The WORST Falcon model, and why.

[marty351]

Now that some of us lepers have been confined to their colony, what, in your honest opinion, is the WORST, nastiest and downright godless Falcon you, your family, a friend, or anyone else you can come up with, have either owned or used. And why.

[MercuryT]

BA Falcon (although hear FG just as crap)

Loved and hated it all at once.

Best engine ever in Aust - no doubt.

The rest of the car built shockingly bad.

[kypez]

EA... If it wasn't the head gasket blowing, the rust will get you. And the 3 speed auto was terrible!

[MercuryT]

Originally Posted by kypez

EA... If it wasn't the head gasket blowing, the rust will get you. And the 3 speed auto was terrible!

Did the power steering pump fail every 2 seconds?

The heater fixed and fail and fixed fail?

Door actuators fail constantly?

I loved my BA as a super quick, awesome engine (not one oil leak in 200thou.....) but gee whiz it was poorly made compared to other cars I've owned.

[kypez]

Originally Posted by MercuryT

Did the power steering pump fail every 2 seconds?

The heater fixed and fail and fixed fail?

Door actuators fail constantly?

I loved my BA as a super quick, awesome engine but gee whiz it was poorly made compared to other cars I've owned.

My BA had so few issues. Depends on the car I guess. Mine lasted 8-9 years before I had to fix the actuators and that was only on a couple of doors. Still have the original in the drivers and passenger doors.

I was still running my original powersteering and heater/AC till I removed the latter last year after 16 years of use without ever the need to regas.

The BA was solid for me. As has the FG.

[MercuryT]

Originally Posted by kypez

My BA had so few issues. Depends on the car I guess. Mine lasted 8-9 years before I had to fix the actuators and that was only on a couple of doors. Still have the original in the drivers and passenger doors.

I was still running my original powersteering and heater/AC till I removed the latter last year after 16 years of use without ever the need to regas.

The BA was solid for me. As has the FG.

Fair enough. Did you own for a decade and had at 300thou?

My other cars were like I bought when sold.

The BA just crumbled completely

[kypez]

Originally Posted by MercuryT

Fair enough. Did you own for a decade and had at 300thou?

My other cars were like I bought when sold.

The BA just crumbled completely

Not saying it didn't happen to your cars. Just saying that I didn't have issues.

The BA was at 8kms when I picked it up and the FG was at 17kms. BA has about 210,000 kms on it and the FG is only 46,000. So, not near 300,000.

But my XR8 is a track car so has had a hard life for the last 10 years or so. The Aircon and heater only came out to save weight last year.

[DJR-351]

Brand new 351 4 speed XD Ute, it basically fell to pieces in 10 months of driving it between Lake Grace and Tom Price (WA) and back, gravel roads killed it.....

My good mate Len kindly let me buy back my old XA GS 351 Ute, happy days again....

[Sprintey]

DJR - my BIL had new 308 WB ute in same area/driving at around same time, that thing was solid - copped a lot of roo hits though!

[Sprintey]

I've rebuilt mine once Kypez, but I have a heavier car.
Issue is the complexity and cost of repair as the car depreciates, it will bring forward the time when the repair is more than the value of the car and thus scrapping occurs earlier.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by kypez

EA... If it wasn't the head gasket blowing, the rust will get you. And the 3 speed auto was terrible!

This.
The EA was just an outright abomination, and I don't think FoA ever really recovered.

The basic design for the EA26 was signed off in the early eighties. This was to be the first 100% Australian Falcon, new from the ground up.
It took them 6 years to bring it into production, and it was still half-baked.

The new OHC engine and 4spd were supposed to debut in the XG, in time for ULP in 1986. Instead we got the XF2, with bastardised version of the 4.1. We got the new 5sp, but the 4sp didn't debut until the EA2, and still had overheating problems.

The 3.9 was truly a lamentable POS, and they spent the next several years fixing it. When we finally got the 4.0L in the EB2, it was so much better, but they didn't really get it right until the EL.

