Ford Falcon ED - Nailed It!

Here is my latest episode in the history of the Ford Falcon - the ED. This model was significant in the expansion of the XR derivatives as well as the introduction of the Falcon Sprint as a limited production model. Please be sure to give the episodes a 👍Like👍 and please Subscribe so you don’t miss out on new videos as they are released. I will be covering all kinds of Australian, US and other old cars. Thanks for watching 👍.

[@markbehr88]

Here is my latest episode in the Falcon history series - the Falcon ED, which included an expansion of XR models and the limited production Sprint. Please 👍Like👍 and Subscribe for more old car videos. Thanks for watching. 👍

[@RustyShackleford]

If you're into them, make a Valiant video. The AP5 (for example) has some really cool features a the combo of the 225 slant six/torqueflite 3 speed auto trans is a match made in heaven.

[@markbehr88]

@@RustyShackleford Yes. I am going to do a full history series on the Valiant. 👍

[@RustyShackleford]

@@markbehr88 Excellent! I look forward to that. My father has one of the early AP5s (1963) with the wipers (and a few other small things) on the "wrong side". A very cool car. In many ways, before it's time... but let down by the brakes and somewhat vague steering.

[@alanjm1234]

My dad had four Falcons. XA, XE , ED, and BA. Great cars, all of them.

[@markbehr88]

Yes, some nice models there! 👍

[@alanjm1234]

@@markbehr88 had to edit as initially I said three, but had forgotten the XA because I was pretty young at the time.

[@markbehr88]

@@alanjm1234 Can’t forget the XA! 👍

[@Vikingxb]

Our collection currently consists of a XB falcon 500, XB fairmont, XC falcon 500, XD falcon gl, XE fairmont and an ED fairmont. The ED is causing some issues, a few engine management gremlins, but shes hanging in there.

[@markbehr88]

@@Vikingxb nice. Is the ED a V8 or six? 👍

[@C_and_C...]

9:12 Little known fact, before becoming the gyro captain in a post apocalyptic Australia, he used to work at a Ford dealership.

[@markbehr88]

Really. Which one? He is a Kiwi. 👍

[@carleybebbington7846]

@@markbehr88 Yes, but he has been acting in Aust since the early 70s. He acted in the movie stork around 1971.

[@tba3900]

I bought an ED XR6 when they were release. Leman red, sprint body kit, mono steering wheel but I changed the mags to a different ROH 16’s . Yokohama at the time had the A509 tyres which suited the XR’s suspension. Over time I bought the entire XR collection all in the same colour Leman red 5 XR6 sedans 1 XR6 wagon 2 XR8 2 Sprints 1 XG XR6 Ute 1 Fairmont Ghia I have stopped driving them all now for 2 main reasons , the wagon was hit in the rear by a drunk driver and the insurance company wanted to write it off , but I demanded it be repaired ,which took 18 month at the cost of $14,000 and the other reason the cops. In one night I was pulled over 5 times . Wasnt doing anything stupid but for some reason every time a cop would see it , they would do a U turn and pull me over. From that point on none of them have seen the road for 10 years. My first car won the best E series at all ford day in Adelaide . The detailed a young kid just starting his detailing business made he look a million bucks and subsequently I gave the trophy to him to promote his business .

[@markbehr88]

Wow. What a collection. I really love the XR6 wagons. 👍

[@tba3900]

@@markbehr88 I bought mine off eBay for $3g. She would otherwise have been dismantled for parts as in those day XR parts commanded big money.Spent 18 months rebuilding her front to rear , including paint as QlD sun destroys red. At that time Ford still had a lot of spare parts so my $3g end up costing me $8000 to rebuild everything and replace anything that wasn’t right. Very unique and very limited in number. From memory on 46 wagons in Leman were made. I do have the numbers somewhere of build numbers. Mine did get hit by a drunk driver, but she was repaired and never went back on the road again.

[@markbehr88]

@@tba3900 They are such cool cars. I do see them every now and again and it is always good to see them on the road. Such a good looking wagon and I do love my wagons! 👍

[@tba3900]

@@markbehr88 just found out they made 296 ED XR6 wagons. More popular than the 133 3.2L cfi engine. If they made an XR8 wagon I would have added one to my collection or even a XR8 XG Ute .

[@markbehr88]

@@tba3900 Yes they both would have been great models 👍

[@johnblood3367]

Great Video, I miss my Cardinal Red ED Fairmont an that velour Interior an Turbo Blade wheels However now I have a BF2 Fairmont Ghia in Seduce ( Cardinal Red Perl paint) with the standard Alloy wheels an leather interior. LOVE IT. Have done 256,000km since owning it since new 17 years.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. Glad you are enjoying them. Wow. They both sound pretty cool. You’ve had a good run out of the BF so far. 👍

[@sp19822]

Cardinal Red and Polynesian Green were very popular colours with these.

[@markbehr88]

@@sp19822 Yes, especially the green. It came in and out of fashion , whereas the red aged better imo. 👍

[@lancecooper4646]

9:11...ahahaha..Bruce Spence. ..that's classic taa 😂😛👍

[@markbehr88]

Yes, classic 👍

[@anthonycima1811]

They should have parked his gyrocopter in the background 😂

[@markbehr88]

@@anthonycima1811 Yes 😀👍

[@sp19822]

My neighbour had one of the very last of the ED models as a company car, built August 1994. A GLi in Cardinal Red, it was replaced with a VT Commodore in 1997.

[@markbehr88]

Both good cars. 👍

[@sp19822]

@markbehr88 and even though they both were base models, they had a bit of street cred.When he brought them home, all us kids rushed over to take a look.Now these days we only find out a neighbour has a new car by seeing the shiny new car in the drive with recently issued number plates.

[@markbehr88]

@@sp19822 Yes and generally zero interest in an SUV. 🫣👍

[@gerarddaly3538]

ED was my favourite of the series . We had a white wagon with factory alloys maybe steel sports wheels was stolen and put into a tree 6 months old . Can’t remember what replaced it probably a commodore wagon . Keep the videos coming

[@markbehr88]

Thanks Gerard. What a shame. Poor Falcon. It deserved a better fate than that at so young an age 😀👍

[@jamesfrench7299]

@@markbehr88 they must have got the keys as the smartlock couldn't be defeated I believe. What useless parasites.

[@jesus_built_my_hotrod]

Love how the radio was tuned to JJJ. Really enjoying this series thanks mate.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks Glad you are the series. Very observant re the radio. A Marketing staff member trying to be cool I assume? 😀👍

[@commodorenut]

JJJ is on different frequencies in different states (eg 105.7 in Sydney, 99.something in QLD) so it wouldn’t have made much sense outside of Melbourne.

