Ahh the first glimpse of Betty, little did you know then how important that car would be in your life! This is such a fantastic series to rewatch and relive, what a mad trip it was in hindsight!
I drove thousands of miles in AU Falcon's when I was a full-time taxi driver in Brisbane between 2003 to 2006. Good solid, no-nonsense vehicle, but you will spend a lot more on fuel than the BX.
I miss my AU... It was my first car when I moved to Australia from the UK at 18. You can imagine I had a bit of fun with it coming from a 1.3L Fiesta! I had my AU for about 6 or 7 years and put 360,000km on it when someone T-boned me...
Actually it makes a lot of sense even with centre console shift because you can change gears and activate the indicators at the same time. All LHD cars I've ever driven have the indicator stalk on the left too, i.e. exactly mirrored.
@Peter Alan Clark - Yup, but although it's currently spring in NZ, there's still a chance of some heavy hail or a bit of snow. _''Ok, that was your long term forecast for NZ, now, back to Sanda in the Studio''...._
Ian, to check the transmission, underneath on the drivers side (towards rear of transmission) is a 16mm plug, usually very tight! With the engine running and in park, fluid should just run out with the plug removed. It needs Castrol Transmax tq95 fluid, but you'll need a pump to get it in there! Probably best to get it checked by a garage before setting off, as those BTR transmissions don't like low fluid levels! AU Falcon should serve you well!
Nerdy fun fact: When the Falcon six switched to an aluminum cross flow head, it was Honda who designed and supplied the first version. Even nerdier: The design rules in Australasia used to require that the turn signal control be on the opposite side of the wheel to the gear lever so you could signal and change gear at the same time. Makes perfect sense, but the European manufacturers griped at the retooling costs and lobbied for and won a rule change.
Not sure about that. I can think of left blinker cars in Australia going back decades... VW Beetle incl. Australian made. 1978 Ford Escort my sister drove. 1974 Citroen GS I owned. Lada Niva. Ist Generation Chrysler Centura....
It's funny -I've asked many police why they have used nothing but Commonhores since the mid 1990s in NZ. -fragile transmissions that got worse model by model. And interior fittings that come off in your hands on the Ford Falcons
A true HubNut vehicle, right down to the lack of headlining! Lovely weather there by contrast to Wales at the moment. Currently Snow on the A44 between Aberystwyth and Llangurig!
A few fine Ford facts ! Ford Australia produced a Series I, II & III of these. At release they were almost universally panned by the Australian press hence substantial upgrades, particularly firewall noice supression/insulation. There WAS in actual fact a version with IRS...perhaps series III and on the Fairmont/Tickford versions only. Forte was the base and above the Fairmont was the Fairmont Ghia. A V8 was also offered and they were produced in a very spacious station wagon as well as ute. Personally the rear treatment reminds me a lot of the XJS Jag and the cockroach Mercedes CLS129.
Hi Hubnut. For your interest, Ford Australia made the Falcon from 1960 to 2016. Initially it was a purely American designed compact car. Ford Australia began manufacture of it to compete with Holden. They had been trying to do so with the Zephyr, but the machinations within the Ford organisation meant that they couldn't produce the Zephyr cheaply enough. As the years went by, the original American design became more and more Australianised, and Falcons in the U.S. ceased production in 1970, so from that point, the Australian Falcon was close to being a purely Australian design, albeit with some American stuff, such as the small block V8 motors. Cheers, and enjoy your 4 litres!
Ian still need to flick you that email about a catch up when you go through Wellington, welcome to the falcon ownership club. Despite what people who dont know say they are really good cars. You can drive my BA turbo back to back if timing works out. Also can suss a roofliner easy for you from pick a part which is a diy wreckers probably 20 odd bucks, would be happy to grab one for you if you like, chuck it in when you're passing through and give the Fairmont a good once over.
The Kingwood Ute you pointed out is known as a "One Tonner" A cab Chassis version of a Ute. You will love the AU Falcon they are a brilliant car to drive. Comfortable, powerful and they eat up the klms. The trans wont have a dipstick but if you get underneath it does have a fill plug. A service with a filter and refill should be a couple of hundred dollars. The transmission takes a unique oil type so if you fill it make sure you get the correct oil. If it's flaring and is damp underneath check the oil level. The unusual feeling of the torque change is the dual stage manifold. It changes the runner length with a valve according to RPM. The economy button is only the switch for the lockup torque converter. It will be a great car on dirt roads as well. They are not the most economical car but on the highway they are pretty good for its size and weight especially if you are under 100 kph.
dazaspc if it’s similar to my ED Falcon, it’ll be the switch which selects between the two transmission shift patterns. Fancy electronic control for the day (prior to adaptive electronics), and the AU was only 4 years later, and very much evolution under the skin. Economy tried to stay in top as much as possible, and Power was much friskier and there was nothing in between!
