What amazes me is that you see a lot more AU Falcons on the road today than the VT,VX Commodores, which goes to show pretty cars don't always last longer.
I’ve been thinking the same thing lately. There’s heap of AUs still kicking round. I reckon all the vt commo heater taps have exploded and cooked em all. That said I’m still partial to a good VT
I'm a female owner of an AU ute, manual 5spd. I drive long distances in it and runs like a dream. Really reliable. A lot of people comment on how good it sounds. I love my AU lol...
Doesn't matter if you think it's ugly or not (I think they got stuck with that for the s1 waterfall grille) they are becoming very popular and will go up in value.
@@FULLBOAR last count there were 6 spares on my dads property, but mostly for parts. There is an Opt 20 wagon, that became a taxi and has over 700,000km on it, but it has the cleanest engine I have ever seen..... there was also a fully optioned fairlane, that has a fully rebuilt tickford motor done by ford, but it has a limp mode issue that the rebuild didn't fix (less than 1000km on it) ...... no point now because my dad worked on his backhoe next to it and dropped a 2 ton backhoe arm on it
Mint video you hit all the important points about the AU. Its almost a shame it was designed and marketed so poorly because in my experience it's a better built car than the models before and after.
Cheers mate. I reckon so too. Just look at how the interior disintegrates on the BA. The au interior holds up way better and also they don’t blow up trans coolers lol.
20 years ago I moved to town 7 hours from home and needed a car good on the open road. Bought a series 2 AU with 30k on the clock . Had 6 years of absolute driving pleasure. Had a commodore before this and had terrible back problems on long drives. The AU drove better, ran better and was comfortable as fuck.
In my town of about 1000 people there are at least six AU 's . Mine is one of them . I know of only one VT Commodore . I've had it from 2 years old . Over 18 years of virtually trouble free motoring .. Major repairs are ....One alternator , power steering swivel hose kit replacement and early this year a brake caliper . Everything else works fine and is original other than a few batteries , tyres and exhaust components ..SO RELIABLE...I also have a gorgeous FG XR6 . Wouldn't part with either of them and I'm not kidding , Great video ...
I have a manual, black series 1 AUXR8 with full body kit and the 17" Tickford wheels... Had it for 19 years and consider it a stunning looking car. Totally unique in appearance which makes it even more special in my eyes
My au is classic p plater spec, chopped springs, ziptied bumpers, slapped guards, loud the works. But it’s still as reliable and comfy (ish) as the day I bought it for $900 of some old mate and I love it.
I have a 1999 Falcon Forte sedan. It has never, ever let me down. 23years later I still find it amazing. Has incredible handling abilities & when your on the freeways they love it. Hit the 100 k mark & they bed down as smooth as!. It could go all day & fantastic gearbox. So easy to drive, very comfortable & heaps of room in the cabin & and enormous boot. I have always looked after it & had some minor problems, eg window stick & central locking but nothing major. She is like an old Dog. Has always been faithful, always been a member of the household and always there when I call on her. It will be my last car & wouldn't have anything else. Thanks Ford.
I've got a black manual series 1 XR8 with the full Tickford body kit - plus the 17" wheels - and I reckon it is the ducks guts. In my humble opinion one of the best looking cars Ford has produced. So unique, non-generic, and never mistaken for any other car. Had it for 18 years so far and cannot imagine ever getting parting with it - although my teenage son tells me it will be his one day
I work on a lot of cars including vt-vz and although they were considered better looking in the day, the AU has aged wayyyy better and is definitely a far more unique vehicle. Just stare at where the C pillar meets the boot, pure sculptured art.
The mighty au will always live on!! Also serise 2 and 3 look better in my option especially with the XR6/8 fronts! I got a serise 2 Fairmont but put the xr6 front and rebel back on it with a wing and God I love it to death! Most reliable car and super comfy to drive! 😊😍
The S1 AU Forte Wagon will always be special to me. Bought one near new when I had two nippers under 3 - only car that would fit two capsules and a full grown human on the back seat at once. And more cargo capacity than the average van. I even liked the waterfall grille.
Mate I may have bagged the waterfall grille a bit in the video, but I managed to track one down and put it on mine after the video was filmed. I reckon it suites the whole aesthetic of the car way better.
Great review! I did 450,000 kays in my AU. Only issues were coil packs, collapsed ball joints and shuddering brake rotars. Got T boned by a P plater. 🤦♂️
I bought my brother an au3 ute at the start of this year. Its a 5 speed manual. I personally have a 6 speed auto bf2. I dont mind the au ute at all. We have lowered the ute, swapped to 17s, has an exhaust. Its not fast by any means, but it drives really nice. Theyre not a pretty car. But theyre still not a bad thing.
Cheers for the comment mate. Would love a manual Ute but the auto cruises faultlessly. Just lowered mine an inch in the rear and got a set of tickford rims for it. Keep cruising...
@@FULLBOAR this au rocks au fairlane 17s. They were a mint set i had as spare rims. I gifted them as the 'elegance' rims i reckon look ugly on anything bar an au.
We had an AU wagon when I was a little kid, even back then I loved it. It was my favourite of all the cars we owned. I never understood why people hated the AU so much, it's just such a fantastic daily driver.
