# Ford packs it in



## Bribie G (23/5/13)

End of the car industry in Australia, Holden next then curtains.


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## Yob (23/5/13)

LINKY


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## treefiddy (23/5/13)

After receiving a bunch of govt. handouts?

Good riddance. I hope their sales post closure suffer.


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## JDW81 (23/5/13)

I'm surprised they've lasted this long.

Feel sorry for all the folks losing jobs though.


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## Bribie G (23/5/13)

They probably will suffer because their models are unimpressive. Same thing happened to Mistsubishi and Nissan. They were kept alive by handouts but were on the way out anyway due to their dreadful range of models. Anyone for a 380 or a Nissan Tiida ?

Fast forward and look at a company like Hyundai with their impressive i-range, a model for every niche. Ford has little comparable to offer and all imported anyway. Fiesta and Focus. End of story.

Edit: the current Mondeo actually has virtually the same wheelbase as the falcon, actually a tad more and with its front wheel drive config, is as roomy as a Falcon inside. Next door's got one, I keep thinking it's a falcon anyway whenever I see him driving in.


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## QldKev (23/5/13)

Not good for Australian jobs, and I love my V8 commodore, but when are the Ford / Holden idiots going to stop building fat overweight cars and go back to sleeker well designed family cars. The "HSV sports car" weights near on 2 tonnes! Get the cars of MacDonalds diets and get them back to 1300kg like the VL was.

I know this is about Ford closing, but Holden isn't that far behind also closing their doors.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (23/5/13)

The Falcon will live on in the styling of the new commodore.

Seems like every good looking Commode is a rip off looks-wise of the Falcon release before it (BA-VE, FG-VF, even the decision to make the commodore a large VFACTS segment car in 1988). h34r:

Seriously, it's bad news, but we all like the Aussie dollar and the cheap imports and cheap holidays. These industries cannot survive in this sort of environment. Having said that, Ford Australia's business nouse since the EL has been rubbish and this is partially the fruit of that.


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## Yob (23/5/13)

methinks we are heading down a rough road again, Im in the building industry and are feeling it pretty hard, loads of redundancies made over the last few months which Ive somehow managed to bullet dodge... not sure for how much longer if things dont pick up though.

Really feel for some of those guys who have had those jobs since leaving school 20+ years ago and will be almost impossible to retrain.

What does this mean for the touring cars? Doesnt it have to be manufactured here to compete?


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## Econwatson (23/5/13)

Wow, that's terrible news for a lot of people in Geelong. With the refinery closing there as well it looks like Geelong has been suffering a lot recently.

What will happen to Australian specific vehicles like the Falcon Ute? Will they still produce them?


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## OzPaleAle (23/5/13)

Wonder what happens to the V8 Supercar teams or will they still be producing the Falcon just overseas?


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## Dave70 (23/5/13)

After the GTHO, everything else Ford made was garbage.


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## treefiddy (23/5/13)

Dave70 said:


> After the GTHO, everything else Ford made was garbage.


If this were a forum about Jack Daniels you'd have a hard time convincing me that you weren't actually Lemmy.

If he knew how to use a computer also, I guess.


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## Bribie G (23/5/13)

We don't even make shoe polish in Australia any more. If China decided to ban its export there would be a lot of scruffy shoes appearing in the CBDs


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## Liam_snorkel (23/5/13)

What's the bet Tony Abbott blames it on the carbon tax.


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## tanukibrewer (23/5/13)

Sad to say its the Aussie trend in the last decade or so!Sold or selling off everything and anything that aint is going broke.Sad for Aussie workers.
Will buy a carton of Coopers on the weekend and do my bit.


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## Dave70 (23/5/13)

Liam_snorkel said:


> What's the bet Tony Abbott blames it on the carbon tax.


I think that's a long bow to draw, even for him. 

Clearly refugees are to blame.


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## Liam_snorkel (23/5/13)

"stop the cars"


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## joshF (23/5/13)

When foreign countries import our livestock and farm produce/vegetables for a lower price than what we pay.... a blind man on a galloping horse can see there's something pretty fucked with the way our country is being run.

seriously..... we have this running the show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpUUt2QpacU

why am i not suprised.


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## dicko (23/5/13)

Saw an ad on tv last night stating that the "new2013 Commodore" has now got a 5 star ANCAP safety.