8:45 They were all Falcons, Fairmont was the luxury trim level. Most were 4 litre straight six with an option of a 5 or 5.7 litre V8. I bought an AU pickup a few years back, marketed here as the Verte Tempest and they were LPG only, imported and converted by AC Cars. All these UK imports were the leftovers of 2002 as they were by then practically unsaleable in Aus. Ford messed up big time with the AU and hurriedly introduced the BA.
I have had a couple of Falcons and they are quite nice to drive but watch out for having to brake hard on the loose gravel because the ABS can find you still moving forward when you want it to stop. Apart from that they are quite good if a bit thirsty when you use the loud peddle with enthusiasm.
This is exactly what I hoped you'd get! Great character, these cars and don't pay too much attention to everyone saying they're thirsty-- they are around town but low cruising rpm and 0.295Cd means they are surprisingly frugal on motorway. I'm sure it will serve you well, Ian! 😃
While Euro cars have the indicators on the left (British ones from around 1980?), the manufacturers from Japan, Korea and Australia retained them on the right in Down Under markets. Japanese and now Korean cars dominate the market, so most Kiwis will never have driven a car with the indicators on the "wrong" side. If you've got one Euro car and one non-Euro car in your family stable, it requires a bit of mental gymnastics swapping between the two.
Bits of it make me think of our old 2000 Focus we had here in France - the seats look exactly the same. We bought it second hand in 2004 and went on a tour of Wales in it. The fuel pump sensor failed in Bristol on our way back to cross the channel. Apart from that we had a slight hydraulic problem a couple of years later, then we sold it on to my brother in law 3 years ago. Still running without any problems.
The intake manifold looks like that because it's a dual length runner manifold. Has a set of flaps to change the runner length to optimise torque (because a 4L six doesn't have enough!)
You made the right choice. The Ford its a more Australian design than the Holden VX Commodore off the time which is basically a bloated Opel Omega with an Australian made Buick 3800 V6 and American GM transmission. The Ford AU had fast more Australian development.
I've sometimes wondered if the indicators were on the right of the column because the gear lever was on the left in days gone by... (my Renault 16 had its indicators on the right).
@@HowardLeVert - exactly correct. The change in Britain was essentially due to A) British car manufacturing almost coming to a complete halt and B) for the European manufacturers to compete against the Japanese, they stopped creating tooling for RHD vehicles, so everyone in Britain had to get used to the stalks being the 'wrong way' around instead.
@@richardbaron7106 Heh heh... when I traded in my 16 for an 18, just once I tried to change gear with the indicator switch! It was odd though as a couple of years later I wrote the 18 off and it was replaced with a 1981 Datsun Sunny estate. Which had the indicators on... the right! I much prefer them there too.
Hi Ian, nice AU! I received a few comments saying I should check out your content - glad to see you're also a connoisseur of cheap cars. If your travels take you through Brisbane (AU) be sure to give me a yell.
Surprisingly good access under the bonnet (i.e. you can see everything rather than just plastic covers) for a modern car. (anything since the 90s is modern.)
It was my understanding that the E.U forced the U.K to have indicators on the left, truly ridiculous as in a left hand drive cars the controls and gear shift are on your right, vice versa for a right hand drive car, so it is safer and more natural to have the indicators on the right, just like my Holdens.
Great cars for driving long distance and very comfortable, you shouldn't go wrong with a trusty old AU 👍 Love the sound and torque of those 4.0L engines.
My memory is not that good but was it 1971 or 73 that indicators left was introduced to UK, including washers for post 1965 cars. Remember those retrofitted thumb push squirty pumps, no battery required.
I reckon it must have been '73. That was the year my mum sold her Triumph 1300 ans got a brand new Morris Marina (she tried an Allegro, but didn't like the square steering wheel, and a 2cv in which she was convinced to her dying day that we'd gone around a roundabout on 2 wheels on the test drive). She was most miffed when she discovered the indicator stalk was "on the wrong side" in the Marina.
Very attractive car, I'm very jealous. Combines my love of rwd euro fords like Granada and Sierra with a nicer engine and just bigger. I also prefer indicators on the right, mercedes had it until the 90s too, makes more sense especially in a rhd automatic where waft is key
As someone who drives alot of rhd german cars with indicators on the left hand side, this has never come up as a problem..... feeling kind of left out.
It’s an AU series 2 Ford I had a 2001 Falcon Forte Sedan which was a base model falcons are very comfortable cars to travel on long distance had a few falcons over the years you’ll find comfortable for touring
My theory on indicator side: It's best to have the stalk on the opposite side to the gear stick so you can indicate and change gear at the same time. In the UK, the stalk used to be on the right but we got used to European imports which hadn't been converted to UK spec and as a result, UKDM Japanese cars have the stalk on the left because the Japanese manufacturers made the effort to accommodate our (incorrect) changing preferences. I prefer the stalk on the right in a RHD car, on the left in a LHD car.