I had an AU on dedicated LPG. Ford Australia could've survived in Australia with their dedicated LPG motors, I remember when they were making the FGs with LPi gas engines. Sadly, high power prices, green tape, red tape, blue tape & the popularity with the Mazda3 & the Hilux killed Ford Australia. Tradies in Sydney loved the Falcon utes, cheap on fuel, being LPG & you could get them in any carpark. Now with these jacked-up utes, you're limited with clearance.. Falcon utes could get in a 1.9m carpark, pickup truck utes needed 2.2m clearance carparks or higher.
Yeah I rekon it’s a shame. The falcon is probably safer, as they handle better and have a lower centre of gravity than all these jacked-up dual cabs. And in all honesty the falc is probably more practical. It’s just that everyone wants to be seen in their fancy lifted rangers, that will probably never be used in 4wd.
Had one of these. Could not kill it, heat locked the motor 3 times in under an hour and still ran like a top after. Indestructible...... until I pissed down the intake
What a great review for a great car. My girlfriend recently sold her series 2 AU XR8 ute and I loved it, 270k on the clock and it drove beautifully. I currently own a FG XR Turbo and a 1981 Ford LTD and they are just brilliant. Lots of Falcons in my family for a good reason! Built for this country and our conditions.
Awesome video! I've owned all AU series (1, 2, 3) and currently have a Fairmont with full Tickford options in black. They are such great cars to drive and nimble. Will be hanging onto mine.
@@FULLBOAR Mine's an Intech too :) Just a standard Fairmont, but has Tickford wheels, body kit, woodgrain steering wheel and suspension fitted from factory. VCT would be nice, but the standard Intech is plenty good!
Great video! Absolutely love your channel and your content. I grew up with 90s Toyotas (still both in the family), and always poked a bit of fun at old Falcons. Well, I ended up buying and daily driving an EB II wagon, and I fell in love with it. They are a vehicle with faults and shortcomings, but that's part of their personality. At the end of the day, it's a great, Australian made car, with that classic Australian car spirit (especially with mine being bench seat and column auto). They feel like a dependable and loyal family pet. You just cannot buy that sort of thing in today's automotive world, nothing will ever capture that essence again.
Thanks heaps for the comment mate. Couldn’t have put it better myself! Certainly have their issues but parts are cheap and so is knowledge on how to fix em. Just keep an eye on ya ball joints and nothing will ever stop ya, well maybe a blown head gasket or two... Would love a bench seat Falc. Was it a taxi?
@@FULLBOAR No worries at all! Funny you say that... had all of those replaced on my Falcon, reconditioned the head and used an AU MLS head gasket, so it should last forever now. It was originally a council car from rural Victoria, standard cloth seats (GLi), no idea what it's original use was, but it was optioned with a towbar. Owned by an old bloke after that, then a guy in his 30s, and then it came up to Sydney to live with me!
@@munnsie100 good on ya mate. Good to see someone appreciating the E series falcs. Especially the lower spec ones. Everyone wants an Xr8 but one day there will be no bench seat falcs and old taxis and everyone will wonder what happened to them.
@@FULLBOAR that’s exactly it! Much like how every XY is a GT these days. Similar thing with my parents’ 98 Hilux 2.7 SR5 (4WD), been with us since new and fully grandpa spec (apart from the supercharger we bolted on to the good old 3RZ), but you’d never know from looking at it.
Long term ownership of au2 wagon ( 18 years ) & bf3 wagon ( 10 years ) , both cars left in the weather 24/7 , the au gets no cosmetic love & gets stuff shoved into every place you can imagine , the bf just does normal domestic duties including the shopping & occasional towing a box trailer . What has physically broken on the cars ? the bf , the glovebox , the shifter , the shitty vinyl wrapped door card spear inserts , the whole passenger internal door handle assembly including the switches came off , the stupid plastic gearbox linkage , now the au , NOTHING ( the seatbelts were replaced from wear & tear ) . Which one did I buy when we needed a third car , another au , of course , no more b series junk for me.
AU Falcons are legendary vehicles, they are as tough as a Hilux they are built strong and the engine is bulletproof. Its a shame they tend to rust if you're not careful. I have a low km's example but the body is a bit rusty in some places. Eventually would like to find a clean enough shell to throw all the running gear in. The AU should be rolling on into the next century hahaha.
They dont make them like this anyone, supreme comfort and large interior perfect for long trips 20 year old car no rattles in the interior cant say that about my moms 2008 Ford Focus. Recently went from Sydney to Canberra in my gf's AU and we visited the museum's up there and even though the AU looks like it belongs in an Australian museum she feels just right driving on an Australian freeway hopefully for many many years to come.
Yeah RIP to the Falcons and Commodores my mom and dad were more Commodore owners VL, VN & VP growing up. But my Grandpa had a Green XD that he eventually sold for a shit box Audi that gave him nothing but problems.
I love my AU wouldn't swap her just give her more love and maybe a spray of color! She's a 75th Anniversary series 2 dedicated Gas from factory! AND I Love Her!!! Great video!!
Great vid mate. They are the kind of car that really needs to be driven or owned to understand how bloody good the are. Owned heaps of different falcons, but my supercharged au v8 ute and te50 i had and now my s2 xr8 ute and sedan are the best cars I've ever owned.
I have two. Can confirm cheap to fix, reliable and just like driving your lounge chair. Have driven faster and better but can't be bothered upgrading. Very comfy on long trips. A bit soft in the rear suspension. Handles well if tyres are decent. Pretty under-powered but not many fines as a result. yup. Pretty ugly though.
