Countdown to the Falcons emotional end, share your feelings here - Page 6

roddy1960 · 05-09-2016, 08:21 PM

G'day all again..This is a great thread and spurns all sorts of replies and responses... One of the best I've come across on AFF..
I posted this clip in another thread but if this doesn't leave a lump in your throat , make you angry we're losing the mighty bird , or fills you with joy then you shouldn't lay claim to being an Australian Ford person.
Listen to the lyrics and you'll get my point. The bloke that put this together from old footage off Ford ads , couldn't have done much better..
Watch and listen to this.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwZYw35JkJY..When I first saw it I just wanted to go out and hop into one of my two Falcons and go for a drive..Just to enjoy them...
Cheers Rod....

glider · 05-09-2016, 09:56 PM

In September 1966 my old Man and I went down to Stilwell Ford to check out the new XR range,(I was 13 at the time) that Mustang bred Falcon really rocked my socks. sad to think that exactly 50 years later Ford would be out of local manufacture.

CRKA4 · 06-09-2016, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roddy1960

G'day all again..This is a great thread and spurns all sorts of replies and responses... One of the best I've come across on AFF..
I posted this clip in another thread but if this doesn't leave a lump in your throat , make you angry we're losing the mighty bird , or fills you with joy then you shouldn't lay claim to being an Australian Ford person.
Listen to the lyrics and you'll get my point. The bloke that put this together from old footage off Ford ads , couldn't have done much better..
Watch and listen to this.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwZYw35JkJY..When I first saw it I just wanted to go out and hop into one of my two Falcons and go for a drive..Just to enjoy them...
Cheers Rod....

Thanks rod,
I'm sure that's the response that Eaturbo was looking for when he started this thread,
For me i will always own, drive a falcon no matter how old they get,
We havn't lost the falcon we will always have it,

CRKA4 · 06-09-2016, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glider

In September 1966 my old Man and I went down to Stilwell Ford to check out the new XR range,(I was 13 at the time) that Mustang bred Falcon really rocked my socks. sad to think that exactly 50 years later Ford would be out of local manufacture.

Wow it's nice to have those memories etched into your mind,
Like i said we havn't lost the Falcon.

XWGT · 06-09-2016, 03:10 PM

TC Cortina
XW GT
XY GT
AU XR8 II
Dick Johnson Tru Blu and Greens Tuff at Bathurst
John Bowe piloting the crazy Sierra
Glen Seton piliting the EL
Marcos Ambrose and SBR restoring long lost pride by dominating and becoming I think one of Fords best ever.

I bleed blue.
I will mourn the cultural aspect of the Falcon v Commodore rivalry and the tribal nature of the clans. It will never exist again.
But I will look forward to Mustangs, Focus RS's and many more global hypo Fords to move onto the next phase of fun and exploration.
We wont go quietly.

xr8cam · 06-09-2016, 05:14 PM

After all is said and done, we still have our cars and enjoy owning and driving them, whether its old mate in his stock XT sedan, the local plumber in his BA work ute or any one of us in our washed & polished pride & joy, we all represent Ford and more importantly, love our Falcons. I'm keeping mine.

roddy1960 · 06-09-2016, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRKA4

Thanks rod,
I'm sure that's the response that Eaturbo was looking for when he started this thread,
For me i will always own, drive a falcon no matter how old they get,
We havn't lost the falcon we will always have it,

G'day CRKA4 , Yep , I totally agree... The clip was made just after Ford announced it as closing down , so about three years ago..That's why there's no FGX on it . The FG was the model at the time. The words in the video are so poignant if you listen closely and why it hits the spot for me. I'm sure the author of the song had no idea at the time how his/her lyrics would be so fitting for the end of a true motoring legend..Here's a few
" I'll be there when you want me to " Good old Falcon reliability
"You can take me to an island right across a stormy sea " 1960 when Falcon arrived from the USA ,
"Why don't we take a ride together "..Every time we get behind the wheel of the mighty bird.
"I'll stand by your side like I always do "...reliable and tough. " when I saw you in my rear view you could have stopped me in my tracks " That could be thought of just a beaut looking car...
"why don't you come over and rescue me " Maybe the Falcon for a big part of the last 56 years was a big reason why Ford Australia wasn't discarded by big brother sooner than it was...
For me this is my own personal Falcon 'Anthem'..Would make a great send off tribute and I'll play it on my MP3 through the car/s sound system every so often...Cheers Rod..

