The AU Ford Falcon.
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Awesome video if you want more AU Falcon details: • Ford AU Falcon - Shann...
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Seeing car stuff from an Aussie's perspective is so fascinating, it's like watching other car channels but just a little bit unusual, like a fever dream.
I'm on the other end of the spectrum cause I grew up here. I often wonder how bizarre everything looks to you guys.
seeing this is refreshing after watching alot of expensive and borderline unattainable stuff like the other boys (MCM)
Things are upside down in the land down under
Imagine how it feels being a non-American native English speaker watching English media in general.
@@JeniusJeph american here, i love seeing foreign car communities, it's cool to compare what's similar and different!
You can’t spell beautiful without AU
Also can't say beautiful without saying "eeeewww"!
sure i guess but why are we at the park
Spotto
You can't get your mates attention without yelling A...U!
@@thefuturistic_person Because itsa bloody beautiful day to... AW FARK!!!
This guy got me into drums, and is now in the process of getting me into cars.
and iPods
plz don't leak I have much notficafion
and Australia
This is definitely the best channel I've ever subbed to.
Edit: by this channel, I mean Dank himself.
You’re one being easily influenced by things
That’s..ehm..common
Normal for you!
Ifkr
I was working for Ford at the time, and we were invited to a focus group introduction to the AU Falcon. I will always remember the stunned silence as the car was unveiled and my friend at the back, who shall remain anonymous said with a straight face "That's fucken ugly". Then the sales and marketering team trying to explain the car and the beauty and the evolving of the shape. We knew it was doomed to fail and it did. A few days later I was talking to one of the marketing team and they privately acknowledged that the response to the focus groups around the country had generally been very negative towards the car. All this data was sent through to head office, but the then President of Ford Australia Jacques Nasser was determined to launch the car as it was to try and fend of the onslaught of the new VT Holden Commodore, which was a superior product. In the end it doomed the Falcon to second spot and it would never recover.
I worked at the proving ground at the time and remember the first time I saw one. The proving ground manager was standing next to me after the covers had come off and he tried his hardest to sway me by telling me how great it looked. I didn't have the heart to tell him it looked like an absolute turd. The next few years were pretty depressing for Ford but when the BA came out things improved dramatically.
Glad I wasn't the only who thought this back in the day..
Idk if people are singing the same tune now... In hindsight, despite its ugliness the AU is probably the better car overall... Its a great platform for sporty driving with double wishbone front+rear, cable throttle, reasonable balance and relatively light weight. It can also be extremely comfortable, or be setup for towing/ute for work. Not too bad rust wise although certain plastic trims and panels become delicate in their age.
I see more AUs and BAs running around than i do VT/VX/VY.
AU also had the ford i6, a well regarded motor with great tuneability. You can push 500hp with a turbo setup and valvesprings on a healthy tune and motor with parts very easily found on ebay for relatively little money... I would take an AU over a ba/bf/fg too, better handling better driving.
Edit: made this comment halfway through and the video covered this.
@@GeneralNOH I agree, the car did handle very well and was a driver's car, also it was the car that Ford Australia had the least amount of warranty claims. Just the styling was a little off-putting for the general public. I still think the AU XR6 and XR8 still looked the part.
@@warren5692 Maybe im biased, because i have one. but the truth is I thought they were a POS 2 or 3years ago. However I was priced out of other cars i wanted after covid. Started looking at later turbo falcons and inadvertently found out about how the AU is the best falcon on paper in terms of driving...
Didnt know they had the least warranty claims! They are definitely a solid car minus some questionable auto electrics and trim pieces etc lol... Some of the motors werent built the best from factory but the blocks and heads themselves are solid so once you rebuild them you're sweet. In saying that many of them run for 100s of thousands of kms despite questionable engine builds😂
Some questionable design choices too, like my box drain plug being a 9mm hex key...
However; this car handles insanely well considering. The only major let down in terms of being a drivers car is the light steering rack that also likes to leak. Some people complain about the T5 manual, Yes its agricultural, no it cant handle a lot of extra lower, yes the car has a cable clutch. But for some reason i LOVE shifting this car, maybe its the challenge, im not sure.
My dad always tells me the story of when he was an mta student and he was invited to rebel ford in Elizabeth for an unveiling party for the new au workmate and the forte. He said that it was all going swimmingly and everyone was extremely excited to see how they would top the excellence of the ef/el. It came time to show off the cars and as they where lifting the covers everyone was clapping and whistling and then the cover came all the way off and he said it was the fastest he had ever heard simultaneous silence in his life. Everyone hated it. He reckons it was horrible to watch the staff working there try to convince people the car wasn't "that bad". I still love seeing them roll around the road today though. The little cockroah that could. But the interior is inexcusable 🤣
And this, kids, is why companies do small product review groups to see how people like something BEFORE doing a giant public reveal.
i am not reading all of that
@@feleon9696 the internet is not a place to be illiterate
@@feleon9696 alright
then don't
@@feleon9696 then why complain about it
I'm a truck driver and I'm always blown away by how unique the Australian trucking industry is. Specifically, Kenworth Australia. It's so unique.
100%...and its an industry that flies under the radar too. Massive business for the truck makers here. When I worked at Ford on the AU we still made the Loueys locally. That was sold offf to Sterlin I believe.
Kenworth Australia? What's different between a Kenworth in USA to Australia?
Peterbilts are just as good.
@@garynewton1263 Everything mate. Totally different model range and average Australian KW is 97 metric tonne rated.