@@FULLBOAR Oh...another thing I've noticed about the AU's...at least the Au2 and 3 is the simply phenomenal headlights that come standard. Put a decent globe in them and it's incredible. Best headlight beams I've ever had on a car without spotties. Don't need them with the AU.
Drove quite a few as cabs and when the BA started appearing, I would request an AU as they ran like a clock compared to a BA and I liked their sound and refinement. After a few years driving a BA sedan, then a BF III wagon it felt like a fantastic blast from the past when the owner loaned me his AUII ex taxi and loved the feel of it. The four speed automatic matches way better with the smoother Intech over the powerful, thirsty and rougher running Barra. Later Barras are a lot better than the slightly underdeveloped BA version but I like the way the Intech drives more.
My thoughts exactly. The Barra is a beautiful engine but I reckon the intec captures the quintessence of a falcon better. That said the Barra does go like the clappers and would be awesome to chuck one in the au one day. And the Btr transmission is a top box as long as ya keep them maintained and keep ya self from doing any rollbacks... Keep cruising and check ya ball joints...
My heart sank when I heard my first Barra. After a Ford nails the NVH issues with the SOHC undersquare six, no mean feat, they trot out farm equipment under the hood again with the BA!! BF seemed to address that part but it still doesn't have quite the same charm as the SOHC sixes, and even the old 4.1 OHV EFIs from the 1980s. Torque and power got more peaky with the later Barras from the FG onward, kind of defeating the whole point of the large lazy six. The SOHC from the 3.9 from 1988, both multi point and single point injection, to the well sorted In tech, made the Ford Falcon note. It's in there with the Barra, but not as richly and homely feeling like the AU and before. You have the last of a breed. I could listen to a SOHC Falcon six revving at 1500 as an ASMR video!
Great video...But, if it's an AU3, then why has it got an AU1 Futura front end? That looks worse than the waterfall grille imo. The S1 Forte did not have 14" wheels either...
Ya got me there. I was supposed to say 15inch. Also It must have had a grille change at some stage… anyways I’ve got a waterfall grille for it now so it’s not proper concourse correct lol:
It’s ironic how Falcons lost sales to soft roaders with their pretence of heading off the beaten track yet Falcons have tougher suspension and will handle rough dirts roads way better than any crossover SUV.
Recently becoming even more popular in the drifting scene. Purely for low cost, Can thrash them day in and day out with 0 issues... And for whatever reason... They actually work really well for it. Ford may have fucked up with these but it was a really good thing in the end.
I've got a faded silver series 2 au ute. Ugly as f@€*. The p76 of the 2000's. I also have a tidy xy faker. I'll sell the xy before the au, absolutely luv it.
AU content keeps popping up more and more on my feed 😂 might have to jump on the trend soon and pick up an Almighty AU falcon for my own channel! awesome vid bro, very informative and entertaining
The irony is that it is the BEST car they ever made (I have one) and its drives better than any car i have ever known. As i said to a mate, how many VT commodore do you still see on the road = 0, how many AU's do you still see?...
Ha well done mate. Yeah i own 2 mighty AU s. Wagons. So much room. Great for towing. Heaps more room than a SUV. Tempting to turbo it, now wouldnt that be great. I also have a leyland p76. Guess i just love ugly cars
I worked on them back in day at a dealership and they were okay, still had their issues but they were a droopy ugly mess of a car. Fast forward 25 years and they have turned into a cult car, only problem is they are driven by mainly bogans that have slammed them into the weeds running bald stockies on the back with the exhaust cut off at the cat that has been bashed out !
To be honest I probably bagged the looks a bit too much in the video. I actually really like the way they look. I now have 2 AU utes and a V8 Au Fairlane.
@@FULLBOAR I actually love the look, it was out of place at the time when design was still very conservative, now anything goes and if the AU came out right now it wouldn't even be noticed.
They have aged like a fine wine. The rear quarter panel from the c pillar is a work of art in my opinion. And contrary to popular opinion, I think the water-fall grille is the best one.
@@FULLBOAR Yes I absolutely and categorically agree, the waterfall grill was perfection for the overall look and design of the car, the only fault I would agree to is the stance, it could have been an inch lower, also the wheel arches could have been filled a bit more with bigger wheels or less cutout if you get what I'm on about.
I love the au falcon I bought a series 2 off my friends parents for $50 it had been sitting since 2014 and I chucked a battery in it and she fired right up and runs like a dream sadly she's to far gone to get road worthy again as the boot and front passenger door sill are made of rust probably end up in a derby
Great vid, I have owned my AU S2 ute for 10 years and have just replaced it with a new GWM Cannon. It has 300,000 K on it and in the 10 years I have owned it, it has cost me just less than $1000 in parts, including tyres, brakes and service bits. Even next to a brand new luxury ute, I dont want to part with it. Ugly but loyal!
@@triggeredleftyvegan6004 Absolutely correct, modern cars are designed to be thrown away and recycled after 10 years, the AU was one of the last of a dying breed.If the apocolypse came and I had to run, the AU would be my choice of vehicle!
@@MartinJones123 Probably but, if it does it in the first 7 years, it's a warranty job and I get to drive my trusty AU again while I wait for them to fix it. :)
Not a big fan of that grille. Should put the "ute" grille which looks in my opinion the best "Ford" grille for the series 1/ute bonnet cars. The one you got I think is the futura grille.
