Whats your Ford story(the origin of your passion) - Page 2

Mark s · 31-07-2009, 05:34 PM

Kid at the age of 9 back in the late 70's. Loved the XY GT's and Falcon Coupes. Loved DJ and his XD and it was the car I wanted to own as a young fella. I even gave up some pocket money with the rock.

Had to wait a few years after getting my licence back in the late 80's as Dad didn't want me getting a V8. I ended up getting a worked 351 Fairmont Ghia. Loved it.

Cheers
Mark

boris · 31-07-2009, 06:02 PM

MY great grand pappy owned a model A, and we've been Ford ever since, tractors everything, I've owned others cars commodores included, but we've always supported Ford, and owning them has always been our goal. Currently have a BA mk2, and looking to upgrade our Mazda MPV to a territory, though the mazda is powered by Ford!

falcon convert · 31-07-2009, 06:04 PM

Although I had a Falcon Wagon as a work car back in the 90s, I never really gave ANY Ford a second look until 2008. In fact, I was largely a Holden man. What changed my perception of Ford? Well, I was initially drawn into a Ford dealer's yard by the good looks of the new Mondeo, but once in the yard, I noticed a G6E and that was that! After initially being seduced by the classy exterior and the understated elegance of the interior, I took it for a test drive and after 5 minutes, I knew I had found my next car.
Been driving my G6E since last September and after 10 months I still get a little bit excited every time I get behind the wheel (pathetic, isn't it!). I just love everything about it.
I've even begun taking notice of the rest of the Ford range and am currently talking the Mrs into a Focus for her next car.
I'm a recent convert, I know, but Fords rule!

**Burnout** · 31-07-2009, 06:19 PM

When I was a lad the old man had a monster Fairlane Ranch Wagon, I remember we were on a trip south of Moree, NSW and there had been a fair swag of rain. Dad had the car loaded up full of kids and mums luggage including a full length roof rack full of stuff.
Anyhow we headed south and got as far as ‘Corallie Creek’, south of town where the water was flowing over the road, all the traffic had stopped on the Newell either way and the old bloke stopped, got out had a look and then hopped back in drove the car through the water.
I knew we owned the best car in the world that day…..

Later he brought an XM, & had a Zepher MkII Ute. He had an XR & XA Utes too. My first was a spew yellow ’54 Mainline; the Ute would do 120mph, though it came to a stop with difficulty as it had mechanical brakes. The side bashers had the most alluring V8 sound you have ever heard and were just the ‘ducks guts’. We even had an F-350 & an F-650. The first truck I ever drove was the old mans Fordson Thames, 1947 vintage, the farm truck at the time.
I’ve had a TC Corty, a ZG, an XB GS Ute in which I installed a 302 Boss motor, (just mind blowing). I had a 5.8 XC GXL Fairy with outback pack, a long wheelbase ’78 F-100, 5.8 4X4.
Along came an XC ½ Ute with a worked 5.8 clevo and a 5 speed steal case celica box in front of a nine inch running 277 gears in the NT 20 years ago. It had 11.5:1 compression and as I was the airport refueler in town amongst other things, I ran it on 50:50 avgas which it just loved. Road trips to Darwin were 1053km away and a great drive. I wound the speedo off the clock one time & it never worked again.

Ho, hum, I could go on and on really, 40 & more years of sitting in Fords……..

JamesR · 31-07-2009, 06:20 PM

i blame dad.. he has owned nearly every model Falcon from an XL to EA. he's been a bit slack on the newer cars..
also my brother too, he had a few Capri's and old Falcons.

Trek · 31-07-2009, 06:21 PM

It all started with my dad's XB Falcon. A mild 250 six with extractors... sounded tough, but it was one helluva rust bucket. Mismatched panels and a genuine GT bonnet, but still loved it to pieces. I was unmoved by the replacement, which ended up being an XE with a 200 and 4 speed.

I'll also fondly remember my uncle's White XT Fairmont with a Black Vinyl Roof, which broke down one day in Yarra Street and had to assist in starting again. He practically gave it away to someone. Still kicking myself for learning about that only years after he parted with it. Would have been nice to restore.

Following that, I was taken for a drive my brother in law's Yellow Blaze XB GT sedan to Melbourne, taking on an XW GT, of all things. Won't forget that experience

After that, my sis let me rev her White XY Fairmont. Gave me a thrill and left me with a smile on my face for a long time thereafter.

