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Old 17-02-2016, 04:39 PM   #1
FalconXV
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Red face Ford Falcon - An Emotional Tribute

I hope you enjoy this, it's the most heartfelt article I've written and explains how I got into cars, via Falcon.

http://performancedrive.com.au/edito...-tribute-1715/
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Old 17-02-2016, 08:30 PM   #2
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http://performancedrive.com.au/top-1...els-time-1015/

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In its 56-year lifespan, some of the Falcons that have left Broadmeadows production line were serious weapons. From collector’s items, to race winners, to tuner’s delights; here are 10 of our favourites. Feel free to tell us in the comments section below if you think another fast Falcon warranted inclusion but missed our list.

1997 Ford Falcon GT EL

10. EL GT

The 30th Anniversary EL Falcon GT really lived up to the Grand Tourer name. Its styling polarised, but you can’t deny it had a sinister presence. With a luxuriously appointed interior, carbon-fibre wrapped prop-shaft and a 5.0-litre Windsor V8 with 200kW and 420Nm, the EL GT weighed just less than 1700kg. Best 0-100km/h times of 6.97 seconds and a 15-second flat quarter mile was recorded, and the 230km/h was verified. These are now very collectible.

Ford-ED-XR8-Sprint

9.ED XR8 Sprint

Ford’s XR8 Sprint basically had the same driveline as the EB GT from a year before, but with a 70kg lighter body. The relatively innocuous-looking XR8 Sprint kept many a Clubsport of the day honest, with regular 15-second quarters and 230km/h of top whack.

Ford Falcon Cobra

8. XC Cobra

One of the best-looking and most famous Falcons built. The 1978 Cobra used the last 400 Falcon hardtop body shells, and either a 4.9 or 5.8 V8. The 5.8-litre produced 162kW and 429Nm, sent through a four-speed toploader or three-speed automatic. Best 0-100km/h times of 8.9 seconds and a quarter mile of 16.0 seconds were recorded, which were very impressive at the time.

Ford Falcon GT HO Phase III

7. XY GT HO Phase III

Easily the most recognisable Falcon, perhaps this side of the Mad Max Interceptor. The Phase III held the mantle of the world’s fastest production sedan for a long time. The standard GT was a pretty rapid thing at the time, to which the HO added a 164-litre fuel tank, Detroit locker differential, and power upgrade thanks to 780cfm Holley carburettor and engine modifications. Although stated as having 224kW, it’s widely accepted the Phase III had something more in the region of 285kW. 0-100km/h times of 6.4 seconds, with a 14.2-second quarter mile, on its way to a 225km/h top speed – famously verified by Wheels magazine’s Mel Nicholls in a photo taken on the Hume Highway in 1971.

Examples have changed hands for as much as $750,000, and they are getting thin on the ground.

2001 Ford AU Falcon TE 50

6. AU3 TE50

The series III T-series was the first real challenge to Holden and HSV’s performance dominance since the 1980’s. Using a 5.6-litre stroked Windsor V8, outputs of 250kW and 500Nm matched the Chevrolet-derived HSVs of the day, with superior torque. 0-100km/h of 5.86 and a 14.18-second quarter are among the best times recorded, with an awesome bodykit and the best note of any Falcon?

2013 Ford FPV F6

5. XR6 Turbo / FPV F6

The car that opened Ford up to the tuner world, formerly dominated by the Holden Commodore VL Turbo, the XR6 Turbo gave performance enthusiasts a real alternative to the V8 engine. Many street-driven examples are capable of quarter miles as low as 10 seconds, while in factory trim, the FG XR6 Turbos and F6’s consistently dip below five seconds for 0-100km/h. Many reviewers say there is room for improvement, save for traction issues, which can perhaps be remedied by a quick wheel and tyre upgrade.