No wonder these Aus manufacturers are on the skids. Hayundai and many others have had this rating for a few years now.....maybe just a bit too late to play catch up.


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## JDW81 (23/5/13)

joshF said:


> a blind man on a galloping horse can see there's something pretty fucked with the way our country is being run.
> 
> seriously..... we have this running the show:


While I don't agree with a lot of the decisions made by the current government I don't think that Ford closing down can be blamed on them. Ford have been on the way down in Australia for years, and it was only a matter of time. Decision would have probably been the same no matter who was running the country.

And you can't tell me you've never tripped whilst walking. I know I have, does that make me out to be a joke as well?


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## 5teve (23/5/13)

Falcon had 5 star ANCAP rating from 2008 or so, so the generalised catchup argument is a bit moot


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## Liam_snorkel (23/5/13)

Liam_snorkel said:


> What's the bet Tony Abbott blames it on the carbon tax.





Dave70 said:


> I think that's a long bow to draw, even for him.
> 
> Clearly refugees are to blame.


 
haha, Sophie Mirabella was first to the post.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/carbon-tax-a-factor-in-ford-exit-lib-mp/story-fni0xqi4-1226649179295


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## matho (23/5/13)

dicko said:


> Saw an ad on tv last night stating that the "new2013 Commodore" has now got a 5 star ANCAP safety.
> 
> No wonder these Aus manufacturers are on the skids. Hayundai and many others have had this rating for a few years now.....maybe just a bit too late to play catch up.


um

http://www.ancap.com.au/crashtestrecord?Id=474


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## DU99 (23/5/13)

a guy i work with has just return from the US of A and he was saying all you see is imports from asia or europe,no more yank tanks...


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## Clutch (23/5/13)

But if Holden shut down, what will I stick my Chev badge on?

Not fussed. Make decent cars that people want to buy.
Who knows, maybe cars will get cheaper, and the government will save some cash not propping up these dinosaurs.


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## edschache (23/5/13)

Disclaimer: I'm a Toyota/Subaru guy....

Brief backstory: I recently had to take a quick weekend trip to country NSW. For this I flew to Sydney and hired a car. I would've been happy with a corolla but all hire companies have things that are "like a corolla". I decided for the several hours of country roads it was worth having a larger car. Only hiring for 2 days meant the difference in cost was fairly trivial. As such i went for a "Premium Large Sedan". I got a Falcon XR6.

All in all the car wasn't too bad. It went ok, the handling was ok and the economy was actually surprisingly good (our little Impreza is almost more thirsty). The problem was there were little things that had very little thought:
- There was no footrest for the drivers left foot, you could have the seat further forward so you could put it on the floor but then your right foot is awkward.
- The steering wheel controls for the audio let you change volume and mode (AM/FM/CD etc) but not track/channel.
- The bluetooth only does phone calls not audio streaming.
- The buttons for changing the information on the dashboard are on either side of the steering wheel where they are obscured from vision. 
- To change the dash display you had to use the menu system which involved the buttons on both sides of the steering wheel, you can't do it one handed and shouldn't do it while driving.
- Something with the cruise control was strange... don't remember what
- etc... (I'm sure there were more but they allude me atm)

I honestly think that the XR6 is 95% of the way to being a decent car but all the little things let it down after all the hard part has been done. In a lot of cases the fixes for these issues have a fairly low per unit cost, with some of them (e.g. software/moving controls) having no per unit cost.

I think the thought that goes into the details on Subarus and Toyotas are a massive part of their success. You get in a model you've never driven before and things are generally where you expect them to be, work intuitively and have the features you want. At least that's been the case in all the ones I've driven. Yes both companies have made their mistakes but they've learnt from them. 

As with websites (what I do for a crust) I think user experience (UX) is as important as functionality when it comes to getting value from a product/solution.

As per usual - this is just my opinion, feel free to rip it to shreds with evidence to the contrary


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## Econwatson (23/5/13)

edschache said:


> - There was no footrest for the drivers left foot, you could have the seat further forward so you could put it on the floor but then your right foot is awkward.


They should have made it a manual.


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## mrTbeer (23/5/13)

Sad reality check for Aussie Industry.
Seriously though neither Ford or Holden make a full range of cars that people want.
This article had a list of top10 sales. No Falcons or Commodores on that list.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-23/ford-to-close-geelong-and-broadmeadows-plants/4707960

Also quotes 1Aussie cost = 2x cost of Europe = 4x cost of Asia.


