Faults:

This appears far more skewed toward troublesome than it really is. This Falcon was an unwanted trade in from a car dealership in Hastings which I bought for $1000 on 11/09/17. The previous owner had her for 9 years, seemingly never replacing the coolant or servicing the auto transmission. Consequently, quite a lot of issues developed which were not the fault of the car itself.

2017 - Heater core, radiator, coolant hoses, ignition coil, ignition leads, spark plugs, intake manifold gasket.

2018 - Transmission shift solenoid, LPG converter, water pump, brake pads/rotors, wheel bearing, ball joints, rear shocks/springs.

2019 - Exhaust center section, LPG solenoid, front brake pads.

2020 - 10 year LPG tanks certification, front shocks/springs, exhaust replacement with steel COBY.

2021 - Transmission reconditioned at 365k, engine removed to replace frost plugs, seals, mounts, etc, A/C regas, underseal and cavity wax for floorpan.

2022 - Expansion tank, brake hoses, drivebelt pulleys, spark plugs, MSD ignition coil, knock sensor, radiator.

2023 - K&N air filter, heater valve, power steering rack and pump recondition, tie rod ends.

2024 - Brake pads/rotor machining, differential breather hose.

2025 - Front ball joints, oxygen sensor, ignition leads.

About $23,000 in repairs & maintenance spent in 8 years, or roughly 20c per km travelled.

Also spent $4000 in improvements including the following:

- Upgraded interior trim with Fairmont Ghia and XR6 parts as well as some custom touches as the S models were based on the Forte spec and rather cheap.

- Replaced factory speakers and installed the Fairmont Ghia sound system.

- Sound deadening material for entire floor pan, boot, inside doors, etc.

- JVC head unit to replace standard tape/CD.

- Installed power windows for the rear doors, as only the fronts had them as standard (!)

General Comments:

Good old Aussie workhorse which really chews up the miles and has been incredibly cheap to run for such a big, spacious and powerful car.

Power delivery from the LPG engine is fit for purpose - you can cruise around barely touching the throttle and still pass slower drivers on the highway if necessary. Torque is slightly higher than the petrol I6 models and peaks at just 2750rpm, making the lower horsepower figure virtually insignificant the way these cars are meant to be driven.

AU Falcons without the optional IRS handle safely and predictably, though they are designed for the open road and sway about on corners - even with stiffer springs and KYB gas shocks.

The vacuum operated HVAC controls are somewhat basic and not too reliable, but everything else works as it should. Reliability is excellent, I've only broken down twice due to cheap aftermarket LPG solenoids, most other issues occurred over a long period of time and gave plenty of warning so I didn't get stranded.

Interior is very roomy and comfortable, visibility is good though not on the same level as older Falcons, especially around the C pillars. The rear seats fold down and I've managed to fit many long items inc ladders and other hefty things inside, though the spare wheel lives in the boot itself due to the LPG tanks being beneath the floor.

The LPG system is beautifully simple, using what is basically a scaled-up version of a BBQ gas regulator with solenoids and a cooling circuit. Far less to go wrong than the later fuel injected setups.

When I bought her the cost of LPG in NZ was $1.06/l, sadly it has increased over the past 8 years and is now $1.69/l in Christchurch. I'm looking to replace this old warrior with a Jaguar XJ or Mercedes S350 diesel variant, as modern diesels are finally cheaper to run (even with RUCs) than older LPG cars. It still runs well and will likely last for another 10 years and do over 500,000kms at this rate - many other AU Falcons have.

Faults:

Just some wear & tear items.

Both front wheel bearings were extremely noisy when I got the car & had movement in them, so I replaced them (having as many km on it when I bought it, they have probably been on the car for a LONG time, so I wasn't that annoyed about replacing them, as they're pretty cheap parts & easily replaced).

The exhaust system is now starting to rust out; also typical for the amount of km on the car.

Something snapped one day on the driver's inside door handle, which means now when I get out of the car, I have to pull up on the outside door handle once so the door will latch. It was annoying for a while, but don't think much of it any more & will probably get it fixed one day.

The driver's rear passenger door lock broke, meaning when you lock all the doors, you can just pull the outside door handle & open the door. For security reasons I'll definitely be getting that fixed.

The upper ball joints in the front suspension are very worn out & need to be replaced (another wear & tear age-related problem, simple cheap fix).

The central locking keypad stopped working, got a new-old stock one from Ford for $40, no problems.

General Comments:

This is the AU series 2 Forté. It's one of the most reliable cars I've owned. It mostly just gets me from home to work, which is only two suburbs away, & gets me all around town, but I occasionally need it to go on long trips, which I've done quite a few in it now, & that's where these Falcons are most comfortable. Very spacious, quiet & smooth on long trips, & the cruise control works perfectly well.

I chose to fit Pirelli Cinturato P1 tyres on my Falcon (215/60r16 standard size), which I think make it quieter & handle better.

The safety feature in the engine that let's you keep on driving if it loses all its coolant is comforting to have in case something does go wrong. It sure is a solid workhorse, & doesn't have any feeling that it's going to let you down.

I really can't complain about this car. The styling could be a little better, but I personally think they look pretty sleek. The Series 2 that I've got DEFINITELY looks better than the Series 1, but styling aside, they are a solid, well-made car. Highly recommended, but before buying one, check out all the components I listed above for signs of wear. These cars aren't getting any younger & most have led a hard life, but are hard to kill.

Great car.