Ford Falcon DJR 320

4. DJR 320

A collaboration between Dick Johnson Racing and Herrod Motorsport in 2004 to create a model above FPV’s GT-P flagship saw the DJR 320 come to fruition. With a 320kW tuned 5.4-litre V8, 245 front/285 rear 19-inch wheels, a unique plastic bonnet panel, huge brakes and major suspension revisions, the car commanded a $90,000 price tag, which meant it wasn’t very popular. Performance data is unavailable.

Ford FG FPV GT

3. FG FPV GT 335

FPV’s supercharged Miami V8 engine breathed new life into the FG range, being both lighter and more powerful. Generating 335kW and 570Nm, the engine was universally praised, and outstripped the chassis by a considerable margin. 0-100km/h times of under five seconds were consistently achieved, with aftermarket examples proving how much potential lies beneath.

2014 Ford FPV GT-F

2. FPV GT-F

The final GT-based Falcon was quoted at 351kW, but a few dyno tests have found it to have over 400kW, thanks to a transient overboost function. With wider rear tyres, the GT-F has recorded 0-100km/h times as low as 4.46 seconds and 12.6 seconds for the 400m elapsed time. So far it is the fastest factory Falcon, but for how long?

2016-Ford-Falcon-Sprint

1. 2016 Falcon XR6 Turbo Sprint

It will be the last ever performance Falcon. The upcoming XR6 Sprint will no doubt be a very special icon Ford has confirmed it will use a 4.0-litre turbo inline six generating 325kW, with, incredibly, an overboost function that provides bursts of 370kW. The XR6 Sprint will be one of the quickest Falcons to ever grace the land. Its brother, the upcoming XR8 Sprint, will be just as thrilling, offering up to 400kW during overboost with its 5.0-litre supercharged V8.
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Old 17-02-2016, 08:31 PM   #3
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http://performancedrive.com.au/top-1...dnt-know-0123/

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As we near the end of the road for Australian car manufacturing, we thought it would be a good time to reflect on some of the more obscure moments in Aussie motoring history. For a considerable chunk of time Australian cars were exported to various parts of the world, some versions of which were not seen here and are unknown to all but a handful of people. We lift the lid on some of the most surprising franken-cars you’ve never heard of.

1990 Holden Commodore VN-NZ

2.0-litre Holden Commodore

As far as many people know, the 1.9-litre ‘Starfire’ 58kW four-cylinder featured in early Commodores scared Holden from experimenting with the idea of a four-banger-powered Commodore again. Not so, it would seem. In New Zealand, the same engine continued into the VK series despite being discontinued here. Un Zud seems to have a curious fetish for small-engined cars, because their VL was available with a smaller RB20 2.0-litre straight six as well, while the VN copped the Camira’s Family II 2.0-litre four-cylinder with an Earth-shattering 91kW and 175Nm. It must be said though, the VN was very light and a notorious death-trap when paired with anything larger. Other bizzare NZ specials include a HSV GTS available with a V6 for VN and VP series, and a Royale spec, which we’ll touch on later.

Mazda Roadpacer AP

Mazda Roadpacer AP

Mazda of Japan needed a flagship sedan in the 1970s and sourced a body from none other than Australia’s own Holden – quite bizarre considering the later acquisition by Ford. The donor HJ/HX Premier’s width and generous dimensions were worthy of competition with Toyota’s stately Century and Mitsubishi’s umm… debonair Debonair. Out went Holden’s evergreen red 186/202 engines, and in went Mazda’s 13B ****el rotary from the RX series and Cosmo. In addition, Japanese-spec guard-mounted mirrors, a fridge, a Dictaphone, central locking and rear stereo controls were added, befitting its status. The chook-cooker spun out 100kW, but a mere 138Nm to lug around 1575kg resulted in dismal fuel economy and slow progress. While only 500 were sold, they are now considered very collectible.

