We Americans don't really have a lot to complain about in the car department but it's things like the Falcon, the Hilux, and this, that really leave us wanting more sometimes.
Just more proof that corporate America worked hard to keep Ford and Holden from becoming successful beyond Australia’s shores and guaranteeing international markets.
Yanks do it about everything by trying to control the world, even military few times Australia built better military planes etc and Britian or USA shut it down.. Holden was not allowed to make a faster car then the Corvette even though we could of.. no other GM car could outperform the flagship corvette was GM rule....
I'am retired Ford Australia, back in the sixties we had Ford V8 muscle engines.Then my fellow engineers where allowed to show what we could like the Australian 351 and 302 {yes we had a 302} cleveland V8. The Barra was our baby the USA knew nothing about, we sold of the showroom 315 kw 422 hp falcons, will a good tune 335 kw 450hp, as my own falcon did. When my son ready I gave him the Falcon to hunt the commodore v8 owners for closed street drag racing. They couldn't believe, just beaten by 6 cylinders auto falcon. I love your video, just the bad thing its 10 years too late.
I doubt you would hunt down Commodores driven by old guys like me. Back in the 70s the old 250ci was a good motor and then the crossflow 4.1 was another good motor. Mate had a TD Cortina with the crossflow and banged a Turbo on it. We know how good the Ford 6cyl is and we think twice before taking one on. The young guys may be different for not really knowing the history of the 250ci.
I’m an Australian and have spent a lot of time around the Barra. It’s an extremely easy and cheap motor to find and such are swapped into everything. I’ve seen Barra e36, 80 series Landcruiser, skylines even an mx5.
It makes me horribly saddened to know the rest of the world didn't get this legendary piece of engineering. To know that the Barra was the end of Ford's (Australian) mythical I6 lineage makes me feel so sad. They could have stuck it into American cars but, alas, the Barra will live on seemingly through P-plates and Dyno's down under only.
Wasn't the XR8, it was overpowering the GT of the day when they first tested it. They detuned it specifically for the GT so not to lose sales because there were a limited number of the GTs.
Bought a BF XR6 turbo new and still have it in my shed. It is a great car with a fabulous engine that makes me smile each time I drive it. They will probably bury me in it as I cannot replace it and have no intentions of doing so.
As an Brazilian, i'm a lover of australian cars. My country had the VX, VT, VZ and VE Calais ("luxury" version of Commodore V6) as "australian" Chevrolet Omega CD (it means Confort Diamond) and I like those cars. I wish have one for project car. On Ford side, they didn't brang the Ford Falcon here, just Mondeo and then Fusion (Nice cars, but i wish Ford had bring Falcon on my country). Nice vid homie
I worked in the seat assembly plant back then for vt2. Always thought it odd that one of the front seat cushions frames had a fire extinguisher. But i learned you guys run high ethanol fuel, in emergencies might be hard to see that kind of flame maybe.
@@torque350hpit's not so true. We have high levels of ethanol on our gas, but the real reason of we having extinguishers are just id.iot laws made just for politicians take our cash by fines (lol)
Another thing to add is that allegedly (stated by some of the top engineers at both Ford Australia and FPV) the Barra didn’t use any forged internal components. The rods, crank and pistons are all super heavy duty cast molds, so the fact that these stock bottom ends have seen upto 800 horsepower is an engineering feat. Thank you 337Speed, for educating the masses on Australia’s automotive pride and joy. One of the only Americans I’ve ever seen get everything right when it comes to the Barra.
@ there was a set of interviews with the team behind the FG F6’s and all of them claimed that the engine didn’t use forged bits. Ill see if I can find it Not too sure about the BA and BF Barra’s, but if even the FG didn’t have forged then it’s safe to assume the older ones didn’t either.
Dude, you're doing a great job with the videos. I love the production quality, the music and everything that's in the video. It's very informative. And I get it with getting stressed and all of that I'm taking therapy and it definitely helps out. Especially when being in financial situations and having two kids and a job that really demands out of you. Keep up the good work
Unfortunately, I highly doubt he is actually using the sponsor he is promoting. I'm disappointed he is promoting Better Help because if you search them in YT, they are a scam. If someone really needs therapy, please find an actual therapist and not these scammers
Built an Atomic motor for my BA XT Falcon sleeper; 1257rwkw in an ex- Qld Police duty car, all fed through a 2 speed Powerglide. This was mid 2000's, when Holden lovers would throw a tune, CAI & exhaust on their car & think it was the greatest, nobody was really doing turbos/ blowers & the few that were around, were a $12k AUD option; until they would pull up at the lights, id spool up on transbrake & just destroy them. The local cops where we lived prior, still had a Blue XR6T for highway patrol use, 5 years after final production (it was an FG2 XR6T)
Aussie here, I learned to drive in a N/A 2003 BA falcon then upgraded when I got my full license to a orange FGX XR6 turbo and that car still sits in my shed with 78XXX km on it and still original. Best car ever made was the XR6
Another Aussie here. I grew up only owning USGM from my late teens thru to middle age now. Whereas I love anything Chev or Pontiac, I have to tip my hat to what Ford Australia managed to achieve with the barra on limited funds. Just recently found the channel. Keep up the great work. 👍
An additional note: Towards the end of the BA/ BF falcon production, Ford had to get rid of a bunch of FPV blue top parts, so they started mixing them in with all types of Barras. So some Red tops from the late BA/BF era are high HP capable. The FG falcon Barras never had this happen. Not all late BA/BF Barras got the same blue top parts, it was random what you got, the only way to know is if you pulled it apart.
Can confirm as an ex Tilford employee that some late BA falcon's did indeed have many blue top parts and some even made the fpv 270kw number as opposed to the 240kw. There was a rumour floating around the office that these cars were able to be identified by a blue X on either the intercooler itself or the pipe work. We weren't able to confirm this in the office though unfortunately and I'd say anything vehicles that had these modifications have all probably been molested to death by now.