@@georgefrederiksen4298 What are you saying? How can an Aust Kenworth truck be better than an American version when Kenworth is an American company?
I know a guy who works at Kenworth Australia in Bayswater (Returns dept). He said there were lots of faulty parts on the Aust trucks.
@@garynewton1263 never said better. And as if being an American company means anything of pride anymore, like Australia. I'm saying we have unique requirements, from our length laws to our combinations and carrying capacity and Kenworth have been building trucks here since 1971 for local conditions. There is no C509 or K200, T909 or T659 in the US model range.
Our family bought an AUII futura wagon back when it was new. In 2019, at 600,000 kms, we finally passed it onto my uncle. You bet it's just hit 700,000 and still going strong. Those things are absolute tanks. They were comfortable as hell too. Yes, it was a bit strange, but look at how many AU falcons you still see on the road. They're a plentiful currency. Love them.
400k miles!!!! Oooh mai gawd
There's a reason why the taxi companies used them almost exclusively back in the day. I always made a point of looking at the odometer on cabs when I was riding in them, and some of those Falcons would have 900K plus kms on them at only 5 or 6 years old and still be running strong (the suspension bushings and shocks by that stage were always toast and the ride would be crashingly harsh and rough).
@@philip4193 And the seals on the rear hatch let a whole heap of noise in, most of which was diff whine, but they still went like rockets. It feels like our local cab company only traded them in last week.
How was the transmission? How many ks did it survive? Mine is nearing 290,000ks and hopefully still got plenty left before it gives me grief.
Only thing I don’t like about the au is that ugly grille, however I am a massive fan of quirky cars like the FJ Cruiser. I would totally daily one
My dad gave me his au falcon ute last year after he retired and I wasn’t sure I wanted it. Its done a million kilometres and it is so wide and turns so badly that it’s guaranteed to mount the gutter in roundabouts of a certain size. But I took it and I swear everything that I see or read about the history of my very own landboat makes me love it even more.
Love the AU! Currently own a 2000 AU II XR8 and it's fantastic. Last Falcon with the 5.0 Windsor V8 and it makes an awesome sound even on the stock exhaust, and the XR ront end styling makes it look awesome, there's nothing else like it which is why I like it.
We only got the Windsor V8 until 1996 and that was only in Cobra and Saleen Mustangs I believe. You could get it in the Explorer until 2001 and those engines are some of the most sought after 302s from the junkyard.
@@FoolOfATuque the windsor was in the mustang gt from the mid eighties to 1995
Same here mate, my AUII XR8 is easily the best car I've ever driven. It's fast enough, it handles amazingly with the double wishbone IRS and LSD, gets good fuel economy for a 4 door V8, is super comfortable and planted even at high speed on rough roads, has good towing capacity, and a lot of room inside.
It's just a pleasure to drive.
Yeah the XR8 quad headlights and grill absolutely fixed the front end
I really would like a S1 AU XR6 VCT 5 speed, in Polynesian green, with the 5 spoke 17” wheels, full Tickford body kit, including the double deck rear wing, and man, I would love that thing forever.
Fun fact for you aussies:
here in Brazil, your 1997 holden commodore was sold here as a new generation Chevrolet (opel) Omega. They dont even bother to put the parking brake on the other side for us lol.
My dad have one and we just simply love it ❤
Do what some Americans have done with later models and put Holden badging on it.
As an American, all I can see when I hear the word Falcon in an Australian accent is Mad Max.
@@f3rny_66 yikes
4:46 Woah this wagon went from “the Sad Arse” to “the PHAT Arse” real quick 🥵
I'll make me act up 🥵
My first car was a 2000 AU Falcon Forte Wagon, with 380,000kms on it, given to me by my mum after she upgraded to a 2006 BF Falcon. Damn thing refused to die, I got T-boned in it, it got flooded, it chewed through alternators and power steering pumps, it got like maybe 15L/100km fuel economy, and it was as solid as cars can get. I sold it at 450,000kms after the speed sensor died and I needed something a bit better on fuel, but man I had some memories in that car. Sleeping in the back with all my mates while out camping, doing skids out the road at 4am, listening to music so loud that it made the rear view mirror fall off, taking it out bush with a billy hidden in the spare wheel compartment and sharing moments with best friends. That car got me from one end of Victoria to the other multiple times in comfort. I picked up my partner on our first date in that car, nearly 12 years ago. I backed it into my drummer's car after our first gig because my car was loaded up with guitar cabs, amps, guitars, drums, cymbals, and was squatted so low it was literally bottoming out in mud and I couldn't see out the back of it. I sold it and bought a cheap manual Camry because it was a bit more sensible and reliable lol.
My next car was an 05 BA MkII XR6, and that was probably my favourite car to drive. It looked awesome, super aggressive, I put a big-ass 3" hotdogged Redback exhaust on it, 4490 headers, spent hours making a custom air intake for it, installed my first head unit, subs, and speakers and amps in that car. I drove that car to my first "proper" job interview, which turned into my first proper job, which turned into a career. I washed it every week, waxed it every week, just loved it. It was the first car I ever bought with my own money, the first car I ever modified, the first car I was proud of driving.
Then I bought a 2013 Cruze SRi V and loved it until it fell apart just outside of warranty. I now drive a 2022 Hyundai i30 NLine manual and it brings back the same feelings of the XR6.
I miss my XR6, though.
i am not reading all of that
@@feleon9696 ok
@@AlexSchladetsch simply just buy another
btw some advice never sell your first car, my school teacher once said he did the same thing and he regrets it to this day, it holds alot of sentimental value. you can sell your any car after that but keep your first one
slats
I owned 3 AU falcons and loved every one of them. They were fantastic cars.
