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Thread: Aussie Muscle!

  1. #1
    Super Member DFB's Avatar
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    Aussie Muscle!

    I'm sure that those who follow my posts here will know I'm a proud owner of a couple of Australian made Ford Falcon's. I have owned four of them and driven countless others. Well, I can count them, I remember every single one I have had the pleasure (and displeasure in some cases) of driving.

    The two I have now are special to me for what they represent in my life.





    The Sensation Blue FG Falcon XR6 was factory ordered by me in early 2008. The FG model was a new generation that launched in May 2008, I was one of the first to have one delivered, and being 21 at the time, probably one of the youngest owners in the country. This was my first new car, and the spec I wanted had to be made for me. That spec included the blue seat inserts, premium sound system, 6 speed gearbox, side curtain airbags and the larger 18'' honeycomb wheels. This car is not worth very much, they just made to many of them, but the story I have with it is priceless to me. Currently have just over 30,000 km / 18,000 miles on it.









    The second is an Emperor red FG-X Falcon XR8. This was to be the final generation of Falcon, with Ford closing the Australian factory in October 2016. Mine is one of the first to roll off the line, being built in November 2014 and again, factory ordered. Knowing the closure was coming, I just HAD to have the last model. I have had a few Americans slag this off as just a Taurus. Well, no Taurus ever came fitted with a supercharged V8. I'll elaborate more on this in future posts. I paid $59,000 AUD for this car in December 2014, it's now worth at least $20,000 more. This car has just over 7,000 km / 4,000 miles on the clock.







    More to follow...........

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    Super Member Klasse Act's Avatar
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    Re: Aussie Muscle!

    The XR6 IS still my favoriteAussie Muscle!Aussie Muscle!

    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
    2022 Elantra N Cyber Gray
    Some say..."He likes Swedish fish because they're made with caranuba wax"

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    Super Member Big Dave's Avatar
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    Re: Aussie Muscle!

    This was my first Aussie V8, a 1995 Holden VR Commodore. Forgive the bad picture, but I had to look through actual physical photos to find this one. Supposedly 165kw (220hp) of feeble muscle, but it was an ex-highway patrol car, so it had a little bit extra, it easily beat cars that had more power. It was plain Jane on the outside, but had the SS interior, independent rear suspension, LSD, and big brakes. I kept the wheels standard because I liked the look, but I had premium tyres. A couple of years after I got it the insurance company let me do the exhaust, the first drive after had me grinning so hard that my face hurt.

    Favourite time in it - driving it around Tasmania on some of the Targa roads, especially the run down into Queenstown.

    Scariest moment - racing away from set of lights on a straight multi-lane road, hitting 70kmh and having the LSD break traction on both rear tyres, the back end was in left lane next to me before I caught it, and everyone behind me had stopped.

    Why did I get rid of it - the rust started appearing, and the four speed auto started making weird noises.

    Sorry DFB, I didn't mean to hijack your thread, but I couldn't help myself, being an ex- Holden man.

    Sent from my motorola edge 20 fusion using Tapatalk

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    Re: Aussie Muscle!

    nice cars good for you

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  9. #5
    Super Member Klasse Act's Avatar
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    Re: Aussie Muscle!

    Quote Originally Posted by Big Dave View Post
    This was my first Aussie V8, a 1995 Holden VR Commodore. Forgive the bad picture, but I had to look through actual physical photos to find this one. Supposedly 165kw (220hp) of feeble muscle, but it was an ex-highway patrol car, so it had a little bit extra, it easily beat cars that had more power. It was plain Jane on the outside, but had the SS interior, independent rear suspension, LSD, and big brakes. I kept the wheels standard because I liked the look, but I had premium tyres. A couple of years after I got it the insurance company let me do the exhaust, the first drive after had me grinning so hard that my face hurt.

    Favourite time in it - driving it around Tasmania on some of the Targa roads, especially the run down into Queenstown.

    Scariest moment - racing away from set of lights on a straight multi-lane road, hitting 70kmh and having the LSD break traction on both rear tyres, the back end was in left lane next to me before I caught it, and everyone behind me had stopped.

    Why did I get rid of it - the rust started appearing, and the four speed auto started making weird noises.

    Sorry DFB, I didn't mean to hijack your thread, but I couldn't help myself, being an ex- Holden man.

    Sent from my motorola edge 20 fusion using Tapatalk
    The insurance company "let you" do the exhaustAussie Muscle!

    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
    2022 Elantra N Cyber Gray
    Some say..."He likes Swedish fish because they're made with caranuba wax"

  10. #6
    Super Member Big Dave's Avatar
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    Re: Aussie Muscle!

    Quote Originally Posted by Klasse Act View Post
    The insurance company "let you" do the exhaustAussie Muscle!

    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
    Yeah, there's a little story there. When I was looking at it, I got quote from my insurance company to make sure it wasn't too expensive to insure, it was ok, so I bought it, then I rang them back and they said they wouldn't insure me for this car, because I was too young and it was an ex- police V8, so I'd probably crash it or it would be stolen. Lots arguing on the phone and they gave in, but I wasn't allowed to modify it and I had to fit an alarm with vehicle tracking capability. After a couple years they realised I was responsible enough to let me play with it. I've still only had 1 speeding ticket, and that was 34 years ago.

    Sent from my motorola edge 20 fusion using Tapatalk

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  12. #7
    Super Member Klasse Act's Avatar
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    Re: Aussie Muscle!

    They made you get a system to track it, no offense here but GOD BLESS AMERICA Aussie Muscle!

    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
    2022 Elantra N Cyber Gray
    Some say..."He likes Swedish fish because they're made with caranuba wax"

  13. #8
    Super Member Big Dave's Avatar
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    Re: Aussie Muscle!