A barra with head studs, valve springs and oil pump gears will go 550 rear wheel kilowatts plus (730hp) with a chinese turbo on a factory engine with extra fuel and e85. Things are unbelievably reliable at it too. Thats factory manifolds, cams, head, valves, bottom end, reflashed factory ECM. Even the original head gasket.
As an Aussie, this was truly one of our world leading moments. My wife and I had a BF MK II Falcon for our taxi and it was great. Had other issue but the engine never gave us any and even stock had some serious power.
First, much respect for partnering with Better Help. Not many people want to talk about needing that kind of help! Way to go. Second, no stress, but this is what one of my favorite channels. I would rather wait for your extremely well done videos than to have you trying to pump out quantity instead of quality. Great work!! Thank you
@ for sure! A big part of my problem was just abusing weed and I’m currently a month sober after 7 years of daily smoking. Helping a lot for sure. Having bad ADHD and years of abusing substances didn’t help either.
@@FlacoooMost common dyno brands used here and are made in Australia (Mainline and DynoDynamics) are eddy current, basically a big electromagnet which retards the dyno roller which gives a more accurate measurement than the common brands available in USA which are inertia, a big flywheel which has a known mass and the machine calculates how the engine accelerates that. They just give different absolute numbers but work just as well as tuning tools when comparing apples with apples.
I looked this up & apparently it's a myth different brands get different reading even between the Australian brands and even then there will be differences with the same brand dynos.
Love how much thorough detail you put into this. As an Australian I really appreciate it. Hate Ford America for never allowing the Falcon to be exported though. We would probably still have a car industry
Still some of the best quality videos to exist on the internet. I don't know how you do it. I would (and im sure others would as well) love to see a behind the scenes video of HOW you make your videos. Research, scripting, CGI and editing.
Ford Australia would test their Barra engines by placing them on the engine dyno, then wind them up to full noise and boost for 24 hours. If they held together, they passed. There was a great piece of footage of one 950hp test where you can see the turbo getting so hot that the turbine blades are visible. Awesome stuff.
By the time i saw the title i just knew it was the iconic ford barra, these things are absolute monsters and you don't need much money to make big power with them, stock internals alone can carry you a long way, just look at what mighty car mods did to their's with the cresta. Another phenomenal video and commentary my guy 🔥
As a long time Fan of you from Australia, I've genuinely never been so excited to watch anything before. And you did it justice as usual! I'd love a follow up with the extensive modifications people have made & future development of the engine, XR6 turbo motors went 240, 245, 270, 270 & 310 in fpv trim, finally 325 in the XR6 sprint final models! Plus the crazy aftermarket support in 2025. Maybe something about how people are importing them to the us now and swapping them into cars like Mustangs etc! I run a popular falcon page called AUSDM which is half shitposting half stanced falcons & tastefully modified examples - will share this there! Hopefully you gain extra traffic & they stay for all the other great videos you've made too!
Yeah, this comment was way too far down. I don't know what the hell creators are thinking when they get sponsored by them fools. They must pay really well.
Great video and nice to see an Aussie icon featured. I was literally just looking at G6E Turbos on sale earlier this morning. One comment, though, is that you regularly showed the V8-powered BA and FG/X models when mentioning the Barras. They had 5.4 and then the 5.0L V8, and a large bonnet bulge.
I have one of those XR6 Turbo barras... Its mint.. currently 520rwhp with just bigger injectors and exhaust/dump and a boost increase. It's a manual so more than that would risk the 6 speed manual.
Afaik what killed the panther platform crown vic was the need for stability control on 2012 model year cars. That chassis dates back to 1978 with things like front springs directly interchangeable right up to the end. It maybe would have been a good bet to invest the R&D dollars into a 4 door mustang, a Ford version of a Charger. The Mustang was already HUGE and the hard work was already done.
Thank you so much ...Another Aussie here ...I have an early run FG XR6 . It's the poverty pack naturally aspirated but with the optional at the time ZF Sports sports shift sequential transmission ..I love the old girl (17y.o.now) almost Build date April 2008. She may not be the amazing turbo but she still has tons of every day power and torque for almost everything . On a trip she will see well in excess of 30 mpg around 8-8.5 litres per 100 kms too.. Just a side note ..I also have (owned since 2003 ) a lovely old AU Series 2 Futura with the SOHC Intech 4.0 ..Beautiful , sweet running , comfy driving cruiser if ever there was ..Ultra reliable and almost the exact same bottom end as the Barra ..These can be modded to cope with big power too .. Ford have always been the king of the inline sixes ..
I worked at the engine plant where they made the Barra and everyone there had the saying what do fishermen and Holden drivers have in common? They can't Catch a Barra 😂
As an Aussie, it’s funny yet sad to see this engine getting such praise so long after production ceased, can only hope there are some smart cookies out there that have figured out how to reproduce the engines
Look up the Dick Johnson turbo in the early 80s, well before the 2JZ, and the early barra. I remember a mate owning 1 of these rare cars, and it was amazing back then performance wise!, especially in a falcon that weighed 1200kg!!, look up these cars!!, know your history!
I own a BA XR6T with less than 70K on the clock with an APS phase 3 kit. DJ signed my dash at the All Ford Day in Mareeba about 10 years ago. I took a video of it too.
I'm an old school Holden fan, Torana is an all time favourite. The barra is the best engine we ever made in Aus. As an Aussie I'm proud of that engine and I hate that we don't have a car industry anymore.
the barra wasn't an entirely new engine like you seem to be making out. it was an evolution of the 1960's falcon six. a steady progression of improvements from an overhead valve non crossflow, increasing the capacity from 144 and 170ci to 188 and 221ci then 200 and 250ci replacing the cast on log manifold head with one with a removeable inlet manifold with bigger ports and a 2bbl carb the 2v, replacing that with a cast iron crossflow head with cleveland style canted valves and rockers, changing from cast iron head to alloy head adding electronic ignition and tuned port efi, changing to single overhead cam 3.9l then 4.0l then sohc with variable cam timing, then dohc with dual vct. turbos were done as dealer packages as far back as the alloy head crossflow, the power pontential was already known long before the barra with the xr6's often outperforming the v8's. from precrossflow to barra they all share the same crank journal and bore spacing, they've used the same rod bearings for 50yrs. and no they didn't copy it off anything it's not trying to be anything else. it is the falcon 6cyl it is what other motors wish they were.