Highway star · 06-09-2016, 08:51 PM

For me it's been all the emotions that have come to life both good and bad over the last 50+ years involving the blue oval.

As a young kid when your growing up the sense of excitement when your old man rolls into the driveway with a brand new XW and then backs it up with a XA Blue Futura. We would play in those cars for hours on end pretending to be whatever comes into a young mind.

Then as you get to the driving age the anticipation of getting your first decent car to show of to your mates and girlfriend, for me a beautifull brown XB 302 Tbar Fairmont. That car spent quality time at the drive and the back seat never felt better!

Then as the testosterone builds and you get your first real muscle car, for me an XC 351 C6 Hardtop , and all of sudden girlfriends become second fiddle, well almost!

And just when life can't be any better some scum bag low life steals your dream, and all of a sudden a new feeling overtakes you and leaves you gutted with a million different new emotions.

But as time goes on and a new family comes along you enter a new phase of ownership the mighty station wagon. Kids dogs surfboards tents anything and everything even someone else's kids, all fit neatly into an EL or a fabulous Silver BA.

But hang on the new fad is get yourself a soft roader 7 seater , but dear old Dad want's something with some balls, so he invests in a Turbo Territory and feels like a teenager again, sprinting from the lights from unsuspecting rev heads in what seems like superior machinery, only to have their ego's destroyed as your kids wave goodbye.

Then as your Dad had done with you in helping select a wise choice for your first Ford, you find yourself doing the same with your own kids until you have a yard full of Falcons.

But now they've grown up and left home but the fire is still burning within, so you convince your better half that we really need a new G6 Turbo. Of course you forget to mention a few things like it does 13 second flat , but she secretly likes to run to shops when your distracted by work or other pressing things.

So for another 5 years life is rosy, your kids are still all driving Fords of various shapes and sizes and then the man from Ford says one word. "SPRINT"

And so another chapter in life begins, except now It's Grandads car!

roddy1960 · 06-09-2016, 09:19 PM

G'day Highway Star and all , Great story..this is a great thread for reasons like your addition.."Grandad's car is going to be something special..Did your better half agree to spend the kid's inheritance on a Sprint ? Hope so...
There are 3,700,000 reasons why we celebrate the car ..and apparently about 5 billion kilometres traveled by Ford Falcons in our country...Now , that's something to be proud of in my book..Cheers Rod.

LukaPuka · 06-09-2016, 10:01 PM

I have always been fond of falcons, especially the EF-EL shape, the first shape of V8 supercars that I can remember watching. My dad bought three XH work utes and I absolutley loved them. We still have two of them brand new from 1997.

My first car I bought was a EL Ghia. That was a brilliant car. My friends always thought it was weird how I wanted a grandpa spec car when I was 17. Little did they know it had a LSD and 165kw of 4 Litre fury under the bonnet. The power slides and burnouts were great fun.

When the BA came out I was absolutely head over heals especially the XR8 with the bonnet bulge. It was a sigh of relief the the AU's successor was a great looking and powerful car to take it back to the holdens where the AU fell short.
I currently own a BA XR8 and will keep it forever, I have no intentions of parting with it.

With the FGX being the last of the falcons, I find that my interest in fords has dwindled considerably, I just don't find the same passion and enthusiasm as i used to about fords. I guess it was the falcon that kept the fire burning fierce in my heart.