It's so great to see this stuff from an Aussie. All Aussie-based talk here in the UK is V8 Supercars and even then it'll only get outlined. So nice to hear about the history of a car I have literally never seen in the flesh as we don't have them. The BA really was a superb race car, Ambrose, Ingall in particular shone in those Stone Bros. Colours
Haha it's actually kinda crazy that people in other countries haven't seen these cars in person but it makes sense. These cars were very common back in the 90's, early 2000's. You don't see those older ones around much anymore
It's harsh that Holden is no longer producing cars in Australia, v8 supercars will never be the same. RIP to the Aussie commodore
@@MrTripleXXX It was the Taxi industry’s main stay ( with the ODD commodore taxi) and a common fleet car especially the wagon version.
They may not have been sold officially in the UK, but there are some on the road over there - there is a British RUclipsr who goes by the screen name "HubNut" who has an AU Fairmont (the higher trim level - also got a better-looking grille), and has made a few videos of it.
I was going to say the same thing@@bradevans7935
I love the AU Falcon, and they’ve absolutely soared in popularity over the last few years. It’s gonna be a classic! 👍🏻
lol ok, maybe by cold chisel and ac dc fans? nobody with taste though.
Older and popular yes. Classic no. No plastic bumpered car can ever be classic. In fact only cars with steel dashboards can be classic. I'll make it simple, the very last classic Aussie car ever built was the CM Valiant. Steel bumpers and steel dashboard.
If you’re disrespecting both AC/DC and Cold Chisel then it’s you without taste, mate. And they’re popular now for their reliability above all else. 👍🏻
@@rossbrumby1957 as time goes on more cars fall in to the category of classic. At the moment they are modern classics but the cars we invision as classic will fall in to the category of vintage. People back then never thought the cars they drove daily would become highly sort after vehicles
A video showing the history of the Falcon in australia would be awesome! Here in Argentina the 60’s falcon would remain practically unchanged all the way until 1995, only with slightly better engines, plastic bumpers and a Ford Taunus interior. There in your country the Falcon had quite a lot of redesigns that would’ve been awesome to have here.
Not gonna lie, when he said 'A win for Sunday is a sale for Monday i felt the TC Pista vibes slap me at 100km. This man is amazing.
Banca mas gente de Argentina conoce los canales de este pibe? increible
@@GerN7 me alegró la vida cuando dijo que este canal pasaba a ser exclusivamente de autos 🙌🏻
"Here in Argentina the 60’s falcon would remain practically unchanged all the way until 1995" That's cool!
Although having looked at it with a 'modern' front end grafted on it, I have to say the styling is challenging and I think it looks worse than the AU, lol. Why do auto makers "modernise" 1960's designs only to make them look worse? (The Volga GAZ is also an offender on this front!)
You know what Ford Falcon is super cool? Ford Falcon XB coupe, very similar to the car used in Mad Max. My dad bought one in the 70's when they were cheap. Sold it recently because the movie made it worth a lot of money.
My first car was a 93' EBII SXR6. I loved that car, and still miss it today.
Fun fact mate an Australian holden designer became chief of opel design in Germany so the early "unaustralian" opels had an ex Holden employee designing them before he came back to be head of designs at holden and used the cars he over seen in design, old mates name is phil zmood and was the first Aussie to be head of design at one of the big three, and had alot to do with all the monaro designs
I mean no offense, but this reads like a DankPods mic testing story.
Also fun fact, that Opel is the first Holden to come to the US as the Cadillac Catera
@@HellYeahCorp yeh i fucked up the flow when I edited it to fix shit
@Joe Shabidu yeah it was owned by GM but so what, they were still an Australian company. Does that mean Saab is an American company? I don't think so
@Joe Shabidu yeah Holden had an American parent company but holden was still an Australian brand I dont know how I can make it clearer lol, if anything Holden is more related to opel then America
What I always found amazing about the AU Falcon was that no one seemed to notice that Mercedes-Benz made a better version of it when they introduced the original CLS in 2004. Very similar ideas and shapes, including the sad rear end.
I always wondered why no ever seems notice the similarities
@@stevemulrooney3238 my supposition is that they would deny it because Mercedes-Benz is just the absolute best and doesn't copy anyone (snarky)
We noticed, and we didn't like the look of the Merc either.
I noticed
I hope you're not suggesting MB copied anything Ford ever did because that would be the stupidest comment I've ever heard
i dont know or understand a single thing about cars but this guy is so entertaining
Engine go vroom. Big engine for big trailer. Fuel is expensive. Smooth shape means less fuel.
The straight 6 Ford in Australia was one of the best engines I’ve encountered in my lifetime. It has a cross flow head so the fuel goes in one side and out the other - no U-turns. It had some teething problems as they started with a cast iron head moved to alloy which took some development before they eliminated head gasket problems and started out carbureted and evolved through the stages of fuel injection before they got it right, but when it was cooked it was just one of the best cars I’ve ever driven. The independent rear suspension was amazing particularly after you drove a wagon which had a conventional rear axel and drove like any 60s America wagon in terms of that heavy lump in the back. Independent rear suspension was truly nimble on the sedans. These straight six Falcons running on LPG dominated the Australian taxi industry before they were replaced by special upsized hybrid Toyota Priuses. I prefer the cross flow six to the V8s of any brand because I like torque and prefer the smoother feel of the six.