My BA Ford Falcon has cruise control. On trips down to Newcastle from Port Stephens, I go through a section of divided road called "The Sandhills" where the speed is 100 Km/h. Get the car up to that speed, turn on Cruise Control and press either Set+ or Set- and take your foot off the accelerator pedal and hum along nicely(hum along? the car's forgotten the words to the song! LOL)
My VP Commodore dropped its head lining too. $900 thanks mate. So I went to my auto upholsterer friend. $90 later, it was better than new. It's a giant sheet of cardboard!
yeah ian, all predominantly rhd models have indicators on right and vice versa to leave your gear hand free while indicating, what people dont tend to realise is that the cars that have them on the left are predominantly lhd models, so basically they dont design a new stalk cluster they just move the lhd cluster over and vice versa. ( if you have a left hand drive version of a predominantly rhd model your gears and indicator are both at your right hand) its all about costs as usual :) It really is that simple. Loving the vids, they willl be our screen shot of clement weather thu the winter :)
A Ford Fairmont?! You .... you..... you *yuppie*! :-) :-) Well done, lad. It'll be like driving a 3 seater couch. It'll handle like one too. Great cars.
Can’t believe it’s been 4 years since I found your channel, one of the first videos I watched. Rewatching some of these old videos of Betty missing my own falcon lol
I was also worried about the whole breaking/repair issue with the BX. But you've now got the perfect solution. Good to see George looking after Hubnut Enterprises.
Ford Falcon/Fairmonts have been imported into the UK and used as funeral cars for quite a few years....Converted into hearses and limos in Bolton by Coleman Milne.
The AU is a great choice for what you are doing. Easy to fix and every mechanic and his dog can fix it anywhere over there. The headliner coming off and the rusty lower boot are classic AU Falcon issues. It’s about all that really goes wrong with them. Classic Ford quality issues. You say you prefer the Holden, believe me the Falcon is a far better product than the equivalent Commodore of that same era.
Ooooo what a beauty !!!.... That Intech engine was the forerunner of the Barra and is tough as old boots !...… Pleeeease go to scrappy and get a headlining ! My OCD is proper playing up over it !! I'm not going to be able to sleep until you do !! … Keep 'em coming Ian !
Referring to at 1:30, a quote from Spike Milligan, ''it's best not to have a plan, then nothing can go wrong''!. Best wishes from Alan, wishing I were there, but still here in cold old Blighty.
One of our Berlingo's at work had new back doors, ever since then if you shut the back doors it will try and lock all the doors. One of drivers has managed to lock the keys in twice, all too easy to do if you leave the keys in the ignition. Can make unlocking the van quite difficult as it has to be a quick press them immediately open the door!
That's a safe buy, and a bit hubnut. Have you checked out motoringbox, Aussie UA-camr with an au Fairmont Ghia. I have the Ba falcon and its ok , but they say the au with 4 pinion diffs can go forever, yeh carpet tiles for headlining. Happy travels..
My fiesta also had the same quirk of only being able to open the boot with a similar button in a similar place or the key fob, that's why I also managed to lock my keys in the boot once because I closed it just after placing a 42inch TV in there, greenflag to the rescue but they managed to ruin some pixels on the TV with they're hook gadgets, all of which I could do nothing about because they make you sign something agreeing to any damage caused
@@HubNut Yes. I understand, but it would have been a magnificent sight going through the landscape of New Zealand. Best of Luck with the rest of the trip. Really enjoying the vids
Glad you'll be on the north island in December Ian. Remember you're welcome to partake in some Christmas frivolities in Napier as mentioned when I saw you a few months ago! I'm leaving the UK on December 20th, so should be in and around Napier around 21st. No worries if you're wanting to do other things. Congratulations on the new car! I locked the keys of my 300zx in the boot somewhere in central France. Fortunately the keys of Joel's red 300zx were seemingly good enough to use to get into mine!
Nice car that Ford... for sure you will enjoy it on your further trips. Always good to have your aircon refilled due to the warm weather over there. Only one problem and that's the battery. You will see how fast you need to change your battery, once a year for sure. Well enjoy your new car and till tomorrow again.
its the same boot release setup on my fiat punto evo with a button on the dashboard and. one on the key. I trained myself to unlock the car first then pop the boot and not put the keys down although I have had near misses in the past.
His Ford comments did always highlight the particular models good points as well as the bad. He never ever suggested that he hates Fords, people have to stop being so sensitive.
@@tonys1636 exactly sir and 2 of the finest choices of ford to own. Both designed and built to serve their owners unerringly day in day out. Both Classics. Enjoy. 👍
@@seancooke4127 Sadly the Anglia ended up at the breakers with a bad case of tin worm, the Granada was sold to fund the purchase of a new Taxi, had to make do with the wife's 2.8 Capri as personal transport when she wasn't at work.
@@tonys1636 Right, a 2.8 Capri for daily, you poor chap. My Uncle had a lovely Pale Green Anglia saloon in the early 70s. With the reverse rake back window, I remember that I could stand on the back seat without touching the roof with my head, or having to stoop. I was only 6 at the time. Hope you had the sense to keep thon Capri.
