Ex Ford service employee here. I saw the brand new AU come through and then the BA. You guys really have nailed everything about the AU! It's a real testament to how thorough your channel is. Great work guys. Fun facts- the AU was literally designed to be a taxi. They called it 'AU' as this is the periodic symbol for gold. It cost ford 14k to make an AU from start to finish.
I did not know that , but it doesnt surprise me , they where solid cars , if ever you talk to taxi drivers ,and i love to hear their thoughts on cars , , they will say they loved the Au , but the B series was horrible , always in the workshop for something .
As a Malaysian that studied in Melbourne and drove an FG Falcon XR6 for 4.5 years, it is a bloody awesome car ! Thanks to the Falcon I've been hooked to Ford ever since
Why is it necessary to state your nationality and where you lived when you drove an FG Falcon? I don't think it offers you any more credentials and anyone else lol.
I believe he was simply explaining that he was from a place where cars like this do not exist, so for him the driving experience was a treat. Nothing unusual about that.
Inherited mums AU. Running on 5 cylinders, exhaust stuffed, brake shedder etc. Brakes 200 bucks, coil pack 150, new muffler 300, found a fairmont ghia interior for 400. Drives beautiful now. These things are indestructable!!
I've got an xr8 and I love it. I had the clutch pedal cage bend from the firewall flexing so had to weld the whole thing up. Other than that, had no real issues. Can't wait for an xr8 review, lots of people in the au club would love to lend you one. Keep up the good work.
The spot welds on the scuttle panel also fail, with the flexing of the clutch and brake pedal loads. This is a source of water leaks into the driver footwell. I had this problem in my AU XR8. Welded in a reinforcement plate for the clutch cable and drilled and plug welded the scuttle panel spot welds. All fixed. Alas, it was rear ended in 2016, at about the time when they were least valued. Written off and I'm still sad.
My dad bought a Fairmont Ghia new back in the day. He used it to tow his large boat. He did over 300,000 km with it without a single problem. The thing just wouldn't die, and he ended up selling it to his fishing buddy and bought a BF Falcon, which was just as impressive.
My mates dad had an AU with around 120k from new that had severe rust problems from towing his boat and the salt water from the boat ramp rusting it up. We turned it into a demo derby car. Didnt handle the carnage as well as we thought it would
When I started working as a Taxi mechanic the entire fleet was AU 2 and 3 Falcons with the occasional Avalon. Man these cars always bring back memories. Some good, some bad. Preferred these with all there faults over the BAs (Rear diff bushes ugh). Actually bought an ex taxi and rebuilt it when I worked there. Awesome cars and great for road trips. I was also the only guy there with long and skinny enough arms to reach the coil pack and bolts without removing anything lol. Still kinda get the urge to buy one every now and then.
Same memories here and I also owned one. Seemingly much more enjoyable to drive over a BA and the AUs seemed to deal better with interior plastics. BAs kept having broken inner grab handles, broken driver's seat frames as well as a weaker version 4 speed transmission.
I am interested, I haved owned both the AU and the Avalon's. I loved how quiet and refined the avalon was for it time. How did find the Avalon 1mz-fe? I don't think I have seen an example that went over half a million km where the AU and BA did it easily.
@@chadrilcon1024 I have owned EA, EF, EL, AU, BA, BF and a Mk3 Avalon. As far as taxi fleets go, the Avalons were well regarded and actually saved a bit of money, compared to the BA series specifically. With regular oil changes, the V6 in the Avalon would easily reach 350,000 kilometres, but you're right that not many are seen with half a million km. Turning circle in the Avalon was quite poor, but they were smooth and quiet, offering a long wheel base comfortable ride. Handled well.
I used to gas aircons and do alternators and starter motors on EF/EL/AUs Taxis as a summer job. An EF or L with an EA’s 3.2 and 3spd wasn’t unusual to see but that died out when the AU became part of the fleets with the occasional VT which never lasted like a Falcon. Springs or a bungee cord on the airbox lid for lpg backfires will be burnt into my memory forever 😂
Coming up on 6 months ago, I was given a bargain basement crap example of one of these for a long term loan; after my "more reliable" Nissan catastrophically failed. It's actually infuriating how reliable its been, given the deficit in love it receives compared to the rest of the cars in the stable. One of the wheel bearings got a little squeaky and I was able to fix it just by turning the stereo up.
Taxi drivers liked the AU as they could get very high millage out of them with good maintenance, Rust will probably kill it before the engine gives out. Commodores of this age have allot of problem too and allot of them have been flogged and driven hard
Nostalgia is the reason i think a lot of young adults will buy these. Their parents drove them. Falcons, Commodores, Avalons, Camrys, they were the 6 cylinder family car weapons.
Give that some Hellyeah! i drive a 2001 AU fairlane with the VCT. Super comfy and Ridiculous Powerful AF and can fit all my guitars, amps, slabs of beer, work stuff, whatever in the boot. have had the car for 15 years now and it's great, i can fix it myself if something goes awry because it it so easy to troubleshoot and work on. if i had to get a new car i would get another one. nothing does it better than the AU
I am one of the few weirdos who has always liked the looks of the AU both inside and out. 😄 In fact it is my favourite of all the Falcons. Sadly I have never owned one. I had one of the last EL sedans ever made which was awesome and currently own a BF RTV ute. I have never understood the low esteem that many people have for Falcons. As you state in this review they are very well suited to Australian conditions being comfortable long distance cruisers while also being very durable and generally cheap and easy to fix. That low esteem has been good for me though as it has meant that Falcons have been ridiculously good value on the used market.
I have had a el on club for for almost half a year now and it's been great. I was tossing up between an early au or the el for club plate prospects but the el was cheaper then the aus I looked at. My dad has a ba rtv it is possibly the best car for camping ever it just hauls and hauls
Going by all the young people I see driving Falcons these days, I think that's over. It's a shame most of them are absolute twats. They make Holden Commodore drivers look good and that's saying a lot.
@@jamesfrench7299 There are two kinds. Burn out kids with sedans and povo kids with wagons that wouldn't dare waste an ounce of fuel, rubber or car. That said, where I live, there's only one kind of young Commodore driver.
I am a bit of a ford and motorsport nerd. And if memory serves, Geoff Polites commissioned the AU, specifically for V8 Supercars. He wanted a car that would destroy Holden and win the championship. The chassis was tuned by ford motorsport in Michigan. What was its downfall was that when teams got the car, they couldn’t tune the chassis. Don’t forget no project blue print or car of the future yet so no jig for these cars. Ford teams like Stone Brothers, DJR and Brad Jones Racing, yes he raced Fords, were unable to get the thing to turn in and under steer was a nightmare on track. As a road car though the race tuned chassis was a dream and drove like it was a much more expensive car. The AU was a dud on the track bit a huge success for the punter driving around town.
Dude if you hate ovals, be thankful you never had to deal with a late 1990s Taurus. Those interiors made the one in the Falcon look absolutely crisp by comparison.
We got them, probably because Ford HQ was hoping to avoid having to redesign the Falcon one more time. Took about three years to sell the initial shipment and the AU went ahead.
I myself had a AU one ton ute, 7n years of absolutely zero problems, have bought two more Falcons since and again only one problem , seal on power steering failed on the second, I've had the current car 7 years FGX zero any major problems, one minor, chimes dont function, needs dash printed circuit looked at. I have loved every Falcon I've owned.
