American freaks out #2: Differences between US & Aussie Fords

Wasteland Firebird ranting and raving during All Ford Day, Sydney Motorsports Park, 2022-07-24.
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[@manicmasterofmetal2620]

In 1992 I answered an ad in the local newspaper (way before mobile phones or facebook marketplace or gumtree or any of this modern rigamorole that is going on today) to buy a set of mag wheels for my 1978 holden premier. When I turned up at the blokes industrial shed he was wheeling out a 1970's ford falcon two door GT coupe. It was painted the same colour as the coupe in this vid. A vivid pink. I said hey man, beaut car but why pink? He said, and I quote..." It's tough enough to be pink". I then watched him drive down the road spinning the tyres all the way, then turned around about 60 metres from me, lit up the back tyres and went past me doing probably 150km an hour spitting big chunks of rubber out the back. The tyres were at least 12 inches wide. I will never forget the sound and absolute fury that beast unleashed. And I knew that thing was really tough enough to be pink.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Exactly! Pinned comment!

[@Rottnwoman]

Falcons are forever 😉

[@spartan5921]

The colour is called "Mulberry", not pink. just so you don't punched out calling a guys car pink LoL.

[@trueaussie9230]

​​@@spartan5921Even if one doesn't know the name of the colour - which I admit had escaped me - it's a shade of (Presley) PURPLE, not (Marilyn) pink. BTW - a pink 1959 Cadillac is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. 😉😊

[@spartan5921]

@@trueaussie9230 I'd love a "Pink Cadillac" and you know the song that I would have playing out on it too LoL.

[@golgoxiii7314]

The Green and white Falcon that you were looking at and wondering if it was a factory paintjob. It was, that car was a John Goss Special that ford made to commemorate John Goss's win at the bathurst 1000. I believe the wheels were not the original ones but the paintjob was how it came. There was the green and white and there was a blue and white version

[@romandybala]

At the time it had the nicknameSpick Special. because of the colors.

[@Mercmad]

Blue and white ones had "cobra' name tags.

[@golgoxiii7314]

@@Mercmad The Cobra ones had the stripes the Blue and white John Goss special had exactly the same paint work as the Green and white one in this clip. If you take a quick search with google or whatever search engine you want you will see blue and white as well as green and white painted exactly the same way. They are both are John Goss specials it was an XB there, no John Goss specials were XC's. Cobra's are XC's.

[@WastelandFirebird]

That's so cool, I love it!

[@stevejohnstone5163]

@@Mercmad Nope wrong

[@lancegraham7722]

You are the most Australian American ever. Glad to have you here mate.

[@WastelandFirebird]

It's great to feel so welcome!

[@the1972bulldog]

@@WastelandFirebird AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE ...

[@WastelandFirebird]

@@the1972bulldog Oi Oi Oi!

[@Expedient_Mensch]

@@WastelandFirebird Nah mate, Nah. Don't say that it's embarrassing.

[@WastelandFirebird]

@@Expedient_Mensch You should see the Summernats video then, for maximum embarrassment! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqOXo6SDfZlnntU

[@doaimanariroll5121]

FYI nobody in Australia is arguing what a Ute is. Any vehicle with a tray or tub on the back smaller than a 3 ton flat bed is a Ute. An f350 is a Ute If it’s like a f350 with 3 axles we’d call it a “dually” (duel axel Ute)

[@dotalad4537]

Well said sir

[@MrDamienBane]

Much like what we define as a "chip", the argument isn't among us its the rest of the world that knows what we call things trying to decipher us

[@christopherwhitney2711]

Deadset 👍

[@rossbrumby1957]

No. Utes are all based on passenger cars- originally not with a seperate tray, but later as either. Unibody or a chassis didn't matter. An F truck is a truck, not a variation of a passenger car. Coupe utility being the name originally. People call landcruisers and hiluxes etc utes now only because its easier to say ute than pickup, four wheel drive, etc.

[@rossbrumby1957]

And aussies call dual cabs duallies sometimes. Three axles on something like an F truck or a Patrol is usually called a laxy axle or 6 wheeler or tandem. Dual rear wheels are more often called duallies here.

[@RobWVideo]

Just a note re: V6's at 4:37. The Ford Falcon actually had an Australian-developed Inline-6 engine which is a modern evolution of the classic Ford I-6 engine from the 1960s with variable valve timing, fuel injection, alloy heads and coil pack ignition.

[@RedmistAU]

He should be deported immediately for disrespecting the mighty Barra!!!

[@keyboardwarrior9199]

Colloquially known as the Barra... they've even starting importing them to the states they're such a legendary engine.