Chevrolet Kommando-

Chevrolet Kommando/Constantia

Holden was sold as a marque in South Africa until the late 1960s, where Chevrolet took over. The Kommando and Constantia were HJ-HQ series Kingswood and Statesmans with different front-end treatment, and the Chevrolet ‘250’ 4.1-litre six in place of the ubiquitous 202. They were exported from 1969 to 1978.

Ford AU Falcon Hong Kong taxi

Ford AU Falcon Taxis to Hong Kong/Malaysia

An experiment in 2000 saw the then-new factory dedicated LPG Falcon sent to HK, in wagon form. Between 10-20 were sent there, before they were deemed noncompetitive with local offerings. Nevertheless, it did manage a brief movie cameo in a local film.

AC Mamba

Verte Tempest/AC Mamba

At the start of the last decade, a venture between AC Cars, of Cobra fame, and a Melbourne businessman saw the AU XL and XLS LPG utes exported to England as the Verte Tempest. A proposed AC Mamba, utilising the Falcon’s 4.0-litre straight six in petrol and LPG forms, never saw the light of day, and the Tempest didn’t sell particularly well either. Ungrateful bastards.

It’s a shame the Mamba never went beyond the clay model phase, as we think it could have made an interesting TVR rival, and spread the good word about our home-grown six.

Mitsubishi Diamante

Mitsubishi Diamante

From 1992, Mitsubishi’s Verada was exported to North America as the Diamante, which was the Japanese equivalent of the KR/KS Verada – its elongated chin designed to meet US crash regulations. Diamante wagons were even exported to Japan from Tonsley Park. From 1997, KE Veradas were sent to the USA to compete with Lexus and Cadillac offerings. They were popular until 2004, when exchange rates and poor sales killed off the program. We think Oliver Boulay’s beak-nose restyle with the KL probably didn’t help either.

1998 Holden VS Commodore Royale

Opel Calais/Royale

For those of you who thought the straight-six powered Commodore died with the VL, prepare to be shocked. Between 1995 and 1998, a small handful of VR and VS Commodores were exported to Singapore and Malaysia, badged as the Opel Calais. Instead of the Buick/Ecotec V6, however, one would find six-in-a-row of Opel’s finest, 2.6-litres and 110kW worth. Normally fitted to the Opel Senator and Omega, the smaller capacity engine catered to the capacity tax of those nations, but still cost the equivalent of $200,000 due to harsh import tariffs. For VS, this was switched to the 2.5-litre V6 seen in our Vectra (with 125kW and 227Nm). Orders were cancelled towards the end of 1997, leaving Holden with a bunch of unwanted VS Commodores with tiny powerplants. The solution came with New Zealand’s less stringent design rules, which facilitated them being sold as the Holden Royale, alongside the Calais. The Royale was a spec between Berlina and Calais in New Zealand, typically available with the smaller engine option in addition to the larger one.

Buick Park Ave

Buick Royaum/Park Avenue, Daewoo Veritas

From 2005, China got a taste of our beloved Stato, known there as the Buick Royaum. In addition to the 3.6-litre ‘Alloytec’, a smaller, 2.8-litre version with 155kW was available, using the same displacement as the Saab turbo engine also made in Australia. This was done to skirt China’s capacity-based tax system. When it was replaced with the WM-series Statesman/Caprice it was renamed the Park Avenue and made locally until 2012.

South Korea briefly received the Caprice as the Vertias, with features not seen here, including massagers for the rear seats.

Chevrolet Caprice PPV

Chevrolet Caprice PPV

In 2009, after the cruel death of the Pontiac G8 (Commodore), the WM-based Chevrolet Caprice PPV was announced, but not available to civilians. The interior was pared-down to Omega-spec, while the car featured several enhancements to make it suitable for civic duty. Some detective-spec Caprices have found their way to civilian duty, where the Chevrolet Caprice had been absent since 1996. The PPV was updated in line with VF to include a column shifter and reverse camera, and will continue to be exported to America until the factory closes in 2017. This goes to show that rear-wheel drive is preferred for police duties, and is proof that Aussies make the best police cars?