I own one, a 2007 Wagon but an ex-company car rather than a Taxi so probably better looked after. 300K and runs as new. More than enough grunt as the torque is massive low down and for most driving you never exceed 2500 RPM so they basically last forever.
I think the most interesting thing about the Barra is that it’s in every single inline 6 powered Falcon produced from 2002-2016. 14 years of cars had the same motor, and in this day and age where cars constantly are changing everything about them, it’s pretty impressive.
I found your channel last year and it has become such a joy when I see a new video uploaded. You're voice is so soothing and as much as I am in love with cars and don't know much about the engineering side, hearing you talk about makes it so much easier to understand. I love it over here. ❤ Thank you so much and please take care of yourself.
Well, we nearly developed our own from version the Holden 202ci straight six that came out in the early commodores (1978-1986 models) Holden even experimented with a single overhead cam test engine internally years ago and got good results, but where told no by the accountants because it would be too costly and eventually dropped the 202 all together because it was so outdated (first version released in 1964). However a guy named Bob Krogdahl developed a DOHC 202 and produced impressive numbers, especially for the time and it’s a shame, because it could have been an impressive engine and a good competitor to the Barra.
There was a special edition 3800 buick supercharged that Holden released in the VT-VY. It was okay but it didn't pick up well because they were so rare here.
I bought a brand new XR6 turbo manual back in 2005 I custom ordered it with red everything. A very fast car that handled and stopped brilliantly and yet drove really well so anyone could drive it. It is still one of the best vehicles I have ever owned.
Being a Holden guy (in Australia). I remember reading about the new BA XR6 turbo & F6 FPV in our wheels magazine and thinking “oh sh$&, ford Australia have built a monster! And then the FG falcon was even better
Preceding Holden using the LS1 and Ford turboing the Barra 6, they both ran an all iron pushrod V8 304 for Holden (308 previously) and 302 for Ford Besides a more desirable engine note than the LS, these 5 Litre iron V8s were beaten by the LS in terms of weight, fuel consumption and power The LS made a big jump for the Aussie performance scene 😮 And the LS often had a poor tune from factory...
You forgot the very torquey 350 Holden motor in HSV VR GTS, Specs ; Engine: 5.7L Holden V8 ; Power: 215 kW @ 4800 rpm ; Torque: 475 N⋅m @ 3600 rpm. The first of the LS1's produced 295 hp (220 kW) at 5000 rpm, and 323 (438 N⋅m) at 4400 rpm. Quote "From 1994 with the VR series, a 5.7-litre; 349.8-cubic-inch (5,733 cc) "stroker" was standard on the HSV GTS and optional on the HSV Senator, and later on the Statesman/Caprice-based Grange from that model's introduction in 1996." so the first of the LS1's were not such a great leap in the grunt stakes but were a lot lighter and tuned quite lean for economy.
@ yes I did not think about anything like that at all! Good catch Funny how the VR GTS had more torque AND at 800 rpm lower I pulled a trailer with my Statesman and wasn't blown away with the Gen3 at all It did a good job But I didn't think wow! Funny how a good sized engine like the LS seemed more for revving than for grunt 🤔
My ls3 sounds better than any other v8 l have had and that's pretty much all of them used in Australia. All the ls engines used in Australia were heavily detuned but it doesn't take much to get very good performance out of them
The Holden 304ci 5.0 and 355ci 5.8 is were the LS1 got its design , same intake, port layout, valve train and valve angles , same bellhousing, same starter, ECU, and so on the LS1 is a copy of the 1988 Holden injected 5.0 they even look the same .
@@JosephCowen-fz8vj Not the same at all, Heads are totally different, Port shapes valve angles all different, ECU on the Holden was a Delco 531 Ecu, on the LS1 it was the P01 0411. The engines sitting beside each other look nothing like each other.
Wow I didn't expect to see reliable and ford in the same sentence.. that's insane levels of engineering and excellence that we miss in the current American vehicles I learned something new thanks to you ❤
Don't worry Ford Aus did the normal Ford thing on the rest of the car. Using cheap plastics meaning the glove box would warp and not close properly and rubber on the door handles that would dissolve into putty after about 5-7 years. Assuming they didn't break off completely because of how badly they were attached to the door trim. I met a guy who worked for a ford supplier and he said they told ford not to use that rubber and they didn't car because it was cheaper.
Well said, you got everything spot on in this video, I personally own 4 FG barras and they are one of the best engines in the world, it was Ford America that killed the Australian Falcon because Ford America wanted Ford Australia to start selling the mustang
I have been a mechanic for over 35 years, and up until the barra arrived, I believed the Valiant hemi 6 was our best engine, but Ford really nailed it with the barra. I'm sure the export barra fords also included South Africa as well as NZ. Great video.
Most manufacturers (Ford, Jeep, Nissan) have ended production of inline 6 engines, because they are unkillable. They need engines to become obsolete, not keep chugging away even with a blown head gasket. The inline 6 engines are tremendously tough.
4200 seems like a solid platform. Nivlac57 is where I've got most my info on it since I'm a Ford guy I'ma side with the barra. Pretty sure the barra block is much stronger and capable of holding more power.
@@COYOTE_N8Nivlac57 nearly killed his father when a vortex block unloaded its guts at the top end of the track. None of the documented vortec 4200s live long. It seems the design or the iron casting itself is not a patch on the RB,2JZ or Barra.
@@joesaiditstrue what do you mean robust SBE? I’ve personally been in a Barra making 1200hp at the rears on SBE. I’ve seen Barras make over 1500 on SBE, over 2200hp at the rears on modified bottom end. In contrast I’ve never seen any 4200 make more than 3 digits, ever! The 4200 has a higher rate of explosion when compared to these other engines mentioned, I would suggest GM never turbocharged it from factory because of this. Not robust at all in comparison. (Facts not opinions)
Those barras are so f’ing sick. They weigh more than the 2jz, but you can throw so much power at them it’s not even funny. Easily in the top 3 inline 6’s.