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## Camo6 (23/5/13)

5teve said:


> Falcon had 5 star ANCAP rating from 2008 or so, so the generalised catchup argument is a bit moot


And the FG surpassed all European safety ratings which weren't as thorough as our own at the time.




Bribie G said:


> They probably will suffer because their models are unimpressive. Same thing happened to Mistsubishi and Nissan. They were kept alive by handouts but were on the way out anyway due to their dreadful range of models. Anyone for a 380 or a Nissan Tiida ?
> 
> Fast forward and look at a company like Hyundai with their impressive i-range, a model for every niche. Ford has little comparable to offer and all imported anyway. Fiesta and Focus. End of story.
> 
> Edit: the current Mondeo actually has virtually the same wheelbase as the falcon, actually a tad more and with its front wheel drive config, is as roomy as a Falcon inside. Next door's got one, I keep thinking it's a falcon anyway whenever I see him driving in.


Gotta disagree with some of your points Bribie G. Ford Australia's vehicles have advanced dramatically over the last five to ten years. I'll be the first to agree that the AU was an ugly pig of a car but mechanically they're reliable buggers. There's a reason most taxi's are falcons and not dunny doors. But the FG was a marvel for the Australian motor industry. Very safe, very reliable and stylish to boot. Admittedly the Territory took about six years to iron out it's problems but the SZ has been virtually trouble free. And it's closest rival is Korean crap.

Ford Australia is also one of the only companies to successfully engineer and produce LPG liquid injection. Holden had a go but couldn't get it to work so stuck with vapour injection and labelled it 'safer.'

I'd rather own a falcon or territory or even a commodore :unsure: over most imported vehicles. Some of the quality of parts may not be as good as a lot of imports but they're less expensive and more accessible. And most of these imported cars aren't designed for longevity or for Australian conditions.

I agree that the Mondeo is a very nice vehicle. Very comfortable, very safe and fuel efficient, but with over 30 (expensive) electronic modules running the show I'd hate to own one outside of warranty. That and replacing tyres every 30,000k.

I think one of Ford's biggest problems towards sales is there lack of advertising in recent years. They were making great advancements but weren't getting it out there. Obviously it's not the root of the problem but it certainly didn't help selling cars.

Sorry for the rant and I'm not trying to start a debate. I work for a large Ford dealer so I guess I'm biased! Probably chose the wrong day to stay home and look after sick kids! I doubt my job will be severely impacted though and I feel for all Australian motor industry employees whose jobs are at risk.

The government should have stepped in long ago. Cash injections were wasted. Interest free sales incentives would have done a lot more towards selling cars. I believe Toyota employed similar methods when entering the American market and it worked for them.

Cheers,
Cam


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (23/5/13)

- The steering wheel controls for the audio let you change volume and mode (AM/FM/CD etc) but not track/channel

Are you sure? My BF SR had all audio controls on the steering wheel - CD change, mode, track and volume. Left hand side IIRC.

I owned a BA and BF both back to back. I thought they were good cars, and I know the missus misses (no pun intended) the BF. She drives our cars more than I do (she's the taxi). She misses the fact that they were so torquey and the comfort of the seats.

I now own a Suzuki 4WD (owing to an extra addition to the family). It's a 2.7L V6. It uses more than the 4L I6 of our old Falcon. It is less comfortable inside than the BA (which was the same year).

I'm quite attached to our Suzi now - it's fun for doing some offroading, handles anything thrown at it roadwise (great in Brissie with the Beiruet bomb sized potholes throughout the inner-north) and holds all the kids.

But I do miss the Falcon, and I rate them as a great car to drive.

For the record, I'm not particularly a Ford man (though I'm not mad on Holdens - mainly the bogan/hoon element and now the fact that most of them are Daewoos rebadged, but they pulled Daewoo out and still rave on about "Holden quality"). I've owned 2 Volvos, a Toyota Starlet (now, there's a good quality maker, but damn the Camry has a funny drive position) and a Mazda.

Part of the issue I see is stigma that the Falcon isn't as good quality as other cars, even if it isn't true, and part of it is Ford's inept business acumen and marketing.