The crossflows and earlier weren't a patch on the Hemi in the Valiants. But once Ford owned Jaguar and started copying the AJ16, they never looked back. I've owned many Valiants and Hemis, and now drive an AU traytop with dedicated lpg. Ford even admit to Jaguar having input on the intech crankshaft design. Good thing too, I've also owned a couple XJ40's and those 3.6 and 4 litre AJ motors are bulletproof- they were originally designed to be strong enough with the intention of a diesel version (which never eventuated)
@@rossbrumby1957 when did Ford buy Jaguar?
Wasn't that around 1989?
And the dizzy buried under the intake, a hernia inducting head to remove, and you had to lift the head to get to the lifters. Oh, and you can drop a pushrod into the sump. A mate did it. Plus the genius idea to put the timing cover oil seal INSIDE the timing cover. Real smart Henry!
@@rossbrumby1957As usual .The Hemi blah blah.Thr Falcon six evolved to the Turbo Barra and with it's proven power potential is horsepower monster
um, the cylinder and conflagration in the combustion chamber is a bit of a U turn.
Holy shit he wasn’t kidding when he said he was ready to start ramping up video production lmao
Aussie JonTron here we come!
@@markm0000 let’s hope Wade doesn’t put his foot in his mouth the way JonTron did.
@@markm0000 Hopefully without the "Great Replacement Theory" phase
I owned an AU. It was a great car. I never saw why it wasn't more loved
We Australians used to battle to the death over Holden vs Ford. Now we have nothing. If only we'd called a truce and enjoyed what we'd had, together as one. Can't do anything about it now though sadly.
I guess we can all unite against our common enemy, chinese electric SUVs?
@@Hadgerz Why Chinese? why not just any other electric?
@@zippy3377 Because people started buying Great Walls and LDVs instead of Rangers and Colorados. Not because they were good, they were just dirt cheap.
@@atomicmillenial9728 No not really just less than Ranger & Colorado !
If I understand correctly, Toyota Australia were the only ones who were still profitable when they closed. The benefits of having a world car Camry to build (not an orphaned car like Falcon or Commodore, with development costs that were difficult to make back), and Toyota actually allocating a good number of export markets (unlike the minimal export markets allocated by GM to Holden -- so much pushback from US GM plants over the Chevrolet SS program apparently -- and the **zero left hand drive export markets allocated to Ford Australia by Ford!). ....As to why Ford and Chevrolet didn't drop the Taurus and Impala and make Falcon and Commodore into fully funded world cars that were designed in Australia but also manufactured in North America is hard to say...
Bought my AU1 in 2000 - one year old and 44K on the clock. Still have it - now 344k on the clock and has never let me down. Replaced the rear springs to make it handle better. Love it!
As an American, Aussie cars are like a world we've never seen, and for me personally, the AU Falcon mainly due to the TS50 in NFS Hot Pursuit 2
You can see a bunch of the older Falcons and Holdens in the original Mad Max. Max's car is a slightly modified XA/XB or XC Falcon, I forget the exact type now.
I bought an AU Wagon in 1999 and I've still got it. I always thought it was an ugly car but the reliability has been amazing. In 22 years I replaced the brake discs (nothing wrong with them but they had worn to the minimum Ford specified thickness) a few sets of brake pads and engine oil and oil filter changes. Generally I've neglected the car but it just keeps going fine with the exception of the induction manifold to head paper gasket, which failed. Getting at the nuts to pull the manifold off the head to let me put a new gasket in was a bit of a pain, not much room to swing a spanner but not difficult, just tedious. I've never touched the engine, ignition, prop-shaft, auto-transmission, or differential, they still have the fluids in them that Ford put in them in 1999. Oh I did swap the front window open/close switches left to right (the switches are identical but each side uses a different half of the switch so when they fail you can double their life by swapping left with right). Oh and the roof lining hung down so I did replace that.
AUs will always hold a special place in my soul. A car born before its time, who overcame all adversity and became an absolute legend.
I’m an Aussie and I will never love any car more than my old 2002 AU Falcon. She was a beaute’ ☺️
I swear you can make anything interesting. First iPods, then headphones, relighted my snake addiction, and drums and now I think your getting me into cars. I am so glad I found your channel!
The VE/VF series were totally Australian, built on its own Zeta platform (briefly shared with the Camaro) and was not based on any European models. Props to Ford for continuing development on a large RWD platform as long as they did, when in other markets they had already given up.
As a Cornish person, got whiplash from your pronounciation of pasty
Ha ha, paaaasty. Yep my ears pricked up to that one too. 😁
You can't spell Australia without "AU."
I was today years old when I learnt Australia had their own Falcon. Imagine learning to drive with one of those in the 70s...
Yeah, there were nine generations of Falcon in Australia (more if you count facelift models). The first three generations of Australian Falcon were (essentially) the same as the three main generations of US Falcon. I see that the Ford Torino was originally the forth generation US Falcon for one year, before Ford changed the name. We never got that "Falcon" in Australia, nor the Torino, instead the third generation Falcon was replaced by a locally designed model called the XA Falcon.
You can’t spell Australia without AU
No shit Sherlock
You can't can't get your mates attention without shouting A...U!
@@Tact13 Ah it's only a joke mate
@@Foreignhedgehog I know
@@Foreignhedgehog I was joking to
This was real cool, love the short storytelling format! I'm pretty sure my mum had one of those old AU Fords when I was super young, I'd recognise that horrendous interior anywhere :')
One edit I'll suggest about the Commodore being a rebadged Opel is that they were extensively re-worked for Aussie conditions, and the VE/VF platform was entirely engineered and made here in Australia...
