Windsor V8*AU FORTÉ Review! The Best Falcon Ever Made?
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Welcome to another Episode of Ross Reviews AU on this weeks Video we check out this insanely rare Ford AU Forté, with a Windsor 5.0L V8!
The AU Falcon has had such a love hate relationship since its creation back in 1998.. the questionable front end headlight design really is quite out there..
luv it or hate it there is no denying its proven itself as a great reliable sedan.. and with only 101 series 2 AU's ever receiving the V8... this was a pleasure and honor to drive.
UP THE AU!****
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I think AU owners can agree that the most impressive part of this car is the fact that the window went up on its first go!
HAHA! even B series owners where impressed!
I've never been so offended by something I completely agree with! haha
LMFAO
Windows still work mint in my au
bit of silicon lube and shes good
You need to own an AU for awhile, you'll get to fall in love with the looks as well
i can attest to that.
Should have gone to Spec Savers! 😅🤣😅🤣
I had an au Fairmont as my first car and I honestly would rather my au then my ba xr6
i can understand.. i love the T series looks.. still not big on the forte looks but love the drive.. so i would own one just for that
I converted a few years back , never looked back .
If you start getting messages from shady dudes in Sombreros it's because of this ultra rare Burrito AU.
lol.. this and that 1000hp ute hoon comparison lol
Plenty of AUs here in New Zealand, mine is a V8 wagon daily driver.
Love it!
Good choice! gotta love a Wagon eh!
Sheez...not many of Those V8 wagons around...My brother has one too 😉
@@deebee9010 my old man has an au ute factory v8 manual
Thats a rare one .
Don't let it go .
I regret selling my series 3 XR8 ute .
That thing was an animal .
Hey mate I'm from Australia and have an au six wagon but always wanted to get a V8 wagon but very rare. Just wondering if you have an idea of the fuel economy figures driven sensibly. I'm easily getting 9L/100km from the six driving sensibly and wondered if the V8 is much thirstier.
PS can't wait to move to NZ one day
I love these unusual factory ordered cars. One of my mates ordered a BA from the factory with the 5.4 and a 5 speed manual. He loved that car and really regrets trading it so the wife could get a new car because he knows it’s extremely unlikely he could ever find another one.
my old ute was a 5.4 with a 6 speed manual! miss that ute..
Don’t you hate it when wives make you do that...lol... luckily mines the opposite, makes me keep them and tells me I’ll regret it if I sell them. She’s bloody right and I’m glad I still have em
@@shinobishamitzu4338 you should be glad you have her as well!
Maybe he needs to take HIS balls out of her purse n put em back i his sac! 🤙🤙🏄♀️
@@shinobishamitzu4338 Sounds like a keeper, that one 😂👌
I love how the au drives... driven a lot of falcons, and I gotta say the au was light and nimble with a positive feel.. great car
they do drive really really well.. can notice it straight away.. not as sport orientated but man they soak up the road well!
LOL. your Face when you started the Car. Thats why you do what you do...Pure Joy
i love my job haha
Ford spent an incredible amount of money designing the AU. Some of my customers were Ford evaluation designers.
I heard lots of and saw interesting stuff. Sadly I predicted to one of the engineers that the engineering side of things was spot on but there was no way anybody will buy them with that body shape.
I had a 12/98 forte, one of the first. Daughters had series2 and series 3 SR.
Fantastic reliable cars all of them, in fact sold the series 2 to a mate who got it up to 650000 ks and then on sold it. It never had the head off or gearbox or diff touched. He actually sold it to a mechanic who was impressed by the way it still run.
I saw the backpackers starting to buy them quite a few years back and said to my wife all they want is a vehicle they can put gas in and drive anywhere in Australia.
The AU is the one to do it no sweat, hence the rise in price from $800 to $3000.
Very good review thanks.
the AU is the best for that exact reason! just gas up and head out! this car will take you anywhere in australia you wanna go!
