a Falcon, except for the C pillar/glass area ? Still think the Landau is the best design. I would replace the dashboard with the Falcon Rallye/Sports. Appear to come from two separate generations.
@@adrianmclean9195 Hi. Definitely AU over BA. More differentiation which is a mandatory in my book, the 302 is more reliable and lighter. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the BA and BF but they needed more differentiation. I will cover that off when I get to them. 👍
@markbehr88 okay - I didn't know that the 4.9 was more reliable than the 5.8. Are they both " Cleveland " engines - just being a stroked version of each other, or are they completely separate designs ? What engine is a " Windsor " ? There has been, since the reintroduction of V8's by Ford Australia, from the EB/EA, different capacites: 5.0, 5.4 and 5.6. I think the 5.6 was a stroked version of the AU ? Get a bit confused as the names: Cyclone, Coyote, Boss, Windsor are used and some are supercharged, some are not. Also, I have read that some are derived from " truck " pick-up engines, rather than car engines, for long term durability. ( eg - as opposed to the Mustang, high revving, small 4.6 - which I have driven x3 times, when they were available from Hertz ( Ford having owned Hertz ), and imported by Ford and converted here to RHD in Melbourne / Geelong. Manuals. Very nice. Plastics disgraceful. Stereo Bose, brilliant - no distortion on bass. Nice, very un-american steering. Terrible scuttle and door shake. Sits too high. Aquaplanes. Good brakes and a stability control that really is impressive. ( those mustang owners in UA-cam videos, losing control must have it turned off and/or just flooring it coming out of a turn. Or, just " SIMPLY " Americans - lol - 😂. The gear shift was excellent, but clutch, incredibly heavy. Fuel consumption could be really good. ) Also I think some of the V8's, from EA/EB had x3 valves per cylinder ? I ask these questions, because believe it or not, it's hard to get these answers online, regarding Ford AUSTRALIA, in one spot, in time line form/table. Thanks. ( Ps: the naming of the turbo FPV's as F6 Typhoon and Tornado was an excellent clever designation with it being self explanatory. - so much superior fuel consumption to the Ford and Holden / HSV V8's )
Holden ruined that awesome Statesman HQ styling with those vile later model stylings and of the rest of the range, only to finally to fix up that dreadful tyre ripping understeer of the hq onwards, by the HZ. Ford did do a much better job in looks. Much better. When I first saw that LTD of those years when I was a still a school kid, I was mesmerised!
@@commodorenut Initially, the ZJ was V8 only but of course, that didn't last. By the end of ZK, sixes only. Ironically, big cars were in vogue again by then. Ford were very foolish dropping the V8, which was vital for their image. After that, they became the taxi car company. Sales remained strong with new car buyers, but young men lost interest in them.
I always hated any version of those horizontal odometers. Boring American insistence in that regard, I feel. Other than that, a certainly beautiful car.
@@sunsetlights100 Yes, I am sure they would have used these, Statesman and Chrysler by Chrysler back in the day at the Beehive (if that was built then? 🤔) 👍
@markbehr88 I think the gov had contract wirh ford at time all white ltds Unclw had the Chrysler 72 sw 6cyd Collum change in beige? a brownish yellow color seemed to work at the time as a young person. The roomy Chrysler station wagon seemed cavernous The statesman also very nice cars series 1 refresh 2nd series statesman 308 & 350? Remember some those around mid late 79s around new Plymouth where was at high school
@@markbehr88 um, disagree there, not on a so-called luxury car. A load-lugging ute, yes, but on a saloon they should have been ditched by the late 1960s, let alone a saloon with luxury aspirations. But Ford still had them on the Falcon well into the 1990s...
@@timevans5966 Nope your wrong..Falcons started using the watts link and coils in 1983 !!! And nothing beats towing ability like those big strong leaf springs...Thats why the farmers loved those big Fairlanes it gave Ford the advantage over the sloppy Holdens of the day...which Peter Wherrett hated !
@ Have you ever actually driven one over long distances on a variety of roads or is this more a philosophical point? The set up (regardless of the technology) was very effective. I have many cars including expensive Euros and the Fairlane rates very highly. 🤔👍
@@romemancer7905 It's "you're", not "your" and I am not wrong. The EL Falcon wagon still had semi-elliptic leaf springs. I thought the AU onwards switched to coils in the wagons, but I just checked and they STILL had semi-elliptic leaf springs in the BF Wagons! In 2010! Yes, the saloons switched to Watts linkage with the XE, but my point is: by the mid-1970s semi-elliptic leaf springs were way off the pace and should have been pensioned off already.
Here is the latest instalment of the Ford Fairlane Auto History Series - the ZH. My all time favourite Fairlane. Which is your favourite Fairlane? Please be sure to give the episode a Like 👍 and Subscribe as it really helps me bring you more old car history. Thanks for watching. 👍
gday Mark,,,, a while ago i left a comment suggesting you to do a series on the fairlane/fairmonts of the later 70's ..... i don't know whether you saw that comment or not but the videos lately on those cars have been awesome... grew up in a 78 model ZH marquis that was british racing green with the black vinyl top, light tints, 18" chrome wheels and slightly lowered. Cheers.
@ Thanks very much. I have done all of the Falcons (which included Fairmonts) and now working through Fairlane (ZA to ZH completed). Once I have done Fairlane I will do an LTD series and also Landau. 👍
ZK V8, ZD V8, NC V8 in that order.
I had an XE for five years so I'm partial to that era of Ford's.
The ZH is badass though. Drive one past a school at home time, the kids would notice it!
