Falcon XD wagon, how heavy ?

[Catherine Jemma]

Thanks for your info Luke, but try to avoid calling me "mad" please,
as I'm crazy enough as it is

Yeah I'd use a bigger vehicle to tow with, If I or anyone I knew had
something better.

I have zero relatives in Australia, no life-partner and almost no
friends (despite being such "a good catch" for the right person, and
good at fixing mechanical things ! )

Plus there's only an outside chance that I *might* be getting this old
Falcon anyway

I'd need to get at least another old one as well, later on, in order
to make a good one, cheaply, out of the 2 of them

Now a Falcon wagon, even with the smallest motor (3.3 litre 6 cyl ?)
would be plenty ok to tow stuff around with

If it is indeed 1500 kg then I know the idea of towing it all the way
home is pretty much a non-starter. If it was "just 1300 kg" then
I'd've given it a go

At 1500 kg I'd tow it from the place its for sale, to my friends
house, just a few streets away in the same suburb, but no further

Renting a mid sized vehicle with towbar, the cheapest rate for a ute
allowing for some 540 kms will cost hundreds of dollars, whether it's
for 1 or 2 days hire, and including the kms allowance

cheers


cheers

Spam-block in action


Catherine Jemma.......(Keeper of The Gem of Amara)
Outback Western Australia
.....xena@agn.net.au.knickers

(Remove knickers before replying)

[D Walford]

Catherine Jemma wrote:
>
> Hi folks,
>
> I *might* be buying an old XD Falcon stationwagon, cheap as it doesn't
> go
>
> I'd have to tow it home using my trusty A-frame
>
> Previously my 4 cyl old Bluebird managed to tow a 1 tonne 4 cyl car
> home (270 kms) but hills were a real struggle.
>

Approx 1500kg, I wouldn't try towing it with the Bluebird, you will just
end with 2 stuffed cars.



Daryl

[Catherine Jemma]

Thanks for your comment "Bushy".....BUT I STILL DONT KNOW HOW HEAVY A
FALCON WAGON IS 1 1

I was unsure about the braking legalities myself and knowing that
sometimes it's better NOT to ask, so last time, I used the principle
of,.......

leaving Perth at 4 am when it was still dark for awhile, and having
some camping type gear etc packed "randomly" in the slave-car, in
just such a manner that it could look to the casual observer like a
person was in the driver's seat !

I's going for the idea of being out past the city limits before the
coppers finished their cuppa and cookie for the morning !

Putting an un-braked tonne behind a 4 cyl Bluebird you can definitely
get that "where's the brakes" feeling, I know because I've towed
trailerloads of wheat around here (local roads only, and at slow
speed) However as a general rule, when you've got a tonne behind a
Bluebird, you aint got the power to go too fast ! The manual
*recommends* a max of 400 kg unbraked and 700 kg braked for my model
Bluebird (1985)

Only sometimes was the car ABLE to do the 75 kmh which I'd decided
(partly by the feel I's getting through the steering, plus the general
G-forces feelings) was the max top speed for safety that day

It took almost exactly 5 hours for the 270 km drive home and that was
with one small stop for morning tea-n-wee by the side of the road and
a brief stop at a near-neighbour just up the road a-ways, so I guess
the average speed was a little over 54 kmh, (just figuring mentally)

The hill at Roleystone-Karragullen I barely made it over in 2nd gear,
and I's getting close to needing to drop down to first ! I decided on
that route partly to avoid Greenmount Hill (Perth's other main way
Eastwards)

The road, Karragullen to Beverley and again onto Mawson needed lots
of third and often some 2nd gear

The fuel economy went into the toilet compared to my normal high 30's
mpg for a normal run

cheers

Spam-block in action


Catherine Jemma.......(Keeper of The Gem of Amara)
Outback Western Australia
.....xena@agn.net.au.knickers

(Remove knickers before replying)

[Luke Welling]

"Catherine Jemma" <xenaa@agn.net.au.nospam> wrote
> I *might* be buying an old XD Falcon stationwagon, cheap as it doesn't
> go
>
> I'd have to tow it home using my trusty A-frame
>
> Previously my 4 cyl old Bluebird managed to tow a 1 tonne 4 cyl car
> home (270 kms) but hills were a real struggle.

I think you are mad.

Drive.com.au's redbook data says a curb weight of about 1500kg depending on
engine size.

http://www.drive.com.au/buy/market_value/car_details.asp?nvic=C42&make=FORD&model=FALCON&series=&year=1980&body=4D+WAGON

For a real car with fluids in it and 25 years worth of whatever else, you
are probably looking at 1600kg

Luke

[Catherine Jemma]

Hi folks,

I *might* be buying an old XD Falcon stationwagon, cheap as it doesn't
go

I'd have to tow it home using my trusty A-frame

Previously my 4 cyl old Bluebird managed to tow a 1 tonne 4 cyl car
home (270 kms) but hills were a real struggle.

I have searched the various text books I have here at home, lots of
pretty pictures but no details on how heavy a Falcon (approx XD model,
maybe later) wagon weighs. Dunno for sure if its auto or manual, but
its RED in colour if that helps ! :)

Yes I know if its an auto that removing the propshaft is recommended


Depending on how much more than a tonne it is, I can make a decision
as to whether my car will likely manage

A personal reply to my email is appreciated, spamblocker might affect
newsgroup so manually type in

xena at agn dot net dot au

Spam-block in action


Catherine Jemma.......(Keeper of The Gem of Amara)
Outback Western Australia
.....xena@agn.net.au.knickers

(Remove knickers before replying)

[atec]

at a guess in 6 cylinder auto about 1600 kg . 58% front bias ?.

Catherine Jemma wrote:
>
> Hi folks,
>
> I *might* be buying an old XD Falcon stationwagon, cheap as it doesn't
> go
>
> I'd have to tow it home using my trusty A-frame
>
> Previously my 4 cyl old Bluebird managed to tow a 1 tonne 4 cyl car
> home (270 kms) but hills were a real struggle.
>
> I have searched the various text books I have here at home, lots of
> pretty pictures but no details on how heavy a Falcon (approx XD model,
> maybe later) wagon weighs. Dunno for sure if its auto or manual, but
> its RED in colour if that helps ! :)
>
> Yes I know if its an auto that removing the propshaft is recommended
>
> Depending on how much more than a tonne it is, I can make a decision
> as to whether my car will likely manage
>
> A personal reply to my email is appreciated, spamblocker might affect
> newsgroup so manually type in
>
> xena at agn dot net dot au
>
> Spam-block in action
>
> Catherine Jemma.......(Keeper of The Gem of Amara)
> Outback Western Australia
> ....xena@agn.net.au.knickers
>
> (Remove knickers before replying)

--
X-No-Archive: Yes

[Bushy]

> > I'd have to tow it home using my trusty A-frame


Don't know about WA but here in Qld the brakes of the towed vehicle would
have to be able to be operated. This can be done by either having a driver
in the towed vehicle who can put their foot on the brake, or a remote
braking arrangement that can be operated by the driver of the towing
vehicle. The actual method of operating the brakes remotely is not discussed
by Qld Transport.


> > Previously my 4 cyl old Bluebird managed to tow a 1 tonne 4 cyl car
> > home (270 kms) but hills were a real struggle.


No comments about thowing out my jocks the last time I let a mate tow me in
an old shitbox out to my farm. The arsehole was overtaking trucks at 89 mph
up Minden Range with me hanging on for grim death!!!!! Apart from stability
and braking the bluebird might have been a much nicer ride....


> > (Remove knickers before replying)


I have removed my knickers, how about you, my little kitten?

;<)

Peter