Exactly, also the camaro was built on a holden zeta platform yet its known as an all American muscle car but yet the commodore shares a platform with an opel and all of a sudden the commodore is called a rebaged opel, a bit harsh to say the least
@@bashyamate2613 I think he was exaggerating a little bit as he currently owns a Commodore, though it's still a little harsh...
Apparently when they brought the first Opel over (for what would become the VC) it lasted about 50km before it started to fall apart on our country roads. It deservers more credit than to be called a rebadged Opel.
Australia was just the chosen location to do the design and engineering for a global car. If they were actually designed for Australia, the fuel filler would have been on the left like the Falcons- which weren't designed as a global car. The later Commodores were designed to supply larger lhd markets that hopefully make the Australian market versions sustainable. In the end, it didnt support the aussie holdens enough.
@@rossbrumby1957 Yeah but at least GM was trying to do something good, even if it was poorly executed... Ford should've done the same thing with its Falcons...
Hey I cared little to none about audio until I found your content and I've always had a hard-on for the Australian automotive market this channel is a blessing and very interesting to those of us outside please keep it up!
Can't spell beautiful without AU
As a South American I’ve always been fascinated by the car industry you guys got down under, having my favorite aussie youtuber talking about cars is the best thing that could’ve happened
*had. it's all dead. we no longer have a car industry.
@@karlcx shame isn’t it
@@lightningfun6486 in a way. they were making cars for a small segment of the population only, and exports were failing. if their failure to make anything people wanted to buy didn't kill them, ultimately EVs certainly would have. the innovation just didn't exist.
What car industry, Ford and Holden stopped producing cars in Australia and no one else does. Our useless government allowed our motor industry to die.
@@karlcx for a long time our motor industry was great, Holden and Ford has most of the market share. Thanks to governments inability to support the industry by taxing imports they only had a luxury car tax so the Asia cars were cheaper.
I've Had My 1999 Au Falcon wagon Since 2003 & It's the Best Car I've Ever Had, It's Reliable & Comfortable & When Speed Is Needed It's Always Ready To Go, I've Had It Resprayed Twice In The Time I've Had It & It Still Looks Great
Dude you don't know the true beauty of the AU Falcon till you own 12ish of them, me and dad have been collecting AUs around Victoria for the last couple of years and our entire family now dailys them. Seriously good cars if you know how to look after them.
Some might say having to own 12 AU’s is equivalent to a stint in Long Bay😂 I bet in your group you’re the “different” one.. just stirring ya Aido, even though looking at them always felt like a stick to the eye I respect your family’s efforts to keep some Aussie motoring alive. Fukn tragic what has happened to our motoring heritage 😖
Seriously durable machines. I'm pretty proud to have been part of designing it now. Less so when it was launched and tanked. You still see them around 20 years after they stopped making them which says a lot about their durability.
Would take owning 12 to have one that worked.
I see I have a long way to go to reach your elite au ownership portfolio , having just bought my third au wagon ( all lpg ) my first one is still going strong after 18 years of ownership , used regularly to raid council cleanup days where the car runs all day , idling , drive 100 metres , repeat , with air con on & towing a trailer which gets filled with all manner of treasures & then towed home with up to 2 tonne behind , maintenance is religious & yes I have a reco auto , power steer pump & alternator among other things but the “ ugly “ inside is fine with me because it just doesnt break , the missus bf interior has a different track record . The wagons on lpg are getting hard to find in decent or even resurectable condition now , most had a shitful maintenance record due to many male owners wanting it dead so they could buy a flash dual cab or suv . I treat them like gold as far as maintenance goes , including a fabricated tray below the power steering pump to stop the alternator dying due to fluid/dirt ingress from leaks or possibly even catching fire , magnefine filter in the power steer return line ( easy as piss to do ) using Mobil 424/8 fluid & NOT transmission fluid makes the pump quieter & the rack last longer , that one is nearly 500000 & untouched except for a pressure switch , oil changes every 5000k & filtermag magnets on the filter , check diff breather hose & change diff oil every year , again easy as to do especially with a pump on a 20litre drum of LS90 gl5 oil , replace most of the cooling system every 10 years including the gas converter ( these can fail in such a way as to push coolant in to the engine along with the gas , happened on the bf & thought it was the head gasket ) , genuine air filter at about $10 is easy & inexpensive yearly job . Transmission serviced not exceeding 40000k Yeah I look after them but then where can you get a large comfy car that will tow 2 tonne & fit a shit ton of crap in the back as well as a 10ft fishing rod inside & run it for less than the cost of a Holden barina or similar ? , yep with lpg at 84 cents a litre currently where I live , it’s ridiculously cheap to run for such a large car . On RUclips , it might be funny & even eye opening as to the punishment they will take to some but to see people destruction testing these cars on youtube gets to me , the parts I can see being shitcanned brings a lump to my throat . Mechanically , I reckon they will outlast me ( corrosion needs keeping in check with rustproofing ) , in fact I hope that if I live long enough to see the end of ice cars maybe someone will invent a hydrogen conversion kit so the au can roll on into 2030 & beyond . Long live the most despised falcon in ford Australia’s history , it’s a bloody ripper.
it's actually amazing how many AUs you still see on the road over any holden from the same era
With MCM going more and more into commercialised production (no hate, still love them), Wade takes it back to the roots of bogan motoring.
