Boosted Falcon

'Sup gents

Want to know about experiences with high kilometre Falcons to determine whether it'd be worth getting one or not.

I can get a BFII 'Lane on gas for heaps cheap, but it has 500,000+ k's on it as it was a Silver Service limo/cab. The owner keeps all his 'Lanes immaculate and regularly serviced, and 99% of the k's done are highway trips. He's had some of them over a million k's without any major issues.

This car's the same age as my EL was when I got it, but it had 92 on the clock and it hasn't cost me too much to maintain. What kind of things start to fail after 500,000, and what would I be up for over the next 5-10 years? Rings, seals etc?

If I don't end up getting it I'll put it on here for someone to grab. He doesn't advertise as he likes his cars to go to local people who'll look after them.

Rust, door hinges worn mostly body related fatigue issues. Suspension probably will be rather soft and boat like.

All QLD cabs must pass a machinery inspection every year(maybe 6 months) but a lot of cabs have oil leaks cleaned the same day before the machinery was carried out so are still there after.

If it has been looked after most of the suspension bits would be replaced.
$250 for a wrecker motor fixes smoke and leaks.
But the thing would want to be around a $1000 to make it worth buying

Yeah suspension might be a bit loose, the Barra i6 on gas is fantastic, such low carbon deposits, they just run so clean. If it's been serviced regularly (i.e. oil changes) then I wouldnt have an issue with it.

Only major oil leaks I know of with old B series stuff is the power steering pump. Engines are pretty decent from experience.

Check the air circulation inside as well (fresh/recirc/aircon/heater) to see if the HIM module is all OK.

They're pretty basic cars IMO.

I disagree.

My mrs worked for a cab company for 3 years and sometimes brought home ex cabs and they were shocking, yeah the basics were looked after for roadys but they are rough man, bumpers tech screwed on, interior plastics broken so glued in place, they drove shit all the time, very loose and clunky/rattly.

Thing to remember about cabs, they get them back on the road as cheap as possible and as quickly as possible whatever corners they can cut.

NUT347 wrote:I disagree.

My mrs worked for a cab company for 3 years and sometimes brought home ex cabs and they were shocking, yeah the basics were looked after for roadys but they are rough man, bumpers tech screwed on, interior plastics broken so glued in place, they drove shit all the time, very loose and clunky/rattly.

Thing to remember about cabs, they get them back on the road as cheap as possible and as quickly as possible whatever corners they can cut.

I'd agree with that for normal cabs, but wouldn't silver service cabs be a bit better looked after?

Lol nope.

Depends on the operator - some are good and look after their stuff, some are dodgy and stick the cabs together with duct tape.

If you know the guy and you know he looks after his stuff, and it's really, really cheap, it might be a good purchase. I'd be less worried about the engine/box because they're pretty easy to replace, but if it needs a full set of bushes front and rear, new ac compressor and some repairs done to the HVAC module it could get very expensive very fast.

Also check the drivers seat to make sure all the electrics work and the foam isn't stuffed and the base isn't broken.

Owner operator cabs are normally pretty well looked after and should come with some kind of service history. It's the depot based random driver cars that get knocked about.

People overstate how badly km's affect these cars. If they are well maintained they will go for a million k's without issue.

If the car comes for an owner operator then it should be ok.
Cause they usualy keem them in good nic and dont have 30 different drivers that dont give a shit about the car.
If its from a major cab company than it will be flogged and not worth shit.
Check for ::: rust, shut lines ie doors lining up and different panel colors on the inside as it has most likely been smashed.
Also find a low klm bf and measure between shock towers then measure the lane cause they start separating after 400000.

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Tony martins fairlane is an ex silver service one I think, from memory his was fairly worn out, especially in the back end.

Looks like its one of those things, just go and look at it and see what general condition is like. Will be evident straight away if its been looked after, or if its had bodgies done to keep it on the road.
A hoist would be handy...

I've checked out a few ba ex taxis, and they were certainly as josh described them.

Personally given the way the ass is dropping out of the lwb values I'd be tempted just to pay the extra and get a good privately owned one.

Question - what's a 500k-old ZF like? And are replacement ZFs worth less than an entire BA now?

Would have to think its on its second or third zf by 500thou?

Seen second hand ones on egay for 2kish, but don't you need to swap something from the original zf to make it work?

Some of them are pretty well looked after, but despite that 500,000km is a pretty worn and used car. If it is a hire car / limo style thing they're looked after a bit better, but if it was actually a silver service Taxi with a dome on top it'll just be shit. Seen my fair share of cabs over the years, no matter how well you try and look after them they always end up like dirt.

On top of that, like I said, it'll be all worn. Wheels scratched, driver's seat cactus, rest of the seats badly worn, steering wheel in those is cactus after about 150km, cluster lens stained and scratched, shifter worn and scratched, carpet and all kick panels in poor condition, several shades of the same colour around the outside, bumpers poorly fitting, clips and stuff missing, dirt roof linings.

Ouch. BTR ftw.

Toddy get a mk2 futura wagon.

It'd want to be pretty cheap or ar least well maintained.

Mine was an ex fleet car used as a valet type service in Melb.
I scoped out heaps of QLD limo service late BA's and BF's but they all seemed cosmetically sad from the pics. God knows how they drove?

I gave up on them and looked at the ex fleet auctions in Melb and foind mine.
5 years old (2007) model and done 180k so medium use I guess? It's had a few touch ups that I can tell but superb mechanically, ball joints, stab links and brakes all round were done just before I got it.
I paid extra for a lower klm maintained car but I think it was worth it in the end.

I could have got one for 4 grand (I paid 8k) but the thing would have needed body work, trims replaced, bushes, etc etc etc and a 3-500k ZF may have been nearly on its last legs.

8k for a bf lane is a lot of car for the money.

nstg8a wrote:8k for a bf lane is a lot of car for the money.

That's what I thought. BF Ghias were 58k in 2007, 5 years later I paid 8.
Was 8500 actually after auction fees. 2 tyres and RWC fees it was on the road in my name for 8800ish.
I paid more for my 2007 DLPG wagon with similar klms

It's a dude my dad knows and has worked for in the past, so he can vouch for their condition. I think the dude owns and runs 3 or 4 of them.

Asking $3k.

Well if its been maintained and cosmetically it's not tatty it sounds like a good buy!
Even of you spend a few grand replacing some shiny bits and some bushes.

I bought one for my mum with rego till September, cost me just over $9k with fresh paint on the bars and a full detail. They're still getting $12-13. This one's Ego with black leather.

Nothin Suss do you have a pic of your one with SSL's?

Mine with 200k on it still goes good zf still feels good and precise, doesn't slip and I don't drive it gently, if you like it and it checks out, go for it

Some inspiration for Bipolar..... The BF is a nice car, well everything looks good in B&W really.

So I didn't end up going to see it but Dad took it for a spin.

Interior and driveline perfect. Everything working, nothing broken.

Suspension feels near the end of it's life though, and there's 2 dings which look like they haven't been repaired 100% awesome - one on the rear bar and one on a rear wheel arch. It also only has a month rego on it.

So probably not gonna get it. If anyone's interested I'll get the number of the dude and pass it on.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/geelong- ... 021782401#

This late 4spd BA Fairlane has 760k on it! Doesn't look too bad..
Asking $5900 so the BF you're talking about seems a good price.

Lol @ 6k!

Haha yeah. It is very tempting but our daily aka the wife's car has cost us almost nothing and has most of the main features of 'Lane, so doesn't really make sense to spend more money we could be putting into property.