Were Australian Fords Rubbish?

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Dash_XR

Like the R35, with it's hand built engine etc.. Definitly a boring car with no soul at all.

The enemy is the parent company that wanted to sell their cars in our country instead.

Driving an R35 is like driving a Playstation on wheels with a Vacuum cleaner as the sound system. Hardly exciting. Have seen a few people sell their R35 off for that reason. Despite being able to blow the doors off nearly any exotic euro in a straight line, the experience was so detached and boring they might as well have been doing 700kph in a budget airline.

[Shonky.]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

The XD-XE-XF - were the low point for the Falcon name.

This post was the low point for the thread

[HULK_I6T]

Originally Posted by shonkymofo

I was sure this was going to be a Hulk thread from the title....

I was beaten to the punch... I have to get up earlier of a morning.

[responsef6]

Insulting topic, let this thread die.

Had falcons my whole life, xe though to present,awesome cars ,
never had a breakdown, never had a major repair bill , amazing performance from the xr8, xr6 turbo, typhoon and f6 that I've owned. Have raced 2 ea falcons and currently au falcon in saloon cars, incredible reliability considering they live at high rpm their whole life .

Have also 2 porsches (911 and cayman s), also amazing cars. I put falcons and Porsches in the same league for performance and reliability.

obviously i take into account Porsches are single minded focus, falcons are more compromised for handling relative to my porsches but still handle well for a big car and also ride extremely well over our aussie roads. Falcons also do everything else well ( high performance, family, friends, comfort, boot space, towing, you name it)

This topic of falcons being rubbish I find totally offensive, this is the time on ford forum to celebrate this incredible car, not sitting there picking it apart over mostly minor things. Plenty of other sites have ill informed ignorant snobs "rubbishing" the falcon, why do it here

[HULK_I6T]

Australian cars are outstanding value 2nd hand.

I was at the shops and on a noticeboard was an ad for a car for sale. It was a 2001 toyota corolla with 110000km for $6000. Saying its a must see

I would say my 2002 au forte series 3 is a better car than that old corolla, when new the corolla was maybe $20000 brand new where the au was low $30000s brand new. But no way someone will give me $6000 for it. But its better than that corolla 100%

[HULK_I6T]

Originally Posted by responsef6

I put falcons and Porsches in the same league for performance and reliability.

I love my falcons but lol at this comment..

[Shonky.]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

I was beaten to the punch... I have to get up earlier of a morning.

You know what they say....the early bird gets the troll

[responsef6]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

I love my falcons but lol at this comment..

Laugh at my comment. You own Porsches do you? You must be speaking from experience to laugh at my comment.

I am speaking from experience not reading magazines.
I actually do own a 98 911 carrera, a 2008 cayman, an 04 typhoon and an f6 ( yes too many cars, will be selling the 911 as I only recent bought the cayman)

Both my f6 and typhoon are faster than the two Porsches in a straight line, not bad for a rubbish falcon hey. I'm also active in the Porsche club. One day when my Porsche was having reliability issues ( yes all makes, even Porsches have issues).I took my fg f6 (still stock but does 12.6 quarters - yes falcs are rubbish) on a spirited country run with my Porsche mates. After whipping one 997 carrera 4s off the line, my mate says yes I'll give you the turbo falcons are quick in a drag, but you won't keep up when we hit the country curves.

Well the f6 more than kept up, it showed them a well driven f6 can leave them behind ( think rolling accelerationtorque

[responsef6]

Torque on tap)

My Porsche mates aren't mug drivers and compete in club events. They were blown away by the falcon on Aussie roads. They might have it on a track but on Aussie roads falcon is king

Think before you post and laugh at someone else's comment publicly when you don't have the experience to compare and they do

Falcons and Porsche in my book are similar in performance and reliability, both are awesome

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

I love my falcons but lol at this comment..