I don't know how you do it 337 SPEED, I start watching your videos and each time it's over before I know it! they just have a habit of being informative and entertaining at the same time!
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
"I named it 'Gull' because we knew it was going to sh*t on everything" - What an unapologetically Australian thing to say. 😂
A GOATed quote for sure
One of the best quotes relating to automobiles
And it did, even upstaged the Ford V8s and lots were not happy.
Australians are ruthless lmao
Except it needed forced induction and mods to even do so
We Americans don't really have a lot to complain about in the car department but it's things like the Falcon, the Hilux, and this, that really leave us wanting more sometimes.
Dont forget about the landcruisers 😅
At least you guys don't have luxury car tax like here in Australia
@@thatpersiandude7386 Close, we have "gas guzzler tax" here, depending on emissions and fuel economy.
@@Ac3MustangWe got landcruisers, just with too many options. It's a disappointint reality.
@trevorbrown7224 i dont mean the electronic modern bs. I mean the actual OG landcruisers
First time I've ever watched an American explain Australian cars and not make any mistakes. Good work 👏
Except for the pronunciation of barramundi 😂
@@SBSanChillYou need to cut him some slack, they can’t pronounce coupé or chassis or the letter Z properly either 😂
@SBSanChill lol I let him off of that one, as it just a speech technicalitie.
@brainsmatter7067 we won our independence. We will speak and pronounce things the way we choose.
@@evanbopp9852 “independence” = controlled by Israel 😭
Even as a Holden man, I can't hate the 4 Litre Tyre Eater. A fantastic engine that devours any V8 commodore.
I had to pimp my xr8 to not look stupid. The barra is truly special.
I bet you're a poser and you're really a ford fangirl
I've chopped plenty of Barras in my SS
@@user-hz3hh1ug3q Who cares, it's just a youtube comment.
@@user-hz3hh1ug3q no you didn't. Why lie?
@@falconmclenny7284 : user-hz3hh1ug3q managed to smoke a NA Barra on LPG, he's a legend in his own mind lol
The explained series has come so far since the beginning and it’s still amazing
People like him just gotta keep bumping these shits out. If all this would have happened pre pandemic he'd be in the top 3 car RUclipsr's easy.
@@thedoctormma9433I 100% agree, the content is amazing and I’ve seen every explained episode multiple times
100%
Sadly the title is clickbait. These engines have not "taken over" any continents
Hearing a yank talk about the might Barra with such reverence beings a tear to me eye
Just more proof that corporate America worked hard to keep Ford and Holden from becoming successful beyond Australia’s shores and guaranteeing international markets.
Ford is International. Holden is General Motors (Chevrolet), which is also international...
Yanks do it about everything by trying to control the world, even military few times Australia built better military planes etc and Britian or USA shut it down..
Holden was not allowed to make a faster car then the Corvette even though we could of.. no other GM car could outperform the flagship corvette was GM rule....
@@tredder4help Incorporated in the USA.
@@tredder4helpit is not the same
@@tredder4help Holden is a subsidiary of GM, it’s not the same
I'am retired Ford Australia, back in the sixties we had Ford V8 muscle engines.Then my fellow engineers where allowed to show what we could like the Australian 351 and 302 {yes we had a 302} cleveland V8. The Barra was our baby the USA knew nothing about, we sold of the showroom 315 kw 422 hp falcons, will a good tune 335 kw 450hp, as my own falcon did. When my son ready I gave him the Falcon to hunt the commodore v8 owners for closed street drag racing. They couldn't believe, just beaten by 6 cylinders auto falcon.
I love your video, just the bad thing its 10 years too late.
We may be slow learners but a few of us get to enjoy them now 😅
20years too late.
@@monstaxci7196 Yep americans always too late to the party.
I doubt you would hunt down Commodores driven by old guys like me. Back in the 70s the old 250ci was a good motor and then the crossflow 4.1 was another good motor. Mate had a TD Cortina with the crossflow and banged a Turbo on it. We know how good the Ford 6cyl is and we think twice before taking one on. The young guys may be different for not really knowing the history of the 250ci.
@@BatMan-oe2gh as a holden guy, it'll always be a 250 crossflow to me (with busted door handles always)
Babe wakeup. 337SPEED dropped a video on the legendary Ford Barra Inline 6 produced in Australia
LFG! 😂😂😂
Oh dont wake her up, i just joined the bed
Dropped another certified banger on us 🔥🔥🔥
Why you calling your uncle babe?
@keastymatthew2407 its awfull that his uncle have to sleep with such annoying niece every night
I LOVE YOU 337 SPEED
❤️
FINALLY. We love the Barra.
@@337speedseriously we do... Thank you so much for what you put into your craft and productions to inform,educate,and entertain us 🐐
I’m an Australian and have spent a lot of time around the Barra. It’s an extremely easy and cheap motor to find and such are swapped into everything. I’ve seen Barra e36, 80 series Landcruiser, skylines even an mx5.
Yeah. But you need to cut the firewall for most of those cars so it's not "easy". Just rough.
Don't forget the barra patrols 😂
And its resurrected every old Falcon with a tired motor ...and Commodores.
@@jjm1133 my brother barraswapped his VT :D
Hell even Adam lz imported a barra and put it in his gt350 mustang 😂
This was an unbelievably thorough explanation of Aussie motoring
From an Aussie to a yank, well done
It makes me horribly saddened to know the rest of the world didn't get this legendary piece of engineering. To know that the Barra was the end of Ford's (Australian) mythical I6 lineage makes me feel so sad. They could have stuck it into American cars but, alas, the Barra will live on seemingly through P-plates and Dyno's down under only.
