What IS a Ford Fairmont AU? A car so good, that I bought it twice!
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- Опубліковано 31 жов 2021
- I tell you exactly what my Ford Fairmont AU is - a $700 million (AUS) project to deliver a controversial failure. But I really like it. This Australian beauty has a 4-litre six-cylinder InTech engine and a BTR four-speed automatic transmission. But what is the history of the Australian Ford Falcon and where does the AU fit in?
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We AU owners like to say "There's no AUstralia without an AU".
The prices of AU's are definitely on a rapid rise, especially XR8's and XR6's.
Gold 👍(au)😉
You'll have to swap it around and start saying "AU Fairmont" if you want to fit in with the Australians Ian 😂
Ah, cheers for the correction! Of course. AU is the important bit!
Haha, just came to say the same thing. Just say “it’s an AU Fairmont” - the Ford bit is implied ;)
I think a car really has to be special for you to:
A) Buy it twice
B) After buying it for the second time import it from the other side of the world
Seriously though I do genuinely love Betty. She's a fantastic car with a fabulous story
Myrtle was bought twice as well!
Had an AU 2 as a taxi. Did over 700, 000km in about 6 yrs . Was also fitted with a LPG system as well. Pretty good car overall. At least yours must turn heads in the UK. They are pretty rare there.
It's all about the waft, that sums up the Fairmont perfectly, have loved this car since you revealed it on the new Zealand trip and then importing it to the UK to seeing it in the flesh at the Motorist, the goose bumps that prickled the back of my neck when I saw it in the flesh was like meeting a celeb.
Well, she probably is the most famous AU Fairmont in the world...
Sadly, XR6's don't waft. The ride is quite firm and sporty, which can rattle your fillings a bit on a dirt road, but they still stick quite well. I saw a BA Fairmont in the same colour as Betty the other day, and nearly approached the owner to 'fanboy' over it...
Ford dominated the taxi industry here in Australia up until the end of the Falcon. The Falcon also offered options like a front bench seat with a column shift, automatic, so you could seat 6 at a pinch and factory fitted, LPG dual fuel which was a popular option in the taxi industry.
The station wagon versions of the Falcon (estate car) in those later years, were some of the most roomiest largest wagons on the road in the world (since the US finished, making full-size station, wagons) that you could buy as they were built on a long wheel base that was used for the Fairlane and LTD.
"It's all about the waft" Have liked this car ever since it popped up on your NZ trip
I've had my "controversial" series 1 AUXR8 for over 19 years now. Just love the look and can not imagine not having it. Getting pretty rare now and receives plenty of positive reaction. The XRs were not as vilified from as looks point of view as other models, but certainly, AUs overall are absolutely gaining popularity
It’s a big slightly brutish car without all that hyper aggressive nonsense you get with modern German cars. Love it
Can't spell BeAUtiful without AU
On the AU Falcons, it was known as Variable Cam Timing - it was available on the Falcon XR6 and the top spec Fairmont and Fairlane Ghias (as the luxury specs were called) and was identifiable by the use of a red valve cover and Intech VCT badges on the front guards in place of the Intech OHV badges
Mine is the Futura also from 2001 ..it has the black interior ,exactly the same wheels too ..She's Liquid Silver and she's been in my possession so far for 19 years ... She's been all over the joint and places on fishing trips no car should go ... Two front brake calipers , one alternator , inlet manifold gasket, one upper ball joint and three sets of tyres , a few mufflers etc ...Still a total joy to drive every day . All other major components are original and still work properly ...Not kidding ... I LOVE HER... Also own a gorgeous FG XR6 too with the Barra... Great vid , Betty is beautiful ...
s
The 1998 AU launch was a disaster here in Australia. The styling was, well, not the traditional muscular style of the Falcon. Of particular controversy was the Forte model with a strange grill. Many fitted the base grill. Quality issues were well publicised, as was the previous generation EA in 1988. The AU S2 and S3 were vastly improved. I agree with a previous contributor that the AU is becoming a new collectable. Not necessarily because of the styling but because they were just so damn tough and bullet proof. If you can get a low mileage one here in Australia you are a lucky person.
I adore Betty! The torque converter on my V70 locks at 50mph, almost feels like a 6th gear. Completely get and share your enthusiasm and completely get why you imported her! I’d have done exactly the same. Completely impractical, to most people a waste of money but then to me, buying a Rolex is an utter waste of money. I would happily import a car I fell in love with abroad. It’s about the memories. I have always driven cars that are different. Great video Ian!
I have an 89 Aussie built Ford Laser (mechanically identical to a BF Mazda 323/Familia) with the optional 4 speed overdrive box. It locks up at 70km/h (43 mph) and will remain in lock up as low as 64km/h as long as you feather it.