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## dicko (23/5/13)

5teve said:


> Falcon had 5 star ANCAP rating from 2008 or so, so the generalised catchup argument is a bit moot





matho said:


> um
> 
> http://www.ancap.com.au/crashtestrecord?Id=474


My most humblest of apologies for misrepresenting Holden on a beer brewing forum, but I only quoted what "they" quoted on the add and it was made to sound like this 5 star rating was a super feature on their newest piece of junk 2013 model Commodore..

I run my own business and I have had both Ford and Holden (as in Falcon/Commodore derivatives) commercial vehicles and I have found they are not a patch on imported vehicles for cost and reliability.
I was a Ford man for many years and I am a mechanic by trade (be that a long time ago) and I gave up on Ford when I bought a new one and it was constantly in the dealer for repair. It was the old story, just out of warranty and it breaks down on the side of the road so I get to a regular repairer and he fixes it for $450.00 and that solved all the electrical problems that I had been having for 12 months.
Both Holden and Falcon 1 tonners cost thousands of dollars more than their imported competition and this must be factored in when buying for business.
I say goodbye to Ford and hopefully soon to Holden. I am sick of my hard earned tax money going to these companies who then, after receiving these handouts, cut shifts, or retrench the workers, and then 12 months later stand there again with their hand out for more money.
I am all for industry and jobs in this country but these dodgy business practices from these Big Two are coming to an end. It is just a shame it affects the component manufacturers as well.
Rant over 

Cheers


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## mrTbeer (23/5/13)

That news also means the end of the Aussie UTE.
Ford invented it, HSV morphed it into something that can't handle a concrete driveway crossover and can't carry 1/2 tonne.


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## Bribie G (23/5/13)

My Mazda2 is coming up seven years old in December. It is in perfect condition and everything works as it should, it doesn't use oil between changes and has travelled widely, Cairns, Brisbane to Sydney about 12 times, Dubbo, used as a commuter for a few years. Now it's enjoying its Autumn years just choofing around Old Bar / Taree with the odd trip up to Port or down to Newcastle.

When my last Falcon was seven years old, the auto had fallen apart and needed replacing for $4k, the airconditioning condensor is still somewhere by the side of the road near Charters Towers, didn't bother as the air con hadn't worked for 3 years anyway. It was onto its second radiator, third set of mufflers, water pump, starter motor, alternator, wiper motor, and it was starting to blow smoke as well as the metallic paint rotting off the roof and bonnet.

Now Mazda and Ford (edit: were during the production of both vehicles) under the same corporate Umbrella so I can only put the inferior build of the Falcon down to poor practice and systems in the Australian factory.

View attachment 62232


Edit: I see Ford has divested most of its interest in Mazda.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (23/5/13)

It's funny seeing Bribie's little beast with NSW plates on it.

My Suzi is due for Tas plates in about a month (and I'll love paying a lot less for rego this time around).


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## super_simian (23/5/13)

joshF said:


> A blind man on a galloping horse can see there's something pretty fucked with the way our country is being run.
> 
> seriously..... we have this running the show: Why am i not suprised.


Stop the press, new headline "PM FOUND TO BE DISTURBINGLY HUMAN: Single misstep spells the end of Australian economy."

I mean how can we trust someone who made a momentary lapse in concentration to be constantly vigilant scanning the shoreline for hordes of boat-people, here to steal our jobs and rape our women and destroy our manufacturing industry? HOW. WILL SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN. (The white ones obviously. And not the ones with two dads. Or mums. Or vegetarians.) No wonder this country has gone to the dogs. You can't even beat your wife these days without an OHS review...


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## Camo6 (23/5/13)

Now that I can agree with Bribie G. I work on Fords everyday but own a Toyota and a Mazda. I also rate them ( in that order) as the two most reliable mainstream car makes in the current market. My 80 series has clocked over 370,000kms and pedestrians still slide right off.

I think the secret to buying a reliable car is not to buy one built on a Friday.


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## Nick JD (23/5/13)

mrTbeer said:


> This article had a list of top10 sales. No Falcons or Commodores on that list.
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-23/ford-to-close-geelong-and-broadmeadows-plants/4707960
> 
> Also quotes 1Aussie cost = 2x cost of Europe = 4x cost of Asia.


