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NOW FOR SALE $4k - Commando's BF - Business Class Frequent F

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 5:46 pm
by Commando
EDIT 27/05/15
Now selling! Read thru the thread for entire history. Proper FS thread will be made with full rundown of parts, current photos, etc, but for now:

FOR SALE - $4000 COMPLETE FROM TODAY OR WILL SELL AS PARTS AFTER JUNE 30. No swaps. Pickup or local delivery only. Offers considered.

ITEM: 2006 Ford BF Fairmont Sedan

LOCATION: Near Sale, VIC 3850. PM me for contact details/address.

DETAILS:
* No rego or RWC
* 2nd owner since March 2010.
* JTG Liquid Injection gas system installed April 2010, has saved upwards of $16,000 on fuel costs, still runs perfectly.
* Engine, auto, diff all in good condition. Drives to & from work (150kms) fine all day every day.
* Has factory 1600kg tow pack.
* Dual Zone, Fairmont ICC, etc all work.
* Interior good, exterior average.
* Has done 410,000kms.
* I will link to the FS thread once it's been made.

Previous 1st post entries:

EDIT 22/02/15

Cliffnotes:
* Car was purchased in March 2010 with 140k on the clock. Now at 400k.
* JTG liquid injection LPG system installed at 145k, April 2010. Consistent 10.5-12.5L/100km economy, and have currently done 120,000kms on the current set of coils/spark plugs, with no misfiring. Best gas system ever. Only downside is filling the 45L tank every 3rd day.
* Oil/filters/etc - whatever's cheapest. Doesn't blow smoke or drop oil but seems well down on power since the 300k mark, and might be going through 1L/10,000kms. Can still tow fine & behaves fine under WOT, but 1/2 throttle or less feels a bit asthmatic between 2000-3500rpm, it feels like it's powered by an EB-ED pre-BBM 4.0, or has a similar power delivery curve.
* Brakes - GOOD PADS AND ROTORS ARE A MUST FOR B-SERIES. I finally bought a good set at 300k and haven't had warpage/shuddering since then.
* Tyres - 2nd hand cheapies every 30k.
* Dual zone & grandpa seats make any trip comfy. Aircon's lost a little oomph on hot days ("C" feels like its set on 20* - still fine for 40* days). No wear or sagging in the seats at all. With a quick vac & steam clean you'd think you were sitting in a 100k-old BF.
* Pretty much all suspension components are rooted, except (surprisingly) the shocks. Car does 95% highway & 5% paddock/"off-road" work.
* Still running standard block-mounted trans cooler. Coolant and trans fluid haven't been done for maybe 200k lol.
* The BTR is awesome. Doesn't slip or thump gears, sprag clutch still works.
* Since the 380k mark it's been running hot in low speed/idling situations. Runs fine at 110 in 40*C though? Meh.
* Aiming for survival until my shift work commences in October, then it's 4x4 dual cab time. Might have 420k on the clock by then, but this year I'm driving it way less (new job w00t).

* I will be advertising this as complete or in parts later in the year. All BF/Fairmont bits are good for a BA/XT upgrade, & the JTG liquid injection gas system is A+++. Most reliable car I've ever owned, & will be sad to see it go!

(Original March 2010 post below)

Well, I'm in a bit of a transitional phase in my life at the moment: starting to consider safety as a factor above cheapness or power, wanting a more professional image for work, and also needing to get a bit of a credit history for myself for when the time comes to take out a home loan! So I bought a BF Fairmont.

After the wagon had a few things go wrong with it, and after noticing when getting invited to professional functions that I was the only one driving around in a banger, I thought it was a good time to get a new daily. I never really aspired to owning a B-Series as E-Series Falcons satisfied me at the time, but things change.

I set my criteria as a large car with front & side airbags, ABS, ESC (or whatever you want to call it), and a nice interior. Wasn't too phased on badge or brand. I was looking at VZ Acclaims, BF Futuras, and even Mitsu 380s (although I couldn't get past the nasty interior of the 380). In the end a 2006 BF1 Fairmont popped up at the auctions, the professional spotters said it was mechanically fine with complete service history, I gave them my max bid & said go for it. I won it last week & picked it up today :)

Should be a good daily for 5+ years. Plans are LPG injection as I'll be doing up to 50k/yr, some floor mats, some seat covers for when camping/road-tripping, and that's it. I won't bother fixing the small ding in the rear bar, but unlike my other cars I'll actually look after this one :P

I'll be back in an E-Series one day (pref boxcar). Anyhoo here's the pics, BYO pillow:

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Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:00 pm
by Nikk O'lass
Thats a lovely dent in the rear bar.


Looks pretty good, any plans for mods?

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:07 pm
by FordFairmont
great car, ive sold my e-banger to help fund a BA Fairmont

how much did you score it for? ....as ive been watching the auctions and they dont seem to be the bargain that theyre known for

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:09 pm
by Commando
The ding in the bar is a bit large to suck out so I'll just leave it.

