if you were converted from holden, what caused your life changing event???

[16wantsI6]

well i used to be like all the other guys in yr 8, holdens are better, nananananah, blah blah blah.

Although my dad then bought an xf ute at the back at the pub for $400. its engine was immaculate and had no probs, was driven long distance regularly.
i then learnt to drive manual in it, and for some magical reason was converted
so thats my story lol.

[bindi]

I still am a bit of a Holden girl (only the old 186s and 202s - cos I can fix them! lol). The reason we first got a Ford was that so many of them were on LPG, and we wanted an LPG car. Also they were BIG, giving us heaps of space for our growing family (baby seats, prams etc).

And now we're just plain stuck on them, it's like some kind of sick addiction :nutsycuck

[borry]

i thought i would never get a ford, until i drove an au falcon ute, just a better ute in my opinion, plus easier to turbo :P and now i wouldnt swap my ute for a similar holden, now way!

[OzJavelin]

Up until a few years ago I thought most Australian cars were either boring or just junk. I lusted (and still lust) after Yanky iron. I'd owned a lot of Valiants (mainly VF/VG coupes .. aka Dodge Dart) and a Charger and they were fun, but I wasn't going to give up my "USA#1" theology. A friend of mine (who owned Hot Rods) bought a XC GXL with a mildly worked 351 and I was VERY impressed with how it went. In the end I bought that car, and a XB GS coupe (351, 4-spd) he also owned. At that stage I was ready to "accept" Aussie cars .. and bought a 1yo AUII V8 ute.

Earlier I'd owned a HQ Statesman Deville and was very unimpressed with the old red 5.0. I never liked Holdens much. Shortly after I bought the AU I went looking for a sedan. I drove BA XT V8 and Holden SV8 .. and thought the SV8 did everything I wanted and was a bit "sportier" than the XT. Soooo .. basically I don't differenciate between Holden and Ford .. just US-based V8-powered cars and "others"!

[galaxy xr8]

The 1st vehicle I liked was a Vette, still do to this day, and then I loved the look of the VL group A and wanted one, but then I discovered the GT Falcon and never looked back, at this stage my old man and I were rebuilding a XW wagon and I fell in love with the shape and these vehicle's, I still like the Vette's but they are the only GM product I can safely say I like, but not as much as the allmighty GT Falcon.

[Bluehoon]

If it wasn't for the XR6T, and the fact holden still used pushrod (18 months ago). I would of stayed.
Ford is now, so much more refined and produce a better vehicle.

The cars also drive much better and have more quality than a holden..

Having said that, i own a VK EFI 202, and love it

[ibast]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

Up until a few years ago I thought most Australian cars were either boring or just junk. I lusted (and still lust) after Yanky iron. I'd owned a lot of Valiants (mainly VF/VG coupes .. aka Dodge Dart) and a Charger and they were fun, but I wasn't going to give up my "USA#1" theology. A friend of mine (who owned Hot Rods) bought a XC GXL with a mildly worked 351 and I was VERY impressed with how it went. In the end I bought that car, and a XB GS coupe (351, 4-spd) he also owned. At that stage I was ready to "accept" Aussie cars .. and bought a 1yo AUII V8 ute.

Earlier I'd owned a HQ Statesman Deville and was very unimpressed with the old red 5.0. I never liked Holdens much. Shortly after I bought the AU I went looking for a sedan. I drove BA XT V8 and Holden SV8 .. and thought the SV8 did everything I wanted and was a bit "sportier" than the XT. Soooo .. basically I don't differenciate between Holden and Ford .. just US-based V8-powered cars and "others"!

I hate to burst your bubble, but I don't know why people think American cars are so good.

I've spent a bit of time in the US and they are about 20 years behind the rest of the world in build quality and suspension dynamics.

Drove a few different newish cars over there and they all reminded me of driving an old HQ Kingswood.

The Amercan market expects a new looking car each year. Undeneath they have made very little progress.

At least in Aus the car makers are kept honest by the quality imports.

I always shake my head when I see someone in Aus that has imported a newish American car and wonder what they would say if they were honest with themselves

I liked holdens..... back when I was in year 9 or somthing, but I fell in love with the Mustang in year 10, from there on havent looked back ;)

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by ibast

I hate to burst your bubble, but I don't know why people think American cars are so good.

O/T .. but anyway .. Nope I don't much like Yanky cars since the mid 70s. I only like earlier stuff. American cars are a "taste" that I only expect a few Aussies to like. But in their day, those cars were awesome. While Aussies were creaming themselves about 179 HPs and 170 Pursuits in the mid-sixties, Yanks were running 426Hemis in mid-sized B-bodied Mopars .. 4x drum brakes and all mind you!!

Yanks lost their way a long time ago, and nowdays I'd buy a new Aussie car over a Yank one anyday ..

[Steffo]

Until.. oh... the end of 2001/early 2002.. I thought everything made in Australia was a piece of sh**. I thought anything that wasn't a European car was a piece of sh** to be honest. Nowadays I think a bit differently.. Ford = #1 Aussie car, and its better then ALOT of foreign cars. Dunno how I changed really, I guess with getting better informed.. heh.

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

I was never converted from Holden, however when I was a lot younger (and I'm talking 5-6 years old, so I knew nothing about cars back then) I had my heart set on learning to drive in, and then driving around in, my fathers V8 Leyland P76.

It was a few years later that I decided that seeing as I'm not exactly tall, that perhaps a traditional big australian car wasn't the best option for me. But I wanted something that wasn't so slow all my mates would be constantly laughing at me for driving it, and then I discovered what car constantly does well at at the Targa Tasmania and Classic adelaide rallys - the Ford Escort.

After watching an Escort carving up the corners on TV, and hearing the glorious sound of that little english engine on full song, and knowing it was a Ford, I was sold. There was no other choice. Then I did some research, and found that even stock, they were quick enough to keep many bigger cars honest, and reasonably frugal with fuel.

I was never really a fan of Holdens, mainly because all my friends were Ford nuts, in high school the father of one of the guys in my class had a 351 powered Capri (the older capri, not the late 80s/early 90s version) which ran the 1/4 in under 10.5 seconds - I think the best time they ever got out of it was a little under 10.

Also, all the guys who I knew back then who were Holden fans were, well, how can I say this politely? Lets just say I didn' have a very high opinion of them, even before I knew they drove Holdens.

However, I can appreciate a good car, no matter what badges it should have on it, and quite like some of the late 60s and 70s Holdens, as well as other cars from that era, Chargers, P76s (ok, I blame my father for that one, LOL) and of course XYs, XAs, XBs, Escorts, etc.

So, I guess, long story short, watching some Escorts on TV PASSING more exotic machinery, such as Porsches, converted me from ever wanting to have a P76 like I wanted when I was a kid... :hihi:

[johnydep]

The Territory.

I had been looking for a family car for about three years, looked at wagons from all four locals, looked at 4WD's and looked at people movers like the Chrysler Voyager. But none of them had everything that I wanted.

When the Adventra was released I was very close to purchasing it, only the V8 held me back (love eights, hate the extra costs).

Then wile at the newsagent I saw a mag with a picture of the newly released Territory, and while shopping at DJ's we saw one on display and my wife loved it.

Two months later I was signing the papers at the local Ford dealership, and I haven't had a regret since.

I also love straight six's.

[Rodp]

My wallet and my love of money dictates what car I drive. Grew up in Fords but I work too damn hard to pay more money on what I consider less value for it when I go car shopping. Last car was a GEN3 SS and current car is an BA XR8. Next car, we'll see when the time comes.

[Raptor]

There's nothing wrong with real Holdens (the old ones). But I lost interest about the time the Commodore was introduced and Ford's of the late X-series didn't excite me either so I went 4WDing for a number of years. Then I eventuallly lucked into an ED company car and have been a convert ever since. With an engineering background and a preference for good dynamics a direct comparison of what was on offer from the early 90's on sealed the switch;

• SLALS vs Mac Struts
• Watts link vs Panhard
• Inline 6 vs V6 (yuck!)
• World's most handsome large car (EA-ED) vs VN/P Commodore jelly mould styling

..... and then Territory

[tufLTD]

For 25 years, I was a Holden fan & drove only Holdens, although I never dismissed other brands. A good car is a good car, no matter what the badge says.
3 years ago, my father passed away & I inherited his car, a big old '79 LTD. I've fallen in love with the car & it's become my first really serious project car.
Anyway, that's my story of converting to Ford plus the fact that Lowdnesy went to Ford made it that much easier to convert!

[gozza]

i wasn't even a car buff untill my mates got there license
really wanted a VL...still take second looks at nice ones...my fav holden...hate all the rest... but when my mate got his eb fairmont.....i was hooked on the fatness...lovely interior...big 6 cyl...all the luxuries

[GreenMachine]

Life changing event? Hardly! I was always a Holden fan, still am. I can't help but laugh at some of the one-eyed morons on the forums and elsewhere. Australia has produced some great cars, both Ford and Holden, and a lot of the time there's not even that much difference between them.

Deep down, I think I'm a Chrysler man... But I can't afford the E-49 yet...

[Pilch]

I'd have to admit I was a bit of a Holden fan in my early years through high school... HRT were winning everything in the V8's, and a mate got free tickets to Sandown and Phillip island and they are MAD GM fans so I was brainwashed in those early years. At that point in time I was wanting a Torana, probably an SLR5000 would have been the preference but not real sure what I wanted anymore. I should also add all my mates were Holden fans, and the parents owned a Mitsubishi for work purposes.

It was then around the age of 14-15 Dad bought a brand spankers XH Panelvan, and learnt that he's previosly owned a mini and XC ute in his younger days... the panny was an absolute rocket which i got to drive around a bit even at 15 y.o. and ran flawlessly on dual fuel. I should add the Mitsi Triton was a bit of a heap or junk in comparison so the Ford looked great!

All my mates (and myself at the time) always thought Ford's were rubbish, they break down all the time.... ALL THE TIME! But this new experience contradicted everything they said! Soon a rally pack spec XC sedan in light green/black popped up in the local town. It sat on out on the front nature strip, teasing me with it's mean glare completely unused. From then on I knew I wanted an XC sedan, red and black with splashes of chrome!

I bought that same XC when I was almost 16 for the sum of $400 not running with a 4.1 manual and LPG. It had begun to rust as the car had sat unused for 18 months with grass growing around it 12" long. If that car had not turned up and taken my eye who knows which side of the fence I'd be on now.....

[Bearman]

In my really early years I loved XU1 Toranas. Have vague memories of a good looking long haired young dude named Brock driving them being the hero with chicks all over him and me thinking "that's what I want to be". Moffat at that stage was the villan we all hated. For a kid of around 10yo it was like a really cheesy "good guy V bad guy" pantomine. Around that time my Dad's best mate had a garage in town and he had an apprentice there who was nearing the end of his 4th year named Fred (not real name). Anyway, Fred was a good looking young dude with long hair who seemed to be incredibly popular with all and sundry. I also imagined chicks really went for him too. I liked the way everyone used to say "geez, that Fred is a great bloke" He then bought himself a green XU1 (fave car, fave colour). That was it for me, I wanted to be just like Fred. He was my role model. I used to see him at a lot of parties I attended with my family.

Not long after that I learned he was an arrogant ***** with his head stuck up his **** and that most people only put up with him!!

I was never full on Holden but from that moment I embraced everything Ford and never looked back. I still have a soft spot for XU1's though!!

[MustangNicko]

I used to be, when i was really young, Holden (or chev which is better put).. My old man built up a 550hp 350 Chev EH sedan that ran mid tens... mmm mmm... then he got rid of it... a little later down the track he bought a 5spd ED sprint (Modded to 300kw) havent looked back since Although i still have a soft spot for EH's. Lowered with phat rims ohhh yeahh

[Ryan]

I like Fords but im still a really really big Holden fan.

Ive just got over the juvenile "Holdens are better then Fords" crap that I just to do when I was in year 9.

Now I realise that I would rather a Falcon then most Commodores(If given the oportunity to own a BA XR8 I would take it without having to think).

The thing I hate is 17 year old P Platers in Falcons that think they are better then Commdore drivers just because of the badge and vice versa for 17 year old P Platers in Commodores.

The reason why I like both brands is because our family is made up of Fords and Holdens so I generally have a liking for both mainly more for Holden cause I have more experience with them and because they have the VL(My favorite Commie of all time).

