Best and Worst E-Series Purchases

[Sunboost]

Just wondering what everyone's best bargain has been, and most expensive (ripped off) purchase has been for their E-Series? (Parts and cars etc. etc.)

I'm trying to think of mine now, but I've had quite a few purchases. I'll think of the best and worst and report back later

[Gozza]

When i first got my P's i bought Lowered Springs and shocks -
Being a green whippersnapper i got fleeced nearly a grand to fit them by some dodgy tyre power kents

[TUFED6]

I always regret buying wheels. They get outdated & usually cost heaps.

Suspension is always good value I reckon. Cheap mod & changes the way the car looks & feels to drive. Bargain.

[oneredED]

Worst buy would have to be my interior. I think I payed around $250 for a fairmont velour interior. It was meant to be "mint" but the lot was hella fuct, and the door trims never even eventuated. I should of stuck with the Gli interior, it was literally mint compared to this velour shit.

[EFFalcon]

was it from Mick?

[Dansedgli]

Cars:

Best buy was the EF for $1000. It still drives A++ 4 months on.

Worst was that AIT EA after driving 32 hrs to pick it up only to realise it was an abortion after I got there. Bought it anyway because I felt sorry for dragging my mates along and didnt want to go home empty handed.

Parts:
Best: Bought an ED XR6 diff for $250 from a wrecker once. It was tight as and cheap.

Worst:
Workshop services.

[Dezza]

My previous front bumper cost me $80 (still not too expensive) but it was nearly as fucked as the one that came off the car (which I put a nice hole through on the Black Spur cruise). This $80 wreckers special looked like it had gone through a barbed wire fence, it was that scratched up. It had a weird warp in it, and it never sat right. I swear it didn't look that bad at the wreckers. On the bright side, the fibreglass bar behind it was in decent shape and is still in use with the Scorcher bar. I might just try and get the chrome out of it (if I don't destroy it) as I put that in about a day after getting the bumper, and it's still in good nick. The rest of the bumper will go out with hard rubbish.

[spope]

was it from Mick?

LMFAO.

My EA was a good buy for $500 with reg when I bought it. Pity I spent a small fortune on it and it was still crap.
Also scoring a 3.27 LSD for $95 from Jollys.
Actually most of the best bargains I've had would be from self serve wreckers. Extractors for $30 was the very best bargain I've ever had, but it wasn't for an e-series.

And I've wasted a heap of money. I bought a brand new fuel pump, map sensor and fuel pressure reg when the EA was overfuelling. Turned out to be a cracked map sensor hose. That's probably my shit diagnosing skills though more than a bad buy.

[krisisdog]

Worst buy - dodgy bros painting my roof. orange peel, crows feet.... ah well, its only an E-series.
Good buy - Brand new KS SL's for $200 delivered, pacy copy pipes brand new <$200, lukey catback - $50

Best buy that I know of would go to my mate - EF Fairmont, clean as, $2000.

I thought my EF 5spd was a good buy for $3000 over a year ago, only had to replace the coil pack in that time.

[Malakai]

$2000 drive away for my AIT, I can't complain about that. It had/has it's niggling little issues but otherwise was the same as it was the day it was delivered to the first owner.

On the flip side I have bought some bits and pieces off EBAY that have turned out to be completely rubbish quality, cheap things for $20 or $30 sometimes less. But once receiving them I realised that paying anything for them would be a rip off. They always look good in the pictures on the site though.

[black.canman]

Best buy my eb v8 that i have now grampa spec $1800 drives like new
worst buy ed fairmont $3000 crap wiring all f@cked up 3 months of hell .

[serial_fool]

Best purchase for a car would have to be a EA Fairmont Ghia for $150, Mint interior and driveline, defected and dented. Would of made a PERFECT bush basher if i didn't part it out to make some $$$ (looking back, i wish i still have it now for the electric windows).

Oh yeah, XF Fairmont Ghia for $150.... lets just say it doesnt run anymore.

Best purchase for parts would be ED XR8 grille for $60.


Worst.....$300 for a EA Spack engine....stuiped me.

[Dezza]

I've mentioned the worst purchase, but my best purchase was a 1988 EA Fairmont Ghia for $1200. We were going to wreck it, but then decided it was still too good a car to wreck, so we gave it a tidy up. Basically we replaced the steering rack, restitched a seat, and just cleaned it. Sold it for $3500. My $50 Sprint kit was a good bargain too.

[Commando]

Worst buy: EB1 Ghia for $8000 when there was an XBGT in the same paper for $8000... Oh but newer is better!

Best buy: Probably the Vortech kit

Worst plan: Fitting Vortech kit to 365,000km windsor in shitter EB1 Ghia

[nothin suss]

'Best buy' was probably an ED Fairmont, dual fuel, $190. Got to love taking advantage of 'owner going overseas'. I wrecked it which in turn paid for the window tint, rego, lowering, RWC, GT40p heads and exhaust on my LTD. Not too bad for a month of buggering about and parting out!

'Worst buy' i cant think of really. I dont impulse buy much.

[YBYAVL]

my best buy isnt an E-series but it is a ford
i scord a 1968 XT Fairmont with 302 duel fuel, gun metal grey for 400bux
then my mate sold me his 351c and C9 auto for 1500
the thing went like shit ofa shanghai...would of flogd my EB with the nitrous!

endedup swaping it for my cortina project....long story...dont ask, im trying not to regret it
with the build of the EB
which as u all no was another bargin for 700bux

this is how i bought it


i jus changed the donk






and swapped the shifter for a B&M Pro Rachet 1 i had lying around..


slapd on sum GT Hubcaps


anda few stickers for good measure


ive got sum video footage of it lyin around sumwhere, i must find it 1 day....

ive had a few good deals, but this was the best bargin ive ever come across so far in my life, so much so i have to find another 1 sumday
XT Fairmonts RAWK....nothin beats a Raod Yacht!