Eaturbo · 28-09-2016, 09:26 PM

Well with under 2 weeks left in this great journey that has been Ford Australia, I wonder how boring our lives would have been without the Falcon. Would there even have been a car that could come close to filling the shoes of the Falcon had it never been built here. Would our country be what it is today. The Falcon has been such a large part of so many people's lives and moulded a lot of us into who we are today. It's like watching someone die in hospital, you know whats coming but theres nothing you can do and despite the pain you wouldn't have changed a thing about the past.

xr8cam · 29-09-2016, 10:32 AM

There is still millions of these beautys on the road and these blogs only prove that most of us will lose our teeth before we sell our Fords.

FERG_51 · 29-09-2016, 02:26 PM

^^^^^ Falcons.

KN-KONG · 29-09-2016, 04:49 PM

I'll always remember my old EA sky blue station wagon, bench front seat, converted to gas around 180k km on the clock and she didn't miss a beat until 560k km when I sold her for 500 bucks, by the end you could start it with a screwdriver but it turned over everyday, day in day out.... a lot of fun had in it, was one of my first cars as a young fella so the bench front seat got a good flogging too

replaced it with an EF for a little while, get this, it was an ex cab I paid 200 bucks for and had 990k km on the clock, still turned over though...

Replaced it with a galaxy blue EL which drove all the way to 400k km, big bull bar on the front, was a great car, saved me on the road more than once...

Skipped the AU until the BA, bought one secondhand at auction running factory gas, 330k km on it and still runs 600km on a full tank, 45 bucks to fill up, what a brilliant car...

Im glad I got a hold of an fgx xr8 sprint, to me every time I drive it itl bring back many many memories, mostly with my old man in the garage... ill never sell, im sure at some stage when im old and grey ill just sit in it because I wont be able to drive it safely, but the thought of all the memories coming back to me then makes it worth keeping...

Eaturbo · 29-09-2016, 10:23 PM

Bloody top post mate and written from the heart. You will have a future with many more memories too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KN-KONG

I'll always remember my old EA sky blue station wagon, bench front seat, converted to gas around 180k km on the clock and she didn't miss a beat until 560k km when I sold her for 500 bucks, by the end you could start it with a screwdriver but it turned over everyday, day in day out.... a lot of fun had in it, was one of my first cars as a young fella so the bench front seat got a good flogging too

replaced it with an EF for a little while, get this, it was an ex cab I paid 200 bucks for and had 990k km on the clock, still turned over though...

Replaced it with a galaxy blue EL which drove all the way to 400k km, big bull bar on the front, was a great car, saved me on the road more than once...

Skipped the AU until the BA, bought one secondhand at auction running factory gas, 330k km on it and still runs 600km on a full tank, 45 bucks to fill up, what a brilliant car...

Im glad I got a hold of an fgx xr8 sprint, to me every time I drive it itl bring back many many memories, mostly with my old man in the garage... ill never sell, im sure at some stage when im old and grey ill just sit in it because I wont be able to drive it safely, but the thought of all the memories coming back to me then makes it worth keeping...

Dr Terry · 30-09-2016, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRKA4

Yes that is at the top of the list for me as well,
I still remember watching Allan moffat and Colin bond going 1 and 2 at Bathurst.

But the Bathurst 1-2 was in 1977, they weren't Cobras. The Cobra raced in 1978 & didn't do quite as well.

Dr Terry

**98TLS** · 30-09-2016, 08:29 AM

Sad but hey just because they stop building em doesnt mean we cant still enjoy them, started for me when as a young fella the old man slotted a 351c into an XY ute GT grill,dash,shaker etc ROH rims and lowered

god i loved that car.Along my own journey there has been an XR,XT XW ute,XYGS,XD ute running 351,BA XR6,BA XR8 ute and currently BA GTP which will be with me the rest of my days.Thanks Ford for the memories and looking forward to making many more memories in the years to come.Go the mighty Blue oval

Couple of pics fwiw the first being the Falcon that started it all for me as i mentionerd above,ignore the clown on the Norton (mum was still making jerseys for me

) not a great pic of the ute but all i have,photo taken in 75 from memory,it was one tuff ute back in the day and weird as it sounds i still often think of it,second pic is my current Falcon and as i mentioned tis a keeper until at least i cant drive the thing anymore.

gossy · 30-09-2016, 05:28 PM

Less than a week to go......