My time with my 2001 series 2 AU Futura has passed 18 years ....Totally unstoppable..she's running just as good as the day I brought her home from the car yard with already 60,000 kays in April 2003...Just spent the most I've ever spent on her recently with new front brake calipers with one starting to stick . Quite corroded on closer inspection so spent $600 to fit brand new ones for peace of mind ..One alternator five years ago , one power steering pump kit , one inlet manifold gasket and a couple of steering boots and one front left wheel bearing and a couple of window switches is it . Other than tyres , batteries , bulbs and exhausts , services etc of course . Nothing else has caused any grief . THE MIGHTY AU ..Thanks again Jon for a wonderful video...I love them .
thanks for sharing mate! they really are a bulletproof beast eh.. best thing about the AUs is the ride and reliability!
Love AU’s I have a series 2 v8 Fairmont myself painted in the great meteorite has 270,000ks and doesn’t burn any oil. Has some nice tickford options aswell. They are a great car.
Very cool! gotta love em eh mate
Mate The AU is highly underrated. The series 1 AU falcon with shark tooth grill is the slipperyst Vehicle ever produced In Australia with a co efficient drag of .29
As comparison other vehicles rate at
VL groupa A .32
VT commodore .33
Porsche 997 GT2 .32
1993 Supra .32
19988 Nissan 200 sx .32
no doubt i believe that.. amazing car if you can love the looks :p
Ross is gunna blow up. The Best Aussie car reviews. Love it!
thanks so much guys! trying to find them rare Aussie cars for you
Wicked video mate love the Au's!!!!
A great review! I have two AUs, both Fairmont wagons. One (that's my daily drive) is a 4 litre six with dual fuel that's just a few thousand kilometres short of 500,000 all up! It's very economical but still has plenty of power, especially if you switch it back to petrol. The other is a quite rare example with the same Windsor 5 litre V8 as in your review car but it only comes out on weekends, strictly running premium 98. Just like you experienced, the engine is awesome. It is probably the most perfectly balanced and solid wagon I've ever driven, an absolute delight and joy to drive on the open road. In Fairmont spec level these are brilliant touring cars and with the wagon, super practical too.
thanks Philip glad you enjoyed the episode.. the AU is really amazing for what it is
This is one of the nicest cars you've reviewed. I love my v8 Au mines a s1 Fairmont though
I have two AUI series, Fairmont wagon and Ghia sedan. I like the AUI looks better that's what the AU was meant to look like. Not trying to square of certain things like the AUII & III. But I hate the series AUI brakes!
@@triggeredleftyvegan6004 the brakes do kinda suck but on the bright side you can fit old 14 inch wheels over them
glad you enjoyed it mate! was a blast to review
@@triggeredleftyvegan6004 I agree with you there. Picked up a S1 XR8 ute, and (as a graphic designer) I think the flow, curves and styling of the grill etc works together better than the later ones. And yes, the brakes... that was an unpleasant surprise when I first drove it. 🤣
@@allan-shephard Totally agree plus I like the Orange background on the cluster and climate screen.
You found a really clean and rare example of the AU, good on you Jono! Many years ago I owned a very clean Intech powered Futura that I bought off my parents quite cheap, and I admit admit at the time, they were really put down in their looks, to somewhat I agree with you they are starting to come of age! Cheers for sharing...
glad you enjoyed it Brendan! was very lucky to show this one off! as you could see had a blast haha
Love the interceptor wheels, car looks like an unmarked police car
Makes it tuff eh
Ross, thats the best looking falcon you've had. Those steel wheels lowered with reasonable paint. Truly it should be the start of the new mad max film. Just gorgeous. Fkn luv it.
Might have to start drawing again.
it look tough eh! love the steelie wheels.. really suits the car.. amazing example was so lucky to find
Ross, this content you pump out proves how significant WA is to AUS,s overall motoring history. More significant than I ever thought.
@@adamjames2598 thank you mate.. blessed to have access to some of these absolute Gems of cars
I daily drive my AU windsor wagon everyday. I love that sound
I nearly bought an AU Fairmont style wagon with a windsor in it. Very cool combination. Ive always thought manual swapping one would be the cherry on the cake though.
hell yeh! gotta love that V8 noise
You are 100 percent right when you said AU Falcons keep going.