If I was Drive I would consult another mechanic, he gave a BS review on the Mazda 6 diesel skyactive engine and yet John Cadogan Australia's foremost motor engineer gave it a stunning endorsement
I've had 3 NU (AU) fairlanes , 2 of which were ex silver service cabs , one had 1.2 million kms on it and neither of them mist a beat . I've now got a decease estate, series 2 NU (AU) 270,000 kms and it's a super nice and reliable car. Ive had it 4 years now and you know, I really don't want to update lol
I have the AU Fairlane Ghia tickford engine with VCT & tickford wheels. It has been very reliable. I think the mechanic was a bit harsh. Its also very reasonable to fix (cost wise parts are cheap). Comfort is good especially for tall drivers.
He just likes to shit on Aussie cars. The power steering pump issues are common in all Falcons with it fitted though. Even new ones will start making noise after a couple of months, so you just get used to it and just keep an eye out for when they start to leak. So much so that auto electricians will not warrant an alternator if the cause of failure is a power steering leak and will explicitly write this on receipts. They are however still cheap to source parts for and if in a real bind many wreckers still have a couple out the back to grab parts off.
In the mid to late 20teens every AU at Pickles salvage was $200 or less, and there were heaps of them up every week. Sadly, most went to the scrappies on auto bid at minimum price, and you knew they'd just get crushed as is. I bought a few to part out, and a couple to fix and reuse, just to save good parts from being squashed really. Some were in really good condition and had ridiculously minor damage but were just written off by the insurers. But at the time it seemed like the supply was infinite, so no-one valued them.
Definitely an iconic car and one I wouldn't complain about having in my garage if I had the money lol. For a 20 year old car they still look good even today compared to most other cars out there today. Something tells me that Hullsy isn't a fan of drifters lol 😂 Great work as always guys and look forward to seeing what you have in store for us Sunday so keep up the good work 👍.
I inherited an AU III SR through the family and its was my favourite car ever. Beautiful and rewarding to drive. Comfortable and practical and it was super reliable. Fuel economy definitely didn't age well into the $2 per litre era. As much as the looks were hated on at the time and for some models, deservedly so, i feel it still looked contemporary today and i enjoy the shape of it.
Ive owned three AU Falcons.Two utes and one sedan.Two sixes and one manuel V8 in the ute.All the issues described in the review l have never had with any of my AUs.And you will probably find the ones that do have issues are the ones that have been flogged to within an inch of there life(which is probably a lot of them)not the ones that have full service histories,one owner,allways garaged and under 100k.If you get one like that most of the problems mentioned in the review can be completely avoided.
Without watching a single minute of the video, No, you should not buy one, as most of them as thrashed, and even the ones that are still in good condition are generally in need of thousands of dollars of work.
Here to help the algorithm. Video is actually 100% spot on. Au SR iii for the past 14years/ 300,000kms on lpg. Still going strong for a beater sh!tbox.
What a great video guys. My first car was an AU2 Fairlane. You guys nailed the points here! The nicest interior by far though (materials wise) was the Howe Leather Interior that was an option on Fairlanes but standard on the Sportsman. Super supple and soft and didn't heat up us much in the sun. A common issue you guys missed on the VCT is the O Ring in the VCT Solenoid Leaking and stopping the VCT from working. I remember changing mine every 40k KM or so. That premium sound system in the AU2 is also one of the best sounding stereos in it's time. Keep up the good work guys! P.S. Thanks for the Wipertech link. I've used it twice now on my wife's car and on mine
After owning a 4 speed AU Forte and now a 5 speed AU XR6 VCT, this review is very accurate. Great to see the car is getting serious attention and not just a meme/skid car appeal. Hope you get to feature an AU XR manual too. The quad headlights, bodykit, and lower ride height on bigger wheels all but solved the looks issue. You could get a smaller/thicker Momo steering wheel. And the 5 speed combined with the 3:45 LSD really makes the most of the modest power on the street!
Had a manual AU1 XR6. This thing was pretty quick. Did the full exhaust, snuck in a hotter cam then had the firewall split during a run at WSID. It was a great car, comfy, plenty of punch when you needed it. Nothing else that wasn't self inflicted broke on it either. Was really reliable.
My daily driver is a AU S2 ute " Marlin" edition, not a bad car, rust in the sills, over heating problems and wobbly front end, I'm taking it off the road soon for a full rebuild.
I remember these being absolutely shit canned for their, let’s say unique design on launch. Apparently a bit too weird looking, but design wise had a very low coefficient. Yet within maybe a couple of years Mercedes Benz launched I think a C Class which was scarily similar & received fantastic reviews for its design.😵💫
Some of the best drivers cars from that era- (late 90s early 00s) And (except for the Magna) fairly collectable. AU3 Falcon XR8 manual Magna VRX manual Magna VR AWD Tickford TE50 5.6lt VX/VY HSV GTS
My 1st was a '67 HR Special I purchased for $600 in 1978. It was a heap of junk, full of rust, drums all round, generator and 3 speed crash box. From then on ive been a Ford fan and my favourite was the Ford Fairlane Ghia AUII six. Three months ago I bought a dirt cheap 2005 WL Caprice 5.7L LS1 with 330,000km on the clock and I must say Holden had moved on just a tad from 1967. Not a spot of rust anywhere, no leaks, squeaks or rattles, interior like new, brales pull up smooth and straight, suspension is still tight and steering is straight. All I've needed to do is replace both headlights (crumbling cases) and the A/C expansion valve and condenser. Now my loyalty is split. Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Toyota, Renault, Jaguar have done little to convince me that it was the quality of lical manufacturing that brought down Ford and Holden in Australia.
Sheer driving pleasure. For real though. The AU is actually a very well built and engineered car. The styling took a dive though. The rear IRS is so much better than the BA-FGX. No idea what happened to the later series and the arse end wanting to drop out.
@TheWretchedWorld 3 diff bushes was replaced when I had an XRT. It was finally fixed/sort of using aftermarket diff hat. I'd love to have an AU IRS in the FG. Far more refined.
imo the AU is the automotive equivalent of the old couch that's been in the family for ever. It's comfortable, reliable and cheap. yes it'll degrade its life away but an absolute unit until it rusts to pieces
I just finished sealing up my timing chain tensioner as well haha. Also one the bolts holding the power steering bracket on goes through the timing cover and can often cause a leak. You’ll have to remove this to fix the tensioner anyway. You can use a shorter bolt (or shorten the original by 16mm the width of the bush in the bracket) with a copper washer and punch out the bush in the bracket. Much better than removing the sump and timing cover to do it properly which is a lot more money and time. 😊
If I remember correctly, the first few 1000 of these delivered to fleet purchasers were plagued with problems… the companies threatened to return them if Ford didn’t rectify all the issues.
I had a Ford Taurus which was way uglier than the AU and was rubbish in just about every way. The big Aussie car was so much better than the US equivalent.
i remember when Ford America wanted to replace the Falcon with the Taurus to make a one make global platform to increase profits, Aussie Ford fans were like "a Fwd Banana? yea nah mate we're right thanks" lol
Dave needs to do safety tech for every review!! Had an AU with the whale tooth grill....ugly af but ripper car. Only issue I ever had was a solenoid on the trans needing replacing to stop jerky shifts.
