Ford Falcon BA - Bloody Amazing!
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- čas přidán 29. 04. 2024
- Here is the latest video in my Falcon history series - the BA. Please check out the Falcon playlist, hit that 👍Like👍 button and please Subscribe for more Ford content. Plus, there will be episodes on Chryslers, Holdens and more!
- Auta a dopravní prostředky
Here is my latest episode in the Falcon series - the BA. Please give the episode a 👍Like👍 as it really helps the channel. Plus, please Subscribe for more Falcon videos as well as upcoming videos on Holdens, Chryslers, Fords and more! Thanks for watching.
bloody love it mate! huge fpv enthusiast! been waiting for this!
@@jackparkinson5268 Thanks very much. I am not on FB or Insta etc so please tell your mates to Subscribe! 😀👍
@markbehr88 is there going to be an episode or series on just FPV? would be unreal! copied and pasted the link to facebook fpv groups too mate!
@@jackparkinson5268 Thanks very much. I plan to more incorporate FPV into the relevant model series. I may do some stand alone if there are gaps. For example the P5 GT-HO paper I did. Muscle Car Magazine covered that story a while back. 👍
Well done Mark. I love the detail you add to these videos. Not many people would have that level of knowledge!
Love the design of the BA.
22 years later and it still looks crisp and aggressive while still refined. I dare say it's the Falcon that's aged most gracefully. Hard to believe there's an AU in the doors that's longing to break out.
Same goes for the interior. Aside from the radio interface, the dash is still stylish and wouldn't look out of place in a modern car
The BA has to be one of the most significant cars in Australian motoring history and among the most impressive rebounds
I think you’re right there. Some cars look better over time. With BA it has looked good since day 1. 👍
Agreed , when i bought my S2 XR6 , i actually did not like the look of it ( but i dont buy cars that way , i buy car from the mechanicals up , i new it was a good car ) , and the interior while nicely laid out with controls , driving pozzy and stuff and excellent seats to sit in , mine was silver with black leather pack , and i have to say , there was sooo much black , it was actually a bit on the gloomy side with the interior as far as looks go which i think also accentuated the plasticky look , even the S1 fairmonts and TE models looked a bit fancier i think .
BA was the best on all levels. Bara motor was bulletproof. The looks and stance were spot on. Great video. Thank you.
I agree. Terrific looking cars. Thanks very much. 👍
Better than the BF?
I had a BF xr6 ute (had to sell it)
And currently getting a BA XT ute ready for RWC.
Both manuals. Surely one would assume the BF is the better model?
I can't tell at this point as I have driven the BA as much.
@@unrulytoast1189 BF is better. 👍
What an episode, Mark. Picked up a Mercury Silver 2003 BA Turbo from the dealership after nightshift one rainy morning, and thought I'd stepped into heaven. Beautiful car. The Barra T6 is Australia's greatest performance engine in my humble opinion, possibly one of the best in the world given its aftermarket prevalence. Stock Barra 6 is probably the most durable.
Thanks very much. Yes, that Barra is one of the best engines ever made. The only thing left was to make it an alloy block but for what it was made for - it didn’t need it and costs would have been higher. 👍
I drove one as an ex cab with the green E gas motor and it sounded terrible. Might have run out of oil at some stage.
@@jamesfrench7299 Yes, sounds like previous driver abuse. 🤔👍
@@jamesfrench7299 My old man's LPG I mentioned can be a bit temperamental with misses, and after a failed start scary-arsed backfires! Warm it up it behaves. Dad's biggest issue has been coil packs, and batteries because the extra hard cranking with the LPG.
An enjoyable trip down memory lane. I got into cars (and Fords specifically) during the AU-era so I recall this being the first Falcon that I was proud to tell my mates about! I still remember the excitement as Ford drip-fed details of the new "AV" Falcon and they did not disappoint when it arrived. I was very excited that our family had a BA XT (Ice mint silver has aged well) which was then replaced by a silver Mk2 XR6 which I still remember riding home from school as fast as possible to see it. Good memories. I enjoyed your comments about your FPV time too.
Thanks. Ice Mint Silver. A great colour. I had the Ford colour and trim team do a blue version as I figured blue is more popular than green and Ice Mint was popular - but the resulting blue just didn’t quite work.
My first company car and my first brand new car. I loved my BA. I bought it off the company when it got to 4 years old for my wife to drive, we then sold it to my sister in law who still has it today. It’s now 21 years old and the only issue outside of regular servicing is the replacement of the heater core, has been a great car.
You can’t do better than that. 21 years and still going strong as a daily! 👍👍👍
Thank god for Geoff Pollites, RIP.
Yes, most definitely. He approved funding for much of the work done. 👍
His son has an association with a performance group of the rival company.
@@vincekara9446 Yes, I met him when he was a graduate while I was at FPV and later when I went to do a video segment for Walkinshaw for the ZL1 Camaro.
@markbehr88 He's now working for their sister company in which I associate with too.
When you consider how much changed for the BA - 4 new motors, new transmission, new IRS, an entirely new interior and the body revisions, the fact that it was done for only $500 million was remarkable. To put that in context, IIRC the VY cost Holden about the same, and really only comprised new nose and tail treatments, a new dashboard and some minor mechanical updates.
They were very durable cars, widely used as taxis, a million kilometres wasn't unusual. I actually borrowed an ex taxi with 900,000 km on it, and everything still worked except the remote central locking- the key probably needed a new battery.
Great point and also why I said at the Ford meeting “Don’t worry about the journos”. 👍
One of my favorite Fords. from a styling and design perspective. The turbo Barra is legendry in the performance world .and It made up for the short comings of the Boss motor in terms of its own performance. The BA/BF model is a classic in my a opinion .
Yes, they are both great models. I’ll be doing BF next. 👍
Great video Mark and thanks for sharing your insights into the BA series . I have a BA MK1 FPV GT-P in Phantom purple with all options except sat nav. One of the smartest moves in the B series was the introduction of paint colours and stripe colours closely tied to those used on GT's in the seventies such as lime glaze, surfer orange, silver fox, tru blue.... I was lucky enough to see the FPV Galaxie 540 concept. at an FPV open day. It would have been awesome to see the FPV Galaxie 540 introduced to compete against the HSV Grange
@@mrt-gt Thanks very much. Glad you enjoyed it. I will be doing a series soon on the Fairlanes, Commodore and Valiant. 👍
I owned a BA Futura 4 litre auto and had it for a few years then sold it to my dad,who then gave it to my brother.....he had it for years and sold it. Funny thing is he never really looked after it or serviced it(he's not a car guy lol) but it had over 350,000 ks on it. Those barras are pretty tough motors. Thanks for the video. Cheers,Chuck.