@ I have a ZK 302. Love it. 👍
For the doubters of the old fashioned leaf springs...Falcons beat the best of the Euros on the world rally stage in 1968...Frank Gardner won the 1967 European touring car championship in a Falcon ..again beating the Euros at their own game..And numerous Bathurst victories on one of the toughest road courses in the world...need i go on..History speaks for itself ! great video Mark..Cheers👍
I have to agree ,this was my favourite Aussie Fairlane as well..
@@ramonmartin4908 You have excellent taste! 😀👍
It's a great day when there is another Mark Behr Video launched!
@@AloisKunzz Thank you. Not sure my wife agrees! 😀👍
Especially the V8 snort in the intro followed by Mark cuing up to speak lol😅
@ 😀👍
I agree the ZH is one of the best looking fords ever
@@7272jasons 👍👍
Loved this model, it was so different to what went before (& what came after) so it's a bit of an outlier in terms of style for Ford. A favourite of farmers, rural folk & others who did long distances on indifferent country roads, the Fairlane just ate the miles up with ease & comfort.
@@sentimentalbloke185 Well said. 👍
Out of all the 70s fairlanes, I like the tail lights on the ZH, even more so than the LTD, and the popular full width ZF/ZG tail light treatment. Dunno why, it’s just something that has stood out to me since I was a kid. The ZH is a very cohesive design, where the rear compliments the front, and both ends have prestige. Unlike a lot of other cars that look like 2 different committees worked on each end, in secret…..
@@commodorenut I agree. What a terrific looking car. 👍
The ZH taillights have a personality to them.
@@jamesfrench7299 nailed it 👍
I like the fairlane tail lights but absolutely not as much as the LTD
@ Fair enough. I like both too. 👍
Thanks heaps Mark, this is the Fairlane episode I was hanging out for. My experience with the ZH you might find interesting. Back in the eighties I traded my 360 VK Valiant Regal on a ZH Fairlane 500. The mistake I made there was buying a ZH with a 302 instead of a 351 so obviously the Fairlane felt gutless compared to the Valiant, but the suspension was incredible. A very comfortable ride and nice going through roundabouts with hardly any body roll. The suspension, steering and brakes all seemed to work together unlike the Valiant which was harsh in ride on rough stuff and very prone to oversteer if not treated with respect. A friend of ours at the time bought a HX Statesman Deville so we others driving Ford's rocked up to poke fun at him thinking he had an inferior car. On approach to it I remember thinking that it was quite good looking and then I started noticing how deep the paint was and the great panel fit with even gaps. Inside the dash was so much more attractive and better presented than my ZH and with fantastic vision through those nice slim pillars. We got to drive it, very soft ride and the 5 litre engine had enough poke to suit the car but if you tried to push it above its cornering limits it pretty soon let you know. This was the HX remember. I drove off convincing myself that my Fairlane was a better car and the sales figures backed me up on that right? Now I think back on that and I reckon that overall the Statesman was a better car. My ZH? I sold it privately for a modest profit and bought another Valiant. Thanks for the video again mate.
Thanks. Glad you liked it. The 351 would certainly have performed better but quite a bit thirstier. Similar to your 360, maybe a little better as they were big drinkers. The Statesman was nice enough but the styling of the Fairlane was all over it imo. 👍
Very very interesting.
Which felt more -
Modern
Upmarket
Prestigious
Finely finished
Assembly
Comfort
Performance
Handling
Chrysler/Holden Statesman/Ford Fairlane ZH
These cars are so interesting to American eyes who've never seen one in the flesh. I particularly love how an initial American original style was evolved and morphed into something quite different, and successful. A few of the Brazilian Fords are similar in concept. Your videos are quite valuable and fascinating!
@@machpodfan Thanks very much. Glad you like them. The Brazilian Fords are interesting for sure. 👍
Excellent Mark. 127ltr tank would have been handy with the 351. I love all of the Fairlanes. One day.......
@@coalfacechris1336 Yes, for sure. 👍
$200 to fill up these days. You can have it.
@@jamesfrench7299 . A few months ago I was getting some fuel, and the bloke at the next pump with a Landcruiser, pressed the presets to put $200 worth in...imagine thinking...I don't think I'll fill up today, I'll just put $200 worth in! Wow, times have changed. I was very happy to fill the tank on my Subaru Impreza for about $60. Still, doesn't stop me wanting a classic ZH Fairlane though...some day. Cheers!
Great ep! My first ride in a car was in my old mans ZH when I was brought home from the hospital after being born. Got a lot of memories of that car when I was a kid. It took us to school, camping and holidays! Pretty sure that would of done about 400000km+ in its life to. The ZH was retired in 2001-02 and it is still sitting in the shed waiting to be restored but shes pretty rusty.
Thanks very much. Wow. With that history, you HAVE to restore it. When I found my Dad’s 72 Galaxie LTD, I would have bought it regardless of condition (luckily it was pretty good) as these cars are irreplaceable. 👍
Agreed , Mark Behr deserves recognition from your AU govt for the beautiful work he’s done here on his channel & with Shannon’s docos. Outstanding work Mark. Thank You Sir👍
@@shayjohnson5830 Thanks very much. 👍👍
Absolute community service.
