Which was your favourite Falcon?

[XG_Falcon]

As the title suggests, I'm wondering which model of Falcon you favour.

Despite my name on the forum, I will always be an EA-ED die-hard. It's not even a contest, that shape simply draws me in.
My first car after leaving high-school was an EA Ghia, which looked just like the one in the brochure:


It was a great car to drive and taught me a lot about fixing cars (it was an EA after all). Unfortunately I was forced to part with it in 2010 when it was stolen, crashed and dumped.
However, I made sure to save a few smaller parts and each E series I've owned since has had some piece of my EA installed

I've owned a lot of different cars but I still keep returning like a masochist to buy more EBs and EDs. So which is your favourite Falcon model and why?

Share with us your tales of happiness and woe.

[sprintman1]

Biased I guess but my Phase III. Best I forget the dropped valve and split block etc but it really was something when it was going

[last fairlane]

My first one an XK took me around the country
number two an XL took me round the country twice
since then Ive had an XR wagon an XY Fairmont
an XB Fairmont another XK a ute then numerous XDs and XFs
an EA Ghia not counting the Fairlanes also all the Customlines
Zephyrs and Consuls and now
Ive got an AU Fairmont had it 12 years now its time to go
My daily is a a BA Ghia and the Mrs daily is a Territory Ghia
back to the original question
number one of course is an XY GT Phase3
and as a second choice an XD 351 Fairmont Ghia
thanks John

[The Yeti]

For me it's XK - XP followed by XA - XC then by XR/ XT

[Vekgib]

My EA S Pack was my first Falcon. My AU, then BF, are better cars, but the EA will always be my favourite.
Even now, when I see a well looked after EA Ghia or S, they still capture my attention.

[BENT_8]

XF for me, in either 'S' pack or Ghia.

I remember as a teenager jumping into a friends White "S' pack and thought, wow, with the digital dash and contoured interior it was a huge leap forward from the XE.

I loved them, owned about 4 or 5.

Never forget the night i bought my first Ghia, dude advertised it in 2000 as an 84 Falcon for $2.5k. I rang him up and enquired, he said it was a blue, 4sp manual, EFi. I went straight down for a look expecting an XE 'S' pack. Turned up at his West Lakes address to find a blue XF Ghia in the drive, i thought, he obviously loves his blue Falcons.
Then as i walked up the drive and being an XF fan gave it the once over i noticed the shifter, my interest went up.
He comes to the door, says thats it there, i dropped $2k in his hand and left without so much as starting it.
Just looking at his home and personal apppearance i knew it would be immaculately maintained and it was.
Was bullet proof, 1 owner, full history, the oscillating vents worked perfectly, dash was fully operational.
I loved that car, was the most comfortable cruiser i've ever owned.

One night i pulled up at a set of lights on Port rd, VK Calais with injected badges on the gaurds pulls up next to me full of teenage bogans, making smart comments about my Ford.
Light goes green and they are off, i calmly moved away.
Got to the next lights, same scenario, only this time i raised the revs to 2k, popped her in to 1st, looked over at the driver and said 'ready'
Light goes green, im not sure how we went, but when he finally reached the next set of lights, i looked over and asked if he had an engine problem as i thought the red VK six went better than that.
Yes, you could hear crickets chirping and his bogan mates had calmed down considerably.
A good mate, a Ford mechanic since highschool gave it a run. Ripped the shifter out at 90k on the 1-2 shift, drove it back into town, he went down to the dealership and got me a new nylon fitting and cut/welded it up and off i went.

At the time, i was led to believe they only made 5 XF Ghia's in manual form, 2 early 4speeds and 3 5speeds.
Not sure how true that was though, only seen one since, an 87 5sp in blue which i snapped up too.

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by XG_Falcon

Despite my name on the forum, I will always be an EA-ED die-hard. It's not even a contest, that shape simply draws me in.

I feel similarly about the EA, and wanted an EA Ghia, but I was talked out of it ("fixing the electrics will cost an arm and a leg; fewer things to go wrong in a simple GL").

That said, I think I prefer the overall look of the EB over the EA (and for that matter, the ED). Of the EA-ED shape, I think my favourite would be the EBII Fairmont with the turbo-blade alloys from the EA Ghia. I think the EB's front end is much better looking than the EA - simply by moving the badge from above the grille to inside the grille made it look somewhat 'angry'.

Then there's the EL Ghia and the B-Series Falcons. I love the interior of the EL Ghia, and both the interior and exterior of B-Series Falcons. There's just a hint of the EA-ED shape in the front quarter panels and the shape of the headlights - to me, it looks like an evolution of the EA-ED shape.

[Stefan]

I think they are all great in their own way...none perfect, but all great

Have owned 3 XYs, 2 of them GTs, XB, XA GT Coupe, EL, BA, BF GT, BF F6...no complaint and all great cars.

[Falcon Coupe]

XA XB and XC coupes. They have that fat stance no other Falcon shares.

[CoupeKing]

XB Coupe...but I change all the time. So many to chose from, especially when you see the same model in a different paint/interior combo. Still admire any survivor across the range.

I will say that I've appreciated XA GT sedans heaps more over the last few years. They seem to have been considered underated for such a long time - or lost in Limbo between the XY GT..XA GT coupe and the newer shape of the XB's.

Love their subtle lines and they look awesome in any colour.

[minheim]

In terms of all falcons I always liked the XA GT coupes and sedans best. In terms of an owned falcon I loved my AU classic with Tickford factory gas; though my EF was a great car also. A shame that the falcon line is coming to an end.

[superyob]

XB sedan or hardtop...

[Stefan]

Yes coupes ate pretty iconic, probably the toughest looking Australian car ever built

[FlipXW]

Well before my time and i have never owned one but if I could chose to have any Falcon in my garage, XA RPO83 coupe without a doubt.

[Itsme]

XM ute 6cyl 170 pursuit engine 3 speed manual, this old girl took me everywhere, very reliable.

[Syndrome]

XB series including P5

[Mr Brooksy]

I love both the steel and plastic versions. I don't know why, I guess I've just been raised as a Falcon man. I can't decide if I love the steel Falcons or the plastics more... So:

Steel:
XY GTHO III
XW GT
XB GT
XE ESP (or S-pack)

Plastic:
BFII GT Cobra and Typhoon
EL GT
AUIII TS50
EB GT

If it were my money I'd want both a GTHO and Typhoon.

[DFB FGXR6]

Whilst there was a time that there was certain models that I just didn’t like, E-Series or XD/E/F for example, I have come to have a soft spot for ALL Falcon models. They all have attributes that make them special.

My comments are made in general to the models range over the years. It doesn’t matter what variant it is, Falcon/Fairmont/GT ect, they are all the same in that they offer something to suit all needs. A ute for a tradesman, a base sedan for a sales rep, a family wagon, a luxury grand tourer or even the base for a fire breathing race car.

XK – The model that started it all. A car that looked so much cleaner and modern than its main competitors.

XL/XM – Love the styling and were the first models available as a hardtop. Also love the look of the windowless vans.

XP – an iconic Falcon with a storied history and clean lines.

XR/XT – much more substantial than the first generation Falcon and the GT arguably started the whole aussie muscle car scene.

XW/XY – the quintessential Falcon. Styling that was just right, tuff and not over bodied with a model for every need. The car that started created many life-long Ford fans.

XA/XB/XC – the first fully Australian designed Falcon, continuing the tuff styling and huge variety of model, colour, trim and engine combinations.

XD – a gambol for Ford Australia at the time that paved the way for things to come. Clean styling without the bloat of the previous model.

XE/XF – the car that took Ford to the top and showed that improving fuel economy wasn’t just about making the car smaller, but lighter.

EA – a bad car in many ways, but so much was new there was bound to be teething troubles. A car that was considered to the besting looking model in the global Ford product catalogue at that time.

EB/ED – continued the and improved the EA attributes and re-introduced aussie buyers to performance 6’s with the XR range.

EF/EL – a sales success and a great looker especially the XR range.

AU – hated by many but time has been kind to the AU. It introduced many new features, in some cases the best driving Falcon of all time and certainly one of the most reliable. A car that had some character and not one that simply conformed to what everyone else was doing (hello VT).

BA/BF – a smash hit. Just right styling, a range of fresh and potent engines and the return of the GT. A car lead by a team and CEO who knew what got buyers excited.

FG/FG MK II – a car with many aussie firsts. Improved safety, economy and speed. A car that deserved to sell more than it did.

FGX – the last. A styling change that managed to create a new look without major changes to the FG body. Yes its dated in many areas, but the FGX is what it is and continued the Falcon tradition of offering a great value sedan/ute that’s comfortable, easy to drive and, in many cases, fast too.

[carwant.com.au]

XE ESP. Always wanted one when I first got my licence.

[chookaradley]

Surprised to see the love for EA's on here, but I must say pleasantly surprised. Ive owned 2 EA Multipoint S Pac manuals over the journey. Both were low mileage immac examples and god I miss those cars. I still have a sneaky look on line to see if theres anything out there for sale, but the days of decent EA-ED seem long gone. They had their problems but were easy to work on and once you had them sorted they were a great drive.

[78xcgxl]

My favorite falcons are XCs and FGmk2. Ford just got the styling spot on these models and are the most refined of both generations. I have a love and soft spot for Falcons XA to FGmk2 the rest don't really interest me.

[XG_Falcon]

Originally Posted by NX74205

That said, I think I prefer the overall look of the EB over the EA (and for that matter, the ED).

Me too. The EB XRs look the best to me. I don't like the twin headlight fronts of the ED as much as most people seem to.

Originally Posted by Vekgib

My EA S Pack was my first Falcon. My AU, then BF, are better cars, but the EA will always be my favourite.
Even now, when I see a well looked after EA Ghia or S, they still capture my attention.

There's just something about a modified EA that I really like too! I personally don't really want to own another one though because it's much easier to start with an EB or ED and the EB2-ED are a bit more rigid.

