Volcano Road Test: 1995 Ford Falcon GLi (EF) - Noisy! (manual, silly exhaust)
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- Опубліковано 19 лют 2020
- A 418,000-mile Ford Falcon (Australian), with a silly exhaust, lowered suspension and epic lacquer peel. Ideal! It actually proved to be a LOT of fun to drive.
I drove it up Mount Taranaki on the west side of New Zealand. The road was seriously lacking in grip up top, for reasons I don't fully understand. It was on decent tyres, despite my suspicions.
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Car provided by the owner of www.43brewing.co.nz/ - thank you! - Авто та транспорт
Hubnut goes full hooligan. Sometimes you just have to let the inner kid run free.
Gray Fool Aussie muscle is turning Hubnut into a rev head
Definitely my favourite car you've reviewed! Old, high mileage, tatty, RWD, straight 6, stupid exhaust, manual gearbox... Very much reminds me of my E30!
Excellent hooning fun and a rare manual too. Simple, rugged, adequate, long lasting. It is what Australian cars represented for decades. I'm pleased you had the opportunity drive it. Cheers.
This makes me miss my EL Falcon. My favourite car of all the ones I have owned. It was one of the very last to roll off the production line in 98, a Futura Sapphire special edition. Very comfortable and flawlessly reliable. I did a whole loop around Australia in it taking a year. Then worked in the Goldfields and drove thousands of kilometers in it on remote gravel outback roads while fossicking for gold. It eventually started to suffer from rust due to the WA saltiness and I sold it to a couple of European backpackers who were going to take it road tripping around Oz too.
Ian says silly exhaust not my cup of tea. First time he puts his foot down, "oh I like this" lol
I was converted...
The Intech was only put in the AU, so this one has had an engine transplant at some stage - the EF engine is very similar but not an Intech. They regressed from coil pack ignition on the EF to a distributor in the EL, then went back to coil pack in the AU - all had the same 157kW output. I must admit I never realised how basic the GLi was, my EF Fairmont spoils me with its power windows, automatic climate control, cruise control and velour seats!
Looking at the lack of features in a GLi compared to even that of a EL XR6 they very basic
Or it could be an intech head on the EF block I had one like that went really good
It’s great to see cars still going strong with such such high mileages on them. Keep them coming!
Half a million kilometers is a mere running-in for these lazy sixes. Nice!
but you gotta replace the head gasket twice to get there! My EF wagon just blew its head gasket at 275,000
@@lewbear6738 Had one starting to go around the same KMs. When the fuel pump died I sold the car for parts. I know people who had things related to the timing chain break as well, and mechanics would just recommend fitting another used engine. There were ex-taxis with over 600000kms getting around, but who knows what engine number they were on at that point.
@@stephenw2992 timing chain setup seems pretty solid on these engines. I think im running the original timing chain but with a new chain guide as i accidentally snapped it during the head gasket install. My idle control valve and speed sensor are starting to die on me now though haha.
@@lewbear6738replacing the gasket with the steel plated one from the AU will fix that issue.
Lazy sixes? Can you hear youreself man??! You've really pushed my buttons😡
With its raucous exhaust note and the Vaseline and sunglasses immediately at hand, it's obviously a Ford Falcon which is totally bad-ass in every possible way.
Real men don't do Vaseline.arrrghhh
Simple & basic constitute good in my book! Nice engine/exhaust rasp!
This is my dream car! EF/EL with a manual!
Brings back memories! When I first got my licence, my parents had an EF GLI (Column Auto, 6 Seater!), many worn out rear tyres and J-turns in empty car parks! :)
Best selling Falcon in South Africa. Still a few around.
I'm sorry I live in SA and I've never seen one where exactly I'm intrigued?
I read that they shipped them to south Africa, must have been on a very small scale, I'm planning on shipping mine to Southern California
@@senitnelav Popular in Port Elizabeth. GLi and Futura models mainly.