Good for you, celebrate the quirky cars, much more interesting than the bland dull machines we see around our roads. Glad to see you back on the road, making videos. Betty is delightful, as you said, the memories are what makes this a totally Hubnut car!
4 litre 6cyl engine, rear-wheel drive, what's not to like? Ugly Betty? Definitely not. She looks in very good order for a 20 year old car, especially with that amount of kilometres on the clock! Lovely motor!
I agree stunning car!
That sewing machine six with first gear whine changing into second is a mechanical symphony you get to enjoy each time you take off.
It was good to hear a Briton recognise it's Borg Warner roots.
You know you're in a substantial car without the unwanted sophistication that causes worry as the mileage grows.
A very enjoyable rundown of the car from an overseas perspective. They deserve more international scrutiny.
Thanks for the video Ian. Was getting a bit worried you "disappeared" for almost a week. Yes, that Buick V6 in the Holdens would not be near as smooth as a straight six. It is a 90 degree V6 whereas the best angle for a V6 is 60 degrees. That Falcon 6 is a legend, the Aussies did a damn good job keeping it updated.
An Leyland P76 would make a fine stablemate for Betty.
Then he'd need a bigger lockup.
@@cornishhh Nah, he could save space by parking the 2CV in the boot!
Yes he needs a P76. When Ian was discussing the comfort of the AU seats I was thinking the seats in a P76 Executive or Super would surely be more comfortable. And Leyland had the handling sorted too. The car that gets better the faster you drive it. I did enjoy his video on the P76, wish He could find a Force 7 to drive and review.
They always reminded me of the peugeot 607, a little, styling and size wise. I recall wondering why they didnt replace the scorpio with them - they could be had new for under $30000AUD around 2000, with an exchange rate translating into £11-12,000!
I always liked the looks of the AU. For outback trips in Australia, they were fantastic. I thought the dynamics were quite good, at least for faster bends.
You never really get to drive on roads as you find in Wales in Australia. Australia tends to nanny drivers in medium population areas, so where you get windy roads they tend to put ultra-slow speed limits on them.
Where the AU really excels is when the surface gets rough on the faster outback Australian roads. On some of these roads, I have had Toyota Corollas suffer from what I call "the supermarket trolley effect" where the car starts to bounce and become almost uncontrollable like a supermarket trolley does if you try to run with it across a car park. In an AU at the same speeds on the same roads you do not even know the road has an issue, it just glides over the roughness.
Yes. I used to live in the Goldfields in WA and I was amazed how my Falcon could drive hundreds of miles over the patched and deformed tarmac of the highways or corrugated gravel roads with complete composure. It is incredible the pounding that car took with no problems whatsoever.
Was watching this on my phone and continued listening while I left the house, got into my car and looked at the very location where Betty required a tail light fix . Cheers Ian, love your work.
Fog light mod is a stroke of genius
I'm happy to see you happy and sound again! Take care...
I have to say, you work very well with what you got at hand.
Good to see you on GMB this morning. We need to get rid of these awful 'smart' motorway lanes now! Let's hope those in power listen!
Sitting in my au wagon, having a lunch break on a roadtrip getting parts for my ba falcon and watching this is great.
Great video, Ian. Thanks very much. Lovely views from the car, really giving us an idea of how she rides. Betty's not ugly, she has worn really well as modern vehicles have just become a uniform boring style.
Built to be robust and reliable.
What a concept! I think the car is very stylish and the will be embraced as time goes on making it a rare modern classic
Despite their radical front treatment, they do look very distinctly Falcon to my eyes at least.
The headlights work really well. I remember reading a reviewer mentioning that.
From the first time I saw this on your NZ video, I thought the styling was supreme. Some people are just thick - it's a fantastic designed car.
Well put.
I remember when the Series 1 AU first came out; lifelong Ford Falcon owners literally swapped camps overnight to Holden. The "New Edge" styling of the AU really was a massive 180 for Ford Oz.
The Series 2 was a bit better in the looks department, but the Series 3 really turned it around and is the most wanted here in Oz.
Ford Oz really turned the show around again when they based the BA off the basic AU structure- many Ford owners who jumped ship to Holden, jumped back to Ford again. I've owned 3 of the B Series (now have a 2014 FG XR6 series), my Dad still has his S3 AU XR8 auto sedan and its closing in on 300,000km (he has a wrecked S3 XR8 manual he wants to do something with).
The AU are a great car, despite how much shit gets put on them
AU was a good robust car but the VT Commodore was superior in handling as it had independent rear suspension. Hubnut says that the VT Commodore ute was "style over substance"...maybe, but it could still carry a fair load and was a MUCH better handler than the Ford, which had cart springs at the back.