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

EB/ED – continued the and improved the EA attributes and re-introduced aussie buyers to performance 6’s with the XR range.

EF/EL – a sales success and a great looker especially the XR range.

I agree. One of the best things about EB/ED was the development of the I6.

I actually think the EA-ED shaped headlights and grille suit the overall shape of the boxcars much better than the EF/EL style lights though. EF/EL XR's looked great with the twin headlight fronts but the lines just don't match up (in my eyes) on cars with the "regular" lights. This is only my opinion of course but I just don't think the E series responded that well to the mid-cycle facelift.

I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me on that last point

Originally Posted by chookaradley

Surprised to see the love for EA's on here, but I must say pleasantly surprised. Ive owned 2 EA Multipoint S Pac manuals over the journey. Both were low mileage immac examples and god I miss those cars. I still have a sneaky look on line to see if theres anything out there for sale, but the days of decent EA-ED seem long gone. They had their problems but were easy to work on and once you had them sorted they were a great drive.

If the EA hadn't been rushed to market, I'm sure it would have been looked back on with reverance rather than slight disappointment. It was an astonishingly good looking car in it's day and has aged quite well.

You're right, good EA-EDs are few and far between but it's still good for the soul to have a sneaky gumtree peek every now and then.

[SSD-85]

The AU Falcon.

With the XF coming second.

[mick74GT]

XA/XB Series for me. Have always loved the Coke bottle shape styling and there nothing like firing up the angry old, low tech, pushrod clevo.

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by chookaradley

Surprised to see the love for EA's on here, but I must say pleasantly surprised.

Personally, I think the EA (and the BA) are unfairly maligned on here. Sure, the EA had its problems, I know that from first hand experience. I spent more than double the car's value have its engine rebuilt due to the famed cylinder head gasket failure. Alternator belt had been replaced, gearbox had to be reconditioned twice, lifters reconditioned, odometer stopped working, window regulators replaced and many more that I don't recall now over the seven years that I owned an EA.

But I'd buy an EA again over any of its predecessors in a heartbeat.

[duaned]

FG followed by the BF Mk2.

[au2000]

For most, their soft spot will always be your favourite, mine was my XT , slowest and hardest to stop, but I'll always ove that car. All the rest have not been a flop either , all have and do serve me well, but yes, my son has inherited a few falcons now with he'd au, fg, fgx & maybe thereafter if I keep it lol

[GazzF6]

XE ESP

[BENT_8]

Its an interesting question and one that has been posed a few times in the almost 10 years that i've been a member of the forum.
Interesting how times have changed, 10 years ago this thread would be full of XR-XB likes and 5 pages long already, shows how the demographic has changed when the E-series is leading the way in comments.

Realistically it is all relevant, whilst i love the look of the XW over the XY or the XB over the XA, truth is, i dont really relate enough to them to class them as 'favourite'.
Growing up, the old man was a Ford man but wouldnt part his hard earned for one as he considered them rust buckets.
He had a new XD for a brief period which was when i started to take interest, i remember going out for barbeques etc. as a kid and looking forward to the ride home late at night in the big, warm, comfortable Falcon back seat and falling asleep, there was something about that era.
Soon after he downsized to a TF Cortina, he kept the big 6 though, no rubber band OHC for him.

Living in Elizabeth as a kid made it hard to be a Ford fan, everyone either worked at Holden, drove a Holden, or had the pictire of a GTS/GTR/A9X/SS/Calais from a magazine on their bedroom walls.
I must admit, the sight of a 5.0 VL Calais got me going, and i have the framed VL Walky in my collection, but for me, the XF made the greatest impression.
Secretly i desired an 88 XF Ghia in white.

No they didnt get the famed Clevo, or participate in Australias measure of a motorcar, the James Hardie 1000, although Gentleman Jim won the AUSCAR championship in a Clevo powered item, for me it was the turning point in vehicle manufacturing when locally made cars went from bare bones interiors to making you feel part of the car with wrap around styling and contoured dash and door trims, not just lined vinyl wrapped flat cardboard door cards.
Compare those minor things to the red mob, it wasnt until the VR Commodore, 9 years after the XF was released, that they finally made the dash follow through to the door trims, the VN/P dash and cards were XD/E like, outdated by a decade and generation.
The EFi Crossflow was nothing to get excited over, but it was virtually bullet proof unless it had been neglected, It had the Holden 6's covered and always provided you with confidence in the reliability of turning the key and getting home, rain, hail or shine.

Sorry, i could ramble on for ages about the last of the X series, just loved 'em as a kid and it continued through my early driving career.
Would i own one now, not likely, too old now and mother nature has had a fair crack at the 'C' pillars and plenums etc, i couldnt go back there again, but when ever i see one thats been looked after it will get my attention for sure.

[Adamz Ghia]

AU Falcon. Had the most character of any Falcon ever, well built and you just cant kill the things.

An AUII/ III Fairmont Ghia 5.0 with a body kit and sunroof is Falcon heaven for me.