[@markbehr88]

@@commodorenut Probably just what they were listening to on the day of the shoot. 👍

[@jesus_built_my_hotrod]

@@commodorenut and 107.7 in brissy, 97.7 on the GC

[@chocodiledundee1]

I a 1994 ED GLi with a 6 passenger bench seat and auto column shifter on the tree , car was a KILLA car , got for free it was my first car in Australia 🇦🇺 I had it for 13 years , I crossed country with everything I owned inside it , car had KILLA torque , smooth engine plenty of power quite economical on the highway, I slept many many times inside it , I even lived inside that car when I got divorced, I was bonded with that car beyond words , never let me down ! I read that the wiring loom was so good free of bugs by 1994 that the 1997 newer model falcon had to go back to ED wiring loom for reliability! Only thing I would advise is to put sport suspension on it , heavy duty shocks and springs if it’s possible as that car handles like a Porsche if upgraded suspension, people got no idea how great that ED handles with heavy duty suspension car have 4 disc brakes all around sway bars all around it was a KILLA falcon , I do believe from that time on all Falcons were pretty much bulletproof from 1994 onwards even the one late 90’s around one I see those a lot here in Adelaide tuned with big fat alloy wheels and low as !! Another great video thank you for making and posting it ! This car means a lot to me a true Aussie legend I also spotted Ayrton Senna and his then girlfriend Adriana Galisteu driving one in one of the Ayrton Senna interviews in Adelaide back in the F-1 days !

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it and sounds like this model has a very special place in your heart. 👍

[@Aaajjjjjjjjj]

EB was the sweet spot in terms of design for me. Just that subtle front badge moving to the grille and the removal of the C pillar vents gave it such a cleaner look.

[@markbehr88]

I agree. The EB was a great model 👍

[@brucescott2263]

I owned an EB Wagon then an ED Futura Wagon, gee the ED was a nice well equipped and well mannered vehicle. I had a job to pry it off my wife when we upgraded to another vehicle.

[@markbehr88]

She clearly has great taste in cars. 👍

[@imidsikkey]

I love this series you're making. So much information :)

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much 👍

[@htahana3461]

I use to own a 94 ed falcon sprint it was the perfect handling falcon on long drives with performance to add .Great video .

[@markbehr88]

Cool. Good to hear from someone who owned one. 👍

[@couttsy222]

Another great recap, Mark. The Sprint was such a lovely, fun car to drive -- the Windsor just felt so strong and revvy.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. The Sprint and the XRs were definitely the highlight. 👍

[@michaelguerin56]

Thanks Mark. Good episode.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks Michael 👍

[@johnphaceas7434]

Though I have an Alfa 156 GTA as my daily driver these days, I still look back with fondness at the slightly shabby 89 EA Fairmont I bought for $750 and dailied for two years back in the mid-noughties. Bit of lacquer peel, scuffed alloys and missing the petrol cap flap, it is still the most comfortable car I've ever owned. Those thick velour seats were fantastic. Even the onboard computer and AC worked, absolutely bulletproof. Standard 3.9Lsix through a slushbox meant it was slow as a wet week though. But I never got a ticket in it (first ticket free period in 35 years of driving), and was happy adopting a more relaxed grandpa driving style.

[@markbehr88]

Maybe you should find one again? 👍

[@johnphaceas7434]

@@markbehr88 doubt I'd find another in roadworthy condition for $750. But if I spotted a cheap enough one in wagon form, I just might. Wouldn't mind something I can cart the dog around in without worrying about the upholstery. No way the dog is getting in the Alfa...

[@markbehr88]

@@johnphaceas7434 Yes, I’m sure you could find one but not for $750. 😀👍

[@mclouj]

I had an ED Fairmont in Cobalt Blue back in 99. Fantastic car, although the rear used to get a bit loosey goosey when giving it the beans on a slightly wet on/off ramp. Bless that leaf spring axle.

[@markbehr88]

Leaf springs so assume it was a wagon? 👍

[@reitsmaassociates]

Great review! The grill change was a step backwards compared to the very pure EA. XR models were definitely the pick of ED

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much 👍

[@onedayiwillmakesomecontent]

I, hope the guy towing the boat remembered to put up that jockey wheel! Missed out on an XR6 ED wagon, in the cheap, as traded section of a car yard one time. Passed on it as it had a weird spot of rust inside the passenger door just in front of the wheel arch... shoulda, coulda lol

[@markbehr88]

Yes, the one that got away. 👍

[@karnereeves3460]

I can't wait for the EF and EL.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. I am especially looking forward to EF, as I have a beautiful Fairmont V8 (check it out on the channel in previous episodes). 👍

[@Andy-ev8sf]

I had an ED Fairmont. Cost me 2.5k. Everything worked. It was a great car. The fuel cost was killing me so I got rid of it. My favourite feature was the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel. I thought it was so ahead of its time. Lol

[@markbehr88]

Sounds like a nice car and great price. 👍

[@reitsmaassociates]

The ED grill - it was plane nasty ! I remember when I first saw it I simply couldn’t believe what they had done to such an attractive car . XR6/XR8 were the only good looking variants

[@markbehr88]

I must admit. I didn’t love the standard grille either 🤔👍

[@Nightmaretyrant]

Always thought the XD to EL looked better then their competitors. The fact they were full size already and the others didnt really reach that till the late 90s and 00s gave them road presence.

[@markbehr88]

Yes, they had that Falcon wide stance that always looked the business since the 1966 XR. 👍

[@mihali9655]

The XD was a huge win for Ford, with the lighter car in the same size body and the alloy head OHV six, you used the same fuel as the smaller Commodore which was still making do with the old non-crossflow all iron lump. When you bought the Ford it cost you the same to run as a Commodore but you could fit Nan in the middle on the front bench seat - as the ads liked to point out!