Mighty Dank Mods
theyve never really done aussie cars anyway
@@madkills10They do from time to time, like the TRD Laser.
Mate, this was brilliant 🤣 I remember seeing them first in a wheels magazine in '98... and like most people, my jaw hit the floor and i felt the impending urge to chunder my lunch... I have to say though, a few weeks later I was at a Ford Dealer, and walked through the show room and saw an AU Fairmont... and it all made perfect sense in the flesh! Even though i was always a "Holden Boy" thru and thru... (although, ironically i never bought one of them with my own money 🤣) I have to say that the AU Fairmont is one of my favourite Fords of all time. As an important side note tho, i was one of only 3 actual Australians that i am aware of that loved the Taurus...
The first car I ever drove was the 1998 AU Ford Falcon Station Wagon. It was a land boat, but I loved it.
The ugly ugly interior is so nostalgic 🥰
Super interesting how GM and Ford always had their own, separate history in Australia. Would love to see more Aussie auto history in this style, it’s great
Chrysler did too for a short time
My '98 AU Futura is still running fine at 330,000km on the original engine. She's had the transmission and muffler replaced and leaks a bit of oil but she still gets me from A to B.
NOT garbage at all. Quite a good car really once you got past the initial niggles.
It definitely didn't need as much maintenance as the blasted BA.
We actually do get lots of weird cars here in Saudi Arabia the commodore and the Holden caprice were insanely popular they are still desirable to this day and everyone was devastated when the cancelled it because holden got deleted even though they said they wouldn't and they didn't even bring in the chevy SS as a caprice damn you GM
Unfortunately, unlike with General Motors, I don't think Ford US ever approved the funding for Ford Australia to make any of the modern Falcons (or Territories) in left hand drive, so exports of Falcons were much more limited compared to the Commodore or Caprice.
@@TassieLorenzo Ford ME "Middle East " wanted to bring the AU Ford Falcon but it was too costly to convert them to left-hand drive and start selling them here most western companies always underappreciate the GCC/ME market they did however bring the new Chinese-made Ford Taurus and it was developed with Ford AU and Changan and It looks too similar to a ford Falcon
Us Australians love that you guys enjoy Holdens! I'm part of some Facebook groups where people share their Commodores and Statesman's from all over the world, and ME people are regulars! You guys are crazier than us with cars and that's saying something
Many middle easterners in Australia drive Aussie Ford. Stupid parent company.
@@madkills10 Sorry for the late reply but Thanks we do love Holdens here and they are still driving on the road with most changing the Chevy badges to Holden ones and most use it in drift events and drag events sad to see them being discontinued
Love seeing you talk about the Ford falcons! As an Ford falcon driver myself I always geek out to my friends about these cars and like to show off my Aussie legend.
Oooooohh a Drum Thing and Garbage Time Duo upload. Marvellous!
The early 90's falcons shown at 1:14 were great cars and very will built. And very comfortable to travel in. My parents still have the Fairmont model of this falcon which is actually the mid range luxury model before the more top of the range Fairlane. Even how old it is to today it has aged very well and still is very reliable as an everyday car.
I still love the EF/EL
They were great cars to drive new especially the Fairmont, Fairmont Ghia etc
@@change_your_oil_regularly4287 Just in general the Fairmont models were great.
"Now I know what you're thinking... which is you hate it!"
*I absolutely love AU Falcons...*
I had a series I AU forte sedan as my first car when I left school. It was dark green, ugly and the air con never worked. But it suffered over 5 years of hard abuse by a young rev head and the only thing that ever broke was the coolant overflow tank, which was a known fault due to their crummy cheap plastic. Even after I sold it to a family member they ran it for over 15,000km with NO COOLANT unknowingly and it still ran perfectly. One of the most underrated cars and an Aussie legend, I look back on it fondly.
man, you have a talent. You're phenomenal at taking something 90% of people wouldn't care about, and making them suddenly care about it. I don't know anything about nugget MP3 players, nugget cars, or nugget cymbals, yet here I am tuning in every single time I get notified of an upload. There's a reason you have one of the two patreons I subscribe to.
I had a cream XE Falcon with 3-3 six and four on the floor. Seeing that blue XD in the opening shots was nostalgic. That shape is the one Ford sold most of in it's peak. After the XF, the gradual decline began. In the late noughties, they brought out another big sedan, well after the public had shifted to SUV's, twincab utes and small hatches. Government had dropped import tarriffs to virtually nothing, and our workforces were too expensive to employ.
My XE wasn't a bad car, but had some issues, and gave a general impression of ordinary quality. It had rust at six years of age, and silly little things kept creating drama on the road:- clutch cable snapping, faulty oil light switch, and door handles that kept breaking.
The 2012 Corolla sedan I own now has literally never given me a drama, and is tight as a drum. Everything still works. I don't baby it but it does get serviced and garaged.
As for the AU, never liked it's styling, and particularly found the Fairlane version rather plain and insipid. However, I loved the ute, particularly the trayback...........that was one AU that the buyers flocked to, becoming the No.l seller in it's segment.
Good post. Know what you're saying there.
Fun fact: That "Opel Omega" was sold here as the Cadillac Catera, aka the Caddy that zigs. It suddenly failed because of GM incorrectly knowing their market, so they got it right with the CTS successor!
Also CTS stands for Catera Touring Sedan, the Catera outlived the Eldorado, Seville, and even the Deville
My AU is pure gold! Coming up to 24 years old and has been in the family for 21 years. Well maintained and goes like a dream. 8 years ago an RACV mechaninc took it for a drive and remarked that he hadn't seen one in such good shape for a long time. My mechanic is eager to buy it but he will have a long wait.