Once met a bloke with an exotic collection of cars. Rolls Royce, BMW, Mercedes. Asked him which car was his favourite. Points to an old XF Ute on gas sitting outside his shop, says it has never let him down. Still not sure if he was for real or just taking the ****

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by responsef6

Laugh at my comment. You own Porsches do you? You must be speaking from experience to laugh at my comment.

I am speaking from experience not reading magazines.
I actually do own a 98 911 carrera, a 2008 cayman, an 04 typhoon and an f6 ( yes too many cars, will be selling the 911 as I only recent bought the cayman)

Both my f6 and typhoon are faster than the two Porsches in a straight line, not bad for a rubbish falcon hey. I'm also active in the Porsche club. One day when my Porsche was having reliability issues ( yes all makes, even Porsches have issues).I took my fg f6 (still stock but does 12.6 quarters - yes falcs are rubbish) on a spirited country run with my Porsche mates. After whipping one 997 carrera 4s off the line, my mate says yes I'll give you the turbo falcons are quick in a drag, but you won't keep up when we hit the country curves.

Well the f6 more than kept up, it showed them a well driven f6 can leave them behind ( think rolling accelerationtorque

doesn't the current model 911 991 turbo S do a 0-100km/h run in like 3.2 sec?? never seen a bog stock F6 do that... he wasn't rubbishing the Falcon he was stating the truth. yes there are Falcons that will beat Porsches. The FPV GT-R spec is one of them but there a complete different class of vehicle. Handling and performance wise there are Porsches out there that will flog the Falcon senseless. Doesn't mean a cars a crap car if it isn't as fast

[HULK_I6T]

Originally Posted by responsef6

Laugh at my comment. You own Porsches do you? You must be speaking from experience to laugh at my comment.

I am speaking from experience not reading magazines.
I actually do own a 98 911 carrera, a 2008 cayman, an 04 typhoon and an f6 ( yes too many cars, will be selling the 911 as I only recent bought the cayman)

Both my f6 and typhoon are faster than the two Porsches in a straight line, not bad for a rubbish falcon hey. I'm also active in the Porsche club. One day when my Porsche was having reliability issues ( yes all makes, even Porsches have issues).I took my fg f6 (still stock but does 12.6 quarters - yes falcs are rubbish) on a spirited country run with my Porsche mates. After whipping one 997 carrera 4s off the line, my mate says yes I'll give you the turbo falcons are quick in a drag, but you won't keep up when we hit the country curves.

Well the f6 more than kept up, it showed them a well driven f6 can leave them behind ( think rolling accelerationtorque

Your comparing a current model f6 to a 1998 Porsche? Then say they are on par performance and reliability? Well I have a very close mate that has owned some of the finest cars in the world. Think Lamborghini Diablo, Mercedes c63, BMW m3, Porsche Cheyenne turbo, range rovers, GTR... etcetera

I've driven them all.. I've never thought in my head that falcons are on par with them in any respect. I love my falcons but you need to call a spade a spade.. Falcons have their place in the food triangle, punch above their weight even, but let's not pretend they are at the pointy end.

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by responsef6

Insulting topic, let this thread die.

Had falcons my whole life, xe though to present,awesome cars ,
never had a breakdown, never had a major repair bill , amazing performance from the xr8, xr6 turbo, typhoon and f6 that I've owned. Have raced 2 ea falcons and currently au falcon in saloon cars, incredible reliability considering they live at high rpm their whole life .

Have also 2 porsches (911 and cayman s), also amazing cars. I put falcons and Porsches in the same league for performance and reliability.

Maybe Ford should only make performance variants of the Falcon, forget about the luxury and the base models. After all, everyone only cares about 0-100 times, right?

Oh wait ...

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

Falcons have their place in the food triangle, punch above their weight even, but let's not pretend they are at the pointy end.

Maybe because they are not made or priced to appeal to the pointy end of the market.
falcon has proven itself as a family car with space to spare, a tow car with enough grunt to actually tow and not be towed. A performance car that will embarass plenty of cars double its price range. A platform for a taxi that will do hundreds of thousands of klm with and be reliable enough to be on the road for more days than off the road. It aint a sharp knife, agreed, but its a big blunt instrument that can be used time and time again without question, probably long after that sharp knife has lost its edge and becomes frustrating to use.
horses for courses I guess.