@@FULLBOAR Well I at least hope you color coded it LOL. Doesnt look half bad if it at least matches the body color. My car is the Falcon S Series 1. But then again I swapped it for the C2R aftermarket grille. It was this or the "Hawk" one they tend to put on the utes.
Can confirm ots reliability. Got an AU at 700k kms and still solid equal compression across cylinders and cars has never been serviced on time in its life.
Second that, got mine at 290thou, been going for 12 months in my ownership (who knows how long before me) with a cracked headgasket and slipping box handling occasional abuse and plenty of pulls onto the highway, still the most reliable car i've owned and just refuses to die
What tf do you mean isn't "as bad as it looks"??? It's fucking sexy, punk beech. And that's a s1 bonnet (also used on xr's) and s1 grillé and s1 motor (with s3 radio/vent facia installed) and s1 xr steering wheel you have there - Not s3. Alas, you have a s1. It probably has the open rear axel and not the IRS found on s2&3? Not sure utes may have got the upgrade.
Made a mistake with the rim size on the S1 Forté. They actually ran 15” not 14”.
I have a au Ute all most exactly the same as urs it’s a au xr6 ute series 2 with the same futura grill and silver
What amazes me is that you see a lot more AU Falcons on the road today than the VT,VX Commodores, which goes to show pretty cars don't always last longer.
I’ve been thinking the same thing lately. There’s heap of AUs still kicking round. I reckon all the vt commo heater taps have exploded and cooked em all. That said I’m still partial to a good VT
The AU is arguably the toughest car ever produced in this country. I actually compared their durability to Toyotas right before I watched this vid.
I think it's mostly because the young bogans bought and fucked the VTs.
@@edxr6949 Agreed...
My husband owns a Sydney 2000 Olympic Games edition VT commodore doesn't drive it and hasn't hit 200k they are in hiding
Had my au series 2 for 5 years, love how it looks and drives like a limousine. Never let me down
I'm a female owner of an AU ute, manual 5spd. I drive long distances in it and runs like a dream. Really reliable. A lot of people comment on how good it sounds. I love my AU lol...
Doesn't matter if you think it's ugly or not (I think they got stuck with that for the s1 waterfall grille) they are becoming very popular and will go up in value.
Ya not wrong
That’s why I got 4 now
@@FULLBOAR last count there were 6 spares on my dads property, but mostly for parts. There is an Opt 20 wagon, that became a taxi and has over 700,000km on it, but it has the cleanest engine I have ever seen..... there was also a fully optioned fairlane, that has a fully rebuilt tickford motor done by ford, but it has a limp mode issue that the rebuild didn't fix (less than 1000km on it) ...... no point now because my dad worked on his backhoe next to it and dropped a 2 ton backhoe arm on it
@@rubinmike-litt1068 thats proper sad mate
honestly I think they shouldn't cause they are a dardy cheap car
Mint video you hit all the important points about the AU. Its almost a shame it was designed and marketed so poorly because in my experience it's a better built car than the models before and after.
Cheers mate. I reckon so too. Just look at how the interior disintegrates on the BA. The au interior holds up way better and also they don’t blow up trans coolers lol.
20 years ago I moved to town 7 hours from home and needed a car good on the open road. Bought a series 2 AU with 30k on the clock . Had 6 years of absolute driving pleasure. Had a commodore before this and had terrible back problems on long drives. The AU drove better, ran better and was comfortable as fuck.
Cheers for the comment mate! Love hearing stories about well loved AUs
In my town of about 1000 people there are at least six AU 's . Mine is one of them . I know of only one VT Commodore . I've had it from 2 years old . Over 18 years of virtually trouble free motoring .. Major repairs are ....One alternator , power steering swivel hose kit replacement and early this year a brake caliper . Everything else works fine and is original other than a few batteries , tyres and exhaust components ..SO RELIABLE...I also have a gorgeous FG XR6 . Wouldn't part with either of them and I'm not kidding , Great video ...
On the periodic table of elements, the symbol for Gold is Au
Mate this is the best comment I’ve seen so far. Thank you for you contribution to society.
@@FULLBOAR Cheers,,,I bought an AU a while ago that I ended up loving,,,I love em
If aliens cone to earth, give them an Au falcon
I have a manual, black series 1 AUXR8 with full body kit and the 17" Tickford wheels... Had it for 19 years and consider it a stunning looking car. Totally unique in appearance which makes it even more special in my eyes
My au is classic p plater spec, chopped springs, ziptied bumpers, slapped guards, loud the works. But it’s still as reliable and comfy (ish) as the day I bought it for $900 of some old mate and I love it.
I have a 1999 Falcon Forte sedan.
It has never, ever let me down.
23years later I still find it amazing.
Has incredible handling abilities & when your on the freeways they love it.
Hit the 100 k mark & they bed down as smooth as!. It could go all day & fantastic gearbox.
So easy to drive, very comfortable & heaps of room in the cabin & and enormous boot.
I have always looked after it & had some minor problems, eg window stick & central locking but nothing major.
She is like an old Dog.
Has always been faithful, always been a member of the household and always there when I call on her.
It will be my last car & wouldn't have anything else.
Thanks Ford.
Love hearing people with stories like this! Keep up the good work and the AU should keep ya motoring long into the future.
