Looking back over photos of my first car...............
How I would love to go back in time with the knowledge and skill I have today to do a paint correction on that car, the swirls in the paint were something I never noticed as a kid.
The AU Falcon debuted in mid 1998 and was immediately and strongly despised for its controversial styling. The Australian designers were being told to use the New Edge styling direction from Detroit head office, confused by the marketing team who also told them that buyers wanted a smaller
looking car. The result was a strange mixture of curves, angles and ovoid styling cues. This is a classic case of a committee dictating the direction of a car compared to common sense.
A rushed update was introduced in early 2000 with the AU Series 2, which featured a range of styling changes to try and disguise some of the curves. Deeper bumpers, straighter trunk trims, restyled grills and larger wheels were merely rearranging the dust, it still looked ugly to
most There were also mechanical changes that addressed a few key items, including vastly better brakes and more sound deadening. In November 2001, another update was released to bridge the gap to the completely restyled BA Falcon that was a year away. The AU Series 3 featured another round of styling alterations, new wheels, colors and increased equipment across the range.
The sad part of the whole AU era of Falcon's was that the car itself, at least in AU II and AU III form, was actually very good. Ok, some models still had a live rear axle, which to be honest was pretty lame, but even then, those cars drove way better than the specs suggested. The big bonus the AU Falcon had over the equivalent Holden was the modern double-wishbone front suspension and far superior steering, which was so tactile and alive in your hands. Combined with the live axle, the front axle would outperform the rear. Upper spec models were fitted with the double wishbone IRS, the same design used on the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type, these cars would end up being the best driving Falcon's ever! Also, the AU II and AU III Falcon's are widely regarded the best Falcon's in terms of durability, reliability and build quality.
My example was an AU III Fairmont in Barossa Red, one of the first made in November 2001. It's so early that mine was wrongly fitted with the AU II Fairmont cloth trim. The engine was the standard Falcon engine, a SOHC 4.0 Inline 6 with 157 kW / 210 hp and 357 Nm / 263 ft-lb and fitted to a 4-speed automatic. Even though a Fairmont was the "luxury" model, it came with the watts-link live axle, you had to go to the Fairmont Ghia for IRS. The car was bought second hand from the local Ford dealer with 54,000 km / 33,000 miles on the clock. From what I can tell, it was used heavily for towing, the scraped rear mudflaps and heavy-duty tow bar the evidence.
As an 18-year-old male who had just got his driver's license (a driver's license is only granted to those over 18 in Australia), having an "old man burgundy" luxury sedan was actually a smart choice as the car went largely unnoticed by the cops. Allegedly, this car with its simple rear suspension and masses of low-down torque could light up the rear tires like a champion! Allegedly. This car also started my love affair with red cars!
As I said earlier,
most people hated the AU Falcon due to its styling. But I was one of the special few who actually liked it. I loved the crisp belt line that ran from head lamp to tail lamp. I also loved the sharp curvature of the rear trunk lid and how it intersected with the tail lamps..............this was New Edge in full swing. I have said this before, but when Mercedes refined the concept a few years later in the form of the original CLS, the drooping/pinched styling was better accepted. The only element of the styling I disliked was the oviod front and rear windshields and the domed roof, both of what were addressed on the CLS.
I gradually added a few things over my ownership of the car to de-grandpa it a little, while maintaining an OE look. The Momo steering wheel and gear selector were items I fitted, as well as the Fairmont Ghia woodgrain and chrome gear selector surround. THE best steering wheel ever fitted to a Falcon.............
The spoiler I added, sourced at trade price through my uncle in spare parts. The wheels I got brand new from a factory surplus outlet, fitted with Falken tyres and Tickford center caps.
The chrome exhaust tip I had installed was a XR6 VCT/Fairlane item, which was actually available as a separate item from spare parts, which my Uncle tracked down for me. I always loved the combination of the size and the angle of the back slash on those tips, fitting my desire for an OEM look. Did it make any additional noise or performance, of course not, but that was the point! It had a subtle, smooth OEM note to it, not the hideously loud, droning exhausts most teenagers put on the six-cylinder Falcon's and Commodores.
With trade discount, that exhaust tip cost me $120 in 2006, plus fitting! A ridiculous spend for me at the time, I could have easily fitted a tacky aftermarket tip from an auto chain store for half the price. But it was exactly what I wanted, nothing else would do.
And thinking about that mentality, it's something I have always done. I want what I want and I just make it happen. Be that lawn mowers, cars, shoes, detailing tools, wheels for my Mustang........................................... ..
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