1985 Holden Camira 2.0L Saloon

Telstar wagon and JJ Camira

Although Ford and Holden NZ ostensibly sourced their Telstars and Camiras from Australia (or local assembly plants where applicable), two models that never saw Australian soil snuck in from Japan– again – Kiwis have far more lax import laws. Their Japanese Telstar was essentially a rebadged Mazda 626, without as many cosmetic differences as the Telstar we knew and loved (?), while in 1984 GM-H NZ decided to source the JJ Camira – a rebadged Isuzu Aska, also built of the GM J-car matrix instead of our JE equivalent.

Notable mentions:

-The Commodore and its platform mates have been known internationally as the Chevrolet Omega (Brazil), Vauxhall Monaro (UK), Vauxhall VXR8 (UK), Chevrolet Lumina, El Camino ute (Middle East, South Africa), Opel Calais (Asia), Chevrolet Caprice (Middle East and USA), Pontiac GTO, G8, Chevrolet SS (USA), and the Buick Royaum/Park Avenue (China), Daewoo Veritas (South Korea).

-Between 1982-83, Mitsubishi Sigmas were exported to the UK as the ‘Lonsdale’.

British coachbuilding company Coleman-Milne has sourced various Fairlanes and FG Falcons as use for funeral vehicles, examples of which were visible in Top Gear’s British built special in 2014, and are still available. How appropriate, given Falcon’s impending mortality.
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Old 17-02-2016, 08:37 PM   #4
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Default Re: Ford Falcon - An Emotional Tribute

Great story and I can fully relate to it.

My parents had an XB falcon then an XF Fairmont when I was a kid. Loved them.

Then with my first car all rationale went out the window and I bought an XF Fairmont Ghia in Regency (maroon). Was a great car that copped a hard time but never gave me trouble
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Old 17-02-2016, 08:42 PM   #5
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Thanks !! I love reading about obscure Australia cars, and thinking about what ifs...
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Old 17-02-2016, 11:36 PM   #6
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http://performancedrive.com.au/fords...-history-3115/

http://performancedrive.com.au/top-1...ion-cars-2620/

Few more you might get a kick out of if you have time to kill. OK no more shameless self-promotion now lol. Now you know how I was so swift with the first Sprint story ;)
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Old 18-02-2016, 02:00 PM   #7
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Thanks !! I love reading about obscure Australia cars, and thinking about what ifs...
Glad you liked it. I kinda regret not adding Capri and South African Fairmont GT- maybe there's some I didn't know about which warranted their own thread.

I wanted to do top 10 racing/rare Falcons and lots more Falcon ones but we have to stay balanced as a publication= maybe closer to closure I'll get a chance
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Old 18-02-2016, 02:41 PM   #8
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Default Re: Ford Falcon - An Emotional Tribute

Great story. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 18-02-2016, 06:51 PM   #9
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Cheers bro

You might like this one too, includes Argentinian Falcon. http://performancedrive.com.au/ford-...-edition-1816/
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Old 19-02-2016, 02:35 PM   #10
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Cheers for the support guys, it went absolutely bonkers.
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Old 20-02-2016, 08:52 PM   #11
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Great stuff FalconXV. Do you have a link to your story on the original 1993-4 Sprint? Can't find it on the site.
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Old 20-02-2016, 10:18 PM   #12
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Great stuff FalconXV. Do you have a link to your story on the original 1993-4 Sprint? Can't find it on the site.
Two above http://performancedrive.com.au/ford-...-edition-1816/
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Old 28-09-2016, 03:56 PM   #13
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As we're a bit over a week to go, I thought I'd mine this one and get people to talk about their earliest memories of Falcon if they want.
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Old 28-09-2016, 05:51 PM   #14
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As we're a bit over a week to go, I thought I'd mine this one and get people to talk about their earliest memories of Falcon if they want.
Earliest memory of Falcon?