@@FULLBOAR Thank you, glad you enjoyed it, take care.
I've got a black manual series 1 XR8 with the full Tickford body kit - plus the 17" wheels - and I reckon it is the ducks guts. In my humble opinion one of the best looking cars Ford has produced. So unique, non-generic, and never mistaken for any other car. Had it for 18 years so far and cannot imagine ever getting parting with it - although my teenage son tells me it will be his one day
I work on a lot of cars including vt-vz and although they were considered better looking in the day, the AU has aged wayyyy better and is definitely a far more unique vehicle. Just stare at where the C pillar meets the boot, pure sculptured art.
@@FULLBOAR I'm leaded to believe that the AU was superior in engineering compared to the same model Commodore?
Not that your others aren't, but that was a very professional vid mate, enjoyed that. Could almost make this a review channel ;P
Cheers mate, put I bit more effort into this one.
The mighty au will always live on!!
Also serise 2 and 3 look better in my option especially with the XR6/8 fronts! I got a serise 2 Fairmont but put the xr6 front and rebel back on it with a wing and God I love it to death! Most reliable car and super comfy to drive! 😊😍
UP the AU! Gotta love a dirty xr6 front end
I brought a 99 AU beginning of this year and I love it!
Good on ya mate. That’s what we wanna hear.
They're indestructible and we now have em actually handle
Got a AU series 2 LTD V8 and it gets looks and thumbs up everywhere I go.
That’s sick mate. Living the dream!
Love it go the au I’ve got 400 thousand kms absolutely bulletproof
The S1 AU Forte Wagon will always be special to me. Bought one near new when I had two nippers under 3 - only car that would fit two capsules and a full grown human on the back seat at once. And more cargo capacity than the average van. I even liked the waterfall grille.
Mate I may have bagged the waterfall grille a bit in the video, but I managed to track one down and put it on mine after the video was filmed. I reckon it suites the whole aesthetic of the car way better.
Great review! I did 450,000 kays in my AU. Only issues were coil packs, collapsed ball joints and shuddering brake rotars.
Got T boned by a P plater. 🤦♂️
Ah the old ball joint. Good stuff.
Go the mighty AU Brother ⚡🤙😎🇦🇺 cheers
Great clip! I've got my series II AU Falcon XR8 sitting in a garage where it's been for two years, mothballed and increasing in value every month.
I bought my brother an au3 ute at the start of this year. Its a 5 speed manual. I personally have a 6 speed auto bf2. I dont mind the au ute at all. We have lowered the ute, swapped to 17s, has an exhaust. Its not fast by any means, but it drives really nice. Theyre not a pretty car. But theyre still not a bad thing.
Cheers for the comment mate. Would love a manual Ute but the auto cruises faultlessly. Just lowered mine an inch in the rear and got a set of tickford rims for it. Keep cruising...
@@FULLBOAR this au rocks au fairlane 17s. They were a mint set i had as spare rims. I gifted them as the 'elegance' rims i reckon look ugly on anything bar an au.
We had an AU wagon when I was a little kid, even back then I loved it. It was my favourite of all the cars we owned.
I never understood why people hated the AU so much, it's just such a fantastic daily driver.
I had an AU on dedicated LPG. Ford Australia could've survived in Australia with their dedicated LPG motors, I remember when they were making the FGs with LPi gas engines. Sadly, high power prices, green tape, red tape, blue tape & the popularity with the Mazda3 & the Hilux killed Ford Australia. Tradies in Sydney loved the Falcon utes, cheap on fuel, being LPG & you could get them in any carpark. Now with these jacked-up utes, you're limited with clearance.. Falcon utes could get in a 1.9m carpark, pickup truck utes needed 2.2m clearance carparks or higher.
Yeah I rekon it’s a shame. The falcon is probably safer, as they handle better and have a lower centre of gravity than all these jacked-up dual cabs. And in all honesty the falc is probably more practical. It’s just that everyone wants to be seen in their fancy lifted rangers, that will probably never be used in 4wd.
Got peak 'roach myself....XR8 220kw with the Hand Built with Pride 5.0....still pokey with a mere 320,000 clic's on the clock !!
ayyy what a weapon
I vouch for everything you said, I had a au fairmont ghia as my first car comfy af and it was extremely reliable
Even the young blocks give thumbs up now when i drive my one
I don’t know why people hate the look. I think it’s beautiful
I do, but a nice example can look pretty good
I'd say nowadays it's aged quite well.
Waterfall is the best. Front is nice, rear of sedan a bit sh*t
Beautiful for a bogan
I've watched this 10 times
Love my shabby AU
no Matter what anyone says dont judge a au till you've owned one. best car ford made
Had one of these. Could not kill it, heat locked the motor 3 times in under an hour and still ran like a top after. Indestructible...... until I pissed down the intake
Good stuff mate. Good to see ya treating a Falc the way it was intended
What a great review for a great car. My girlfriend recently sold her series 2 AU XR8 ute and I loved it, 270k on the clock and it drove beautifully.
I currently own a FG XR Turbo and a 1981 Ford LTD and they are just brilliant.
Lots of Falcons in my family for a good reason!
Built for this country and our conditions.
Awesome work, I love my AU, yrs it's not the prettiest girl at the ball but all the boys can't help but want her ha ha
Comment of the week cheers mate!
That's cos she does things the other girls won't do. Lol.
