Australian Car Spotters Guide - 1982 |
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Also see: Ford Falcon XD to EF Car Reviews and Falcon XD Specifications |
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Improved vision made the XD a most controllable
car for its size. While comfort was adequate, unfortunately
the driving position suffered the same fault as previous
Falcons insofar as the steering wheel was too close
to the chest and the old-fashioned umbrella-type
handbrake was retained. The European Sports Pack (ESP) was released
15 months after the rest of the range, in June 1980.
It was fitted as standard with the new 4.1 litre
alloy head six, however the 5.8 litre V8 was
available as an option. The ESP also featured a
re-worked suspension system, which included higher-rate
front and rear springs, a rear radius rod and Bilstein
gas shock absorbers. The steering geometry and anti-sway
bars were unique to the ESP.
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Also see: Ford Falcon XD to EF Car Reviews and Falcon XE Specifications |
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The XE celebrated a defining point for Ford Australia
as they finally passed GMH in the sales wars, and with
a product that they least expected, the Falcon. With its revised front end design, utilising a wrapover
bonnet that presaged the demise of the traditional grille
in the future, the car was a mild re-style of its predecessor.
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Also see: Ford Fairlane Car Reviews and ZK Fairlane Specifications |
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Released in March 1982, visually there was little to diferentiate the new model Fairlane from its predecessor, the ZJ. It was naturally under the skin where most changes occured, the most important being the improvement to the 4.1 litre six cylinder engine. Thanks mainly to the new Weber carburettor, power rose to 105kW @ 3800rpm. The suspension also came in for revision, the ancient leaf pring set-up finally being replaced with all-round coil springs and a Watts link rear suspension - at the time it being considered one of the best "non-independent" suspension systems available. |
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Also see: Holden Gemini Car Reviews and TF Gemini Specifications |
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Seven years since the introduction of the Gemini and it was time yeat again for another face lift. It was no surprise to learn that the new model TF had a raft of appointment upgrades over the old model, but there were to be very few mechanical upgrades. The SL/X grille and headlight arrangement now closely resembled the VH Commodore and thus made the Gemini appear much larger. The tail lights on the Gemini were also revised to more closely resemble the Commodore, and the front indicators were set in the vertical position at each end of the grille (the side indicator lights now being deleted).
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Also see: Holden Camira Car Reviews |
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The Holden Camira can be remembered
for many things, but at the time the important issues
were that this was a "World Car", and it
was GMH 's first front wheeler. The Camira was sold in the USA as the Pontiac J2000, in
the UK as the Vauxhall Cavalier, in Germany as the Opel
Ascona and in Japan as the Isuzu Aska. Manufactured in Australia by Holden, the Camira was designed
by Opel and used an international parts bin that included
an Isuzu dash and transmission.
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Also see: Holden Commodore Car Reviews and Holden VH Commodore Specifications |
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Amoung the changes
included with the release of the VH was a revised grille with new front guards, the tail
lights were given louvres similar in style to the Mercedes
Benz tail lights of the day (designed as such to prevent
dirt buildup and ensure clarity). And to add a little
differentiation from the lesser models, the SL/E's tail
lights stretched right up to the number plate recess.
It is worth noting that the new front guards were designed
in Australia, some thought as a deliberate move away
from the German Opel shape.
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