@ Thanks 👍
@ 👍
Great stuff Mark I had 2 ZH Fairlanes loved them still have 2 XCs and I have a BF fairlane as my daily driver and I think it is my favourite fairlane even over the 75th anniversary I owned but it's still in the family with my son in-law
Great series mate thanks very much 👍
Cheers Blue
@@BluesShed Thanks very much. Look after those great Fords! 👍
They were ( and still are ) a terrific looking car
I remember my godfathers ZH back in the very early 80s. White with dark vinyl roof. He used to say he'd get sunburn on his thighs when driving on long distance trips because of the slanted screen 😂😂😂
@@chriss1905 Very cool. Not the sunburn though. 👍
Thanks Mark love the content. Never a fan of this model and in 1977 my brother and I disliked it that much we talked our dad out of buying a Marquis and getting a Fairmont GXL which was awesome.
Thanks. I love the GXL and the Marquis. 👍
G'day Mark. Another awesome video. I've heard of the Ford ZH Fairlane. Looking at the front of the car, it reminds me of our 1968 Mercury Marquis sold here in the USA. 🙂
@@jasoncarpp7742 Hi. Yes, I put that in the video for that reason. Very similar. 👍
@markbehr88 Ripper! I don't know what the aft end resembles.
@@jasoncarpp7742 I think it was its own design at the back? 🤔👍
My uncle had a 1977 ZH, in the popular light green colour with the 351 and a sunroof operated with a crank handle. It was an ex Ford executive driven vehicle.
It made light work of his regular trips to the TAB and helping us move house, pulling a very full trailer.
Very cool. Great combo. 👍
Little story... I did my apprenticeship at a Queensland Ford dealership stating in the early 70's and a work mate of mine got married and the dealership loaned him 3 of theses as wedding cars 👍
@@tonybennett638 Very cool. 👍
Very accommodating of the dealership...and a great advertising initiative to boot.
@ Yes. Sounds like a good dealer. 👍
My 3 Dream cars: P6 LTD, XC Cobra and Landau.
Good choices. 👍
I've always liked the ZH design. It really differentiated itself from the Falcon, Fairmont and even the more upmarket LTD. As a kid, I remember one of our neighbours had a Marquis model. Sweet looking thing and those of us who grew up watching the early seasons of Hawaii Five-O (I saw the reruns) were quite familiar with the front end design.
@@ssadelaidian3811 Agree. Great show too Hawaii Five O. 👍
Exactly
As the 68' Mercury is among my favourite cars ever,this really appeals to me a real beauty.
@@teebird94 Very cool. Glad you liked it. 👍
Great video again Mark. These were my favourite Fairlane too, even though I'm a one-eyed Holden man. In the trade the mid-model update was known as the 78 update or in the Falcon it was the XC & a 1/2. The ZH was the first (& only ?) time that a Fairlane was released before its Falcon equivalent, because of that, the first 2 months had XB engines with the 302 only having a 2 barrel carb. The 4 barrel Carter Thermoquad was fitted to the ZH motors at XC release (July 76) for ADR27A. I worked on many of these & fitted a/cond to quite a few as well. AFAIK Pre-78 Fairlane 500 had a/cond as an option, but it became standard for the 78 upgrade.
The motoring press kept saying the XB V8's were quicker. Ford insisted the XC ADR27A V8's were quicker. I do know the XC 302 in standard form was pretty woeful, but haven't driven an XB equivalent.
Thanks very much. That is interesting re the XB engines. 👍
I have driven both. My 78 Fairlane is the 302 and it goes well. Better than XB 302s I have driven. 👍
116 kw 4.9 litre Y code two barrel
162 kw 5.8 litre T code four barrel
151 kw (or 140 kw depending on which magazine you believe 4.9 litre V8 P code)
@@markbehr88
My friend had the earlier Two Barrel XB engined ZH Fairlane 500.
Just 116 kW.
Very Good Car
Most reliable
This is also my favourite model as well I worked briefly at Broadmeadows during the building of the XCs
@@robertjefferies8739 That would have been cool. I love the XC Fairmont hardtop. 👍
@@robertjefferies8739 giving away your age there. I at least existed when they were new on the lot.
I actually was born during the XA model run. March of 73 👍.
When I was a kid living in a country town, these were the aspirational cars for farmers. They still look fantastic.
For sure. I agree with you. 👍
Hi Mark, hope your well, nice big American looking Australian car, looks like the car you could drive long distance with no effort. I like the second styling with the rear black panel between the tail lights and the Ford roundel. The roundel badge were on UK Fords from 1976 as Ford UK brought out the MK4 Cortina and the new FWD Fiesta as these were fitted with the roundel badge and were fitted to the MK3 Capri MK2 Escort and the MK2 Granada
( similar looking Falcon ) in 1977 as the F O R D ended. Nice to see you still have your Fairlane, hope you still enjoy it. As always a great video Take care
@@shaun30-3-mg9zs Thanks Shaun. No doubt the Ford Australia stylists took their inspiration from those UK models. 👍
@@shaun30-3-mg9zs I never knew the black tail light treatment was the update model until Mark noted it. I thought it must have been a styling thing for the Marquis or sportsman packages, as they were the ones I remember seeing the black treatment on as a school kid. I actually prefer the silver, particularly how it highlights the number plate recess.
Thank you Mark excellent, informative report as usual. It's my favourite as well. I considered buying one, but it was a bit big and beyond my financial reach anyway at that time. One of my neighbours had a ZH 500 which was never garaged and parked on the nature strip in front of his house. It was a beautifully styled impressive vehicle. Interesting to see the AU Fairlane which I think looked better than the Falcon. I believe the AU (falcon) was a reliable vehicle with the well optioned Ghia seen as the model to get now.
Thanks. Yes, AU was super reliable and durable. I agree the Fairlane looked better than the Falcon. 👍
I sure liked my ZH 351, also mine had a 9"Traction Lock diff. It was great for towing my 20 ft caravan. I later had Ford F100 springs installed and it handled amazing.
