Falcons best years, what were they for you

[mik]

The numero uno for me was always the XY , but i had an XR 289 , and that was the first v8 falcon with the mustang v8, so for me even though the xy was the pinnacle drive off the showroom floor race car never to be equaled , the XR was really the one that put the falcon on map imo, and the little windsor 289 was lovely little engine .
No disputing the later models with turbo`s and super chargers are not very cool , but it was the early models that they hail from . .

[383hq]

As a rev head - XB coupe days and current miami/ boosted 6

as an engineer - The E series so much better then the XF it replaced but The AU falcon: it was a true risk, 15-20 years ahead of it's time, I place at #1. In a stale design period for cars it was amazing. most though ugly, but compared to the current crop of cars in 2016 it's right at home.

I like the B series,not far behind the AU - they delivered what the customer wanted, but Ford had started to rip cost out of the cars compared to the AU. Even down to how many spot welds on the K Frames.....

[Jacko*]

I recon XA & XB were the best looking especially the hardtops, but I do have a sense of nostalgia for the XD as that was my 1st car. I never really loved the "brick on wheels" style of a stock standard XD, but they looked pretty mean once lowered with wide wheels. I'm kind of liking the BA at the moment, mostly because they are so cheap & there are heaps parts available if something breaks, & they look pretty good as well especially the XR6 & XR8.
I like the idea of getting a BA or BF XR6 Turbo at some stage but I just cant justify another car at the moment.

[chookaradley]

All I ever wanted growibg up was an XE esp two tone black and charcoal. The XF Fairmont Ghis was such a nice car in its day as well.

[Rob 351]

XD & E's for me. Thats what I grew up with watching DJ throw the old girls around with plenty of success. Tough ol girls!

[.:4:.]

2010, when I picked up my 08 ghia (still counts), pulled a few 1's on the way home and maybe even an 11. My first big purchase and I still own it and it's never put a foot wrong. Shame I bought a house in sydney..

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by 383hq

as an engineer - The E series so much better then the XF it replaced

The EA26 debacle basically destroyed Ford Australia

[arronm]

Super glue the head gasket anyone??????????

[CyberWasp]

All of them.

[Lukeyson]

When i was 8 the EA started to top up everywhere. When i got my P's i got an ED and loved it. Then i was one of the rare people who wanted a V8 because i was a V8 Supercar fan, so back in 2002 i sold the ED and bought an AUII XR8 which i only recently parted with. The story could go on .....
Highlight models for me:
Late E series
Late AU series
BA/BF was probably the peak for me, great times for Ford fans

[GT014]

FG FPV's GT hands down, love the panda eyes, bonnet buldge, and stripe packages on GT 315 and 335

[Eaturbo]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

The EA26 debacle basically destroyed Ford Australia

I don't agree with this, if that much damage was done than Ford US would have not allowed future development of all new models. They did AU,BA(nearly all new),FG but more importantly a complete clean sheet new model with the Territory. If Ford US believed that Ford Aus was incapable of designing and building new models than there is no way that they would have approved the Territory. It was after all a completely new car with 7 seats and AWD.

I do agree that Ford Aus did learn from the EA mistakes made and we never seen these problems again with relation to the oil leaks, head gaskets and overheating problems.

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Rob 351

XD & E's for me. Thats what I grew up with watching DJ throw the old girls around with plenty of success. Tough ol girls!

Yep. Thats it for me too. They were my ford flory days as well. X series were best sellers. They looked great , they sold great and there was aussie pride in these products.

Between XF and B series was a huge gap for me.......
No interest until BA arrived and brought the sexy back.

[P6LTD351]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

The EA26 debacle basically destroyed Ford Australia

....yep, and enabled Holden to survive. Holden were broke and on their knees. Ford could have landed the killer blow but they rushed the EA.

[castellan]

Well the XK with the big 144 was better than the Holden rubbish at the time not to mention the XK got the big 170 in the last months.
The XL 170 again killed Holden's rubbish.
The XM and that hardtop class
The XP and that 3 speed auto.
XR with the 289 V8 was the ants pants.
XT 302 all good.
XW and the modern air con.
XY 351
XA hardtop
XB magic
XC interior
XD with alloy head and the ESP class
XE ESP
XF yuck !
XG ute and a good engine at last
XH V8 yes !
EA 4speed manual 3.9L EFI
EB A good car with the 4.0L and now the 5.0L is V8 back
ED a better 4.0L
EF yuck
AU yuck
BA yes nice again.
BF better again
FG the best
FG-X even the best car in Australia, but the people have gone mad and just want to buy rubbish now.

[Nanoraptor]

The era I grew up in mandates anything from the XW to XD as 'my' Falcons. I can stretch that to go back to the beautiful XM Coupes with a soft spot for the EF, and I really like the resurgence (as unpopular as they are now) from the BA onwards.

And I drive an AUII that's as solid as a rock, but the relationship I have with that car is a little twisted.

[Tommie]

I remember loving my old man's XR as a kid, and then had a couple of XCs when they were 8 and 11 years old. They were great cars, sounded tough as.. but to me I remember the new TV ads for the BA and thought this is for me. Didnt help that the guy two doors up worked at Mgraths and used to come home in a XR8 each day and flog the bejesus out of it every time. Decided then i would get one.. and still have it. Cannot part with it even though its comparitively slow and primative these days.