191k on the clock and it should outlast me with an luck.
It was so nuts to go from the ef/el to this. They are still good looking cars. My first car was an EF Fairmont in polynesian green. One of the best looking cars Ford Aus ever made, I think. And yeah, on the "aussieness", I always found it confusing how the Commodore had people believing it was the real Aussie when Ford Aus was doing so much more on development and design.
Holden were too cheap to even make the Commodore look like an Aussie car- fuel fillers all on the wrong side because Germany is a left hand drive country. The last aussie design holden was the wb with the fuel filler on the left.
the au falcon may be the most beautiful creation ever made
Oh boy , here in South Africa we also got a few Ford Falcons and surprisingly we got the AU Falcon , one of the more popular models here was the Fairmont Ghia with upmarket wood trim so the interior wasn't too bad ... sadly the AU was the last Falcon we got here but it didn't sell that bad here , I still occassionally see them :)
I love the AU Fairlane Ghia. Was a classy good looking car 🤠👌
@@paulfri1569 I definitely agree , the only thing swaying me away from one is bad petrol prices here in South Africa 😂
I'm with you on the VT commo love. My missus still has a VT Olympic edition wagon with over 600,000kms on the original engine and gearbox. That Buick V6 will run forever.
The LPG Ford intech engines were wicked too, a mate of mine had an ex taxi AU falcon with over a million kms that just wouldn't quit!
I would love a livestream of Wade just talking about the most Aussie looking cars he knows. That would make my whole YEAR.
proud owner of 2 AU Falcons
1: 2002 XR8 Series III manual, 220kW V8 and in showroom condition.
2: 2000 Futura Series II E:Gas, I use it as a daily driver, cheap to run and still does the job without issues.
The greatest machine ever engineered. Truly proud to have owned an AU in my youth.
As a VT Commodore owner I appreciate the love for my beat up but beloved set of wheels
2:12 those seats look so darn comfortable.
I think Ford's new edge design cars were rather like marmite; you either loved it or hated it (especially depending on the car you looked at that had it). One thing's for sure though, most Fords of this era were legendary, like the Focus and the Ka and the Falcon (although I never experienced the Falcon because they weren't sold in my country).
Also I really like your content!
I'm not much of a ford man so I dont know about the falcons, but certain commodores (with certain trim levels) had some very comfy seats. Its like sitting in a lounge chair.
My Dad designed those seats. This make me happy to read since he's no longer with us.
@@Nicodemus1971 I'm very sorry for your loss...
I KNEW I RECOGNISED THIS VOICE!!! What a car to talk about an AU is my first car and I still have it, she goes hard and looks great doing it, honestly an under appreciated looking car imo
Great video. The big problem with the AU is that the Forte is what everyone thinks of when you say AU, when in reality it was only one of many variants. The XR6/8, later Fairmont Ghias and TS/TE50s looked fantastic (IMO) but no one remembers them. Only the dead beat dad Forte, thats what everyone thinks when you say AU.
Agree 100%. Don't worry though, many of these Tickford XR's & T series are still in good hands. Oo===oO
As bad as the base AU grille/ lights were, to me the XR6/8 round headlights set in holes was absolutely hideous.
@@rossbrumby1957 Really? I quite liked it (especially in the V8 supercar series at the time) it just goes to show, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Hahaha.
Have a good one Ross. :)
Had a series 1 xr6 ute, was an absolute beast, they buggered it up with the VCT motor.
3:37 uggo sus
Wade speaks the best English dialect
My Dad used to own a Ford Falcon for as long as I could remember until 3 years back.
I didn't know much about cars back then when i was younger, hell i dont know much now, but usually I got carsick for long trips but never in a falcon. Thankfully I don't have this issue with most cars anymore but I can attest personally on how silent those things are.
It didn't win races but it served my family well.
this is one of the best looking cars ever made.
@@rhyswoodman6781 they’re my dream car, i absolutely adore them, the whole design is simple, it’s an car, and i like cars like that.
I reckon the later ones looked better, like the ba/bf. The FG and fgx was good but towards the end the interior was deffo aged
The “wags” actually looks cool as hell, not so much the rest
I have had two AUs.
1) 465 000 km and still going as a paddock basher.
2) 351 000 km and still my daily driver doing 30k per year.
Comfortable, reliable, bulletproof, nothing is better cruising on the highway and they simply keep going.
I remember my parents had a navy blue Series 2 AU Forté wagon from when I was born until I was about 9 years old when we sold it for a VE Commodore. Our AU was actually an unmarked ex cop car, in which as a result it had better suspension than a standard Forté.
My mum and dad bought the AU in a rush from an auction as they had my twin sister and I (twins weren’t very common back in 2003) and our twin pram did not fit in the little Hyundai they had at the time.
I have a lot of memories in our old AU; we always used to take 9 hour drives to Port Lincoln every few months to visit my cousins and we used to drive to Melbourne for holidays in it, mum always used to drive me and my primary school friends in it, and I even remember jamming to tunes back in 2009-10 on the radio on the way home from swimming lessons 😂
Despite its not so great looks (though, in my opinion, the XR6 and the Fairmont Ghia look better), the AU Falcon was an absolute tank, they refuse to die, and it amazes me that I still see so many of them driving around Adelaide all the time, more than I see VT/VX Commodore’s driving around now. As they say, you can’t spell Australia without “AU” 😂😂
AU Ford ex cop car? What Police force in Australia would be stupid enough to use those pieces of shit?