Awesome video! I've owned all AU series (1, 2, 3) and currently have a Fairmont with full Tickford options in black. They are such great cars to drive and nimble. Will be hanging onto mine.
Good on ya mate! Just picked up a Fairmont myself, but it’s only got the standard intec. Would have loved a vct , but beggars can’t be choosers.
@@FULLBOAR Mine's an Intech too :) Just a standard Fairmont, but has Tickford wheels, body kit, woodgrain steering wheel and suspension fitted from factory. VCT would be nice, but the standard Intech is plenty good!
Ahhh nice. Sounds like a keeper!
best falcon ever made with the best engine
Great video! Absolutely love your channel and your content. I grew up with 90s Toyotas (still both in the family), and always poked a bit of fun at old Falcons. Well, I ended up buying and daily driving an EB II wagon, and I fell in love with it. They are a vehicle with faults and shortcomings, but that's part of their personality. At the end of the day, it's a great, Australian made car, with that classic Australian car spirit (especially with mine being bench seat and column auto). They feel like a dependable and loyal family pet. You just cannot buy that sort of thing in today's automotive world, nothing will ever capture that essence again.
Thanks heaps for the comment mate. Couldn’t have put it better myself! Certainly have their issues but parts are cheap and so is knowledge on how to fix em. Just keep an eye on ya ball joints and nothing will ever stop ya, well maybe a blown head gasket or two... Would love a bench seat Falc. Was it a taxi?
@@FULLBOAR No worries at all! Funny you say that... had all of those replaced on my Falcon, reconditioned the head and used an AU MLS head gasket, so it should last forever now. It was originally a council car from rural Victoria, standard cloth seats (GLi), no idea what it's original use was, but it was optioned with a towbar. Owned by an old bloke after that, then a guy in his 30s, and then it came up to Sydney to live with me!
@@munnsie100 good on ya mate. Good to see someone appreciating the E series falcs. Especially the lower spec ones. Everyone wants an Xr8 but one day there will be no bench seat falcs and old taxis and everyone will wonder what happened to them.
@@FULLBOAR that’s exactly it! Much like how every XY is a GT these days. Similar thing with my parents’ 98 Hilux 2.7 SR5 (4WD), been with us since new and fully grandpa spec (apart from the supercharger we bolted on to the good old 3RZ), but you’d never know from looking at it.
Long term ownership of au2 wagon ( 18 years ) & bf3 wagon ( 10 years ) , both cars left in the weather 24/7 , the au gets no cosmetic love & gets stuff shoved into every place you can imagine , the bf just does normal domestic duties including the shopping & occasional towing a box trailer . What has physically broken on the cars ? the bf , the glovebox , the shifter , the shitty vinyl wrapped door card spear inserts , the whole passenger internal door handle assembly including the switches came off , the stupid plastic gearbox linkage , now the au , NOTHING ( the seatbelts were replaced from wear & tear ) . Which one did I buy when we needed a third car , another au , of course , no more b series junk for me.
Bloody nice to drive.
AU Falcons are legendary vehicles, they are as tough as a Hilux they are built strong and the engine is bulletproof. Its a shame they tend to rust if you're not careful. I have a low km's example but the body is a bit rusty in some places. Eventually would like to find a clean enough shell to throw all the running gear in. The AU should be rolling on into the next century hahaha.
True that. I have a mint S3 AU XR6 with low Ks. Rear boot strut balls rust as does the brace body areas in the boot area behind the moulds
They make good drift cars!
i have a au seires 3 and it has a bull bar on it and it looks very cool
i love the waterfall grill
I own a S2 xr6 with 315k on clock all original running gear ... it's my 3rd au love em ...can't spell beautiful without au 😎💯
U can beutiful
Found your channel by mistake and I'm in love already. Cheers from Michigan, USA.
Cheers mate. Appreciate the comment. I’ll be sure to start pumping more vids of weird Aus domestic market cars for ya in the future.
This video is incredibly underrated. UP THE ALMIGHTY AU
Cheers mate.
They dont make them like this anyone, supreme comfort and large interior perfect for long trips 20 year old car no rattles in the interior cant say that about my moms 2008 Ford Focus. Recently went from Sydney to Canberra in my gf's AU and we visited the museum's up there and even though the AU looks like it belongs in an Australian museum she feels just right driving on an Australian freeway hopefully for many many years to come.
Cheers for the comment mate. Got to see all these comments of people who understand that the old AU was really a good old beast. Rip Aussie cars.
Yeah RIP to the Falcons and Commodores my mom and dad were more Commodore owners VL, VN & VP growing up. But my Grandpa had a Green XD that he eventually sold for a shit box Audi that gave him nothing but problems.
I love my AU wouldn't swap her just give her more love and maybe a spray of color!
She's a 75th Anniversary series 2 dedicated Gas from factory!
AND I Love Her!!!
Great video!!
Great vid mate. They are the kind of car that really needs to be driven or owned to understand how bloody good the are. Owned heaps of different falcons, but my supercharged au v8 ute and te50 i had and now my s2 xr8 ute and sedan are the best cars I've ever owned.
I have two. Can confirm cheap to fix, reliable and just like driving your lounge chair. Have driven faster and better but can't be bothered upgrading. Very comfy on long trips. A bit soft in the rear suspension. Handles well if tyres are decent. Pretty under-powered but not many fines as a result. yup. Pretty ugly though.