Lion Slayer · 31-07-2009, 06:26 PM

As others have said my dad was a ford man, and when i was still a kid i remember watching glenn seton winning the 1997 v8 supercar championship. Then when the b series came out i said to myself that when i get my license i am going to own one of those, and now i do.

martyauxr8ute · 31-07-2009, 06:32 PM

it would've been in the late sixties when the monaro's had won a couple of hardie ferodo 500's and my brothers all went for holden so i naturaly went for the opposition. when i went to the race the following year and saw moffat win in the xw and then in the xy i was a ford man from then on. i remember the classic race of geoghan and moffat at the easter 2 plus 4 meeting and the coca cola mustang sitting on the starting grid was the most memorable sight i've seen. i've watched the model runs come and go over the years and still reckon the blue oval tries harder than the general. and i still get excited at the site of an fg gt on the show room floor. fords forever!

ed_xr693 · 31-07-2009, 06:34 PM

i was into the jap stuff (silvias skylines etc) and holdens,but then took a ride in an xr6 and yeh it was as quick as every skyline (minus gtr) and silvia i had ever been in.
bought my first car an ed xr6 in cobalt blue with 18s and havent looked back.the thing will always be with me.

**Falcon Coupe** · 31-07-2009, 06:42 PM

Me at 13 years old, a passenger in a (real) GTHO doing 240kph, that's all it took. :sm_headba

homegrown · 31-07-2009, 08:22 PM

I already put mine down earlier but my wife loved the jap cars when I first met her, as most girls do. Took her to the drags for a date years ago and all the big V8s roaring down the strip she said the jap cars were boring and once you look past the pretty colours there's not much to them. couple of fastback Mustangs were down there at the time that she fell in love with and thats how Fords became her favourite car too. Then we got the coupe and now its like part of the family.

Zed7fiddy · 31-07-2009, 08:35 PM

I got a start and finish to my story!

Back in the early 90's it was the red shell Dick Jhonson car that grabbed my attention! the dual headlights were sooo damn good looking, and ever since the eb xr's i was hooked!

As i had my XD, the XF and then i mooved on to my BA i was a ford fan, even had a navara inbetween, but alas ill probably never have another, as the Build Wuality of the BA left a sour taste in my mouth, the 15 yr old XF was put together better then my BA, so now my life is spent on Roadbikes and 2 months from now ill have a nice 04 Hilux in the driveway!

GK · 31-07-2009, 08:56 PM

I have a few things in common to many of you, a father who owned a Ford when I was young, and it being an XY Wagon.

He had an FC and wanted to buy a holden 253 wagon. The holden dealer offered him nothing for the FC and wanted lots for the new car.

Dad went down the road to the Ford dealer. Got a great trade in and good deal on the wagon. It was the first car he'd ever bought brand new. We've been a Ford family ever since.

He worked 3-4 jobs at once to get that car. He poured concrete for 20 cents an hour on the weekends, as well as working at the local power station.

Man he loved that car. The old man's with God now, and the XY is long, long gone, but I still get a warm fuzzy feeling whenever I see an XY wagon on the road. Not often now sadly.

GK

mik · 31-07-2009, 09:25 PM

i had to be a Ford bloke .... i used to hear stories from my mother how when she was was about to drop the bundle (yes me) my dad was racing us to the hospital in a 37 ford ....a very beat up 37 Ford with tarmac racing past within eye sight of the seats (huge rust holes) with the car on 2 wheels around the corners, a bit later on dad had a 55 customline....dad past away one year , the customline was sold for $60:( ....gee i missed that car....and dad too

, in 1974/75 i had a ride in my first XY GT

that sealed it , the blue blood has been in me ever since.

Teflon Turbo · 31-07-2009, 09:40 PM

it all started with mad max, i was 13 when i first saw it even though it was years after it was made, ever since that age i wanted an xb coupe.

just before i signed up here at AFF for the first time I bought one, it was my teenage dream car and it took me about 20 odd years to get one.

but the guy that sold it to me drilled me about what am i gonna do with it and made sure I passed the passion (for the coupe) test.

the car turned heads, all age groups included, it was the tuffest looking muscle car in the world and still is (the xabc/landau coupe)!!