[@TheMr1RAD]

@@keyboardwarrior9199 wasn’t called the Barra until mid 2002

[@RypienGT]

#barratheworld

[@diegosilang4823]

Ford in-line 6 were known for reliability and ford made little changes to its basic design. By 1997, modern design philosophy of shorter hood and FWD, Ford phased out the inline engine in favour of slightly modern Essex V6 (also slightly less reliable)

[@teevis3620]

As a New Zealander that still has an iconic Australian muscle car , l have to say it was sad that Oz stopped making Fords, Holden and Chryslers. Can't beat the iconic Oz Ford or Holden V8 ute!

[@mikldude9376]

Same here mate , as an Aussie that worked in ford and Holden dealers in 70’s I look around at the cars of today and many of them are so utterly boring , and yes I think it’s terrible that we no longer have a motor industry. I also think it was a planned pre determined decision by our politicians over decades to price them out of the market on purpose , other manufacturing industries too sadly .

[@ronaldnieldschneider1855]

Mine is a V8 Falcon ute!

[@sueladybird6923]

Agreed...originally had a HZ panel van but more recently l had a V8 longreach ute which was 'chipped', lowered( keep it real good for handling) really reliable ,great work horse but polished up real good. Painted in silhouette black/blue. Miss that ute😪

[@solreaver83]

As a Holden fan I'd be doing myself wrong if I didn't mention that was the cleanest wrecking yard I've ever seen :p

[@xbrod7827]

I said that about gm day

[@FuManchu5ltr]

Best KZbin comment on the day!!!!

[@GameOver-by9lv]

@@xbrod7827 bruh chevvy is good

[@brett22bt]

Gr8 to see the rivalry is still alive.

[@solreaver83]

@@brett22bt Holden's run on the tears of Ford drivers, what else are we foing to do? :p

[@davidb1630]

I love the enthusiasm. I am 62, and the 70s was the best time for Australian cars. Ford, Gm and Chrysler gave our designers pretty much free range in what they could do. It's great to see someone with a real passion for quality design, I wouldn't say quality in reliability but then, I guess the US back then suffered as we did. I love your videos

[@WastelandFirebird]

70s reliability was terrible, but the STYLE was amazing.

[@tba3900]

Generation z,woke etc will never appreciate these cars.

[@egyptology22]

They gave our designers free range because their cars broke in two once they got here. Seriously

[@noelgibson5956]

In the 80's, we lost stuff one by one:- the Valiant, the Holden Ute/Statesman, the Torana, the Ford Cleveland V8, locally built small Ford's. But at least we still had five manufacturers doing at least something. We don't have that now.... ☹️☹️

[@Rottnwoman]

The US Fords are junk! I drove a Mercury Grand Marquis from Seattle to Minneapolis - worst driving experience of my life! So happy to get back to my Ausssie Fords that cling to the road. I also drove a Taurus in Toronto that should have been sent straight to the junkyard.

[@xJaesa]

I don't much care for cars, but seeing your enthusiasm about our cars is infectious

[@williamwebb8908]

Y'know I was going to post the exact same comment just before I saw yours.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Those have been some of rhe best comments my channel has gotten. It's nice because it makes me feel free to talk about other things, sometimes. Thank you!

[@kayelle8005]

Same

[@Inherit_Drums]

Straight off the bat, we have all of those rules you said we don’t have 😂

[@jonlowing7907]

I can't believe there were no 'shaggin' wagons' there. They were iconic in the '70s, especially in the surfing scene.

[@bikerleo1966]

But there was you can see it in the video.

[@alchemylover7444]

A few in Adelaide….

[@geoffroberts1126]

Were some, IIRC the 'Sundowner' he was searching for was a Holden version - there was also a Sandman... or do I have them confused?

[@Nibby12]

@@geoffroberts1126 Holden Sandman, Ford Sundowner.

[@geoffroberts1126]

@@Nibby12 Yeah, that was it, thanks mate.

[@johnvender]

I came here after iwrocker introduced you to me earlier today. I loved the fact that parts of that video were done in the streets around where I live in Darlinghurst. You are a great presenter and I love your enthusiasm. Subscribed.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Thanks so much! I love doing this stuff.

[@ReinventingTheSteve]

@@gbsailing9436 "sundowner" was the Ford, "sandman" was the Holden

[@davematthews8512]

When I was young, a guy my dad knew had a Sundowner. Bright yellow with orange stripes. It was the coolest thing ever.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Yesssssssssss

[@RealHooksy]

“Australia has no taxes, no safety regulations” 😂

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

If you're here on a 4 year work visa, that means you should be able to take an AU Falcon home with you when you finish up, as many of them will be legal to import into the States under the 25 year rule. :D

[@Scorp308]

lol.

