Yep, used to drive BA cabs. A million kms with no engine dramas was pretty usual although a couple of diff changes along the way was normal too. Electrics were always completely reliable.

GggggrrrrrrRRRRRRRR!!! Ptchooo!

@V_ AP that wasn't his point. He was saying Holden tried to mock it, but the package was very successful and actually is gaining in popularity still.

If it makes you feel better, it's pouring down in Sydney too!

Actually I felt quite good, but the thought of rain falling down on Australia makes me even feel better. I hope it will help the bushfires stop.

The brake issue is commonly miss diagnosed as the discs being too small for the car. Its actually the master cylinder is setup incorrect, and can be adjusted in about 10mins solving the issue. This car has more power than stock and never warps rotors.

Prior to this XR6T I had a mercury silver FPV Typhoon I purchased brand new. Was a nice car (and had an armrest in back)

@@Flying_GC love the Typhoons. Yeah my BA being a MK11 has the rear centre armrest an cup holders...

Glad you enjoyed it😃

@@Flying_GC Not half as much as our boy Ian did. Yous have a very beautiful country over there. Matched by your spectacular hospitality. Be proud.

Oh I drove a Commodore V8 not long after this. Might even be the next video...

@@HubNut Cannot wait!

Commodore VY still owed an awful lot to the Opel Omega... The final iterarions may have been independent but I don't believe these ones entirely were.

@Stephen Graham it was still VERY similar to the omega though to the point you could look at both and know they come from the same platform. They both had the same horrendous trailing link IRS resulting in major pigeon toe on the rear camber and under hard cornering the wheel base actually changed.. awful

Didn't know Harold Webb by chance, did you?

@Aussie Pom Don't know if I believe that stuff, but the fact is that Ford Aus was directed and contolled by Ford US. Naturally. The same with any manufacturer in Aus - GM, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan etc. . But we're talking design here, it's as I said.

Why? The Barra engine is Aussie made?

@Aussie Pom what is your point? I'm not sure if one of us has read each others comment wrong

@@kewinstewart831 hes saying he should pretend the ford is kiwi and to be more Aussie with the Holden which is unusual since neither are kiwi

This never happens. Ahem...

I think this is exactly how it happened 😅

Hmmm, *cough*Corvair*cough* 😂

LOL Neil good one.

@@zugbug1986 Yep! Came up with that line when a friend got an AU station wagon!

Grab a manual one then. The 6 speed manual BF turbo is excellent ;)

Just watch the coolant milkshake because rebuilding the incredibly complex German ZF automatic is not a viable proposition. Absolutely always use the ZF fluid which costs a bomb compared to your usual ATF. Good thing is it's not required as often as lesser tier automatics. As long as you're vigilant with them, the ZF is a fantastic durable transmission.

Fog light cutouts look way better on the BF too, much more agressive look.

@Steven Jones I would suggest how much power its making defines this ;)

@Steven Jones they go plenty good stock mate. Is yours a turbo?

Thanks for the kind words. Its a work in progress, I'm annoyed it chose then to have a wheel speed sensor playup though! Gareth.

oldpilot nz , I was really impressed how clean and tidy the car was , a lot of times that Ian has a car to test the owner can’t be bothered to make it look presentable . This is a very , very nice car .

@@kennethhume8628 thankyou. To be honest I wanted to give it a proper clean first but time wasn't on our side! I'm glad it came across ok. I take a lot of pride in it, I basically rebuilt it myself.

I think I'd agree with you on that.

I maintain the AU is a better car especially in XR form. I'd love a mint AU3 XR8 Rebel

They are excellent

@@Flying_GC why are some of them called lpg and others are called lpi?

@@gepwxaqdfsidsesg1548 LPi was an improvement in the way the gas was delivered, directly injecting into the cylinder in a liquid state vs a gas state which actually meant the Eco LPi made MORE power and torque over the petrol version, where as before in gas form it made a significant amount less power.

Yes but in the sedan you have the the option of a full sized spare tyre that sits in the centre of the boot on top of the floor, a space saver spare tyre, or a filler system that temporarily patches punctures until the driver can make it to a repair centre. With the full sized spare optioned, boot room is essentially inaccessible due to the tyre’s placement. But in a ute the LPG tank + full size spare is under the rear tray

Linsey Young You and me also. Drop a Barra in and you got the best for sure.

Actually not the case. Full size alloy is just a Ford thing they have always done. My mate bought a VX2 HSV Clubsport similar time to when I purchased my First new BA F6 Typhoon, I had a full alloy, he had a space saver and most Commodores do.

