10 Things I bet you didn't know about your AU

[b2tf]

#2 is incorrect I think - ER was the designation given to parts that were carryover from EF/L and then some obviously went into AU. AV was a possible model prefix but not ER.

[Mont5.0]

i only found it after swapping covers from cloth to leather- and the original base is very roomy.

[SSVPom]

Originally Posted by GK

Last Fairmont wagon.

GK

Last V8 wagon too !

[GUTLES]

Originally Posted by FairmontPom

Last V8 wagon too !

Last manual Wagon too (AU Series 1 Forte).

[TICK4D-TAS]

It was also the last model to get the Windsor V8

[RG]

Originally Posted by TICK4D-TAS

It was also the last model to get the Windsor V8

And IIRC the T3 was the most powerful factory Windsor ever released.

[au11futura]

buttons for electrics changed.

[lofty]

First auto trans with no dipstick? On any vehicle ever? In the whole wide godforsaken world?

[RG]

Originally Posted by lofty

First auto trans with no dipstick? On any vehicle ever? In the whole wide godforsaken world?

No, that was the EF and the rest of the statements are far from correct.

[au11futura]

Originally Posted by lofty

First auto trans with no dipstick? On any vehicle ever? In the whole wide godforsaken world?

ohhhhhhh yehhhhhhhh good one

[aufairmontghia]

AU IRS is Jaguar design!!!

[Mr Hardware]

is that why it requires maintenance

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

*looks at his EB's boot struts*

Originally Posted by RG

*sits back and thinks of his old EL's boot struts that worked well*

Struts as in gas struts, that dont intrude into the boot space.

[LeadFoot81]

AU wheels had a different offeset (after 39 odd years of the old offset?)
First Falcon to have a VCT engine
First Falcon with straight Gas
First one tonne (tray back) Falcon Ute

[Peuty]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

is that why it requires maintenance

Everything in a car requires maintenance. What's your point?

[RG]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

is that why it requires maintenance

I don't get it, was that your attempt at a joke or are you serious?

[JC]

Originally Posted by RG

I don't get it, was that your attempt at a joke or are you serious?

Jags are not known for their reliability.....I'll let you draw your own conclusions from there.

[Peuty]

I still don't get it.

[Mr Hardware]

disregard my poor attempt at a joke.

[Mark351]

Nothing wrong with Jag suspension. It's the electrics (Lucas) they were notorious for.

[CAT600]

Let me amend that AU IRS comment....

AU IRS is the lowest maintenence, best performing and strongest IRS of any Australian made car in history.

Well, except maybe the top shock bushes :

Daniel

[Dauphin]

Keep the facts coming! Great thread.

[LeadFoot81]

AU Fairlane has the same high series bonnet as a Fairmont Ghia/S2 onwards Falcon Forte

AU1 Forte was lighter and faster on the 1/4 mile than the VT exec

[Peuty]

Originally Posted by LeadFoot81

AU Fairlane has the same high series bonnet as a Fairmont Ghia/S2 onwards Falcon Forte

You sure about that...I don't think that's right.

[LeadFoot81]

Yep it is. Its hard to get your head around I know, because the Fairlane is so squared off.

I remember an early noughties Fairlane review where the journo complained about a think (maybe rubber) strip under the bonnet to make up for the fact it didnt sit 100% flush, and that it was a bit rough for a flagship model to have that.

Another fact: AU utes featured borrowed tail lights from the F-Series trucks of the era (and so did the BA-BFs)

[Jimmyd]

Originally Posted by Mark351

Nothing wrong with Jag suspension. It's the electrics (Lucas) they were notorious for.

Ahhh Lucas, Prince of Darkness.....

AU I6 failsafe Cooling - Ford demo for this feature to the journos on release was done by removing the bottom hose off a press car and letting them loose on the test track - now thats confidence you just don't see these days.......

Cheers

James

[mcflux]

Another fact: AU utes featured borrowed tail lights from the F-Series trucks of the era (and so did the BA-BFs)

Well bugger me!

[Dauphin]

I hope this isn't just a myth:

Dealers disliked the factory AU1 Forte "waterfall" grille so much that they fitted the "eggcrate" grille from the AU ute to boost its appeal. Ford took notice and created an official "Classic" model with this grille.

[Jimmyd]

Originally Posted by Dauphin

I hope this isn't just a myth:

Dealers disliked the factory AU1 Forte "waterfall" grille so much that they fitted the "eggcrate" grille from the AU ute to boost its appeal. Ford took notice and created an official "Classic" model with this grille.

TRUTH - wide spread practice across Dealers - started off painting the waterfall grill body colour (think 'S Pack'), then we migrated to fitting the eggcrate grill.

About this time we also got a rap over the knuckles from Ford for developing and badging our own S packs before the official release - also for developing a one off perfromance upgrade I6 for a 'customer' (Body kit, cam, extractors, CAI, a/market 17"s, Pedders springs with Koni shocks, etc, etc) badged as 'TSV' - Trinity Special Vehicles.....

Cheers

James

[Bushbasher]

Way I heard it ; it was the customers who didn't like the look of the car so the dealers started swapping out the grill and fitting colour coded ute grills to try and make the cars more appealing so they could lift sluggish sales.


Bushbasher