Buying a BA..

[rhys]

Not for me. My cousin is buying one.

Im the only mechanical one in the family so id like to help him out with finding a good one. I dont know a lot about BA's though. From his budget looks like he will be getting an XT base model sedan. What should I be checking on the car (aside from mechanical history) to give a good indication of if its been treated well.

Also what were common problems in the BA that he should be aware of, were they fixed up in the MKII, BF etc? Ive heard that the diffs and auto boxes had some problems.

Look forward to some insight.

Cheers

[dylby1]

rust around the seal on the boot, there is a seam at the top on each side near the struts. almost all of them rust here im told, generally on the right for some reason
other problems i have some rumours but im not sure so someone else can point them out

[rhys]

ok so thats probably a good indication as to weather the car has been garaged. Maybe ford didnt put in adequate drainage causing the water to pool there after rain.

[dylby1]

ill get a photo in a little bit and show ya what i mean

[Commando]

* Broken mixer shafts, they're a little plastic bit that meters hot/cold air. Hasn't happened to me but it's happened to others.
* Diff bushes, to quote Sunny they're "what headgaskets are to E-Series"
* Handbrake "swish" through the cable becoming stretched & needing adjustment
* Bonnet latch/cable prone to breaking
* Warped front brakes (mine suffers from this)
* ECU idle can completely **** up, happened to my gf once. Turn car off, restart, gone.

That's off the top of my head. I've had my BF Fairmont for almost a year & it's been good so far, apart from the single idle hiccup and its shit brakes (shudder only, actual stopping is good)

BA/BAIIs are somewhat cheaper than BFs. If safety isn't really an issue then I'd look for a BAII. I picked a BF for its safety features.

Talk your cousin into a wagon!

[nothin suss]

Listen for timing chain noise.
Good service history on the car is beneficial.
All the bushes in the back end of the sedans let go.
Autos if they have been mistreated are prone to failure.
Front wheel bearings.
Avoid one thats done heaps of towing.
BF interiors are a bit more robust. Trim paint flaking and bubbling but thats only cosmetic.
Brakes as others have said are prone to shudder, new aftermarket pads and rotors will fix that for 50k.

All general stuff like any car but those are the main things.
There is a kazillion about for sale, you can afford to be fussy and get one with under 100k and a service history.

Like Commando said, get a wagon then half of the issues are taken out of the equation

[deansxr6]

* Broken mixer shafts, they're a little plastic bit that meters hot/cold air. Hasn't happened to me but it's happened to others.
* Diff bushes, to quote Sunny they're "what headgaskets are to E-Series"
* Handbrake "swish" through the cable becoming stretched & needing adjustment
* Bonnet latch/cable prone to breaking
* Warped front brakes (mine suffers from this)
* ECU idle can completely **** up, happened to my gf once. Turn car off, restart, gone.

That's off the top of my head. I've had my BF Fairmont for almost a year & it's been good so far, apart from the single idle hiccup and its shit brakes (shudder only, actual stopping is good)

BA/BAIIs are somewhat cheaper than BFs. If safety isn't really an issue then I'd look for a BAII. I picked a BF for its safety features.

Talk your cousin into a wagon!

Fixing those mixer shafts is a nightmare !! And we have plenty of BA's come into work with rooted H/B cables !

[iliov]

If safety isn't really an issue then I'd look for a BAII. I picked a BF for its safety features.

Commando what safety features are there in the BF that are not present in the BA's? Reason is im looking to buy a turbo soon and I want a BF, Parents keep asking me why BF's are so much more dear. Would like to explain to them the BF's have more safety features, better transmission etc.

[rhys]

is it possible to check diff bushes without getting it on a hoist? like will their be knocking going over bumps?

Thanks for the info so far its been good.

Ill have a word with him about the wagon and see what he's after. Hopefully going to him with a list of things that shit themselves wont scare him off the fords The only commodore problem I know of is that the badges turn into this gay cross shape. Often the driver has MS (because he cant properly fit his hat to his head) and the rear suspension appears to have collapsed leaving the ass nearly dragging on the ground...

[Commando]

From memory (open to being corrected here)...

* BA Ghias got side airbags, but BFs got them from Futura up, and all BF2s got them.
* BF1 Futura up have EBD (all BF2s have this)
* BF1 Ghias and all BF2s have DSC.

If anyone can reference this shit that'd be handy.

[nothin suss]

I believe side airbags was still an option in BF2 XT's.
My wagon was optioned with them..

Wagon is for sale as well, free plug

[rhys]

do you have a link to a sale thread?

[Sunboost]

- Dodgy handbrake cable
- Shuddering rotors
- Broken bonnet release trim
- Warped centre console lids (non leather-bound)
- Passenger airbag cover creaking against dashboard
- Auto quadrant trim paint peeling
- Auto shifter trim paint wearing
- Premature steering wheel wear (non leather-bound)
- Diff bushes
- Carpet wearing through prematurely in high-use areas
- Rust in boot seams (not necessarily isolated to boot area)
- CD players jamming (mainly 6 stacker in dash)
- Creaking centre console lid
- Vibrating rear view mirror
- Exhaust heat shielding vibrations
- Steering creaking / clicking (rack bolts)

^^ To name a few

[Troutman]

One comment to make: I had brake shudder on my EA and at the time I paid all of $20 per front wheel ($40 total) to have the rotors machined. It's not something to live with, and at worst it's an excuse to upgrade to some nice DBA rotors.