Whattt, that's cool. EF is when Ford beat Holden as far as sales go.
@@senitnelav ive seen quite a few in cape town a few years back when I went on holiday. Plenty AU XR6s and turbo territorys.
Here in the states 2 youtubers had gotten their hands on a 4.0 Barra 6 with a turbo they installed in a mid 70's Ford Granada and that thing is a beast.
Great review! One point of correction though. The design for the EA to EL Falcons (and most of the Falcons from XA for that matter) was done independently by the Ford Aus design studio with little to no involvement from the US studios. I believe you're talking about the AU model that came afterwards. That model was forced to have US involvement as part of its bid to develop another generation of Falcons after the EF-EL gen. Keep up the videos! :)
He tends to say that about every aus ford as if they didn't have their own design studio
I like how at the end you can still hear it after its long gone into the distance!
Haven’t driven for quite a while (live in London now), brings back good memories of hooning around in country roads. lovely stuff !
Thanks for taking old 'Noisey' for a rip on your travels Ian, it is a fun car to drive and I use it daily as my work car. You are correct in saying the open diff makes it a bit loose to drive haha, and those imperfections, head liner, paint blemishes and squeaking shocks add to the experience 😎 cheers Mate hope all is well, Mike 🍻🍻
Cheers. Really enjoyed it. Included a link in the description to the brewery.
How do you feel about Hubnut discretely showing off the Vaseline?
Still got it?
Extractors on, what size is exhaust 2 half inch? And one muffler cheers it sounds good wouldn’t mind making my au red top sound like that.
I loved my 1997 Ford Falcon EF, pitty automatic, but enjoyed it none the less, the 4th gear was a .75 overdrive.
1997 is el
"A nice mild smell of burning but I'm sure it's fine...."
I find it strange that in Australia big cars can have such low specs. It has manual front windows. One less thing to worry about though
How it has a 4 litre and 302 windsor and weak power was par for the course during the 90s look at the American muscle cars of that era
You didn't get it quite right.
The model range went as such;
GLi
Futura
Fairmont
Fairmont Ghia
The Fairlane and the LTD were a longer wheelbase model, based on the station wagon chassis.
All (except for the Futura, if memory serves me correctly) were available with an optional 5 litre V8.
Theres also the xr6 and xr8 models, with the rare xr6 wagon
@@TaffPlays right you are.
Not every day you get to drive up a volcano, nice sounding car 😁👍
My neighbour bought an EF, base model in Argon silver. Drove it for 8 years, then bought a Honda Accord. They would not take the Falcon in trade,so he just parked it in the shed. I bought it off him for $2500 with 125,000 km on it. It still drives like a new car.That was 2009. All I've done is servicing ,by Ford, every 10,000 km, and tyres. A most reliable car.
One of the most beautiful and cohesive interiors on a 1990s car. It was a massive leap over the EA-ED generation and was just so lovely and flowing and has aged so well. Sad to see so few of them on the road these days.
That's definitely my kind of car. I remember seeing a Ford Falcon for sale here in the UK a few years back. I noted how very similar looking it is to other Ford models including the 90's era American Ford Taurus.
I would of bought it but I figured it would be difficult to find spare parts in the UK. I finally settled for a 2000 Ford Focus Estate.
I would certainly consider buying a 90's era Ford Falcon if I ever go travelling through New Zealand or Australia. I would think of it as the cousin to my Ford Focus. I'd be very tempted to see about having an LPG system installed on it. It would help the engine last for more years than expected and help keep running costs down.
@@aussiepom Yes the internet has made many things easier, but you have to take the international shipping costs into consideration. Buying spare parts more locally is costly enough.
Straight 6's - the best sound ever in my opinion (I could be biased !)
Ford sold a heap of these. Taxi long lasting without a special taxi fleet price tag.
You would be quite the man in north wales with one of these falcons ?? 🚗🚗🚗
I daily drive a 94 falcon futura with a manual, you honestly couldn't do much better for an old school car that still feels somewhat modern
If its too loud..........You're too Old !
Top Video as always Ian.
Ahh...yes!
Big Ozzie Falcons that I watched being assembled in NZ!
Dad and I visited NZ in 1991 and had the pleasure of touring the Ford NZ plant where some pre-facelift models of the Falcon/Fairmont were being assembled as new...
I owned a big 1963 Galaxie 500 sedan at the time as a college student, and I was impressed by how different the Ozzie Fords were from the EU Fords and the US Fords at that time...tuned for unique environments of diverse points on the globe!
Remotely-related cousins...but with unique talents!
The US had the Taurus; UK enjoyed the Sierra, but OZ had the big, bad Falcons as top-sellers...and I thought they were just great! So many variants we never, ever enjoyed in the US...but by ‘91, it was all about the new Explorer and the SUV craze (sorry, world.)
A friendly Ford agent in NZ let me carry home new brochures of every Ford on sale in NZ at that time, from Capri to LTD to Sierra Sapphire XR4Ti. I still have them all...except for a local Mercury Capri collector who didn’t have an original brochure from Down Under; I gave him that one for his own collection...
Aussie Fords ruled...shame it has come to an end in this rapidly-changing world.
Great cars!
My favorites were the XB Falcon fastbacks...(the Mad Max ones;) they were like American Torino GT fastbacks that spent every day at the Gym!!
Old Skool rules. This is my kind of car :-)
Proper old school car made of thick metal and stuff hence why it has lasted so well.
These were fairly light metal with lots of plastic stuff. They were good for 200000kms before things started failing. The earlier heavier metal Falcons suffered from rust more than these.
Thank you Ian for another fantastic video.
And I'm now deaf as i had my headphone volume up at the end to listen to you..... and the final clip had blown my ears off. What a lovely noise.
Love this channel. Keep up the good work and your Aussie reviews are the best.
Dad had one of these but in wagon form. Great memories driving around on summer holidays packed in the backseat.
What a perfect noise to please the spirits of the mountain, I'm sure they approve!
Top work mr hubnut!
I had the EF wagon, which was massive, I put everything in the back of that thing. It was super comfy, reliable and VERY grey inside.
Didn’t know hubnut was a formula drift driver, loved this video mate it’s really fun too see you driving cars that tend to be pretty outside your comfort zone and it was nice to see you had a wee hoon about. 👍
If they remade Pulp Fiction for 2020 this would be Samuel L Jackson & John Travolta’s car
Absolutely love this, fantastic final shot, lack of traction made me chuckle too
I found in the 3.5 years i lived in queensland, i owned a el falcon 4.0 auto and a 130KM daily commute from caloundra to strathpine it was a very economical drive. A honda crv 2.4 used more petrol. Then i got hold of a 302 windsor fairlane ghia and jesus christ that was thirsty in comparison!
These cars from EB to EL are starting to rise in value for good ones, my brother restores Mustangs & some T-birds & is now gathering this era of Fords before they are all trashed, among his collection is a low mileage EB XR8 that was in a shed for the last 14 years up to his EF Fairmont Ghia with Tickford enhancements & all have the injected 302 Windsor (5 litre) V8 engines & are future collectables when & if the suv craze subsides @ least here in Melbourne.
Awesome v log loved the growl & noise from the engine
Enjoyed watching your travels.
I loved that Ian, and you obviously did. Fantasticaly entertaining movie!
Had one of these. Heavy on the fuel but simple and spacious.
Best noise of the tour so far 👍🏻👍🏻
Styling reminds me a lot of the Peugeot 406. I remember actually seeing one of these in the UK, one of Tickford's XR6 development cars.
Actually your quite right. Even the dashboard has a very similar design to a 406.
Falcon predates it by a year
A rare thing having a manual Falcon here in NZ.Maybe more in OZ?A pretty rare model now.Still looks great.Loved that engine in my Au.So simple compared to today's over complicated ones.