That is pretty cool Chuck. Used and abused and keeps coming back for more. If it could talk it would say “Is that all you’ve got”?😀👍
Thanks for the content Mark. The Barra turbo was a game changer for Ford, the Falcon turbo is the VL turbo of the current era.
Cheers. Yes, I agree. 👍
Hi Mark, What a great video.
I really applaud what you did at FPV with regards to the designs.
Outstanding work. The cars looked absolutely on the money for that period and have held up well still to this day.
Back in 05, the boss of this HVAC company I worked for purchased two brand new BA XR6 Turbos in that signature blue metallic.
One car was for him and the other was for the service manager.
We had to make do with crummy old Hiace vans, of course.. Was hoping they would switch to dual cab Hilux, or even a decked out Ford Ute.. nope..
I always loved the look of that car all the way up to the FG. The FGX didn't really do it for me to be honest. I think Ford knew the writing was on the wall, and so they didn't really bother too much with the Falcon after the FG.
Understandably so too. What a shame we lost the Falcon all together and Holden as a whole Company.
That's life I guess.
Cheers mate.
Regards
Tony
Thanks Tony. Much appreciated. Very sad re our local industry. I always looked forward to the new models as a kid and working on them as an adult. 👍
@@markbehr88 no not thats life I guess thats globalisation I know and its turning sour.
Yes
Now we're on the same page, quite a remarkable & timely effort imho. Ofc that roofline eventually became rather infamous. Thanks Mark, I enjoyed that.
Fantastic Mark, some great stories - Anyone would still want to go out and buy a XR, or GTP in they still made them. Exciting era.
Thanks very much. I agree. Renaissance of the muscle car. 👍
@@markbehr88 Would be good to send you a PM on some stories I have to pass on to you, sure you would find them interesting.
Sure. mjbehr@yahoo.com.au
Great comprehensive job as usual Mark!. What a car the BA was. Its easy to forget how comprehensive an update it was over AU, and it had to be. This was the one car that I think wouldve sold well in the USA.
Thanks very much. I agree. This would have done well in the USA and the Fairlane could have been the Crown Vic! 👍
@markbehr88 did Ford Aus really try to export Falcon to US , or was it specifically forbidden by top US management ? Also I think US stole from A pillar back of Territory .
@@robertmorris6529 Was never supported by Dearborn due to UAW. Almost happened though in FG for proposed Fairlane and LTD to become Crown Vic and Mercury Grand Marquis. 👍🤔
@@markbehr88 tit for tat on Mustang ?
After the wobbly AU, Ford Australia absolutely hit the nail on the head with the BA. A remarkable turnaround done using relatively little money to achieve a brilliant result. They killed it with the BA, and it's still a fantastic looking car today. The BA is definitely up there as one of the best Australian cars ever made.
Yes, great looking car. I do like my AU’s though (even if it was not a commercial success, they are interesting). 👍
@@markbehr88 Yeah I don't hate the AU. It was a good car for the time marred with shockingly ugly styling. If you look at everything objective, I'd say it was a decent effort from Ford. The problem was the styling, when it looks this ugly it's hard to find the bright side
@@hmslc8289 They just pushed the styling theme too far for the public’s taste and their view on what a Falcon should look like. 👍
kinda wish i didnt skip ba bf but prices where nuts went straight from au's to fgs
BA saw the falcon finally enter the electronics network era. Canbus was introduced to reduce wiring and introduce never heard of module before and familiar ones , like ACM, PAM, HIM, FDIM, IPC, ABS, FCIM, PCM, RCM.
COP , coil on plug technology finally sent the coil pack packing its bags for good.
Camshafts were mounted above the rocker arms
Continuous flow cooling system, ment the heater core was continuously hot ending the heater tap decades of service.
Broadband manifolds continued on the NA but the turbo it was deleted.
Trans oil coolers failure, coined the term milkshake
,heater cores failure rate was 2\5 was recorded at one point.
Brake shudder was common but never really pinpointed to a cause. It was actually caused by insufficient clearance between the brake booster pushrod and the brake master piston. I discovered this by having pressure gauges on the front brake circuit which at freeway driving the front brake circuit would slowly start to increase to the point where the calipers would begin to apply and generated heat. I had one that bad it would pull the car up by itself and the brake would be smoking. The cure was to set the pushrod depth with 2mm of clearance. All the cars we did never had a brake pulsation or shudder ever again.
Rear differential bushes and blade arm bushes become the workshops full time bread and butter winner.
Tailshaft centre bearing and balancing become the bigger frustration to workshop. Even with the IDS balancing software it wasn’t fool proof and sometime simply have them balanced off car was the most effective fix.
Great info. Love it. You reminded me i need to get my AU2 Fairmont V8 wagon front callipers serviced as they are grabbing and generating heat. 👍
Falcon finally went back to hydraulic clutch master and now a concentric clutch slave for the manuals.
Mark, you were at the time Ford were looking at increasing fuel efficiency and the 4 speed auto and the 5 speed manual were past their used by date with Barras torque and lack of ratios. I remember talking to a ford R&D engineer and as ford themselves didn’t have 5 or 6 speed auto with the torque capacity , so they went down the ZF path with XR’s but used their own shitter 5 speed auto for non XR’s. But the differential story was much more complex. Ion going bankrupt they needed a new supplier and Dana was chosen but intellectual property right almost stalled diff supplies to Ford which could have been game over for Falcon.
@@tba3900 I did like the ZF box. I had one in my company BF GT (Black with orange stripes). 👍
The BA xr6 turbo ❤ When it first came out it was revolutionary🎉🎉🎉
Yes, one of the greats! 👍
great video mark watched all the way through, my ba xr6 (2003) was owned by an old fart who tried to take care of it. i haven’t had a problem other than the thermostat and ecu playing up. great cars just wish mine wouldn’t use so much fuel😢😅
@@robear2569 Thanks. Glad you liked it. I have 7.5 litre V8 Lincolns, so I reckon the XR6 is pretty good on fuel comparatively. 👍😂
I picked up a 2004 EX telstra E gas Ba falcon sedan in 2012 . It had 150,000 km on the clock and was in mint condition . I had to drive from Brisbane to Toowoomba every day for work and clocked up 50,000 km in 6 months . Being on gas it saved me a small fortune in fuel costs . A trip from Brisbane to Newcastle in 2014 cost me $50 gas. The most I got out of the twin gas tanks was 800 km range but I would refuel at around 600 km just to be safe .. Sadly I had to sell when times got tough.. It was a bloody good car .