I have the number 1 car on that list. Just did the 20K oil change. Best car I've ever owned.

Getting 6.9L/100km combined.


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## manticle (23/5/13)

super_simian said:


> constantly vigilant scanning the shoreline for hordes of boat-people, here to steal our jobs and rape our women and destroy our manufacturing industry?



This is a local country for local people. There's nothing for you here.



Wanted to find the first scene from episode 1 but it doesn't seem to be available.

'Rape our dead mouths................smear poor Tubbs here with excrement.............'


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## Bridges (23/5/13)

And Abbot is going to run the show better??? WTF... How will he save ford or holden. All he wants to do is roll back the mining tax and the carbon tax for his rich mates and "look at the G.S.T." You don't even need to read betwwen the lines to know this means RAISING IT! Slug the little bloke not the big bloke seems to be the coalition way. Pollies enjoy 15% super we get 9% Labour wants to get this to 12% and again the coalition want it to be capped at 9% Coalition wants to tax peoples super when they earn less than 37K a year so the pittance the low income earners get to put away for their retirement is pinched by the govt. Whereas labour will not tax the income of low income earners. Yeah labor are not great but Abbot bringing back work choices scares the pants off me. It should also scare any one in this coutry not earning a Gina Rhinehart type wage.
Sorry rant over.


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## Bridges (23/5/13)

Wow I think I just need to relax and have a beer...


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## Camo6 (23/5/13)

Bridges said:


> Wow I think I just need to relax and have a beer...


Is it that time already? Oh jolly good show, I think i'll join you.


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## JDW81 (23/5/13)

Bridges said:


> Wow I think I just need to relax and have a beer...


.....or two


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## Josho (23/5/13)

They should give every boat person a ford falcon and put taxi plates on it.

OH hang on they already do that? nm


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## QldKev (23/5/13)

Nick JD said:


> I have the number 1 car on that list. Just did the 20K oil change. Best car I've ever owned.
> 
> Getting 6.9L/100km combined.


We've got 2 of them,
ZRE model that's just hit 90K, funny thing is I just checked and it's got an average of 6.9L/100km too. We do a lot of km's in this thing.
An older 96 AE101 we have had since 1999 with 230K on the clock. It averages about 8.0L/100km.
There's a good reason we have kept the old one, and then got a new one.

Then my commodore (Berlina). The clear coat is stuffed, just had a new aircon compressor, HVAC solenoid valve pack needs replacing, dash has a crack in the front panel, leather steering wheel is falling to bits at the top where the sun hits it and an airbag warning light comes on. I've just replaced the plastic slides in the front windows for the second time. With 120K on the clock is should not need this much shit. But it runs a 12sec 1/4, and with a high stall and slicks an 11, so all is good :lol:


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## mwd (23/5/13)

The Labour costs are a big problem here in Australia. Now restaurants are closing on Sundays and Public Holidays because they can't afford to pay Penalty Rates for staff and break even. Ford would not be pulling the plug if they were making money.


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## Econwatson (23/5/13)

Josho said:


> They should give every boat person a ford falcon and put taxi plates on it.
> 
> OH hang on they already do that? nm



Wow, I think any earlier racism was meant to be taken as a light hearted joke.


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## Josho (23/5/13)

I edited it

Now its a joke


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## wbosher (23/5/13)

Wow, that's amazing. One of the first things I think of when I think of Aussie is Holden vs Ford...followed by chicks in bikinis...actually probably the other way around.

Anyway, it ain't good news. We lost car manufacturing about 20 years ago (Mitsi and GM from memory), been down hill ever since.


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## brettprevans (23/5/13)

i wrote a masters paper on the victorian and australian car industry over 9 years ago and why it wouldnt last more than another 15 years. looks like i damn close in my time prediction.


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## Tony (23/5/13)

so its YOUR fault CM2!


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## Ducatiboy stu (23/5/13)

The main problem for ford is ford itself. They are making a unique car in Australia. Holdens Commodoor shares a common GM platform used overseas. Ford don't. GM use Holden for their international RWD platform expertise


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## Josho (23/5/13)

CM2 Nostradamus.


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## Josho (23/5/13)

Shoudnt ford globally prop up their own company Ford sells like hotcakes in Europe, if they want to close just let them,

I personally hate fords, and we live in one of the only countries in the world with that sort of rivalry so no wonder they are going down the gurgler....