TC200six · 31-07-2009, 09:53 PM

The car that my parents had during my early childhood was a ZL Fairlane.

But I didn't become a Ford fan from then on...

When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I was made to think "Fords are crap" and Holdens were better by friends of my older sister (probably because there was a Fairlane in their sights and had a problem with that)

:. I thought that for a little while but when fed up with the complete drivel by the bogans who for no reason choose to hate something, I began to hear about the mechanical problems Holdens have. It was a story I overheard my father saying to someone else, "I knew a guy who drove up to Bundaberg and back, and every car he saw broken down on the side of the road was a Holden". Then I realised how we never had a break down in the Fairlane and then I began to like Fords and hate Holdens... Until now that I've matured and I respect Holdens even though I'm a Ford supporter.

glxr380 · 31-07-2009, 09:56 PM

Grew up in Geelong, the birthplace of Ford manufacturing. Old man owned Fords, as did one of my Uncles. Vivid memory of my uncle driving me home in his Phase III HO after he'd had an argument with my auntie. He took it out on the car. I swear, watching the shaker, that engine was trying to rip itself out of the engine bay. Brilliant.....
Sad story, he sold it before anyone knew how valuable they'd become...

DougM · 31-07-2009, 10:40 PM

I was born in Newtown(Sydney) in 1970......My first car memories are my uncle's 67 mustang($9000 in '74), his best mates XY GTHO(real) and his other best mates Cortina(heavily modified 2V 250).......What a site together!!!!! Then there was George the Greek at the corner shop.......He had a wild violet XY GT and Wild Violet XA Coupe....There were muscle cars everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll never forget the trips to Newcastle in the Stang!!!!!! The first race I remember was the '77 Moffat 1-2........How could I not love Fords!!!!!!

How Newtown has changed!!!!!! It's full of Vespa's, volvo's etc........It's kind of like the Supercheap commercial......Men are more in tune with aroma therapy than cars!!!!!

starkersEB · 01-08-2009, 12:29 AM

For me it would have to be my parents XD Spac they had when i was 7 or 8 it had a 302 big holley bigger exhaust and brown duco but actually a nice brown as it was repainted. I just loved it when my old man used to give it a boot full. When my olds split dad got us kids mum got the car and my god did she ruin it. I hated seeing how bad it started looking. I have had a mild xflow 6 one since but would still love to get my hands on a nice V8 XD for me and the old man to cruise in

Watto_Cobra · 01-08-2009, 12:42 AM

I was about 10 when my brother was 18 and bought his first car. TC Cortina with non-X-flow 250. Riding in the back when he'd drive it like he stole it left an impression on me.

So my first few cars were TD/TE Cortinas, then a Camira

: (that was a horrer story) and Falcons ever since.

FordFalconBF · 01-08-2009, 12:47 AM

My dad as well.. grew up in XY Falcon 500 with twin exhausts and just hotdogs... my favourite memory is when he passed about 10 cars up a hill going f%^k knows what speed. Since then I have owned a Escort RS2000, XF Fairmont Ghia and now drive a 1999 AU Ford Fairlane Ghia..

onfire · 01-08-2009, 01:59 AM

Parents had a XE, EA Wagon, EB Wagon, EF Fairmont, and current a BF RTK Ute.

Grew up always seeing in a Falcon in the drive-way. Dispite the BF Ute, Dad is into old Holdens, current has a restored FJ in the shed.

Everyone's parents had Falcons. Alot of us went onto buy Commodores, cheap, easy to fix, etc. Including myself, owned a VC and a VR prior to the AU.

FPV70 · 01-08-2009, 09:13 AM

Years ago, I was with my parents on the way to a football match and we were near Bradman St at acacia Ridge on Beenleigh Rd,This Silver car with a Orange stripe that came from the bumper bar and had a Kangaroo in it passed us and the sound was amazing (XW is my Fav thesedays). There was also my mothers friend who had a XC Cobra that looked sooo nice and when she came around I would just sit there looking at it in the driveway. My mother also used to know Allan Moffit from the days when she used to work at Ford and she got to drive some of these cars (GT's, GS's, 500's, Cobra's) and so on.

But the biggest thing for me was old hard top catching Allan Grice in the torana down conrod and passing it with absolute ease.

oh and ofcourse Dick Johnson with his XC, XD, XE and Mustang in ther old group C and early Group A days.