Never parting with my 99 Tickford Fairmont Ghia series 3. As of today it passed a real full RWC, Dual fuel so its cheap as chips to run, rego after Christmas.
Surprising to see a Ford but at least its a proper NZ ford. Be nice to see how it compares with the BX. Locking the keys in the boot on the first day is a classic. Hope to see more of the car as your adventure continues.
I think the indicator side thing is due to most falcons of previous generations, and the au commercial/budget models having column change gear selectors. As a kid we had a falcon and a cortina the falcon was column change manual so indicators on the Rh side and cortina was on the left. Maybe its German heritage?
Was on my way to change the wheels of my car to winter wheels. Hey, what is that notification on my phone, there is a new HubNut video where he reveals his new car? Oh well, the wheel change can wait. :)
I’ve been re-watching the video as I often do with your videos, and I have to say, I do like the styling of your new car. It certainly is my cup of tea. It was great to see George and one of his kiwi counterparts! Cats! They make everything fun times.
Hi ian glad to see hub nut purchasing has hit down under very impressed with ford purchase . Also glad george is being kept busy at home . Its great ur a cat lover . Too . Hope ur well ian . Pls take care .
What an awesome car! I’ve always had a soft spot for the AU engine? I think they have the Barra engine which is an amazing engine. My dad had a Territory in SouthAfrica which was a beautiful car. I love wafty cars, to hell with precision handling!
More George!! :D And other cat too! Cat's make my day. As do older vehicles. Nice choice you've made, Ian, i could see myself diving such Ford as well.
You only really need aircon up north where it's humid.Down here in Wellington and further south I personally have never seen the point of it.Climate a lot cooler down here.I had that model Falcon.Nice model but the autotrans usually is on borrowed tine after 150,000k,but you might be lucky.The motors can do a million kilometres though.Rust is what dooms them.
At first look I was like "ewww what have you done!" But after seeing you driving it I can see it suits you sir. Dont like the front end at all though! Great to see George the cat😁
Ahh the first glimpse of Betty, little did you know then how important that car would be in your life!
This is such a fantastic series to rewatch and relive, what a mad trip it was in hindsight!
I drove thousands of miles in AU Falcon's when I was a full-time taxi driver in Brisbane between 2003 to 2006. Good solid, no-nonsense vehicle, but you will spend a lot more on fuel than the BX.
I miss my AU... It was my first car when I moved to Australia from the UK at 18. You can imagine I had a bit of fun with it coming from a 1.3L Fiesta!
I had my AU for about 6 or 7 years and put 360,000km on it when someone T-boned me...
Aw. Sad ending!
My theory of why the indicator stalk is on the right is because nearly all earlier Australian built cars had 3 speed column shift on the left.
Actually it makes a lot of sense even with centre console shift because you can change gears and activate the indicators at the same time. All LHD cars I've ever driven have the indicator stalk on the left too, i.e. exactly mirrored.
Wait til you're driving that in the rain..... The noise will be biblical.
LOL
@@WhosAGoodDogue What day of the year do they get hailstones in NZ ?I'm sure he can stop at home on that day.
@Peter Alan Clark - Yup, but although it's currently spring in NZ, there's still a chance of some heavy hail or a bit of snow. _''Ok, that was your long term forecast for NZ, now, back to Sanda in the Studio''...._
@@millomweb LOL! Yup, make a cup of tea and it's all over with before the cup is empty...
Hailstorm would be bliblicaler 😂
Ian, to check the transmission, underneath on the drivers side (towards rear of transmission) is a 16mm plug, usually very tight! With the engine running and in park, fluid should just run out with the plug removed. It needs Castrol Transmax tq95 fluid, but you'll need a pump to get it in there! Probably best to get it checked by a garage before setting off, as those BTR transmissions don't like low fluid levels! AU Falcon should serve you well!
Andrew Hofler great advice. 👍
Nerdy fun fact: When the Falcon six switched to an aluminum cross flow head, it was Honda who designed and supplied the first version.
Even nerdier: The design rules in Australasia used to require that the turn signal control be on the opposite side of the wheel to the gear lever so you could signal and change gear at the same time. Makes perfect sense, but the European manufacturers griped at the retooling costs and lobbied for and won a rule change.
Totally makes sense, I often choose whether to indicate or change gear.
Not sure about that. I can think of left blinker cars in Australia going back decades... VW Beetle incl. Australian made. 1978 Ford Escort my sister drove. 1974 Citroen GS I owned. Lada Niva. Ist Generation Chrysler Centura....
Good choice. Australia and New Zealand's favourite taxi for a great many years...
It's funny -I've asked many police why they have used nothing but Commonhores since the mid 1990s in NZ. -fragile transmissions that got worse model by model. And interior fittings that come off in your hands on the Ford Falcons
Wow UA-cam recommended this after the joyous news of Betty's introduction to the UK and main hubnut fleet.
A true HubNut vehicle, right down to the lack of headlining!
Lovely weather there by contrast to Wales at the moment.