When i bought my BF falcon, the dealer told me i'd have to buy an FPV (ford performance vehicle) to get a manual. For an extra $20,000 i decided i didn't need a manual.
Rare here in Australia too.
@@REPOMAN24722 there are tons no clue where your looking
Had a wagon version as a 1995 rep car in Oz-it was superb. Well built, quick, handled great. Fine cruiser. The earlier EB I had was rubbish-badly made-including valve timing two teeth out...But it handled dirt roads brilliantly.
EB is my favorite, look wise at least.
reminds me of an old zodiac I had umpteen year's ago, same sound track, but no column change ,thank god, keep up the good work S
Ian Seabrook,the HubNut hooligan! Sounded well pulling away,like my neighbour's Granada V6 from when I were a lad. Nice video.
Good shout about the Granada. That reminds me, a son of one of my neighbours had an XR4x4 that woke me up every morning at 5 o'clock to go to work, with a similar deep exhaust note. I loved those old Cologne V6's, very solid.
Thanks to see this video on UA-cam. Did hear about Holden pull out of car manufacturing, because of GM pullout of Australia & New Zealand!
Hi Ian,what a awesome video,that exhaust note sounds so nice,In a tunnel it would so so much better,I do like the scenery,ideal review for it.
The EF Falcons did not have that rocker cover from factory. That is an AU rocker cover. Some one has changed it at some point...
Could well be a complete AU engine it seems. No wonder it looked familiar!
Neat Falcon. Looks like a bit of fun indeed.
Sounds Great!
Best video ending ... ever !!🤩 Ohhh yeahhhh !!!
That looked like a fun drive! I think you really need a convertible for the full experience, it looks like some of the mountain roads near where I live. Great sounding engine & exhaust combo too!
its reminding me of a Lreg Mondeo I used to own but with a good old fashioned engine, enjoying catching up on your travels.
Like a Mk1 Mondeo and an XJ40 4.0 got together in a loving and consensual way at some point, and 9 months later out popped this loud and difficult to handle bunch of LOLs. Good times!
Styling looks like it was inspired by the late 80s Ford U.S. Crown Victoria and the 80s Ford U.S. Taurus. But the Victoria never had a inline 6 cylinder (neither did the Taurus) and the Taurus did, for a short time, have an available manual transmission but only with an OHV 4 cylinder engine that...ironically (?) was based on the 6 cylinder used in this Falcon.
Sweet car, hits all my buttons for a not new, fun sedan. Would love to own it "as is".
Love the sound of that free breathing straight six...great video loved the scenery and a great tribute to the family cars many of us used to enjoy. Would be interesting to know to what degree the exhaust had been modded as well.
Great test!
Lovely cars. Have had 3 of them. Absolutely faultless. Lots of fun. Did 980 kms in one in one day and didn't feel tired or sore afterwards. And way better looking than the AU, IMO.
Looked fun. Sounded great. What’s not to love.
When I came to Australia back in 1999 as teenager I was aspiring to buy one and still do though!
I am very very glad someone has reviewed this one, BUT I am afraid you failed to mention that the EF had bad rear suspension which was rectified in the very slightly facelifted EL version...
Might want to watch the Shannon car insurance channel where they review cars that were reviewed in Australia...
I knew nothing of the suspension issues, so hard for me to comment. This one wasn't entirely stock either.
@@HubNut I understand now and yes that's true..
The ef base model has a snap over steer, the xr6 and xr8 didnt have the same suspension problems(and also had lsds)
Great car , great soundtrack ! Love it 👌
Proper old cars instead of those dreary softroaders. Superb video Ian.
What a superb video.
Super! Looks a lot of fun.
I owned an EF in the late 90s.Great big roomy car with lots of torque.I now own a Bf XR8 manual which is also great,but i have good memories of the EF.
quite nice car. thanks ian🙂
Its very similar to how my EL XR6 used to sound before I replaced the 2.5" exhaust and no name Ebay headers, with Pacemaker 4480 header's and 3" stainless steel exhaust...