[@HonourableHusband]

Early Mustangs are a popular classic-car import to Australia because they were built on a Falcon chassis, which means they are easy to convert to right hand drive. The parts are available.

[@xqlusive]

Was a awesome day The All Ford Day this year.

[@nigill7081]

Great stuff, love your enthusiasm 👍 😀 👏

[@hulksolutions8397]

Great video, I’m a life long falcon fanatic, I’ve owned falcons all my life, it’s great to see the interest in them

[@Rottnwoman]

Us too. But sadly no more, I wouldn't buy an American Ford.

[@MonlopoMAN]

As an Aussie who doesn't care much for cars. These videos and your excellent presenting skills make these videos something I will gladly watch and learn from

[@WastelandFirebird]

I love comments like this!

[@butter9440]

If interested, this coming Sunday (August 7th) is an all Holden day in the Hawkesbury. It usually has every single Holden imaginable. Just a suggestion.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Facebook seems to say it has been canceled facebook.com/NSWAllHoldenDay/posts/pfbid02fa3oaDFm7736nXUvA8Z7UJDfnMvsTZyMB4WsakRiFi8zdr4X8zz65LQ1tj9TznhGl

[@_Skim_Beeble]

I was never really much of a Holden/Ford kind of person but when I bought a FGX Ute, the Barra changed my mind completely.

[@alZiiHardstylez]

Man, it'd be so different if we Aussies were over there too. Seeing the old American muscle cars would be lots of "oh wow, wish we had this and that"

[@charlietwotimes]

Grew up in a Ford family.. Aussie Falcons everywhere. Owned piles of Holdens including a sweet LS1 ute. Now have a BF2 Boss V8 for "sunny days only" Aussie muscle cars have been & continue to an important part of my entire life. Love them

[@WastelandFirebird]

Keep the history alive!

[@charlietwotimes]

@@WastelandFirebird That car will be in my collection for the rest of my life. It has barely 100 000km on it + gets a semi-decent run most weeks. Mechanically sound but needs some minor cosmetic work to return it to showroom. Niggly interior rattles, like almost all factory-spec Falcons 😂

[@alfredborg1]

Another great Show you doing great job Aussies like that

[@jamesstevens2362]

So sad when he says that we “have” all these cool models and factory colours. We HAD them! Everything on show here is now a legacy of a bygone era when we used to have a motor vehicle industry.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Yeah, I'm lucky to get to be here while some of it is still here to enjoy.

[@cheve60]

His enthusiasm for cars is cool 👍

[@popeye807]

on the panel vans in the 70s they used to have stickers saying "If this vans a rockin', don't bother knockin'" and "don't laugh it could be your daughter in the back"

[@airbrushken5339]

I had a 427 1963 and a 1/2 Ford galaxie 500 XL:... dual quads ... 3-6 miles to a gallon ... over 500 HP, drum brakes,it topped out at 145 MPH. A Ute is like a Chevy El Camino ... When I moved to Australia from Detroit, all I saw were 4 door cars.... I figured every guy was driving their Mum's car! They also sold Ford Cobra's here in Sydney. By the way the UTE was designed for farmers, so he could carry hay in the back for his farm and on Sunday load the front bench seat for the family.

[@deputycartman]

Love to see all the Aussie Fords out. 👍🏻

[@buntafujiwara3586]

The Mercury Capris was built by Ford in Australia. We didn't like them either. Despite being built in Australia and shipped overseas, the US models were cheaper than the Australian ones!

[@buggiesandboars]

We definitely don't get excited by V6s in Australia... We get excited for the straight 6 with a dirty big turbo strapped to the side of it.

[@Saphire0437]

Look, as much as I agree with the last part...we were as a country putting Ecotec V6's into everything with wheels at one point.

[@spinnymathingy3149]

How great is the reaction, he is so enthusiastic I was sure he was going to go up and hug 🤗 the cars 👍👍

[@Rottnwoman]

Americans are ALWAYS enthusiastic about everything - and phony.

[@58Kym]

My Ex hubby’s grandmother used to regularly drive her sons Sundowner. Often rev heads would pull up revving like mad next to her at the lights only to see this tiny little great grandmother and she would do them like bull’s nuts! Crazy crazy at the wheel she was.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Great story!