Currently Snow on the A44 between Aberystwyth and Llangurig!
Come over Mate,we love more cars on the road.😀
A few fine Ford facts ! Ford Australia produced a Series I, II & III of these. At release they were almost universally panned by the Australian press hence substantial upgrades, particularly firewall noice supression/insulation. There WAS in actual fact a version with IRS...perhaps series III and on the Fairmont/Tickford versions only. Forte was the base and above the Fairmont was the Fairmont Ghia. A V8 was also offered and they were produced in a very spacious station wagon as well as ute. Personally the rear treatment reminds me a lot of the XJS Jag and the cockroach Mercedes CLS129.
Hi Hubnut. For your interest, Ford Australia made the Falcon from 1960 to 2016. Initially it was a purely American designed compact car. Ford Australia began manufacture of it to compete with Holden. They had been trying to do so with the Zephyr, but the machinations within the Ford organisation meant that they couldn't produce the Zephyr cheaply enough. As the years went by, the original American design became more and more Australianised, and Falcons in the U.S. ceased production in 1970, so from that point, the Australian Falcon was close to being a purely Australian design, albeit with some American stuff, such as the small block V8 motors. Cheers, and enjoy your 4 litres!
Ford Falcon was made from 1960 to 1970 in the USA. Replaced in 1971 by the Ford Maverick.
Ian still need to flick you that email about a catch up when you go through Wellington, welcome to the falcon ownership club. Despite what people who dont know say they are really good cars. You can drive my BA turbo back to back if timing works out. Also can suss a roofliner easy for you from pick a part which is a diy wreckers probably 20 odd bucks, would be happy to grab one for you if you like, chuck it in when you're passing through and give the Fairmont a good once over.
The Kingwood Ute you pointed out is known as a "One Tonner" A cab Chassis version of a Ute.
You will love the AU Falcon they are a brilliant car to drive. Comfortable, powerful and they eat up the klms. The trans wont have a dipstick but if you get underneath it does have a fill plug. A service with a filter and refill should be a couple of hundred dollars. The transmission takes a unique oil type so if you fill it make sure you get the correct oil. If it's flaring and is damp underneath check the oil level. The unusual feeling of the torque change is the dual stage manifold. It changes the runner length with a valve according to RPM. The economy button is only the switch for the lockup torque converter. It will be a great car on dirt roads as well. They are not the most economical car but on the highway they are pretty good for its size and weight especially if you are under 100 kph.
The pre Barra! wow what a car!.
dazaspc t.c. he could do a hell of a skid,lol.
dazaspc if it’s similar to my ED Falcon, it’ll be the switch which selects between the two transmission shift patterns. Fancy electronic control for the day (prior to adaptive electronics), and the AU was only 4 years later, and very much evolution under the skin. Economy tried to stay in top as much as possible, and Power was much friskier and there was nothing in between!
8:45 They were all Falcons, Fairmont was the luxury trim level. Most were 4 litre straight six with an option of a 5 or 5.7 litre V8. I bought an AU pickup a few years back, marketed here as the Verte Tempest and they were LPG only, imported and converted by AC Cars. All these UK imports were the leftovers of 2002 as they were by then practically unsaleable in Aus. Ford messed up big time with the AU and hurriedly introduced the BA.
I have had a couple of Falcons and they are quite nice to drive but watch out for having to brake hard on the loose gravel because the ABS can find you still moving forward when you want it to stop. Apart from that they are quite good if a bit thirsty when you use the loud peddle with enthusiasm.
Your impression of the BX horn was priceless!
George is suggesting you use some bubble wrap as headlining. Good thinking George.
Or that sticky foam with the aluminium coating on one side, excellent insulation.
The air cond when working is very good in those cars 45 degree Australian heat is no problem at all.
This is exactly what I hoped you'd get!
Great character, these cars and don't pay too much attention to everyone saying they're thirsty-- they are around town but low cruising rpm and 0.295Cd means they are surprisingly frugal on motorway.
I'm sure it will serve you well, Ian! 😃
While Euro cars have the indicators on the left (British ones from around 1980?), the manufacturers from Japan, Korea and Australia retained them on the right in Down Under markets. Japanese and now Korean cars dominate the market, so most Kiwis will never have driven a car with the indicators on the "wrong" side.
If you've got one Euro car and one non-Euro car in your family stable, it requires a bit of mental gymnastics swapping between the two.
Bits of it make me think of our old 2000 Focus we had here in France - the seats look exactly the same. We bought it second hand in 2004 and went on a tour of Wales in it. The fuel pump sensor failed in Bristol on our way back to cross the channel. Apart from that we had a slight hydraulic problem a couple of years later, then we sold it on to my brother in law 3 years ago. Still running without any problems.
Loving the George updates and cat videos. Oh, the car stuff is alright too.
No Hubnut video will ever be complete without the words 'Pantograph wipers' being uttered. A success!
The intake manifold looks like that because it's a dual length runner manifold. Has a set of flaps to change the runner length to optimise torque (because a 4L six doesn't have enough!)