Only actual mod would be the gas injection, I'm happy with the rest of it as-is.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:15 pm
by Commando
FordFairmont - cheers mate. BFs cost a fair bit more than BAIIs, maybe due to the safety gear? If BAs had all the specs I wanted I would've gone a BA for less. Mine was 12.5k from the auctions with 140k on the clock. A BF Futura with 40k on the clock sold for about 16k at the same auction.

KMs are the main thing, I could've gotten another BF Fairmont for around the 10k mark but it had no service history & 200k on the clock.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:22 pm
by Parfrey
looks nice mate, how do you like it compaired to your previous cars?

km's are starting to get up there on some b series cars... i wonder how they'll last?

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:27 pm
by Commando
Thanks, it's way quieter, but I drive BFs & FGs at work all the time so there's not a wow-factor or anything.

I'm hoping it lasts as long as the wagon did! (400k). If not more. Doubt the auto & diff will see 400k though, going by threads on FM, AFF, etc.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:29 pm
by Sunboost
Nice pick up. They are good A to B car, nothing out of the ordinary but will definitely tick all the boxes you wanted it to (professional image etc.), and is a perfect candidate for a gas conversion.

$12.5k is about on the money for it. Rips' parents bought almost exactly the same thing with 111km on it for less than $1k more than what you bought yours for.

Watch out for flogged diff bushes is the only thing I can say. All B-Series I have owned have had them replaced at some stage, but 6A's and all the manuals seem to chew them out quicker than BTR's.

I reckon you could suck that dent out. Some shit that can be done today amazes even me, the biggest sceptic out.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:30 pm
by holmsy
dave sounds like a good tow car for powecruise ;)

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:43 pm
by Nikk O'lass
^^^lol



That dent should be easy, a bit of heat and some pushing should get it out.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:46 pm
by Commando
Thanks Sunny, did yours have them replaced at a specific mileage range? I'll mostly be doing highway driving.

Josh I'll have to check the towpack & see if I have a trans cooler. I suspect I've got the 1600kg towpack.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 6:51 pm
by NUT347
<3 it dave.

You should have brought my car :-P

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 7:06 pm
by KR1STO
nice mate!!!
good pick-up...
besides the bar(which is nothing), looks like quite a clean car.... :good:

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 7:25 pm
by ClassicAU
Great work champ, fits the bill to a tee! As much as I dislike the BA interior, those Fairmont seats are comfy as! How do you find the driving position, I can never get it as good as the good old E bomb.

I am going for a new job soon myself, and will most likely have to drive to work. Like you, I am thinking that the slammed shit heap I have now isn't worthy of the staff car park. So was going to go professional-bogan spec and get a Clubsport! :banghead:

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 7:32 pm
by Frost
When are you putting the straw hat in the parcel shelf?

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 7:32 pm
by nstg8a
good score, esp when yards are still trying to get that money for high km ba xt's...

now if it was a bf11 ghia id be in love lol

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 7:41 pm
by Josh L
Nice car man! I love the look of the dual zone climate, the contrasting buttons n sh!t.

With the ding in the bar, if u take off the bar and heat the area carefully with a heatgun and use the backend of a screwdriver... you can gently massage the dent out until it looks like a slight ripple... or better if u get the hang of it. Well, that's one of the many ways it's done in the panel industry anyway.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 7:48 pm
by Kenaz
Good pick up D4v3z0r :)

I know you said no mods, but I would recommend a eBay iPod Aux cable. Plug your Walkman in to it ;)

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 7:57 pm
by dezza.89
good pickup man, fairmonts are good.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 8:21 pm
by Sunboost
Commando wrote:Thanks Sunny, did yours have them replaced at a specific mileage range? I'll mostly be doing highway driving.

Josh I'll have to check the towpack & see if I have a trans cooler. I suspect I've got the 1600kg towpack.


The BF XR6T had one done before I got it but had gone again and I bought it stuffed, the BA F6 has just done it's second but was prob done earlier as well, the BF F6 had just copped one when I got it at 105000, the Force has had one at 30,000km, Tristan's had 2 done under warranty by 20,000km.

6M's have hectic axle tramp which cracks the bush in most cases and can shear the diff bolt, and generally have heaps of driveline snatch which can rip them apart. The 2 to 1 shift ZF "lurch" (http://www.thelurch.com/lurching_zf_transmission.htm) can **** them up too. BTR should be sweet.

I want to replace one my self at some stage to get a better understanding of them, because at the moment I don't have much idea which sucks.

Diff bushes to B-Series are like head gaskets to E-Series.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 9:04 pm
by Commando
Josh L - I'd rather put up with the ding than take the bar off & **** up putting it back on, but thanks for the tip.

45H - at first I thought that was a great thing to get, but then I remembered our ipods have radio connections, & we're not big on sound quality. Thanks though.

Sunny - thanks for the info mate! If I find something on b-series or elsewhere I'll let you know, but I guess you're well ahead of me there.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 9:07 pm
by fordbaby
going way off topic here dave...
but curious to know how many acres you live on and how big is the house??
sorry go on about your new candysedan now :P :grin:

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 9:21 pm
by Sunboost
fordbaby wrote:going way off topic here dave...
but curious to know how many acres you live on and how big is the house??
sorry go on about your new candysedan now :P :grin:

This forum is about cars, not houses, land, babies and domestic disputes Kristy!