[GingerAle]

I like the FG Mkii XR6 a lot. They are nice cars, great transmission and have BMW 5 series like ride and handling.

If you were going to buy a budget BMW with the lowest trim levels, I would rather get the XR6... They are a well built car and has everything you expect from a modern day sedan.

[93EB_SXR6]

Friends (married couple) moved here from North America a few years ago, first thing they did was buy a Falcon... and they lament that they were unable to purchase one in the states because it's such a good all-rounder.

Their words, not mine.

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by 93EB_SXR6

Friends (married couple) moved here from North America a few years ago, first thing they did was buy a Falcon... and they lament that they were unable to purchase one in the states because it's such a good all-rounder.

Their words, not mine.

That it most certainly is. As an all rounder, the Falcon is a terrific car. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for an all round family sedan.

Do you know which Falcon they bought?

[zilo]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

NCAP ratings didnt exist until 1997, so 940 wasnt NCAP rated.
Crash safety of the EB Falcon was as good as anything of the era, apart from maybe Mercedes and Volvo. Death traps were Jap cars at the time which didnt come with side impact protection in the doors.

How safe do you think that 940 is?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDyeWofcLY

Sorry mate, that video was proven to be a fake paid for opinion on other forums.

All 940s had airbags....no airbag in that car for starters..

No side impact protection system either.

That vehicle had fake badges...and some Volvo mechanics say not even a driveshaft.


I guess you knew that I meant ANCAP and not NCAP didn't you?

(NCAP was introduced in 1979 in the US so doesn't help you anyway)

The Volvo 940 flogged the pants of every Australian manufactured car in 1992.....the year ANCAP was introduced.
It embarrassed GMH and FORD to the point that they rushed a drivers airbag design whithin months.

[93EB_SXR6]

Originally Posted by NX74205

That it most certainly is. As an all rounder, the Falcon is a terrific car. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for an all round family sedan.

Do you know which Falcon they bought?

They've had a few now but they first bought a BF XR6.

[XR Martin]

The Volvo had an airbag, but it didnt deploy in the accident. Theres clear footage of the airbag steering wheel just after the accident (missing the front facia cover resulting from the impact of the driver' head)
Theres also footage of the airbag removed post accident, it was removed so it didnt go off inadvertantly.

Better footage
7:18 shows the airbag steering wheel with facia missing, at the 7:38 mark the airbag has been removed, with tags attached to show its safe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emtLLvXrrFs

Euro NCAP was 1997...

If you actually read what I wrote, I said the Falcon at the time was as good as most - apart from Merc and Volvo. Yes they were the safest cars of the time, but safety has come a long way since.
Oh and I also agree that RWD Volvos are some of the most reliable cars ever made, however their FWD stuff leaves alot to be desired.

[superyob]

So much love for Volvos and other assorted appliances... This is an Aussie Ford forum isn't it?

[HULK_I6T]

The falcon is a good bang for buck car, best way to describe them is good value.

For instance a c63 is near 3 times the price of a f6 but it isn't three times the car a f6 is. but no doubt it's a better car outright in every which way.

[JG33]

If you drive your Ford like you stole it, it will become rubbish in no time.

[UberKnee]

Originally Posted by ESP

Maybe because they are not made or priced to appeal to the pointy end of the market.
falcon has proven itself as a family car with space to spare, a tow car with enough grunt to actually tow and not be towed. A performance car that will embarass plenty of cars double its price range. A platform for a taxi that will do hundreds of thousands of klm with and be reliable enough to be on the road for more days than off the road. It aint a sharp knife, agreed, but its a big blunt instrument that can be used time and time again without question, probably long after that sharp knife has lost its edge and becomes frustrating to use.
horses for courses I guess.