They are terrific aren’t they? Hope you get back into one, one of these days. 👍
My Dad recently went on a road trip with his mates to Port Fairy (for the folk festival) in a 2009 BF III Egas Wagon (much the same). Towing a caravan, it made easy work of it, and with the LPG, fuel costs were dirt cheap. The guy at the servo, when they refuelled, said that it was nice to see a nice older Aussie Ford wagon than one of the many SUV's that dominate that segment these days.
@@sp19822 Totally agree with the servo guy. Good on your Dad 👍👍
Mate had a gas wagon, 450k. Reliable ++.
@@perpetualgrin5804 Yes, I have no doubt. 👍
Great series mark appreciated from a ford fan
Thanks very much. Glad you are enjoying them. 👍
Thank you ❣️ The biggest let down in the BA era was the Fairlane in terms of looks, they didn't even really bother to distinguish between the Fairmont to the Fairlane, like they did in the AU range for example.
100%. I wish I could have gotten my hands on the Fairlane to “fix it up”. It needed much more differentiation and I would have put a full width red garnish on the back. Preferably illuminated. 👍
@@markbehr88 early 2000s even base falcon were luxury cars compared to " luxury" fords 1980 the fairlane etal concept had died like the dinosaur. .
@@Eric-kn4yn Yes. More and more features every year. 👍
The Fairlane looked underdone as your said about one of the XR6s.
It grew on me though, and you could immediately tell it was a longer car than the Falcon, mainly thanks to the C pillar.
I never liked the NF/NL Fairlane after the NC but it's also grown on me to a certain extent.
@@jamesfrench7299 yeah I mean just the front and back. Side on you can tell it's a Fairlane.
Another wonderful history Mark and I had no idea how closely you were involved in the development of the FPV's. Although the BA looked fresh if you looked closer you could still see the AU doors. But all the same it was and still is a stunning return to what a Falcon should look like. If there had never been an AU and after the EL came the BA then just perhaps things would have been different for Ford. For although the AU has mellowed with the passing years and for it's time was technologically advanced I still think it was a terrible mistake and shows that just one mistake can set the company on the road to ruin. Car manufacturers walk on egg shells when it comes to a new car release.
All the bright colours that by and large have now nearly faded away with it now being you can have any exterior colour you like as long as it's mostly white and you can also have any interior colour as long as it's black. I did see an MG yesterday that was bright orange and black so perhaps people are getting fed up with dull monotonous colours. Lets hope interior colours follow suit.
Thanks. I think that is a good observation re if the BA followed EL. It would be a very different situation. 👍
Hi Mark, great video and I have a few BA and BF Typhoon cars, an F6 FG 2 also, a mixture of manuals and autos, and I just love em, the turbo stuff is just the best, and it was definitely a great time for Ford.
Thanks for the content, it is truly appreciated indeed mate 🤝👍🇭🇲
P.S. we all miss the Falcon, I know I do.
Thanks very much. You have a great collection there. 👍
Another great video Mark! I love learning about your involvement with Ford and FPV.
Thanks very much Andrew. 👍
I own a 2004 BA GT with 14,000 km. I love it Thank you for your service and brilliant foresight. My daily is a 2017 6.2 lite Caprice but I think the BA GT is faster. SUBSCRIBED
Thanks very much. Two very nice cars and that is very low mileage for a BA. Great job! 👍
they came back and succeeded
Yes, they had to. 👍
My sons pride and joy is his DevilR, he just had it resprayed as the original paint was delaminated. It retains all the DevilR decals. It is a genuine DevilR and twice it has been attempted to be stolen.
Very cool. Well worth keeping. For the thieves. Throw them in irons I say! 🧐
Great vid Mark, you definitely did a lot of Good things for Ford & FPV....respect👍👍
Thanks very much Chris. 👍
Another great video Mark!
As a long time AU owner ( I loved my Au … even its ugliness 😂) , but wow , the B series was such a huge improvement in the cars overall presentation, it was kinda like going from a polarising model people either loved or hated due to its looks to the updated model that seemed almost universally liked.
I think my favourite of the ba’s was silver GT .
I really miss the old school cars , they had character , and you could drive them by the seat of your pants .
I look at cars of today , particularly EVs , a family member has a Tesla ….. soulless, characterless dung boxes imo 🙄.
Anyway , full marks on your work with the B series mate.
Thanks very much. I miss the old cars too. The SUVs don’t do it for me generally. 👍
@@markbehr88 Heh , ditto ;) .
Great in sight, thanks Mark
Cheers. 👍
Thanks for your unique insight into the BA. It is very much appreciated.
The BA was one of those "love at first sight" Falcons for me. Along with the EB and EL, the BA was one that I instantly liked the moment I saw an image of one. That interior in particular was very well done, styling wise, although unfortunately some of the material quality let it down.
Thanks very much. Yes. Interior looks great but sometimes you have to re-stick door pull handle trims back on. 👍
Bit of a cracking episode there mark
To me the BA was the model that had it all going on
I really wanted a pursuit Ute , the live rear axle didn’t bother me it was paying 60 k for a vehicle with rivets in the body
I do think you really did a great job with the fpv vehicles they were and still are the best cars made in this country 👍👍
Thanks very much. I reckon you can pick up a nice Super Pursuit for reasonable money these days?👍
Love your channel. Keep up the amazing work 👍
Thanks very much. 👍
Hey Mark, another absolutely stellar video! Man, those BA Falcon days were something else, weren't they? I remember being just a second-year apprentice back then, eagerly heading down to my local Ford dealer to catch a glimpse of the new car. What a leap it was from the previous AU model! And yet, I still held a special place in my heart for the AU.
It felt like Ford's ultimate effort in keeping the Aussie icon alive, don't you think? They really seemed to be listening to the fans and delivering something truly special, much like what Holden HSV was doing at the time. And sure, some might say it was a bit late in the game, but hey, better late than never, right?