Used to have one driving Kal-Perth for years. Hands down the best long haul bitumen road vehicle ever. Shat all over the commodores. Best ride ever made.
Had an AU series 1 as a work car Year's ago it was an ex Taxi from Country NSW nearly 700,000 on the clock & it was the most reliable car , couldn't kill it , everything was worn out on it but it just kept going & everything worked on it Aircon was ice cold , it had oil leaks & all the usual stuff but it never stopped it , amazing old car it was such a shit box but so good at the same time 👍
The early series 1 also had problems with air-conditioning. The lines were too small and particles often got stuck in them. Series 2 they fixed this problem. My AC never lasted more than 6 months before having to have it fixed. They AC place (Red Devil) said it's very common and they had to fix many taxi's and government cars by replacing the lines. I never bothered and eventually lived without having AC. As you mentioned the rotors would warp but this can be fixed with better discs. I asked around for what the best were and got them at SuperCheap and Ford fitted them. No other problems than that. Mine had an external gearbox oil cooler as it had the heavy duty towing package. Yes it was basic (Forte), with optional ABS which is really needed in such a big heavy car. Couple months later they came with front power windows, mine had crank windows. Handling was OK, eventually I upgraded the front shocks as mine were done and very bouncy. They are very nose heavy and tend to nose dive on landing so take it easy going over sharp crests on dirt roads.
It's always been a case of - If you want a large sedan for day-to-day to the shops/school run/work, you get a Commodore. If you are doing any kind of SERIOUS milage and/or towing, particularly on the highway, you get a Falcon. Think about how many Commodores you ever saw as a cab, versus how many Falcons you saw doing it. I currently drive a 2005 BA Mk II ute with over 400k on it and she's never skipped a beat. One of my sons has AUs and is mad about them (yes he has a wicked bad mullet).
Had an AU2 Fairmont wagon as a company vehicle and what a bloody good thing that was to drive, company bought a few BF wagons when Ford announced that they were discontinuing the wagons and they were O.K but I still preferred driving the AU. I don't understand why everyone puts the Barra engine on a pedestal, yes they were more powerful then the intech & vct sixes that AU had but they were also heavier and the light, nimble steering of the AU was lost forever in favour of something that steered like a barge in comparison. Jim the mechanic seems to go on forever about the mechanical issues with the Falcon but as mentioned they are now 20 years old and a lot of the issues are just annoying reoccurring things. Some years ago I had a mate who upgraded from a used Falcon to a newer (but second hand) Subaru and at the time he kept going on about the build quality of the Subaru being so much better than the Falcon blah blah, but here's the thing, all cars wear out eventually as did the Subaru and the cost of repairs and maintenance spent on the Subaru was all but the same as the total cost of repairs to the Falcon during his ownership of it. That's the comparison, yes you'll be constantly spending smaller amounts of money fixing annoying reoccurring issues with the Falcon or a single larger lump of money on the Subaru when eventually it needs repairs, but of course it's the Falcon that gets lumped with the expression "I'm always throwing money at it".
Agreed. I can only compare what you said to my el and that thing handles much straighter and feels sharper then the ba my dad has. It's only a light or a switch that goes on a falcon. The engines run forever
I agree about the mechanic going on about the problems. I ve been driving AUs for the last 15 years. Covered over half a million km between 2 on them. I have had very few issues. The first one had 922000km, when I took it off the road. Current AU S3 has 380000km. Tail shaft centre bearing?
had one for uni driving frequently between canberra and sydney. great cruiser, still miss that 4L. had lots of fun working on the car, replacing belt, water pump, radiator, window motor, whole exhaust all bought off ebay. It is just such a simple car to work on.
They were designed by the Work Experience kid, but the mechanicals have decades of years of development all the way from the 250 crossflow, I have owned one for the last 15 years. Magical cars. Treated with care they just keep going.
I wish Ford, Mitsubishi, and Holden kept their factories in Australia. They didn’t need to churn out many cars; all they needed to do was to churn out low volume unique bonkers cars. This Falcon is an excellent example of Australian engineering.
I had an AU XR6 brand new in 1999 for 18 months and it's still a car I would love to own again. One of those things that at the time you wish you knew more and never sold.
My dad has an AU series 3 wagon he bought from our local Ford dealer as a demonstrator early in 2003, he saved a few thousand dollars, the car already had 2.000 kilometres up. Apart from a sagging roof lining in places, a quote of $400 made by an upholsterer to get it glued back up, dad hasn't bothered yet has used thumb tacks, and a couple of seals needing replacing under warranty, and the CD player stopping working years ago, and the coil pack needing replacing a few months ago no major problems and driving with a light right foot on the highway using around 8.3 litres/100 kilometres is pretty good. Keeping gunk from gathering around the seals at the top of the doors with a fine nozzled vacuum cleaner so that rain water can get away is important otherwise rust!
I remember reading a Ford guy commenting about the looks of the AU and he said it was designed so that its looks will grow on you over time unlike most cars that are good looking when first released but don't age well. After 26 years the AU is still fugly. How in the hell did the AU design get signed off? After the AU was released that was the end for Falcon taking top spot in the sales chart and I put that down to the AU being poorly designed. That being said I didn't know the AU suffered so many problems. I knew about the transmission cooler and the brake problems but the rust, engine and suspension problems I didn't know about.
Mate you forget that here in nz and in oz we got the god awful ford Taurus for a while and that sold shit loads in the US so ford tried to give the falcon a Taurus look…totally failed but luckily made it heaps better in the ba falcon.
Yeh, I had an AU Forte. Don't know what happened to it after I left it on the side of Pioneer drive near Dalton park Towradgi and walked away from the bloody thing. Was going around the bends and all of a sudden I saw a fireworks show coming from the front wheel somewhere. Two hundred metres later the front started bouncing me into the gutter, the bloody whole wheel and hub had collapsed and the wheel was at 45° to what it should be. Knew I should have checked to see what that grinding noise was for the last few months.
I've had tons of cars: turbo rotaries, V8s, high revving 4 bangers, hot hatches, turbo 6s. I inadvertently obtained an AU XLS V8 Ute in a partial trade for my XR6 Turbo. I cannot explain why, but I bloody loved the AU. I honestly can't put my finger on it, buy the driving and ownership experience was just.... Awesome for some reason.
I drove a Duel-Fuel AU Falcon... From 285,000km to 400,000km. It was a great car and absolutely wasted on me being 17-20. I still miss it now 14 years later
My bf07 lpg ute still going strong at 300k. Recenlty, replaced ignition switch, steering pump, pulleys & tensioner, harmonic balancer, ball joints but still a good truck to use. Paint going but its lived outside for many years.
Have had 3 of these over the last 15 years and have never had an issue with any of them. One did 500,000 KMs. One did 350,000 and the last one did 300,000. Best Aussie car ever built.
My partner had an AU2 wagon for 17 years with SFA trouble. Sadly it got rear ended and written off. It was so good it got replaced with a BF Futura wagon. It was an AU2 Forte without ABS. I am stunned that no one has come up with and started to produce an oil drip tray to fit between the P/S pump and alternator given that the problem of power steering pumps destroying alternators has existed since the first EA of 1988 right until the last FGX of 2016.