Niiice mate. You’re saving the environment by not buying a new car every 4 years. Go the AU!
@@FULLBOAR Oh...another thing I've noticed about the AU's...at least the Au2 and 3 is the simply phenomenal headlights that come standard. Put a decent globe in them and it's incredible. Best headlight beams I've ever had on a car without spotties. Don't need them with the AU.
Drove quite a few as cabs and when the BA started appearing, I would request an AU as they ran like a clock compared to a BA and I liked their sound and refinement.
After a few years driving a BA sedan, then a BF III wagon it felt like a fantastic blast from the past when the owner loaned me his AUII ex taxi and loved the feel of it.
The four speed automatic matches way better with the smoother Intech over the powerful, thirsty and rougher running Barra.
Later Barras are a lot better than the slightly underdeveloped BA version but I like the way the Intech drives more.
My thoughts exactly. The Barra is a beautiful engine but I reckon the intec captures the quintessence of a falcon better. That said the Barra does go like the clappers and would be awesome to chuck one in the au one day. And the Btr transmission is a top box as long as ya keep them maintained and keep ya self from doing any rollbacks...
Keep cruising and check ya ball joints...
My heart sank when I heard my first Barra. After a Ford nails the NVH issues with the SOHC undersquare six, no mean feat, they trot out farm equipment under the hood again with the BA!! BF seemed to address that part but it still doesn't have quite the same charm as the SOHC sixes, and even the old 4.1 OHV EFIs from the 1980s.
Torque and power got more peaky with the later Barras from the FG onward, kind of defeating the whole point of the large lazy six.
The SOHC from the 3.9 from 1988, both multi point and single point injection, to the well sorted In tech, made the Ford Falcon note.
It's in there with the Barra, but not as richly and homely feeling like the AU and before. You have the last of a breed. I could listen to a SOHC Falcon six revving at 1500 as an ASMR video!
@@jamesfrench7299 All I remember from the 3.9's is a loud fan shroud noise
@@Lexe-is5nv The viscous clutch belt driven fan isn't always on. It's usually running slow enough so you can't hear it.
@@jamesfrench7299 Thanks for that, It is a while since I heard a 3.9, but it seemed it was on fairly often, especially on take off.
Great video...But, if it's an AU3, then why has it got an AU1 Futura front end? That looks worse than the waterfall grille imo. The S1 Forte did not have 14" wheels either...
Ya got me there. I was supposed to say 15inch. Also It must have had a grille change at some stage… anyways I’ve got a waterfall grille for it now so it’s not proper concourse correct lol:
Gotta love the mighty AU!
It’s ironic how Falcons lost sales to soft roaders with their pretence of heading off the beaten track yet Falcons have tougher suspension and will handle rough dirts roads way better than any crossover SUV.
Hahaha ya not wrong there bud! If ya keep a box full of lower ball joints with ya, the rest of the suspension will cop a good beating.
Recently becoming even more popular in the drifting scene. Purely for low cost, Can thrash them day in and day out with 0 issues... And for whatever reason... They actually work really well for it. Ford may have fucked up with these but it was a really good thing in the end.
I've got a faded silver series 2 au ute. Ugly as f@€*. The p76 of the 2000's. I also have a tidy xy faker. I'll sell the xy before the au, absolutely luv it.
Yeeeew up the AU
man you slayed this review, liked and subbed, keep it up!!
they just keep getting better with age..
oh and yeah i enjoyed this and your el video a lot..
Great video !
My mum and dad still has there au's from 20 years ago uppa
Up the AU!
AU content keeps popping up more and more on my feed 😂 might have to jump on the trend soon and pick up an Almighty AU falcon for my own channel! awesome vid bro, very informative and entertaining
Thanks mate. Get on it before they’re worth something lol.
Only came with 16's and for memory I think there was one with 15's
Yeah that slipped past. It was actually 15 steelies on the s1 not 14. My bad
The irony is that it is the BEST car they ever made (I have one) and its drives better than any car i have ever known. As i said to a mate, how many VT commodore do you still see on the road = 0, how many AU's do you still see?...
Yeah mate for sure. Also best falcon interior. Doesn’t fall apart like BA-BF
Taurus was not New Edge - totally different styling department. The New Edge come from European Fords - the Ka first and then Mondeo and Focus.
Pretty sure the S1 forte came with 15" stockies
Ya not wrong. Stuffed up with that one.
Ha well done mate. Yeah i own 2 mighty AU s. Wagons. So much room. Great for towing. Heaps more room than a SUV. Tempting to turbo it, now wouldnt that be great. I also have a leyland p76. Guess i just love ugly cars
AUs are bloody mint 👌✌️👍
I worked on them back in day at a dealership and they were okay, still had their issues but they were a droopy ugly mess of a car. Fast forward 25 years and they have turned into a cult car, only problem is they are driven by mainly bogans that have slammed them into the weeds running bald stockies on the back with the exhaust cut off at the cat that has been bashed out !
Australian culture at its finest...
Just subscribed first time mate good luck with your cars from William
And on the 8th day, God created the AU SR Series 3. Amen.
And God looked upon what he had made and saw that it was good…
@@FULLBOAR Alleluia!!
I fixed my AU added a BA front grill, mic drop job doneski. :P
Nothing wrong with the looks just too far ahead of its time, very aerodynamic shape.