I moved to Australia in 1990. I was a kid back then, and having just migrated to Australia permanently a day before, the very next day we went to rent a car to use while we were settling down. While there, there was an EAII Falcon in a champagne/gold colour (not sure what it's called officially). It looked very nice, and I wanted us to rent that one. It wasn't to be, unfortunately, and we ended up with a KE Laser instead.

Ever since then I've loved Falcons, but we never actually bought one because we didn't need a big car. I remember going to annual local fetes where Backshall Ford were displaying a few new Falcons at the time - EBs, and later on, ED. Picked up an ED Falcon and ED Fairmont brochure from them for me to pore over.

We did finally rent a Falcon on a road trip to the south-west. It was an EB2 GLi. Hopping in from our N13 Pulsar, Falcon was h-u-g-e, but it made for a comfortable 2.5 hour ride. Pretty much ever since then, whenever we went on road trips, we would rent a Falcon, so I've sampled an EB2, EF2, EL, AU and AU2, and when I was old enough to rent cars by myself, I've also had AU3, BA, BA2, FG, FG2 and FGX.

Suffice it to say, I've got a lot of experience with, and love for Falcons post-EA, but I don't know all that much about Falcons pre-EA.
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Old 28-09-2016, 09:30 PM   #15
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That's quite a unique way to be introduced to the Falcons, and you experienced so many of them too!

We would do 5 hour drives north from Perth in this time, and comparing EBII-ED to the VRs converted us 'black sheep' of the family to Ford fans, they were just so much better!
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Old 29-09-2016, 02:45 AM   #16
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comparing EBII-ED to the VRs converted us 'black sheep' of the family to Ford fans, they were just so much better!
Never a truer word spoken. EF-EL upped the ante even further. Those were the good days.
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Old 29-09-2016, 07:59 AM   #17
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Never a truer word spoken. EF-EL upped the ante even further. Those were the good days.
The EF really was something. Remember the day the old man pulled up in a navy blue brand new EF company car, with just 30km on the clock. That car was better in every way than the EB2 it replaced. It was blazingly fast, so smooth, quiet, and looked just amazing from every angle. Keenly remember the old man dragging off VS Commodores and putting them lame lions back in their place. Even once kept neck to neck with a red corvette. The previous EB was an asthmatic slug and never would have kept up with the VR/VS. The metallic paint, sparkling taillights, sound system, interior were just right. The only thing was it seemed a lot thirstier than the EB Falcon, but that didn't matter with a fuel card and low petrol prices of circa 70c/litre.
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Old 29-09-2016, 09:28 AM   #18
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G'day all . Fantastic thread by the way... I can relate the the XE too..I had a gold 4 speed 4.1 litre GL...Lovely car , never gave me an ounce of trouble over 4 years , bought a Ford AS Telstar on a whim , not that it wasn't a good car but the carby 2.0 litre couldn't compare to the laconic 4.1 of course..
Then I bought a real nice EF Futura with a five speed manual..Awesome apart from the dodgy A/C that had a leaking TX valve that was to cost a mint to fix properly..Got five trouble free years out of her otherwise..Nothing else went wrong.. THEN ...Along came my AU ll...so emotional as silly as that sounds..

It is the only car I've ever owned that I have no intention of parting with..Just a wonderfully reliable , trusty , gutsy , safe and literally bullet proof old metal friend in a crazy sort of way..I unashamedly love this old bus..Laugh at me if you wish..I don't care..

Now she has a stable mate..A real nice FG XR6..but she has a lot to live up to as the AU ll still is top of the tree for me. In cricket parlance..Runs on the board and the FG's innings has just begun..