@@chrispulham4779 Excellent 👍
I really enjoy all your videos and exceptional knowledge. It is such a pity that we no longer have a local car industry where we could design, engineer and build cars for our unique country. Skills lost.
@@chriselias307 Thank you. I totally agree re the loss of our car industry never should have happened. When I hear these ads for Let’s Make in Australia it is all too little too late. 🤔👍
@@markbehr88 Party politics aside, it's ironic that the present Labor government is the one now spruiking Australian-made, given that the destruction of the industry was started in 1984 by the Hawke Labor government with the infamous 'Button Car Plan' of Senator John Button, then-Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce. Button, a former member of the Italian Communist Party, also managed to destroy Australia's footwear and clothing industries. China must have loved that!
@ My thoughts exactly. Joe Hockey didn’t help either! 🫣
@@markbehr88 Agreed. Incompetent people meddling in things about which their knowledge is, at best, minimal.
Absolutely agree, Ford Australia did more than just manufacture cars and trucks and GM-H as well, all one has to do is delve into a bit of history and they would see that our Australian car manufacturers played a massive role during the Second World War for instance in designing and building machinery as diverse as military equipment such as tanks, Aircraft components, aircraft engines even Ford in Geelong was in the ship building industry! They all contributed in a large way for our Australian war effort, I often think how Australia could be a lame duck in the future as with next to zero of any heavy manufacturing and thanks to our piss poor governments they have kept their heads in the sand and it seems they don’t want to acknowledge any future conflicts in our unstable world, especially may I add with China, as we would really be up S… Creek in a barbed wire canoe with all of our highly trained tradesmen etc being flushed away as we are now a nation of imports! A damn shame indeed!
I remember being a teenager in the seventies travelling to my Uncle' farm in Southern Darling Downs in my sister' boyfriend ZH doing 160 kph on single lane country roads.
It just did this easy quiet safe sturdy and stable. No fuss big comfortable Australian Ford luxury V8.. Great cars
In its element. 👍
My favourite Fairlane also. Best looking edition from Ford, ever.
Was looking forward to this, thanks once again Mark.
@@mrdoiii Thanks. We agree. 👍
Thanks for another great video Mark.
The ZH is my favourite Fairlane too, also love the AU Fairlane. Both have great road presence
@@DpriaN303 Thank you. We are aligned. 😀👍
I think this generation of fairlane is one of the most American inspired Aussie car
@@MaliqueGowley Most definitely. And the P6 LTD. 👍
Hi mark.Another great video
A neighbour down the road owned a huge farm but lived in town. He had one from new. It was always caked in dirt & mud he drove it hard. He also had it for a long time so l can vouch for the fact they were durable.
Thanks. Yes, great country cars for sure. 👍
The ZG was awesome, but the ZH lifted the bar. My late father purchased a new Marquies, 5.8 in bronze gold, double awesome car. They are worth a lot of money these days for a good one.
Very nice. 👍👍
I had a 78 ZH Fairlane. Dark metallic clue with a light grey vinyl roof. 351 Cleveland and T-bar auto. A very comfortable, very competent vehicle with a massive boot and excellent towing ability. I kept it for 13 years and deeply regret the decision to sell it. If it had one failing, it was the design of the door handles, which would break with monotonous repetition. In every other respect, it was brilliant. Great road presence and a mile-eater without peer. Like I said, I'm so sorry I ever talked myself into parting with it :(
Yes, a shame to let it go. Touch wood I have had no issues at all with my door handles. 👍
Quite a few years back, I was at a car swap meeting in Footscray.
An old man was trying to sell his ZH Fairlane, but had no takers.
As I was about to leave in my XC Fairmont, he offered the Fairlane to me for only $500.
I declined the offer but think about the nice car I missed out on.
Wow. They were very undervalued for a long time, as were the ZK models. I told my friends “you better buy these now”. They didn’t. I did. 👍
The American styling cues have always appealed to me (probably because they are a bit different, so slightly more "exotic" than what we are used to seeing everywhere) and the ZH is my favorite Fairlane. My next favorite is another American-ish looking model, the NC, and I have a '93 Sportsman Ghia as a classic, and someday hope to also be able to afford a ZH. In my younger days I had a '73 Rambler (AMC) Matador with the 360ci V8, and its styling (particularly the rear) is kind of similar in some ways to the ZH. Loved the video Mark, and will definitely watch lots of your others too. New subscriber here. Cheers!
Thanks very much. I will do a series down the track on the AMI assembled AMCs. 👍
Mark does it again 10 out of 10 mate. Love the ZH's. Bet that sportsman was one you wished you held on to very rare bird these days. Tho im sure the current chocolate brown fairlane would ease the pain
Thanks very much. 👍I did miss my Sportsman so bought the chocolate brown one in 2007. They were cheap then.
Awesome!!! 1,000 x more fun 2 own than all the new crapboxes!!! 👍😊💥
@@Aliens_Gonna_Get_Ya Thanks. Agreed. 👍
Must attract looks.
They drive like a sports car.
A sports car that can take a family on a picnic. Ask Hoges.
Beautiful colours and combinations offered. No comparison to the restricted boring color schemes on most of today's cars.
Yes the modern cars offer any colour you want as long as it is a shade of metallic grey.
Agree. 👍
Yes, or silver, black or white. 🫣
Hi Mark another great video , but you forgot to mention in the competition the 1974 - up Toyota Crown, which our family car was , you still see them around in Aussie country towns today , still running and not rusted out.