Eaturbo · 30-09-2016, 07:50 PM

And than there was 5, only 5 days of production left. This time next week and the Factory will be sitting idle with a ghostly quiet. And maybe if you look and were really quiet you might see some of the old factory workers from the 60's that have left this world paying a visit and if you use your imagination you might even see the outline of a few XY's rolling down the line. Can't believe that all that history and talent is about to amount to nothing. Just cold stationary steel which will quickly be covered in surface rust.

Adamz Ghia · 30-09-2016, 08:18 PM

The beginning of the end of Australia’s car industry deserves more fanfare. It should not be hidden from view

Joshua Dowling, News Corp Australia Network
September 30, 2016 12:00am

Ford is planning an epic send-off for its factory workers on the last day of Falcon production next Friday — but it will be closed away from public view.

The 300 workers at the engine and stamping plant in Geelong are welcome to join their 500 counterparts at the assembly line in Broadmeadows — or they can watch the last Falcon being made via a big screen being installed inside the Geelong facility.

But veteran car dealers, longstanding parts suppliers — and the media who want to document the historic factory closure of Australia’s oldest car maker and inform the public — will be locked out and obliged to watch the private event through Ford’s wire fence.

Ford says the workers “don’t want to feel like they’re in a fish bowl” and that employees have requested privacy on their last day at work.

“For us, it’s about putting our people first,” says Ford Australia boss, Graeme Whickman. “We are going to treat our staff with dignity and respect and that means we will be holding private events with them to recognise and honour their work over so many years.”

But the decision to lock out media also suits Ford’s public relations strategy. Every time a story appears about the factory closure, Ford says car buyers think the whole company is closing its doors.

The first Ford Falcon motor was produced in 1960. (Pic: Supplied)
For the record, Ford will continue to sell cars in Australia, although it may rationalise the number of dealers, given sales have dropped dramatically over the past decade.

In the meantime, significant events — such as the last ute being made in July, and last Monday’s production of the final engines to leave Geelong — came and went without any fanfare.

The media found out about both events after photos were posted by employees on social media — the same workers the company claims wants these moments to be a private affair.

The last day of Falcon production happens to come during football grand final season. It’s also the Friday qualifying session for the Bathurst 1000 car race.

Did Ford deliberately plan the shutdown date so the news might get lost among all the other activity? Or is it coincidence?

As much as I believe a good conspiracy theory, I suspect the answer is rather innocent.

But the media embargo date for Ford-arranged stock images and comments from selected workers — some of whom will lose their jobs — is the Saturday of the AFL Grand Final.

Ford Engine Factory in Geelong built its last engine on 26 September ahead of the Broadmeadows car assembly line closure on October 7. (Pic: Joshua Dowling)
The federal government unwittingly decided the timing of Ford’s factory shutdown a decade ago.

That’s when it set new vehicle emissions standards for the future. By the end of October 2016, all cars sold in Australia must be upgraded to new emissions standards, a process that costs millions.

That’s why Ford selected October as the final date — so it was not required to embark on costly engine upgrades.

It’s the same reason some imported cars, such as the ageing Nissan Patrol diesel, will disappear from showrooms next month.

So the timing may be related to legislation rather than obfuscation.

But it still would be nice for the nation’s media to be able to document for the public the beginning of the end of the car industry.

After all, giving the event the coverage it deserves would give the workers “respect and dignity” too.