Then you have the saggy front-end that needed shimming right out of the factory. With every new facelift they promised it had been fixed, but it wasn't really until the AU2.

And don't get me started on the interiors. Flagship material they were not.

Then of course you have the complete absence of a performance model. Ford had developed a factory turbo, but the then CEO nixed it. I remember reading the interview in which he said that turboes only appealed to cowboys and they weren't the kind of buyer Ford wanted.

Oh, and ute buyers? Well fekk you. I guess they were "cowboys" too.

The only redeeming thing was that its competition, the VN, was unbelievably worse.

In the 80's FoA had the opportunity to destroy Holden. Remember there were actually contingency plans back then to scrap the Commode completely and sell Chevies. If the EA had been the car it should have been, it would have decimated or maybe even pre-empted the VN.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

This.
The EA was just an outright abomination, and I don't think FoA ever really recovered.

The only redeeming thing was that its competition, the VN, was unbelievably worse.

I don't know that the VN was that much worse. The VN engine was harsh sure, but it went like the clappers with good economy (better than all 3 Ford sixes) & being all cast iron didn't kill head gaskets every season. Holden had a very good EFI V8 too.

The VN had a much better 4-sp auto (T700) & the same manual as the Ford (T5). The VN's suspension had been around for over 10 years & while rudimentary, was very reliable & held its wheel alignment settings for ages. Brakes on both Ford & Holdens in those days were ordinary at best. These were the early days of non-asbestos brake pads.

The VN's electrics were better than the EA. It didn't boil its battery & kill central locking actuators. The Ford power steering rack was basically the same as the VN but Ford mounted it on rubber bushes which quickly turned to jelly because of the Ford's multiple engine oil leaks. Power steering pump leaked straight onto the alternator as well. Every EA ever built has a leaking power steering pressure switch. Holden had none of theses dramas.

The EEC IV EFI was rubbish & not a patch on Holden's Delco set-up. Many hot-rodders use the VN-VP Delco EFI system in project cars even toady.

Panel fit & finish & interior materials on both cars were average but fairly equal.

Having serviced many 100s of both cars at retail & fleet level I believe that the VN was a better car to own long term than an EA. The XF was also a much better car than the EA.

Dr Terry

[zipping]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

I don't know that the VN was that much worse. The VN engine was harsh sure, but it went like the clappers with good economy (better than all 3 Ford sixes) & being all cast iron didn't kill head gaskets every season. Holden had a very good EFI V8 too.

The VN had a much better 4-sp auto (T700) & the same manual as the Ford (T5). The VN's suspension had been around for over 10 years & while rudimentary, was very reliable & held its wheel alignment settings for ages. Brakes on both Ford & Holdens in those days were ordinary at best. These were the early days of non-asbestos brake pads.

The VN's electrics were better than the EA. It didn't boil its battery & kill central locking actuators. The Ford power steering rack was basically the same as the VN but Ford mounted it on rubber bushes which quickly turned to jelly because of the Ford's multiple engine oil leaks. Power steering pump leaked straight onto the alternator as well. Every EA ever built has a leaking power steering pressure switch. Holden had none of theses dramas.

The EEC IV EFI was rubbish & not a patch on Holden's Delco set-up. Many hot-rodders use the VN-VP Delco EFI system in project cars even toady.

Panel fit & finish & interior materials on both cars were average but fairly equal.

Having serviced many 100s of both cars at retail & fleet level I believe that the VN was a better car to own long term than an EA. The XF was also a much better car than the EA.

Dr Terry

Yeh but crank angle sensor on hot days.

[roKWiz]

Anything after X series, why , no panel vans.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by zipping

Yeh but crank angle sensor on hot days.

The crank sensor in the dissy of the Ford EA 6 was just as bad, maybe worse.

Dr Terry

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

I don't know that the VN was that much worse.