Ah, the XR8 delay, now that was a rollercoaster of emotions! But it only added to the excitement of all these new versions hitting the market. Personally, I wasn’t a big fan of the 5.4 engine, that punch from the T3 Windsor still holds a special place in my heart. But let's talk about the Barra, or as it was code-named, GUL - it absolutely nailed it in every aspect!
And speaking of nailing it, the BA F6 was just breathtaking - both to drive and to behold. Sure, it may have lacked the iconic bonnet of the V8s, or what those Territory Turbos had, but it more than made up for it in performance and design.
Thanks again for the awesome content, Mark! Can't wait to see what you have in store for the BF model. It feels like that was the last time Ford Australia really went all out, doesn't it?
Cheers! 🚗✨
Thanks very much. Glad you liked it. Yes, under Geoff Polites it was Ford at it’s traditional best. The Barra for Barramundi and Gull as in a Seagull that will $hit over everything. 😀👍
The BA was transformative, the AU's contentious looks were vanished forever by a more conservative and masculine design both inside and out.
Interestingly the ute and wagon carried over the AU's windscreen and roof with the BA's new front (similar to what Ford did with the XH ute - marrying the old with the new)
I never liked the AU's crease down the side, to me it looked too low and out of place but even that has been toned down on the front and rear fenders of the BA.
Another great Falcon video Mark and it's good to see you cover all the updates over the production life of the car in one go.
I thought the FG went back to the curvaceous, unique AU style
Thanks very much. Glad you enjoyed it. 👍
@@EdmundSampson-pd7vi The FG will be an interesting episode. 👍
Always remember a diehard Holden man went to a BA Falcon turbo Ute from his LS1 Ute I laughed but he said this was much better!
Fair enough. I would take either. 👍
They did an amazing job at fixing up the looks of the Ba
Agree 👍
Would love to see a breakdown on the Territory, how that came to be given the success that it was
I may cover the FPV one later. 👍
@@markbehr88you came up with the territory name for the RTV . Then they used it on another car. Did you atbleast get credit ?
@@life1042 No, but who knows? Maybe it was a coincidence? 🤔👍
Another great video and insight of FPV. thanks for sharing that with us. I have always loved the B series falcon and once owned a BF in Rapid yellow. Currently drive an FGX (the same as your brothers from another video) but the B Series will forever be my favourite.
Very cool. Thanks very much. 👍
Thanks for the effort put into this series Mark,have enjoyed it immensely.
Thank you very much. About 8 plus hours editing there! 👍
Yeah, Mark did done good with this series. Very. Cheers from GC.
@@UncleJoeLITE Thanks very much 👍👍
Mark you do an amazing job in all your videos top class your knowledge is mind blowing the BA BF driven by Ambrose Winterbotto Ingal all won championships or Bathurst 3 Bathurst wins in a row beautiful looking car I had a vixen red bf xr8 witthe boss260 6 speed auto best car I ever owned
Thanks very much Russell. Much appreciated.
Great video well done!
Thanks very much! 👍
The BA was a quantum leap up from the AU, I can recall it outsold the VY Commodore sometime in 2003.
My dad had one as a Telstra company car for a night in 2004.
When he decided to replace our faithful, but by then 10 year old VR Commodore in 2004, he considered a near new BA at a government auction, but he remained loyal to Holden in the end and acquired an ex Avis 1 year old VY Commodore Executive, with add on built in Satnav.
I think I would have a BA over the VY. Not a fan of the VY styling personally. 🤔👍
Awsome job Mark. As always.....cant wait for the next one.
Thanks very much Dean. 👍
Another great video, Mark. I was fortunate enough to have a 5 speed manual Series II SR. Interesting that the SR didn't get a mention. It was hugely popular here in Northern Vic -- a poor man's XR, if you will. A lovely car to drive and one that did a lot of work.
Thanks. I did see a couple of SR pics but it did not come up in terms of my research - when, how many etc. A 5 speed would be a good one to have. 👍
My boss got me the ute with Boss 260 on the bonnet. Fun car.
Nice Boss! 👍
I actually find myself now wanting one of these Mark however 1st things 1st - I better 1st get the XF recommissioned and going down the road again. Always a great listen. Thank you
Thank you. That’s good. Agree. Sort the XF first. 👍
BA nearly made Ford fan, my mate work for Ford at the time as engineer test driving around You Lang. I got chance drive RTV at Deniliquin when ute muster was on, i do regret not buying one at the time as these were very comfort ute compared to other 4WD utes. Definitely better interior with more features.
Yes, I’d love an RTV V8. 👍
My old next doors neighbors brother did development on the turbo Barra. Damn I wish I could remember his name!
@@rhyanoneill1932 Hi Gordon Barfield is who I regard as the father of the turbo but of course there would have been many engineers involved. 👍
Another tour de force! Your involvement in the development of iconic vehicles is fascinating. Now for the “Blooming Fabulous” and “Flamin’ Great”. Still plenty of Blue Ovals to feature such as Fairlanes, Capri convertible and Territory (you must feel cheated about the RTV naming competition) before you move to other marques.
Thanks very much. Yes, I wonder if they still have the RTV naming comp entries somewhere?🤔
I've got two of these beasties. 03 and 05 Wagons. One is white and the other is 'Shockwave' blue.
The white 03 has 430,000 plus klicks and still going well. The 05 has only 200,000 but the body is completely rusted out. I'm not sure if that has something to do with the paint recall or with the fact that the previous owner had a fishing boat and used to park it underwater. 😂😂
For some reason the front end on the blue one seems to need constant repairing. Not sure why, maybe the rusty frame isn't tracking square and is wearing out quicker. 😊😊
The wagons are great cars. Maybe you can re-body the blue one as there are still some nice ones around at the wreckers for decent money? Probably too much effort though, especially if it is structural. If it is hang on parts then happy days! 😀👍
Thank you for this episode. So informative. I'm currently working through your US trip. Loving it.
Thanks so much George. The USA trip was fantastic. A great interview with car designer John Schinella (XU1, HK Monaro, HQ, Trans Ams etc). 👍
That interview was amazing. He has a very sharp mind for his age. His recollection of details was brilliant. So interesting. Thanks.
@@George-dl7gv Thanks very much. John is terrific isn’t he. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting him and his lovely wife. 👍
Territory! 😂 ...Epic
I did rent the XR6 impressive ,but decided on a ' 380 '. Faultless since 2012.
