purchase advice,write off BA Ford

[LandyAndy]

Hi Guys.
We are going thru the "My Boy Wants His First Car" blues.
My Bro has a few mates in the panelshop industry and with his contacts he believes this falcon will make a cheap car,certainly worth the trip to the auction.
Im going to the auction in the morning,any thoughts on what to look out for when I look at it.Unfortunately is buy as is where is.We have decided maximum $2000 depending on inspection.
Vehicle Detail - Pickles Auctions Australia (http://www.pickles.com.au/damaged/item/-/details/02-04--Ford--Falcon/552133472)
Andrew

[bee utey]

A small specialist Falcon wrecker I know in Adelaide says he can't outbid the mainline wreckers on BA onwards Falcons, they still go for high prices. He sticks to AU and earlier, much cheaper to purchase and easier to turn a living off.

Best of luck anyway.

[CraigE]

I would think carefully about it as you can buy one of those in really good nic for about $10-11k. Could easily cost you that to get something like that back on the road. A lot depends on what you want to do, If you want to do a custom repair on it then it would be a good start but if you just want a first car, could be expensive and/or labour intensive.

[LandyAndy]

Im not too concerned if we miss out,there are plenty of cheap fords out there(he wants a Falcon).Thinking we can get this for similar money to an EF,this one is LPG only,will help with his travelling to the city and back once UNI starts.The BA is a much better car than the EF/EL.
Andrew

[Sleepy]

Yeah I'd buy it for 2 grand. If it is a shed, you could probably offload it and get your money back.

New windscreen, buff and away you go..:burnrubber: (Optimistic aren't I :D)

I reckon Falcons are a good first car too. Carry your mates and your gear. Not gonna make you cry when you back it into a pole while you're trying to impress that new girlfriend. :lol2:


Be ruthless though. If 2 grand is your limit then stick to it. (I like to have a unusual figure like $2150. So when everyone else bails out at 2 grand you'll scoop it up. )

[Davehoos]

what are the rules on registering this vehicle from being listed as a repairable write off??.most states require engineers reports etc.
this wont be cheep purchase.and insurance etc is not good.

BA is a repair minefeild.a 260km is asking for minor issues that cost real money.its a different storey if you have another donor wreck to raid bits.

High spec EF on the road is a far better car.often under $2000 for very good condition--but LPG in these models are rare.a neighbour recently got me to get the LPG working on a V8 EF-it was idling on petrol and full fulled on gas.the manifold was leaking coolant and lots of electricals had been conected with loos wires.payed very little for it and after a few months its in great condition.

Never payed more than $1000 on road for AU so when the gearbox/cyl head dies it been cheeper to scrap. and get another.the AU drive better than EF/EL-but most of mine have been ex police.

but i prefer the drive/ride of the noisier EB/ED as a daily comute.S-fairmont ghia-fairlane.the EL motor is much better than the ED but i dont like the seats..

My 06 BFII 105 KM and full service history [university managed fleet]
$10,000 all included drive away.12 months 42 KM later no expences other than plugs-oil.tyres due soon and 1100 KM per $65 fill up.

get a gas falcon and you want a better colour that silver--otherwise he will trash it.

[Mick_Marsh]

Repairable write offs can be registered in Victoria.
See Vicroads (http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Registration/WhatHasToBeRegistered/Written-off+Vehicles/Registeringarepairablewriteoff.htm)
They do require an inspection to confirm it's identity.

[LandyAndy]

I didnt buy the car today,it went above our $2000 limit.
It sold for $2500 wich I consider a bargain.
Had 4 new tyres,the only damage that needed fixing for registration was the front windscreen.No damage under the car.
There was a BA wagon,undamaged/untidy that went for $1800.
I have told Lindsay to hang out for a BA,much nicer cars than the EF/ELs he has been looking at.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/06/1049.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/06/1050.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/01/994.jpg

Andrew

[HangOver]

brake rotors - very prone to warp.
check for steering wobble at low speeds with brakes applied lightly
solution is to replace OEM's with slotted DBA's or pretty much anything that isnt OEM

rear diff
known weak point, would be nice to see regular service history for this
change diff oil when you do the engine oil


radiator/transmission cooler/reservoir
this is **THE** main thing to check with BA's, can't stress this one enough.
they have a combined coolant/transmission radiator, they are notorious for leaking into each other.
pay close attention to the coolant, stick your finger in the reservoir feel for an "oily" slick feel.
look at the reservoir bottle colour, its semi-clear plastic and should be white/cream in appearance
if its looking brand new or has a brown/black tinge the cooler probably leaked
if its over 150-200ks on the OEM radiator fit an aftermarket transmission cooler and bypas the radiator. It WILL leak.
The radiator itself is metal with plastic ends the cooler and radiator is separated by a strip of steel that has an internal "bung" between them.
this is the part that fails. WHEN it fails say goodbye to your transmission and hello to a 2-3k rebuild bill.

LPG model?
if its the LPG model check the solenoids for cracking it has about 5 or 6 i think especially the 3 or 4 closest to the exhaust manifold on the gas ermm convertor I think its called, (big round thing)

power windows
if the drivers side is significantly slower than the others then its probably on the way out, about $100 for a new motor

ignition coil packs
the OEM are very poor quality should last 100k plus but you may not get 1/2 that, even when new you are lucky to get a full set that works.
Swap them for BF coils, a direct swap. The coil closest the bulkhead is a PITA to change so often isnt. put that conductive paste on the end when replacing as they tend to get stuck on the plugs and check all the coils have the rubber stopper fitted above them on the coil cover, stops them working loose and they cost peanuts.

LCD screen functioning
check it all works also the radio/CD player

thats all I can think of.
On the whole they are a reasonable car and can tow quite a lot and can run happily all day in stupid heat. dont be put off by high milage well serviced BA's the engines run for ever. oh, if it has a tow bar fitted check the tow bar rating as the BA is rated for something like 2.5t and 250kg ball weight but ONLY with the heavy duty tow pack.
ie heavier tow bar fixes to the standard fixing on the chassis rail ends and also about 12" along the chassis rails and into the floor with additional arms. The standard duty tow bar does not attach along the chassis rails and is only good for about 1600kg from memory.

nope, one more, check the air intake pipe, (elbow shape) from the filter box to the throttle body. its hard plastic and if its split it may be a sign of backfires. They cost about $150 to replace.

also pull out the hard plastic breather from the rear of the the rocker cover and look for cracks, (white and black in colour) they are cheap to replace but if it fails it can fall into your rocker cover.