Joshua Dowling is News Corp Australia’s National Motoring Editor

Took him longer to have a sook than I thought it would

RegSpec · 30-09-2016, 10:23 PM

I've been a blue oval guy all my life......
When I was about 14 my dad bought home a new XT Fairmont and I still remember him letting me drive it around a deserted carpark at the time.
That was the start but what really sealed the deal for me was a couple of years later when I had a Saturday job washing cars at a local used car yard.....
One morning, a friend of the dealer came down to show him this new XW GT that he'd just bought......and offered to take us around the block for a spin...
As a 15 year old kid....I'll never forget that car.....I'd never been in something that pulled so hard, sounded so good or looked like it was doing 100mph just standing still.....it was the start of a lifelong love of everything bearing a blue oval.....
During my life ( I'm 62 now) I've been fortunate to own a XT GT, XW GTHO Ph1, XA 351 Fairmont coupe and a sedan, Mach1 Mustang, Bronco, XR6T, my current Rspec Typhoon and many others.....
I've been lucky enough to have driven a genuine Bathurst Ph.2, competed in circuit and drag racing with Ford cars.....so many memories which will stay with me forever...
I worked for a major Ford dealer for 16 years (spare parts).....
Even when we haven't been winning ( God, I've copped so much flack from mates during the Brock era, then Skaife, now red bull etc etc....but it doesn't matter.....I'll still bleed blue till I die.....
PS;...I've even made a note in my will that the hearse has to be a Ford ff's!.....

XRtowcar · 01-10-2016, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

Joshua Dowling, News Corp Australia Network

Took him longer to have a sook than I thought it would

Thought they wouldn't invite him for his own safety.

Gonna miss the Falcon , and the Terri.
End of an Era.

Swordie · 01-10-2016, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRKA4

Hey There,

I have been a member of this forum for some time but have never posted any comments,

I have owned fords my whole life,

My first car was a 1976 XB Falcon 500 but sadly that car went to the big wrecker in the sky,

My next car was a 1978 XC Fairmont GXL update model,midnight blue with a light blue vinyl roof, It has the 5.8 engine and top loader resides where the fmx used to be,I still have this car and it has been garaged since 1988 and has 110 000 kilometers on it,

Sitting next to my GXL is a 1977 XC Fairmont that i purchased from the second owner in Albury,
The story with that car was that the original owner was a long time employee of Ford and was given this car as retirement present,

I have owned a 1976 XB Fairmont Coupe, 351, Toploader, 9 inch
I sold that car for $6000,

,

My other cars were,

Xw Falcon 302 auto in polar white

XA Fairmont 6 cyl

XD Fairmont ghia 302, i put a JG33 engine into that car for a while then removed it,
I still have that motor sitting in my shed,

I have owned a EF Falcon GLI

I have a series 2 XR8 manual that i rarely drive, It has 6 piston brembo's up front and 4 piston brembo's at the rear,
I also have FG GT 335 wheels fitted to it as well

My wife drives a BA XR6

I am currently building a Ba Fairmont ghia with XR6 turbo engine and driveline ( I will do a build tread on that car )

I suppose what i am getting at is i love my falcons and have supported the brand for a long time,

I wish that more people would have done the same thing
especially our government,

This is a very emotional time for me,

FORD FALCON RIP.

Cool collection.

xr6-FTW · 01-10-2016, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

The beginning of the end of Australia’s car industry deserves more fanfare. It should not be hidden from view

Joshua Dowling, News Corp Australia Network
September 30, 2016 12:00am

Ford is planning an epic send-off for its factory workers on the last day of Falcon production next Friday — but it will be closed away from public view.

The 300 workers at the engine and stamping plant in Geelong are welcome to join their 500 counterparts at the assembly line in Broadmeadows — or they can watch the last Falcon being made via a big screen being installed inside the Geelong facility.

But veteran car dealers, longstanding parts suppliers — and the media who want to document the historic factory closure of Australia’s oldest car maker and inform the public — will be locked out and obliged to watch the private event through Ford’s wire fence.