@@Flying_GC You don't mean... they lied 😳? To me ?😭😭😭😭 Their Ford Falcons were company cars, so maybe their boss lied to them 😁😁. Who cares. I LOVED Australia (well at least the little I saw in my 6 months based in Melbourne ie NSW & Victoria), and the Aussies, and if I ever get the chance to go back I'll be off like a shot!

@@robinforrest7680 try NZ instead, we are much nicer ;)

@@Flying_GC I won't make a choice between you. I loved Aus and I loved NZ. I'd be happy to settle in either country.

The Falcon was very nearly replaced in the mid 90’s by the Ford Taurus, imported straight from USA. Ford Australia introduced the Taurus as a test; the roundy roundy organically shaped one. It was actually the Mercury Sable version, but Oz doesn’t have Mercury so for us it was the Ford Taurus Ghia with all the trimmings. It was universally panned by the punters and the Falcon AU got the nod for development and eventual production in 1998. Ha ha, little did the Taurus haters know!! We got the Duratec V6 in various Mazda models, but it was always cheaper to spend a bit more on Grandpa’s axe, so it stuck around. Ford did spend quite a lot on the engine during the AU-FG-X era, with great results. My 1994 ED Falcon’s redline was only 4500rpm! It’d still go straight up to the 180km/h speed limiter, though...

The squeaky bits in the interior have been taken in and out a few time's which unfortunately has not done them much favors. Overall the car is 18 years old and held up very well.

@@cameronbrown7925 I've driven the 'organic' Ford Taurus here in NZ. Both the sedan and wagon versions. For a mid 90's American car, it actually doesn't handle and drive too badly. The auto gearbox was prone to packing up on them though.

@@schlookie Yes, I think some Mazdas had that gearbox, or a version of it, and they are well known for problems. I should have clarified that it was the Taurus' styling that was laughed at, and only a relative few were sold. Then came the AU and Ford laughed, but then they panicked when people called them upside-down boats etc and sales slowed! People are so fickle... I'm a fan of the Taurus, but so few were sold that the cost of ownership is out of my reach (parts etc). I think that it'd be a real shame if they all go for scrap. They won't be saved in USA because they are 4-door sedans and are thus worthless. Oh well!!

V6 are crap most require major service at under 200kms and labour costs are double if you have to do something the both sides. I have seen 1 million kms on a Ford BA gas Taxi in perth russian accented driver said all original engine gear box and diff he said I just get it serviced by the book! Interior was also really clean. Cleanest cab i have ever been in HA Ha

Yeah, what I meant to say is that while there was Australian input, Ford USA still gave final approval, and would have insisted on the style following global Ford trends, which is why us Europeans can see the same design language as Fords we got.

Ade Reeves except it shares nothing in common with a Mondeo

Thats not a mondeo

Just XRs for some reason dont. I dunno why. Used to be in the AU if you specced leather you got one. Maybe was a shortage at this time ha

@@Flying_GC My BA station wagon has that feature in the seat and I only found it bt chance. My car doesn't have the leather seats(which suits me fine).

Seems to be leather interior Ba XRT does not have arm rest in the centre of the seat. But Fairmont Ghia BA does. both have different seats I just searched car sales

@@rods6405 My Station Wagon is the BA Falcon Futura, and the seats are velour(front seats covered to disguise the fact that the driver's seat is a replacement from another car. The original seat's plasic had a beige colour, the replacement seat had black plastic(where the adjustment button or handle or whatever was). I've had the car since July, 2016. I discovered the fold-down arm rest with the cup holders by chance. The arm rest between the front seats I used to hold the CDs I kept in the car(all CDs my own make, as I wanted AUTHENTIC versions of my favourite songs, not soundalikes).

Interior very much is mondeo.. thanks for the comment 😃

You are correct regards practical turbo power. It was deliberately modest on the forced induction so as not to compromise everyday drivability and this is why it's so renowned. Refined cruiser or fierce overtaking device when it's called on.

Can confirm gets hot but more due to exterior being black.

oldpilot nz I live in Southern California, and my 66 beetle has black seats, and it can get really hot here in California, so I definitely know what it’s like sitting on black seats in the summer.

@@redsorgum unpleasant.

Probably should clarify, on higher boost it's in the 'brutal range' I wish could show you a video of the speedo the other night running 10psi..

You are correct it was that👍 just needed a clean

How did you end up here?