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## brettprevans (23/5/13)

I think nostro could spell. Now fir another prediction.....ill write a paper on the potential that im going to have a beer tonight....


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## Josho (23/5/13)

citymorgue2 said:


> I think nostro could spell. Now fir another prediction.....ill write a paper on the potential that im going to have a beer tonight....



Fir sure he could spell.


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## Ducatiboy stu (23/5/13)

mmmmm... A 389 page thesis on ..."**** it im going to have a beer tonight "


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## tavas (23/5/13)

treefiddy said:


> After receiving a bunch of govt. handouts?
> 
> Good riddance. I hope their sales post closure suffer.


+1
Handouts are much better value going to bogans and single mums.

but seriously, its not only the car manufacturers this affects. There's a large multiplier on car manufacturing.

So now the handouts go from car industry prop up to Newstart payments.


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## Camo6 (23/5/13)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> The main problem for ford is ford itself.


I object! You telling me you wouldn't own one of these. 

View attachment 62237
View attachment 62238
View attachment 62239
View attachment 62240


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## Ducatiboy stu (23/5/13)

eerrrrr ..... nope


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## Bribie G (23/5/13)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> The main problem for ford is ford itself. They are making a unique car in Australia. Holdens Commodoor shares a common GM platform used overseas. Ford don't. GM use Holden for their international RWD platform expertise


_Exactement. _The original VB Commodore was just the back end of an Opel Rekord stuck onto the front end of an Opel Commodore to accommodate the Kingswood 6 cyl engine. Thus the huge out- of- proportion boofy nose on the VB -VC range. When I went back to the UK in the early 1980s there were heaps of almost identical cars there. The Vauxhall Viceroy.

View attachment 62241


They also did a nice variant, the Vauxhall Royale / Opel Monza. There used to be an imported one knocking around Burpengary about 20 years ago, would have actually made a brilliant replacement for the Monaro with a V8 dropped in.


View attachment 62242


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## brettprevans (23/5/13)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> mmmmm... A 389 page thesis on ..."**** it im going to have a beer tonight "


the quantitative research part is the best part of the thesis  
A200ml of pyment starts the statistical sampling.

In seriousness I feel for yhe workers. But then again the vic govt laid off 2000 employees and no one gives a fk about that. Even though the good people left and the shitty stereotypical govt emploees remain.


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## Bribie G (23/5/13)

However what did Ford do in Australia? there was already an immensely successful large sedan and wagon in Europe, the Ford Granada.

So instead of doing a Holden they decided to completely reinvent the fecking wheel and bring out a virtually identical model anyway as a Falcon to replace the desperately outdated XC Falcon (owned one, dreadful heap of shyte). Despite the fact that the Cortina had been a very successful KDK assembled model here. The only common component was the triangular indicator lights on the front.

Does this Granada remind you of the XD Falcon by any remote chance - huh? huh?

View attachment 62243


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## Econwatson (23/5/13)

My dad had a Granada back in the day, said it was a great car!


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## Ducatiboy stu (23/5/13)

I had a VH ex Highway patrol comm. That thing went and handled like no other car I have driven. And it was fun. light nimble and quick. One day I will get another if they rust away before I can find one..


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## Ducatiboy stu (23/5/13)

HQ 202 3 on the tree, bench seat. FTW


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## tazman1967 (23/5/13)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> I had a VH ex Highway patrol comm. That thing went and handled like no other car I have driven. And it was fun. light nimble and quick. One day I will get another if they rust away before I can find one..


Really ? I had one also..
Mine was white, they called them "sleepers", cause it looked like a standard Commy till you looked underneath. I do agree was a great ride.
I used to "surprise " heaps of people when I blew their doors off..


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## Camo6 (23/5/13)

HZ Premier. 202, extractors, 3spd Traumatic, custom grey velour interior. My first car, loved it. Wished I hadn't scrapped it.


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## Nick JD (23/5/13)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> The main problem for ford is ford itself. They are making a unique car in Australia. Holdens Commodoor shares a common GM platform used overseas. Ford don't. GM use Holden for their international RWD platform expertise


Camaro is a 2 door Commodore.