Ford says the workers “don’t want to feel like they’re in a fish bowl” and that employees have requested privacy on their last day at work.

“For us, it’s about putting our people first,” says Ford Australia boss, Graeme Whickman. “We are going to treat our staff with dignity and respect and that means we will be holding private events with them to recognise and honour their work over so many years.”

But the decision to lock out media also suits Ford’s public relations strategy. Every time a story appears about the factory closure, Ford says car buyers think the whole company is closing its doors.

The first Ford Falcon motor was produced in 1960. (Pic: Supplied)
For the record, Ford will continue to sell cars in Australia, although it may rationalise the number of dealers, given sales have dropped dramatically over the past decade.

In the meantime, significant events — such as the last ute being made in July, and last Monday’s production of the final engines to leave Geelong — came and went without any fanfare.

The media found out about both events after photos were posted by employees on social media — the same workers the company claims wants these moments to be a private affair.

The last day of Falcon production happens to come during football grand final season. It’s also the Friday qualifying session for the Bathurst 1000 car race.

Did Ford deliberately plan the shutdown date so the news might get lost among all the other activity? Or is it coincidence?

As much as I believe a good conspiracy theory, I suspect the answer is rather innocent.

But the media embargo date for Ford-arranged stock images and comments from selected workers — some of whom will lose their jobs — is the Saturday of the AFL Grand Final.

Ford Engine Factory in Geelong built its last engine on 26 September ahead of the Broadmeadows car assembly line closure on October 7. (Pic: Joshua Dowling)
The federal government unwittingly decided the timing of Ford’s factory shutdown a decade ago.

That’s when it set new vehicle emissions standards for the future. By the end of October 2016, all cars sold in Australia must be upgraded to new emissions standards, a process that costs millions.

That’s why Ford selected October as the final date — so it was not required to embark on costly engine upgrades.

It’s the same reason some imported cars, such as the ageing Nissan Patrol diesel, will disappear from showrooms next month.

So the timing may be related to legislation rather than obfuscation.

But it still would be nice for the nation’s media to be able to document for the public the beginning of the end of the car industry.

After all, giving the event the coverage it deserves would give the workers “respect and dignity” too.

Joshua Dowling is News Corp Australia’s National Motoring Editor

Took him longer to have a sook than I thought it would

One would think, would the barra have been continually upgraded to meet the new emission's upgrade set in place if falcons were still booming?

Just not fair we have to lose manufacturing here in Aus and our falcons/commodores.

gcg2503 · 01-10-2016, 11:32 AM

The picture of the last ute rolling off the line hit home.

The pic of the last S/C V8 and I6T really hit home.

Very upsetting to say the least.

bobthebilda · 01-10-2016, 12:43 PM

Not sure if its been mentioned yet, but the ABC has a special on friday night 7th at 7.30pm called "The end of the road", about Ford Australia.

gcg2503 · 01-10-2016, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

Not sure if its been mentioned yet, but the ABC has a special on friday night 7th at 7.30pm called "The end of the road", about Ford Australia.

A few of ny friends cars will be on that show

Eaturbo · 02-10-2016, 02:02 PM

Some of the wonderful Ford Falcons I have owned, http://s1093.photobucket.com/?postlogin=true

hackney · 02-10-2016, 02:43 PM

Just picked up a copy of "Motor"(Nov'16) with a tribute to 56 years of Falcon.Any body have a copy of this one yet? I believe Wheels is also doing one.December issue I believe.Cheers

turbo4 · 02-10-2016, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hackney

Just picked up a copy of "Motor"(Nov'16) with a tribute to 56 years of Falcon.Any body have a copy of this one yet? I believe Wheels is also doing one.December issue I believe.Cheers

I have Motor and Unique cars. Will get the Wheels issue as well, it's out thursday. I thought Motor did a pretty good job.