Im off my P Plate by a few decades ( im 68) and i send my Barra Bf Fairmont Ghia whenever i can......love the Barra.🙂
You can get gm I6 engines (Amera Barra) and diy turbo them for dirt cheap since they came in every gm rwd suv
You’re the reason I’m actually able to learn about engines and you’re giving me the initiative to go out there and work on engines
What i find funny is how they detuned the xr6 so the flagship xr8 falcon would have more power to try and keep the xr8 sale numbers up
Wasn't the XR8, it was overpowering the GT of the day when they first tested it. They detuned it specifically for the GT so not to lose sales because there were a limited number of the GTs.
Not de tuned. They just said it had less HP than it actually had to keep the V8 sales going.
@@uraniumcranium2613 Did you actually read what I wrote? You're wrong anyway.
@@TheDodgeFactor Didn't seem to worry FPV. The I6 turbos they did were ballistic for factory.
Bought a BF XR6 turbo new and still have it in my shed.
It is a great car with a fabulous engine that makes me smile each time I drive it.
They will probably bury me in it as I cannot replace it and have no intentions of doing so.
Never sell it
Oh this just made my day working outside in freezing weather better! Break time in the warm truck and an OG 337 SPEED video!
As an Brazilian, i'm a lover of australian cars. My country had the VX, VT, VZ and VE Calais ("luxury" version of Commodore V6) as "australian" Chevrolet Omega CD (it means Confort Diamond) and I like those cars. I wish have one for project car. On Ford side, they didn't brang the Ford Falcon here, just Mondeo and then Fusion (Nice cars, but i wish Ford had bring Falcon on my country). Nice vid homie
pretty sure you guys got vy’s as well. stout cars 👍🏼
I worked in the seat assembly plant back then for vt2. Always thought it odd that one of the front seat cushions frames had a fire extinguisher. But i learned you guys run high ethanol fuel, in emergencies might be hard to see that kind of flame maybe.
Very interesting
I didn't know you got Aussie cars there 👍🏻
Yep, @ChrisHolden-rv2fhwe had the VY too. I forgot to mention that. Thanks
@@torque350hpit's not so true. We have high levels of ethanol on our gas, but the real reason of we having extinguishers are just id.iot laws made just for politicians take our cash by fines (lol)
Man, I’m proud to even know you bro. Your work has come so far, I can’t wait to see where you go!
I appreciate that bro🙏🏽
Another thing to add is that allegedly (stated by some of the top engineers at both Ford Australia and FPV) the Barra didn’t use any forged internal components. The rods, crank and pistons are all super heavy duty cast molds, so the fact that these stock bottom ends have seen upto 800 horsepower is an engineering feat.
Thank you 337Speed, for educating the masses on Australia’s automotive pride and joy. One of the only Americans I’ve ever seen get everything right when it comes to the Barra.
I coulda sworn the turbo’s had forged rods and pistons? I might be wrong tjough
@ there was a set of interviews with the team behind the FG F6’s and all of them claimed that the engine didn’t use forged bits. Ill see if I can find it
Not too sure about the BA and BF Barra’s, but if even the FG didn’t have forged then it’s safe to assume the older ones didn’t either.
@@asociallydisturbedskeleton6520 yeah copy that. Fair enough
Dude, you're doing a great job with the videos. I love the production quality, the music and everything that's in the video. It's very informative. And I get it with getting stressed and all of that I'm taking therapy and it definitely helps out. Especially when being in financial situations and having two kids and a job that really demands out of you. Keep up the good work
Unfortunately, I highly doubt he is actually using the sponsor he is promoting. I'm disappointed he is promoting Better Help because if you search them in YT, they are a scam. If someone really needs therapy, please find an actual therapist and not these scammers
I remember playing older racing games with my brother and learning about these cars and wanted them in the states so much.
Built an Atomic motor for my BA XT Falcon sleeper; 1257rwkw in an ex- Qld Police duty car, all fed through a 2 speed Powerglide.
This was mid 2000's, when Holden lovers would throw a tune, CAI & exhaust on their car & think it was the greatest, nobody was really doing turbos/ blowers & the few that were around, were a $12k AUD option; until they would pull up at the lights, id spool up on transbrake & just destroy them.
The local cops where we lived prior, still had a Blue XR6T for highway patrol use, 5 years after final production (it was an FG2 XR6T)
Aussie here, I learned to drive in a N/A 2003 BA falcon then upgraded when I got my full license to a orange FGX XR6 turbo and that car still sits in my shed with 78XXX km on it and still original. Best car ever made was the XR6
Australia’s finest. The legendary Barra. Great video mate
Another Aussie here. I grew up only owning USGM from my late teens thru to middle age now. Whereas I love anything Chev or Pontiac, I have to tip my hat to what Ford Australia managed to achieve with the barra on limited funds. Just recently found the channel. Keep up the great work. 👍
An additional note: Towards the end of the BA/ BF falcon production, Ford had to get rid of a bunch of FPV blue top parts, so they started mixing them in with all types of Barras. So some Red tops from the late BA/BF era are high HP capable. The FG falcon Barras never had this happen.
Not all late BA/BF Barras got the same blue top parts, it was random what you got, the only way to know is if you pulled it apart.
Can confirm as an ex Tilford employee that some late BA falcon's did indeed have many blue top parts and some even made the fpv 270kw number as opposed to the 240kw. There was a rumour floating around the office that these cars were able to be identified by a blue X on either the intercooler itself or the pipe work. We weren't able to confirm this in the office though unfortunately and I'd say anything vehicles that had these modifications have all probably been molested to death by now.
it isn't random lol, green, black and blue top is 3r23, silver and red top is 1r23 for BA and BF, the video explains exactly the distribution
@tturi2 it's clear you have little first hand experience.
@@justin3131ify I've messed with quite a few and the sohc/intech aswell
@tturi2 Thanks for the confirmation. By first hand experience I'm clearly referring to having been employed within the company.
so happy my dream engine made it on here. i wanna move to australia just to get a barra
Get a working visa and do it mate, everyone's welcome down here
Got em all over the place. Just hit up one of us and we can ship it over 😅
I imported 45 Barras to the US about 5 years ago. The Barra is slowly starting to take over the US. I have 12 left in Florida if anyone is interested.