[@58Kym]

@@WastelandFirebird Yeah, I think she was too old to be fearful anymore! I remember it had like a magnifying plastic thing stuck to the window cause she was shitty at reversing though.

[@heathsmetalwerx]

We have air cleaners out the bonnet and not a throttle plate scoope is because we aren't allowed to have moving parts outside the car for pedestrian safety.

[@Chapps1941]

And now everything is a kitchen appliance. We put so much technology into cars they're just kitchen appliances. My fave Ford is the RS 1800 Escort.

[@jarredtremain4644]

I had a couple 1992 4wd Toyota corolla 4door wagons with all wheel difflock. Were awesome, cheap to run and could fly past big 4x4s in soft sand. Could sleep or fit my jetski in back. Towing trailer with dirtbikes through tracks. Another was Holden HJ Kingswood ute with v8 253 3 speed column shift. They are tanks so strong.

[@HyperVerda]

I love your enthusiasm about cars firebird, Love that you're here!

[@WastelandFirebird]

I love that I'm here too!

[@trueaussie9230]

In the mid 1970s I owned a 1969 XW Falcon p/v that I humourously dubbed 'the Sundowner'. In 1981 Ford released a very short run of p/vs officially named 'Sundowner' - after Holden released the well received 'Sandman' p/v. Production stopped in 1982. 'Sundowner' is the Aussie term for an itinerate 'worker' who shows up on a property 'at sundown' - ie too late to do any work but in time to get a free feed and a bed for the night. They're often gone before sun-up. That could explain why the Ford 'Sundowner' was not well received. 😉😊

[@WastelandFirebird]

Thanks for the explanation of the term!

[@lukebable]

BTW, that is not a pink XA hardtop...The colour was called "Wild Plum"..It won the the "Wogiest of all car colours, four years in a row..:)

[@KleosAu]

I've got no idea who old mate is but he's a pleasure to watch.

[@WastelandFirebird]

I am... WASTELAND FIREBIRD!

[@bluegamer308]

Glad your enjoying it down under!

[@79series]

Nice work cobber. You will find Ute's with the gap between the cab and tray are normally 1 tonners and have a box chassis underneath. The uni body Ute's have less load capacity in the back and run a car moulded type chassis.

[@Rottnwoman]

We had an F100 like that. It was very American - it rusted out while our XF Falcon had NO rust. Both were 1985 models and had never been to the coast.

[@tombstonex3244]

As a younger bloke who has limited knowledge on the cars here and the car culture both here and around the world, I really like your enthusiasm and knowledge on the subject. It's really awesome seeing someone talking about something they are heavily interested in and have a passion for. It makes me develop more of an appreciation for it just seeing the joy in your voice and body language as well as your motivation talking about cars and the history behind them.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Thanks so much! Comments like this encouraged me to keep going, I'm really proud of where I've taken the channel. The Geelong Revival video for instance, was a blast to make: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGncpWWqfN99e9E

[@McFearsome2]

On the Ford cop car, there is a requirement for the government to buy Australian Made when available so up until Holden, Ford, and Toyota stopped making cars here, all government cars were one of those.

[@passivehouseaustralia4406]

Actually Australia has very tough regulations, you cannot modify the structure of a car without an engineering certificate.

[@maxrockatanksyOG]

My grandfather bought an XB wagon brand new with 302ci & auto in a baby poo brown with air con. It is still in our family, my uncle owns it now, it has well over 300,000kms on it and has had the engine & box rebuilt. My uncle brings it out a few times a week to drive it to work

[@WastelandFirebird]

So cool. And I love brown!

[@longdaysandhardworkatramra8260]

It'll be funny if an American turns into the biggest Australian car youtube channel, I can see it happening though, the videos are great, can't wait to see you explore the car culture over here some more👍👍

[@ChineseKiwi]

'Mighty Car Mods' has 3.66M subscribers and is the biggest Australian based car channel. A wee way to go!

[@longdaysandhardworkatramra8260]

@@ChineseKiwi oh wow didn't realise they were up to that many

[@WastelandFirebird]

I can beat 'em

[@TankedMush]

V8s and straight 6s. The reason we get so excited about the barra, the straight 6; is you can put some serious mods into it with building the bottom end and eat alot of V8s.

[@Saphire0437]

Some of the stock higher end turbo ones already ate v8s. What did the last of the F6's get? 310kw?