The Intec is probably the best of the SOHC 4ltrs, but I won't drop one in my mine as I have the 220hp Tickford version but I'm also trying to keep it "original"
Enjoying the content of Betty.
fair play, I like that noise!
i learned to drive this exact model in high school in 90s australia. I really want to get one now as a track day or drift car! i much prefer the sexy looks of this then the other falcons.
I love that torquey 6 with that 5 speed. To be my perfect car it would need a limited slip rear diff and air. Then I would be very hsppy indeed.
Amazing sound love it.
the mighty falcon,i had a el xr 6 ,t5 box strong lsd and axle great cars and getting rare
What's not to like about that ford?? I love it in every way!! Oh and Yes: nice video btw👍👍
Rare to see one of these with a manual trans.
Awesome roads : )
I realy like the el/EF models. I'm. Hopeing to get an, el xr8 soon. To go with my au sr falcon.
Great vid. Thank you.
😊👍🇦🇺
The rear seats do fold down, you lift the black knobs at the corner of the seat to drop them down. It means you can add your skis etc witnout having to poke them out the windows. Lovely motors, they jus5 keep on giving and are really reliable. The 6 runner intake manifold is called a broadband manifold.
Love it! It's a tragedy so few of these were manuals.
That thing sounds AWESOME! That engine in some kind of old fashioned kit-car, LSD and fat tyres. HOOOOOON! I love it.
oooh a rare manual, nice, and I didn't know there was an option for no A/C in NZ, we all got A/C in Australia.
Like the styling better than that of betty a fun car, made me smile watching
My first car was an EF Ford Fairmont. My Dad had an EF Ford Fairmont that he bought off his brother (ex company car). Auto went on his, my auto was still strong when I sold it.
I continue with straight 6s to this day (I'm on my second E39 BMW), plus a 4 cylinder E36.
Uses a t5 transmission. Same as the fox body mustang. They started in the early eighties. Everybody seemed to upgrade the shifter. To an American like me the car seems like a mix of a Taurus styling and pony car underpinnings. In the US we were getting some hideous escorts and Taurus’s and the Aussies got this. The i6 makes a nice snort with the mods. And thank you for the video. I enjoyed seeing this as most people stick the turbo stuff.
Watching this has inspired me to get my 97 Ford Thunderbird LX, 4.6 V8. Two door coupe. Back on the road. Looks very similar to this and your Fairmont. It’s the 10th and last generation of the continuous built from the beginning in the fifties. Then in 2002 Ford re entered the Thunderbird 11th gen, which is based on the original. It lasted till 2005 then Ford stopped making them completely. When I first moved to the States from New Zealand, I was looking for a big American car. Had always had humber 80's , golfs toyota.etc...
Picked up the T Bird for $900 Merican, fully on the road.
"Somewhere to put your vaseline, always handy." 😊
Been on that car park Ian....lots of memories.
Sweet whip
It's all mouth and no trousers. Much prefer the model you are currently travelling in. Great video Sir 👍 Tam.
Sounds like a MK II Jaguar. The V8 must have been a bit nippy eh when this 6 is so torquey. Hoonnut is a top man, learnt everything he knows about grip levels in a 2CV. Glad you shared noisy with us though. She's smokin, literally.
There wasn't much difference, the 8 was considerably heavier being all cast iron, the 6 has an alloy head. The 8 tended to 'plow in' on corners due to the weight, power wise not a lot in it from the showroom. The XR6 was around the same power, but slightly less torque than the 8
@@rayg9069 That's great to know. It gives the 6 a lot more kudos in my eyes now. Thanks
That's motorcycleing roads, lovely.
Great car I enjoyed this video
Such a nice car, the xr6 version of the sedan and utes look even more unique and will be worth plenty in 10-20 years time
Lucky man not many people have driven up a volcano and at that speed!