A barra with head studs, valve springs and oil pump gears will go 550 rear wheel kilowatts plus (730hp) with a chinese turbo on a factory engine with extra fuel and e85. Things are unbelievably reliable at it too. Thats factory manifolds, cams, head, valves, bottom end, reflashed factory ECM. Even the original head gasket.
As an Aussie, this was truly one of our world leading moments. My wife and I had a BF MK II Falcon for our taxi and it was great. Had other issue but the engine never gave us any and even stock had some serious power.
finally, someone who ACTUALLY knows wtf they are talking about, using proper terminology and well researched, bravo sir.
First, much respect for partnering with Better Help. Not many people want to talk about needing that kind of help! Way to go. Second, no stress, but this is what one of my favorite channels. I would rather wait for your extremely well done videos than to have you trying to pump out quantity instead of quality. Great work!! Thank you
Please can you do a video about toyota 2GR engine family
Thanks
One of the only RUclipsrs I can watch a full video from lol! My short attention adhd span is bad but your videos are great
Glad I could hold your attention!
@@337speednice vid, very patriotic, 10/10
Stop scrolling shorts
@ for sure! A big part of my problem was just abusing weed and I’m currently a month sober after 7 years of daily smoking. Helping a lot for sure. Having bad ADHD and years of abusing substances didn’t help either.
This dude has helped me learn more about cars than my schooling has so far
Dont forget, Aussie dyno figures are 10-15% lower than readings in US
Why is that?
@@FlacoooMost common dyno brands used here and are made in Australia (Mainline and DynoDynamics) are eddy current, basically a big electromagnet which retards the dyno roller which gives a more accurate measurement than the common brands available in USA which are inertia, a big flywheel which has a known mass and the machine calculates how the engine accelerates that. They just give different absolute numbers but work just as well as tuning tools when comparing apples with apples.
@@FlacoooUpside down. Some of the horsepower falls out through the intake.
😂@@DavidPawson-d7h
I looked this up & apparently it's a myth different brands get different reading even between the Australian brands and even then there will be differences with the same brand dynos.
The only car that gave Holden a run for it's money I miss those old Australian super car series days
BARRA SWAP THE WORLD BABYYYYY!!!!!
I would put one in my jeep in a second
Shit yeahhh
Got snowed in today, your video definitely made it way better
Love how much thorough detail you put into this. As an Australian I really appreciate it. Hate Ford America for never allowing the Falcon to be exported though. We would probably still have a car industry
Same goes for Holden, GM watered down everything for them even though they developed the chassis for the 5th gen camaro. Sad.
Im lucky to have one of these. Brings a smile to my face every time I drive it. And I have had it for over 10 years.
Still some of the best quality videos to exist on the internet. I don't know how you do it. I would (and im sure others would as well) love to see a behind the scenes video of HOW you make your videos. Research, scripting, CGI and editing.
Ford Australia would test their Barra engines by placing them on the engine dyno, then wind them up to full noise and boost for 24 hours. If they held together, they passed. There was a great piece of footage of one 950hp test where you can see the turbo getting so hot that the turbine blades are visible. Awesome stuff.
It's a lot more than 24 hrs , it's 1000 hrs at full torque and 1000 at full HP . Detroit has been doing that since the 1960s .
By the time i saw the title i just knew it was the iconic ford barra, these things are absolute monsters and you don't need much money to make big power with them, stock internals alone can carry you a long way, just look at what mighty car mods did to their's with the cresta. Another phenomenal video and commentary my guy 🔥
Australia and its Transportation Lore will always be phenomenal stuff!!!
Barra barra barra, we say in unison 🗣️🔥🔥🔥
As a long time Fan of you from Australia, I've genuinely never been so excited to watch anything before. And you did it justice as usual!
I'd love a follow up with the extensive modifications people have made & future development of the engine, XR6 turbo motors went 240, 245, 270, 270 & 310 in fpv trim, finally 325 in the XR6 sprint final models! Plus the crazy aftermarket support in 2025. Maybe something about how people are importing them to the us now and swapping them into cars like Mustangs etc!
I run a popular falcon page called AUSDM which is half shitposting half stanced falcons & tastefully modified examples - will share this there! Hopefully you gain extra traffic & they stay for all the other great videos you've made too!
everyone just forgot how shitty betterhelp are huh?
Yeah, this comment was way too far down. I don't know what the hell creators are thinking when they get sponsored by them fools. They must pay really well.
Yeah I love this video, but a betterhelp sponsorship turns me right off
Great video and nice to see an Aussie icon featured. I was literally just looking at G6E Turbos on sale earlier this morning. One comment, though, is that you regularly showed the V8-powered BA and FG/X models when mentioning the Barras. They had 5.4 and then the 5.0L V8, and a large bonnet bulge.
I see more falcons with bonnet bulges that aren't V8's than actual V8's whether that is on carsales or on the road 😅
I have one of those XR6 Turbo barras... Its mint.. currently 520rwhp with just bigger injectors and exhaust/dump and a boost increase. It's a manual so more than that would risk the 6 speed manual.
I bet it eats clutches though 😂😂
My mate had one with similar power, and was constantly doing the clutch. Maybe he was a shit driver?? 😂
Afaik what killed the panther platform crown vic was the need for stability control on 2012 model year cars. That chassis dates back to 1978 with things like front springs directly interchangeable right up to the end.
It maybe would have been a good bet to invest the R&D dollars into a 4 door mustang, a Ford version of a Charger. The Mustang was already HUGE and the hard work was already done.
Thank you so much ...Another Aussie here ...I have an early run FG XR6 . It's the poverty pack naturally aspirated but with the optional at the time ZF Sports sports shift sequential transmission ..I love the old girl (17y.o.now) almost Build date April 2008. She may not be the amazing turbo but she still has tons of every day power and torque for almost everything . On a trip she will see well in excess of 30 mpg around 8-8.5 litres per 100 kms too.. Just a side note ..I also have (owned since 2003 ) a lovely old AU Series 2 Futura with the SOHC Intech 4.0 ..Beautiful , sweet running , comfy driving cruiser if ever there was ..Ultra reliable and almost the exact same bottom end as the Barra ..These can be modded to cope with big power too .. Ford have always been the king of the inline sixes ..