@@tripsadelica the wagon and ute had leaf springs. The sedans, like Betty, had a live axle with coils, four trailing arms and a Watts link, like the Falcons had since the XE of 1982. Of course, the AU sedans also were available with at double wishbone IRS.
I have had both VT Commodores and AU and BA Falcons and still have an SY Territory. Yes the VT rode a little better but the Ford had much better steering, IMO. The other thing is that the Ford straight six was much smoother than the VT 90deg V6. The GM 4L-60 gearbox had very low 1st and 2nd gears and a big gap to 3rd. Kickdown from 4th to 2nd was pretty savage and thumped into gear. The BTR in the Ford had a higher 1st gear and closer ratios, so the shifting was much smoother. Though I prefer the ZH 6HP in the Territory to either ;- )
@@tripsadelica ford had a better frount end set up with dual wishbone on the frount and coud be optioned with the same on the rear
The AU was originally slated to come with independent rear end standard but Ford changed their mind. Bad decision as it would have been clearly superior to Holden, and together with it's polarising styling, no wonder it trailed in sales.
Holden trialled the BTR four speed in two VX mules but nothing came of it. Maybe an unsatisfactory match with it's taller first gear.
@@jamesfrench7299 it was the introduction to irs on higher end models
I've really enjoyed learning about this car. I feel comfortable watching you drive around in comfort. 🙂
So happy to see you two reunited. Fine choice good sir. I live in NZ and love AU's, my last being an 02 XR6 in silver :)
Haha, It's funny you mention a PT Cruiser. I'm a Brit living stateside, and I plan on bringing my US PT Cruiser to the UK down the road once I've completed the Supercharger mod. Also, we have a nice watts link rear axle too! I should add I am actually originally from Herefordshire, so Elan Valley and Aberytwyth are kinda my former playground on my doorstep! So I love watching your videos from here in the US, helps with the home sickness for sure.
Our family own five AUs from two forte to three XRs. The best one was a XR8 Fairmont with the Tickford body kit. Already got offered four times what i’ll brought it for after doing the repairs on the boot area.
I really enjoyed your video, love seeing an Aussie Ford on the roads in the UK. Just a quick correction, the V8 engine option in the AU was a 5.0L V8, the 5.8 (351ci) was last available in the 1982 XE Falcon.
Correct. The final T Series (T3) had a 5.6L though.
As far as Fords go, this is one of the nicer looking cars they have made, I vouched to never own a Ford again after a 2 week ownership of a UK 53 Reg Ford Ka (Rust bucket) and a slightly better W Reg Ford Escort, which ended up being the most expensive in terms of repair bills of all cars I have owned. Honda Civics I have owned since were much better
But as for this lovely Ford Fairmont, it does look nice and has a nice story behind it, I can't blame Ian for buying it twice and importing to the UK.
The AU V8 was actually 5 litres. It was an imported American 302 which we tend to refer to as the 302 Windsor, since we also had a 302 Cleveland that was only made and used in Australia.
I remember being quite young and playing NFS Hot Pursuit 2 which featured the Ford TS50 as one of the starter cars (essentially a Tickford version of the AU Falcon) and thinking "What on earth is that?" Controversial styling indeed.
Yea I remember it on that game, but I'm a kiwi and knew what it was ,we all used to laugh that an AU was in that game with all the other exotic cars lol
I saw a TE50 recently on the M1 between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Immaculate condition too. A rare sight.
@@railtrolley Yea we got a TE50 at work once to pull apart a few years back in dark met blue, also had many SVO cars at work a couple of I think EL Hercules V8,yea nice cars lol worth a pretty penny these days ,The AU was a failure but fast-forward a few years, and they are a cult car now and one of the few rear drive cars that are affordable,fast and are great to drive sideways
I have an AU2 Fairlane , anniversary model, which is a mix of the Ghia and the Sportsman. Bought new in 2001 and recently clocked 500,000 Km with nothing done but servicing and wear and tear items. Still love it. Great comfort, with the longest one-day trip being 1467 Km, and achieved slightly under 10 Km/Litre, which is way better than around town consumption. The Fairlane in this guise has the Tickford VVT which works really well. We also had a Mondeo (1997) bought new, but in spite of being impressed with ride/ handling and general performance, the build quality left a great deal to be desired. Your Fairmont will handle better than you think, but watch your step if you turn off the traction control, when it gets a mind of its own in the wet under acceleration, as would expect with the low-down torque. Enjoy.
would love to own a fairlane im with the s3 fairmont ghia nearly bought one :D.. one day ill pick one up
Wish we still had the Falcons and Commodores in Australia, they were great value.