The VN was a bastardised Opel body, dropped onto VL running gear, with a POS 30yr old Buick pushrod engine. The interiors were terrible, and the car, on the whole, resembled a giant cow-pat.

But you're right, the XF was better than both.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

The VN was a bastardised Opel body, dropped onto VL running gear, with a POS 30yr old Buick pushrod engine. The interiors were terrible, and the car, on the whole, resembled a giant cow-pat.

No VL running gear in a VN unless you're referring to the suspension. The Buick engine had a total remake in the mid-80, so it wasn't really 30 years old. You could say that the XF 6-cyl was a POS 25-30 year old design too, but 'old' didn't make it 'bad'. The 5.0 litre in the AU was a 35 year old design, but it wasn't an "old POS".

Was the EA interior any better than a VN ?, don't think so. The body on the EA was no better (or worse) than the VN. The cow-pat description could equally apply to the EA, it wasn't Ford's best effort.

The VN sold gangbusters compared to any early Commodore, buyers must have liked some part of it.

Dr Terry

[Burnout]

Not a falcon, but the TC Cortina I had was rubbish, 4speed manual gave up @ 16,oookm and the suspension was shagged as well. I got rid of it.

[Sprintey]

On the new car market:

AU1 - its looks when compared with the VT in 1998. Repelled loyal customers and the way it was marketed was a fundamental misread of the market for which quite a few executives left... We all know how robust and legendary they proved to be however.

XK - front suspensions busting, not a good initial impression.

EA - quality control



As they aged:

BA - control blade rebuilds, quality. How the interiors have aged. When new the BA was exciting and perception was that it saved Ford with its style, power and inclusion of lots of tech like the DOHC and IRS... It will still go classic and be remembered as one of the best however, because of the Turbo...

Stuff like the Territory never getting a real fix for the tailgate rust deserves a mention too...

[kypez]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

On the new car market:

AU1 - its looks when compared with the VT in 1998. Repelled loyal customers and the way it was marketed was a fundamental misread of the market for which quite a few executives left... We all know how robust and legendary they proved to be however.

XK - front suspensions busting, not a good initial impression.

EA - quality control



As they aged:

BA - control blade rebuilds, quality. How the interiors have aged. When new the BA was exciting and perception was that it saved Ford with its style, power and inclusion of lots of tech like the DOHC and IRS... It will still go classic and be remembered as one of the best however, because of the Turbo...

Stuff like the Territory never getting a real fix for the tailgate rust deserves a mention too...

What were the control blade rebuild issue? I've never touched mine in the 17 years of ownership!

[happy1]

Originally Posted by kypez

What were the control blade rebuild issue? I've never touched mine in the 17 years of ownership!

Exactly! Even Territory which is much heavier don't have a problem with its control blade arms.
If you had mentioned Diff bushings, I would have agreed. They could have been engineered better so they didn't split. The Turbo model and probably XR8 have more of this due to the power.

I find this thread quite silly really.

The BA is quite well put together compared with VE Commodore.
On the VE Commodore it isn't possible to take off the plastic panels without cracking off the small brackets on them. That's shocking design!

Neither of the Ford or the Commodore are as well built as a Toyota where every clip is carefully engineered, and can be dismantled without damages.

Real s**t cars are things like Holden Cruze and Jeep Cherokee, where expensive parts break down, and you break down along the road.

Parts prices and availability is also a factor to consider. (Ford has already many obsolete parts), and even when you could get the parts they were often far more expensive than expected.

Anyway that's just my opinion.

Cheers,

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by happy1

The BA is quite well put together compared with VE Commodore.
On the VE Commodore it isn't possible to take off the plastic panels without cracking off the small brackets on them. That's shocking design!

Neither of the Ford or the Commodore are as well built as a Toyota where every clip is carefully engineered, and can be dismantled without damages.