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 9:27 pm
by Commando
lol, Candysedan doesn't have the same ring to it, although the boot allows for "transport privacy" :cool:

I'm just renting for now, living on a 30 acre bush block 15 mins from work & 15 mins from the beach. It's a 3br house with some possums in the roof. Of all the trees around the joint they pick the bloody roof!

Pics from 2008 in this post: viewtopic.php?f=41&t=6167&start=160#p131892

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 9:28 pm
by Commando
Car talk should be restricted to Off-Topic

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 9:29 pm
by stevo
Good purchase mate.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 9:32 pm
by Phillis
sellout

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 11:05 pm
by EdFairmontGhia
nice pick up dave. Alyce's pop just put on the gas injection onto his BF falcon and he's really impressed with it... If you find a good price on a trans coller if you ever get it let us know... Alyce's pop is planning a caravan trip around the counrty again...

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 11:25 pm
by Mr_EF_96
Very nice car mate it will deffinently look alot better at social and proffesional events rocking up then the candy wagon would.

Anyways mate the wagon is still going strong and is getting all fixed up so where loving the fuel economy and the difference at the bowser. Good for a family car. lol

Anyways what mods you got lined up i am hoping some 19's or 20's and maybe a turbo ? ;-)

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 8:27 am
by Eb Barbie
Naww Dave's growing up :P So with the professional looking car, will you be getting a haircut too? :P

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 8:30 am
by EFFalcon
Nice car grandpa :)
Should serve you well.
any reason you're going LPG Injection over a traditional LPG setup?
Injection is nice and all, but is the extra premium worth it on a taxi spec motor?

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 9:04 am
by Commando
I've enquired about gas injection & am waiting to hear back. I'll opt for a cylinder tank & false wall over a toroidal one as I'd prefer a somewhat evenly-shaped bootspace to having a spare tyre floating around. I don't need to put the back seats down, if I want to carry bulky things I've got a trailer.

Merrick - Good to hear, it should reach taxi KMs with the replacement engine in it. Sif 19s/20s! n/a ftw, Kester stylez.

Beth - I got the chop done about a month ago :P

John - I couldn't really find an e-gas model for what I was after. I know they're out there but I needed a car at the right price sooner rather than later. It's also why I got a sedan, I wanted a Futura wagon but they weren't popping up like the sedans. Mixer setups on petrol 4.0s are gay as well (plus I don't think they're allowed after 2003-2004 for emissions reasons?). With the high kms I do each year, 50k, I'd ultimately save with gas injection after about 1 year compared to petrol, and about 3 years compared to if I scored an e-gas model.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 9:09 am
by BROCKYB8
Great to see this man .
IT will serve you well .

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 9:16 am
by Kyle the ED4LTR
Nice car man, looks really tidy minus the bar but that can be fixed anyway, congrats :good:

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 9:50 am
by [Sterling]
NA FTW!! Xthe power of 11ty!

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 10:06 am
by Sunboost
Commando wrote:I've enquired about gas injection & am waiting to hear back. I'll opt for a cylinder tank & false wall over a toroidal one as I'd prefer a somewhat evenly-shaped bootspace to having a spare tyre floating around. I don't need to put the back seats down, if I want to carry bulky things I've got a trailer.

Merrick - Good to hear, it should reach taxi KMs with the replacement engine in it. Sif 19s/20s! n/a ftw, Kester stylez.

Beth - I got the chop done about a month ago :P

John - I couldn't really find an e-gas model for what I was after. I know they're out there but I needed a car at the right price sooner rather than later. It's also why I got a sedan, I wanted a Futura wagon but they weren't popping up like the sedans. Mixer setups on petrol 4.0s are gay as well (plus I don't think they're allowed after 2003-2004 for emissions reasons?). With the high kms I do each year, 50k, I'd ultimately save with gas injection after about 1 year compared to petrol, and about 3 years compared to if I scored an e-gas model.


You can still get mixer ring style LPG setup on BF models. Some places tell you that you cant, but you definitely can. Cost for that setup is around $2500, cost for injection starts at $3750.

The rebate is $1750 at the moment, due to decrease on July 1 to $1500.

You can book the conversion today and have it done and running on gas next week, demand has died down.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 10:47 am
by SnyperEB
Phillis wrote:sellout


My exact thought lol.

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 10:48 am
by EFFalcon
i dunno... Dave's wagon wasnt exactly..... exciting.
even i'd rather drive a BA Fairmont over a 400,000km old EF Wagon :P

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 11:00 am
by ClassicAU
I'd go gas injection over mixer ring on this car all the way! My best mate has a BA Ghia and he got gas injection on it, and we recon it actually picked up more power! I mean, the increase is negligible compared to the weight you pick up with the tank and all, but at least you dont loose power like the old school mixer ring system. Plus the economy is epic! He gets 500-600kms a tank around town easy, and did over 900 on the highway.

Re: Replacing the Candywagon

PostPosted: April 16th, 2010, 11:21 am
by Eb Barbie
Commando wrote:Beth - I got the chop done about a month ago :P


:good: