Why do you bleed blue?

[Nikked]

Over the past few months, the Ford badge has taken a hit, the closing of local manufacturing has divided the blue oval bunch. Some have indicated to abandon Ford for there own reason, others, will stick by the Blue Oval...


So, whats your story? Why do you bleed blue?

Now, lets be insightful, not just "becuze fordz r teh best" etc...



To start, my story.



Looking back as far as I can remember, my first real experiences with anything automotive would be helping my dad rub some shine into the vinyl roof of his TE Cortina with some boot polish, and the long trips up and down the coast in the trusty ol' girl. Little memories like that, the Corty in the drive way with Midnight oil or AC/DC playing as dad kept her in top condition.

After that, they updated to an EA...lowly CFI, but still, as a kid it had aircon so it was cool. This also happened to be the first car I ever drove, only for a brief moment, as they again updated to a S3 AU. Possibly this could be why I have a soft spot for those eras...having owned a ED and now an AU my self.


My dad also happened to work at a for dealer, pretty much my whole life he as been a spare parts interpreter, and often mum would drag us down to the shop as we picked him up, some day's i'd wonder in to go find him, and surrounded by posters of XR8's and things like that, fresh new Falcons on the car lot.

Dad working at the dealership also meant that I always had a few posters on my wall (including a huge 1.5 meter Louisville poster) and a few hats. Some of my favourite hats are my Ford credit hat (complete with stitched Seton signature) and my "gone somewhere" Au-era XR falcon promo hat...speaking of Seton, still have a poster of his EL, plus Dickie and Bowe's EF's.

Another fond memory of the dealership was one day etched in my mind, when the Venom XR8 ute made an appearance for the Country Music Festival. Nothing more can be said that tin shed + insanely loud Windsor defiantly left its mark.

I also vaguely remember dad and his mate's watching Bathurst under the car-port, and some weet-bix (or was it Kellogg's something) collector cards with various racing cars of that era...and night races with Dickies EF-EL's brakes glowing as they thunder round the track.

Of course, as you get older and buy more magazines, books etc, you find the world of fords, GT40's, Mustangs, Torino's etc...


But I have to say, its probably my dad who set me down the path as a ford fan, the rest just snowballed.


That's it from me

[Grippy]

Same here, and probably the same for a lot here, the old man! Watching Bathurst every year since I was born with him. He has had pretty much every modern Falcon in the driveway since his XF. In the seventies he raced Escorts and the fact that Falcons are so good at dragging race cars around the country on a trailer too.

For me it's like football, you follow one team your whole life and pour your passion and enthusiasm into it.

Ford for life!

[Express]

In the early seventies as a 12 year old I would look across the road from my bedroom window to where a XW Phase 2 and a XY Phase 3 lived.

Those daily images are forever etched into my brain.


.

[THABOSS]

My uncle was a big influence in my life, he taught me to like 2 things Alfie Langer and the Shell Falcon which if I remember was an EL or EF.

He insisted I like that car simply because he claimed to be part of the team which stripped that car (of all decals and crudd) in the off season, he could've been lying but it worked none the less.

From there on I was a Ford fan, I wasnt really die hard though. I was very young and didnt see the excitment of a Bathurst race. Anyway the years went on and of all models it was the AU XR8 that really caught my eye, once I saw the Green Eyed Monster of Lowndes that was it. I was a FORD FAN through and through.

In my short 25 years of life I've only bought 3 cars, a 2004 BA MKII XR6, 2003 BA XR8 and the one I have now 2008 FG F6. All Fords and I think it'll stay that way.

That is how I started to be and remained blue blooded. (until Origin time, thats when I bleed Maroon).

[Rob 351]

Two words... Dick Johnson!
As a kid watching him tear it up in Tru Blu. Said to myself one day when I can afford it I'm going to get myself an XD V8 Falcon. Took me a while but after getting all the other priorities in place, I now have a beautiful 1980 XD Fairmont Ghia ESP with a 351 4 spd.
The bloke is a legend!!!!