[@WastelandFirebird]

Yeah I'm also hearing that the Nissan turbo straight 6 that went into the VL Commodore is much-loved

[@BradGryphonn]

16:35 As a teenager growing up here in the days of custom panel vans & wagons, I would buy all the custom type magazines I could get. I had heaps of 'Van Wheels' magazines, the predecessor to what became Street Machine if I recall correctly. Plus a few others that I'd buy religiously. Many of them featured the US scene and I was torn. I liked the panel vans over here but I wanted a Bedford van or Ford Transit van so I could deck out the back, and be able to stand it if you were a short-arse like me. It was years before got a van similar. It was a 1970 Kombi with a pop-top, The bus itself was fully imported from Germany with all german instrumentation etc. It was old when I got it in the 90s but I loved that thing. I had it set up to carry our two kids in bucket seats in the back that foled down when parked up. I had a panel on piano hinge that folded over the seats, making space for a full double bed. The kids slept in the pop-top. With the seats up and the extension folded back down, there was still heaps of room to pack in all the camping gear and eskies.

[@WastelandFirebird]

I've never had any type of van but this sounds awesome.

[@sm9300]

And no Aussie ever gets excited about a V6 A turbo 6 yeah but that's it for a 6

[@comrade756]

I don't really know anything about cars but for some reason I like watching this guy get excited by them

[@WastelandFirebird]

I love comments like this, it encourages me to go off on tangents that aren't necessarily car related (check out pretty much any of my videos for more hahaaha)

[@alexsonicz8388]

Loved your show and definitely am wanting your jacket 😊

[@charliewilde4349]

4:35 is not entirely true in Australia it’s strange. The modern ish v6 commodores do not have a good reputation as the engine was shit, but the inline 6 falcons were amazing bc the engine was excellent and in many cases outperformed it’s v8 counterpart

[@alastairh9607]

do not speak ill of the mang mang

[@sillywilly9183]

@@alastairh9607 he’s talking about the alloytec not ecotec or mang mang Buick

[@tonyrata4796]

You're right about the holden v6's ,,they were rubbish . The best 6 cyl motor Holden ever had was a Nissan .

[@shaynegadsden]

Yeah the xr6 turbo was derated because it made the xr8 look bad

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

The Buick 3800/Ecotec was alright... it was the HFV6 and its timing chains made of spaghetti that were the problem.

[@madskelli]

Firebird wants to thank you all for watching his channel, subscribing, commenting and leaving a like. It means a lot to him You rock! 🖤

[@gregvaridel4342]

Wasteland Firebird says he's going to Summernats. His mind will implode! The fans alone will have him in stitches, let alone the cars.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Oh we imploded! And we'll be going back! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqOXo6SDfZlnntU

[@sm9300]

We might have that but we can't modify them at all compared too the USA We have very strict guidelines for modifications when intended for use on public roads!

[@sean640307]

You'd be hard pressed to find any of the "Sundowner" vans left, as rust was the big killer for them. They were available as an Escort van, the Falcon, and the Transit.

[@WastelandFirebird]

We eventually found some! This one was really nice! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mn26kKl4a9qgo9k

[@3800TURBO]

7:36 is factory paint. It's a John Goss Special. Sold in limited production, there is an identical one at 13:00. At 8:42 that XC ute could be compared to your US El Camino. The roof, pillar and door frame are very similar long with the unibody design.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Wow, I LOVE IT!

[@davidrayner9832]

You mean Ranchero.

[@robertmorris6529]

@@davidrayner9832 Good one Dave , but what else would you expect with a moniker like that , you the orig. Rare Spares dude ?

[@joshthomas2536]

Comparing an XC ute to an El Camino😂🥴🤡

[@3800TURBO]

@@joshthomas2536 if you cannot see the roof shape and door/pillars, you're blind.

[@suemethven2097]

In the 70s a panel van was called a shagging wagon.

[@lildrum78]

My grandad had a superb TC Cortina. I loved it. I’m grateful that Ford Australia looked at popular British Ford models to bring over. Seeing countless Escorts growing up, was awesome

[@jeffreyflynn2805]

Damn near killed myself in a TC with a worked to the eyeballs 250 cross flow in it

[@davidrayner9832]

And stuffing bigger engines in them. I had a TE with a 250.

[@noelgibson5956]

I had a TE GL with a 3-3 six in it. Very noisy and unsettled at freeway speeds, but reasonable below 100km. The low down grunt made it pleasant around town. I replaced it with an XE Fairmont with a stock 302 auto. I reckon the Cortina was quicker, and just as comfortable. The XE was obviously a more stable car in most circumstances, with a better sorted out design.

[@lildrum78]

@@davidrayner9832 I’m not surprised! That engine bay was mahoosive, and I did see a block fit a 302 Windsor in one Cortina at Summernats. Looked stunning!