Generally speaking, my advice to anyone buying a used car is to look for a value for money 'sweet spot'. If, for example, a BF Futura could be had for only a little bit extra over a BA XT I'd aim slightly higher. From my rusty memory, the BF got traction control on all non-LPG sedan variants which would be well worthwhile.

Though if you'll forgive me for saying it, I regard the VZ Acclaim as the king of cheap-but-safe cars, as it has ESP as well as 4 airbags standard.

[gthofan]

Ive got a ba mk2 futura, 175,000k's. Rust in the bottoms of two of the doors, Auto blew up at about 160,000, Cat/exhaust shielding rattling when taking off. Mine came with the side airbags, not sure if it was an option. The mixer shaft hasnt given any problems yet, either has the 6 stacker, and no sign of rust under the parcel shelf. I have a horrible brake problem in the front that developes about 10,000 ks after putting new discs on. Bad shuddering while driving, and braking.
Generally a good car, and reliable, but that said, anything is prone to breaking down, like any other car.

you do get a fair bit of car for the money, just look for ones with low k's on the clock. just like an e-series, but more expensive to fix when shit breaks.

[nothin suss]

Though if you'll forgive me for saying it, I regard the VZ Acclaim as the king of cheap-but-safe cars, as it has ESP as well as 4 airbags standard.

They are a good option if he's not 100% on a Ford.
If you can get past the weird front end handling/steering and strange feel under brakes they are a great car.

[nothin suss]

do you have a link to a sale thread?

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=17311

[rhys]

thanks for that, its just that its a fair way out of the budget. He is also looking for dedicated gas.

So can anybody tell me how to check the diff bushes? Will there be clunking etc?

[TUFED6]

All of the above plus 5 speed manuals tend to have a shagged 5th synchro.

The front brakes is probably the most common & difficult to fix long term. Like all prior falcons, the front brakes are too small for the vehicle weight, which leads to overheating and warping. You would think that this is something that is easy to get right...

[TAXI]

with the safety part, my 03 xr6t has side airbags in the cloth trim seats but not in the leather seats that i put in.

[Kenaz]

Since I put DBA rotors and Bendix pads on my BA I haven't had the slightest problem with the brakes. It's been well over 2 years now.

Issues I've had with my 02 Turbo have been fairly minor;
-Dodgy heater module (replaced under warranty thank god, dash-out job)
-Rattling exhaust heat shield (pretty easy fix)
-broken rear air con vent keeps falling out.

[Commando]

Which DBA rotors 45h?

[Taara-lee]

These are the only problems i have had with my 04 XR6...
Check the car locks, the door actuators stuff up a bit on BA's and AU's i believe, i have replaced one of mine..
Just lock it and try to open the doors and make sure they actually lock..
Umm also they were meant to have call back for a brake line or something (not 100% sure on details, my partner delt with that)? My brakes went all hard one night and weren't working very well.. It turns out something split and oil was everywhere, so rang Ford and it was a call back thing so got it fixed for free =]
Shuddering rotors is a big one..
I also had a broken bonnet release, but they fixed that for me..
And my auto shifter trim paint is bubbling..

[[Sterling]]

my auto shifter is bubbling too, ive been through a door actuator, and had the recalled brake lines.
and ive had after market rotors for a while..
lol mines an 03 XR6 with 233k on the clock, still going strong(ish)

[Sunboost]

All of the above plus 5 speed manuals tend to have a shagged 5th synchro.

The front brakes is probably the most common & difficult to fix long term. Like all prior falcons, the front brakes are too small for the vehicle weight, which leads to overheating and warping. You would think that this is something that is easy to get right...

I've had 2 BF's with the 4 piston Brembo's that have prematurely warped rotors, so I don't think that's the problem ^^^

[Kenaz]

Can't remember sorry D4v3z0r.

I'm pretty sure they're just the normal replacement rotors. They weren't expensive IIRC

[TUFED6]

I've had 2 BF's with the 4 piston Brembo's that have prematurely warped rotors, so I don't think that's the problem ^^^

If you look at euro cars of equivalent weight to a Falc or Commy, they will typically have front brakes that are 25-50 mm larger in diameter. Even the brembos should be bigger if they're stopping something with decent power I reckon.

I wonder if people complain about the HSV brembo's, I see they're a bit bigger than what you can get on a Falc.

[ronza]

hey all sundeep mentioned this...

- Steering creaking / clicking (rack bolts)

Does anyone know how to fix it ???
Is it a case of replacement rack or can you adjust/tighten or loosen bolts to stop it as my wifes ba xr6 mk2 is making the same noises clicking.. and i know all of my AU s have had replacement racks ... common thing i guess just wanted to confirm before attacking hers lol cheers...

[Sunboost]

hey all sundeep mentioned this...

- Steering creaking / clicking (rack bolts)

Does anyone know how to fix it ???
Is it a case of replacement rack or can you adjust/tighten or loosen bolts to stop it as my wifes ba xr6 mk2 is making the same noises clicking.. and i know all of my AU s have had replacement racks ... common thing i guess just wanted to confirm before attacking hers lol cheers...

There's a TSB on it, you just remove them, put the correct type of Loctite on and do them up to a torque setting which I don't know.