Best & Worst Falcons

[boss351290]

Originally Posted by arronm

Ask EA 6 cylinders owners about head gaskets.... Disaster...

I was a EA owner. For 7 years. Never had the head gasket issues. It only had a small leak of oil from the rear main. Everything else was really good. Even the tranny held up to the torque of the Garrett t04.

[BENT_8]

To answer the OP i guess it depends on how you determine what makes a vehicle stand out from the rest.
Whilst many people shun the XF, if you were to ask a taxi owner from that era they will tell you without hesitation that it was the most robust and reliable model until AU, but if having a V8 option determines a cars value its a non contender.
The AU is considered by many as an ugly duckling but if you had to put your life on the reliability of a car i'd put it at the front of the list so for me i've always put XF at the top of the list because it was light years ahead of its time when cars were still unpredictable.
I've never been interested in cylinder counts so no V8 isnt a concern for me.

The worst would have to be EA as it just wasnt worthy of being a successor to XF in any way.

XF, AU, every other model in no particular order and then EA.

[mick taylor]

Biggest rust buckets were the XA XB XC Falcons.

worst engines were the EA, I seen that many heads taken off them, it was a full time job at the dealership I worked at.

The best Falcons well there are many reasons such could be why.

Maybe one could say when they were new with a late XK that you had the big 170 engine in it, that could go down as boasting rights in the day for power.

Maybe the XP 200 Fairmont with 3 sp auto one could boast of when new.

The XR GT best Falcon ever at the time.

The XW with 351w not to mention the GT-HO etc.

Best Fairlane ZH

Best LTD P5

Best F100 1980 type with 5.8L

Best Cortina the 1974 2.0L performed well for such rubbish.

Best Escort RS2000

[boss351290]

Thes best or worst falcon. Take your pick.

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

The worst would have to be EA as it just wasnt worthy of being a successor to XF in any way.

XF, AU, every other model in no particular order and then EA.

The EA was a big upgrade over the XF in pretty much every way except the reliability. The body was stronger, had better rust proofing (E-series probably had some of the best rust-proofing of any Falcon), the door hinges didn't wear out anywhere near as badly, you could use the door handle without it snapping off. The 3.9 Multipoint (head gaskets aside) was actually a pretty decent engine and absolutely hammered when combined with the 5 speed manual. The car actually felt a lot more refined than the old XF, the styling instantly dated it, the interior was miles ahead (this is subjective though, people would have a different opinion on this). The list goes on.

It's a shame the EA was rushed to market before it was quite ready, because it had the potential to be a great car. By EAII, most of the issues were ironed out, but unfortunately still being known as an EA hurt it too. I do agree with others when they say the front end wasn't brilliant. Mine needed regular wheel alignments. Headgasket-wise, mine was obviously one of the good ones. I did 300,000kms with that old 3.9 litre so can't really complain about that

[Junkyard-Dog]

EBs (particularly EBIIs) were the best and anybody that says otherwise is not invited to my birthday party.

[au350hp]

I am amazed at the negative comments about the AU range. I agree the series 1 Forte front grill let it down, but S2 & 3 took care of the mechanical & visual problems. I think the AU design has a lot of the classic lines carried through the range over the years, much more so than the XF & EA thru to ED in my opinion. Ford were keen to make the AU aerodynamically efficient which I reckon has helped to keep the design relevant today. I would be interested to know how many of those who don't rate the AU have actually owned one.

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

I am amazed at the negative comments about the AU range. I agree the series 1 Forte front grill let it down, but S2 & 3 took care of the mechanical & visual problems. I think the AU design has a lot of the classic lines carried through the range over the years, much more so than the XF & EA thru to ED in my opinion. Ford were keen to make the AU aerodynamically efficient which I reckon has helped to keep the design relevant today. I would be interested to know how many of those who don't rate the AU have actually owned one.

Why would you own a car you don't rate ?
As for best Falcon , FG turbos are my pick.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Dezza

The EA was a big upgrade over the XF in pretty much every way except the reliability. The body was stronger, had better rust proofing (E-series probably had some of the best rust-proofing of any Falcon), the door hinges didn't wear out anywhere near as badly, you could use the door handle without it snapping off. The 3.9 Multipoint (head gaskets aside) was actually a pretty decent engine and absolutely hammered when combined with the 5 speed manual. The car actually felt a lot more refined than the old XF, the styling instantly dated it, the interior was miles ahead (this is subjective though, people would have a different opinion on this). The list goes on.

It's a shame the EA was rushed to market before it was quite ready, because it had the potential to be a great car. By EAII, most of the issues were ironed out, but unfortunately still being known as an EA hurt it too. I do agree with others when they say the front end wasn't brilliant. Mine needed regular wheel alignments. Headgasket-wise, mine was obviously one of the good ones. I did 300,000kms with that old 3.9 litre so can't really complain about that

Yes, much of that is true but what good is a strong, rust free body with correctly aligned and easily opening doors if your car is in the workshop with the top end of its engine in pieces.
I guess the interior was a nice place to sit whilst waiting for a tow.
Having said that, i'd rather be driving around in an XF Ghia than sitting on the side of the road in an EA Ghia personally.
Theres a reason the headgasket was rectified with the arrival of AU, whether some avoided it or not, it was a genuine design fault which caused many people serious time and money.

Personally i'd put up with the occasional broken door handle and worn out hinge pin @ $20 per door to enjoy the reliability of the bulletproof Crossflow and fully adjustable front end.

[PooDog]

Originally Posted by Fiji

I loved the old EB to EL with a 5.0 in it. Not overly fast but silky torque.

All blown falcons are awesome, turbo 6 and Super 8.

Best lookers...

1. BA-BF (especially xr and fpv)
2. FG-FGX (especially G6ET)
3. EL XR

Worst lookers

1. AU entire range
2. Ea entire range


But ive owned an AU and they were a decent car to own, just
Avoid looking at them in the day.

What's ugly about a T3 TS50AU or TE50 or AU2 or 3 Fairmont Ghia?

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

I am amazed at the negative comments about the AU range. I agree the series 1 Forte front grill let it down, but S2 & 3 took care of the mechanical & visual problems. I think the AU design has a lot of the classic lines carried through the range over the years, much more so than the XF & EA thru to ED in my opinion. Ford were keen to make the AU aerodynamically efficient which I reckon has helped to keep the design relevant today. I would be interested to know how many of those who don't rate the AU have actually owned one.

I think the biggest problem with AU was that it was ahead of its time and polarising when compared to its predecessors and competition.
Mind you, i still shake my head at the big hole in the front of non XR EL's and wonder WTF were they thinking whoever thought that design was an improvement over EF.

I've owned 2, a S1 XR6 and a S2 SR and both were great cars.
Personally i wouldn't touch an AU1 Forte full stop or a S2 or 3 without a boot spolier as it completes the rear end and gives them presence but from a reliability aspect, they were a brilliant car.

[roddy1960]

I like them all ..Every single one of them . All 3.5 million of them over 56 glorious years .

[Mr Brooksy]

I have to say that Falcon has had its ups and downs over the many decades, producing great looking, handling and reliable machines as well as producing some ugly ducklings, sloppy handlers and less than reliable Falcon's across some models that have given it a bad name.

But in my personal opinion the hits are:
BF - BFII especially the FPV models. They ironed out the niggling issues of the BA's but looks and the I6T are synonymous with the Bseries cars. BF and BFIIs just were 'right'.
XW-XY. 4 doors, to die for halo models and legendary status just make this car awesome. No matter the generations of Falcon and non Falcon lovers the Phase 3 (in particular) is loved by anyone who appreciates muscle cars.

The 'misses' are:
AU series 1 in particular, the Aussie family car market was all geared up for a new Falcon after the success of the EF and EL and then Ford Aus gave us 'that' car. For all it's uniqueness and reliability the AU series 1 just turned the majority of car people off. Of cause there are those who loved it for its brash styling and it's unique design, but so many fell out of love with Falcon at this time. The AU 2 and 3s really stepped up, but it's obvious connection with the 1 was all to obvious. The T3s are the shining light out of that style language, but too little too late.
XF. For some reason the halfway styling between XE and EA has always annoyed me personally. And with the shed loads that used to get around that had panel gaps that Coke bottle necks could easily slide into, they looked old and saggy all the time.
FGX. The only styling I like about the final Falcon is it's rear end. The drive train is obviously the best Ford produced, but it's like the AU, the drive line can be very good but if it's wrapped up in a package most people dislike then it isn't going to get the recognition it deserves. I've always felt that the FGX was some kind of Frankensteins Monster, (poorly done) Mustang nose, Falcon body and Mondeo rear (actually better than Mondeo). Such a shame. If only they did what Jim did with the FG GT. FG front, and FGX rear, I'd have one in my driveway (maybe 2 with FPV kits attached).

[GTP534]

Best for me, because this is what I owned:

EB2 SXR8 - Lovely car, nice seats, ABS, 4-speed auto.
AUII XR8 220 - Had a lot of Tickford options. Independent rear end fantastic.
BA GTP - My favourite, tough looking. This one was manual. Oh, that bulge!
FG R-Spec - So fast, Black/Red great looking. Engineering detail in door seals a highlight for me.

Worst, because I actually owned one:

EA S with 3.9 MPI. Worst car I owned, turned me off Falcon 6’s. Got rid of it for the EB2.

[au350hp]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

Why would you own a car you don't rate ?
As for best Falcon , FG turbos are my pick.

Probably the most common would be a job where a car is provided which isn't owning but next best thing for some. A Falcon ute for trades & sedans & wagons for sales reps. FG Turbo's are awesome, especially love the orange colour, Octane, I think it might be although I'd get the extra two cylinders, just love the sound of Ford V8's.

[jmack]

Originally Posted by boss351290

Thes best or worst falcon. Take your pick.

best left and middle ,can keep the rest,always nice to have choice but

[LTDHO]

Best an worst IMHO in no order

Best
XB - Where my love for Ford originated.
XE - Refined X-series and last with V8
EB - Reintroduction of V8 with new suspension, etc.

Worse
XF - Ford made mistake of deleting V8
EA - New car, new body, new features, No V8
AU - Just look at it....

I sorta see a theme ;)

[ebv8]

looks like the AU has taken out the best and worst falcon of all time

[Maka]

Originally Posted by ebv8

looks like the AU has taken out the best and worst falcon of all time

Yep it seems like it hey, the majority of owners who looked past its looks, religiously maintained & took pride in their mighty AU Falcon were rewarded 10 fold in many ways.

Look on the roads today compared to its class competitors, not as many rivals on the road now are there.. Also Tickford AU Falcons are going up in value everyday with some appreciating at a rapid rate while its rivals somewhat flounder in mediocre obscurity...Im biased..a lot lol!!

cheers, Maka

[FTE217]

Worst
XF, ordinary to say the least and no V8.
EA, woeful, the once good 6cyc went to rubbish.
BSeries XR's (excl 6T due to powa) these models were so vanilla it wasn't funny imo.

Better
XA/XB,XE, some iconic models through this range.
AU (excl S1) quality and reliability came back despite the look to some.

Best
EB GT - lacked punch but beautiful to the eye.
AUTSeries especially the IRS - one of the best packages and T3 capped it off.
FG, far more rounded than brick BSeries, F6 310/RSpec/Miami goodness introduced,GTF the picks.
FGX, like the AU subjective to some but its a great looking finish and performance from G6 to Sprint 6/8

[98TLS]

Originally Posted by muzman

What's ugly about a T3 TS50AU or TE50 or AU2 or 3 Fairmont Ghia?

Agreed,The AU in base form seems to cop plenty of flack in the looks dept but the reality to me anyway is that it was no worse than say a B series XT etc like most things a change in ride height and a nice set of rims fixes the fugly problem.

[au350hp]

98TLS hits it on the head. Any of the Falcons mentioned immediately take on a different stance when you lower them & fill the guards.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

98TLS hits it on the head. Any of the Falcons mentioned immediately take on a different stance when you lower them & fill the guards.

Doesn't fix the droopy corners of the car, the rounded rear glass that they ended up squaring off on AUII and that ridiculous pod centre stack on the inside.

The thing is, if they all looked like the Fairmont/Ghia did, and had the higher upper series dash it would have been so much better recieved.

AU owners love them, but they are an extreme minority and outside those people they are the most hated Falcon of all time. It is a fact.

And this is coming from someone who would happily own a T3, a Ghia 5.0 with optional bodykit and 17 inch Tickford wheels, or a series II or III XR8.

[cro142]

Wow, that photo of the Lowndes AU race-car above really shows how ugly the AU was. The aero on the front does not help, but even so.

Compare that AU to the taut-looking XT behind it.

Obviously, I am an AU "disliker", and I haven't changed my spots - I wrote a letter to Geoff Polites in late 1999, soon after he took the position, and pointed out my dislike of the car, and why.

Similarly to BOSSXR8 above, I spoke about the droopy corners, the horrible rear glass and that "dog-having-a-crap" centrepiece to the dash, among other things.

Surprisingly, Geoff replied personally (not a form letter), advising me that the old design team were "gone" and that a new team was working on changes.
Then came the BA in late 2002 with the brilliant XR6T, and then record sales in 2003. I loved them and owned several B series cars. Thanks Geoff.

[Vesper Martini]

If you think the XF was worst. The panel van version brings a whole new level of rubbish

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

AU owners love them, but they are an extreme minority and outside those people they are the most hated Falcon of all time. It is a fact.

I dont think its a fact at all, nor do i believe 'hated' is a reasonable description of peoples thoughts.
I believe that those who have owned them have come to realise how good they are despite their appearance and those who havent are ignorant.
I learnt in primary school not to judge a book by its cover.
Theres no doubt the AU was polarising but not because it was bad, but because it was so far removed from its predecessor and anything else of its time.
Australia wasnt ready for AU, that is all.

It reminds me of a friend i have who worked on the line at Holdens and wouldnt be seen dead owning a Ford until one day when his Commodore was stolen and he needed a cheap car to get him by until his insurance paid out and he found a suitable replacement.
He asked me to help him look for a car and after looking at a few ****box Commodores i drew his attention to a very tidy ZL for $1k.
It took some convincing but eventually he test drove it and fell in love with it and has owned nothing but Fords since.
Since then he's owned an EB Ghia, EF, AU 40th anniversary and TS Territory and openly admits he was blinded by ignorance and the icing on the cake, he believes the AU was the best car he's ever had.

[ebv8]

AU will br the next HQ

i can see it now, a bunch of AU1 forte's running around bathurst with rusty boot lids racing each other

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

If you think the XF was worst. The panel van version brings a whole new level of rubbish

You got a problem with the XF panel van. ?
This one is used everyday especially now the EST is gone.

[cro142]

Very nice original panel van.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

You got a problem with the XF panel van. ?
This one is used everyday especially now the EST is gone.

image

Very nice well looked after example, looks like it would corner well
is that a KW Badge is sporting?