Cheers Rod...
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Old 29-09-2016, 09:41 AM   #19
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As we're a bit over a week to go, I thought I'd mine this one and get people to talk about their earliest memories of Falcon if they want.
Dad was a mechanic who worked in a BMC dealership. In the early seventies they traded in a XR V8 which had engine bay fire damage. Dad bought that car and fixed it up as his car. Metallic blue with 289 .. first Falcon I remember (would have been less than 5yo at the time). Sold it to buy a 57 Chev (the car of his childhood dreams)
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Old 29-09-2016, 05:20 PM   #20
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I wish I had photoshop skills so I could make a futuristic retro version based on the XK.
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Old 29-09-2016, 06:28 PM   #21
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G'day Size it up , size it up Ford Falcon fits you...I love this..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3JywSRne5Y This is Ford Falcon summed up....even if this ad was 40 plus years ago. Then there's a comparo between witches hats and real people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4091G5Bxo Check out a much younger Dick Johnson among them .Why I love Falcon too. The competition wasn't just on track and showroom ..it was on adverts too.. .Cheers Rod..

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Old 29-09-2016, 07:21 PM   #22
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G'day....Please , please , please someone tell me these people at the very least will have a job within Ford after October 7th...This really is emotionally upsetting if not so as much as any other part of the Ford Australia debacle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=472g0466MuA I hope these talented people are retained somehow..If not , we all lose. I haven't watched all this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6zxUYJZ-S0 but here's a bunch of Yanks mostly , doing a hard sell now that our manufacturing is gone..They **** me to tears quite frankly sometimes .. GO HOME YANKS AND TAKE YOUR HATCHETS WITH YOU..Emotions running pretty deep here ..Cheers Rod..

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Old 29-09-2016, 07:50 PM   #23
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Myself and the coon... starts like this. 95, when I was 8. Dad traded mums 85 camira wagon (many epic fails with that one, like the time both the handbrake and parking pin failed and it ended up in the house across the roads living room) on a brand new ef Futura classic cagon. My brother (14 then) and I egged on for the xr6 wagon, but to no avail, Futura classic it was. I remember back in 97 when my brother got pulled up infront of the family home for apparently doing a burnout and leaving 2 lines on the road. He argued the pint that it only left one, and was right, then proceeded to cop grief from the new aledged charge of driving a stolen vehicle. For an hour my mum and me sat on the driveway and watched. He got off. My brother in 98 bought an 85 fairlane. Drove it for a month then found a snapped rear spring. Subsequently got it lowered on kings, put a big pipe one it and it's wasn't bad with its lsd and confusing digital dash, until it found a dark wet road, eneibriated driver, and a power pole to turn itself into a boomerang around. 1998 covered... my brother then went on (after the obligatory 6 month ban) to a hdt commadore (vh, if peter brock wasn't alive in 2000, it may have been worth more) and after multiple failures like electrics, heater core, then the 110kph steering arm, it was done. 2001. 40 something thousand, the ef with its strange habit of bald left rear tyres, was traded for a new ml320 Benz. Big car 4wd whatever. There were a few issues early on with airbag sensors but they always happened to be not under warrenty, bloody Mexicans. .. 02 was when the jag was bought. Lovely interior, stI'll is (the old man won't let go), real wood on the wood bits, but if you want more trans and motor issues but a golf gti... even still, my dad rates the ef Futura as the best car he has owned. Fast forward to 2010. Prior to that I drove a Daewoo that was gifted to me and didn't crap out which was a bonus, and my brother had a wb kingswood ute with an efi 5l out of a 96 clubsport with all the caprice trimmings, but on the end of a monster 6 and a half driving ban, it wasn't wasnt it used to be. Being a new father (kid late 09) there was one car that tickled my fancy a bit since 06. It was the mk2 bf fairmont ghia. They looked the part without going over the top. Whilst saving to get married, I did the standard issue thing of buying an 08 ghia and then copping the backlash. The car was really nice back then, I still somewhat have it now (lent it to my brother for 2 weeks to fix his ed wagon, over 2 years ago) but it was the car I strived for, and I got it. Yes the wife has a fg2, it may have a touch screen and blue tooth, but I don't care, it's not the car I was after (didn't exist yet when I bought the shrine)
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Old 10-10-2016, 04:46 PM   #24
FalconXV
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Default Re: Ford Falcon - An Emotional Tribute