Mine has 598,000 KMS on the clock.
up the AU!
That's a beautiful example of the AU! I am privileged enough to own a series 1 AU Falcon 5.0l ute, and I love it. I had the motor stroked and it only goes out on nice days.
Just think what the MHC fellas could do with this bad girl. Cleanest AU forte I have seen in years glad you got a chance to review it.
very clean eh! i was shocked!
The Au is my favourite model of all the Fords. Yes I do own one 😁
nice work mate!
The styling finally ageing to today's design language.
i reckon every time i see one i like it a bit more haha
It still looks like literal trash dude
@@redbluepill2701 Styling is subjective. Base model series 1 was bad. No need to mention the negativity if you don't like it
@@zaamuro8408 waterfall grille S1 is beautifully ugly, add the standard plastic hubcaps and they are even uglier and attractive equally.....
@@glennt69lol Ahead of its time
Great info, basically every Falcon has got a good thing about it, and while to not everyones taste they sure as hell were a well engineered vehicle that is more reliable than basically anything you can buy brand new today.
Great review, keep the Falcon ones coming.
thanks mate plenty on the way
just found a AU Fairmont Ghia been in a front ender and the interior stripped, but still has the 302 in it as well as the drive line. paid $1350 and will be rebuilding it
nice score brother
My stepdad has one of the manuals, bog stock and in immaculate condition. Love the Windsor v8s
the holy grail!
Would love to see it! I saw a Congo green v8 manual forte for sale a few years ago for 7 or 8k I think
@@kaneallen2721 When I'm at his place next I'll grab some photos
@@PickledPoppySeed sweet. I have a v8 manual xl ute. It's OK but I really miss my xr8 ute that had 400,000km and drove great
@@kaneallen2721 bargain! what a find that would have been
V8 Falcons & Fairlanes of any era are worth money!
agreed..
I just know #MotoringBox will be watching 😉
i hope so!! :)
Very clean! I'm not the biggest fan of the Windsor, but no denying how great they sound with a decent set of pipes 👍
@@RossReviewsau This thing is a decent sleeper! I love it!
@@MotoringBoxTV Better induction and injectors and an ecu flash with your exhaust and you will rip it!
@@MotoringBoxTV very realiable motor,and with the right mods Windsors will rev ,just got let those heads breath, the 220 tickford special wasn't a bad effort and they are the basic architecture for NASCAR motors ,but not as cheap as chev or turbo barra to get horspower from I guess
That was quick for a auto Windsor , I should know as I’ve got one, mines a Fairmont..definitely a cult classic the au
Telling u now that ford did a special auto quick shift in the v8 boxes.. btw au xr8’s are goin through the roof
I rember looking it up for my au xr8 was best thing ever you had economic mode normal and performance modes👌
i was really impressed.. first gear just pulled like a train and was so long!
My s3 Fairmount ghia has had a terrible life from being thrashed to very little service history always got me home. Only reason it’s parked up now is because a wagon is more practical. It was my pops car who’s since passed and I just couldn’t sell it for any amount of money.
keep it in the family mate.. special car. they just dont make em like that anymore
I had an AU2 6 cyl work car with a BENCH SEAT , yep you could fit 6 people in it party style, I was on my to work and stopped at the lights and a charade hit me from behind doing about 70k, pushed in the rear almost into the back seat, cabin was intact. The guy in the charade was f....d, people were trying to save him. They pulled the rear of the AU back out and I drove it for another 6 months lol
they are so bulletproof eh! i believe it.. gotta love that bench seat as a party car
Just bought an au Fairmont wagon with 121000 kms so just a baby. My job is to look after it just as much as the other owners have and still be my daily driver
Nice buy mate! Love the AUs
I have owned alot of falcons from xy to fg11, but I still love my au in the back shed. Great reveiw
Thanks for watching! gotta love a AU
I love my AU 2 Fairmont Ghia V8. It sounds great, not as sharp sounding as the modern DOHC 8's. The fairmonts also look bang on with a tickford bodykit. It really transforms the look of the car.
i love the T series look! and that V8 sound perfect
series 3 au falcon we one of the best falcon produced.. known fact... regardless of appearance.
i would agree to that
I recently bought an au3 forte in winter white👌
@@chrisF351 nice one!