Thanks. The Fairlane was the top seller, then the Volvo range, then Statesman. I think Crown volume would be much less again. Of the Crowns I like the 71/72 with the fibre optic tail lights best. 👍
Im very surprised you didnt show the flagship model LTD. You must have another video coming surely!
He does a whole separate video for the LTD.
@@steveskrobot9496 Well, the title is ZH Fairlane not P6 LTD. If you’ve been following along, I have said I will do a separate series. Also, did you actually watch the episode as the P6 appeared twice in this episode?🤔
@@chuckselvage3157 Thank you. That will be coming down the track. 👍👍
@@markbehr88 I did see the P6 pop up for 1 second and that gave me the idea you have plans to feature it seperately. You didnt need to feel sour over my comment. I was not picking on the video. Being an educational video, I thought you may have mentioned the crown jewel when the image popped up. Thats all I was meaning.
@ All good. I did mention it a couple of times though. 🤔
So classic of Aussie cars to have an old American style at least five years before, but in this case, it’s ten years! Still it’s a classic tank car and agree it’s a kind of iconic. With just a 302 and all the pollution gear I’d have thought it was slow, but I guess it was a beast, especially compared to the HX Holden’s 202 c.i. Six.
The HX Statesman was only available as a 5-0 V8, but still, it was slower than Fairlane.
They weren’t fast but a 302 would do 17.3 sec for 1/4 mile, 351 more like 17 flat. HX 202 3 days, 11 hours 😀
@@markbehr88 I heard dealers offered to illegally disconnect the HX pollution gear as buyers immediately noticed the power plunge. It was ridiculous. Ford at least redesigned the heads to cope and the Chrysler’s hemi sixes just required minimal changes and were least affected by 27a.
@ Yes ADR27A was the HX downfall. 🤔
@@jamesfrench7299 Yeah, a mate's Dad had an HX Premier. 202 six. A gentle and modest man with taste, but soon enough, the local mechanic just suggested they'd remove the hoses - or block three black hoses. But the big American V8s got smashed too. I heard that 400 c.i. engines were barely making 150HP stock, and in those barge bodies!
Thanks brother Mark,
@@GrantCarter-m4d Pleasure. 👍
Hello Mark , excellent presentation on the ZH fairlane. I have been watching all your episodes on all the other car brands that you have put up ,the ZH of the day did stand out compared to previous models. I will be very interested in the episodes when you get to the N series of fairlanes as I have a NL concord (06/98) with just over 130000kms red top 6 cylinder and working air ride rear suspension, a great car to drive. I look forward to the next lot of presentations you have.
Thanks very much. Glad you enjoy them. Will certainly be doing those later models soon enough. 👍
We had a very late ZH Marquis metallic blue with black vinyl roof. Power front seats in crushed velour with deep cut pile carpeting. It was our first air conditioned car and my father would either have it on full blast or not at all. The 351 could barely breathe with the pollution equipment. We only ever saw 15mpg at best. But a commensurate highway car. A wonderful looking car. I later saw it and it had been horribly mistreated- so sad.
That would have been a great colour combo. Sad it was mistreated later on. 🤔👍
Hi Mark great video mate. My mum's father had a 76 model zh fairlane same colour as your 1. Growing up in the 80's i remember, it had sheepskin seat covers and the wheels on it were very similar to the general lees wheels. It was a 351 car with jewel exhaust and t bar auto. I love that car and it sounded amazing. Cheers ✌️👌👏🫶😎
@@biv351 Thanks very much. 👍
@@biv351 a few round my area as a kid had those wheels too. Hurricane is what I think they were called. The volante style wheel on the sportsman lived on for an impressive stretch - my wife’s grandfather bought a new ‘83 ZK sportsman that had them.
Hi mark, sorry for the late reply. Thanks again for your message. I googled the name of the wheels and you are right. Those are the wheels that were on my grandfathers 76 zh fairlane. Cheers 👌✌️👍
@@commodorenut
Globe Volante appeared on the Sports Luxury Car in Ford offerings.
Eg. Fairlane Sportsman
Fairmont S Pack
Falcon 20th Anniversary
Four Stud
Cortina S Pack TE
Escort GS Rally Pack Mark II
My Favourite Fairlane is the 1964 model. To me they are sheet metal artwork.
If you watch the ZA episode you will see a 64 model. 👍
They certainly LOOKED to be the biggest Fairlane ever, apparently a later one was actually bigger, according to 'Motoring Box'.
Very American looking as you said. For the reasons you mentioned, the two earlier models did look a bit Falconi-sh.
Those earlier models suffered from a lot of body flex. I remember when there were still a few around they all had whiffely panels. This model seemed to conquer that problem. You do still see a few of these around too.
They look bigger than they actually are. I was just in a car park next to a bunch of modern SUVs, 4wheel drives and random angry kitchen appliances and my Fairlane looked as small as a 1960s British sports car. A lot of modern cars are like giant monster trucks and their owners don't realise it.
Yes, like an EH versus a new Corolla. 🤔
Yes, you are right. There were bigger ones later. 👍
A great car was the ZH and LTD. A lot of people loved em. And the people who had the XC Falcon also put the ZH front end on the car, and some even put the V8 shocker on as well.