I've always loved the Tickford XR series. I had a AU XR8 Ute all black, it wasn't super fast but man did it sound so good in the manual. It did great burnouts and went through so clutches towing 1.5t for work everyday as well. It did so well for the life it had.
Had an au2 ute and traded it at 520000klms.Was dedicated LPG only from factory. When I bought it LPG was 30c a litre compared to 105c for e10 so even though used 15l/100 city was very cheap to run. Highway under 10l/100klms. Replaced rear wheel bearings once , brake discs twice alround, alternator because of leaking power steering hose connector, power steering pump worn bearing, auto transmission rear seal and thermo fans. When I sold it didn't blow smoke or use oil over 10000klm service interval.only used 5w30 mineral oil. Four kids all learnt to drive in it.
Mine has 530000km Still love it. Rust will kill it, has been extremely reliable and get incredibly good fuel consumption on the highway! I'd buy another before any new car.
My 15 year old son has sprouted a mullet and wants an AU ute as his first car. I was hoping you'd say not to buy one. He'll probably start wearing Stubbies next.
20 years old, bloody hell. Felt like it was just yesterday the AU and VT came out and everyone was puking over the sad, soggy, cheese grater faced AU. I reckon the design was about 10 years ahead of itself, looks alright now. Not the inside though. Just...yuck.
I remember this one as Ford TS50 from NFS Hot Pursuit 2, and back then, I really did like the design - it felt really modern compared to most 90s sports/exotic cars I used to see in the games and the scale models my dad bought me.
I got my first Ford in 1980, ZD Fairlane 351 an fell in love with Fords ..... now dack to the AU, got my first AU in sep 1998 Fairmont with the 4L Tickford, that was my wifes car, I got myself a 2000 AU Fairlane 4L, my wifes car was hit hard by a Nissan Patrol, I gave her my Fairlane and got a New AUll Fairlane 4L, 22 years later the wife is gone, the house is gone, my money is gone, I'm stuck with a 22 year old car and I love it. I do miss my 1 and only LTD 1977 P6.
Such a brilliant car! I love the AU I have had a few😅 they handle like a cruise boat but they are practical. I have also owned, FG Falcons and VF commdores, I they loved both for different reasons. There are only a handful of CARS that aren't equipped with diesel light truck engines that can do up a 1 million kms. The AU is one, anything with barra, one or two models of older Honda accords. I don't recall too many VT commodores getting up they're but I could be wrong. The Avalon's/SV20 camry 1MZ-FE would do half a million easily but they suffered too much from sludge build up I doubt too many would of made it to the million. The AU and VT had such impact on the market. Such a shame they're going extinct.
Anyone that got into a taxi when these when the AU would probably renege snaking your head on that stupid slopping rear door opening! Great review guys. Cheers Pat
You could tell an AU from 5 blocks away about 10 years ago due to the loud droning noise they all made from their completely rusted out exhaust. So glad they're (almost) gone.
mine has nearly 400k on the clock, runs smooth as, never had the head off just the manifold gasket replaced (factory issue). Doesn't burn oil either, it's crazy how well built the engine and drive train is on these. ask any old taxi driver and most will tell you the ford inline 6's, even back to the old crossflows were the king of km's.
i love mine, i'm turning it into the ultimate OEM+ au falcon, started as a Fairmont, put a fairlane/ghia interior in it, XR front end with patrol aftermarket halo outer and motorbike halo inner headlights, sits on a set of 14 inch staggered ROH hotwires on some MEAT tyres, low profile spoiler, s3 fairmont rear garnish, clear side indicators, big ol' exhaust and the best bit....??? a N/A+t barra ready to be swapped in. my bogan rocketship is nearly done
The Ultimate Driving Machine.
I'd buy a BF or FG. AU is cool though
The 4 litre tyre eater, or so I’ve heard.
Fuck yeah mate
The pride of Australia's once great industrial might.
😂
Ah, finally we reach peak ReDriven.
Just re-upload this every week and you'll get to a million subscribers within a year.
- owner of 4 AUs
😂😂😂Dude!
Absolutely spot on m9
I remember you from the Tomislav and the Fourth Stockie days, long ago
@@munnsie100 haha that's me - still kicking. :)
I’m with you.
Ex Ford service employee here.
I saw the brand new AU come through and then the BA.
You guys really have nailed everything about the AU! It's a real testament to how thorough your channel is. Great work guys.
Fun facts- the AU was literally designed to be a taxi. They called it 'AU' as this is the periodic symbol for gold. It cost ford 14k to make an AU from start to finish.
@rhyswoodman6781, do you know what ‘XA’ stood for? I do know btw.Cheers.
@@hackney7106 no I don't, I could just google it but tell me....?
@@hackney7106xtra awesome
I did not know that , but it doesnt surprise me , they where solid cars , if ever you talk to taxi drivers ,and i love to hear their thoughts on cars , , they will say they loved the Au , but the B series was horrible , always in the workshop for something .
Yeah I bought my AU2 about 10 years ago and I was told by my mechanic “they’re a good solid car much better than their successor”
As a Malaysian that studied in Melbourne and drove an FG Falcon XR6 for 4.5 years, it is a bloody awesome car ! Thanks to the Falcon I've been hooked to Ford ever since
Glad you had a great stay here and also got to enjoy an Aussie icon 👍🏻
Why is it necessary to state your nationality and where you lived when you drove an FG Falcon? I don't think it offers you any more credentials and anyone else lol.
I believe he was simply explaining that he was from a place where cars like this do not exist, so for him the driving experience was a treat. Nothing unusual about that.
@@whyyes6428 haha, 🤣 we don't get such cars over here hence, my satisfaction of it's engineering
@@ssadelaidian3811 well said buddy! Thanks.
Inherited mums AU. Running on 5 cylinders, exhaust stuffed, brake shedder etc. Brakes 200 bucks, coil pack 150, new muffler 300, found a fairmont ghia interior for 400. Drives beautiful now. These things are indestructable!!
They are a good car , you just have to do basic maintenance to them , which sadly is not always happening . .
I've got an xr8 and I love it. I had the clutch pedal cage bend from the firewall flexing so had to weld the whole thing up. Other than that, had no real issues. Can't wait for an xr8 review, lots of people in the au club would love to lend you one. Keep up the good work.
That’s a common issue with all manual Falcons. My XG ute did the same thing. Need to reinforce them like mad to prevent it from happening again.
Had my firewall crack during a launch at WSID on a run. Stuffed my run. Once it was welded up it was sweet.
malwood sells a metal flange that reinforces the pedal box and removes the stress on the firewall
The spot welds on the scuttle panel also fail, with the flexing of the clutch and brake pedal loads. This is a source of water leaks into the driver footwell. I had this problem in my AU XR8. Welded in a reinforcement plate for the clutch cable and drilled and plug welded the scuttle panel spot welds. All fixed.
Alas, it was rear ended in 2016, at about the time when they were least valued. Written off and I'm still sad.
The AU XR8 represents the pinnacle of ford styling.
Look at the V8 Supercars.
The AUXR8 is the best looking Falcon since the XC Coup
My dad bought a Fairmont Ghia new back in the day. He used it to tow his large boat. He did over 300,000 km with it without a single problem. The thing just wouldn't die, and he ended up selling it to his fishing buddy and bought a BF Falcon, which was just as impressive.