@@chrisF351 nicee..
I bought a series 3 au Ute last week, absolutely love it
A bloke that gets it , just how important the AU is , it's simply an incredible engineering feat.
took me a few times but after seeing them enough and driving them.. they really are impressive cars
Just bought an AU series III xr6, absolutely love it. How can you hate an AU?
people who hate them have never driven them
@@RossReviewsau absolutely, love you work btw man and hope it all takes off for you.
@@tomodea2266 thanks so much
The TS50 that you reviewed is still my favourite looking falcon ever and really want one the in red
love the T series AUs.. really cool cars
The series 3 XR8 is the most desirable one and skyrocketing in price .
I regret selling my series 3 XR8 ute .
When you nailed it the thing wanted to go sideways.
It was the 200kw tickford .
they are so good eh.. love the windsor
Had one !!
2000 Series 2 AU Forte, Factory Optioned V8, Auto, No Cruise control, and only front power windows Black in colour and one owner vehicle. Bought it in 2003 with 19,000kms
Regrettably sold it for a new BA Turbo when it came out
Would own it again instantly !
thats awesome mate! not many around so hard to find a V8 AU like this.. but what a machine.. great fun to drive
Great video as usual short and sweet I have grown to like them, a nice set of wheels would make that AU look a million bucks
Tony
Thanks 👍 these cars have really grown on me.. get them a bit lower and like you said a decent set of wheels.. very cool
I have a series 3 forte 6 spd manual.
It's immaculate and iv fallen in love with it, even how it looks.
The AU copped flack from every direction including many Ford nuts, LARGELY undeserved in my opinion. I had a AU2 XLS ute for many years, that was a pleasure to drive, had ample power from stock IMO, was mechanically sound (apart from a couple of batteries), huge tray in the back, and looked great.
they are absolutely bullet proof! Ugly yes.. but it grows on you haha.. the drive is epic
Australia’s national car right here
🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Great engine those Windsor’s, you are absolutely correct when you say the AU’s get better with each passing year, l tell you what they may not be the most neck snapping in the acceleration department but they deliver a smooth type of power that is enjoyable, l have had a few cars like that in the past and still have a genuine bog standard EB S-XR8 in my small collection, other Aussie cars l have had in the past now many years ago that have a similar type of enjoyable power include my VR SS commodore with that great injected 304 V8 Holden engine & the 273 V8 in my VE VIP Chrysler and VC Valiant Regal, cheers for the real interesting road test.
you cant argue there eh.. the windsor just is a great motor.. and these AUs just get the job done! such smooth ride
I got a 2001 au2 xls v8 wood floor trayback ute, the paint is cactus, the wood floor has the colour of a dead ghost gum, the cd player stuffed, radio is scratchy but it still turns over first time and never missed a beat.
just keeps going and going eh! love it
Awesome vid mate and a great piece of Australian motoring history right there
too right mate! 🇦🇺
I recently upgraded to a 2014 g6e turbo,i still have an au xr6,and something about them i just can't get past they drive mint when well maintained.And can easily say no doubt driving my au across Australia without any issues ....Definitely earned their position in Australian motoring history...If you havent driven one do yourself a favour
Mum's got a manual AU XR6 that I had a sports exhaust put on for her and she loves it. Every so often she'll go past parked cars just to set off their alarms due to the bass from the exhaust. I definitely get my hoon behavior from her.
That's awesome! HAHA GO MUM!
@@RossReviewsau I have to replace the roof liner in the Falcon and was wondering, is it worthwhile or can you even put sound deadener, in whilst they have the roof section off?