Blame the traitorous Liberal Government for "pushing our auto industry over the cliff!"
Blame the buyers who walked away and bought SUVs.
Except no-one was buying them. I’m a chauffeur and I’d give an eye tooth for a new Caprice or a Fairlane. Roomy, decently appointed, value for money, and virtually indestructible.
@@neilforbes416 blame Liberal all you want… Shorten wanted all car manufacturing to end - cAUsE cLiMaTe cHanGe …
Protectionism doesn't work. You can't stop buyers buying the cars they want. Truth is that big saloons were simply going out of fashion.
Love your videos, research, knowledge and presentation. Thanks, all the way from down under.
friend of mine's dad worked for IBM back in the early 80s and purchased a brand new Ford Fairmont in the states whilst out there on a two year work project.....he imported it back into the UK and i was in awe of the fact it had air conditioning.....even remember the number plate was BCR16V.....funny the things you remember :-)
Great video matey....and i love this AU Fairmont :-)
Totally unrelated to the Australian Fairmonts.
Great video Mr. Nut. Thanks. I went to Australia to see some family when I was young. I was amazed to be picked up from the airport by an oversized ford cortina!
Mr. Nut. That made me chuckle.
I can only presume the front was stuffed full of an earlier version of the Falcon engine, optional at the time over the four-cylinder versions. 😃
Brilliant ....love it when you do your histories ....such a good presenter
got my t-shirt and Betty magnet today, thanks Ian for the personal note on the back of the parcel
Saw you on tv this morning.
I agree as I am sure will a lot of other people regarding dumb motorways
My wife and my mum will not drive on them for fear of gutting stuck with no hard shoulder. Not only do they discriminate against disabled, old, very young people as well as fully able people. The people responsible for there creation should be up for manslaughter. All done to avoid the cost of making the motorways wider so lives over cost again. It's a bit like wrapping a building in flammable cladding.
Falcons are fantastic long distance cars. I’ve driven various different Falcons across Australia between the west and east coasts as well as north and south coasts. They’ve all been six cylinder automatic cars. The first was an 87 XF 4.1 with the 3 speed BW box. The rest have been various 4.0 litre 4 speed automatic Falcons up to the BA model. All of them easily did 120kmh all day long and would cover 1000+km between breakfast and dinner time.
I have had 3 Au cars , a new xr6, a wagon 2 years old which I had for 12 years, and an S, which was 20 yrs old and fine - I think they will go down in history as one of the greatest made fords, and in a few years will be worth heaps more as some go to car heaven.
Great car and fun review.
Only thing is they rust. Inexcusable for a car made in the 21st century.
I'd much rather a Camry with a VVTI four now.
Probably the best thing you ever did, bringing Betty home. Whereas another recent purchase mentioned here.......... not so much 🤦♂️
Seems to be super comfy - and I even like the design 😉👍
Awesome video, great to see you're spreading the Great Australian Miracle to the rest of the world.
As an aside, I'd love to see you review a Vauxhall Sintra, if there are any left in UK!
Forget the "Triangle of Doom" welcome to the "Quadrant of Obstruction".
The AU is cruisey car! It’s got a look that only a mom could love haha also without the spoiler it looks like a cockroach, glad Betty has one haha also agree with you on how Ford toned down their designs with the BA, it looks too conservative/executive haha my xr6 probably sits in between executive and sporty, the suspension is harsh which makes me miss the ride quality of my AU Fairlane tho, those drive like a cloud haha great video!
I remember reading in Australian Wheels magazine back when the AU Falcon came out, that it had been initially styled with more conservative styling, probably along the lines of the later BA's styling, but then decided to ad Ford's new edge styling to fit in with the KA and Focus.
The 'contour' Ford Tarus was sold here in New Zealand for a few years as an alternative to the Falcon and was surprisingly popular especially in wagon form.
I've driven the Taurus and it is a decent driving and handling car. Build quality is atrocious though!
Yes, I found a Taurus wagon at Horopito Motors!
A 21'St Car with 80's "Elevator Music"....I like it. I was recently given a '84 "K-Car"--a Yellow Station Wagon with Woodgrain AND a '76 Mercedes 450 SEL with the 6.9 V8. I always get given Cars this time of year....
Beautiful car absolutely love these cars well done mate
Love Betty always have since she first appeared on the channel she reminds me of the fords I drove in the USA and older fords here with some TLC she will be fantastic and already in your care Ian she is improving and will get better and better
I had one of those, a red one. The latter falcons with the Barra 6 turbo have been known to make 2000 streetable horsepower on registered cars here in Australia.
Another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts
It's such a shame that the Australian car industry gave up!!