[@markbehr88]

@@mihali9655 Absolutely and back then, Ford had decent Marketing to make the most of that fact. 👍

[@gashy1000]

Thanks Mark another great and informative episode. We had an ED Falcon Wagon in early 1994, it was purchased by us second hand with very low k's on it from the local Ford dealer in Horsham. A real family style chariot, wagon as I've said, bench seat in the front and column auto. It was the Mrs daily driver to work in Horsham and she travelled about 80k's to work and then home every day, we have family in Melbourne and Hamilton so a hell of a lot of km's were run up on the clock. We literally drove the wheels off that car, you could not kill it with a stick, engine certainly had enough get up and go for overtaking, the transmission had a good spread of ratio's, a well sorted car. The Mrs' didn't mind hunting it along a bit and I certainly didn't mind doing 140 to overtake 2 or 3 dipsticks and a B-Double on the open road. I run a few different tyre combinations, standard tyre was a 195/75 I reckon, our local mechanic at one stage had a set of 225/65's and I got them on, the max tyre width for the rim, they went ok, next I ran a 205/70 which was a great tyre for the rougher rural roads and last but not least I ran a 215/65 which was very good also. It was a trade off between the 215 and 205, a bigger footprint or whisker more cushion in the tyre wall. Our vehicle was run on gas and proved very economical for the amount of k's we did also very reliable. From memory I reckon about 450ish k's was the touring range. However of interest we had a couple of trips away where we travelled from Horsham and through Southern NSW and cruising at around 130ish we managed to gain an extra 100ish k's per tank of gas. This seemed to prove at 100 or so khp even though the engine was operating at quite low rpm's it certainly wasn't running efficiently which it seemed to be at 130. We traded the wagon in on a Pajero in late 2000 with all but 300,000k's on the clock. The salesman said with that amount of k's on it he didn't even want to look at it, he gave us $500 and reckoned he was doing us a favour and sent it to the local wreckers, I was marginally horrified, the thing would have done another 300,000 I reckon. The only bug bare we had with it was we had to replace the struts and shockers every year, hindsight probably should have had ute or xr6 struts and shockers. A fine vehicle and I enjoyed driving it. cheers Andy in Adelaide.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. What a great testimony to a wonderful workhorse. Shame it ended its faithful service with a trip to the glue factory. I get it would not be worth anything but as cheap transport for someone as you say - good for another 2-300,000kms. I bet the Pajero did not deliver that? 👍

[@gashy1000]

@@markbehr88 well actually the Pajero was an excellent vehicle and stood up the k's very well, although it had bloody well should have too. Reckon it was worth all but $50 grand at the time, you could have bought a very smart Falcon or Commodore wagon for half that price. But we can't compare apples with oranges. The thing was a bit of a pig in the tyre department with the independent rear suspension but that's another story for when you start reviewing Mitsubishi's 😉. cheers, Andy in Adelaide.

[@markbehr88]

@@gashy1000 Thanks Andy. I thought it may have been a bit of a guzzler? 👍

[@Grumpy-sy7wr]

I had an ED Futura wagon, in boring white, optioned with LPG and the heavy towing pack. What an absolute workhorse, with huge kms on the clock. Carried and towed anything I wanted it to, and so reliably.

[@markbehr88]

Yes, what great work horses. 👍

[@aidansmith1354]

Definitely EB GT! my second car on P plates was a complete restoration of a burgandy EA 6 cylinder manual with a GT bobykit. Was like a new car! 👌

[@markbehr88]

Very cool P plate car 👍

[@paulsz6194]

It’s hard to believe these days, that 14 inch wheels were standard for such a large car back then! You would think 15 inch would have been standard back then, which would still be a little small for today’s standards.

[@markbehr88]

Yes they do seem small. I think it was all cost related. 👍

[@petermurgatroyd2002]

I liked the ED the best out of that series of Falcon as it had a lot more smart features like the Smart Lock system.

[@markbehr88]

Fair enough 👍

[@mihali9655]

Amazing video, been following the series since the start. Can’t wait for the next one - my personal favourites are the EF/EL, Ford got the shape so so right with those ones.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. I am looking forward to EF. Style wise I prefer it to the EL, especially in the base car. 👍

[@shaun30-3-mg9zs]

Hi Mark, This model looks good with the quad head lights, and now with the oval grill this was also happening to Ford UK with the Escort, the new Mondeo , Fiesta and Scorpio/Granada as well as the Transit van, I did notice the wide five spoke alloy wheels look the same that was fitted to the UK Scorpio/ Granada Ghia and Cosworth models. The last ad the man in the suit was he in Mad Max the guy in the flying gyro coppter ,he looks familiar. I do like the EB model because of the V8 engine. Great video Take care

[@markbehr88]

Thanks Shaun. Yes, no doubt that grille was Scorpio influenced. Yes, that is the same person on the Mad Max Gyro. Good spotting. 👍

[@jamesfrench7299]

I forgot this model introduced the XRs. Despite the VR Commodore having a lot more changes to it's 1988 body origins, the ED looked more substantial and advanced. You did throw in a lot of content for a stopgap model that lasted 1 year. Ford should have reshaped the headlights, although a year of sub 100K production really couldn't justify the cost. It is a very well regarded model that was an EA with dream specs and build.

[@markbehr88]

Yes, I was pleased I could find some interesting details on the ED, especially the XRs including the wagon. Agree the front end on the standard cars could have benefited from more styling changes but it did sell well. I thought the VR Commodore was a very good facelift and I had those when I worked at Holden. 👍

[@jamesfrench7299]

@@markbehr88 I had a base model T4 Lexcen in dark burgundy metallic. The best car I owned.

[@markbehr88]

@@jamesfrench7299 I never knew they were called T4? 👍

[@jamesfrench7299]

@@markbehr88 yep counterpart to the VS Commodore. They used the guards of the Statesman/Caprice to help make up the different front designed to resemble the Camry. They even moved the blinkers to the bumper. I didn't like the wheel covers and ended up fitting genuine silver police chasers complete with the proper capped lugnuts and Commodore centre caps. It looked fantastic and handled bends with more precision.

[@charliemccahon3019]

This series on the history of the Australian Falcon is brilliant. EA was my pick. The family Falcon wagons were a brown XD, red XE, yellow XF S with the spots, light blue EA was the last of the new Falcons we had.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. You had a great selection of Falcons 👍

[@Ratkwad]

I inherited and drove my parents BA TX for a couple of years. Honest motoring

[@markbehr88]

Cool 👍

[@Doc_in_the_carpet_truck]

This one is the bucket list tattslotto special xr6 a Wagoon of course sohc turbo conversion 👍

[@markbehr88]

That would be cool 👍

[@jonathanberglind4589]

My favourite of that series was probably the ED the EA had something of a crudeness about despite being the pilot car of that series. But that sunroof shouts aftermarket, I think the last Falcon to offer a proper factory sunroof was the XC. I like Bruce Spence in the last advert many fond memories of him in Hercules Returns

[@markbehr88]

Glad you liked the old ads. 👍

[@onedayiwillmakesomecontent]

My NL fairlane concorde has a customer ordered sunroof, but it was done by prestige sunroofs in Melbourne. I reckon they all would have been the same?