Oh.....let me guess, NSW or QLD......that makes sense!
@@garynewton1263 South Australia actually, that’s where I live. The car was an unmarked police car before we bought it.
@@BaileyEthanRawson South Australia had AUs as police vehicles? Very disappointing. AU was one of THE worst Falcon models ever along with the EF.
I lived in Adelaide from 92 to 2005 and 2015 to 2022 and never saw any Fords being used by SA police.
VP, VR, VS, VT, VX, VY, VE, VF etc.
Of course they used VLs as did Vic police.
My VX Exexcutive is an ex unmarked SA Police taskforce vehicle. Dark blue.
I had a White VS Series II esteem commodore before this one, it was brilliant.
The Ford Falcon didn't match Commodores until the BF model.
@@garynewton1263 I wouldn’t remember as I was born just when the AU’s were replaced with the BA’s. It’s possible our AU might’ve been an unmarked cop car interstate, not 100% sure of the backstory but all I know is that my parents bought the AU II second hand at an auction when I was born as my mum needed a wagon to fit the twin pram in the boot, and it was apparently an ex cop car..
We also used to have a 2001 VX Equipe wagon in bronze, from the same era as our AU, except it wasn’t an ex cop car; my grandparents gave it to us as they had bought another car. Funny how we had the two direct Aussie motoring competitors of the same year in our driveway at the time LOL. The VX was a nicer car but it ran into more problems mechanically as it aged than our AU.
@@BaileyEthanRawson Yes, the VT and VX were not free of mechanical issues.
The engines in the VR to VY were rubbish and noisy.
The Ford straight 6 esoecially the Tickford was excellent.
I bought my 99 AU Wagon because it had a bench seat and column shift. I am still driving it 24 years later.
It's hated by New Zealanders too. I owned one, can confirm.
Most people disliked it and with the way they setup the Forte in series 1 form I'm not surprised but after seeing the prototype drawings especially the XR, I knew that if it was lowered, had nice wheels, the sideskirts and bi plane spoiler that it actually looked good. But sadly the prototype drawings and how aggressive it was compared to what we actually got. However I'm still a proud AU XR6 VCT series 1 sedan owner after 19 years and it still to this day actually looks pretty decent with lovells and bilstein shocks and full tickford body kit pack with bi plane, side skirts and front/rear accents. charcoal interior and custom blue interior. love that double wishbone IRS. the shape certainly aint perfect but its amazing how different a base forte looks to a lowered XR with really nice wheels and full bodykit, two completely different cars
I was always a Commodore kid, but my AU ute is by far the best car I've ever had... I keep saying "I'll buy a new ute this year", but the old falcon is on 450,000ks and still runs like the Swiss rail network. Never even hints at letting me down. I didn't love it when I bought it, but God damn do I love it now.
PS. The AU in my name thingy is pure coincidence, I used it long before I bought the Falcon or RUclips.
A 2001 dedicated gas Ford Falcon AU Ute with a steel tray and roof racks mounted was my first ever car. Hideous and beautiful all at the same time ❤️ those were the days
Wash your mouth out. You should know as a former owner hideous doesn't enter into it unless it's giving trouble.
Dr nefario loves these
Being a Californian and dankpods fan, I never thought that that this channel would be so interesting. But it’s really fun to watch an Australian man play with cars a tell us about them.
YOU CANT SPELL AUSTRALIA WITHOUT AU, LISTEN TO THE IRON LION ROAR!
Gru, this in an AU Falcon. The greatest vehicle ever to come off an Australian production line
4:47 Dankpods got that wagon from Ohio 💀🗿
Im not an Australian and never been to Australia but an mere American, I still remember that iconic Supercar AU's circle headlight from the Gran Turismo 3 days!
Looks like a tire shredding burnout machine. What a real beauty 🇲🇽
i’ve waited for this for so long, it was just inevitable
edit: 10/10
It really is interesting seeing how different paths ford europe, us and aus ended up taking.
I've got two AU utes. Full grandpa spec with styleside, three seater, auto on the tree and steel wheels. Love them - they are iconic Aussie cars.
Yes please!
Drove these at work when new
They drove really well
It was a terrific car .
I really like these cars .
I will always love the AU, i remember dad getting the series 3 forte sedan with two spoilers in 07, it was quite, had lots of power, reliable as all hell and was my daily driver up until a week ago.
AU Falcons do incredible things
I think it is great that today, they are loved ironically. I am always happy to see one on the road. Most probably went to the wreckers many many years ago
I was on the design team for the AU as was my father. i designed the Black B Pillar Trims, the Cabin Venting, and most of the door seals (which is why it is quiet). My Father designed the 'Mobile Office' and did a lot of work on the seating systems.
You should contact "Motoringbox" on here if you haven't already. He has done an episode or two on the mobile office etc
Your very brave admitting that .
@@shellez101 Butt ugly car, but turned out exceptionally durable. I wasn’t very experienced and learned a lot on that car.
@@Nicodemus1971 A shame rust proofing was lacking.
There's a BFII/III wagon down the street with a gaping rust hole on the roof beside the doors. Modern cars don't normally do that except this.
I spent my 13th birthday crammed in the 6th "seat" in the back of one of them wagons for a 13 hour drive from Batemans Bay to Brisbane... what a time
This guy consistently makes the highest quality, most entertaining content of any youtuber, period
Wow you Aussies do have many interesting cars! Go on like this, really a pleasure to watch