    Quote Originally Posted by Klasse Act View Post
    They made you get a system to track it, no offense here but GOD BLESS AMERICA Aussie Muscle!

    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
    Not to track me, just the car if it was stolen. Like your LoJack. It was so sensitive that if the newspaper delivery slid into the tyre on the wet lawn, they'd call me to say that the shock sensor had detected something.

    Sent from my motorola edge 20 fusion using Tapatalk

  14. #9
    Super Member DFB's Avatar
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    Re: Aussie Muscle!

    The vast majority of Falcon's (and Holdens for that matter) were fitted with 6 cylinder engines. And while that will be a story for later on, the V8 was always the hero of the range.

    The high-powered V8 Falcon’s, again much like their cross town rival Holden, were Australia’s muscle cars. We did not get Mustang’s, Camaro’s or Challenger’s in Australia, but we did have fast sedans, wagons and Utes. Indirectly, the big performance Falcon’s were replaced by imported Mustangs, the first time they had been made at the Flat Rock factory in right-hand-drive.

    The last V8 powered Falcon’s were just a little special though. These Coyote based 5.0 V8's were fitted to Falcon's from 2010 to 2016. They were codenamed Miami and locally assembled by hand at the Geelong engine plant, where the engine builder would stamp his initials under the supercharger snout. These Miami V8's were the first Ford in the world to have a factory fitted supercharged Coyote.



    These engines were an amalgamation of parts, so there are no direct equivalents within the Ford world. As mentioned earlier, these engines were locally assembled in Australia rather than being crate engines like GM-Holden used in the Commodore (Chevy SS) (LS3's). Most components like the block and heads were imported. The Miami V8 had a locally designed intake manifold to support a Harrop HTV 1900 with Eaton Twin Vortices Series rotors that were originally developed for Jaguar. They used the Boss 302 rotating assembly and locally designed exhaust headers. Unlike the Coyote, these engines only used VCT on the intake cams. Once assembeld at either FPV or at the Geelong engine plant, they were crated over to the assembly plant in Broadmedows on the outskirts of Melbourne.















    The huge open cold air intake was standard to introduce some induction note to the soundtrack.



    While a Coyote is all about top end power, these engines hammer from idle to redline, which is set at 6250 rpm. The consequence of such grunt is hellacious fuel consumption! And that little number is liters per 100km.........11.5 mpg.



    The initial power outputs of these engines in 2010 were heavily restricted -

    Falcon GS with the Boss 315 - 315 kw / 422 hp and 545 Nm / 402 ft-lb
    Falcon GT with the Boss 335 - 335 kW / 449 hp and 570 Nm / 420 ft-lb

    Some of the power restriction was down to saving room for future models, the throttle on these engines, especially the Boss 315, was restricted to open up to only about 70%. And because these engines were not fitted with an intercooler, although the manifold was designed for one, the tune of the engine had to take thermal management into consideration. There were also structural concerns with the Falcon's firewall and it's ability to take more power and torque. This meant upgrades were needed and therefore another round of crash tests, a process that Ford did not want to invest in at the time.

    It wasn't until customers started putting these cars onto dyno's and the stated power outputs were being made at the rear wheels! that people started to question the quoted power outputs. It took a few years for the real story on power outputs to come to light. And it comes back to those thermal management issues.

    On a cool day, these engines would over-boost up to 500 hp. When the sensors detected higher engine bay temps, the PCM would pull the boost back. Due to rules surrounding how power outputs are quoted, despite having the ability to make 500 hp, the 449 hp was the least it would make and therefore the number that had to be quoted/advertised.

    Later versions of the Miami V8 appeared in the Falcon GT-F and Falcon XR8 Sprint as swansongs to the Falcon nameplate.

    Falcon GT-F with the Boss 351 - 351 kw / 471 hp and 570 Nm / 420 ft-lb
    Falcon XR8 Sprint with the Boss 345 - 345 kw / 463 hp and 575 Nm/ 420 ft-lb

    These versions had more sophisticated thermal management via boost control per gear. On over-boost, the Boss 351 would make 420 kw / 563 hp and the Boss 345 would make 400 kw / 536 hp. Again, Ford was obliged to quote the lowest possible figure. A Falcon GT-F had the potential to do 0-100 / 0-62 in just on 4.5 seconds.





    My XR8 is fitted with the Boss 335 version. You can certainly feel the power management in effect on a hot summers day, the car feels a touch neutered. On a cool Autumns day however, the thing is a wild ride with relentless torque. The Miami V8 is also butter smooth. Even with 275 wide tires on the back, these cars were almost like unguided missiles, they really struggle with power down and because the engine was tall and wide, they are somewhat nose heavy. As a long distance cruiser with the ability to easily overtake, they were in their element. And when driven within their abilities, they are fast, stable and enjoyable to drive with enthusiasm. Mine has a ZF 6 speed auto, I love the snap/crack they engineered into the upshift spark-cut, VERY addictive.



    It's the noise that makes me smile the most though -

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTq1yIOfVK4
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEJzrKHbaAQ
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztB-CMfDD9k
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVIHlJ0of6o
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCDvKGkqEoY

    I love this hot lap around Bathurst from the GT 335 launch back in 2010 -

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBaj5uhB_XE

    While my Mustang shouts about it's performance, I love how the XR8 is a bit of sleeper, especially in grandpa burgundy.

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  16. #10
    Super Member Big Dave's Avatar
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    Re: Aussie Muscle!

    Awesome write up, so much I did not know.

    Sent from my motorola edge 20 fusion using Tapatalk

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