@@js-amg Great cars. Please leave the Fairlane and LTD fronts off Falcon though for those that do such things. 🤔👍
@@js-amg I’ve seen several utes and vans with the ZH and P6 fronts on them. Doesn’t really work as well as a statesman front on a Holden commercial, for the level of perceived prestige reasons that Mark noted when comparing the HX,
Thanks Mark, I agree that the ZH was the outstanding model. I could have bought one in Townsville in 1985 for $5500, but didn't. AH WELL. Where did the Siver Monach fit in the ZH series, you could do a whole episode on one of those,
Thanks. The Silver Monarch was a top level LTD. Available in two colours over its life in the P6 LTD. I will cover LTD in a separate series. 👍
Thank# Mark, my uncle had a blueish Marquis with vinyl roof, a very nice car to ride in. Ford did swing like a pendulum from rounded to square riggers & repeat with the 3rd & 4th gens. _ps: imho you'd have to be a bit of a trainspotter to call the 'upgrade' visually significant _
@@UncleJoeLITE Thanks. I am a train spotter when it comes to these. 👍😀
Or rivet counter. Count me in.
@@jamesfrench7299 👍
12:08 out brake!? Man the American brakes would be downright scary given the size of the ford brakes at the time! Great video.
@@Low760 Thanks. The ZH actually had great brakes. Having driven many thousands of KM in them they never let me down once. I can’t say that about my AU1 Fairlane brakes, which I would only rate as fair. 👍
@@markbehr88 my Laser KE has very ordinary brakes not dangerous though -just.
@ No good. 🤔
I ❤ Fairlanes...
@@user-qs4xw7ye5s So do I. 👍
G'day Mark,
Another great video I thoroughly enjoyed.
In our neighbourhood early 80's Sunshine, in Benjamin st at the time.
There was this ZH Marquis in that Silvery Blue colour & those hubcaps with the red crntres looked stunning.
What I distinctively remember is was a high end car , look so Americana, had S.A plates on it.
I remember the S.A plates nothing I seen before made out of plastic & taking up the whole area between the tail lights.
Also the name Marquis, non of the boys knew how to pronounce it something that wasn't taught at Sunshine Primary School back in the day.
Great video
Cheers
Louis Kats 👍
@@louiskats5116 Thanks Louis. Yes, some people would say “Marr Quiss”. Those big SA number plates were also on my brown ZH when I bought it. 👍
@@markbehr88 👍👍👍
@@markbehr88having a classmate with the name of Marcus, I too can confirm that many of us called it “Marr-quiss” (stirring him up with mispronunciation) instead of “mar-key”
@ 😀👍
A small handful of cars left the factory with bench seat, column auto with a pull out centre armrest. Some had 500 badges some didnt. Funeral services and hire cars got them. Not many but i have seen a dozen.
@@LeopoldoNotarianni-rk9vvThe buckets and column shift was the standard fitment in the 500. The T bar was an option. Split bench was on first release Marquis. I am sure they would have been bench seats as a fleet option. The 500 badges were on the first release but not on the updates. The only exception was I have seen the 500 badge on the boot on some of the updates incl my Sportsman but not on the front guards. 👍
Beautiful Car not many or None came to New Zealand
@@geoffreybidois6157 I’d say small numbers probably did but very few. 👍
@@markbehr88In 1978 I got my first full time job working for Ford NZ in the Head office in front of the Seaview Plant. NZ was operating under national price controls at the time and every imported vehicle had to be individually priced up based on a formula from landed cost, and submitted to government for approval. That was my job. I remember there were thousands of vehicles imported from Australia every year. I don’t recall exactly how many, but I remember I could do about 20 per hour, and it was a full-time job, with overtime! A lot of 4cylinder Cortinas as we were short of local assembly capacity at the time, but also V8 Falcons (only 6 cylinder assembled in NZ) and body styles not made in NZ - coupes, vans and Fairlanes. I distinctly remember pricing up quite a few coupes, even some Cobras, and many vans including Sundowners. I don’t distinctly remember Fairlanes, as they were not “hero cars” but with NZs rural wealth, I am sure there were quite a few. I wonder if any of those cars mentioned survived……
@ Very interesting. I went to that plant once and loved the Ford V8 stained glass windows from the 1930’s I assume. 👍
Hi Mark this was great yes they were fantastic cars hope you do one on your walnut glow Fairlane. Also luved the view of your mates VG 770 hope to see that again thanx
@@McKav Thanks. I will. It is in storage at the moment. 👍
@markbehr88 & really enjoyed the roadtrip with your ML great colour
@ Thanks. 👍
The best car ever made.
@@Hydrogenblonde Fair enough. 👍
That's a big statement. It didn't even have a cruise control.
@@mikevale3620 who wants that ? What do you need cruise control for ? Do you have trouble keeping your foot on the throttle pedal ?
It also doesn't have touch screens, blue tooth, internet, infotainment, GPS navigation and a whole bunch of other superfluous claptrap and that is the whole point.
@@mikevale3620 Yes, you had to drive it yourself! 🫣
@@Hydrogenblonde It is actually a car not a big computer. 😀👍
Have a Cream ZH Sportsman, cut the roof off as it had the factory Sunroof to go on my XB sedan.
Eek. I hope it was a rusty car to do that to it. 🫣
USA Mercury Cougars and Montego models shared both styles of wheel covers shown. We never got the sweet wheels shown on the Sportsman model.
Thanks. I recall that now you mention it. 👍
That would have to be the biggest Fairlane ever made, it certainly looks like it. What is the kerb weight?
@@tonxbezzina7015 They weigh around 1700 KG. 👍
Yes easily the biggest despite being loosely based on the earlier ZF and ZG.
I own a LTD P6 . Great car
The update grille looks a lot better, i don't remember seeing many though.
