Good old Aussie V8

Just because

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvj0pl8mjPs&feature=related

Nice.

Is that a Falcon? I wonder how hard it would be to re-create one of those over here....

Was that Aussie Falcon the same body shell as the one sold here? It looks kind of the same, but seems larger in pictures. If it was the same you could build a reasonable facsimile with a 351 and Mustang suspension bits, including the Shelby drop. I'd assume all the trim bits are still available from specialty shops in Australia if you really wanted an authentic looking one.

According to Wikipedia, it looks like it is the same as the US Falcon, so it could be done.

http://ateupwithmotor.com/family-cars/273-australian-ford-falcon-part-1.html

http://ateupwithmotor.com/family-cars/274-australian-ford-falcon-part-2.html

The longer version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZQr9AwDNU

I can't help but think the doors/cabin of that car look exactly like my 68' Fairlane. It has 351 power too, but sadly an automatic trans.

I find it odd that so many of the built Aussie muscle cars are 4-doors. What do they need the extra doors for? o_0

I want a new one...

Nitroracer wrote: The longer version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZQr9AwDNU I can't help but think the doors/cabin of that car look exactly like my 68' Fairlane. It has 351 power too, but sadly an automatic trans.

I don't think they're the same but they certainly look similar. Note the lack of quarter windows on the rear doors. Also the front & rear of the C pillar on the Aussie car are a lot closer to parallel than on yours.

The years prior to the 69-71 XW/XY were a lot closer to the US build Falcons.

I refer to the 66-68 XR and XT Falcons

This is an XR GT any color so long as it was bronze, 289 top loader and 9"

and this is the XT GT, 302 top loader and 9"

Then the XW which is an Aussie update body and introduced the 351 Cleveland during the run.

of this shape the big bad XY was the most powerful, and is held in high regard by all, one recently sold at auction for $1,000,000.00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr7nD_wmzyQ

Only about 150 had the Phase III option pack.

Ford's Aussie cars were mostly kept to sedan, wagon, ute and panel van due to the much smaller population downunder until the introduction of the XA Falcon in 1972. As a result the coupe was never coveted over the sedan in the manner that is usual in the US.

Hence the XA, XB and XC sedans and coupes seem to be equally in demand. The GT was only offered for the XA and XB.

Oh and this is an Aussie 71 ZD Fairlane

Meow

ReverendDexter wrote: I find it odd that so many of the built Aussie muscle cars are 4-doors. What do they need the extra doors for? o_0

Extra 'legroom' for all the Sheilas in the back.

OK now for the Holdens

67 saw the Monaro arrive, basically a coupe version of the Holden Kingswood with the bad boy being a 327 4 speed version

then the HK

and the HG which introduced the 350.

at this time Holden took a Monaro to Bathurst and ran it against the smaller straight 6 powered Torana, and found that the Monaro could not pull away from the Torana significantly but the Torana went further on gas, brakes etc. The Torana became the motorsport frontrunner

LC Torana GTR, 161S I6 4 speed

LJ Torana GTR XU1, 186S I6 4 speed triple carbs

LH Torana SLR 5000, 308 Aussie built V8 4 speed

LX Torana A9X, the bad boy 308 Holden V8 4 speed

While the Monaro continued and was popular it was not used in motorsport significantly

HX Monaro

HZ Monaro

This was the era of Aussie muscle cars

Mopars were not forgotten

E38 Chargers had a I6

E49 Charger, I6 triple carbs, was actually quicker in the 1/4 mile than the GTHO but with a 3 speed manual ran out of top end much earlier as it was in the gearing

Gratuitous Aussie style burnout at Summernats

Gary Myers and his Mustang owns this category

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r78lPJsW2w&feature=fvst

dood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wWgRvcGeMY&feature=related

Here is the little known 4th Aussie big car which was shut down due to lack of need for a 4th car

The Leyland P76, with a trunk big enough to carry a 44 gallon drum

The very rare Force 7, only a few made it out of the factory before they shut down.

During the van craze Holden released the Sandman in van and ute

Ford the Sundowner

and Chrysler had this, the Drifter

Ahhhhh. I want an old muscle car even more now....

AussieMG schools us all! Thanks for the lesson..er...mate.

The Torana was a Holden product right?

Most Aussie muscle cars are four doors because two doors were not imported in large numbers? So a fetish for two doors just never developed?

The world will never be the same

http://www.news.com.au/business/companies/end-of-the-road-for-ford-falcon-and-holden-commodore-in-2016/story-fnda1bsz-1226554833139

In reply to aussiesmg:

It will not indeed. I wrote about the ending of the Falcon in my blog. Ford AU and Holden both are the last two divisions that are producing cars (awesome at that) that will no longer be produced due to globalization of platforms. I read elsewhere that they are planning on replacing the Falcon with the Taurus.

http://carburetorcounty.blogspot.com/2012/07/death-of-model.html

I haz much sad

That is a damn shame. I would love an XR6 Turbo in sedan or Ute form. Global platforms seem to have helped cars in the US, for the most part, because our small cars have to meet the much higher Euro standards for interior and ride quality. I hadn't thought about it destroying the special cars that are produced only in limited areas. Maybe Ford will also let us have the global Ranger at some point then??

Xceler8x wrote: AussieMG schools us all! Thanks for the lesson..er...mate. The Torana was a Holden product right? Most Aussie muscle cars are four doors because two doors were not imported in large numbers? So a fetish for two doors just never developed?

There was a period of 2 door cars, but I suspect that the real reason for the lack of 2 doors is budgeting by the car companies, remember there is a small population downunder. The Australian population is roughly the same as the population of Los Angeles and the surrounding area.

So building another car was a major cost for minimal sales..

Coupes were around from Holden from 67 until around 78, Ford had them from 72 until 78.

Then Holden had the new Monaro in 2004, and GM sold it here as the GTO.

Yes the Torana was a GM/Holden product, it was an awesome small car big engine package.

I owned a couple when I was 18, including a 69 LC GTR.

Identical to this one

In reply to singleslammer:

I doubt it. They have whined that it's too close in size to the F-150 and they wouldn't want it to impede on the F-150 sales.