[outside]

simple hate holdens

[wrongwaynorris]

Like most I suppose , the household you grow up in influences your politics , religion and your favourite automotive brand . I grew up in 60's Britain and from the mid 60's Ford were totally and absolutely dominating world motor racing in virtually all classes . I grew up to a backdrop of Jim Clark & Graham Hill in the Lotus 49's , The total and absolute domination of Formula One by the DFV , the total and absolute domination of Formula Two by the FVA and to a lesser degree the BDA , the total and absolute domination of world rallying by the BDA powered Escorts , 4 Le Mans victories in a row , Lotus Cortinas totally and absolutely dominating saloon car racing etc etc etc .

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by wrongwaynorris

Like most I suppose , the household you grow up in influences your politics , religion and your favourite automotive brand . I grew up in 60's Britain and from the mid 60's Ford were totally and absolutely dominating world motor racing in virtually all classes . I grew up to a backdrop of Jim Clark & Graham Hill in the Lotus 49's , The total and absolute domination of Formula One by the DFV , the total and absolute domination of Formula Two by the FVA and to a lesser degree the BDA , the total and absolute domination of world rallying by the BDA powered Escorts , 4 Le Mans victories in a row , Lotus Cortinas totally and absolutely dominating saloon car racing etc etc etc .

Now that would have been a awesome time and place to grow up


Manx Rally!

[CoupeKing]

To me Fords look better. Only Holden i like is the XU1

[champ]

And like other people, my first car being a TE coertina, (chosen by my dad), then aTF cortina chosen by me, and then I moved up in the world...bought a nearly new NA sportsman fairlane! Woohoo! And now have my beloved AUII sportsman fairlane. I must say all of my fords have been reliable and basically unstoppable. This, together with all the boys I knew driving XW and XY GTs.... To drive something else would just feel sooooo wrong.

[Kayos]

My story in a blink, Dad worked at GMH like many euro boaters in the 60s/70s hence why we only owned 1 hd torry, and my brothers hot LJ (my other brothers VH when he got married whipped, but he’s back now). Even having access to the gold card % off none of us has ever considered buying one due to my farthers insight and the heritage. Nothing to the extent of hate because I love my hot GM’s but the Fords just did it better. Dad’s brother and 2 sisters had holdens but the other two are Ford to this day. I even took my cousins to buy their first car, Ford Focus, Telstar lol.
I’ve been around them all growing up and the failing side of the family always had GMs… lol the bbq was always Ford v Holden, Carlton v Collingwood.. So whilst growing up and getting slapped left and right in the back of RPO coupes on “tune & test” as a 10 year old and the XT’s, XY’s, XA’s, XB’s, XF’s, EF’s, AU’s & BA’s in our household to say the least, so it’s like being an Aussie or not. It’s a sad end but I can’t wait to see the next Falcon.

[KurtisEBear]

Family always had Fords and while they also had Landcruisers and Hondas with the odd Chrysler 300c thrown in the majority were Fords, the current fleet at home shared between me, my old man and his missus are mostly Falcons we currently own 1 BA Fairmont Ghia, 1 BA mk2 Falcon, 1 AU XR8, 2 EL wagons and my Escort van, previous ownership of 2 XA utes, 1 XD sedan (was in the family since new), 1 EA Fairmont, 1 EL wagon (we had 3 at the same time all bought for the large sum of $1300) and plus racing also keeps me interested love seeing Ford dominate in any category worldwide.

Its started with the family and it will be something i pass down when i have one of my own

[champ]

A very sad end. The day ford actually leaves will be a dark day indeed.

[wrongwaynorris]

[QUOTE=Nikked;4920664]Now that would have been a awesome time and place to grow up


It was , one of my overwhelming memories was of dad taking me to our local Ford dealer in 1967 and showing me a GT40 road car , yours for only 7,000 quid . I remember literally climbing over the 1 foot wide sills / fuel tanks to get in it then sitting in what looked to me through my 7 year old eyes like an aircraft cockpit .

[Rodge]

Why do you bleed blue?

I don't... but that doesn't mean I don't have a huge passion for the brand since I've been involved with Ford's for the last 15 years. I've really enjoyed my time with turbo Falcon's and lately with three FPV's and am gutted Australian production is coming to an end. I've bought my Ford Falcon's and most especially my FPV's mainly based on their merits as high performance affordable large cars.
My Dad owned Holdens, one after another, after another so I don't have the luxury of the history some of you have going right back to your childhood years so I am perhaps in some ways more fortunate to be more objective and in the future post ownership of my current SC GT-P I will buy whatever brand best suits my needs and aspirations.