@@Gokizzmass half of 1976, 1977 and half of 78 for pre update grille and half 78 and half 79 for update grille. 👍
This was interesting. I saw so many American Ford/Mercury/Lincoln parts on this generation. The wheel covers, the exterior mirrors, the seats and more. It was American based indeed. I see it grew in size as well. This model is full sized. I see they got luxury features like the power seats, the power windows, and more. This finally was on the game. I like how you shared the American LTD of the time to the Australian model. I saw the Marquis name as well. I did not know about that. It seems Ford in North America at Mercury was using the same nameplate as Australia at the same time. The instrumentation really looked quite American as well. I see you own one as well. The hood ornament is the same one they used for LTD in the United States during that time. It appears Holden was trying to make its way but had issues. You stated the segment was changing as well. It seems the European cars invaded Australia the same way they did in the United States.
The video was good. I liked the footage and the information and content. The effort is appreciated.
@@OLDS98 Thanks very much Olds98. For the next episode there is a major departure where Europe meets the USA. 👍
@@markbehr88 I look forward to it. It has been interesting. I saw a lot of late 60's Mercury in this model.
@ Thanks. Most definitely re the Mercury. 👍
Hello Mark. I think the paint on your chocolate brown ZH is called ' WALNUT GLOW' .
Nothing like glowing walnuts, old chap 🧐
Yes, I think you’re right. 👍
😀👍
With ZH boot fins Holden had fit them on HV Kingswood but drop fins n went with HJ model as HV model never went into production. Like Fairlane/Marquis dash then sporty Fairmont, I reckon pastel colours like mint green brings luxury to Fairlane especially Marquis but i do like brown over the other 3 colours in Sportsman. I do wonder if the Lincoln name was ever considered? Like most brands the last model range brings best in design n features like ZH.
@@JimmyShields-z2h While Lincoln was never used there was a Continental option for a half vinyl roof that travelled over the rear doors. 👍
Hey Mark, just something constructive, can we call the update badge what it is known as - a blue oval, instead of a roundel?
Roundel conjures up the BMW propeller logo, and there's no place for them in a luxury Ford video 😄
Sure 👍
That was an awesome car but with the 302 was gutless. You could have lunch and read " War and Peace " before you got across the lights.
@@chuckmaddison2924 Mine is a 302 and it goes well. 🤔
When I bought my VF Valiant 318 Regal it had Fairlane hubcaps on widened rims .
Really? Interesting. 🤔👍
I think you just wanted to say “Valiant”. 😀👍
@@markbehr88 You are very astute 🙂. It really did have Fairlane hubcaps though .(for a while)
@ Fair dinkum Fairlane caps. 👍
@markbehr88 Too right " sport " .
Interesting that some of the advertising images seem to emphasise the ground clearance, perhaps to reassure the country market. No doubt the standard LSD was a nod to that market.
The velour trim looked like a cosy place to be.
Re: the Sportsman, did Chrysler not trademark their use of the Sportsman name on a special edition of a Charger?
@@tedpalmer5552 Yes, there was also a Country Suspension pack that increased clearance. No trademark from Chrysler as it was a limited edition. 👍
dad had the marquis same color as in the add, they had a very opulent interior, how many marquis were made Mark
Cool. They made 6067 Marquis. 👍
Definitely one of the best Fairlanes made but in 302 it was gutless sorry my mate use to drive a white one . Even so still a great car . Fairlane went backwards after this model 🤮.Although I do love the 67 Fairlane 👌.
You need to understand the times. Ford had to replace it with something, and what they came up with was quite impressive; the latest square trend, smaller outside but much larger inside. The V8's were still offered. My only criticism was the steering wheel; too big and too close to the driver.
My 78 302 goes well, so interesting there were some slugs?
There’s still a lot to like in the later ones I agree. 👍
Interesting to note retaining the blinkers on the edge which is ultimately derivative of the XA.
If you pay attention to the cabin part of the car it is Falcon all the way but the squared off ends Ford really went to town on, fool the eyes that it’s a different body.
Certainly put the Statesman to shame.
@@jamesfrench7299 Yes, while a derivative of the Falcon, it was probably the most differentiated Fairlane ever. 👍
@@markbehr88 I came across a convoy of ZHs coming the other way in Woy Woy a few years ago including one P6 LTD.
@ very cool. 👍
The 164 was a more expensive car but had the opposite feel to a Fairlane!
@@Low760 Yes, I used that in an illustrative way only. Volvo was the N02 luxury seller after Fairlane but that included 144, 145, 142 and 164 etc. 👍
I have seen a ZH ambulance with a 250 in it, but it could have been a falcon with a Fairlane front like all the 6 cyl hearse getting around Falcon wagons with Fairlane/LTD fronts and fiberglass rear nds.
@@Aquarium-Downunder Yes. That’s right. A modified Falcon. 👍
It would have been good if someone had tested back to back, the stroked Holden V8 in the HSV VS GTS and the VT HSV stroked Holden V8 against the Chevrolet LS 5.7 . Just to see the difference, efficiency, sound, performance and design differences.
I suspect these stroked Holden V8's from HSV will become one of the most sort after, even compared to the AWD HSV version of the Monaro and the 7.0 litre HSV. ?
The Gen 111 was strangled though at launch. When I get to VT I will cover that off. 👍
Is your choice of AU Fairlane, compared to the last BA/BF - due to it having more differentiation at the front and back, to the Falcon its based on ?
As opposed to the BA/BF which looked very much a Falcon, except for the C pillar/glass area ?
Still think the Landau is the best design.
I would replace the dashboard with the Falcon Rallye/Sports. Appear to come from two separate generations.