You made the right choice. The Ford its a more Australian design than the Holden VX Commodore off the time which is basically a bloated Opel Omega with an Australian made Buick 3800 V6 and American GM transmission.
The Ford AU had fast more Australian development.
Oh man!!!!! Mr. HubNut steps in an AU!! All my prayers have been answered!!
Indicator stalk on the right where it belongs! Yes!
I've sometimes wondered if the indicators were on the right of the column because the gear lever was on the left in days gone by... (my Renault 16 had its indicators on the right).
@@HowardLeVert - exactly correct. The change in Britain was essentially due to A) British car manufacturing almost coming to a complete halt and B) for the European manufacturers to compete against the Japanese, they stopped creating tooling for RHD vehicles, so everyone in Britain had to get used to the stalks being the 'wrong way' around instead.
@@richardbaron7106 Heh heh... when I traded in my 16 for an 18, just once I tried to change gear with the indicator switch! It was odd though as a couple of years later I wrote the 18 off and it was replaced with a 1981 Datsun Sunny estate. Which had the indicators on... the right! I much prefer them there too.
Oh god already jealous of the trip now I want the car - nice to see George being kept busy.
Hi Ian, nice AU! I received a few comments saying I should check out your content - glad to see you're also a connoisseur of cheap cars. If your travels take you through Brisbane (AU) be sure to give me a yell.
Get some lovely carpet tiles stuck to that roof!! Interesting car that. Enjoy!
Surprisingly good access under the bonnet (i.e. you can see everything rather than just plastic covers) for a modern car.
(anything since the 90s is modern.)
It was my understanding that the E.U forced the U.K to have indicators on the left, truly ridiculous as in a left hand drive cars the controls and gear shift are on your right, vice versa for a right hand drive car, so it is safer and more natural to have the indicators on the right, just like my Holdens.
Looks like a trip to 'pickapart' is on your list to get a new roof lining. Probably worth visiting an AA garage t get your gearbox topped up too.
Great cars for driving long distance and very comfortable, you shouldn't go wrong with a trusty old AU 👍 Love the sound and torque of those 4.0L engines.
My memory is not that good but was it 1971 or 73 that indicators left was introduced to UK, including washers for post 1965 cars. Remember those retrofitted thumb push squirty pumps, no battery required.
I reckon it must have been '73. That was the year my mum sold her Triumph 1300 ans got a brand new Morris Marina (she tried an Allegro, but didn't like the square steering wheel, and a 2cv in which she was convinced to her dying day that we'd gone around a roundabout on 2 wheels on the test drive). She was most miffed when she discovered the indicator stalk was "on the wrong side" in the Marina.
Interesting purchase there Mr HubNut. Complete with 'Up the trouser leg' AC! Lovely to see George as well. Many thanks as always.
Good to see George is taking care of things whilst Ian is away!
May the venerable BX give its owner many happy miles for a long time!
Very attractive car, I'm very jealous. Combines my love of rwd euro fords like Granada and Sierra with a nicer engine and just bigger. I also prefer indicators on the right, mercedes had it until the 90s too, makes more sense especially in a rhd automatic where waft is key
The indicators on the right for RHD and vice-versa means you can change gear and apply indicators at the same time if necessary...
As someone who drives alot of rhd german cars with indicators on the left hand side, this has never come up as a problem..... feeling kind of left out.
It’s an AU series 2 Ford I had a 2001 Falcon Forte Sedan which was a base model falcons are very comfortable cars to travel on long distance had a few falcons over the years you’ll find comfortable for touring
My theory on indicator side: It's best to have the stalk on the opposite side to the gear stick so you can indicate and change gear at the same time. In the UK, the stalk used to be on the right but we got used to European imports which hadn't been converted to UK spec and as a result, UKDM Japanese cars have the stalk on the left because the Japanese manufacturers made the effort to accommodate our (incorrect) changing preferences. I prefer the stalk on the right in a RHD car, on the left in a LHD car.
My BA Ford Falcon has cruise control. On trips down to Newcastle from Port Stephens, I go through a section of divided road called "The Sandhills" where the speed is 100 Km/h. Get the car up to that speed, turn on Cruise Control and press either Set+ or Set- and take your foot off the accelerator pedal and hum along nicely(hum along? the car's forgotten the words to the song! LOL)
I spotted that AU trailing you. Those headlights are very distinctive. And the Falcon headlinings were notorious for coming down.
My VP Commodore dropped its head lining too. $900 thanks mate. So I went to my auto upholsterer friend. $90 later, it was better than new. It's a giant sheet of cardboard!
yeah ian, all predominantly rhd models have indicators on right and vice versa to leave your gear hand free while indicating, what people dont tend to realise is that the cars that have them on the left are predominantly lhd models, so basically they dont design a new stalk cluster they just move the lhd cluster over and vice versa. ( if you have a left hand drive version of a predominantly rhd model your gears and indicator are both at your right hand) its all about costs as usual :) It really is that simple. Loving the vids, they willl be our screen shot of clement weather thu the winter :)
George's care in mail quality is appreciated. His tape work on a HubNut mug is amazing for a cat!