[maccaxr6t]

earliest memory xw station wagon maroon plastic still on the seats,dads first new car.
Ive had many fords with my fg xr6t being my first new one (magic car) .We lost dad early but my love of ford has always continued.Gutted there will be no more falcons

[MercurySilver]

Why?
My grandpa worked at ford in the UK.

[Auslandau]

My Grandpa had a black tank Fairlane. Everyone who lived on a farm back then seemed to all have Fairlanes, Galaxies, followed by LTD's when they arrived.

I remember dad bringing home his near new ZA Fairlane, then trading it in for a ZF Fairlane which he had for so long, I got my L plates in it! I got my P plates and bought an XY.

Sooooo ........ just a few years on ...... 40 plus Fords later (Falcon, Fairlanes and LTD's only) ....... why the hell change? Someone once said, "On a good thing, stick to it"

[trentski]

..5char

[Revolver]

I have always been a Ford follower. But my primary love is Mopar. Dodge, Chrysler, Valiant, Plymouth, AMC, Desoto, etc.

The main reason I love Ford is the from my family, my dad has always had a Mopar or Ford, sometimes both. In dire cases found ourselves over at the dark sides for short stints.

Plus I am classy & refined. Holden owners are not.

[93EB_SXR6]

Growing up, I always leaned more towards the red camp but my 93 EBII S-XR6 was the car that convinced me to lose my mind and become a full-blown Ford enthusiast.
I've driven newer, more expensive cars but nothing has quite matched the XR6's mixture of performance and refinement. It just had such a solid road feel, certainly made Holdens of similar vintage feel like second-class vehicles.
I still remember the day I bought it and I very clearly remember blowing the first of many Holden 5Ls away at the lights... IN A 6!!!
Comfortable seats too.

[NX74205]

My story is a bit different to most here - I'm somewhat at a disadvantage because I didn't "grow up" in Australia. I arrived in Australia when I was 9 years old, and no, my family do not own Fords. On the second day I was here, we went to hire a car for a couple of weeks. We hired a blue KE Laser GL. It was parked next to a gold EA Falcon at the time, and I instantly loved the way it looked and wanted dad to hire that instead. I think I became a Ford fan that day - for me, the EA was by far one of the best looking large sedans of its time.

I was shattered when we didn't buy the new KF Laser (but bought the N13 Pulsar instead), and made it my goal when I was old enough to drive that I was going to buy a Falcon. During my school days, I drooled over E-series Falcons and N-series Fairlanes when it was more "cool" to like Holdens (for whatever reason).

Fast forward to me getting my licence, I looked around for EA Falcons but my overprotective parents told me I can only get a 4-cylinder cars until I got off my Ps, so I started looking at Lasers - the Ghia variant, in particular. Bought the KA, still love it despite it being dead for many years now, but hey - it was my first car. Wanted to buy an EA Fairmont Ghia when my Laser died but couldn't stretch the budget (and didn't find a decent example with electrics still working at my price range), but I did end up having the pleasure of owning an EA, the car I was jaw-droppingly gorgeous when I first saw one, and despite its well documented problems, all of which I experienced, I still love it. I spent more than twice the the amount I paid for the car keeping it on the road for nearly seven years, but I didn't mind one bit.

When I bought my BF, I also wanted the Ghia but could only afford a Fairmont, but at least I didn't have to "settle" for the base model.

So that's my story - nearly 23 years to the day I first laid eyes on an EA Falcon. I didn't grow up around Fords or in a Ford family. I was the first one in my family to buy a Ford, and a few years later convinced dad to buy a BA Falcon when he wanted something bigger. When it comes time to replace my BF, I'll still be buying something from Ford.

[OffRoadFalcon]

My story isn't anything special, my parents had a EAII Wagon when I was born, as I got older I liked the AU wagons a lot, and really fell in love ours when we got Skip.
Just sorta built up from there.
I love other makes as well, but I do tend to sway toward Ford.