@@adrianmclean9195 Hi. Definitely AU over BA. More differentiation which is a mandatory in my book, the 302 is more reliable and lighter. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the BA and BF but they needed more differentiation. I will cover that off when I get to them. 👍
@markbehr88 okay - I didn't know that the 4.9 was more reliable than the 5.8. Are they both " Cleveland " engines - just being a stroked version of each other, or are they completely separate designs ?
What engine is a " Windsor " ?
There has been, since the reintroduction of V8's by Ford Australia, from the EB/EA, different capacites: 5.0, 5.4 and 5.6.
I think the 5.6 was a stroked version of the AU ?
Get a bit confused as the names: Cyclone, Coyote, Boss, Windsor are used and some are supercharged, some are not. Also, I have read that some are derived from " truck " pick-up engines, rather than car engines, for long term durability. ( eg - as opposed to the Mustang, high revving, small 4.6 - which I have driven x3 times, when they were available from Hertz ( Ford having owned Hertz ), and imported by Ford and converted here to RHD in Melbourne / Geelong. Manuals. Very nice. Plastics disgraceful. Stereo Bose, brilliant - no distortion on bass. Nice, very un-american steering. Terrible scuttle and door shake. Sits too high. Aquaplanes. Good brakes and a stability control that really is impressive. ( those mustang owners in UA-cam videos, losing control must have it turned off and/or just flooring it coming out of a turn. Or, just " SIMPLY " Americans - lol - 😂. The gear shift was excellent, but clutch, incredibly heavy. Fuel consumption could be really good. )
Also I think some of the V8's, from EA/EB had x3 valves per cylinder ?
I ask these questions, because believe it or not, it's hard to get these answers online, regarding Ford AUSTRALIA, in one spot, in time line form/table.
Thanks.
( Ps: the naming of the turbo FPV's as F6 Typhoon and Tornado was an excellent clever designation with it being self explanatory. - so much superior fuel consumption to the Ford and Holden / HSV V8's )
Holden ruined that awesome Statesman HQ styling with those vile later model stylings and of the rest of the range, only to finally to fix up that dreadful tyre ripping understeer of the hq onwards, by the HZ. Ford did do a much better job in looks. Much better.
When I first saw that LTD of those years when I was a still a school kid, I was mesmerised!
@@Mcfreddo I do think Holden should have done more. 350 V8 all the way through and more differentiation especially in the front end. 👍
@@markbehr88 maybe American style twin square headlamps might have looked good from HX onwards. They were available by 1975.
@ Most definitely. They even mocked that up. 👍
As fas as i know, the only Aussie Fairlane ever to never offer a six at any stage. ZH meant big V8!
@@noelgibson5956 Correct 👍
@@noelgibson5956 if it wasn’t for the fuel crisis in the late 70s I’m sure the ZJ would have followed suit.
@@commodorenut
Initially, the ZJ was V8 only but of course, that didn't last. By the end of ZK, sixes only.
Ironically, big cars were in vogue again by then. Ford were very foolish dropping the V8, which was vital for their image. After that, they became the taxi car company.
Sales remained strong with new car buyers, but young men lost interest in them.
I always hated any version of those horizontal odometers. Boring American insistence in that regard, I feel.
Other than that, a certainly beautiful car.
@@Mcfreddo Fair enough. I assume you mean speedometer? I get some people don’t like them. 👍
I think these cars were part of the NZ Gov PM MPs Fleet at the time. They now use bmw ....imported & more expensive
@@sunsetlights100 Yes, I am sure they would have used these, Statesman and Chrysler by Chrysler back in the day at the Beehive (if that was built then? 🤔) 👍
@markbehr88 I think the gov had contract wirh ford at time all white ltds
Unclw had the Chrysler 72 sw 6cyd Collum change in beige? a brownish yellow color seemed to work at the time as a young person. The roomy Chrysler station wagon seemed cavernous
The statesman also very nice cars series 1 refresh 2nd series statesman 308 & 350? Remember some those around mid late 79s around new Plymouth where was at high school
@@sunsetlights100 I used to call on Max Pennington at New Plymouth when I was Holden NZ National Sales Manager. Nice place. 👍
@@markbehr88 govts use BMWs is it because they are special versions
bullet proof a very specialised fitout
@ Not a lot of that needed in Australia. Waste of money. 🤔
ZD 460 C6
@@anttonydamico2578 Some heavy mods there. 😀👍
🥝✔️
@@deanstevenson6527 👍
Semi-elliptic leaf springs? Ford were really behind there...
@@timevans5966 They did the job admirably. 👍
@@markbehr88 um, disagree there, not on a so-called luxury car. A load-lugging ute, yes, but on a saloon they should have been ditched by the late 1960s, let alone a saloon with luxury aspirations. But Ford still had them on the Falcon well into the 1990s...
@@timevans5966 Nope your wrong..Falcons started using the watts link and coils in 1983 !!! And nothing beats towing ability like those big strong leaf springs...Thats why the farmers loved those big Fairlanes it gave Ford the advantage over the sloppy Holdens of the day...which Peter Wherrett hated !
@ Have you ever actually driven one over long distances on a variety of roads or is this more a philosophical point? The set up (regardless of the technology) was very effective. I have many cars including expensive Euros and the Fairlane rates very highly. 🤔👍
@@romemancer7905 It's "you're", not "your" and I am not wrong. The EL Falcon wagon still had semi-elliptic leaf springs. I thought the AU onwards switched to coils in the wagons, but I just checked and they STILL had semi-elliptic leaf springs in the BF Wagons! In 2010! Yes, the saloons switched to Watts linkage with the XE, but my point is: by the mid-1970s semi-elliptic leaf springs were way off the pace and should have been pensioned off already.