Heck yeah an AU! Good on you Ian!
A Ford Fairmont?! You .... you..... you *yuppie*!
:-) :-)
Well done, lad. It'll be like driving a 3 seater couch. It'll handle like one too. Great cars.
Can’t believe it’s been 4 years since I found your channel, one of the first videos I watched. Rewatching some of these old videos of Betty missing my own falcon lol
Our mk1 Granada had the indicators on the right - back in the day when one stalk was the ration.
21:06 The turn indicators/headlight controls are EXACTLY where they should be! On the right of the steering column, closest to the driver's door.
I was also worried about the whole breaking/repair issue with the BX. But you've now got the perfect solution. Good to see George looking after Hubnut Enterprises.
Oh yes a big Aussie Ford good choice
Ford Falcon/Fairmonts have been imported into the UK and used as funeral cars for quite a few years....Converted into hearses and limos in Bolton by Coleman Milne.
Very true. There is a fleet in Aberystwyth.
Never as much fun.... Made in Oz..ruined in Bolton.
The AU is a great choice for what you are doing. Easy to fix and every mechanic and his dog can fix it anywhere over there. The headliner coming off and the rusty lower boot are classic AU Falcon issues. It’s about all that really goes wrong with them. Classic Ford quality issues. You say you prefer the Holden, believe me the Falcon is a far better product than the equivalent Commodore of that same era.
Ooooo what a beauty !!!.... That Intech engine was the forerunner of the Barra and is tough as old boots !...… Pleeeease go to scrappy and get a headlining ! My OCD is proper playing up over it !! I'm not going to be able to sleep until you do !! … Keep 'em coming Ian !
Referring to at 1:30, a quote from Spike Milligan, ''it's best not to have a plan, then nothing can go wrong''!. Best wishes from Alan, wishing I were there, but still here in cold old Blighty.
No substitute for cubic inches, lots of torque
One of our Berlingo's at work had new back doors, ever since then if you shut the back doors it will try and lock all the doors. One of drivers has managed to lock the keys in twice, all too easy to do if you leave the keys in the ignition.
Can make unlocking the van quite difficult as it has to be a quick press them immediately open the door!
Awww! Smokey got an appearance 😻
He’s mine 😛 very cute when he wants to be lol but he LOVES belly rubs
Lovely cat. Thanks for letting me stay and meet Smokey and the others!
That's a safe buy, and a bit hubnut. Have you checked out motoringbox, Aussie UA-camr with an au Fairmont Ghia. I have the Ba falcon and its ok , but they say the au with 4 pinion diffs can go forever, yeh carpet tiles for headlining. Happy travels..
My fiesta also had the same quirk of only being able to open the boot with a similar button in a similar place or the key fob, that's why I also managed to lock my keys in the boot once because I closed it just after placing a 42inch TV in there, greenflag to the rescue but they managed to ruin some pixels on the TV with they're hook gadgets, all of which I could do nothing about because they make you sign something agreeing to any damage caused
Not so much a missing headliner, more like increase headroom!
Stop at your nearest food shop, purchase a can opener, and, voila! Instant sun roof! :-)
Great video Ian, that ford looks like the rover 75 at some angles. George was wrapping up the video for you lol. Have fun mate as you deserve it.
Didn't Ford have a stake in MG Rover around that time?
A much larger car though.
Dynamat or similar the inside of the roof panel. Ok, it wont look pretty but will stop the tinny sounds i would think.
I was hoping for a Citroen DS but reliability issues might have reared up😊
It's why I said goodbye to the BX. It never let me down, but if it did, it would be a big pain to fix.
@@HubNut Yes. I understand, but it would have been a magnificent sight going through the landscape of New Zealand. Best of Luck with the rest of the trip. Really enjoying the vids
Glad you'll be on the north island in December Ian. Remember you're welcome to partake in some Christmas frivolities in Napier as mentioned when I saw you a few months ago!
I'm leaving the UK on December 20th, so should be in and around Napier around 21st. No worries if you're wanting to do other things.
Congratulations on the new car! I locked the keys of my 300zx in the boot somewhere in central France. Fortunately the keys of Joel's red 300zx were seemingly good enough to use to get into mine!
I love a wafty drive.....normally after i've been on the Guinness!!
Mondeo with Rover 75 mix
Looks comfy... enjoy sir!
I wish the indicator control was still on the right of the wheel.
hey...you could use a sucker mount inside on the roof , possibly quite a good angle from the bare roof metal...
Nice car that Ford... for sure you will enjoy it on your further trips. Always good to have your aircon refilled due to the warm weather over there. Only one problem and that's the battery. You will see how fast you need to change your battery, once a year for sure. Well enjoy your new car and till tomorrow again.
its the same boot release setup on my fiat punto evo with a button on the dashboard and. one on the key. I trained myself to unlock the car first then pop the boot and not put the keys down although I have had near misses in the past.