My mates dad had an AU with around 120k from new that had severe rust problems from towing his boat and the salt water from the boat ramp rusting it up. We turned it into a demo derby car. Didnt handle the carnage as well as we thought it would
300,000 k's without a problem??????
I'm not too sure about that.😂
Own A BF Ute And Luv It
@@robertvogt1527 you should be. the AU falcons are extremely bulletproof.
When I started working as a Taxi mechanic the entire fleet was AU 2 and 3 Falcons with the occasional Avalon. Man these cars always bring back memories. Some good, some bad. Preferred these with all there faults over the BAs (Rear diff bushes ugh). Actually bought an ex taxi and rebuilt it when I worked there. Awesome cars and great for road trips. I was also the only guy there with long and skinny enough arms to reach the coil pack and bolts without removing anything lol. Still kinda get the urge to buy one every now and then.
Same memories here and I also owned one. Seemingly much more enjoyable to drive over a BA and the AUs seemed to deal better with interior plastics. BAs kept having broken inner grab handles, broken driver's seat frames as well as a weaker version 4 speed transmission.
I am interested, I haved owned both the AU and the Avalon's.
I loved how quiet and refined the avalon was for it time. How did find the Avalon 1mz-fe? I don't think I have seen an example that went over half a million km where the AU and BA did it easily.
Just pull the airbox and not hard to reach the coil pack
@@chadrilcon1024 I have owned EA, EF, EL, AU, BA, BF and a Mk3 Avalon. As far as taxi fleets go, the Avalons were well regarded and actually saved a bit of money, compared to the BA series specifically. With regular oil changes, the V6 in the Avalon would easily reach 350,000 kilometres, but you're right that not many are seen with half a million km. Turning circle in the Avalon was quite poor, but they were smooth and quiet, offering a long wheel base comfortable ride. Handled well.
I used to gas aircons and do alternators and starter motors on EF/EL/AUs Taxis as a summer job. An EF or L with an EA’s 3.2 and 3spd wasn’t unusual to see but that died out when the AU became part of the fleets with the occasional VT which never lasted like a Falcon. Springs or a bungee cord on the airbox lid for lpg backfires will be burnt into my memory forever 😂
Coming up on 6 months ago, I was given a bargain basement crap example of one of these for a long term loan; after my "more reliable" Nissan catastrophically failed.
It's actually infuriating how reliable its been, given the deficit in love it receives compared to the rest of the cars in the stable. One of the wheel bearings got a little squeaky and I was able to fix it just by turning the stereo up.
Taxi drivers liked the AU as they could get very high millage out of them with good maintenance, Rust will probably kill it before the engine gives out. Commodores of this age have allot of problem too and allot of them have been flogged and driven hard
…was your Nissan’s failure CVT related?
@@lukeclifton4392 the 4 cylinders can fail at random
Stereos fix up a lot of things 😂
Nostalgia is the reason i think a lot of young adults will buy these. Their parents drove them. Falcons, Commodores, Avalons, Camrys, they were the 6 cylinder family car weapons.
Facts, I drive a vx out of nostalgia 😂
So some things boomers did were cool?
My favourite 6 cyl is the Magna. I have a huge soft spot for those 🤣
Give that some Hellyeah! i drive a 2001 AU fairlane with the VCT. Super comfy and Ridiculous Powerful AF and can fit all my guitars, amps, slabs of beer, work stuff, whatever in the boot. have had the car for 15 years now and it's great, i can fix it myself if something goes awry because it it so easy to troubleshoot and work on. if i had to get a new car i would get another one. nothing does it better than the AU
I am one of the few weirdos who has always liked the looks of the AU both inside and out. 😄 In fact it is my favourite of all the Falcons. Sadly I have never owned one. I had one of the last EL sedans ever made which was awesome and currently own a BF RTV ute. I have never understood the low esteem that many people have for Falcons. As you state in this review they are very well suited to Australian conditions being comfortable long distance cruisers while also being very durable and generally cheap and easy to fix. That low esteem has been good for me though as it has meant that Falcons have been ridiculously good value on the used market.
I don't think that I'd call you a weirdo. Have a look at the E class Benz that came out only a few years after the AU.
I have had a el on club for for almost half a year now and it's been great. I was tossing up between an early au or the el for club plate prospects but the el was cheaper then the aus I looked at. My dad has a ba rtv it is possibly the best car for camping ever it just hauls and hauls
Going by all the young people I see driving Falcons these days, I think that's over. It's a shame most of them are absolute twats.
They make Holden Commodore drivers look good and that's saying a lot.
@@jamesfrench7299 There are two kinds.
Burn out kids with sedans and povo kids with wagons that wouldn't dare waste an ounce of fuel, rubber or car.
That said, where I live, there's only one kind of young Commodore driver.
theyre my favourite too, and i own an FG... I do miss my au3 wagon. On the bright side my son has an AU2 sedan, so I get to drive that. :D
I am a bit of a ford and motorsport nerd. And if memory serves, Geoff Polites commissioned the AU, specifically for V8 Supercars. He wanted a car that would destroy Holden and win the championship. The chassis was tuned by ford motorsport in Michigan. What was its downfall was that when teams got the car, they couldn’t tune the chassis. Don’t forget no project blue print or car of the future yet so no jig for these cars. Ford teams like Stone Brothers, DJR and Brad Jones Racing, yes he raced Fords, were unable to get the thing to turn in and under steer was a nightmare on track. As a road car though the race tuned chassis was a dream and drove like it was a much more expensive car. The AU was a dud on the track bit a huge success for the punter driving around town.
it looks amazing as a racecar
Dude if you hate ovals, be thankful you never had to deal with a late 1990s Taurus. Those interiors made the one in the Falcon look absolutely crisp by comparison.
Lol had one of those in NY in 1997 as a rental....drove to Toronto and back...nearly fell asleep multiple times 😂. Bland af
@@jjjnout6778 It's the only car I've owned that I sometimes completely forget I ever owned.
I can remember the spy photos of a Taurus arriving in Australia. Nobody gaf.
We got them, probably because Ford HQ was hoping to avoid having to redesign the Falcon one more time. Took about three years to sell the initial shipment and the AU went ahead.
That was the longest "what goes wrong section I've ever watched" and the loosest Jim has been to date :) Love you work.
I myself had a AU one ton ute, 7n years of absolutely zero problems, have bought two more Falcons since and again only one problem , seal on power steering failed on the second, I've had the current car 7 years FGX zero any major problems, one minor, chimes dont function, needs dash printed circuit looked at. I have loved every Falcon I've owned.
If I was Drive I would consult another mechanic, he gave a BS review on the Mazda 6 diesel skyactive engine and yet John Cadogan Australia's foremost motor engineer gave it a stunning endorsement
I've got the flagship. A 99 5.0L LTD in black. What a beautiful car to drive. Just beautiful
Ooh, you should contact Redriven - yours is a fairlane AND a V8 AU!
I miss my AUII XR8 red ute. Great car. Only upgraded because of family.
My mother in law drive's a AU Fairmont V8.