Both good cars. 👍
Great Video, very informative
Thanks very much. Please check out the Falcon history playlist. 👍
G’day Mark,
Your video’s just get better & better really enjoyed this one. Reminds me of the BA XR6 I had as a company car for a while, always got confused reading the speedometer the way it was but boy it would haul arse & looked smart.
I did see a BA XT V8 once because of the bulge bonnet & I bet that would be rare to find these days.
If I had a choice BA MK II Fairmont Ghia the new badging looked classy.
Cheers
Louis Kats 👍
Thanks very much Louis. 👍
@@markbehr88 👍👍👍
Hi Mark, this model looks a lot more beefier than the last one, more of a stance and look like it stood it's ground. Amazing looking car and very much up to date now with a 4.0 litre DOHC 24 valve straight six engine and a DOHC on each bank on the V8 engine and more power. I think it was a while ago I mentioned that a funeral directors near where I live had Falcons as stretched limousine and hearses I found out they were Fairmonts the only alterations was the fitting of two rear fog lamps and these cars were the 4.0 straight 6.
The funeral directors had these cars from 2004/05 until 2018 and now they use Jaguars the XJ stretched limousine and hearses which are fitted with the 2.0 four and turbo charged such a small engine for a large car but they do pull and I think they are 230 bhp.
Great video on the Falcon BA range, catch you soon Take care
Thanks very much Shaun. I wonder where those Fairmonts went? I think if I lived there I would have tried to buy one (sedan not the hearse). 👍
@@markbehr88 Hi Mark , I know the owners of the funeral directors next time I see them I'll ask and let you know👍
@@shaun30-3-mg9zs Thanks Shaun. 👍
Thanks for the excellent information
Thanks for the excellent compliment. 👍😀
Another excellent video. Thanks Mark
Thanks very much. 👍
Wonderful cars, smooth riding, big boot, comfy interior and quite good looking. I had a BA Fairmont and loved it. But it didn't matter if you drove it flat out everywhere or towed it on a trailer I could not get better than 14 litres per 100km out of it and it did have low kilometres.
The cost of enjoyable Aussie motoring! 😀👍
Must have still been tight maybe. I've got a BF3 LPG wagon gets 16l/100 km around town due to lower energy per litre of LPG. But my petrol BF2 wagon regularly goes over 600km on its 70l tank. Admittedly though I drive for economy not for speed, nothing over 100km/hr. At $2/litre you kinda have to.
@@chrisgregory4796 Yes, the lower horsepower with the same heavy weight etc.
I got my XR6 Turbo MK11 6 speed manual, shockwave blue with black leather seats in 2005. 1st thing I did was to fit an engine oil cooler system. Some years ago I removed the rear suspension and replaced all bushes with aftermarket stuff. I also removed the gearbox and fitted an aluminium clutch master and slave cylinder from Mal Wood in QLD...Also fitted a remote clutch bleeder line. Fitted slotted and drilled brake rotors and aftermarket brake hoses. The car has done now 148000 km.... Oil and Filter is done every 5000 km's ... The car is only used to go for drives on sundays. ... Must keep the Mrs happy. ;)
Sounds like you were well prepared for the long haul. 👍
Brilliant series the BA I remember buying a ghia after an AU futura and what a change it was the ghia rode and drove so much smoother and that barra wow what a motor. Another fantastic video Mark and your insiders perspectives really added to the presentation.
Thanks very much. I did like that smooth ride of the BA. No doubt assisted by the extra weight too. 👍
Just fantastic work you did Mark and still do!
Thanks very much. 👍👍
Love them! Bought a 2003 XT one in 2011. Mercury silver. Put on LPG svi injection. Love it. Detailed to within an inch of it's life. Sits in my shed registered still. 185k. Took me all over the place. Nothing special but Love it. Cannot get rid of it. So clean and original.
Just waiting for historic registration 😁
Worth keeping for sure. It is the standard cars that become the rarest. 👍
Was actually such a great video. Had no idea that you personally made so many historical decisions regarding the FPV range.
I have a newer Santa Fe. Nice car. I've driven BMW's and the like (ex BIL worked for them) but the falcons just seem to ride better.
Really enjoyed the video. Have about 300 questions 😅.
Oh fun fact. Friend used to work in enging plant in Geelong. He says that initially the engineering group couldn't get the coolant temps right on the Barra? They are such a strong engine.
@@paulmcgaw6976 Thanks. Hadn’t heard that one re the coolant temperatures? Interesting. I did a tour of the engine plant. Saw them pour the molten metal for engines. Great stuff. 👍
Love your work mark always excited when one of your videos pops up on my feed. Cant wait for the commodore series ❤❤❤
Thanks very much. I will definitely start the Commodore series too and probably a HK to WB series as well. 👍
I have a base model 2003 XT with the 5.4 litre V8. Really like the look of the BA. Great video - thanks.
That is a very rare combo if a sedan
Very cool. I almost bought a black (Phantom) one about 3 years ago. Treasure it. 👍
Yes, for sure. 👍
@@triggeredleftyvegan6004 yes it is a sedan.
@@markbehr88 In the BA falcon range "Phantom" is purple, Silhouette is black. I think you might be mistaking the colour name with that of Holden, as they called their version of black "Phantom"
Love the BA
Yes, it is a well loved model for sure. 👍
Bloody Awesome Mark 👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks very much. 👍
im keen on a series on your Aus automotive career!
such a cool insight and makes us really appreciate what we had
had a BF xr6 ute - unfortunately the shockwave blue decided to fall off the car. but now have an FG2 xr6 ute and it is an enormous improvement
Thank you. Yes, I remember that flaking paint issue. I can only imagine something to do with the primer or contaminated steel? 🤔
I thought the XR6 turbo was a great looking car when I was in Oz in 2011. It is a shame that these Falcons were never sold in Europe to replace the Granada/Scorpio, I would of loved an XR6 turbo in the UK. Sadly, the UK car buying public are generally a bunch of snobby sheep, and only a BMW or Audi in this segment is seen as worthy of ownership despite being significantly more expensive. This is why the Granada/Scorpio were consigned to the history books and never replaced. If Ford Australia did sell the Falcon in the UK and made it a success with good marketing then maybe the Falcon could of survived to today in OZ with the right economy of scale, although strong Ozzy dollar would still make manufacture difficult. Corrosion may of been an issue for Falcons in our UK weather too, but I am sure they would of increased body protection for our market. Great informative video, cheers.