When I was there in 2004, I was amazed at all these great Fords and Holdens. In general, I found these so much better than American cars, especially they always kept their "coolness" and true to the original values like RWD etc. while IMO American cars totally gave up on anything in the 1990s and early 2000s (save maybe some Chrysler/Dodge models). Maybe also a factor is that while US cars used to be really oversized and later were totally downsized, Australian cars just always hit that sweet spot in size ... big enough to make a whole family happy and proud, yet still fitting normal roads :)
Holden was so good that German Bitter even based his last-ever creation on a Holden model. Sadly, that Bitter was just grossly overpriced compared to the original base car so it didn't enjoy any success ...
Good to hear your impressions. Just the sort of thing I want to hear from an overseas perspective. I strongly believe they are impressive vehicles that had potential to be world wide hits.
OF course there is the linkage to the US with the origins of the Falcon which was a US 'compact' model that Ford Australia knew was the perfect model for Australia the moment they laid eyes on it (early suspension issues notwithstanding - the US spec was not strong enough for Australian conditions of the time). Chrysler Australia was also soon in the game, using the same concept, by taking the compact US Plymouth Valiant. Even for Holden, their earlier first design started as a smaller (cancelled) Chevrolet model that was then adapted for Australia, so was a compact car in the US sense before the US caught on to the concept! The Australian evolutions did grow over time, but not quite to full-size US, as Ian's AU demonstrates.
What a great history video on The Ford Fairmont AU given by Ian. Also for then giving us a review of Betty with her great wafting drive & handling. Here's to the next interesting video to come from Hubnut Ian.🙂🐲🐲🐲
One of the amazing things about Falcons is how many they made and how quickly they disappear to complete nothingness and suddenly you see none of them
How could you not love Betty? I love her looks btw. She looks exactly what she is, a big mile crunching cruiser. Imposing and magnificent.
I have had 2 Falcon AU wagons. I drove right around Australia in one, sleeping in the very roomy back. Neither let me down, unlike Ian's Fairmont. Taxi drivers said that the Falcon was more reliable than the Holden Commodore, therefore cheaper to run. A very plentiful car in Australia, cheap and easy to find spares. The headliner is a big minus with them though.
You nailed it Ian, "It's all about the waft". I used to drive an AU in a rural setting for my job, lots and lots of twisty roads and my personal car was a Golf GTI and to drive the AU Falcon was truly horrible back in the day in comparison with the Golf, the Au was great on the freeway as was the Golf, but dangerous as all get out in the twisty bits, I actually ended up in a field on one occasion. So I was dead against the AU and the live rear end as yo have experienced, when it lets go, it bites hard. Then I was given a BA with IRS and later had a BA Wagon with a leaf rear and both were superior tot he AU and still had that waft. In truth the best Falcon for Europe is one fitted with the E-Gas Engine or the short lived Turbo 4, which are pretty rare now. Personally the E-Gas will probably be our restoration project with my son, just the best package.
Had the news on in the messroom this morning and suddenly I see you on there, hang on, that's Hubnut I thought, never knew your name was Ian.
It's great to see you grew so much of an attachment to our AU Ford.
Pretentious, non representative Australian motoring journalists weren't particularly encouraging of it to the market but nonetheless it sold extremely well to the people who knew what they wanted and knew the nature of the expected environment's the car would likely encounter.
Australian people,we didn't expect our home grown car's to have too much in advancement, just that they be robust, reliable, roomy with power. The AU Ford had its work cut out from the outset by it's radically different styling in step with the then current global styling inclination, and worse still... also after the release of the exceptional, all new bodied VT Commodore the year before.
Badge parochialism played a reasonably fair part undoubtedly too in AU sales, but the AU Ford has proven to be of the same durable, dependable,trusty Falcon as any before it have.
Fairmont too, you have a great car there mate.
As an English/Welshman you have summed up the Aussie Ford Falcon well. The AU, particularly in base Forté trim, is a somewhat challenged design but it does soften as you move up the trim level. You are correct, they are now becoming collectable as the general style has softened with age and familiarity.
I thought for a long time that the AU series II and III have actually aged much better than I originally thought. Particularly the exterior, the interior not so much.
Of course Mercedes Benz liked it so much, they stole the design for the original CLS sedan!
@@Martin2153 They still look so fresh. Ford interiors have always been weak.
All the great adventures with Betty in NZ are now continuing in the UK.
Yeah, so the big Aussie cars are simple but great cruisers and towing vehicles, which is exactly what they were built for. It's great to see an Aussie-built, Kiwi-market Fairmont is now in the UK - nice rear fog light conversion as well.