Bov necessary evil unfortunately.. pretty quiet under normal driving though

@@Flying_GC I just wish my 4-cylinder diesel Volvo sounded that nice 😂😂😂😂

@@Teribus13 hehe well 4 cylinders don't sound thaaat great anyway plus diesel, yeah I can see your pain! But, your fuel economy would make me very envious 1😄

I may have to "scale" back my humour or I'll have people "floundering", And yes, I said that for the "halibut(hell of it)!.

That's the fin

Ok. Thank you.

Opportunity missed

Blame your unions & your Head office, that’s the real reason!

"it wasn't designed with LHD in mind" bigg mistake the fereal govt should have push that !

They did change the rear suspension a fair bit with the BA, but it's very much the same structure.

@@HubNut I like this channel for that same reason... I get lots of hidden facts about a subject I really like! :)

Better that than the hard plastic ford uses in most of their cars. That shit not only like at feels like shit, but it is lower quality than 1970's Russian injection moulded bakerlight

That material fortunately holds up very well under the Harsh Australian sun

@@iatsd you're actually very wrong. VW plastic goes very sticky and disintegrates.This dosen't.

@@Flying_GC Did I mention VW plastics? I mentioned the *feel* of the Ford plastics. That's an *opinion* on an aesthetic aspect. You may love hard, brittle plastics that look & feel cheap, in which case, great, Ford is the company for you. As you might be able to infer (or not, given you rambled off and started randomly talking about VW plastics) I don't share that opinion on Ford plastics.

@@iatsd I don't know what you are talking about, hard and brittle plastic? Sorry but you are making things up here. If you dont like the car, no problem dosent worry me. But stating nonsense facts is just that nonsense. The car is not full of 'Hard plastic' nor 'brittle'. Yes I like it because it actually looks decent, and unlike a BMW or VW from the same era it hasnt fallen apart. That's facts not subjective. Your Russian injection bakerlight comment is just pure anti Ford crap.

Xr8 owners often left a bit sad when they come up against these 😂

I think the BA had 3 levels of display ICC a basic black and white one single CD then a colour mid level 6 stacker cd the one in this car then a dual climate 6 cd one

@@rods6405 My Ford BA Falcon Futura wagon had the single CD player and bog-standard LCD display. I had the original CD player "cark it" and had to be replaced(what fun and games that was!). I'm currently waiting for a dealership I know who are chasing a BF wagon as a replacement for my BA.

@@neilforbes416 what ever you do dont turn the ICC upside down, the cd player will cark it I have been told! It must be repairable if you do somehow, i use to repair car cd and home cd player for sony. I had to pull my ICC out to get to the BCM - Body Control Module PCB as it had dry soldier joints in it doors would not lock(unless you had the heater on full stick). he is a video showing how to pull it out ICC kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a7-Tqsimt62-YHU.html Heaps of BF wagons at dealers on car sales com.

@@rods6405 I have been told this by the fellow I got the replacement stereo from, so I took the precaution of placing it upright on the back seat of my car in order to convey it to my preferred auto electrics workshop. Once installed, I had to take it to a Ford dealership in order to get the "code" sorted out. The original player had stopped working altogether. A replacement, sourced by the auto electrician, had a defect where the laser would stick at points o the disc. a second replacement player had the same fault, so I held off for a while until I could source a player myself from a Ford spare parts dealer. Thus acquired I took this to my auto electrician who fitted it, thence to the Ford dealership to get the code sorted, now she works "sweet as a nut". The lesson I, and the auto electrician learned is, be wary of from whom you source parts. The Auto electrician's work was good, but the players were sourced from a shonky dealer who didn't bench-test them to see if they worked properly or not. The authorised Ford spare parts dealer will do this as a matter of course.

This car gets treated very well with the best of everything. Has 1500 bucks worth of Bridgstone RE003 Potenzas on it so it does not do burnouts left and right

@@Flying_GC phew...and it looks it too.

@Tone. shout out to Plumpton lol

We have a 28 seater Optare local bus round here in S W Scotland that makes a very similar kind of sound all the time, but not turbo blow off valves, it's the air brakes, I think. None of the other small Optares on the local fleet do it; perhaps they have a different brake system.

@@frglee Perhaps the silencer's fallen off the end of the vent pipe!

Kinda how turbo cars work lol. This has a very big turbo so lots of air being moved around a big motor.

@@Flying_GC Pity there isn't an 'off' position for the inlet valves - to keep them closed, retain turbo pressure and then effectively have on demand air injection as well as fuel !

@@millomweb to be perfectly honest dosent worry me..its part of its personality. And just normal driving its not that noticeable