Thread: BA Ford V8 ute... thoughts

I had a BA XR8 as a work car, so my experience is limited to that model. As a similar car i'll compare it to an SS (VY/VX).

Pro's: Under load it sounded unreal, and was quick too. Steering is very light, too light for some but i liked (or got used to) the ratio. Comfy ride at normal road speeds. Good instrument and control layout. Look after it and it'll treat you well, as with most things. Headlights are HEAPS better than the SS.

Cons: Not as quick off the mark as a BF and it couldn't catch an XR6T over short distance, they are a rocket. In the sedan the spring/shock pakage is a joke for a 'performance car'. It'll bottom out over speed humps at a slow walk and the rear rebounds at the same slow speed. At high speed the softer suspension DOES NOT inspire confidence like the SS. The thing wobbles around like a tinny. We broke diff mounts a fair bit - Ford introduced a modified diff mount bracket onto the BF but they still broke regularly. Drinks like a thirsty fish - around town 2.5-3 km per litre...turbo is about the same. Mind you that is driving without any concern for economy. Interior trim is poor quality - plastic bits snap off easily.

The basic BA/BF six is a nice driving 'town' car and our work cars are on LPG. Same soft suspension and crappy trim but they're a comfy family car. Work has a few utes but they don't carry much in them. Hope someone else can shed light on their commercial capacity.

I liked the Ford but now i've got a VX (6 Litre) SS and it's growing on me

It occurs to me that www.fordforums.com.au would be a good place for you to look.
They have a whole section on utes, a whole section on BA's etc. And plenty opf knowledgeable people there just like LR fanatics here !

Useless as a trady vehicle unless you are a poser trady that does not actually carry a load in the back. This goes for the Holden as well.
Personally I do not see the point of buying a ute unless you are going to use it as one and then needs at least a 1 tonne capacity.
To be honest I would probablly by a jap ute.
If its just his daily drive it will probablly be OK, but if that was the case I would get a sedan.

Gotta disagree there. It depends entirely on what his trade is / how much of what type of gear has to be carried.

In the Ford v Holden debate the Ford is the better option as far as gear carrying (more cabin space behind the seats than the holden) as well as a greater weight capacity. The new VE's are even worse - designed from the outset to be a sportscar with a big boot. Really piddly load capacity - similar to that of a Proton Ute !

So sure my the Falcon. Pretty good car and V8's go forever (if you can afford to feed them!).

I had a BA XR6T ute (saw it yesterday on my way to collect the new D3!). The interior was of poor quality, in my opinion, and thanks to leaf-springs for the rear suspension, the handling was bad through corners and nerve-wracking in the wet.

I liked the tray size (still miss it) and the very handy space behind the seats.

The V8s do sound fantastic, but the performance is under par in comparison to the new VE Commodore V8 ute.

I had a BA XR6 for 3 years from new and being a ford (as well as LR) nut I was rapt to own it, but I wouldn't buy another one.... When I sold it, it had 70,000km on the clock.
The rear cv's wore and began to clunk after every 15000 km. The car would occasionally almost stall at idle (have you been in a ba taxi lately - they now all seem to have a very rough idle). The ABS computer would sometimes feel like it was activating with normal/light braking and the steering wheel turned. The power steering would occasionally make excessive wherring sounds.
The V8 might be different but I would not buy one as it appeared to me to be built to last 100,000km only. Anything after that and your service costs would probably quite high.

Originally Posted by stooge

Hi all,

My bro is looking at getting a BA Ford V8 ute for work purposes. He asked me to see if I can get as much info on the car, both pros and cons. I know that the previous model ford had heaps of problems, but pretty much heard OK things about the BA (new engine etc). Anyone here own a BA, or know about them?

Cheers,

Check the rotors for warping they have a problem when they get warm and the steering wheel wobbles if they are warped.
the fix is to replace rotors and pads.

Thanks guys. I didnt want to go to a Ford site as I wanted a more unbiased opinion of them. From what ive read so far, hes better off buying something other than the holden/ford utes. Hes trade is welding/fabrication, so he will be carrying fairly heavy loads, another reason not to buy one. He needs a 4x4 ute really as he will be doing some work in areas where unselaed roads will be plenty.

Cheers,