I have a 2007 BF Mark 2 Fairmont - its a heavily revised later version of this car, the engine is the Barra 190 that makes 190 kilowatts or 254 horsepower with very strong torque of 383 Newton Meters. That engine REALLY goes if you put your foot down - its almost like a budget BMW M5 E34! Totally underrated car, they don't make them like they used to!
Indeed. I drove a BA Turbo in NZ. Brisk!
@@HubNut The Turbo is a real rocket but i find the naturally aspirated 190 kw/254 Hp version is MORE than enough for any real world situation.
Simply brilliant. Cheers.
Fabulous car, Ian. Looks like the love child of a Ford Mondeo and a Volvo S60 / S80, depending on the angle you view it from.
CD player could be a filthy lens, or a sticky drive rail for the lens carrier, or, much like my uncle's recent DVD player repair I did, the spindle motor having given up from being used to the hilt... :)
Run a cleaner disc and see.
We had a 90s 2.9 Granada Ghia. A lot of how you describe Betty reminds me of that. The comfort, the waft, the cruising ability. That also wasn't made for cornering but for a different reason. Body roll. Would make you feel sick in the back if you did corner quickly. The seats were lovely. Your engine is definitely quieter and smoother than that was. Betty also looks a lot more modern. That H reg Granada looks a bit dated now. The Scorpio that replaced that shape Granada was what you would call incredibly ugly. Lucky they didn't try and sell that to the Aussie market! I love your passion for this car and how much it makes you smile.
Nice to see you on tv. How is Miss Hubnut driving going. 😀🚙🏴
Cheers. Sadly no driving has been achieved for months...
This AU Falcon looks American to this American! The interior also looks like something out of a Ford Taurus, with differences.
I understand why you like Betty as I do as well!
Here in the US we had the Holden Commodore rebadged twice; first as the Pontiac G8, then as the Chevrolet SS. And the Holden Monaro was the Pontiac GTO.
I always wished that Ford had brought the Falcons back to the states. They really made the straight 6 sing.
@@s.gossett5966 I wish they would make cars instead everything being fuel thirsty trucks.
It would have been nice to see this, and possibly it could have sold well here in the US.
I remember Lincoln touring Intec for its 32 valve V8 for the Mark VIII and Continental 20 years ago!
@@frothe42 I wish they would too. But it's our own fault as a nation. We aren't buying enough to justify making them. I prefer cars, but I am guilty if owning both a truck and an SUV too.
@@s.gossett5966 I do like EV'S, and recently rode on a Tesla Model 3, which was absolutely surreal.
I do not think we can make all vehicles electric, some will have to be hybrid.
I like a vehicle like the MK 1 Focus that you sit up high, good visibility, and good economy. Even better as a wagon (estate). Too many use their CUV/SUV like a station wagon, many are not practical, and I have a terrible time judging the right hand corners. Yes, you sit higher, but that height comes at a price, easier to tip. That is why they mandated stability control on truck based vehicles because they flipped to readily!
During the 2000s I worked for the NSW Valuer-General as a property valuer in Albury NSW on the Murray River, bordering Wodonga in Victoria. I drove (or should I say thrashed) AU Falcons all around the rural roads of central southern NSW. Some of these roads were and still are atrocious and rough as … . In the later 2000s I bought my own AUIII Futura, which I bashed about in the Holbrook, Gundagai, Tumbarumba and Tumut Shires, inspecting rural properties. After driving through some sections, farmers often said, shaking their head in surprise, “Heck, I had trouble driving my 4WD through there and you drove there in a standard Falcon?” I just took my time and looked for sections of the road that wouldn’t cause the car to bottom out on rocks. Lack of off-road traction and clearance were occasionally an issue, but I managed to get through.
I was however very cautious in wet weather when the normal road tyres just could not handle the slippery conditions.
I learned my lesson on a wet, slippery road in Urana Shire in the 80s when I just lost traction in a departmental poverty pack XD on a slimy, muddy track and slid into a table drain, without damaging the car. I couldn’t even park the car in the middle of the road, as it just slid sideways into a ditch. Very fortunately a farmer found me half an hour later and pulled me out with his tractor. Needless to say, after that I stayed on the bitumen until the roads dried.
My first car was a 1976 XB Falcon, full of rust with crappy vinyl seats. The 250 CI straight 6 motor was just awesome. Had to sell it in ‘87 to help finance my honeymoon. I didn’t mind having to drive my wife’s new ’86 first of the FWD Corollas.
My next Falcon was a brand new 2012 FG XR6 with the legendary Barra motor straight off the showroom floor. I really enjoyed that car with various misadventures, like totalling the front end on a wombat, then being speared by a steel rod from a semi trailer on the Hume Highway at Bargo.