To be honest I probably bagged the looks a bit too much in the video. I actually really like the way they look. I now have 2 AU utes and a V8 Au Fairlane.
@@FULLBOAR I actually love the look, it was out of place at the time when design was still very conservative, now anything goes and if the AU came out right now it wouldn't even be noticed.
They have aged like a fine wine. The rear quarter panel from the c pillar is a work of art in my opinion. And contrary to popular opinion, I think the water-fall grille is the best one.
@@FULLBOAR Yes I absolutely and categorically agree, the waterfall grill was perfection for the overall look and design of the car, the only fault I would agree to is the stance, it could have been an inch lower, also the wheel arches could have been filled a bit more with bigger wheels or less cutout if you get what I'm on about.
I love the au falcon I bought a series 2 off my friends parents for $50 it had been sitting since 2014 and I chucked a battery in it and she fired right up and runs like a dream sadly she's to far gone to get road worthy again as the boot and front passenger door sill are made of rust probably end up in a derby
Rust the only thing that will kill em.
love the AU. lookin good Steve and your AU has a cute smile
Awww cheers mate.
4:02 onwards is fucking hilarious dude. the awkward music fits perfectly
Cheers mate
Great vid, I have owned my AU S2 ute for 10 years and have just replaced it with a new GWM Cannon. It has 300,000 K on it and in the 10 years I have owned it, it has cost me just less than $1000 in parts, including tyres, brakes and service bits. Even next to a brand new luxury ute, I dont want to part with it. Ugly but loyal!
No way in hell the Great Wall will last as long as the AU you have!
@@triggeredleftyvegan6004 Absolutely correct, modern cars are designed to be thrown away and recycled after 10 years, the AU was one of the last of a dying breed.If the apocolypse came and I had to run, the AU would be my choice of vehicle!
@@walterwolf2027 Same here mate even as a Holden man but love AU’s. I have them as dailies can’t beat them for comfort and reliability.
The engine will blow like a 'cannon'
@@MartinJones123 Probably but, if it does it in the first 7 years, it's a warranty job and I get to drive my trusty AU again while I wait for them to fix it. :)
Bro that was great I'm subin
It was awwrite
Makes me want to buy another one.
4:27 Au front on a vl???
Hahaha nice timestamp
lol
Very informative vid 👍
I thought the Commodore looked like a fat Hyundai
Or maybe the Hyundai was a skinny commo.
I think the XR models actually look good
Ya not wrong.
It was the best looking XR front Ford made.
series 3 for sure
Had a Nissan navara diesel slow handled terrible build quality bad fell apart 340ks / bought AU 3 ute BETTER every way bar fuel economy
Hell of a engine lose your belt and water pump still can drive the car up to 250 Kay's as long as the air flow there
yeww
skitz vid moite
Fuck commodore, Ford for the win
No they are both good cars
they dont look bad wym
Good to see some ping pong productions
Not a big fan of that grille. Should put the "ute" grille which looks in my opinion the best "Ford" grille for the series 1/ute bonnet cars. The one you got I think is the futura grille.
Yeah, funny thing is I’ve swapped my future grille for the waterfall grille which IMO is the best one because it’s so damn ugly. Each to their own.
@@FULLBOAR Well I at least hope you color coded it LOL. Doesnt look half bad if it at least matches the body color. My car is the Falcon S Series 1. But then again I swapped it for the C2R aftermarket grille. It was this or the "Hawk" one they tend to put on the utes.
Hahaha I’m not a lunatic of course it’s colour coded to perfection. In one of the last shots of the video you cop a glimpse.
Can confirm ots reliability. Got an AU at 700k kms and still solid equal compression across cylinders and cars has never been serviced on time in its life.
Wow.
Mines only got about 250000 on it so I’ve got a bit of time left aye.
Second that, got mine at 290thou, been going for 12 months in my ownership (who knows how long before me) with a cracked headgasket and slipping box handling occasional abuse and plenty of pulls onto the highway, still the most reliable car i've owned and just refuses to die
Good Vid ,love the AU :)
Outta all Holdens and falcons I've had the xr6 was the worst seats made cardboard rear bushes shocks made of jandles
But did it rip a good skid?
@@FULLBOAR nah wasn't game enough mate the arse might of fallen outta of it ...anyhow I'm happy with the au supercab like your one
Oof. The utes where it’s at anyways
0:40 I mean your still not wrong
They're a very very good car, they just look like shit!
the only problem is they rust badly
That and suicide balljoints
What tf do you mean isn't "as bad as it looks"??? It's fucking sexy, punk beech.
And that's a s1 bonnet (also used on xr's) and s1 grillé and s1 motor (with s3 radio/vent facia installed) and s1 xr steering wheel you have there - Not s3. Alas, you have a s1. It probably has the open rear axel and not the IRS found on s2&3? Not sure utes may have got the upgrade.
All Utes had a S1 bonnet, also it has a S1 Futura grill. No Utes or wagon ran IRS all ran the trusty leaf spring set up.
Pretty sure all ute's have leaf springs
I’m sure Au falcons never came on 14s there were only 16s and 17s
Yeah I realised I got that wrobg it was actually 15 Steelies on the s1 forte not 14
Series 1 15 x 6 STD . Series 2 base utes 15 's , sedans 16 's , Ticky's 17 inch. Or 18 's
Pro video...good...👍🙂