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## poppa joe (23/5/13)

I have had to get parts for my Ford from America for years...
Local Ford don't sell parts for my '37 Ford...
I have to grt them form Vintique Dealers..
PJ


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## Nick JD (23/5/13)

Cars have got much better; car manufacturers much more competitive - the computer/robot is to thank/blame.

I had a '77 HZ Ute in '92. Was falling apart at the seams. The 308 was ticking along nicely, but the things stopping it from burning up, falling out and grinding itself into iron filings were not. It was 15 years old as was a complete piece of shit. I loved it, mainly because it had an 8 into 1 that ended just in front of the LSD under the tray, so it was a musical instrument with fine volume control.

But when I think about what a 15 year old car looks like now: it's a '98 model. Probably has no rust; great engine; another few years in it.

Cars back then were crap - even the Japanese ones. Now, companies like Ford and Holden have only just caught up, and the Koreans are now pushing the Japanese.

I love new cars from Asia. So do people who used to buy Fords.


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## browndog (23/5/13)

Dave70 said:


> After the GTHO, everything else Ford made was garbage.


I won't have that....... the XA and B coupes were gorgeous.


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## Bribie G (23/5/13)

I actually had an XB falcon wagon and it was a lovely reliable and very driveable machine, but rusted away eventually. Like cruising on a magic carpet. The XC was a lumbering ugly travesty.

View attachment 62246


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## Camo6 (23/5/13)

Nick JD said:


> I love new cars from Asia. So do people who used to buy Fords.


A lot of new Fords are built in Asia. Fiesta and late Focus for example. The PX Ranger is looking to oust the Hilux from its top spot. It was designed for Australia but is produced in Thailand and being sold internationally. I bet we'll see a Territory style body mounted on a Ranger chassis in the not too distant future.

Shit. It sounds like I'm trying to sell them.


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## browndog (23/5/13)

Bribie G said:


> I actually had an XB falcon wagon and it was a lovely reliable and very driveable machine, but rusted away eventually. Like cruising on a magic carpet. The XC was a lumbering ugly travesty.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, it's amazing how long it took them to get that rust thing sorted hey Michael. Something else to put it in perspective is that when they were designing the F-111 they were driving round in cars with wirelesses and no seatbelts.... go figure.


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## yum beer (23/5/13)

Sad day when we lose one of our own.
Not a Ford or Holden man, I like good cars no matter who makes them, 
but have a special place for my XC Panelvan from my late teens-early twenties(24 when my young fella came along), 302 Cleveland, Quad carb, racing gear under, a rumble to pause time and room in the back for 2 or sometimes 3 and more than once 7 or 8.
Now driving a BA XR6 Turbo, puting down the right foots like being a young bloke again.
You can stick your Toyota up your arse...at least till the Hyundai needs replacing.


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## QldKev (24/5/13)

The real question is:

Now how are we going to keep all the dickheads out of Holdens?


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## Camo6 (24/5/13)

Speaking of holden, was anyone aware that the new commodore was unveiled yesterday? Ford certainly were!


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## bum (24/5/13)

QldKev said:


> The real question is:
> 
> Now how are we going to keep all the dickheads out of Holdens?


You want them to close down too?


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## mwd (24/5/13)

Seems Australia is about twenty years behind the U.K. with the car industry. Remember Jaguar, Bentley, Rover, Land Rover all went tits up or were bought out by foreign companies. Land Rover and Jaguar now owned by Indian Companies. Wonder if they ever built a reliable Range Rover. Don't know what is going on as Nissan had an assembly plant in Sunderland.


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## DU99 (26/5/13)

has anyone bought one of these.years ago we had torana's and ford's you could drive legally,as they where raced without a few mod's,do people remember when nissan was winning races.till someone got them Off the road.GMH will be the next to die,and personally i don't why the goverment supports them,like they support FORD waste of taxpayers money


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## Bribie G (26/5/13)

Tropical_Brews said:


> Seems Australia is about twenty years behind the U.K. with the car industry. Remember Jaguar, Bentley, Rover, Land Rover all went tits up or were bought out by foreign companies. Land Rover and Jaguar now owned by Indian Companies. Wonder if they ever built a reliable Range Rover. Don't know what is going on as Nissan had an assembly plant in Sunderland.


Gannin' canny me ah'd marra (doing well me old mate) and the Sunderland plant alone has four times the workers that Ford has here. About to employ even more. 

All our Nissan Micras come from there.


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