AUII 75th Anniversary Ghias

Paxton · 30-03-2009, 06:51 PM

Hey Guys,

I've got the option of buying an AUII Ghia, and it looks like I'm probably going to take up that option. The car in question is a 75th Anniversary Ghia, with 125,000 on the clock. Whilst my EF has been a good car, I think it is time for a change, and I'm almost over having a car with an attitude. I'd rather get into something that is reliable, and still has all the fruit.

What can you AU Experts tell me about the AU Ghia 75th? I've seen a thread on the old forums about them, however that thread was mostly focussed on the Futura. I understand they have a few other options that the standard Ghia didn't have, and also this one is in an interesting, almost brown colour, which I quite like.

If I buy this, and if you'll tolerate me, I'm going to join aufalcon.com, and stay as an associate member of ozecruisers.com.au, but I don't have an opportunity to have a look at the car until Saturday.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Paxton.

**Whoosha** · 30-03-2009, 08:26 PM

We welcome all AU owners the bretheran .. the 25 th, an. Ghia is a top ride and with those Ks on it should give you a lot of years of enjoyment .. that brownish colour looks great with just a nice set of wheels .. so just get it and get the pickys up ASAP

Mr Hardware · 30-03-2009, 09:01 PM

Yeah man, the 75th anniv fairmont ghia's are lush.
Friggin bargains too.
BTW it was a celebration of 75 years of FoMoCoAus.

Paxton · 30-03-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Yeah man, the 75th anniv fairmont ghia's are lush.
Friggin bargains too.
BTW it was a celebration of 75 years of FoMoCoAus.

I see. I didn't think it could be FoMoCo, but didn't know how old Ford Australia was.

I've only seen the interior of the 75ths in a brochure I saved from when I had my AUIII, and it is, as you say lush. I think they had every option ticked.

All the car needs, is to be lowered about an inch. I've come from an XR6, so anything higher than that is too high.

Thanks for the reply Woosha. As I said, I quite like the Cinnamon/Brown colour. How much are Azzurros these days?

GK · 30-03-2009, 09:44 PM

Not too many of them around. I love the 75th embossing on the leather seats. Nice touch.

Also that browny colour is great. I've often thought about getting one sometime down the track. The one you're looking at sounds very good, especially with low kays.

All the best with it, and as Whoosha has said, show us the pics when you get it.

Cheers,

GK

gcg2503 · 31-03-2009, 08:30 AM

There is a guy on AFF with the exact car you mention. That colour combo is sublime. Do a search and I am sure you can find his detailed pics.

gcg2503 · 31-03-2009, 08:59 AM

Working from an iPhone so can't paste the thread link. User name sikford thread title THE Fairmont Ghia.

**Whoosha** · 31-03-2009, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcg2503

Working from an iPhone so can't paste the thread link. User name sikford thread title THE Fairmont Ghia.

This would be the one

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...=fairmont+ghia

HLC · 31-03-2009, 09:16 AM

do it mate, they are great cars!

JC · 31-03-2009, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paxton

How much are Azzurros these days?

Nice car. You haven't been able to get Azzurros (made by ROH) for a few years now. The 75th anniversary cars come with azzurro styl rims anyway, in 17 x 7.5", but the spokes aren't flat like azzurros; they are alightly indented.

Paxton · 31-03-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HLC

do it mate, they are great cars!

If you twist my arm any harder, it might fall off.

I've spoken to the Minister of War and Finance, and it seems I am allowed to, it just depends if the car is still available on Satrday, and drives well, and if they take my EF as a trade in.

Dauphin · 31-03-2009, 01:38 PM

They're really nice, hardly see any of them around and the brown Fairlanes are even rarer.

GK · 31-03-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whoosha

This would be the one

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...=fairmont+ghia

A lovely example indeed!

GK

blueoval · 31-03-2009, 08:47 PM

I cant comment on the 75th ghias, but from a 75th futura owners point of view, they are a nice bit of kit and come with a few extras over a regular ghia.

Nice rims and lowering is a must. After that you can just drive and enjoy

SSVPom · 01-04-2009, 10:53 PM

They came with the sports suspension, 17" rims, '75th' badging, full leather interior, Momo steering wheel and choice of special colours.

Nice car, saw one on carsales the other day which also had the V8, sunroof and satnav optioned it too !

blueoval · 01-04-2009, 11:03 PM

the v8's are the hardest to find. worth picking up if your in the market

gcg2503 · 01-04-2009, 11:05 PM

really Fairmont Pom - if I saw that car I may have refrained from dropping over $50k on a G6ET!

:(

I really like those cars - especially in that cinnamon colour

Paxton · 03-04-2009, 05:09 PM

Tomorrow's the day I go looking.

Is there anything in particular that I should look out for? I know all about water in oil/oil in water, but I've only had a new AU, not a used one.

What do I look for in particular?

Thanks again guys.

Mr Hardware · 03-04-2009, 05:57 PM

Paxton, worry about exterior and interior condition and ride first and foremost. This is the biggest thing when it comes down to what the car is worth.

You're likely to have a small handful of little mechanical bits and pieces to do, budget for a few hundred dollars worth of silly crap like wheel bearings or idler pulleys or oil seals and silly stuff like that. Generally the only big mechanical things that go on AUs are head (extremely rare) and transmission. Just make sure the auto isnt slipping or banging or being a pig.

I highly doubt a supreme 75th anniv Ghia with low kays is going to have anything really wrong with it. Just make sure it's value for money, and get a mechanic to look it over, stick the report under the seller's nose, say i've gotta fix this stuff up, i'll take it off you for $500 less than you're asking, drive away happy.

Swordsman88 · 03-04-2009, 06:07 PM

oh no paxton, not another EF guy moving onto an AU!!! How could you, didn't you once say you'd never get rid of an EF again....

Seriously though, i've only ever seen one of these things, and i was very impressed. Back when it was still on sale the local rural dealer in FNQ had one (don't know why, must of thought a cashed up farmer would buy it....) and i gave it a quick look over. The interior was the highlight for me, lush and so far ahead of what Holden was floggin at that time.

Sad to see another EF move on but not a bad choice in the end for replacement.

I need a new car myself (see Sig) so i'd consider grabbing yours if you weren't in a different state.

Paxton · 03-04-2009, 06:39 PM

Keelan - the problem with this EF, is that it is costing me more to fix, than it did to buy in the first place. It has become a bottomless pit in terms of repairs, something which I can't justify any more. If this car was an XB Falcon, or a Charger, I wouldn't mind so much, but this is my daily driver, and it is better for me to have something newer that needs far less maintenance than my XR6.

Andrew.

Swordsman88 · 03-04-2009, 06:43 PM

Yeah that is a pain when you find one like that. I know of a few EFs with personalities like that, my old one had a left front vibration that was still tracking down a full year after i first noticed it. Never did find out what was causing it.

I don't drive much these days so the odd thing like that doesn't bother me, but in a daily driver you need reliability.

Best of luck with the AU anyway, i've got a lead on a EF XR6 going for a good price so hopefully in a few weeks i'll be back in an EF.