I see you too have met my friend Mr VE Commodore

I worked on those things when they were new and the clips and how they held into the panels were stronger than the bloody trim piece and the structure holding the clip into the trim - boom! broken trim!

I'm going to put my vote in for BA/BF Falcon, here's some examples from my old workshop:

Both B series Falcons are in at the same time for busted door locks:



B series in for busted heater shaft:







B series in for busted ignition barrel (replace column, in case of BF you need to also recalibrate steering angle sensor in ECU):



Another B series with busted ignition barrel - put relay in and car starts itself?



Also BA/BF have crap A/C systems compared to earlier series Falcons too.

P.S If you go to open the bonnet on your B series and the bonnet latch snaps off in your hands, the part number is CR101 and is available through all Repco and Burson stores

Those of you with B series autos have you busted the gear shift cable yet?

At least the door lock is easy to replace on the B series though.

[Jastel]

Have had multiples of every model Falcon for the last 30 years for the Taxis.
Every model was better than the previous model. Yes they all had some problems and every now and then you were stuck with a lemon that you had to ditch...but if someone could give me a 2050 model car today I will take 10...

The old rose coloured glasses kick in and we dream of the simple old days...you forget the abysmal handling, the pathetic fuel economy, safety?? What's that?

Yes, fixing and tinkering with old cars was an easier thing to do but keeping a horse was pretty easy too, we think...

[wodahs]

and here i thought it be the Millennium Falcon
that thing was always braking down

[Falcon SXR8]

Ba falcon for me, besides the awesome turbo barra it was absolute junk. Stranded me on the side of the road 4 times in 40 000kms. Has put me off modern falcons for good.

[MercuryT]

Originally Posted by Falcon SXR8

Ba falcon for me, besides the awesome turbo barra it was absolute junk. Stranded me on the side of the road 4 times in 40 000kms. Has put me off modern falcons for good.

Yep. And I (stupidly) owned it a decade.....

All the recent FPVs like GTs just as crap. Wings, stripes and spoilers don't hide what it is actually is.

Look and go well sure, but no surprise it's gone under as not even close to competition quality wise outside performance.

[au2000]

My ea would have to have been my worst and best falcon..
Had a constant throttle position switch issue which even when replaced would still idle all over the shop At 1 point would go from 900 rpm up to 3500 rpm while at red lights causing the car to lurch forward
Mind u it cooked a bead gasket just outside of bendigo 1 holiday and could still drive it all the way home at 110 and back to my mechanics the next day..

[jgmdat]

Originally Posted by MercuryT

Yep. And I (stupidly) owned it a decade.....

All the recent FPVs like GTs just as crap. Wings, stripes and spoilers don't hide what it is actually is.

Look and go well sure, but no surprise it's gone under as not even close to competition quality wise outside performance.

Well my FPV has done 270k and Iv'e only just had to put a set of shocks on the front end, so as per usual you are talking rubbish. Maybe you should try turning your computer off at 7.00pm every night, or start drinking light beer.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by MercuryT

Maybe buy a better car.

I have and not looking back.

Enjoy your striped Taxi.

Didn’t you post an apology for being a knob a while back?

[Rob 351]

Originally Posted by MercuryT

Yes because I was.

BA GT is rubbish. I should know, I drove one and slow, looks way overdone.

Sorry if it hurts Adam. The Turbo models far better in BA spec.

Couldn’t disagree more Mercury T!
Yes the F6/Typhoon was quicker but the BA GT was far from being rubbish and imo still look great today!
Slow.... That depends what your comparing it to! Was as quick as the Clubsport in 2003 and really made HSV lift it’s game as it had no real competition for many years before the BA GT came along.
The auto wasn’t the best in the BA GT and really held back the 290 but the manual was/is a very enjoyable drive, especially with a decent exhaust note to back it up..
I have a low k one in my collection and quite enjoy driving it when time permits. Still turns heads, never gives me an ounce of problems, and has one of the best exhaust notes in the business..
Just a great old Grand Tourer...