I had enough misadventure with the FG and traded it in on an FGX XR6 turbo. That thing was an absolute bullet! The brakes however were a huge disappointment. Then I lost my job, couldn’t keep up the repayments and had to surrender it to the bank.
Now I drive a hail-pitted 2013 Mazda 3 2L, which goes really well. But I miss my FGX 🙄
ABS modules tend to fail on the BL Mazda 3 , there aren’t cheap to fix properly. You’re best getting it reconditioned, then taking a gamble on a used one from a wrecker. An s/h one failed me 7 months later.
@@paulsz6194
Thanks Paul for reading all the way through my adventures. Fortunately the ABS on my Mazda 3 is given me no cause for concern. I only issue now is lack of funds and next to no brake pads left. My next full service will leave a large hole in what is left of my bank account.
@@OzCrusader Ok, but the ABS is a ticking time bomb set to go off.. Mine went off at 322K. Some people have theirs go earlier. The other thing is the transmission control module (TCM) it’s mounted on top of the AuTo trans, so it soaks up the heat from the trans case, which kills the module over time. There is a video here on YT of where to relocate it to prevent its death, or relocating it after you’ve replaced it.
certainly the FG XR6 would have been a fun car! I got to drive one 11 yrs ago as a rental .
@@paulsz6194 The Barra motor (especially with the turbo) is a legend.
AU’s are the new collectable. The demand has been slowly building for them over the last couple of years. Esp S3’s. Quite a vew vtechs are running at the drags with 1000hp motors. They are pretty strong in basic form.
Nice review of an interesting car. You've bought something (twice) that belongs to a rare class these days, I think this is old school bulletproof 👍
Good zinger about the roads in Lincoln. Thankfully you weren't hurt and Betty survived only slightly scathed.
I was a bit surprised at your characterization of the Taurus as ungainly. When they first came out, the Taurus and its Mercury version, the Sable, were huge successes out here in North America, in good part because of their modern looks. People, myself included, loved them. To be consistent, I also quite like the looks of your Falcon.
I'd actually really like a Taurus wagon. I think it'd make a fine stablemate for Betty.
The 1996 Taurus sold in Australia was a one year disaster. Kept the Falcon in production since the market would not accept the Taurus as a Falcon replacement.
Both the styling and the change to front wheel drive with a smaller three litre V6 and the build quality and reliability.
The 1996 oval styling help the Camry surpass the Taurus in US sales. A big boost for Toyota in the US.
I owned an 2000 AU Fairmont in the same colour, but I optioned mine with IRS.
My dad had 2002 au Fairmont it last for up to was i 8 to 18 years . I remember the lift had in the back when i was kid
plus the transmission was perty good .
Great review mate. The love you show for your AU is obvious. And there are very few of us Aussies who could lay claim to buying the same AU twice! Would like to know how many locals over there come up and ask you what it is. BTW the vast majority of V8s in the series were of 5.0 litres capacity with Tickford producing a 5.6 litre.
Yes the styling was very controversial and polarising at the time - and they failed miserably in sales against the Commodore. But they are gaining a cult following here now. Even my 16 year old son has these on his shortlist of first cars. Cheers.
Sadly, most people don't even notice it! They just assume it's a Mondeo. Very depressing.
lol as much as you try to dislike it, she just grows on you :D. I have the 2002 Ghia model and absolutely love it. has woodgrain, leather seats ands the ac vents in the middle and stereo area has the woodgrain trim as well. car always gets me home. excellent on fuel on the highway. :)
I had a 2001 Falcon Forte base model with accessories pack like alloy wheels spoiler and side skirts it was white with black interior was a nice car sold it to buy an e34 Bmw five series and had falcons prior and after since so comfortable and great on long journeys these cars and will be sorely missed
my AU Fairmont wagon is just over 5.0metres long. I have found that different tyres totally change the handling of it. The Chinese tyres I have on it now are terrific.
Hate to sound like a tosser but scrap the Chinese tyres - you want proven performance. Better brands last longer with improved handling and braking. Worth the extra money.
The 5.8 liter v8 stopped with the xe series falcons as well as the 302 / 4.9 liter what you got with the au series was a 5.0 liter fuel injected v8
I've seen au falcons with ba front end conversion. I do love the falcons, despite being weird looking, the au was excellent to drive. I have a ba though, go the mighty Barra
I haven't unless it was a wagon. Having a BA front with the AU sedan rear would look so wrong.
BA front looks so bland now and not aerodynamic and artistic looking like the AU.
I passed an AU sedan with a Fairlane front at nighttime recently. That also looked wrong.
Just saw you on GMB .. Excellent interview about smart motorways Ian
Can you do a video about smart motorways in the future it would make great content
Great video, I love the pleasure some cars bring you. I enjoyed the Kei/mug reference too. How about importing a 1990 - 1994 Mercury Capri and towing it home from the port with Betty as Aussie buddies? I would definitely be up for helping out with such a caper...