My Mother had an XD wagon 2 Brothers had Fords 1 TD Cortina and 1 XB Falcon, 2 Sisters had Fords 1 XP Hardtop and 1 XC GXL 302 and my first car was an XY Fairmont so I guess it's in the Blood.

XABEBAGT · 01-08-2009, 11:42 AM

I've been scratching my head trying to think where my passion came from but just can't figure it out. I've loved Ford all my life which is a bit strange when I came from a holden family. My father always had Holdens and my first car was a hand-me-down Holden from my dad. That was the first and last Holden I ever owned. I have been Ford crazy as long as I can remember. It just seems to get into your blood. None of my brothers has ever owned a Ford and they don't understand my passion. I think the're a bit strange!
Cheers
Keith

XD427 · 01-08-2009, 11:56 AM

I actually started on the other side of the fence as most of my family worked at Amcap so naturally I was brain washed by Holden merchandise and the marketing of that era. My first ford experience was at my first job when one of the guys there who was a huge ford fanatic pulled up at the back door in his XC GXL that had a hotty 351 with nos and bagged it up through the shopping centre carpark to the main road stopped for traffic still smoking the tyres while waiting and drifted up the street with smoke bellowing of the tyres and that was the precise moment I was converted.

I bought a GXL as my first car 351 c4 with 12 slotters and with the guy from works help built a hotty engine for it and havent owned anything but fords since from a coupe, 3 XC's 2 GXLs and a xy and now a BA XR8 and a 9'sec (hopefully) XD and im still good mates with the guy who started it all. Went to my wifes school ball when i was 18 in a white XY GT and just got married last year and arrived in a White XW GTHO coincidently by a guy a met ages ago at superoo who turned out being a mates step dad (small world).

Mr Hardware · 01-08-2009, 12:09 PM

Yeah I hear ya XABEBAGT. I'm in a similar boat, my old man has only ever owned holdens, and my brother has done the 'right thing' and he's only ever owned holdens.
As soon as i learnt that the I6 could live for a million kays and how it was as good as made for LPG, well, i caught the Ford bug. However my love for Fords is extremely conditional, if it doesn't have an I6 i won't touch it.

GTpilot · 01-08-2009, 12:10 PM

My younger years was a holden man ( mosly due to Brocky) but wised up oin my teens, Dad bought a ZH marquis, Older friends had SVOs, XCs, ZGs.
The sealing moment was driving a real HO3 at the age of 18. At the time,I shat myself the moment I started it. (I drove a Mazda 808 a the time).

Cobra · 01-08-2009, 12:18 PM

I grew up in Geelong and every second person I knew worked there. Something about Holdens just didn't seem right though. I always barracked for the Cats and they were sponsored by Ford. It just seemed right, and it's always stuck. Needless to say, as I got older I realised that the superficial reasons I preffered Ford as a kid could now be backed up by practical reasons as they are just better cars periood.

blownv8au · 01-08-2009, 01:50 PM

mine is when i was 8 in 88 waiting out the front of school on a drizzly afternoon when dad and mum rumble down the street in the new car, midnite blue 302 xd fairmont ghia sunroof twin pipes low big 12 slotters, i felt like the coolest kid at school that was an awesome car. So when i was 15 i got my first 1 ice blue 302 fairmont and have owned another 12 an xb 3 zh eb ed and now my au, only 1 of them was a 6. I'm a ford v8 man for life.

**PepeLePew** · 01-08-2009, 02:27 PM

Its funny reading all the 'dad' stories. Same here.

He had a new emerald green XD sedan back in 79/80 he loved to death. Just a GL, but it was love. Bought from Stillwell in Adelaide same yard I bought my first new EL XR from almost 20yrs later.

He traded that on a spanking new XF S-Pack with the 'powerhouse' new EEC4 EFI engine. In red of course. One of the first off the line and everywhere he drove it he was stopped and questioned

XF's were something in their day, even just with the 6cyl.

Like so many others, its just ingrained. I wanted a 302 XB sedan as my first car, 3K I think it was and quite neglected. Between the cylinder count and the condition it was no son unfortunately. He mustve been distressed all those years ago when I replaced my subsequent XE sedan with a ex cop VH. He died while I had that car, but its ok dad, I made up for it later and I wont turn back now