ABC Torque: Road testing 1976 XC Fairmont GXL

[Syndrome]

[marty351]

Again?

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by marty351

Again?

Yes, but good to watch again, whats not to love about the GXL 5.8?

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Yes, but good to watch again, whats not to love about the GXL 5.8?

Amen to that ....

Here's another Torque edition all about turbo , non turbo , petrol and how an expert of the day saw ethanol /blend into the future . Oh yes and a Porsche 924 look too...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5Qt7GbS-cQ ..

[ESPJG32]

yep had a new one in '78, a 5.8 GXL auto- good car traded it on an '82 5.8 ESP manual - better car. Fords ruled in those days with a great product

I think the bloody accountants got involved a bit later and stuffed them completely

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by ESPJG32

yep had a new one in '78, a 5.8 GXL auto- good car traded it on an '82 5.8 ESP manual - better car. Fords ruled in those days with a great product

I think the bloody accountants got involved a bit later and stuffed them completely

Mr Wherrett's take on the XD....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbRDC87Oizw

He said though 15-17 mpg ...What !!!!!.....The 3.3 was better than that wasn't it ? and anybody remember the extra luggage options too..Roof racks are okay but the other thing ...Oohh...

[Syndrome]

He had a constant gripe about power steering and didn't like cars that had too much power. If he was alive, what would he say about the F6 Typhoon?

[joolz]

Originally Posted by roddy1960

Mr Wherrett's take on the XD....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbRDC87Oizw

He said though 15-17 mpg ...What !!!!!.....The 3.3 was better than that wasn't it ? and anybody remember the extra luggage options too..Roof racks are okay but the other thing ...Oohh...

Had no idea there was a 4sp auto option on the XD! At the 3.10min mark.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by joolz

Had no idea there was a 4sp auto option on the XD! At the 3.10min mark.

Not sure what you mean joolz, he mentions using the 'optional' 4spd manual instead of the 3 on the tree, but your right there was no 4spd auto just a 3spd...

[roddy1960]

I never owned a XD but I did have an XE . It had the 4 speed manual and to be honest I loved that gear shift . Then I bought a 5 speed Telstar TX5 Ghia and the gear shift was notchy and stiff , not terrible but not as good as the 4 speed in the XE GL...Then the EF Futura (gunmetal grey) with the 5 speed . That was a beauty..sweet manual box . My AU was the first auto I ever owned . The BA Fairmont Ghia I had was the sports shift 4 speed that I hardly ever used that way but the FG XR6 ZF is a different beast in that way ..The sports shift is fun .

I do love a good manual though ..and if I could have got the XR6 with the six cogger that way it would have been epic..

I guess the X Falcons were the last ones where the manual was the standard and the auto was optioned .. Ended up totally the other way round .

Now my fix with a manual comes from my little Honda Accord (circa 1985) with a really nice 5 speed . So AU (standard 4 auto) Accord (5 manual) and XR6 (6 sports/auto) .

Yep , on Peter Wherrett's dislike of power steering and higher power was bewildering for a motor journo . The F6 would have literally blown his mind . Another common thread was his rear drum brakes without pressure limiting valves.. He was a bit different Ol' Pete.

[Aulpgute]

Yep, ahead of his time as many have said. Does anyone have the article or a youtube of the VC Commodore that had the 2.6 Mitsubishi transplant? Have tried googling but nothing coming up

[cheap]

Great review.

Performance 351 ✔️
4 speed ✔️
Driving position and comfort ✔️
Instrumentation ✔️
Brakes ✔️
Style ✔️

And if memory serves me correctly it was the XC that first knocked GMH off number one sales spot.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by cheap

Great review.

Performance 351 ✔️
4 speed ✔️
Driving position and comfort ✔️
Instrumentation ✔️
Brakes ✔️
Style ✔️

And if memory serves me correctly it was the XC that first knocked GMH off number one sales spot.

It was the XE that finally got Ford market leadership in 83.

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by cheap

Great review.

Performance 351 ✔️
4 speed ✔️
Driving position and comfort ✔️
Instrumentation ✔️
Brakes ✔️
Style ✔️

And if memory serves me correctly it was the XC that first knocked GMH off number one sales spot.

No. The XB won a few sales months against the Kingswood.

[mcflux]

Originally Posted by marty351

Again?

43 years is too soon for re-runs

[Sprint XR8]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

No. The XB won a few sales months against the Kingswood.

XC was the first to win yearly sales over Kingswood in 1977.

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by Sprint XR8

XC was the first to win yearly sales over Kingswood in 1977.
image

What part of 'months' clearly written in my post was not clear to you?

[EBSXR6]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

It was the XE that finally got Ford market leadership in 83.

Laser and Telstar sold well.

Ahhhh the memories.

[Junkyard-Dog]

Love the one where he drove the Torana (LH from memory) and stated that it was negligent on GM's part to put a V8 in "such a small car".

Pretty sure it was a 253... I wonder what he would say about the light-weight, powerful turbo cars that became so popular in the 90s.

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by Junkyard-Dog

Love the one where he drove the Torana (LH from memory) and stated that it was negligent on GM's part to put a V8 in "such a small car".

Pretty sure it was a 253... I wonder what he would say about the light-weight, powerful turbo cars that became so popular in the 90s.

What Peter didn't understand is what people want and what people need are not the same. If people want something and companies can make a profit from selling it then so let it be.