[@markbehr88]

@@onedayiwillmakesomecontent Quite possibly Ford’s contractor. 👍

[@rodneymcgiveron]

Thanks Mark , Your vids on Falcons are amazing .Always liked the ED a lot , beaut car all round...So informative and thorough....Eagerly awaiting the AU one ...I have owned my AU ll Futura Classic since 2003 ...Love the old girl ...and also have a truly gorgeous FG XR6...Had an XB , XE , EF , BA Fairmont Ghia too , a few Escorts early on and a Telstar as well..... Thanks so much,,,

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much Rodney. Glad you enjoy them. You have and have had quite a nice collection of Fords. 👍

[@commodorenut]

Another outstanding video Mark. Your formula is working well. I do like the suggestion in the comments of putting numbers on the screen as text too, but hey, that’s only a minor point (and positive too). Your title should have been “nailED it” 😂. We used to joke that it was “Extra Details” because really, that’s what it was - all the finer detailed improvements over the EB2. Don’t know how you could spin NCII though - they were a really good package (especially with the larger front door speakers). The ED was a well sorted car, and 30 years on, the only criticisms are clutch pedals (I reinforced around a dozen of them for mates - no failures afterwards), rust (although better than EA), oil leaks (the norm with the SOHC 4.0L) and steering hose failures. The range of models showed how tough the market was becoming, and all the ideas they had to chase sales. I think many people today don’t understand the contemporary market in the 90s, and what drove buyers to decide on one model or another. Active safety was in its infancy, and ABS was big news. But many still feared it. Likewise airbags (not to feature until EF). As I posted in another reply, our fleet manager cut falcons off the list for 12 months because the VR Acclaim had an airbag, and the ED didn’t. Keep up the great work mate😎

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. Glad you are enjoying them. I am looking forward to the EF as I really like the look of the standard car plus the differentiation of the L2 and L3 cars. Re the title - that’s what I did (upper cased the ED part). I wanted something different to the EB one - extra benefits. You are correct re the whole safety push but I reckon Ford should have done more with the S dropping it for Futura was not the right move as they appealed to different markets. Holden created a new name in Acclaim and Ford should have done something different while pushing the S as a sporty value option. I always liked the red band around the car too ala EB. 👍

[@commodorenut]

@@markbehr88 the red band was a clever styling choice. On the phone and iPad the capital ED doesn’t show up. It just reads “Nailed It” One thing I always remember from the EF development was the angle of the oil cooler in the lower bar opening. Ford went above & beyond with airflow research in the 90s, and the EF with no grille was the result of the knowledge they gained. I agree with the fake grilles on L3 making them so different to more basic ones. Sadly the EL was a backward step in style. The boot appliqué was another clever design addition on the higher models. Compared to Holden, which really only had the 2 tone paint on a Calais to differentiate it, the sports and luxury falcons were quite different from each other. IMO EF was the best iteration of the E series, and all done on a budget too. The dash copped complaints but I liked it. And finally, a “normal” handbrake appeared 😀

[@markbehr88]

@@commodorenut Aww and I made it blue and everything! Agree on the EF and EL summary. They had to do the lower intake well as there wasn’t an upper as such. Take the L2 and L3 grilles out and there is just a well there. I was surprised to see that the first time as I thought in very hot applications it may have benefitted from some extra air? When I do the Fairlanes on these series I will be kind re the interior and the way they drive but they really went backwards from a differentiation perspective. Almost doing what Holden used to do but Holden learned their lesson. 👍

[@bradheath6079]

Another great video mate. I’m loving these as a falcon fan. ED was my favourite of the three you mentioned. The old boy was lucky enough to get new company cars every couple of years and they were generally falcons so the ED was the first car I got to drive when I gained my learners. Of course my first car, not long after, was a falcon too…an XC GS panel van.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. Fair enough. Especially if the ED was your first car to drive. The XC GS panel van would be cool to have today. 👍

[@commandertopgun]

Great great video review on 1993 For Falcon ED, I AM THRILLED about these gorgeous cars, wow I am so happy to have discovered your KZbin channel gosh bless you for being a Ford guy or a car guy, no matter what, I love the Falcons no matter the year Australia made the best Fords.-Thank you so much for your review, I am definitely coming to Australia 2024 ( all things being equal ) lol.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. I really appreciate that and I am sure you will love it here too. 👍

[@tiitsaul9036]

I've watched a couple of your videos. Very informative and well done. The only suggestion I have, is you should add figures to the screen when you mention numbers. It can be hard to hear numbers. Seeing numbers on a screen is a lot easier to visualise.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Sometimes, when there are a lot of numbers, it can be quite time consuming to edit etc, however, I will see where I can do it where it makes sense. 👍

[@SteveGrason59]

I had an ED Futura classic in Polynesian Green. Great car. The sound system was excellent.

[@markbehr88]

Very popular colour too. 👍

[@alby6728]

I worked at a Dealership and PD’d 3 of those Sprints, wow went like a cut cat. Really good stuff back then !

[@markbehr88]

Very cool. I am trying to work out which colour I like best. Maybe white? 👍

[@TechReviews2010]

Awesome channel mate, can't wait to see some Holdens as well keep up the good work.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. I will be doing Holdens once I finish the Falcon series. Plus other cars too of course. 👍

[@benni727]

its crazy to think about 8yr ago i was wreaking ed xrs flat out, 2x ed xr6 white wagons,1 manual, 1 black manual ed xr6 1 cobolt blue sunroof manual 16s 2 Polynesian green ed xr6 1 manual sunroof 1 auto 1 red ed xr6 auto 1 black ed xr8 i maybe the cause of these going up in value haha

[@markbehr88]

And one day they almost disappear. I went to the wreckers the other day. Even AUs are starting to dwindle. 👍

[@benni727]

@markbehr88 yea, plenty of junky ba bf even fgs are getting pretty common at wreakers now. who would have thought a ea eb ed would be a desirable car now I sure didn't

[@markbehr88]

@@benni727 There are almost none pf those now. Plenty of Territory though. 😀👍

[@peterlamattina6510]

In standard form, the EB was a better looking car. The model that ford really nailed was the EB Series 2. In the ED XR range, it was the round headlights that won people over by way of looks, but again as a car the EB2 was much better. Ford also dropped a lot of the options available in XR trim from EB2 to ED… For an example, EB2 XR6 and 8 had the momo wheel as a standard feature, in ED it was an option. EB2 XR’s also had the option of electric windows whereas ED that option was dropped.