[martO]

I'm like you VY18s, but the opposite, i like holdens, but im a really really big Ford fan. I like fords and always will, but i respect the General and do appreciate their vehicles they produce. Afterall, the better they get, the better the fords get.

The thing with young P platers must differ through peoples eyes, or car tastes. Because I have always seen young holden drivers thinking that because of their badge they are far more superior. My car (EB XR6) has a large invisible sticker on the back window that only holden drivers can see, that says "holdens please race me". I just have to drive gracefully past a commodore and they fly past and/or try to race me. I get it from any model of commodores (mainly VN/VL) with even 30 year old guys, my car must just be initmidating to holden drivers coz its a ford that looks and sounds good.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I've got quite a few mates that I have converted to Ford fans after their phase of simply "fords are crap". They have come with me on various car cruises with the XR club and have changed as they appreciate the cars ford make.

martO

[Ryan]

I think if I ever bought a Falcon I would still love Holdens to death (especially VLs and Toranas).

I still say the "Its just a Ford who cares" everynow and then but I just do it for a laugh.

A mate of mine has a EA Wagon and I think its a heap of sh*t not because of its badge its becasue its a heap of sh*t and the funny thing is it has 3 Ford hubbies and 1 Holden one wtf??? it looks like its off a VK or VL. :

[nat_daly]

well i liked holden, until i bought a ford..:P

[FRDGAL]

Price and value for money was the lure for me. Still a Holden girl at heart but prior to buying the EA and then AU, I found that for the same price, you just didn't get as many of the 'comforts' in the Holden range as you did in the Ford range. For example: bought the EA Fairmont Ghia Series II in MINT condition for $7,500. At that time, I could not find a 'luxury' packed Commodore for less than $10,000. Similar situation prior to buying the AU. And will admit, the AU was the only Ford I looked at after 2 weeks of hunting as I'd been looking at going back to Holden after the EA.

Originally Posted by martO

My car (EB XR6) has a large invisible sticker on the back window that only holden drivers can see, that says "holdens please race me"

I have that sticker too :

[t2te50]

I was a die hard holden fan in my teenage years mostly because the family always had HQ's, VB-VL, VN-VS commodores until I turned 20. I decided to dump the blinkers and take notice of other cars.
I'm intruiged by yester years motor sport and how the cars on the road where literally what they raced. There was non greater than the GTHO and so it began.
Ford's greater engine capacity tougher engine designs (cleveland) and superior road handling won through. Any early holden is a pile in handling terms to their ford equivalant and so it has continued until this day, apart from the 80's that is.
Haven't looked back since.

[EL_futuraistic]

I was always a holden kid. Drove a Torana and a sigma on my p's. Then i bought my EL, and i will never look back. I still have a thing for XU1 Torana's and most of the Brock model commodores.

[seano14]

i've always liked fords, my dad restored an XP wagon from scratch so i remember alot of that when i was a young kid.

though strangely i was a fan of mark skaife in the early 90's when i was around 8....

[Auxr8hbt]

I liked holdens casue thats all dad ever owne. Mostly pre commodore stuff and mum had the riceies..the 120ys and bluebirds etc. When me and my brother were getting a bit older and the bluebird wasnt big enough they got a xf falcon spak. Bloody good car, it was red with 12 slotters and was so smoth and quiet.

Anyway time moved on and i got my license and somehow i ended up 1980 escort van.74 mk1 sedan with 2l,mazda626,triton 2wd,88 hiulx 2wd,90 pulsar,99 navara,hy xl,FALCON XD UTE 250 3 spd,vs comm ute 5l,vs s pak sedan, vx commodore and this car was so it spent more time in the bloody dealers than i drove it. A few cars for a 23yo eh?
I sold the box and paid half the price i sold it 4 and bought a 95 fairmont ghia. The level of comfort,smoothness and opyions is fantastic motoring. I decided to buy an xr8 as it was cheap and i couldnt go back to a ty ridin holden or a rice burner. it will take alot to beat the comfort and features,reliabilty and looks of a coona!!!

[The Mighty Red]

Unfortunately I went the other way , I went acroos to the dark side in 1991 ,
I bought a Phoenix Red VN SS simply because I could not buy a V8 equivalent in a late model Ford at the time,

May those days be long for forgotten and never return.