I've had 3 NU (AU) fairlanes , 2 of which were ex silver service cabs , one had 1.2 million kms on it and neither of them mist a beat . I've now got a decease estate, series 2 NU (AU) 270,000 kms and it's a super nice and reliable car. Ive had it 4 years now and you know, I really don't want to update lol
Nu doesn’t exist. It’s just au.
100% even my ltd is AU not DU@mj_aussie_coaster_travels8310
I have the AU Fairlane Ghia tickford engine with VCT & tickford wheels. It has been very reliable. I think the mechanic was a bit harsh. Its also very reasonable to fix (cost wise parts are cheap). Comfort is good especially for tall drivers.
He just likes to shit on Aussie cars. The power steering pump issues are common in all Falcons with it fitted though. Even new ones will start making noise after a couple of months, so you just get used to it and just keep an eye out for when they start to leak. So much so that auto electricians will not warrant an alternator if the cause of failure is a power steering leak and will explicitly write this on receipts. They are however still cheap to source parts for and if in a real bind many wreckers still have a couple out the back to grab parts off.
Don't bother watching this. The answer is always yes.
In the mid to late 20teens every AU at Pickles salvage was $200 or less, and there were heaps of them up every week. Sadly, most went to the scrappies on auto bid at minimum price, and you knew they'd just get crushed as is. I bought a few to part out, and a couple to fix and reuse, just to save good parts from being squashed really. Some were in really good condition and had ridiculously minor damage but were just written off by the insurers. But at the time it seemed like the supply was infinite, so no-one valued them.
Definitely an iconic car and one I wouldn't complain about having in my garage if I had the money lol.
For a 20 year old car they still look good even today compared to most other cars out there today.
Something tells me that Hullsy isn't a fan of drifters lol 😂
Great work as always guys and look forward to seeing what you have in store for us Sunday so keep up the good work 👍.
Hullsy isn’t a fan of Aussie cars.
I inherited an AU III SR through the family and its was my favourite car ever. Beautiful and rewarding to drive. Comfortable and practical and it was super reliable. Fuel economy definitely didn't age well into the $2 per litre era.
As much as the looks were hated on at the time and for some models, deservedly so, i feel it still looked contemporary today and i enjoy the shape of it.
Ive owned three AU Falcons.Two utes and one sedan.Two sixes and one manuel V8 in the ute.All the issues described in the review l have never had with any of my AUs.And you will probably find the ones that do have issues are the ones that have been flogged to within an inch of there life(which is probably a lot of them)not the ones that have full service histories,one owner,allways garaged and under 100k.If you get one like that most of the problems mentioned in the review can be completely avoided.
Without watching a single minute of the video, No, you should not buy one, as most of them as thrashed, and even the ones that are still in good condition are generally in need of thousands of dollars of work.
Heresy. AU can't die
Here to help the algorithm.
Video is actually 100% spot on.
Au SR iii for the past 14years/ 300,000kms on lpg.
Still going strong for a beater sh!tbox.
What a great video guys.
My first car was an AU2 Fairlane. You guys nailed the points here!
The nicest interior by far though (materials wise) was the Howe Leather Interior that was an option on Fairlanes but standard on the Sportsman. Super supple and soft and didn't heat up us much in the sun.
A common issue you guys missed on the VCT is the O Ring in the VCT Solenoid Leaking and stopping the VCT from working. I remember changing mine every 40k KM or so. That premium sound system in the AU2 is also one of the best sounding stereos in it's time.
Keep up the good work guys!
P.S. Thanks for the Wipertech link. I've used it twice now on my wife's car and on mine
After owning a 4 speed AU Forte and now a 5 speed AU XR6 VCT, this review is very accurate. Great to see the car is getting serious attention and not just a meme/skid car appeal.
Hope you get to feature an AU XR manual too. The quad headlights, bodykit, and lower ride height on bigger wheels all but solved the looks issue. You could get a smaller/thicker Momo steering wheel. And the 5 speed combined with the 3:45 LSD really makes the most of the modest power on the street!
Hope you do more aussie cars in the future like the EL Falcon and the VT and VY Commodores
Had a manual AU1 XR6. This thing was pretty quick. Did the full exhaust, snuck in a hotter cam then had the firewall split during a run at WSID. It was a great car, comfy, plenty of punch when you needed it. Nothing else that wasn't self inflicted broke on it either. Was really reliable.
My daily driver is a AU S2 ute " Marlin" edition, not a bad car, rust in the sills, over heating problems and wobbly front end, I'm taking it off the road soon for a full rebuild.
That safety tech voiceover is GOLD! 👍😁
I would love to see the ba’s getting reviewed.
Or e series
Fantastic! More Australian content please. A long term ownership of Commodore, Falcon, Magna and Camry would be great.
Nothing an AU falcon can't do. Im sold
I remember these being absolutely shit canned for their, let’s say unique design on launch. Apparently a bit too weird looking, but design wise had a very low coefficient. Yet within maybe a couple of years Mercedes Benz launched I think a C Class which was scarily similar & received fantastic reviews for its design.😵💫
Correction: It was the CLS
Still looks like sh#t. The Holden-design team guys I knew at the time were pissing themselves
It's about the badge
Some of the best drivers cars from that era- (late 90s early 00s)
And (except for the Magna) fairly collectable.
AU3 Falcon XR8 manual
Magna VRX manual
Magna VR AWD
Tickford TE50 5.6lt
VX/VY HSV GTS
My 1st was a '67 HR Special I purchased for $600 in 1978. It was a heap of junk, full of rust, drums all round, generator and 3 speed crash box. From then on ive been a Ford fan and my favourite was the Ford Fairlane Ghia AUII six. Three months ago I bought a dirt cheap 2005 WL Caprice 5.7L LS1 with 330,000km on the clock and I must say Holden had moved on just a tad from 1967. Not a spot of rust anywhere, no leaks, squeaks or rattles, interior like new, brales pull up smooth and straight, suspension is still tight and steering is straight. All I've needed to do is replace both headlights (crumbling cases) and the A/C expansion valve and condenser. Now my loyalty is split. Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Toyota, Renault, Jaguar have done little to convince me that it was the quality of lical manufacturing that brought down Ford and Holden in Australia.
I like how this car is memed to being such an ironic status symbol within the last few years now lmao
Sheer driving pleasure. For real though. The AU is actually a very well built and engineered car. The styling took a dive though. The rear IRS is so much better than the BA-FGX. No idea what happened to the later series and the arse end wanting to drop out.
cost cutting, adopting control blade irs
@TheWretchedWorld 3 diff bushes was replaced when I had an XRT. It was finally fixed/sort of using aftermarket diff hat. I'd love to have an AU IRS in the FG. Far more refined.
Great review , please do a review on the escort on the hoist in the background.
I sense a love-hate relationship between Jim and the Falcon :D
imo the AU is the automotive equivalent of the old couch that's been in the family for ever.
It's comfortable, reliable and cheap. yes it'll degrade its life away but an absolute unit until it rusts to pieces
And covered in dog hair and stains of origins that you wish not to know.
I live old beaters.
When HQs were cheap I drove them. Now I drive a WH statesman cos they’re cheap and fun. Long live the Aussie beater!