[minheim]

Allan Moffat and his mustang first captured my attention as a youngster and then the GTHO falcons at bathurst sealed it. I also enjoyed Formula 1 when the cosworth V8 was supreme. Guess it was the racing heritage of Ford that got me.

[MethodX]

Ford, GM, Chrysler all good. All 3 marques have their classics.

Bleed green white and red instead.

[CyberWasp]

I dunno why I bleed blue. Maybe I need more Iron in my diet or something.
Come to think of it I had better get it checked out.

[Gothefalcon]

My Old Man was probably more a BMC man.... his first car being an Austin 7. after that it was a succession

[XR27]

The first ten years of my life our family car was a white XR falcon which dad won in a ford competition and a green falcon XW ute.
Next memory is at 8 years old the 1977 bathurst win and then the start of bathurst in 78 with the Cobras going up mountain straight, that year my older drove home in his 1976 Apollo Blue BSS XB which I feel in love with!!

Another big memory is going into our local Ford dealer Coxen Ford after school to get the brochures on the new model, I will always remember seeing the red Xd ESP for the first time.
Then there dick Johnson in the 80's and 90's
I just love ford!!!!!!

[WPR1]

Firstly Dad started out working for Ford and we had at least one Ford in the garage all the time.
My most vivid memory of why I love Fords and why I love motor racing is the Allan Moffat 1-2 Bathurst victory in 1977. It captured my attention as a young 8 year old and I have never forgotten it.
FORD please read this - motor racing does create life long bonds with car brands - you still and always will need to be involved!
Then came Dick Johnson plus a close family friend had a 351 XD Fairmont Ghia which I still have a soft spot for today.
I have strayed at times owning a few Holden's, Toyota's and a Nissan over the years but only when I have owned a Ford does it feel right and I now proudly own 2.

[Gothefalcon]

(Sorry... got distracted by a phone call & my time ran out. Could a mod delete my previous post please? )

My Old Man was probably more a BMC man.... his first car being an Austin 7. After that it was a succession of Austins, Morris' & Leylands. As he moved up through the ranks at work, it came a time when he was entitled to a company car... and as the company fleets were all Fords.... Dad brought home his first... a white XT Falcon 500 ! After riding in Morris 1100's for most of my early years (mum & Dad had one each ).. I remember Dad driving us around in this bright, shiney, seemingly HUGE (to a 4yr old ) new car ! It was Great ! The XW Falcon 500 replaced that... then the XA Fairmont (all 6cyl autos).... but in 1974.... My Dad took me down to Adrian Brian Ford (still in the same place) to pick up his brand new white with black interior, 351 XB Fairmont ! I was 9.. and had just started to "understand" that the 351 was King ! My Dad would line up Dude's in their V8 Holdens at the lights... and blow them away, the power pushing me back into the seat, as he laughed (with the sheer joy only a 351C could bring, no doubt) I fell in love with that car ! Later that year.. I "discovered" Bathurst for the first time, whilst flicking through the tele one morning. As I watched... I was in awe at what I was seeing... 351 Falcon GT's.. XA's and My favourite XB's were out there racing (& "we" won ! ) Already in love... it was from that moment I was hooked... and my blood transfused to Blue ! Dad had a series of Fairlanes after that.. ZH Marquis, ZJ, ZK Sportsman and another ZK EFI... and in that time, it was my turn to start car ownership. Thanks to Dad, my first car was a Morris 1100 ("It was good enough for your Mother & I")... but it wasn't long before I got out of that (I couldn't wait !!) and got my first Ford.. a TC 2.0 Cortina Wagon ! Since then, & through to this day, I've had heaps of Fords... TE 250 Wagon, XB 250 Falcon 500, XB 302 Fairmont GS Wagon, ZF 302 & ZG 351 Fairlanes, 302 & 250 2V XB Utes, XF 250 S-Pak Wagon, EB & ED 4.0 Fairmont Wagons, NL 302 Fairlane Ghia (still own) BF Falcon E-Gas Wagon, & now my BF2 AWD Falcon Wagon. I'll have to wait and see what comes next... as Ford Oz has already stopped production of "my" Fairlanes & Wagons... but what ever I move into.... it will be another Ford !

Dhru