@@davidcisme1615 no idea sorry
Nice work. You need to search for an EB GT. The return to a platform that was moth balled for 20 years. I can remember, as an apprentice the Royal treatment that the customer and car received and 40 technicians all wanting to do the predelivery on the first GT.
im trying to find a clean EB! very challenging actually lol
Just a tit bit for you mate. AU was the last Falcon that you could "tick the box" so you could option a V8 in any variant. When you ticked the V8 box the LSD was part of the option. So the 101 units you speak of were all that were ordered that way, they didn't just build Forte V8s. They had to be special ordered. You want to find RARE!- there must be a V8 manual wagon survivor out there somewhere.
if there is a manual V8 Wagon oh man i wanna drive it! haha
@@RossReviewsau AU was the last time Ford Aus optioned a V8 in a wagon. Maybe there's one out there still. The problem was the 6 was so good nobody needed a V8 anymore! It's the only downside of the six's success. I remember hiring a brand new bog stock series one Forte{that grille!} in 98 and thinking holy crap this thing goes like an 8! The rest is history of course......
Hey Mate,the mighty AU & a rare one too,I'm not keen on their look for me the BF & FG MK1 are my favourites,but I do highly admire their reliability & this one sounds beautiful as well,also hats off to the the owner it looks brand new very nice condition,you've hit the bullseye once again Johnny,everyone hurry up & get this man to 100k he deserves a TH-cam award to hang up on his wall lol,take care buddy.
thanks Pete! yes hats off to the owners who have keept this AU in its glory.. great fun showing it off
My work ute is a base model AU series 1 but fitted from factory a 5 litre V8 and 5 speed box,as rare as.Skinny steel wheels and sunviser,lovely to drive.
The quality of the videos with the amount you’re putting out is outstanding mate keep it up definitely my favourite TH-cam at this point in time !
Thanks a ton! im trying my best to get the production up more!
Over east they are starting to use Au's for cheal drift cars. Luke fink,mhc, keep it reet etc. Never did i ever think Au's would become desirable sought after or expensive but hey they are durable and reliable as hell and the ugly factor just kinda adds to the cult following haha
they can take the abuse so well! would make a mint drift car honestly! i would love to have a cheap AU one day.. but every day that dream becomes harder and harder to achieve
Drove my old au wagon with 430 000 km on the clock without oil In her for a whole day and she didn’t cease up 🤨😆 mate was howling about it. Never broke down on me once either and It was at that moment I realised how durable au were and why taxi AUs get upto a million Ks on the clock sometimes.
the single best thing about the AU that damn Bulletproof reliability
Those wheels are _beautilitarianful!_ 👀
haha! they look mint eh.. really suit the AU
I have an immaculate 2002 sr with 112k on clock also 2001 forte with just under 400k on clock love em both wouldn't trade them for anything.
keep em mate! great work
Bloody awesome video and awesome car!!! I have a s1 Windsor au forte and S3 Windsor Fairmont ghia. I can tell you now the Forte is my favourite. I would love to know how many s1’s produced. I remember reading somewhere that the WA police force Ordered a few V8 S1 fortes and mine being a opt20 again I wonder how many they had. My old man owned an XB back in the day and said how everyone was hating on the XA XB falcon and loving the kingswood. Turns out those x series weren’t so bad after all. Loving those early Xseries sexy coke bottle lines. AU’s definitely going to be classics too...
cheers mate! def a future classic right here! especially ones in this nice of shape! amazing cars..
Loved all my AU's Series 2 inlines and XR8 220 absolute bulletproof sherman tank strength and no door creek and wobble going into big potholes or rough roads Bullet proof reliability because they were over engineered 💥💥💥
UP THE AU
Great review Mate love it! I at the time owned an Ef manual simply because I hated the front styling of the series 1 but would have owned a series 2. Then Tickford treated us to the TE50’s I loved those, more than the XR’s. Watching this has got me wanting a Au series 2 again 👌
Thanks brother I’ve done the TE and TS50 also! Amazing cars glad you liked the AU A She’s a beast🇦🇺👏
My Dad had the AU II it sounded great and was very comfortable to drive. However the AU is the car that almost closed Ford 😂 the looks were just not selling and everyone had a Head bump as when you got in you would hit your head 😁 Car had 210k when was sold 🙂 was replaced with a Territory 🇦🇺
it did almost ruin ford lol but under the looks it was one of the best falcons they actually ever made
It nearly ruined ford because it was so reliable.....ask any taxi driver......million kms plus
UP THE AU ❤️
🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
I have a spare AU Fairmont in the shed the missus wants me to sell as i have a BA daily and a BF Fairlane weekender. I have to fight tooth and nail with her to keep it. I know it's taking up room we don't have but im finding it hard to part with. I also know it will be a regretful sale years down the line. Engine has some topend issues and that's why im not daily driving it. Also has classic clear coat fade but other then that it's fairly immaculate.