Thanks very much. 👍
Appreciate the time and effort to produce this informative and nostalgic video
Thanks very much Vince. 👍
@markbehr88 You're welcome, Mark. As an ex Ford employee and current indirect association with the current ex FPV/TVE, i get a regular reminder of a legendary past..
@@vincekara9446 Thanks. I’m glad you enjoy the videos. 👍
I waited 9mth for my vixen XR6 turbo 5 speed Ute. Ford offered a selection of photos of your car being built . That Ute was fantastic from day one. She ultimately ended up with 437rwkw and exploded, destroyed or internally granaded 12 gearboxes. In the early days it was Xede or unichip then the tuning screen started to explode with APS and Nispro. I had a difficult decision to make, either go 4 speed auto or the newly released T56, either way it was going to be a 8k exercise. In the end I dropped the power and waited . I had inside information that ZF engineers were at Ford and the BF would have a 6 speed auto. I traded the Ute for the BF XR6 turbo auto Ute with luxury pack.
Wow. That is huge power. Amazing what they can do. 👍
@@markbehr88 it’s also amazing how ford didn’t cut loose with a HSV ultimate killer. As Ford fans we always wanted something that left commodores for dead and gave the rice scene heartburn
@@tba3900 I did look at a GTHO at one point. 👍
@@markbehr88 most probably the worst decision Ford ever made and that was not release a proper ( not a sleeper) full on modern day GTHO . I don’t think Ford realise the economic potential of those 4 letter. It literally had to be insane, better than Sprint , better than holy grail. It literally had to be mental . In its day the phase 4 created the supercar scare , this car need to do exactly the same , scare the politicians again.
Rear lights in next falcon FG were a big improvement in asthetics i always give them a second look and think perfection with such a small tweak.
I went with the high series lights for FPV and did not use the XR lights which threw some of the Ford people but I was after differentiation. But that id for another episode. 👍
yes agree Ba-BF tail lights ordinary still better than the commodore
I remember seeing an article in Wheels magazine about 6 months before release. The only sneak preview was a shot of the rear right tail light highlighting the XR6 Turbo badge. I swear that was one the longest 6 months i have waited in my life. I wanted one so bad and got the MK2 XR6 Turbo Ute after getting finances sorted. Was such a nice Ute to drive when new and will be memories forever. Only part i regret was the fact i chose Ute over Sedan and the day i sold it cheap due to financial struggles.
Shame you had to let it go. I hope you get another one some day. 👍
Saw you on TV last week!
Must have been Classic Restos? 👍
'Australia's Most Wanted' Thursday, the 2nd story, about the series of mystery AU thefts? Yeah, I caught a glimpse too... =)
@@UncleJoeLITE Ha. Hilarious 😀👍
@@markbehr88 yeah that's it, heard the voice and thought I must've left one of these falcon reviews going but nope , on a tv show
@@EdmundSampson-pd7vi You can’t escape! 😀
I work as a tradie it seems like every Greek or Italian painters vehicle of choice is a BA wagon
They obviously know a good thing when they see it. 👍
But they never raced the ba v8 they were still running a windsor v8 awsome information cheers mate
Sure, it was all a controlled engineering category. I think the Holdens had Ford diffs too or so other component? Cheers 👍
Always been a Ford Oz bloke. Bought a BA XT ex Landsborough, Qld, police duty car (had PBR sports brakes, XR6 suspension, dual battery system- for the police lights, rear power windows & steel bash plate).
Bought a brand new BF2 XR8 in Ego, 6 speed manual with leather- my 26th bday present, spent way too much money building it up and eventually GT500 engine swapped it. Sold it to pay for my spinal surgery as Workcover didnt want to.
Now have an FG2 XR6 manual (one of one according to Ford Oz, other with same options is an auto).
You can really tell that by the FG, the money wasnt really there anymore; fit & finish inside & out, is poor compared to the later B Series, and have found that it isnt just my car- FG's over are the same.
It is sad that everything went the way it did with Ford Oz...
Nice cars. Sorry you had to sell the XR8. Yes, Ford was not investing enough in the Falcon and not marketing it much at all towards the end. I made a Shannons ad with the FGX in it because I felt Ford were not promoting the car enough!
@@markbehr88 public viewable or in a M B vid
You should be able to find it on their website of google Shannons home insurance tv ad It has the Kombi, Thunderbird and XR8 FGX. 👍
@markbehr88 Oh , that one , I thought it may have been a new one !
@@robertmorris6529 No. made it when FGX was new.
I remember as a kid, who was a Holden guy, seeing the BA for the first time. I was so disappointed, it looked amazing, I couldn’t deny how much better it looked than the sometimes dumpy looking VY.
I too didnt like the vy sedan, but the ss ute was a good looker. Got one as my first ever new car.
Yes the BA was a great looker. I did not like the VY. When I was at HSV I saw them being mocked up and I also worked on the VY HSV models. Too angular for me and a bit too VW at the rear. 🤔👍
I had a 2003 ba gt and I thought they were the best car in the world.. the styling was beautiful and aggressive.. I had it supercharged and put a six speed ZF.. I do miss it
Maybe you should find another one? 🤔👍
Please please please do a side special on the barra turbo development! When the Typhoon came out I was driving (for fun) an XC Fairmont 302 sedan, 400,000km, on gas, that I got for a bottle of "black bottle" brandy! 😆
A guy rolled into my work in 2006,with a black F6 Typhoon, and I asked him to take me for a spin it in, he chucked me the keys and said, go for a drive! After the XC, it was like going home with all the strippers from the club, at 25 yrs old! What a machine, pure excitement!
Cool. What a trusting guy that was. Gordon Barfield. - good friend and work colleague when I was at FPV, was the “Father of the Turbo”. Maybe I will see if he will do an interview one day? 👍
@@markbehr88please do, as far as I know you would be the first person to actually tell it in full!
Thank you again Mark for more great content. With the BA GT it seemed every second owner was getting a shaker put on the car and I really feel the public wanted also a FPV GT-HO, the colour code for blood orange is HO for example. Holden brought back the Monaro . Did ford America restrict ford Australia?