I plan on buying a black FG X LPI, converting it to either turbo or supercharged, TR6060 6-speed.
I also want an early bird falcon with three on the tree kept in original condition but I suppose they're getting thin on the ground.
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Old 10-10-2016, 06:20 PM   #25
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Default Re: Ford Falcon - An Emotional Tribute

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Originally Posted by FalconXV View Post
I plan on buying a black FG X LPI, converting it to either turbo or supercharged, TR6060 6-speed.
I also want an early bird falcon with three on the tree kept in original condition but I suppose they're getting thin on the ground.
You'd have an easier time of fitting a good liquid injection setup to an XR6T, although I can see your reasoning
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Old 11-10-2016, 12:53 AM   #26
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Default Re: Ford Falcon - An Emotional Tribute

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You'd have an easier time of fitting a good liquid injection setup to an XR6T, although I can see your reasoning
I had similar thoughts once, but after spending time under the LPi doing diff bushes, and seeing a big empty space where a petrol tank normally goes, I'd be using a gas body as the basis - the "lack" of boot space has never really been an issue for me in 5 years, and our other daily is a VE, its rival off the floor at the time, and it's not much different in size/shape/capacity.

The other benefit,mis if you end up needing to add a fuel system to keep up with the demands of boost, then it's an easy task under a gas body.

Not sure how you'd go with the rego authorities though, as it has LPG as the fuel type on the papers.
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Old 11-10-2016, 01:35 AM   #27
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Default Re: Ford Falcon - An Emotional Tribute

My thinking exactly. Most of the setup is already there and neatly integrated.
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Old 11-10-2016, 12:29 PM   #28
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Default Re: Ford Falcon - An Emotional Tribute

First Falcon memory?

Burning my legs on the seats in summer! (It was a Fairlane, but close enough, right?)

I never really got into cars despite Dad running a radiator shop. By the time I was at a driving age we had a Landcruiser (but there'd been a Kingswood, a van of some sort and a few other cars over the years), and my brother bought me an old Corolla (E30 I think) for $200, and I spent xmas holidays in his radiator shop helping him when busy, and fixing the Corolla when quiet, so I was more interested in Toyotas than anything else.

Fast forward to a couple years ago and I was shopping for cars after my Corolla (not the E30!) was written off in a hail storm. I was looking for a fuel efficient 4 cylinder manual car.

Brother suggested we take a G6E that had just been brought into the lot for a drive. Well, it was the first car to put a smile on my face and we took it home that day.
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Old 11-10-2016, 04:07 PM   #29
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Default Re: Ford Falcon - An Emotional Tribute

When the family arrived in Oz in 1991, my dad bought a white XE Falcon GL to be the family car, i was 14 at the time. I had so many fond memories of it (including the auto crapping itself) and it was the first car i ever drove and learnt how to drive in.

When i turned 18 and got my license i drove the XE here and there until i got my own car, on a rainy night i was coming home late, two weeks after i got my license, and with dodgy tyres all around the car started sliding on a long sweeping turn on the freeway and, not being very experienced, i completely lost control and crashed it in spectacular fashion. Car was absolutely mangled, couldn't recognize the make or model, but it saved me. I literally walked out of the shell, in fact cars behind me that stopped when they saw the crash were in disbelief i walked out of that car and told me to buy a lotto ticket.

That was how i got so attached to XEs particularly and Falcons in general ever since, had i been driving a Corolla, or even a Commodore of the same era (look up VB commodore crash test on you tube ) I'm convinced i would have died.
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Old 15-10-2016, 06:35 PM   #30
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Default Re: Ford Falcon - An Emotional Tribute

The last Falcon, ute and a Territory has raised $231,000 for charity.
Best price was $122,000 for the XR6 Sprint 500/500.
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