The Best And Worst Australian Cars.

Cant believe in best someone included the Holden Cruze and Ford Territory, The Teritory should be in the worst, especially the early models. The Cruze while not bad is not worthy of being in the top 10.
In the worst they should have also included the XD melted head Falcon and any Falcon after the XF.
The Mitsubishi Magna early version should also be included in the worst along with the Sigma.
Best is very subjective and should be 2 lists maybe performance/muscle and general cars.
Muscle for me:
A9X 2 Door
LX SS
LH SLR 5000
GTR XU1
E49 Charger
E38 Charger
HDT VB/VC/VH/VK
HQ GTS Monaro
XYGTHO - **** to drive but plenty of power
XA/XB/XC GT

Normal Cars
VT Commodore - best Commodore produced.
48/215 FX
Kingswood all variants
Holden Panelvan all variants
VB Commodore
XA/XB/XC Falcons
770 Charger
HR Holden
EH Holden
Holden Utes HQ-HJ

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

I'd love a Zeta.

Hey, but the best Aussie car ever is, of course, the VR Commodore.

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best place for a commondore scrap metal yard (in the crusher ) lol
:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:wasntme:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by disco man

VR Commodore,your way off Mick!!! 1972 Chrysler Charger R/T E49:D

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Wouldn't I love one of them too.
I'd park it between my A9X and GTHO so they wouldn't fight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Outback 1

best place for a commondore scrap metal yard (in the crusher ) lol
:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:wasntme:

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I can't read this because you are on my ignore list.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ean Austral

I cant believe only 1 judge picked the Torana in the top 10. I am not a holden man, but surely the SS A9X Torana would have to be up there with the GT falcon.




Didn't the original XR falcon win the most reliable car rally around Australia.


Cheers Ean

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A9X wasnt the all conquering car most people think it was.
Compared to what they were allowed to raced it was like a HQ 350 compared to a HG 350.
It was a homologation package that allowed vented front HQ/J disc brakes, stronger diff with rear discs, T10 option and revised front suspension geometry. The racecars were shells made up as a spare part, the top teams swapped their L34 running gear into the new shell and carried on where they left off.
Without the pre pollution L34 heads the racecars would have been ordinary.
James

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

If the Zeta is worst then the unlamented Triumph Herald is next. What a piece of junk. Followed by virtually anything made by Fiat and Renault.

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Was the Herald actually made in Australia? Or Fiats? I think some Renaults were.

And while I am not suggesting the Herald was a particularly good car, I think it was way ahead of the Zeta.

John

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Originally Posted by UncleHo

The Morris Marina was a shocker,a rehashed Morris Major with an OHC motor that was designed/re-designed on a beer coaster one night at the Associated Motor Club in Sydney after a dinner and presentation night ;)
body panels were too thin,not enough strengthing pressings.

But desparate things were done in the dying days of Leyland Aust.as Leyland UK was in dire straights and was being propped up by the Thatcher Govt.

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When I worked for Leyland dealership we had few problems with the Marina's . The main problems were the leaver arm shocks , water leaks in the boot . The 6 cylinder ones were a bit of a hand full.

this thread will always be contentious.

most people think the cars they owned were always best......I mean THEY bought a lemon did they?

also I think without the late greater Peter Brock there would be less championing for Holdens.

our local motor assembly wasn't very big so choices are few.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

Was the Herald actually made in Australia? Or Fiats? I think some Renaults were.

And while I am not suggesting the Herald was a particularly good car, I think it was way ahead of the Zeta.

John

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AMI assembled Heralds here. Noted for body parts being attached with self-tapping screws which worked loose on the roads of the time resulting in things like doors falling off and roofs becoming loose. Great fun when the drivers seat pulled loose from the floor and fell backwards leaving the driver on his back staring at the roof. I briefly worked for a machine shop that had the job of reshaping the circlip grooves on the stub shafts in Herald diffs. The shafts used to crack and snap off at the groove.

One of my mates has just restored a Marina six coupe for regularity trials. IMHO looking at its construction it is little different from other cars of the time.
Except for the lever shocks which are a time warp but make it easy to get neg camber. He has had a sway bar made by the bloke who made the bars for the Bathurst entrants. I think it will go well.
Regards Philip A.

Best Aussie cars?

hmmm.
I had a Renault 16TS which I think was outstanding. 102 mph from 1600 cc and so quiet and smooth for the time
Nothing else I can think of even though I worked for Ford. GTs were always crude things and even HOs only real benefit was the power, although day to day would not be fun with the 1100 rpm idle of a Phase 1. ZF fairlanes with the 4v engines were nicer IMHO .
Worst?
Vauxhall Viva comes to mind although mine was a trooper of reliability.
Toyota Corona with Holden 4 Cylinder
Datsun 200B