Australian Ford fans were hit with sad news this week, with the Blue Oval announcing that they would be closing up domestic manufacturing in Oz. This means the end of the Ford Falcon more likely than not, ending decades of performance domination from Ford. The last Falcon Utes will be rolling off the assembly line in 2016.
The devotion of Falcon fans runs deep, even in here in America. A Michigan man flew out to Los Angeles and drove home an Aussie 1984 Ford Falcon XE Ute that he found for sale there. But it is a trip filled with twist and turns documented at Matthew’s blog, the BeaterBlog.com.
Matthew and his friend David flew out to L.A. to buy the Falcon Ute, called the Roo Chaser, and hit the road with an $800 budget and over 2,600 miles to drive. But right away they ran into overheating problems that forced them to come up with innovative solutions, including driving with the hood off. Ya, that will solve your cooling issues…sort of.
The whole saga is filled with many a narrative twist and turn, but suffice to say Matt and David got the Falcon Ute back home to the Beater garage. While not one of the more classic or contemporary models that seem popular, it is definitely a unique ride to have in America, and a cool piece of Australian Ford history. Big props to Matt for his Falcon dedication.