I just finished sealing up my timing chain tensioner as well haha. Also one the bolts holding the power steering bracket on goes through the timing cover and can often cause a leak. You’ll have to remove this to fix the tensioner anyway. You can use a shorter bolt (or shorten the original by 16mm the width of the bush in the bracket) with a copper washer and punch out the bush in the bracket. Much better than removing the sump and timing cover to do it properly which is a lot more money and time. 😊
Idk what others think, but I think the au falcon has a very happy face. With the little smile on the bottom.
If I remember correctly, the first few 1000 of these delivered to fleet purchasers were plagued with problems… the companies threatened to return them if Ford didn’t rectify all the issues.
Police also sent the Series I cars back after brake failures.
@@GLxGLtaxi brake HWP Falcons weren't really addressed until the FGs. They were magnificent.
I had a Ford Taurus which was way uglier than the AU and was rubbish in just about every way. The big Aussie car was so much better than the US equivalent.
i remember when Ford America wanted to replace the Falcon with the Taurus to make a one make global platform to increase profits, Aussie Ford fans were like "a Fwd Banana? yea nah mate we're right thanks" lol
Should have been the other way around, but yanks have ego issues!
The yank equivalent would be closer to the Fairlane - the very highly regarded Crown Victoria as used by most police depts as cruisers.
"Vehicle Make Model | ReDriven used car review" 👍
Straight to the point I thought!
😂 minor typo… Bloody info didn’t save! Anyway, who needs to know what it’s called. The thumbnail is enough
@@ReDrivenOther acceptable titles:
The Greatest Car Australia Ever Made
Yall really have upped your production quality loved the newer style intro!
Dave needs to do safety tech for every review!! Had an AU with the whale tooth grill....ugly af but ripper car. Only issue I ever had was a solenoid on the trans needing replacing to stop jerky shifts.
Yes! The episode we’ve been waiting for!!
Of course buy an AU!
Used to have one driving Kal-Perth for years. Hands down the best long haul bitumen road vehicle ever. Shat all over the commodores. Best ride ever made.
Got myself a 1999 AU forte sedan. It had 135,000 KMS. Picked it up for $1900.
Love it
Had an AU series 1 as a work car Year's ago it was an ex Taxi from Country NSW nearly 700,000 on the clock & it was the most reliable car , couldn't kill it , everything was worn out on it but it just kept going & everything worked on it Aircon was ice cold , it had oil leaks & all the usual stuff but it never stopped it , amazing old car it was such a shit box but so good at the same time 👍
The early series 1 also had problems with air-conditioning. The lines were too small and particles often got stuck in them. Series 2 they fixed this problem. My AC never lasted more than 6 months before having to have it fixed. They AC place (Red Devil) said it's very common and they had to fix many taxi's and government cars by replacing the lines. I never bothered and eventually lived without having AC. As you mentioned the rotors would warp but this can be fixed with better discs. I asked around for what the best were and got them at SuperCheap and Ford fitted them. No other problems than that. Mine had an external gearbox oil cooler as it had the heavy duty towing package. Yes it was basic (Forte), with optional ABS which is really needed in such a big heavy car. Couple months later they came with front power windows, mine had crank windows. Handling was OK, eventually I upgraded the front shocks as mine were done and very bouncy. They are very nose heavy and tend to nose dive on landing so take it easy going over sharp crests on dirt roads.
It's always been a case of - If you want a large sedan for day-to-day to the shops/school run/work, you get a Commodore. If you are doing any kind of SERIOUS milage and/or towing, particularly on the highway, you get a Falcon.
Think about how many Commodores you ever saw as a cab, versus how many Falcons you saw doing it.
I currently drive a 2005 BA Mk II ute with over 400k on it and she's never skipped a beat. One of my sons has AUs and is mad about them (yes he has a wicked bad mullet).
Had an AU2 Fairmont wagon as a company vehicle and what a bloody good thing that was to drive, company bought a few BF wagons when Ford announced that they were discontinuing the wagons and they were O.K but I still preferred driving the AU. I don't understand why everyone puts the Barra engine on a pedestal, yes they were more powerful then the intech & vct sixes that AU had but they were also heavier and the light, nimble steering of the AU was lost forever in favour of something that steered like a barge in comparison.
Jim the mechanic seems to go on forever about the mechanical issues with the Falcon but as mentioned they are now 20 years old and a lot of the issues are just annoying reoccurring things.
Some years ago I had a mate who upgraded from a used Falcon to a newer (but second hand) Subaru and at the time he kept going on about the build quality of the Subaru being so much better than the Falcon blah blah, but here's the thing, all cars wear out eventually as did the Subaru and the cost of repairs and maintenance spent on the Subaru was all but the same as the total cost of repairs to the Falcon during his ownership of it.
That's the comparison, yes you'll be constantly spending smaller amounts of money fixing annoying reoccurring issues with the Falcon or a single larger lump of money on the Subaru when eventually it needs repairs, but of course it's the Falcon that gets lumped with the expression "I'm always throwing money at it".
Agreed. I can only compare what you said to my el and that thing handles much straighter and feels sharper then the ba my dad has. It's only a light or a switch that goes on a falcon. The engines run forever
I agree about the mechanic going on about the problems. I ve been driving AUs for the last 15 years. Covered over half a million km between 2 on them. I have had very few issues. The first one had 922000km, when I took it off the road. Current AU S3 has 380000km.
Tail shaft centre bearing?
had one for uni driving frequently between canberra and sydney. great cruiser, still miss that 4L.
had lots of fun working on the car, replacing belt, water pump, radiator, window motor, whole exhaust all bought off ebay. It is just such a simple car to work on.
They were designed by the Work Experience kid, but the mechanicals have decades of years of development all the way from the 250 crossflow, I have owned one for the last 15 years. Magical cars. Treated with care they just keep going.
Always worth watching for your unbiased opinion and it’s entertaining 😎
I wish Ford, Mitsubishi, and Holden kept their factories in Australia. They didn’t need to churn out many cars; all they needed to do was to churn out low volume unique bonkers cars. This Falcon is an excellent example of Australian engineering.
Jim was certainly busy on this episode. In fairness these cars are getting on. I drove many Falcons over the years and none of them left me stranded.
I had an AU XR6 brand new in 1999 for 18 months and it's still a car I would love to own again. One of those things that at the time you wish you knew more and never sold.
The 3rd option of the time... Magna/380
380 is 9 years newer!
VRX manual was the best sounding, most responsive 6 back then.
@@richardggeorge7 year newer. They came out in 2005.
Redriven will never review the ' 380 '.
Love the channel and the AU falcon...
Still eagerly waiting for that promised AU Fairlane review!!
My dad has an AU series 3 wagon he bought from our local Ford dealer as a demonstrator early in 2003, he saved a few thousand dollars, the car already had 2.000 kilometres up. Apart from a sagging roof lining in places, a quote of $400 made by an upholsterer to get it glued back up, dad hasn't bothered yet has used thumb tacks, and a couple of seals needing replacing under warranty, and the CD player stopping working years ago, and the coil pack needing replacing a few months ago no major problems and driving with a light right foot on the highway using around 8.3 litres/100 kilometres is pretty good. Keeping gunk from gathering around the seals at the top of the doors with a fine nozzled vacuum cleaner so that rain water can get away is important otherwise rust!
