1989 Ford Falcon EA 3.9L from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

A good cheap car, parts are easy to come by and is easy to work on yourself

Faults:

Ignition module replaced about 4 or 5 times over the course of 7 years.

Ignition coil replaced about the same as the ignition module.

Oil leaks from the head gasket at about 215,000km (the engine was re-built shortly after)

General Comments:

A good car for a young man.

The EA was my first car and has never let me down mechanically. Electrical is another story.

The ignition module and ignition coil is the weakest point in the car. When either of these two parts stop working the car losses power and stops. There is no way for you to predict when this is going to happen. All you can do is keep a spare module and coil handy.

The 3 speed automatic gearbox has never given me any trouble.

The car rides well on long trips.

Well use more fuel around town then on the highway.

It's a good strong car for anyone looking for a car that doesn't get damaged from driving through a pot hole in the road.

It's a bit under power, but is good for a young man wanting to buy his first car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th July, 2003

1989 Ford Falcon XF 250 Crossflow (4.1 Litre) 6 Cylinder from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Good, solid, well-built vehicle

Faults:

OK, where do I begin?

First the Transmission went. The bands wore out due to the high Mileage.

Accelerator cable snapped.

Drivers side door lock wore out. (Note. The handles are still good!)

The bench seat is worn to the springs.

General Comments:

This car is brilliant. Sure is not as quick as a skyline, or as economical as a Mazda 121, But its decent in all aspects, except fuel economy. Normally 350-400 Ks per 68 Liters.

Its not a race car, but it handles really well for a pane lvan.

The engine is good and strong, low in the rev range, providing good power for towing and driving up hills.

I've got it lowered by 2 inches all round, and it looks pretty mean.

Under the bonnet is a stock motor with extractors, going through to a straight through 2 1/2 in exhaust, and a sports air filter, with custom cold air induction.

Its not quick, but still manages to go from a standing start to 100 ks in a shade under 10 seconds.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th March, 2003

1989 Ford Falcon EA 3.1L fuel injection from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

An awesome car, but a little expensive to run

Faults:

Some days when I turn the car off, for some reason it keeps running and the car shudders a lot when this happens. I am yet to find a direct cause of this problem.

It is very hard to guage the mileage from a tank of petrol in this car, as some days I can get more mileage than other days, even on the same trip.

The doors shut on their own. They will not stay open unless you physically hold them.

The door locks itself once the door is shut, unlike other cars, where you have to hold the handle up to get the front doors to lock.

General Comments:

This car is very comfortable and roomy.

My ford handles very well in the wet and dry weather.

The car is not to quick off the mark, but once she gets going, she moves well.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th February, 2003

1st Mar 2003, 06:08

2 Things...

1. The reason why your car shudders and keeps running when you turn it off means your car is "Racing" which means, your car is revving too much and the rev's are whats keeping the motor going.. You need to get it serviced and explain the problem to a mechanic...

2. Would you recommend a car like yours???

1989 Ford Falcon S 3.9L from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Cheap to buy, but expensive to keep!

Faults:

A few years back, we had a problem with the throttle sticking. Had to lock up the brakes to stop it, then when you turn off the ignition it kept running. Sometimes you would have to get out lift the bonnet and physically fight against the step motor until the revs came down. It turned out to be a switch in the steering column which we replaced.

Because of the high revs and the brakes, we had problems with the differential and the 3 speed auto transmission. Every time it went back into first gear it would make a loud clunk sound and the whole car would shudder.

General Comments:

The car was comfortable, but expensive to run.

It looked good, the body was in good condition and the interior was excellent.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd May, 2002