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Just joined the club!!

2K views 14 replies 4 participants last post by  Troutman 
#1 ·
Good day,

I just bought yesterday, a 1989 EA wagon for $1000 with 8 months of rego. I think it was a great deal! Here is the scoop -

It is a GL with over 356,000kms on it and needs a bit of work. It has never been crashed and still has the original paint. For its age and kms it handles very solid, the steering is tight, the suspension firm and but has a few rattles that I suspect point to the need to check the various bushings and etc. The brakes are smooth and do not have any unnecessary shakes or squeals. The interior is in good conditon other than a fallen rear headliner. A few specks of rust aroung the drivers side rear wheel well. The engine mounts need replaced. Of course, the A/C does not work, but for a $1000....

So a few quick questions, how can I tell what engine it has in? I do know the it is a CFI but not what size. It has the 3-speed tranny with column shift.

What should little clues should I be on the lookout for to prevent any major problems?

All in all I feel like I got a good deal, and will use the car for many years. I am sure as I start to bring the car back to scratch, you will be hearing from me quite a bit.

Thanks fellows,

P. Lynn Miller

Oh, I thought you engineheads would appreciate knowing it has extractors and 2.5" exhaust, for whatever it is worth.
 
G
#2 ·
That sounds like an excellent deal too me, seein as ive paid around $3G just too get my engine up 2 scratch. :) I have a 91 EB1 wagon. Its hard too say whats better, the sedan has the reduced weight but the wagon is versitile... I think choosing a wagon was a good choice tho :) Im also interested in how ya can tell the difference between the 3.2 and 3.9L, by driving it i suppose...

Brent
 
#5 ·
Thanks,

The plate under the bonnet says that it has engine "D". I assume that that makes it the 3.9 CFI because the 3.2 is code "A" according to the info at this web-page

www.geocities.com/eafords/

It definitely is not MPI since there are 2 TBI's on the top of the intake manifold.

Any suggestions on a reliable and econmical place to get parts. I need to start this project with replacing the engine mounts.

I chose wagon since I have a wife and 2 boys and like lots of room inside and planty of steel on outside.

Lynn
 
#6 ·
hey thats my site lol,

Glad it helped...

N e way here is some info off a spec sheet...

[c] EN[/c]
CODE TYPE[/b]
D 3.2 Litre EFi OHC Alloy Head
D 3.9 Litre EFi OHC Alloy Head
P 3.9 Litre MPEFi OHC Alloy Head

TRANSMISSION CODE
CODE TYPE

K 5 Spd Manual
B 3 Spd Automatic

ENGINE
TYPE CYL BORE STROKE CAPACITY

3.2L EFi 6 91.86mm 79.4mm 3157cc
3.9L EFi 6 91.86mm 99.3mm 3949cc
3.9L MPEFi 6 91.86mm 99.3mm 3949cc

MODEL CODE
CODE BODY TYPE YEAR RANGE
18933 GL Sedan 1988
18963 GL Wagon 1988
18934 S Sedan 1988
18964 S Wagon 1988
18937 Fairmont Sedan 1988
18967 Fairmont Wagon 1988
18938 Ghia Sedan 1988
18968 Ghia Wagon 1988

FIRING O

6 CYL. 1,5,3,6,2,4

FLUID CAPACITY
Engine - Oil 3.9L
Trans - Oil
Manual 1.9L
Auto 8.5L
Rear Axle - Oil 2.92L (manual) 2.27 (auto)
Fuel Tank Sedan 68.0L
Wagon 72.0L
Cooling System 15.0L

As you can see...I AM bored lol...
But this could be useful

Sundeep
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#7 ·
Stupid EZBoard editing!!! but all you intelligent ppls can make it out im sure :)

Sundeep
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#8 ·
Sundeep,

Did you make a mistake with the above mentioned engine codes?

Also I am just had a sneaky feeling crawl over me. I was skimming posts and found reference to belt configurations. Here is what I have?!?!

The crankshaft has a serpentine belt pulley with a double v-belt pulley on front of it. The serpentine drives the A/C compressor, and 1 v-belt drive the alternator and the other v-belt drives the water pump and power steering unit. Is this normal? I have never seen this before

The engine has a knock in it, which definitely a wrist pin, I knew when I bought, not loud, just barely audible until you take off the oil fill cap. I am figurng that I will do a rebuild or swap in the future. With 356,000kms, I am sure that this car has aready had a swap or rebuild. But the belt drive set-up seems very odd??