There are a few Capris here in the UK!
@@HubNut The 90 to 94 Mercury Capri cars were Australian developed and built but Mazda front wheel drive based two seater convertibles. Ford Australia and government had high hopes for these but the Miata MX5 sold much better. Some confusion perhaps because they reused the Capri name?
US Mercury Capri ;
ua-cam.com/video/jgnZkqnooe0/v-deo.html
Australian Ford version :
ua-cam.com/video/f3m7rgcoJ1w/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/sBeUjn2T8hU/v-deo.html
@@johnd8892 The real problem for the Capri was that Ford Australia gambled that a driver's airbag would not become mandatory in the US. They got that wrong and the additional time they took to get it right (their first-ever airbag model) pushed the launch date beyond the MX-5's which meant it only ever occupied it's shadows. If Ford had the market to themselves for even a little while it may have been more successful, although the MX-5 is a way nicer packageall-round.
Hi from New Zealand, great cars and a better build quality than the Commodores,Iv had XW,XA,XB.XC falcons. a couple of EL and iv still a XR6 Manual EL in Snow White ,worked at a Ford Dismantlers for many years and would have stripped a couple of hundred AU of all descriptions,solid cars that just chew up long distances with ease or out and hit the backroads for some drifting,my EL has a tight LSD lol,Easy to fix ,very capable performance wise and best of all Rear wheel drive.
Ian from an Australian point of view this and it GM competitor where what we needed to cover huge distances. The caravan has moved on and for whatever reason Australians are choosing "trucks" including the wet dream Dodge Ram type nightmares about as reliable as a Ford Edsel. Think from looking at the driving you do and the load carrying you probably need a Subaru estate (is it still called an Outback in UK?). This ticks all your boxes as far as I can see including superb roadholding, particularly good for Welsh lanes and B roads. Be careful though as they don't respond well to abuse and poor servicing so have potential purchases checked out by a specialist and wouldn't recommend the diesel. Keep up the good work on the channel. Love to see another Miss Hubnut Welsh vid maybe Carnarvon or Haverfordwest?.
The styling was something I never liked. My first company car was a AU s2 futura that I had for running around mascot/botany Sydney. Loved the torque and cruisie comfy nature of it. But the car had one major problem it was a Ford and I grew up in a Holden household, and I had a taste for Volkswagens. I Still own a Holden a VY series 1 One Tonner V8 S manual with 385,000kms on it. Plus 4 VWs a 2001 Bora V6 4motion, 2004 Passat W8, a 2017 Touareg V6 Tdi 180kw and a 2019 Amarok V6 ultimate. I still view the falcons and commodores fondly. Kudos to you buying Betty twice and then shipping her from the other side of the world that takes a real love of the car.
Great video as usual. If you're ever in Liverpool with the Fairmont I'd love to restore that near side headlight for you over a brew 👍🏻
Cheers. I've buffed it up before with good results, but should have clear coated it. Hasn't lasted well.
@@HubNut Clearing it will bring it's own problems. Just keep buffing it. There are special kits available. Better still see if you can replace them as the sun damage isn't as bad up your way, so it should last.
An extremely well put together potted history of the Falcon and the Australian big car market in general. A couple of little spec errors (mainly in relation to the V8s) but you really nailed it in so many ways. I had a VT and three AU IIs as company cars back in the day. The AU II was a better car than the VT in so many ways in my opinion. We even won a car rally in one of those AUs as well! A great car on dirt roads and could be punted quite quickly. An AU II also dragged my Commodore rally car all over the countryside for many years.
BUT........Who on earth would leave the Falcon auto in Eco mode???!!!! :-)
Ha! Cheers. Have you seen UK fuel prices? ;-)
Tremendous video Ian. Did the traction control help when you were stuck on the beach in New Zealand 🤭
Shhhh!
It certainly didn't help when he got stuck on Llanrhystud beach. 😅
Waft is it i like my soft drive 2007 c4 picasso reminds me of my old ford granada 2 litre injection nice sofa drive ... not like rock hard suspension . Excellent Ian kerp it up ,Neil
Very impressed with the Fog light using the reversing light on the drivers side , I was wondering how you got past that requirement with out adding an ugly extra light.
Many cars over here have singles with the fog light on the offside, including my Peugeot.
@@rayjennings3637 yes that is the European way , my Kia Proceed GT uses the same scenario
@@geezavictoria7089 My Mitsubishi Outlander also and that's for the Australasian market, so must be British spec we receive.
Yeah I noticed that too. Nice mode. I also like that you can't tell when the light is off.