That is interesting re Blood Orange code. Most likely coincidence. Ford USA was focused on the Taurus so no appetite for Falcon there. 👍
Mark; Hells Bells!!! 22 mpg city and over 34mpg highway. We used imperial gallons not US! One of the all time greatest 6cyl engines ever made.
lol, Freedom Units hadn't yet been named! =)
A great, reliable, durable engine that gave great performance too for a bigger size car. Those fuel figures were the official test cycle. Real world may vary of course 😀👍
@@markbehr88 Yes Mark I'm in no doubt they are the proper figures its just that if you rely on google to convert to mpg it uses US gallons not imperial ! :) BTW I've got three Barra/ZF 6spd cars and three Barra 6 RTV's all made less than an hour from my home and I really appreciate how good they are and what a great job you guys did. Legends...Never to be repeated. Absolute total disgrace.
@@davidgoliath5901 Oh, I see? Re the RTVs. I once saw a V8 one local to me. I would love a V8 RTV but they don’t come up for sale much (not that I have looked that hard). 👍
Amazing to hear the design history from the horses mouth. The only BA’s I’ve driven are an XR6 turbo Ute modded to 600hp and a dark grey F6 Typhoon. Great looking Falcons, maybe the best!
Thanks. I do really like the FPV BF models too though. 🤔👍
130KGs xtra weight like driving around with fat freddy in passanger seat and he never leaves
Yes, if you’re allowed to say that these days!🤔👍
@@markbehr88XR6 was on avis fleet not entry level falcon maybe àn eye on resale value after retired.
@@Eric-kn4yn Yes for sure. 👍
Bit heavier sure, but you only need to look under one to see why. They are built like brick out-houses. The AU was no weakling but the BA/BF body shell, whilst very similar, was just a bit beefier again which made them feel more tank like. I kinda like the tank feel, but that's of course personal preference.
@@chrisgregory4796 Very true. Solid cars. 👍I like a heavy car too. Just look at what I own on my channel! 👍
Fascinating well done! My BA history: BA Xt Wagon company car (the boss would have rather purchased a V8 wagon) but it went better than 302, BA MKI Futura purchase in 2006 now has 400km+ original engine gear box and diff( I just replaced the starter motor and one window motor) still goes like the clappers best rear end ever ! My son has a BAMKII XR8 such a wonderful ute to drive his grandfather a mechanic (and closet ford fan) was so wrapped when his grandson rocked up in a little ford ute (little 5.4litre little HA HA)
Note: a guy has put a turbo in a BA wagon have not seen a V8 transplant!
Love reading other comments on this channel!
Some good cars there. I don’t know why Ford did not put the V8 in the wagon. Ford V8 wagons were once a fairly common sight back in XA to XC days. I love my AU2 Fairmont V8 wagon and would like to have bought a BA or BF if they made such an animal? 😀👍
@@markbehr88 "Ford did not put the V8 in the wagon" guessing they had the territory coming thru with the plan to phase out the wagon(which did not happen, dont start me on taxis) but the wagon had such great back seat legroom and over all space + headroom with that 3 valve 5.4L + plus fairmont options would be a great vehicle
Cant wait till you do the Territory ( there is 3valve 5.4l v8 tezza in WA they recon it gets better fuel economy than the barra I6)
@@rods6405 A V8 Territory would have been cool but a low seller. I drove the Turbo prototypes with John Bowe back in the FPV days. I think it was called Project Hammerhead? 👍
>laughs in fg door handles
Great video Mark. The in-depth content you covered on the BA models was well deserved and it was always a special car for me after being a Ford dealer throughout the 2000s and although the FG was an exciting offering when it arrived, the BA was a game changer. On a subject that I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about is the fact that unless you had a keen eye to spot the intercooler under the front grill, or you noticed the badging from behind, I think Ford made a mistake in not giving the XR6T owners a more stand out appearance over the standard XR6 for their money. A passion hate of mine is people who would put an XR8 bonnet of their Turbos, it’s simply ridiculous in my opinion. I drove a few BA & BAII XR8s and as you’re well aware, like the FG, that bonnet bulge was in fact there to fit that colossal motor under the bonnet. When asked, in my opinion an idea could have at least been to add some bonnet vents similar to the EL XR8 If you remember those. Something like that would have been an inexpensive way of having the owners of the XR6T stand out over the guys paying considerably less for the regular XR6. Anyhow, great work Mark and keep up the interesting content.
Thanks very much. When I was working on the F6 Typhoon I said I wanted the intercooler silver. The initial response was “Really?” I had a similar response when I asked for the Dark Argent wheels for the car. I agree. No Boss bonnet (or F6 wheels) on the wrong car. The whole point was differentiation between V8 and Turbo. 👍
@@markbehr88 Absolutely Mark, and every time I see an XR6T or even worse a clown in an XR6 with a loud exhaust, with an XR8 bonnet, I feel like just walking straight up to them and asking “Are you that insecure?” :) I do like your idea of the silver inter-cooler and wheels. I guess when you’ve owned a turbo XR the driving experience is enough and the smile on one’s face should be the give away. My favourite car out of all of them when I was involved was the FG G6ET, wow, what a luxury beast. I just think for the guys out laying the considerable extra $ for the Turbo , Ford could have scraped a little off their gravy train and given them a car that stood out a bit more so than the standard XR6. Aaaaaah, if only Ford knew how to best utilise the assistance of the Tariff system and streamline their business through innovation and R&D, rather than riding that gravy train, well, who knows. All that most know now is that the tariff system was never meant to be a permanent pillar for the local car industry. Having said that, not many countries ever got it right. I think Canada may be an exception. All the best Mark, and I’m really enjoying your videos and so is my Dad, who is now in his 80s with Parkinson’s unfortunately, but he was the one that started the Family Ford dynasty for us back in 1988 after working for many years doing all the F&I at Coffee Ford Ringwood then going to Sydney to work with Robert Power at Castle Hill would you believe, when he bought his first dealership in Moe of all places, but he turned that old tin shed into a profitable operation that earned him a ticket to set up a new dealership in Warrnambool back in 1993 after the existing dealer in the CBD went under, until selling it on to Markus Norton in 2008. Dad did very well down there picking up Vic Rural Dealer of The Year in 2000, and was also heavily involved in the FDAF and VACC. The good days Mark 👍 Looking forward to enjoying more of your really interesting content.
Yes, good days. What is your Dad’s first name? I was Senior Account Director on the FDAF so I am sure I worked with him? 👍
@@markbehr88 Hi Mark, Dad’s first name is Brooke. He was an active Ford dealer from 1988 to 2008. He bought his first dealership in Moe in 1988:then was in Warrnambool from 1993 to 2008 when he sold that to Marcus Norton. Cheers Mark.