[@jeffreyflynn2805]

@@lildrum78 was a black one getting around the gold coast in the 80s belonged to a bloke named Kim had a351 in it

[@truesouth4784]

My first car was a Ford Escort panel van. I loved it.

[@PeterPaoliello]

I had a yellow sedan as my first, and yellow van for my second both with 2L 👍

[@Cliffy1616]

Awesome cars. I remember years ago when I was 17 I was looking at a blue escort panel van for my first car, but because at the time my parents were offering to foot half the bill meant they got a bit of a say. And I was told I “wasn’t allowed” something so old because it wasn’t “safe”. The thing was $3k with reg and didn’t need much for RWC would have been an absolute bargain considering what they go for now. But no instead I ended up with a BA xr6 that set us back $8k, which was nice enough. But it certainly wasn’t “safer” with how I used to drive it. As it was a lot quicker than the little old escort would have been.

[@PeterPaoliello]

@@Cliffy1616 you wouldn't say that if you'd have driven one, no airbags, skinny tires, drum rears. Mid 70s small cars are terrifying to drive stock. I got mine first one for $450 and second for $1100, not much around for under $30k now

[@Cliffy1616]

@@PeterPaoliello oh I get all that, but I highly doubt I’d have been able to do stupid crap like flying along at 200kmh racing against me mates on the freeway if I had the little escort. So yeah it’d be more a case of I’d been a lot less likely to hoon around in the little escort. But yeah I’ve never driven a small old car, but I did daily drive An XE Falcon with little skinny tires all round for a few years, and that could be sketchy enough at times especially in the wet. I imagine a little escort could be worse. But I never hooned around in the old XE. Yeah but still a shame I didn’t snag it back then because like almost everything they’ve shot Up in price.

[@PeterPaoliello]

@@Cliffy1616 yeah true, for me the difference is how you get into trouble, with classic and unrestored cars it's more about the unexpected / unintended surprises when you're not being silly which get ya. Agree I'd still love to have one in my driveway now.

[@CQuinnLady]

A piece of very dark history happened where the club is now... Anita Cobby was murdered in the paddocks that once were the motorsport club. Her murder is a part of the saddest most violent crime and to this day I could never look at that area as a place i could ever step on.

[@tommccloudbreak8087]

At 7.35 that is a factory colour scheme as it is a John Goss special. Factory 302ci / 4.9 litre

[@captainzoll3303]

in regard to the air cleaner at 10:28, pedestrian safety laws here say you can't have anything sharp added to the front of the car, so people here opt for either the exposed air cleaner look, or they go for those '70s pro-mod looking fibreglass scoops.

[@robertmorris6529]

@ Captain Zoll unfortunately , that ' Air Cleaner ' protrudes more than allowed for blocking forward view .

[@4kays160]

There all illegal, even the one in the vid

[@waynemgtregear7228]

If Ford and Holden were truely independent of the parent company, then they should have been able to be still in business.

[@rossbrumby1957]

Why? Do you think they'd sell any better compared to small asian cars and SUV's if they had only their own tiny budget to get by on? Car companies went global and manufacture in cheaper countries- we can't compete with cheaper mass production here.

[@trueaussie9230]

​@@rossbrumby1957 Local management likely would have seen the writing on the wall re EVs and geared towards it - placing Aus at the forefront of that GLOBAL market. Instead of insisting that they invest in EV technology, our govt simply paid Ford and Holden to close down.

[@NoOne56488]

XR8 and XR6 Sprint was the last XR's made in Australia. Love my XR8 Sprint, really fast cars from factory.

[@billmacartney201]

A Ute (2.43) in Australia stands for Utility. (Pick up truck is the same thing). UTE is shorter to say. It can be used for carting hay or materials around the farm/city when working. Or for taking the Wife to church on Sunday. Nice and clean in the cab (supposedly) and dirty in the back, tray.

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

Ackshually.... "ute" was originally short for "coupe utility". Spot on about the "take the wife to church on Sunday" thing tho.

[@rossbrumby1957]

Utes and pickups are not the same. Utes- coupe utilities- are based on family sedan models, unlike pickups which are their own complete seperate design. Utes originally didn't have a seperate tray to the body either, but the need for versatility brought about a cab chassis version later. All still based on family sedans though. Pickups never were related to passenger sedans- even the American utes bear no resemblance to a pickup.

[@Pablo668]

I find it oddly gratifying when Americans appreciate out muscle cars. I'm more a Holden guy but I'd happily go to a Ford day. They made some good cars.

[@krazykid1600]

I love the 2017 HSV Maloo and 1973 Monaro

[@wendymorrison5803]

My Mum drove a Six cylinder Cortina in the seventies. Left confused men ,in heavy cars , far behind at the lights. Joy.

[@georgemaragos2378]

Hi, the 70's coupe were available in base model, falcon 500 and fairmont - as well as luxury ltd based Landau XA - has a special the Superbird, mostly in white with blue bonnet XB - had the John Goss special in either White - blue or White - Green XC - had the Cobra white and blue - Edsel Ford II - done a quick design o his visit her in mid 70's All 3 of those specials were available in auto or manual in 302 or 351 Cleveland V8

[@WastelandFirebird]

Glorious!

[@otterspocket97]

I stumbled across this video randomly this morning.. And I just love your enthusiasm and energy. Your passion is outstanding!! The European (UK) Ford scene now adays is just focus St's, fiesta St's but there's plenty of older hidden gems like the Sierra'S, Mondeos etc. 90s ford's in the UK were mental with the sport models.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Thanks for watching! Check out this one if you get a chance, it's our best one yet: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGncpWWqfN99e9E

[@philnorbury9032]

Good on you for being open minded

[@zakman1964]

Great Video Dude. Thanks for sharing. Greg from Maryborough Qld

[@WastelandFirebird]

Thanks for inviting me into your home, or onto your portable device!

[@rakeau]

It bemuses me why Americans only seem to be learning about the Aussie Fords after they pulled the plug on production here. Such a missed opportunity that our cars didn't find their way overseas (sans NZ).

[@Saphire0437]

I was always annoyed at how under appreciated our local cars were while we had them. Its like because they were everywhere, people assumed they were shit. Now we have 4L falcons at 20+ yrs old with half a million kms on them still running sweet. Now we realise how good we had it.

[@stephenhunter70]

We used to export cars to Africa and the Middle east, then Detroit found out about it!

[@WastelandFirebird]

Yeah I want all of these in the USA!

[@thejollyfrog2791]

Great to have you here mate gday

[@WastelandFirebird]

Thanks mate!

[@stuartrowley1981]

The white green with orange stripe falcon is a factory colour scheme that came out at the time. It's known as the John GOSS falcon after the Bathurst driver of the 70s. The sundowner panelvans didn't last long you won't find many of them around these days coz the holden sandman was the go to panelvan at the time. Ford made the sundowner panel van, valiant made the drifter panelvan and the most common panelvan was the Holden sandman panelvan and Ute style too. But both Ford and valiant came to the realisation late that panelvans were popular vehicles but by the time they made there versions of the polar sandman that popularity had started to die off and so not many of fords and valiants panelvans still exist, but they do exist.

[@WastelandFirebird]

I eventually found my Sundowner: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGPQl6B4bN99lZI and even a Drifter... or two! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGncpWWqfN99e9E

[@RandomBradCreator]

I was just about to Mention the GOSS i remember seeing a few of these around my Area of Melbourne back in the day , when i was a young Lad always loved them , maybe because there was only a few , Plenty of GT's and Coupes and Landau's and also a few COBRA's as well Great Days indeed

[@wiggyone]

I'm sad that you didn't find your sundowner - but it looks like you had a good time anyway. Chips on a stick is a genius-level invention.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Thanks for checking out the new video!

[@robnunya572]

@@WastelandFirebird TBH you didn't miss much in the Sundowner. It was Ford Australia's late and lame response to GMH's Sandman panel van, and they weren't very popular. Basically a commercial panel van with a decal set, flashy wheels and a bit of interior bling. Bog stock everywhere else IIRC.

[@WastelandFirebird]

But I love 70s decals!

[@andrewcipriano2890]

See if you cant find any Magnas floating around Sydney, the most underrated Aussie car ever built.

[@robnunya572]

The 'pink' Falcon coupe at 6:50 is actually in a colour called 'Mulberry', after the fruit. And it's purple, not pink. :)

[@atomicmillenial9728]

Nope, it's Wild Plum and it's definitely pink. Mulberry was an XB colour and it's a darker metallic purple.

[@muddymaker3721]

We here in Oz are not that excited about V6 engines, when I say 'we', I mean anyone that is a gearhead. FYI The Aussie Fords came with an inline 6, V8's and a few cars had 4 cylinder engines in some variants.

[@Saphire0437]

Speak for yourself. Turbo i6 barras are a religion among aussie gearheads.

[@fordmuscle73]

Love the enthusiasm, but no taxes?? I wish! We must be one of the most overtaxed nations on earth!

[@bgjh5149]

I've been really enjoying your car videos

[@WastelandFirebird]

Thanks! My plan is, the more viewers I get, the more seriously I will take it. I'm having a lot of fun with it.

[@snapped4433]

Verry surprised that you didn't see one of the best looking falcons in my opinion from 1990 to 2000. The ford ed xr series there verry hard to find in purfect condition but we own one. We where going to take it there but the rear main seal was leaking fairly bad. But you did see a el xr

[@simonf8902]

Ford USA imported the Capri briefly in the 1970s. And Aussie Ford 6 in an in line not a V.

[@reefsurfing3273]

Thanks for the video great to see how much you love Australia the car's and the culture 💯👍🇦🇺 look forward to more videos 👍

[@philbarnes5731]

We do have many safety laws in Australia. But, we do have awesome power to weight ratio cars and Ute's.

[@quadruple_negative]

I love how excited you are about our unique cars. I had a 1993 EB S-XR6 a while ago and I loved it even though I spend every weekend fixing it. I threw the auto in the bin and installed a T5 manual. The funny thing was the 5.0L Windsor V8 had like 2HP more than the Tickford tuned 6 (more torque though). The 6 was apparently a lighter car and therefore a better drive. Never driven an XR8 so can't confirm.

[@PiersDJackson]

The Ford Falcon - the Australian Icon started with the XK model, a locally manufactured Right hand drive copy of the American model, in 1960, then developed from there. For the most part Australian cars from the US multinationals are what could be termed a mix of Detroit and Dagenham, meaning some American and some European... initially there was an Anglophile bias.

[@littlejohnsbrewing9199]

I owned a XC GS Panelvan when I was 20-24 years old.... the model under the Sundowner. 302cu, all the tough running gear..... a bed on wheels(as you say perfect for nefarious activity). Great fun to drve and you always had somewhere to sleep. My 2 best mates had Holden Panelvans, 1 a Sandman(Holdens version of the Sundowner). Mate did we do some cruising.

[@WastelandFirebird]

Wish I could have been around in those times.....

[@-sandman4605]

Cheers Mate, cool walk around. 👍🤠 Perth Western Australia

[@WastelandFirebird]

We'll be back in Perth at the end of September! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGaXhqOwfrprp7M

[@saxongreen78]

The 1970s Capri was sold in the US as a Mercury.

[@billmago7991]

Ford are now giving away a puppy with every vehicle sold......so you won't have to walk home alone

[@markgoulding6262]

Americans are so focused on themselves. Is it such a revelation that other countries and cultures had their own way of doing things. I can't understand how they think that the rest of the world even wants to be like the US.

[@WastelandFirebird]

I'm doing my part to change that but for some reason only Australians watch my videos. AMERICA PAY ATTENTION IT IS AWESOME HERE!!

[@trueaussie9230]

​@@WastelandFirebird Americans are not likely to watch your videos, for the simple reason that they're not about the USA. 😉😊

[@EXTREMEYAMUM90]

sorry you couldnt find your sundowner but that EF falcon panel van was a good example. I'm surprised there were no HQ sandman's there, they are the most popular panel van

[@WastelandFirebird]

We finally found a great Sundowner here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mn26kKl4a9qgo9k and also here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGncpWWqfN99e9E I love them so much!

[@stopspin]

You should go to NewZealand they have been one of the biggest importers of foreign cars for ages. Jdm/ USA cars (muscle cars and classics mainly) The car Culture over their is more diverse and in car selection range of cars than Australia. I saw a much larger presence in ausie cars their in the summer season than in Australia. You can literally go to a import car lot filled with Japanese imports besides the regular dealership cars. All sorts of cars from around the world can be imported to NewZealand.

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

Yep. You'd be mad not to hop over to NZ while you're in the part of the world. JDM stuff ranging from high performance to shopping carts, along with a lot of European and British cars that Australia never got.

[@WastelandFirebird]

I will do it! I still don't know when, though.....

[@cantworkitout]

i'm not huge on fords and holdens, but the purples they came out with for the falcon and VE commodore are very nice to look at when i see one driving along

[@pablopicaro7649]

12:03 Mustang T5 Ute - truly an Aussie thing

[@trueaussie9230]

The first Mustang 'ute' I saw was featured in a 1960s US 'custom' mag. The blokes who made it also built a 'wagon' version.

[@daviddunmore8415]

!970 Falcon GTHO (Cleveland 351 HO motor) 0-60 in 4.2 seconds (If I remember from when was in OZ in the early 1970s)