hold on to it mate! dont give in haha.. they are so special
I'd be getting rid of the BA and fix the top end issues on the AU.
I’ve had 2 AU’s, series 1 AUXR6 in galaxy blue and series 2 AU2XR8 in sillouette, both manuals, loved em both
nice work mate up the AU
After owning the AU S3 Ghia model 6 Cylinder reliability is in the AU's DNA. apart from replacing some old suspension parts and getting the exhaust worked on everything else about it runs like a clock and it drives to how I feel and some days I really get the shits it has the power to keep up with me ;) cruise control can be scary at times especially coming up hills. it pulls you over them hills and i have to turn it off because otherwise it sits up peoples ass as they struggle to get up the hill. the exhaust turns heads sounds louder than it should be as it needs work otherwise lol amazing car proud to have it as my first car after passing the license test :).
cheers for the info dean! no denying they are a great reliable car
What a crazy cool car! Thanks for another great video mate. I have had an Au2 fairlane with the straight 6 for 11 years now. Awesome unstoppable cars from the early 2000's!
they are bullet proof! up the AU
Even as an AU XR8 owner and fanatic, that V8 Fortē's getting me excited.
I don't think I've seen one that clean since 2002.
its a gem of an AU!
Gotta love the AU!!!
un AUstralian not to!🇦🇺
my old man owns an 302 v8 au falcon xls ute with the t5 manual, daily and race driver
Gotta love it eh mate
Not sure what aftermarket exhaust it has fitted, but it sounded awesome at the 10.50 mark.
I had an XH XR8 ute with a straight through exhaust and couldn't get it to sound half as good.
not sure the exact set up.. but i really liked it. sounded great
1st gear....I rest my case.
Mint car!
first gear just PULLS!
Credit to the owner he/she kept it mint 🤙🏼
100%!!! beautiful AU
I bought brand new au ll xr8 ute. Slow but did 280,000 kys with no problems to motor, but diff got changed under warranty and so did gearbox.
cheers for the info! gotta love a good ute!
Good vid Ross, i have watched a few, i have an EB Fairmont 5.0 and an AU Fairmont Ghia 5.0 slightly hopped up, you can notice the difference between the two in performance, but at the same time, they are luxury cars, and that's the beauty of the V8 option if you just want cruising in comfort.
you gotta love a windsor and an AU!
Love the vids ross! Theres quite a few AU V8s on trademe in New Zealand right now.
I really, I might go on and check a few out
really! lucky NZ! got all the V8 fortes haha
Superb car I owned a Au v8220 kw for 4 years 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Yew!!! Up the Windsor mate
Love the AU's, I have 2 myself but thinking about the 0-100 time you ran made me realise you really should get a G-tech Pro or at least use an app on your phone because the time here seems a bit quick and thinking about why instantly made me realise the speedo could be out 10% or more especially considering that time is about bang on for what this car should be doing 0-90. But my love for the AU is not about acceleration times, it's actually the opposite and how the AU makes you not care about acceleration times by realising it's possibly the most enjoyable car ever to drive at legal speeds on public roads and in traffic. It's also why the auto is the better option.
i did recently buy a dragy 0-100 timer.. wasnt able to use it for this review as it did not arrive in time.. but in the future i will use it to get a more true time.