@@muntedmonk3884 Passlow? I am sure he would remember me? Unless my memory is hazy? I had dinner with him and your Mum with Troy Daly and David Wade and I spoke to your Mum about visiting Turkey as a great destination. 🤔
I reckon Ford Nailed it with the BA, even though AU is slowly growing on me (it has taken a lot longer than the XC did back in the day). Ford really turned, what was considered an Ugly duckling, into a Swan... or back into a proper Falcon at the very least..
I was a little surprised that Ford went from the BA - BF which looked great, and really caught peoples attention, back to the rather AUy looking FG... Never really been a fan of those, although the FG/X did fix the outside of them at least... The dashboard, not so much..
As always Mark, great video. Love your work mate.
Thanks very much. When I do FG I will cover off the design aspect too in terms of what it could have looked like. 👍
They should have came up with some sort of bonnet scoop like the old falcons cheers
People often asked me about a shaker and some people put them on. I am not a fan of plonking an old school design element like that on a newer car. Sure, develop something unique but don’t do a” lift and shift”. It just doesn’t look right. Same with the factory alloy wheels. Leave them alone! 👍
The BA is my favourite Falcon design of the modern, post-2000 versions. I also thought they held together very well over time- there are some BA taxis out there that have ticked well past a million clicks and still going strong- obviously most with a few reco parts. I know this as an ex cab driver!
What are you going to do when you run out of Falcons to review Mark? "-)
Hi Dan. Yes the BA was a good car. After BF, FG and FG-X (three episodes), I am going to start a Valiant series, Holden series and Fairlane series. 👍
@@markbehr88 I look forward to that mate! Cheers
Was always a holde fan growig up, but the BA really was the first ford to catch my attention. The GT-P was such a good looking car and the engine bay of the boss v8 was and still is so much better than holden engine bays of the time. The plastic ls1 engine cover was such a disappointment compared to the boss engine. Awesome video. Definitely coming to appreciate the fords alot more.
Thanks very much. I added a fair bit more “blue” at MK2 and also had the old school V8 badge from the 1932 Ford V8 on the air intake. I got that idea off the V8 Explorer that used that badge on the rear of the vehicle. Then “Powered by Ford” for FG. 👍
Excellent video Mark. This cars styling is on point! This generation could have been sold in the United States. It looks the part to be sold in the United States. I guess there is the issue of the Taurus and Fusion again. It seems at this point Ford Australia was doing more than Ford in the United States and doing it well. You guys came up with some great packages and interiors. Every time I see the Fairmont name knowing it had a different history in Australia, it is interesting. You had the Falcon, Futura, Fairmont names in Australia. The interior on the Fairmont was nice. Those performance packages were grand too. You guys were giving it to HSV too. Thank you for mentioning Holden as well. I liked hearing about your time and work in the industry. You had some influence there. That modular V8 engine you talked about was it based on the 4.6 liter V8 they used in the United States? Great video and it was interesting.
Thanks Olds98. I reckon it would have done very well in the USA. The block we used for the 5.4 was the same as the Lincoln Navigator I believe? With Mustang Cobra R heads and other mods that were unique to Australia. Our engineers were (are) top notch. Glad you liked the performance models. They get even better for the next model. Glad you enjoyed the video. 👍
@@markbehr88 Thank you for clarifying the engine. I know Australia has often make something unique to them as witnessed by the many Fords and Holdens. They tend to be quite creative on a budget too. Thank you again for the great video.
@@OLDS98 Yes. The need to do things very cost effectively was a necessity for us. 👍
@@markbehr88 It paid off too. I saw it with Holden and Ford especially how the Holden Caprice and Statesman shared parts with the Commodore and you would not know it if someone told you. I imagine it was the same way with LTD/Fairlane and Falcon/Fairmont. You guys made the most of what was given to you on a budget. I think back to the number of American GM and American parts I saw on the Australian models. I saw Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Cadillac and Chevrolet parts on Holdens. You guys took the budget and made it work. The American branches are not that efficient. It is a shame they were so wasteful here. Think about all those trims levels and models you guys got off one sedan and UTE. It is amazing what the Australians did with the engines they were given. Think about this... We had Crown Victoria, Taurus and Fusion in the United States. You guys had Falcon and LTD covering the same segment.
@@OLDS98 Yes, very true. 👍
Love the series of kids on the Falcon's history Mark.
Thanks so much for these, any chance of doing a series on the Commodore?
Thanks. Yes, I will be doing Commodore, Statesman and Caprice, HK-WB Kingswoods etc. If you Subscribe and tell your mates 😉👍
Would you be doing an episode about the FG Ecolpi system XR6 included? 😊🥳
Yes, I certainly will. 👍
Was it the BA or BF that had the .R. type variant of the Typhoon ??? I remember the advertising...Great video Mark...👍🏁
That was the BF. 👍.
Wow that green falcon plated fairmont ghia sunroof car must be rare! 😂
I have a 2003 BA wagon dedicated gas wagon (ford system) that has 455,000km and runs like a swiss watch! It was a telstra wagon until 2006, then the second owners had it until last December, and I am the third owner and love it! Also have a BA barra greentop on the stand ready to give a turbo boost!
They are such good cars. The BF wagon was extended in its life off the back of a lot of Telstra business. 👍
Yeah my BF3 wagon is ex Telstra, I'm 2nd owner and got it straight of Telstra through pickles at 5 years old 69,000km $7000 plus Pickles fees still under $8k. At the time they were auctioning about 6 - 10 per week in Perth alone, all were 5YO, all had about 70kkm, all went about $7k, and most became Taxis the week after auction. If there were a metric for remaining useful life per dollar spent, those LPG ex Telstra wagons would have been right up there. When I bought it remember thinking, how can you buy about 400,000km of future use for under $8k? You can still spot the Testra ones, the headlights are always on while driving.
What a great value car. 👍
I really liked the design of the BAII XR8 Ute and it's specs, and test drove one back in 2006 when I was looking to upgrade my car. The seating position was too high and unfortunately this was something I just couldn't get used to. Ended up waiting a year and going with a VE R8 in 2007 after Holden failed to produce the SSV Ute I'd ordered
Yes the seat height was an issue I noted especially with the Performance seats in the GTP. I tried to get them lowered but was not successful. 👍