[@markbehr88]

I agree with your summary. 👍

[@stevensmith7926]

Photo of the sprint on the blocks at Lloyds my dad is the owner of that car bought it privately after it didnt meet reserve

[@markbehr88]

Congratulations. You have a very nice car there! 👍

[@bill13690]

I have really enjoyed all of your episodes from EA all the way through to ED. I liked all of those series. EA to ED.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. Check out the earlier episodes too if you want to find out more on Falcon developments 👍👍

[@bill13690]

@@markbehr88 Thanks will do

[@michaelhart5886]

As an apprentice i remember doing many a head gasket on the 6 cylinders. New head studs every time. As i head towards late 40's in age now i appreciate the old girls soo much more. As a holden guy id happily have a ED xr series any day

[@markbehr88]

That shows an objective viewpoint 👍👍

[@GL-xz3xk]

Great cars - another car that was everywhere at one stage, then gone. The twin headlights on the XR - people used to replicate that on non XR models using a 'twinlight' kit from Sven Djuve (just googled and he's still around!).

[@markbehr88]

Agree. Great cars. Interesting re the lights. 👍

[@nathansmith6914]

I had an old ED wagon i bought for $600 and it was great, if lethal in the wet. Then got an EF and realised how much more solid the ED dash was in particular.

[@markbehr88]

That is interesting. EF episode coming next. 👍

[@tba3900]

XR came in Dynamic white Pearl black Polynesian green Leman red Cobalt The A pillar was filled with foam to increase roll over performance. Originally was going to be called EC but changed to ED . Don’t know how true but EC emissions certificate failed , so ED was next evolution. . Some ED part numbers actually have EC prefix. All XR unique components have TVE prefix on part numbers The gas conversions were done by Tickford.

[@markbehr88]

Interesting about the EC. Didn’t make sense why they avoided that one? 🤔👍

[@tba3900]

@@markbehr88 For some reason all Ford engines are emission certified in Dearborn. If you see some photos of FOMOCO Dearborn you will see the occasional Falcons in the photo.

[@markbehr88]

@@tba3900 Yes, I have seen that plus some cold weather testing in Europe too. 👍

[@Noelly1980]

I had an EB XR8 with a 5 speed manual. Changed the headlights to the ED XR lights, and it looked mint in black with a set of 17 inch ROH Chicane rims. Absolutely kicking myself that I got rid of it when I bought one of the last FPV F6's in 2014. To be honest, there was so much character in that car. Wasn't particularly fast, but sounded awesome. The F6 is quiet, but super fast, but I just loved the noise, and the feeling of just cruising in the XR8. So yes, my favourite will be, and ever be an EB...

[@markbehr88]

I like the EB too. Yes, it would be good to have both. I am biased as I was Product Planner for the FPVs. 😀👍

[@MegaSkypes]

Wonderful work loving your channel ❤

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. 👍👍

[@mathewhyland8925]

very educational Mark

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. It is interesting as every model has its unique points. 👍

[@area51isreal71]

Thanks Mark, great viewing. I loved the detailed info on the XR's.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. Glad you liked it. 👍

[@ultramag9413]

Keep up the great work

[@markbehr88]

Thank you 👍👍

[@bill13690]

Thanks very much, mark. Really enjoyed your episodes.

[@markbehr88]

Thank you 👍

[@tba3900]

Both the EB and ED XR8 were used a the PPG pace cars. In other words the Indy 300 at the Gold Coast. The ED used a Indy front spoiler( which basically bolts over the top of a falcon front bumper with some minor removal of the lower bumper ) and bonnet vents similar to the RS500.

[@markbehr88]

Very cool 👍

[@BluesShed]

Great series mate well done

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much 👍

[@user-dd7bx8de8y]

ED Falcon Futura sedans were available with a manual transmission. I know this because I have one and have paperwork from Ford that it was ordered with the manual transmission.

[@markbehr88]

I would say it is a special order. The Futura was re-introduced to go up against the Holden Commodore Acclaim, which was auto only. 👍

[@commodorenut]

I remember the big push was on safety back in the day - the VR acclaim had standard drivers airbag and abs. Ford were yet to do the airbag, but the ED had to go up against the VR for 11 months. ABS was the key “standard option” nod to safety on the Futura, but they had to add a few more niceties to offset the Acclaim’s standard drivers airbag. It wouldn’t surprise me if a private buyer wanted the spoils of a Futura, but with a manual trans. And don’t forget all the deals that employees could get too. I saw some neat and quite unique option combinations when my work was doing a lot of future program collaboration with Geelong & Campbellfield. The company cars at my work in the 90s were either ford or Holden. We had heaps of VP execs and EB GLis. In late 93 we went over to VR Acclaims because of the airbag - it was a perceived safety thing that made the fleet manager choose that path, but when the EF Futura was released in ‘94 with the standard airbag, and Fords were back on the menu, many swapped back again, and when the AU came out, there was only 1 VT left on the fleet. Anyone else remember the newspaper ad campaigns for the $990 ABS on new commodores and falcons?

[@mihali9655]

@@markbehr88the Futura was available in manual from 1993-1998. You could get a Futura in I6 manual, I6 auto, V8 auto but NOT V8 manual - you had to get the XR8 for that. When the AU1 came out the Futura was auto only and I6 only. As an aside, the first cooking model manual V8 you could get after the reintroduction was a BA/BF XT V8 manual sedan. This came standard with pretty cool multi-spoke alloys. You could get a AU XLS V8 in manual too. The XH2 Longreach V8S was auto only, you needed an XR8 to get a manual V8 in XH.

[@markbehr88]

@@mihali9655 Was that BA an SR? I know they did those in AU? 👍

[@mihali9655]

@@markbehr88 this was XT. They made very few but they did make them. All manual XTs got the multi spoke alloys actually. Only the auto XTs got the 16 inch steelies.

[@tba3900]

Always wanted a ED Fairmont Ghia V8 in Cobalt. Could never find one , so I settle for a lemans red one but the colour doesnt suit it. Ghias look nice in metallics and darker colours or even white.

[@markbehr88]

Yes. I like my metallic red EB. Prefer the earlier wheels, grille and see through head rests. 👍

[@philnorbury9032]

Another great video Mark: these were a great thing. If memory serves me right the car magazines of the day also made a big deal about this being the first Falc with a centre lap sash belt in the back.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. I am not sure if the rear lap sash was an ADR requirement or not. They should it at the end of the first ad and I do remember them talking about it. They may have been selling other models (smaller ones) that didn’t have that feature so maybe didn’t want to make a song and dance about it as ABS and Airbags were the flavour of the day safety wise? 👍

[@jasoncarpp7742]

G'day Mark. Lovely looking car. 🙂

[@markbehr88]

Hi Jason. Yes, the Sprint and XRs especially. 👍

[@jasoncarpp7742]

@@markbehr88 Of all the Ford Falcons you've done videos about, which are your favourites? Or do you have any favourite? 🙂

[@markbehr88]

@@jasoncarpp7742 Hi Jason. By series, I like the XM the best in the first generation, second is hard as I really like the XR Fairmont and maybe the XW GT, third generation I like the XA in the hardtop and the XC in the sedans and wagons, fourth generation I like the XD, fifth generation I like the EB Ghia V8. You?👍

[@Luke-er6pg]

Another good episode Mark! I’d forgotten about the ED Falcon!!