Have yet to see a stock Falcon "embarrass" any of the high end expensive cars. People bandy this idea about that a Flacon murders a C63 or M3, RS, etc. beating it by a year over a quarter mile. At most you're talking a split second difference with a good driver in the Falcon in the real world.

Theres also the fact that while yeah Falcons are good basic all rounders in the high end Euros you have a top notch all rounder that's more than just the biggest motor they could find wedged between a Falcons chassis rails.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by UberKnee

Theres also the fact that while yeah Falcons are good basic all rounders in the high end Euros you have a top notch all rounder that's more than just the biggest motor they could find wedged between a Falcons chassis rails.

Well when the development budget of the Falcon range over the years has probably been less than that of just one Mercedes engine, that shouldnt be a surprise to anyone.

[UberKnee]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

The falcon is a good bang for buck car, best way to describe them is good value.

For instance a c63 is near 3 times the price of a f6 but it isn't three times the car a f6 is. but no doubt it's a better car outright in every which way.

Depends how you look at a car, is it just simply a tool to go fast or is a car more than just speed? In terms of providing real luxury, refinement, gadgets, a C63 is 3 times the car that a F6 is, FPVs are very basic for their price tag and for what they are; leather seats and a Hi power motor, thats pretty much it.

[zilo]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

The Volvo had an airbag, but it didnt deploy in the accident..

ROFL...the world's most safety diligent car maker of all time, made a car that had an airbag that didn't deploy?

Are you serious?

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Theres clear footage of the airbag steering wheel just after the accident (missing the front facia cover resulting from the impact of the driver' head)
.

I will just say this to you (cause I have one in my driveway)
That is a 1985 build 740 estate, not a 940 estate.
The steering wheel is nothing like the 940 with internal airbag.

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Theres also footage of the airbag removed post accident, it was removed so it didnt go off inadvertently..

It didn't go off because it doesn't exist in a 1985 740.

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Better footage
7:18 shows the airbag steering wheel with facia missing, at the 7:38 mark the airbag has been removed, with tags attached to show its safe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emtLLvXrrFs
.

Dunno how you read that little gem.

7:28 he says "obviously there's no airbag", he doesn't say it didn't go off.

I say again 940 had a driver's airbag, that is not a 940, even the wheels can be seen to be a 1985 740.

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

If you actually read what I wrote, I said the Falcon at the time was as good as most - apart from Merc and Volvo. .

No they weren't, in the 80's the aussie car makers were sloppy and lazy building absolute garbage for local consumption.

Any car at the time that could be imported into the US was far better than any aussie built car due to NCAP requirements of a 56km/h simulated collision.

No Aussie car at the time could pass that importation test....other car makers such as Toyota and Mazda and Nissan could albeit with wide rangeing results.

[pottery beige]

calm down captain cardigan

you'll pop a button

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by UberKnee

Have yet to see a stock Falcon "embarrass" any of the high end expensive cars. People bandy this idea about that a Flacon murders a C63 or M3, RS, etc. beating it by a year over a quarter mile. At most you're talking a split second difference with a good driver in the Falcon in the real world.

Theres also the fact that while yeah Falcons are good basic all rounders in the high end Euros you have a top notch all rounder that's more than just the biggest motor they could find wedged between a Falcons chassis rails.

Embarrass doesn't need to mean beat or demolish. The fact that it can keep up is enough. Any bog standard F6 or GT335 will be nipping at the heels of a C63. You buy these cars for performance as the primary objective. So the fact it is comparable at near on half the price is testament to the local product. Sure it's behind in overall quality/nvh and tech engineering, but that's the whole point. It is made to a price so it is affordable. If it wasn't for these types of Fords and Holden's, 95% of us would never have owned a high performance car.
Power to the people.

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by JG33

If you drive your Ford like you stole it, it will become rubbish in no time.

I'm not really so sure, i'm fairly hard on equipment, there has been the odd breakage (limiter dumps will do that) i just put them down as consumables

they still drive tight and keep coming back for more