I just had to re-watch this, awaiting part 2 of Betty's UK adventures in 2021.
An great choice for a big road trip👍I've owned four in my time in Aussie and here and had no issues with any of them.
Hubnut buys a ford , words i thought i would never see in print ,😂🤣👍
His Ford comments did always highlight the particular models good points as well as the bad. He never ever suggested that he hates Fords, people have to stop being so sensitive.
@@seancooke4127 Nothing wrong with a Ford, I loved my Anglia Estate and the much later Granada Ghia, the last incarnation of it.
@@tonys1636 exactly sir and 2 of the finest choices of ford to own. Both designed and built to serve their owners unerringly day in day out. Both Classics. Enjoy. 👍
@@seancooke4127 Sadly the Anglia ended up at the breakers with a bad case of tin worm, the Granada was sold to fund the purchase of a new Taxi, had to make do with the wife's 2.8 Capri as personal transport when she wasn't at work.
@@tonys1636 Right, a 2.8 Capri for daily, you poor chap. My Uncle had a lovely Pale Green Anglia saloon in the early 70s. With the reverse rake back window, I remember that I could stand on the back seat without touching the roof with my head, or having to stoop. I was only 6 at the time. Hope you had the sense to keep thon Capri.
Never parting with my 99 Tickford Fairmont Ghia series 3. As of today it passed a real full RWC, Dual fuel so its cheap as chips to run, rego after Christmas.
Nice to see some Aussie tin on the fleet. The "headlining" reminds me of the one in Perodua Nippa.
Start searching breakers yards for a headlining, i like the car👍🏻
I'd look for a boot lid whilst you're at it.
Surprising to see a Ford but at least its a proper NZ ford. Be nice to see how it compares with the BX. Locking the keys in the boot on the first day is a classic. Hope to see more of the car as your adventure continues.
I think the indicator side thing is due to most falcons of previous generations, and the au commercial/budget models having column change gear selectors.
As a kid we had a falcon and a cortina the falcon was column change manual so indicators on the Rh side and cortina was on the left. Maybe its German heritage?
If you have a manual gearbox then you want to be able to use the indicators as well as change gears at the same time.
Love the new car! Many happy miles ahead. A Ford that’s never been to Dagenham, interesting.
Was on my way to change the wheels of my car to winter wheels. Hey, what is that notification on my phone, there is a new HubNut video where he reveals his new car? Oh well, the wheel change can wait. :)
I left my bride at the altar to watch this video.
@@EinkOLED my wife's still waiting at the airport waiting to be picked up
Come to NZ mate.Us woman over here,love our cars,more than a man,loves his..nuts.Oh sorry,I men't ..Hub Nuts.
OR AS WE SAY......PUSS NUTS.,,,have a good one Mate.😆
George and co Glad they are doing what is important in life ...
Checking bubble wrap & rolling about the floor :]
I’ve been re-watching the video as I often do with your videos, and I have to say, I do like the styling of your new car. It certainly is my cup of tea. It was great to see George and one of his kiwi counterparts! Cats! They make everything fun times.
That coolant overflow bottle looks like a prop from a Gerry Anderson sci-fi series - I like it.
Or from an e30
That's one of the best interiors in a Ford you will ever see. Continue on with the adventures of Hubnut, classic Sir 👍 Tam.
Glue some sound proofing fabric as the head liner. Cheap as chips
Hi ian glad to see hub nut purchasing has hit down under very impressed with ford purchase . Also glad george is being kept busy at home . Its great ur a cat lover . Too . Hope ur well ian . Pls take care .
What an awesome car! I’ve always had a soft spot for the AU engine? I think they have the Barra engine which is an amazing engine. My dad had a Territory in SouthAfrica which was a beautiful car. I love wafty cars, to hell with precision handling!
Pre-Barra. Single cam.
More George!! :D And other cat too! Cat's make my day. As do older vehicles. Nice choice you've made, Ian, i could see myself diving such Ford as well.
Just came back to see Betty in New Zealand again. The start of the Hub Nut ,Betty love affair.She must be keen she followed you all the way home!!!!
Thanks UA-cam for recommending this video again. The beginning of something awesome!
I've lived in NZ for 8 year. The South Islsnd is gorgeous. And bloody cold!
the top of the Falcon range belonged to the Fairlane and LTD both of which rode on a 118 inch wheelbase in 2001
11:44 And take note your wiper controls and lights/indicator stems are the correct way round relative to the steering column.
You only really need aircon up north where it's humid.Down here in Wellington and further south I personally have never seen the point of it.Climate a lot cooler down here.I had that model Falcon.Nice model but the autotrans usually is on borrowed tine after 150,000k,but you might be lucky.The motors can do a million kilometres though.Rust is what dooms them.
At first look I was like "ewww what have you done!" But after seeing you driving it I can see it suits you sir. Dont like the front end at all though! Great to see George the cat😁