[@markbehr88]

Thanks Luke! 👍

[@EdmundSampson-pd7vi]

Ive always wondered why they stuck with xf body for the utes....the utes in the ED xr6 or 8 body wouldve been tough

[@markbehr88]

Purely cost I reckon. They do a decent update at EF. 👍

[@mihali9655]

Holden cancelled their commercials in January 1985. Ford was going to follow suit but since the tooling was paid off and there were a few spare OHV engines from the XF era they decided to just continue with making the commercials. Of course the XG came out in March 1993, a few FoA engineers were able to convince the bean counters that it wasn’t that expensive to throw the current EB 2 OHC six into the old XF ute body. This allowed them to deplete excess stock of the EB2/ED motor well after the EF came out with its slightly uprated 4.0 making 157kw. The XH update in April 1996 brought a few more changes, most significantly the rack and pinion front end from the EF, so it was no longer a major diplomatic incident to do a U turn! My own XH is a curious one, first month of build, I got an ED engine with log manifold - but with a serpentine belt system, 50mm longer than the EF/EL belt.

[@markbehr88]

@@mihali9655 Great info. Thanks. 👍

[@deejay8ch]

Falcon good episode. Good job as usual.

[@markbehr88]

That’s Falcon nice of you! 😀👍

[@chuckselvage3157]

I owned an ED great car six cylinder auto the thing just went and went I sold it and bought an EF six another good car.

[@markbehr88]

Good to hear it performed well 👍

[@BomberFletch31]

Nice find with the ads at the end. Brings back many memories. For me personally, I wasn't fond of the ED's revised styling. I didn't think the oval grille fits in with the overall look of the car, so to my eyes at least, the EB was aesthetically the superior car. I am, however, looking forward to the EF and EL instalments of this series! I became a Ford fan in the early 90s when I saw an EA Falcon for the first time. Adored the styling changes made to the EB, but I thought the ED was a bit of a mis-step. Ford absolutely nailed the EF and EL, though.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. I agree with your summation of the styling. Look out for EF coming up next and checkout the old episodes on the playlist if you haven’t already. 👍

[@JasonJohnson-mo5bu]

We had a cobalt blue sprint with a GT body kit added . Did 230,000 k’s on it without a spanner on the engine or gearbox . Had awesome handling and sounded pretty grouse .too . Only downsides were the brakes faded slowing down after the compulsory run up to the limiter and the driveshaft needed rebalancing occasionally . Was surprisingly good on fuel too . 11 L/100km on long trips . Had mates with Holdens and we used to joke that we could tell straight away who had done a burnout . 1 black line = Holden . 2 black lines = ford haha .Was a sad day when we traded her in .

[@markbehr88]

Sounds like a great car. 👍

[@barrycuda3769]

👍

[@markbehr88]

😀👍

[@CiLyXx]

Thank you!!

[@markbehr88]

Pleasure 👍

[@anthonycima1811]

I had one of the first EB series 1 S-pak’s from 1991 to 2007 but my boss bought an ED Futura sedan which I got the opportunity to occasionally drive. Despite the same body shape, I must say the ED was a significant step forward in quality, quietness and refinement. My boss and I would share our experiences with maintenance and servicing, the ED was cheaper and more reliable to run than my EB. It was clear Ford had learned a lot more with improving the ED to be a better vehicle.

[@markbehr88]

Yes, that would have been a good comparison to see the improvements. 👍

[@antzman88]

💪🏻😎good video a shift kit good suspension new throttle cable au injectors electric fans xh intake snorkel 3.9 cpi intake tube a good panel filter in the xr6 and your keeping up with some cars you have no business keeping up with and its awesome you can nick parts off other the later model falcons to make the early e series hustle…in saying that i have a feeling ford were being a tad conservative with their power figures🤷🏼i daily the crap out of mine it gets beaten harder than a red headed step child but im on point with maintenance and thats all it takes keep an eye on it and itll look after goes for any car👌🏻

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. They are great performing and durable cars. That’s why we love our Falcons. 👍👍

[@louiskats5116]

G'day Mark, Great video for me the ED for sure, didn't realise how rare the XR8 Sprint were made. You don't see them around even in the day you didn't see them. Hope you are enjoying the long weekend. Might be around the Pennisula next weekend with the VG. Will give you a call catch up for a coffee. Cheers Louis Kats 👍

[@markbehr88]

Thanks Louis. Yes,even when new,the Sprints were a rare sight. Even more so now. 👍

[@louiskats5116]

@@markbehr88 👍👍

[@markbehr88]

👍

[@Michka1001]

Another top video Mark! Absolutely love the ED, that quad headlight treatment on the sport models really made a huge difference to the look of the car, certainly modernised it!

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. Glad you like them. I am hoping everyone who likes them is subscribed as it does help the channel out? Agree, the quad headlight treatment looks excellent. 👍

[@daniellebcooper7160]

I had a factory manual, which broke the clutch pedal 'swivel thing' a couple of times. A terrible design flaw. Though apart from that it was a lovely car to drive.

[@markbehr88]

Yes, I heard you need to weld a support bracket on the firewall. My AU XR6 manual seems ok and it has well over 300,000 kms on it. 👍

[@mikldude9376]

@@markbehr88 just a bit of trivia , clutches can get a harder to operate as they get older , also sometimes people fit heavier clutch pressure plates too which can put extra forces on the pedal mechanism, back in the old days just with a tiny bit of graphite or heavy grease on the end of a long screw driver blade through the clutch fork hole , you could very sparingly lube the pressure plate fingers which would do amazing things for the pedal pressure in a good way, sometimes it could even alleviate pressure plate/ jerky clutch binding from grooves being worn into the pressure plate fingers. And usually you could feel the wear and tear by operating the clutch with engine off , and then operating the clutch with the engine on. Binding heavy clutch was also responsible for premature clutch cable failure on the models that had that. Also worn out binding cables also could play a part in pedal box problems. The old days when cars were built to be able to easily repair or service yourself if you had a bit of spanner skill 😊.