I worked at the engine plant where they made the Barra and everyone there had the saying what do fishermen and Holden drivers have in common? They can't Catch a Barra 😂
I pass the barra on the road and eat the barra from the water and l am a Holden driving fisherman 😂
@JohnWinzil lol no you don't
@@roadrunner87-t2c yes I do 😁
1:53 not just fuel and tires... the ECU talks to the tranny so it doesn't turn it into a gearbox fulla neutrals!
Only if you got a Nana auto . Real cars have manuals .
I remember watching your first explained episode, hit subscribe, and the rest is history. You’ve never failed to deliver.
As an Aussie, it’s funny yet sad to see this engine getting such praise so long after production ceased, can only hope there are some smart cookies out there that have figured out how to reproduce the engines
Look up the Dick Johnson turbo in the early 80s, well before the 2JZ, and the early barra.
I remember a mate owning 1 of these rare cars, and it was amazing back then performance wise!, especially in a falcon that weighed 1200kg!!, look up these cars!!, know your history!
That was the cross flow 4.1 six , same engine Barra just earlier version on the evolution tree .
I own a BA XR6T with less than 70K on the clock with an APS phase 3 kit. DJ signed my dash at the All Ford Day in Mareeba about 10 years ago. I took a video of it too.
I'm an old school Holden fan, Torana is an all time favourite. The barra is the best engine we ever made in Aus.
As an Aussie I'm proud of that engine and I hate that we don't have a car industry anymore.
the barra wasn't an entirely new engine like you seem to be making out.
it was an evolution of the 1960's falcon six. a steady progression of improvements from an overhead valve non crossflow, increasing the capacity from 144 and 170ci to 188 and 221ci then 200 and 250ci replacing the cast on log manifold head with one with a removeable inlet manifold with bigger ports and a 2bbl carb the 2v, replacing that with a cast iron crossflow head with cleveland style canted valves and rockers, changing from cast iron head to alloy head adding electronic ignition and tuned port efi, changing to single overhead cam 3.9l then 4.0l then sohc with variable cam timing, then dohc with dual vct.
turbos were done as dealer packages as far back as the alloy head crossflow, the power pontential was already known long before the barra with the xr6's often outperforming the v8's. from precrossflow to barra they all share the same crank journal and bore spacing, they've used the same rod bearings for 50yrs.
and no they didn't copy it off anything it's not trying to be anything else. it is the falcon 6cyl it is what other motors wish they were.
Absolutely correct
Spot on the money😉 well said
Yes it all started with the 144 ci in 1960 the Barra is the same engine family .
These engines were used in taxis in Australia and ran on LPG, many were good for a mil km plus. (these were the non turbo version)
I own one, a 2007 Wagon but an ex-company car rather than a Taxi so probably better looked after. 300K and runs as new. More than enough grunt as the torque is massive low down and for most driving you never exceed 2500 RPM so they basically last forever.
Australia's best engine.
you're like the summoningsalts of the car world, i love it, no one is doing these car documentary like videos like you are.
Currently barra swapping my 1977 280z
To make 800whp can’t wait
Great film. Thanks. Living in Aust and having owned an xr6t the Barra deserved a much better chassis and is quite simply the best inline 6 ever made!
Came for the cars. Stayed for the storytelling
I too, come for cars.
Wait
The first commercial they showed on Australian TV for this car knocked it outta the park. Over 20 years later, I still "can't get enough of this!"
Haven’t watched it all but I can already tell this will be dope as hell ❤
Australians have always had a love of wild 6 cylinders going back to the Holden 202 and Chrysler 265 hemis. Its great to see it continue
So good to finally see you cover the MIGHTY BARRA
I think the most interesting thing about the Barra is that it’s in every single inline 6 powered Falcon produced from 2002-2016. 14 years of cars had the same motor, and in this day and age where cars constantly are changing everything about them, it’s pretty impressive.
This makes me wonder, what if you had used the Atlas 4200 in your AWD Colorado
I found your channel last year and it has become such a joy when I see a new video uploaded. You're voice is so soothing and as much as I am in love with cars and don't know much about the engineering side, hearing you talk about makes it so much easier to understand. I love it over here. ❤ Thank you so much and please take care of yourself.
the inline 6 is literally the best engine layout backed by science
I love how you can easily pick up a running ba falcon for like $1000.
Imagine Holden got ahold of the Vortec 4200 🤦🏽♂️
Now that would really be something
Exactly what I want to do some day... Get an SS (police cruiser variant), and 4200 swap it (no offense to LS purest).
Grand National/Syclone vibes with a touch of a I6 song, VS their V6 howls!
Well, we nearly developed our own from version the Holden 202ci straight six that came out in the early commodores (1978-1986 models) Holden even experimented with a single overhead cam test engine internally years ago and got good results, but where told no by the accountants because it would be too costly and eventually dropped the 202 all together because it was so outdated (first version released in 1964). However a guy named Bob Krogdahl developed a DOHC 202 and produced impressive numbers, especially for the time and it’s a shame, because it could have been an impressive engine and a good competitor to the Barra.
There was a special edition 3800 buick supercharged that Holden released in the VT-VY. It was okay but it didn't pick up well because they were so rare here.
I bought a brand new XR6 turbo manual back in 2005 I custom ordered it with red everything. A very fast car that handled and stopped brilliantly and yet drove really well so anyone could drive it. It is still one of the best vehicles I have ever owned.
i heard your voiceover in a commercial. cant remember what it was for exactly but i knew it was you 🤣 love your vids hella educational
Being a Holden guy (in Australia).
I remember reading about the new BA XR6 turbo & F6 FPV in our wheels magazine and thinking “oh sh$&, ford Australia have built a monster!
And then the FG falcon was even better
Another good flick from 337 speed, really love this series.