The rev at the start.. haha your face made me laugh!!!
gotta love it! haha
I have a S1 V8 Fairmont wagon with 350k on the clock, and a S1 6cyl futura wagon with 600k. Great cars, easy to modify and cheap to run!
they love them kms eh! thats what i like about the AU so much
That's great news. I picked up an S1 XR8 ute with 250k on the clock. Not gonna flog it, so hoping to get to 350k+ myself 😆
@@allan-shephard take care of her n should be no problem
Have a 99 au tickford sports 6 redhead, 5 speed manual ute..xr front. 170,000 ks. Interior perfect, regularly serviced
Silver paint on roof clear coat oxidised, can't see that behind wheel. Basically stock. A pleasure to drive.
good stuff
very sweet ride...I'd trade my FG xr6T ute for an AU XR8 just for the au xr8 look
Yeahhh.....ummm....I mean I like AU's, but I dunno about that.....
i wouldn't trade my barra for one.. but i would def love one as a second car
The 5.0 was a good honest V8. Had one in an EB Fairmont.
Also had an AU III Forte as a company car. The steering on the AU was the best of any Ford and tbh the AU was the most economical Falcon I ever owned.
they really where the best daily out there.. still running strong with 300,000kms on em
That's why they were preferred by taxi drivers. It was just a pity the first series were so ugly because they were a good car.
@@Jacacatt great car thats stood the test of time
My Series 3 220kw XR8 is sitting in the shed. Still puts a smile on my face.
nice work! thats what is all about
I have a sneaking suspicion that this AU was ordered as a Police Traffic optioned vehicle (for unmarked highway duties). Although I didn't notice any holes for radios etc, in the dash and centre console. Making this a definite rarity and collectible Ford. Hat's off to its lucky owner! .
i don't believe this one was.. the first owner bought this to tow his camper around australia.. was 1 owner for like 20 years
Wife has 2002 AU ser.3 One of One V8 F/mont .Tickford Enhanced body kit wheels wheel etc great car 159ks sunroof great cruiser, always garaged. 70k in 18years
I will second your attestment to the au & between my partner & I , we have had a lot of cars over the years , Holden & ford , the taxi pack au dedicated lpg wagon is the only one I will cry for if I have to part with it .
haha! gotta love em eh! they just drive like a dream and are indestructible lol
love it mate, a real gem.
really was a incredible find! very lucky to share it with all of you
They have grown on me. At the time I thought that in the future we might think that they look good.
they really do grow on you the AU's
Love it! Always been a die-hard ford guy never really liked the au but I agree they are looking good with age
same boat! they are growing on me i want one now haha
I love my AU3.
up the AU
That SOUND! what a beast.. would make for a fun runaround car///skid car ;P
love a windsor
Nice work dude 👌🏼 now you just need to review an EL Xr6 👍
That's the plan! trying to find one to review
Man I love AUs. It sucks that they're dropping like flies due to rust these days 😭
I'd love to find a super clean example for my next car, but I think that's going to take some real searching, and cost a premium. Could be worth it, though!
I had one, i bought it as an ex ford exec car with 7000ks in 2001. It was a black forte series 2 with v8, lsd and tickford suspension... Wrote it off at 71,000ks being an idiot. The forte didn't have irs, it had a live rear axle, no traction control, that coupled with lsd and shit standard tyres made it a scream to drive in the wet. Only just had enough go to beat standard commodore v6s though lol.
what a shame about the write off.. but you know better than most just how fun they are! great cars.. wish ford made more in the V8 forte :)
These are great cars I have one with 400k on the clock never had the head off or major work. Problem is time is killing them off, the BCM electronics are breaking down in nearly but all. Once that goes it's not cheap or viable to get them fixed. Indestructible engine and drivetrain just poor electronics (I think Boshe made the BCM?) probably the best falcon ever in every regard except looks on that series 1. Mine is a black series 3 S Model I think it looks great.
Very nice AU indeed.
The steelies look great and it's such a nicely kept example of that model year.
Please do a review of a VT 5.0 litre if you can Jon!
thanks mate.. looks mint eh.
will do my best to find a clean VT
Window switches can be changed take them out and reverse the plug bam you have windows going the right way with switches have done this plenty of times
true its an easy swap ;P
Love it mate. I have a 2000 falcon xr8 cobra-A. Wouldn't trade it for any other falcon V8 ❤️
Nice 👍 gotta love a cobra