[NiknoDave]

For me it would have to be XP then XD then BA




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[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by superyob

Fairlanes always did it for me but the XA/B hardtops really fired my imagination...

Yea fairlanes were good (I've owned more fairlanes than Falcons

I loved the compact fairlanes of the 60's the ZA-ZC (ZD was too plastic in the grill) ZH was awesome, ZJ-ZL I loved, NA / NC had a class about them, and the AU BA were nice as well

I've owned a ZB, ZC, ZG, P6, ZK, ZL NA & NC

And I'd have any of them again tomorrow

[Adamz Ghia]

See for me there is a lot of hindsight involved. I believed at the time the B series was the best Falcon era, with the XR6 Turbo and F6 standouts. But Looking back I'd say AU was the best time for Falcon, it was a true revolution of what Falcon was, a real clean break from the past. Sure it wasn't perfect but it was the one time they really had a go at something different.

[b2tf]

In terms of the actual cars, AU2 and 3. In terms of "hype" and positive press, the BA launch for me. And seeing GT's back on the road was great, as I wasn't around when the X series GT's were commonplace.

[SSD-85]

The AU was the best years I seen.

Fatboy Slims "You've come a long way baby", showing an all new Falcon design.

Sure, no GTs or racing dominance, plus a damning opinion of its design. But it remains the most well engineered Falcon ever built. A real Rebel of its time.

[roddy1960]

G'day...Probably unfair to compare models over such a long time but all the X series were great, still love the XW/XY and XB especially...then there was the stunning XC especially the Cobra...wow..The XD was a game changer too..Soft spot too for the XE had one for a good time...the EB, EF and EL's..ED not too shabby either..I loved my five speed EF Futura..then my AU ll (still got her)..had it 13 years so far which says it all and despite low sales numbers in FG/FGX I think that both models will be remembered well and why I grabbed a very nice FG XR6 earlier this year.Very special mentions for BA/BF and the BA range especially because of the best 6 cylinder motor ever of a great range of big sixes..The original 240kw BA XR6 T in 2002 was the start of the legendary DOHC Barra turbocharged powerplant. and the original 182 kw N/A Barra pretty good too .Thanks Ford for giving us the mighty Falcon...all of them..Cheers Rod.

[naroomablue]

IMO it was the introduction of the 351, Holden couldn't compete, gave up and started racing Toranas (cheating ********) and the XA, XB & XC 2 door coupes, they looked mean and man they had balls, those models started my Ford allegiance...fast forward, all the 'B' series models look great and are a pleasure to drive.

[Syndrome]

1966 to 1976

[.:4:.]

It might be a silly question, but was the crossflow a genius idea, or was having the intake above the exhaust better for cold climates? I'd think keeping the hot from the cold would make sense where it's warm, but years ago a mate of mine had a Datsun pulsar panel van that had a shutter on the air filter housing to redirect warmer air from behind the radiator to the engine intake, it was labelled summer winter. I have always wondered because years ago my brother had owned a handful of 6 cylinder toranas and real commodores (with steel bumpers) and it was only the fords that he and I have had that are x flowing. V8s don't make me wonder as the air goes in in the centre, exhaust out the the sides... shattering a tailshaft in a stock bf after smoking it through a roundabout and flicking a rock up wasn't fun, but when thompson ford in paramatta fixed it out of the warrenty for free, happy days

[naroomablue]

Think the main advantage of a crossflow engine is having the valves closer to the manifold, hence shorter ports, and incoming air scavenges the cylinder better as it flows thru the cylinder without having to change direction...not all V's are crossflow, caterpillar 3500 series engines (V8s 12s & 16s) have both intake and exhaust in the valley...replacing broken exhaust studs are a pain in the ****.

[Jastel]

Loving the Rose coloured glasses in this thread...

All models had different problems than the one before, and sometimes still the same ones! Looking at you auto cooler!
But all were an engineering improvement on the one before as well...leaving out looks and other subjective things.

Major arguing points I recall were dropping the V8, efi, dropping the taxi pack, police pack, bench seat, ute, IRS, ABS, DSC, ipodery, changing from 3 to 4 to 5 to 6 speed autos.

Having owned (at least) one of each model since the XE, the best has to be right now.

[pottery beige]

daily driving banged up $3k XAGTs in the 90s on zit farm apprentice wages

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Jastel

Loving the Rose coloured glasses in this thread...

All models had different problems than the one before, and sometimes still the same ones! Looking at you auto cooler!
But all were an engineering improvement on the one before as well...leaving out looks and other subjective things.

Major arguing points I recall were dropping the V8, efi, dropping the taxi pack, police pack, bench seat, ute, IRS, ABS, DSC, ipodery, changing from 3 to 4 to 5 to 6 speed autos.

Having owned (at least) one of each model since the XE, the best has to be right now.

I get that the brand has made some questionable decisions, but the thread is about the good times. And for me there aren't any bad ones (discounting the tailshaft that was my fault, yet was fixed by ford Scott free). At the moment both the wife and I have falcons (a ghia and a g6) and the ranger also lives on my driveway. Every brand has there short comings, but so far I'm yet to have an issue bigger then warping the front disks on my 08 fairmont ghia pulling a 1500kgs boat up from nowra to sydney with failed trailer brakes. Thats buyer be ware...