Cheers mate 👌
My guy. This is what I've been waiting for. Love these types of videos you do. Keep up the great work my brother. I'll be watching. Word is bond!!!
Albo my word is my bond 😂
Do you create those animations just for these videos? If so, that’s an insane amount of work you put in, well done 🎉
Hell yeah, barra the world mate.
Preceding Holden using the LS1 and Ford turboing the Barra 6, they both ran an all iron pushrod V8
304 for Holden (308 previously) and 302 for Ford
Besides a more desirable engine note than the LS, these 5 Litre iron V8s were beaten by the LS in terms of weight, fuel consumption and power
The LS made a big jump for the Aussie performance scene 😮
And the LS often had a poor tune from factory...
You forgot the very torquey 350 Holden motor in HSV VR GTS, Specs ; Engine: 5.7L Holden V8 ; Power: 215 kW @ 4800 rpm ; Torque: 475 N⋅m @ 3600 rpm. The first of the LS1's produced 295 hp (220 kW) at 5000 rpm, and 323 (438 N⋅m) at 4400 rpm. Quote "From 1994 with the VR series, a 5.7-litre; 349.8-cubic-inch (5,733 cc) "stroker" was standard on the HSV GTS and optional on the HSV Senator, and later on the Statesman/Caprice-based Grange from that model's introduction in 1996." so the first of the LS1's were not such a great leap in the grunt stakes but were a lot lighter and tuned quite lean for economy.
@ yes I did not think about anything like that at all!
Good catch
Funny how the VR GTS had more torque AND at 800 rpm lower
I pulled a trailer with my Statesman and wasn't blown away with the Gen3 at all
It did a good job
But I didn't think wow!
Funny how a good sized engine like the LS seemed more for revving than for grunt 🤔
My ls3 sounds better than any other v8 l have had and that's pretty much all of them used in Australia. All the ls engines used in Australia were heavily detuned but it doesn't take much to get very good performance out of them
The Holden 304ci 5.0 and 355ci 5.8 is were the LS1 got its design , same intake, port layout, valve train and valve angles , same bellhousing, same starter, ECU, and so on the LS1 is a copy of the 1988 Holden injected 5.0 they even look the same .
@@JosephCowen-fz8vj Not the same at all, Heads are totally different, Port shapes valve angles all different, ECU on the Holden was a Delco 531 Ecu, on the LS1 it was the P01 0411. The engines sitting beside each other look nothing like each other.
so broke i might give up on cars but this guy just keeps pulling me back to the car community, much love brother, love your content
Finished my burrito as the video ended. Perfect lunch video!
this entire youtube channel is why i stay on youtube it’s so cool
Wow I didn't expect to see reliable and ford in the same sentence.. that's insane levels of engineering and excellence that we miss in the current American vehicles
I learned something new thanks to you ❤
Welcome to earth. The place where Ford outsells everything.
@@thatman4752except they didn't, that's why falcon was cancelled.😂
@Steve_jones113 Falcon was canceled by a bunch of inbred communists.
Aka australia
@@Steve_jones113because of fuel prices
Don't worry Ford Aus did the normal Ford thing on the rest of the car. Using cheap plastics meaning the glove box would warp and not close properly and rubber on the door handles that would dissolve into putty after about 5-7 years. Assuming they didn't break off completely because of how badly they were attached to the door trim.
I met a guy who worked for a ford supplier and he said they told ford not to use that rubber and they didn't car because it was cheaper.
Well said, you got everything spot on in this video, I personally own 4 FG barras and they are one of the best engines in the world, it was Ford America that killed the Australian Falcon because Ford America wanted Ford Australia to start selling the mustang
I love catching these drops minutes after
I have been a mechanic for over 35 years, and up until the barra arrived, I believed the Valiant hemi 6 was our best engine, but Ford really nailed it with the barra. I'm sure the export barra fords also included South Africa as well as NZ. Great video.
Always loved v8’s but this engine is impressive
It's a Ford, so there is always something for someone
Most manufacturers (Ford, Jeep, Nissan) have ended production of inline 6 engines, because they are unkillable. They need engines to become obsolete, not keep chugging away even with a blown head gasket. The inline 6 engines are tremendously tough.
What about the "Ameri-barra"? Aka the Atlas 4200
That deserves its own video👍
4200 seems like a solid platform. Nivlac57 is where I've got most my info on it since I'm a Ford guy I'ma side with the barra. Pretty sure the barra block is much stronger and capable of holding more power.
@@COYOTE_N8Nivlac57 nearly killed his father when a vortex block unloaded its guts at the top end of the track. None of the documented vortec 4200s live long. It seems the design or the iron casting itself is not a patch on the RB,2JZ or Barra.
@@nathanhansford76 any block can explode bro, the 4200 is incredibly robust on SBE
@@joesaiditstrue what do you mean robust SBE? I’ve personally been in a Barra making 1200hp at the rears on SBE. I’ve seen Barras make over 1500 on SBE, over 2200hp at the rears on modified bottom end. In contrast I’ve never seen any 4200 make more than 3 digits, ever! The 4200 has a higher rate of explosion when compared to these other engines mentioned, I would suggest GM never turbocharged it from factory because of this. Not robust at all in comparison. (Facts not opinions)
Love my Barra.
Wish it was turbo…
Same I think all of us NA owners do 😂
I so wish that we would see more inline 6s in the US auto market. Jeep moving away to a V6 design made me sad.
But then there is the new Mazda CX 90 Inline 6. I can’t wait for hotrodders to experiment with this.
@@stephendufresne9239 I really want Mazda to make a NA Inline 6/Inline 6 turbo RWD sedan, that would be so fun
I grew up with Holden but daily drive two old LPG green top Barra's...both now high km's but never missed a beat...great engines.
Those barras are so f’ing sick. They weigh more than the 2jz, but you can throw so much power at them it’s not even funny. Easily in the top 3 inline 6’s.
I don't know how you do it 337 SPEED, I start watching your videos and each time it's over before I know it! they just have a habit of being informative and entertaining at the same time!