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The Pub For General Automotive Related Talk |
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#1 | ||
Donating Member
![]() Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 12,247
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The Ford Ka was not really suitable for Australia but was very successful in Europe. In my opinion, the Ka was one of the few successful iterations of Ford's New Edge styling direction.
This video is an interesting story of how Ford brought the Ka to market and how it conquered with it's stand out design. ![]() ![]() The Ka also spawned a Pininfarina designed and built StreetKa. I don't care for the car itself, although it was marketed with the assistance of the divine Miss M......... ![]() ![]() ![]() And of course the viral leaked TV ad made it famous........ While the Ka's star faded in the end, it's success as a basic and affordable car for the European market can't be denied.
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#2 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Hazelbrook, NSW
Posts: 898
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The did a mk2 Ford Ka that was never sold of here and it made its first appearance in James Bond Quantum of Solace.
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2014 Ford FG MKII G6E Turbo 1999 Ford AU Falcon Forte Past Vehicles: 2015 Ford Territory TS MKII - diesel burner 2016 Ford FM Mustang GT - The Dream Car 2007 FPV BF MKII GT - popping the V8 cherry 1997 Ford EL Falcon Futura - 6 cylinders of fury |
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#3 | |||
Donating Member
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Quote:
![]() Ford moved away from the budget approach with the second-gen Ka and sales evaporated.
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#4 | ||
Donating Member
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Posts: 12,247
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The Ka became a victim of it's own success.
The styling was so unique that any successor was always going to have a big task to match. Think original Audi TT compared to the subsequent generations. Or even Hyundai Veloster, the original "new" Mini, hell even the first gen Honda Jazz.
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#5 | ||
Render unto Caesar
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: ::1
Posts: 4,221
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I was given a KA by my Ford dealer while my BA was in the shop for one of its many warranty issues. My sheer ignorance at the time meant I was not a happy chap having to drive the KA, however after having it for few days I actually came to really enjoy it. The handling and steering were simply awesome, it meant that even 40 - 60km/h zones were a lot fun where the BA felt like a yacht.
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"Aliens might be surprised to learn that in a cosmos with limitless starlight, humans kill for energy sources buried in sand." - Neil deGrasse Tyson |
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#6 | ||
HUGH JARSE
![]() Join Date: May 2005
Location: Yap-Hoon
Posts: 21,564
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I had a black Ka for a couple of years when I lived in Wollongong.
A great little runabout car. Great for running down to the shops; and picking up chicks! I sold it and got an AU, can't remember which AU as I have had a few of them as well - AH Forte; AUXIIR8 ute; AUIIIXR6 sedan with sunroof also in black but the paint was shot. I now have a Sportage ![]() And also an FG XR6 ute. I've had plenty of utes, my first ute was a Zephyr. |
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#7 | |||
Donating Member
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Posts: 12,247
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Quote:
While it was a very basic, under-powered car on a old platform, Ford made sure it drove exceptionally well. It somehow became more than just a cheap car, but something people could enjoy driving.
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#8 | ||
Workshop & Performance
![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hewett SA
Posts: 4,123
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I've had two last 10 years. Can be had for next to squat, just enough power to be decent as a city car, but man, so chuckable, in the wheel at all corners bucket. You won't pickup, you won't get a errr hormone boost out of the power, but the fun factor is undeniable. And while underpowered with debatable styling, they just go, and go, and go. Unstoppable. And use squat all fuel to boot which should matter at 2 bux a litre for a high km driver
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#9 | ||
Donating Member
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Posts: 12,247
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The engine was a weak point on these cars, power wise anyway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_K...5%E2%80%932002) The 1.3 four cylinder was based on the Kent family and was called the Endura-E. It featured a push-rod OHV head, from memory they were all-iron castings?
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#10 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,149
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The Ka has aged better than Kylie Minogue.
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#11 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: In Front of a Monitor
Posts: 1,645
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The Ka always to me looked like it was on tippy toes.
Like all cars, give it a stance and the right wheels and they can be made to look even better. This is probably more inline with what the original designers wanted it to look like in their sketches. ![]()
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#12 | ||
Thailand Specials
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Centrefold Lounge
Posts: 49,073
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And we have this threads MVP
![]() Wonder how ye Olde Ka would respond to boost? https://spaturbousa.com/products/for...anifold-tmfd05 https://www.garrettmotion.com/racing...ine-gbc17-250/ |
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#13 | ||
Donating Member
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#14 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Nov 2009
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#15 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 1,605
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I had one in 99 or 2000 as a loaner when my KN laser was in getting warranty work, it had a semi solid, last forever feel to it. Unfortunately a p plater in a falcon full of his mates, started making small penis hand gestures to me at the traffic lights.
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____________________ 2019 LDV G10 2009 Mitsubishi Express-GONE 2011 Honda Jazz ____________________ |
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#16 | |||
FG XR6 Ute & Sedan
![]() Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Bibra Lake WA
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Quote:
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regards Blue |
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#17 | ||
RS The Faster Fords
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Location: Westralia
Posts: 1,692
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Escort RS2000 Restored factory a/c and alloys. TD Cortina Unrestored 35 000km 6cyl manual. Mk1 GT Cortina Project. FG XR50 Daily. |
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#18 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Canberra Region
Posts: 8,941
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Two door and manual only wasn't never going to be a big hit here.
Still ran a Kent pushrod engine too. Pretty sure they were quite popular in the UK.
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#19 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Perth
Posts: 1,661
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Quote:
![]() Worse thing about it was the greyish/black (or should I say old faded ugly grey because they age terribly) plastic bumpers. It should have been illegal to buy one without colour coded bumpers. That was the thing that turned many off, huge unpainted and quickly fading plastic bumpers. But yeah, very new edge, also very euro city car design, something you would have expected the french to make. |
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#20 | |||
RS The Faster Fords
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Location: Westralia
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Quote:
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Escort RS2000 Restored factory a/c and alloys. TD Cortina Unrestored 35 000km 6cyl manual. Mk1 GT Cortina Project. FG XR50 Daily. |
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#21 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Perth
Posts: 1,661
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Nah, that's a different thing that costs real money. I was meaning people with mk1 escorts with no money in the late 90s mentioned to me they hope to be able to get almost free efi, eg a mate of mine that had an escort 1300cc panel van that often threatened to catch on fire. I also remember 4cyl mags back then said the worst thing about the car was the old kent based engine; the best thing about the ka when they're scrapped was the cheap kent/efi system ;-)
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#22 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: QLD
Posts: 685
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personally I thought they were an ugly piece of ****
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#23 | |||
RS The Faster Fords
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Quote:
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Escort RS2000 Restored factory a/c and alloys. TD Cortina Unrestored 35 000km 6cyl manual. Mk1 GT Cortina Project. FG XR50 Daily. |
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#24 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: In Front of a Monitor
Posts: 1,645
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Anyone wanting one for a project / grocery getter or whatever, would want to hurry up as there are stuff all of them around now.
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#25 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 240
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I rented one for a week in the UK back in the 90s. It was a rubbish little crud box. Cramped, rough and noisy. The only good thing about it was it was easy to park and I needed that where I was staying.
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#26 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Perth
Posts: 7,099
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The Ka always was and always will be ugly, Kylie on the other hand will still be hot when she's 80.
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jaydee351 4DV8 |
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#27 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 397
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deleted - duplicate post
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Current Ford: none! Previous Fords: 2010 FG Falcon XR8 5.4 Sedan, 2003 BA Fairmont 4.0 Sedan, 2003 LR Focus Zetec 2.0, 1990 KF Laser GL hatch, 1983 GB Meteor GL sedan |
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