[@markbehr88]

Great tip. Thanks.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Thanks Mark.

[@markbehr88]

Pleasure 👍

[@clarkstar11]

Nailed it again Mark great Job! wow only 72,000 made fairly low number... Anywayz im looking forward to the AU Video thats surely coming up soon :) Thnx again for the great history and content!

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. Glad you liked it. We are slowly moving towards AU. Next ep will be the EF, which I am a fan of. 👍

[@tba3900]

It was only produced for a year , August 93 to august 94 . 72,521 produced. It actually was one of Fords Best selling Falcons Per month

[@markbehr88]

@@tba3900 Yes, I mentioned the sales and production period. Pretty good for an older design. 👍

[@mikldude9376]

Great job on the falcon history Mark. I love the simple common sense design of the old cars , and looking at the current cars of today full of gimmicky crap , that not too far in the future will i have no doubt be throw away vehicles, and that goes double for electric cars . I also think the modern generations won’t know what they lost until its too late , for example, being able to go to the corner garage and get your car fixed or serviced, being able to service or repair your own car at home , being able to buy parts at almost any spare parts place , and no software to worry about which modern cars are absolutely filled with and needs to keep them running , and i forgot to mention parts interchangeability. And we also lost our car manufacturing which did way more for the country than most people will ever realise. Sorry for the long post.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. Glad you liked it. I totally agree with you. Cars that are fixable and our local manufacturing history - which gave us so much! 👍

[@jimfashik]

The ED XR6 ❤❤❤ is a good Falcon 👍

[@markbehr88]

I agree 👍

[@thesmith1526]

Nailed it! I see what you did there 😂

[@markbehr88]

Yes, It took me a little while and then, it came to me. 👍

[@No_Life_Liam]

Great video. I just purchased an ED Falcon GLi with the 5.0 V8 in it from the factory, which I thought was pretty cool. Needs a ton of work so it's up on jackstands in my very small garage. This is also my first project car so I'm learning along the way. Going to restore it best I can and then make it a tidy cruiser. Might just make the exhaust a little louder 👌

[@markbehr88]

Thank you. Make sure you check out the full EB Ghia V8 playlist too. Good luck with yours. Worth doing. 👍

[@petewitt2867]

Growing up a Holden guy, I’m really enjoying learning about the other side of the fence. Ta.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks. I will do the Holdens too rest assured. 👍

[@petewitt2867]

@@markbehr88 I won't have as much to learn there, that's why I'm liking these ones.

[@markbehr88]

@@petewitt2867 Fair enough 👍

[@markhooper1352]

Ah ha! That's the model Futura I wanted 😊 It was a runout in Aug of 94 but Ford were not very "flexible" with their deals ☹

[@markbehr88]

That’s a shame. Normally the pencil is sharp at runout. The only exception I can think of was the VR Commodore, that sold extremely well right up to the end. 👍

[@markhooper1352]

@@markbehr88 Yep that's it..Holden were keen to beat Ford by a full $2K which was hard to pass up.

[@markbehr88]

@@markhooper1352 Fair enough. 👍

[@callumandrews4342]

Great video! My first car was a cardinal red ED Fairmont and many years later I now own a Pearl Black ED Fairmont Ghia! Great cars!!

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. Great you bought another one to keep today. Go Aussie classics! 👍

[@danozism]

Really enjoying the Falcon history series Mark. I never liked the EA/EB's, but the ED looks really good to me now- especally the Sprint model. Interesting that it was retired after only one year. Was it like a stop-gap model to fill time before the EF? Anyway, cheers mate- hope you're well, and happy Easter, if you're into that kind of thing! Haha. "-)

[@markbehr88]

Thanks Dan. Glad you are enjoying the episodes. I will get onto other makes down the track. I think the ED was getting quite old as a platform (basically came out in 1988) so as you say, more a stop gap before the major EF update. Happy Easter! 🐰

[@nevillejohnson8316]

Love my XR8 Sprint, Black Pearl, totally stock... Faster than the HSV Commodore and outsold them by nearly 2 to 1... One of the best homologation specials from Ford for the ATCC... Shame the grille and headlight package were not allowed...

[@markbehr88]

They were a great looking package. Re the racing cars, I am not sure those headlights would deliver better aero or not? 🤔👍

[@nevillejohnson8316]

@@markbehr88 from memory the lamps and grille were not allowed as Holden argued they would be an aerodynamic advantage, go figure that one... They said the same about the BA bonnet...

[@markbehr88]

@@nevillejohnson8316 Really? Interesting. 👍

[@jarramckay-collins7668]

Absolute Swansong of the series

[@markbehr88]

Yes, good description. 👍

[@phil4977]

Another great Ford history video. I found a couple of photos of two Fairmonts I had in Queensland. I worked at nestle from 89 to 99 and got a new Fairmont every 18 months. I had 4 I think in Qld from 92 to 96. The 94 model blew the gearbox on the first drive home. It was one of the first of that model made. It took Ford 2 months to give me the car back as they had all gearbox stock committed to production orders. Out of all the Fairmonts only the 89 was a lemon. The rest were wonderful.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks very much. Shame it took Ford that long to sort the auto issue but sounds like you had a good run overall? 👍

[@phil4977]

@@markbehr88 I just remembered. The second one I had in Queensland was the model in this video. It was white. The first week I had it, I went to the cricket at the Gabba. Parked it right out the front and someone jumped on top of it. Dented the roof, bonnet and boot lid. Off to the panel beaters it went. Two months later someone ran up the backside of it. :)

[@markbehr88]

@@phil4977 Sounds like fate had it in for that poor Ford. Pretty low act to jump on someone’s car. 😵‍💫

[@phil4977]

@@markbehr88 young guys drunk at the cricket. Nothing surprises me anymore.

[@markbehr88]

@@phil4977 I can’t say what I really think. 🤔

[@georgecupac1202]

Agreed.

[@markbehr88]

👍

[@daveball6023]

Interesting info Mark. Still own my Pearl Black XR6 manual, not registered, but under cover and run every week. How many manual Trans. XR6,s were made??

[@markbehr88]

Very cool. I don’t have those numbers to hand. 👍

[@tba3900]

I have the original Dealership release for the ED with all the technical and specification differences and the original sales brochure. Interestingly when the dealers received the release it came with a black and white photo of a XR8 press release car with rego FGE 063 No idea if all dealership got that photo The front seats were call Paratus sports seats. The mono steering wheel is a MOMO Olympus 3 ( also used in some BMW’s). Premium sound was Alpine with alpine speakers, climate control had R134a label on facia.

[@markbehr88]

Paratus - sounds a bit like Platypus? I wonder what the meaning is? 🤔👍

[@tba3900]

@@markbehr88 you could buy the fabric for the seats . Ford actually used to sell it.

[@commodorenut]

Paratus started out as a small Aussie company in Melbourne. They gained fame in ‘88 when they took the “industry seat” (one of the products of the Button plan) used in Camiras and later VL commodores, and made them into Scheel copies. They were also responsible for the later E-series Recaro copies in the XRs. The industry seat used many common parts and the same basic frame structure. It was eventually supplied to all the Aussie car plants, with each brand having their own minor variances like runners and plastic fittings (and differences between trim levels too, like additional framing in the HSV devenish for the larger bolsters, and even variances in the Calais vs exec frames to allow for the inset map pockets). EA was the first Falcon to use them, and keen eyes would have noticed the similarities to the KE laser. Local Nissans like the pintara/skyline, the Magna, JE Camira and Oct ‘87 onwards commodores all used the industry seat. Even the VL Walkinshaw and VN Group A front seats were just plain old “industry seats” under the fabric and foam. Hence why numerous articles refer to Walky seats as Camira based. Despite variations in foam shape and add-on details, the basic hardware of the industry seat remained the same, and this allowed Paratus to easily make them into a factory-fit sports seat for just about any Aussie car in the day, and they looked just like Recaros and Scheels, but at a much lower cost than authentic imported seats. And remember, this was still a time of import tariffs and local content rules, so this made them even more attractive. Numerous later VL Brocks got Paratus seats too, instead of Scheels. The industry seat got an update with VT. Ford moved away from it for a bit, but from BA the economy of scale was too great to ignore, so the Lear/AI manufactured seat was used again in the Falcon (and Territory) with many common frame parts between Ford & Holden, and they remained all the way through FGX and VF.

[@markbehr88]

@@commodorenut very interesting. In my time at FPV I recall we worked a lot with Lear. They set up a plant onsite at Broadmeadows, no doubt assuming a much longer future than what transpired. 👍

[@commodorenut]

@@markbehr88 AI Thermal got in the mix as well - either as assembly, or value-add. I can't recall the name of the company that AI-T called their seat division back in the day, but they were responsible for the memory modules too.

[@andrewg2618]

I like the EB the best out of the EA-ED range. The grille is tougher imo. Obviously this doesn't come into play with the XRs though :)

[@markbehr88]

Agree. EB is my favourite in terms of the standard cars up to Ghia. 👍

[@tba3900]

Sprint also had a different brake master cylinder and different steering rack.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks for the additional info. I assume it used a lot of GT components? 👍

[@tba3900]

@@markbehr88 in reality only the engine and trans and exhaust were GT. The rest was uniquely ED Sprint. In stock form they don’t sound that good, but when you stuck a 3” single on them they sound awesome at full tilt. The GT and sprint did have a unique engine cover from the normal V8. They had part of the original trimmed down and an extra bolt hole due to the different inlet manifold and throttle body.

[@markbehr88]

@@tba3900 Yes, I show that engine cover in the EB episode. I assume some of the suspension and brake components may have also been common across the two cars or at least elements of them? 👍

[@tba3900]

@@markbehr88 GT , XR’s , police and taxi’s all used BMXO, friction rating . BM for bendix mintex, XO the formula which is metal kings. The brake caliper set up on the E series and AUI was the worst system ever put on a falcons Atleast the EL GT got a twin piston which finally made its way on AU2.

[@markbehr88]

@@tba3900 Yes, the AU2 brakes were much better. I need those on my V8 AU1 Fairlane Ghia. 👍

[@tba3900]

The ED will be a last things for Falcon, Last to have glass headlight lenses on non XR’s Last to have non sequential fuel injector on the 6’s Last to have a viscous hub. Last to have 3 belt system Last to have wired fusible link Last of the original K frame design Last car to use EEC4 Last to have Tickford emblem cast into rocker cover.

[@markbehr88]

I do miss glass headlights! Surprised they are on my AU XR6. I expected plastic. 👍

[@tba3900]

@@markbehr88 at least with glass it doesn’t fade .

[@mihali9655]

I hate to nitpick but the Falcon commercials continued with EEC4. My 1996 XH has EEC4, the cooking model XHs had EEC4 but the XR6 had EEC V.

[@markbehr88]

@@mihali9655 I guess he was saying ED though not the commercials. 🤔👍

[@mihali9655]

@@markbehr88ahh fair point. My apologies. I’ll take any opportunity to be a Falcon know it all 😂

[@noelgibson5956]

When Jack Nasser became the CEO, he gave priority to returning the V8 to the passenger car Falcon range. The idea failed to excite me only because I believed they should have been using that money on developing E series utes and vans, as the XD based commercial range were by then, long overdue for replacement. I wasn't opposed to bringing back the V8 as an idea in itself, I just felt an all new commercial range was a more pressing issue. Ford for a while did consider an EA based ute and van with the more rugged NA Fairlane frontal styling grafted onto it. It should have been signed off and released. It would have been Ford Australia's best ever looking ute.

[@markbehr88]

Like many of these business cases there are always trade offs. At least there was a decent update of the commercials at EF, including a return of the V8. 👍

[@noelgibson5956]

​@@markbehr88 Yeah..........the XH's front and rear styling was a bit of a mismatch imo. It was good to see the V8 return to the ute with that model..........but they were still too dated at the back.

[@markbehr88]

@@noelgibson5956 I wouldn’t mind a V8 S ute. 👍

[@MrOlgrumpy]

I preferred my '86 XF S Pak II to the later EA shape,and my HG Monaro to the HQ,but that's just me I suppose.🙃👍

[@markbehr88]

Fair enough 👍

[@OLDS98]

Thank you Mark. Is the Windsor Ford V8 the same Windsor Ford V8 in the United States ? I am curious. Thank you for sharing how Holden competed at the time. That Mitsubishi Magna was sold here in the United States loaded and went by the name Mitsubishi Diamante. Iook forward to your Holden videos and the Australian industry.

[@markbehr88]

Thanks Olds98. Yes, the same Windsor V8. The Diamante wagon was an export success for Mitsubishi Australia and was a nice looking car. 👍

[@OLDS98]

@@markbehr88 Thank you for answering and responding. I thought it was the same V8. I know that the Aussie Ford and GM ( Holden) cars use the same engines but modified at times.

[@markbehr88]

@@OLDS98 Yes, that’s right re the use of American engines locally. 👍

[@OLDS98]

@@markbehr88 Thank you.

[@edxr6949]

I still have my ED XR6 manual

[@markbehr88]

Very nice 👍