I remember reading a Ford guy commenting about the looks of the AU and he said it was designed so that its looks will grow on you over time unlike most cars that are good looking when first released but don't age well. After 26 years the AU is still fugly. How in the hell did the AU design get signed off? After the AU was released that was the end for Falcon taking top spot in the sales chart and I put that down to the AU being poorly designed. That being said I didn't know the AU suffered so many problems. I knew about the transmission cooler and the brake problems but the rust, engine and suspension problems I didn't know about.
Mate you forget that here in nz and in oz we got the god awful ford Taurus for a while and that sold shit loads in the US so ford tried to give the falcon a Taurus look…totally failed but luckily made it heaps better in the ba falcon.
It was designed using their “new edge” styling language. Worked well on small cars, but didn’t work at all on anything bigger than a Focus.
Yeh, I had an AU Forte. Don't know what happened to it after I left it on the side of Pioneer drive near Dalton park Towradgi and walked away from the bloody thing. Was going around the bends and all of a sudden I saw a fireworks show coming from the front wheel somewhere. Two hundred metres later the front started bouncing me into the gutter, the bloody whole wheel and hub had collapsed and the wheel was at 45° to what it should be. Knew I should have checked to see what that grinding noise was for the last few months.
I've had tons of cars: turbo rotaries, V8s, high revving 4 bangers, hot hatches, turbo 6s. I inadvertently obtained an AU XLS V8 Ute in a partial trade for my XR6 Turbo. I cannot explain why, but I bloody loved the AU. I honestly can't put my finger on it, buy the driving and ownership experience was just.... Awesome for some reason.
I drove a Duel-Fuel AU Falcon... From 285,000km to 400,000km. It was a great car and absolutely wasted on me being 17-20. I still miss it now 14 years later
My bf07 lpg ute still going strong at 300k. Recenlty, replaced ignition switch, steering pump, pulleys & tensioner, harmonic balancer, ball joints but still a good truck to use. Paint going but its lived outside for many years.
Have had 3 of these over the last 15 years and have never had an issue with any of them. One did 500,000 KMs. One did 350,000 and the last one did 300,000. Best Aussie car ever built.
My partner had an AU2 wagon for 17 years with SFA trouble.
Sadly it got rear ended and written off. It was so good it got replaced with a BF Futura wagon.
It was an AU2 Forte without ABS.
I am stunned that no one has come up with and started to produce an oil drip tray to fit between the P/S pump and alternator given that the problem of power steering pumps destroying alternators has existed since the first EA of 1988 right until the last FGX of 2016.
This car will be immortal. We need to start making them again
The AU utes are good value and hold their value
I've always loved the Tickford XR series. I had a AU XR8 Ute all black, it wasn't super fast but man did it sound so good in the manual. It did great burnouts and went through so clutches towing 1.5t for work everyday as well. It did so well for the life it had.
I’ve had an AU series 3 Marlin Ute since the start of the year and it’s been absolutely amazing so far. Definitely great cars
Owned a Ford Fairmont Ghia 1999. Travelled 235,000ks. Independent rear suspension made the ride so smooth.
Loved my EF wagon work car. Lovely to drive. Rock solid. Peak Falcon.
my dad has an eaII fairmont since 1991. He still drives it a few times a week. amazing thing
Had an au2 ute and traded it at 520000klms.Was dedicated LPG only from factory. When I bought it LPG was 30c a litre compared to 105c for e10 so even though used 15l/100 city was very cheap to run. Highway under 10l/100klms. Replaced rear wheel bearings once , brake discs twice alround, alternator because of leaking power steering hose connector, power steering pump worn bearing, auto transmission rear seal and thermo fans. When I sold it didn't blow smoke or use oil over 10000klm service interval.only used 5w30 mineral oil. Four kids all learnt to drive in it.
Mine has 530000km Still love it. Rust will kill it, has been extremely reliable and get incredibly good fuel consumption on the highway! I'd buy another before any new car.
Man that mechanic report was scarily accurate.
My 15 year old son has sprouted a mullet and wants an AU ute as his first car. I was hoping you'd say not to buy one. He'll probably start wearing Stubbies next.
Just tell him to go easy on the gas in a roundabout.
Don’t worry, he’ll probably only be able to afford a BA as they’re cheaper these days.
I've never seen Jim talk so much before 😅😅😅
Right on time for another redriven video 🎉🎉
Title is foookee mate
Haha just a little. Thanks for spotting
Fixed now 💪🏻
I got into cars because someone gave me a hot lap in an AU XR8 around Pukekohe. Best day ever!
20 years old, bloody hell. Felt like it was just yesterday the AU and VT came out and everyone was puking over the sad, soggy, cheese grater faced AU.
I reckon the design was about 10 years ahead of itself, looks alright now. Not the inside though. Just...yuck.
I remember this one as Ford TS50 from NFS Hot Pursuit 2, and back then, I really did like the design - it felt really modern compared to most 90s sports/exotic cars I used to see in the games and the scale models my dad bought me.
I got my first Ford in 1980, ZD Fairlane 351 an fell in love with Fords ..... now dack to the AU, got my first AU in sep 1998 Fairmont with the 4L Tickford, that was my wifes car, I got myself a 2000 AU Fairlane 4L, my wifes car was hit hard by a Nissan Patrol, I gave her my Fairlane and got a New AUll Fairlane 4L, 22 years later the wife is gone, the house is gone, my money is gone, I'm stuck with a 22 year old car and I love it.
I do miss my 1 and only LTD 1977 P6.
Such a brilliant car!
I love the AU I have had a few😅 they handle like a cruise boat but they are practical.
I have also owned, FG Falcons and VF commdores, I they loved both for different reasons.
There are only a handful of CARS that aren't equipped with diesel light truck engines that can do up a 1 million kms.
The AU is one, anything with barra, one or two models of older Honda accords. I don't recall too many VT commodores getting up they're but I could be wrong.
The Avalon's/SV20 camry 1MZ-FE would do half a million easily but they suffered too much from sludge build up I doubt too many would of made it to the million.
The AU and VT had such impact on the market.
Such a shame they're going extinct.
Lol, the way the curve of the windscreen bent light, used to hurt my friggin eyes. What a classic 🫡🍾
I have 6 cars.....one is an AU XR8. THE most RELIABLE car I have ever had and the one I find myself in most.
Anyone that got into a taxi when these when the AU would probably renege snaking your head on that stupid slopping rear door opening!
Great review guys.
Cheers Pat
You could tell an AU from 5 blocks away about 10 years ago due to the loud droning noise they all made from their completely rusted out exhaust. So glad they're (almost) gone.
I love your videos. You have so much knowledge about cars. How do you do that? Really impressive.🎉
mine has nearly 400k on the clock, runs smooth as, never had the head off just the manifold gasket replaced (factory issue). Doesn't burn oil either, it's crazy how well built the engine and drive train is on these. ask any old taxi driver and most will tell you the ford inline 6's, even back to the old crossflows were the king of km's.
i love mine, i'm turning it into the ultimate OEM+ au falcon, started as a Fairmont, put a fairlane/ghia interior in it, XR front end with patrol aftermarket halo outer and motorbike halo inner headlights, sits on a set of 14 inch staggered ROH hotwires on some MEAT tyres, low profile spoiler, s3 fairmont rear garnish, clear side indicators, big ol' exhaust and the best bit....??? a N/A+t barra ready to be swapped in. my bogan rocketship is nearly done