What do you think?

Lynn
 
#10 ·
Nope, no mistakes with the codes.

Unless it is a mistake in the book i sourced the information from. It is called 'The Falcon Story' and is by Geoff Easdown.

Sundeep
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#11 ·
Actually..my bad...or Geoff Easdown's!!

The actual engine code for a 3.2L CFI is 'A' rather than 'D'..sorry...

I guess books aren't always right...

Sundeep
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#12 ·
Thanks,

I must admit ignorance about these cars. I am from the US and this is my first "Aussie" car. I used to run Ford F-series pick-ups and GMC Suburbans, big yank tanks. So I had a bit of a shock when I got here and a V8 is an exception instead of the rule. My last rides had V8's of the 5.7L and 6.6L and the mighty 7.3L Turbo diesel(very, very sweet) persuasion.

So after looking at dozens of cars here, the Falcon wagon was my first choice, big, roomy, and at least 3/4 of an engine, ie 6 cyl. I really love the EF/EL wagons. Some of the nicest vehicles ever designed. The EF Fairmont Wagon is absolutely gorgeous and I think there are a few V8's to be had if I have read correctly.

I know that I only paid $1000 for my EA wagon and needs quite a bit of work, but already I have fallen in love with it and I have started to get past greiving for my Suburban!

Cheers,

Lynn
 
#13 ·
Hi Lynn,

Firstly, I'd better point out that in order to join the owners club (which confusingly, is unrelated to this board), you'd need to fill out the small form on the club page ( eafalcon.com/club.htm ).
Regarding your comments, I can see how you'd find Australian cars small next to models like the Suburban, but by world standards the Falcon is very large. The largest engine fitted to a local car, as well as the largest car itself (the 5.7 litre WH Statesman) is right up there in those dimensions with any full-size mass production German car. Engine capacities of around 660cc are not uncommon in places like Italy and Japan.

But then it's not all about size. Glad you're happy with your EA, and I await your 'official' membership appliation. :)
 
#14 ·
Thanks, Jack;

I will get my details to you shortly. This web-site is one of the main reasons that I was willing to risk buying an older car. You have done an excellent job here, with loads of information. I have wiled away the last 4 hours ready back through the post learning all about the EA and Falcon in general. Keep up the good work!

You are right, size is not everything, but I believe Australia's should be very proud of the Falcon, since from what I can tell it is the most Australian call made. It is definitely a world class vehicle.

I have noticed a lot of grousing between Ford and Holden owners on this board, very much reminds me of the eternal Ford vs. Chevy debate in the States. I know I will hung and quartered for this statement, but I am loyal to neither, I owned and driven both Fords and GM(Holden here) products and loved them all. I think at the moment the Holden ute with the big 5.7L V8 is one of the coolest vehicles ever. I looked at the Holden wagons, but I really did not like them, much smaller and tight. Also I like the fact that in reality from 1988 to 1997? the Falcon wagon is basically the same platform, so parts and spares are easily obtainable.

So on to the details, can anyone recommend a reliable parts supplier for things such as engine mounts, shocks, and etc? Do you recommend buying factory parts or is the quality of aftermarket(Repco) parts on par with originals?

Cheers,

Lynn
 
#15 ·
Thanks for the kind words. I wouldn't worry about being loyal to neither GM or Ford - I am in the same boat. And whenever I ask people to come up with reasons why they dislike a certain car maker, no one has a decent response...

The '88 to '97 Falcons do use the same platform. One thing that Falcon has in common with the Crown Victoria (my favourite US car - even was when I was a single-minded Holden person) is that it too has evolved for decades without a 100% all-new model. The EA is the closest thing, but its engines and platforms were based on those of its predecessors.

As for parts, you'll probably find that most parts would have a different supplier if you want the best quality. My mechanic says he no longer bothers buying parts from Repco, etc, only to find that they don't quite fit - he goes straight to Ford. I have been getting into the same habbit lately, but again it depends on the part - Ford can be an extremely expensive option. I'd suggest making a post here if you have any questions - the chances are someone would know.
 
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