[XRated]

100 bucks for Koni Yellows [fronts].

Dozens of camber kits for free or < $20 and selling them for in excess of $100-150. I've made profit on quite a lot of shit. But at the same time, probably lost most of that by buying 'TUFPAC' and spending money on it, then selling it for about half what I spent a month or two later.

[Bipolar]

Best: My EL for $11000. Alot for an EL four years ago but it owes me absolutely nothing. Most reliable car evar.

Worst: 18" BAII XR8 Magnet copies from Wheels Direct for $1800+ with Nankangs. Said it'd take a week to get to me. Took nearly 2 months. I got 2 rims a few days before the other 2 turned up that somehow went to Perth instead of Brisbane. Plus no dish = rim scrapage.

[BLKPHN]

Worst purchase.

Those damn windscreen squirters on the bonnet of a EB $30 each from ford... And i broke about 10 at pick a part trying to stooge there's. so in the ned i had to go back to ford and get genuine ones.

[shane-ed]

i paid 5500$ 4 my ed
no dints scratches 123,000km on the clock, 2.5 inch exhaust extractors high flow cat, full pioneer comp system (6'9 rear 6inch the front) sick head unit, and it was lowered at the back with kingspring lows.
im still unsure whether i paid a good price or not..
it drives better than my dads EF and his has 150,000 on the clock

[pHaT`eL]

Best buy for me would probably be my Paceys, got them for a slab or Coronas!!

Worst would be my last set of rims. Was told 19's wouldnt fit so I got 18's and they looked poo!

[EFFalcon]

best buy: Current 18" Wheels
exactly the style i wanted for the car, came with great tyres and all for under $400

worst buy: getting car repaired cheap and paint turning to crap a few years later

[Bomber]

Best
T3 TS50 18s for $870 with hub adaptors and tyres sold the hub adapters for $200
EBII 5L Fairmont Ghia Wagon for $1500 on gas, lowered, Bilstein Shocks, tint.

Worst
Paying for labour when i didnt know anything :S

[spope]

So, Sundeep, what's your best and worst? I really wanna know.
I actually reckon the best thing I ever bought for the EA was the Ford workshop manual. Easily the best $150 ever spent on the car, makes modifications shitloads easier.

[Sunboost]

I bought EA-EB1 (inc. V8) workshop manual for $40 at a market That was good.

Worst purchase was wheels, adapters and studs. $2290 spent. Done 7000km. Sold for $1100.



Worst veh. purchase was a 2 speed ED Ghia from Cranbourne. Bought for $1200, cheapened house by sitting out the front for around 6 weeks, then sold for $1600.

[EFFalcon]

was that the Cobalt one?

[Sunboost]

Yeah.

It went hard. It had a 2 speed powerglide.

True story....

... if 2 speed powerglides consist of a BTR 85LE with a broken B1 band.

[-jjM-]

best: my current ed, $3g more then a year ago for ghia, 18s and woodgrain momo steering wheel and others

worst: gillys ea, sittin collecting dust

[needfordspeed]

My best buy would be my old EA for $300 was pretty mint for the price.

Worst would also be the same ED Ghia as Sunny, we went halvies on that one and it just turned out average as.

[needfordspeed]

I just remembered, I scored a brand new ACL race series rebuild kit for $300 which was pretty good!

[wolf]

why isnt there any your mum jokes yet


best my current fairmont ghia for 5k (probly to much for you guys but i loves her)

worst ... probly my old ltd went fucking quick but rusted out just as quick.

[Adumb]

Best: SS inductions snorkle for $65 posted (i only brought it cause it was cheap), 10inch Clarion sub, in box with a 200W amp for $100

Worst: Probably my car Cost me 9k, owes me 11-12k. Knew very little about Fords or ELs at the time so i also payed more than i should have getting stuff fixed. Its reliable now but its got little annoying issues, shits me up the wall.

[EL XR8]

Best:
* EL GT Cluster with 65,000km on it for $50
* Mint FR 19's, about 4 or so years ago. They were only a month old and legit! with almost new tyres. $2,900
* Vortech V1 S-Trim, brand new with Falcon 6 cyl brackets and pulleys. $2,100. Sold the brackets cheap for $500. So $1,600 new blower!

Worst:
* Wanted 3.7's, found a diff with 3.9's and thought, its only a little over what i wanted and it'll do, opened it up and saw they were 4.11's. Then my mate smashed it to pieces a month later at the drags. Paid $500 disc to disc with axles.
* CAPA V8 brackets and pulleys. Cost about $1,490. Now we've made designs from them, theres a couple left at $500 a set. I got ripped and paid full price for them though...


I know there's more of each, but i can't remember them right now.

[Rollin]

I'm undecided on both my best and worst buys - my clutch cost me damn near 2k, so it wasn't cheap, but it's got the lightest pedal this side of a barina, is easier to use than same, and will hold 3rd gear clutch dumps no worries at all

Other good buy would be my lokka - I paid $500 (I think) for a EA diff with 28 spline axles, lokka center and cortina 3.7 gears. IIRC I sold the gears for $150, the housing for $50 and the axles for another $50. So I paid $250 for a lokka and I haven't managed to bust it yet = epic win.

Two worst buys:

Clutch from direct clutches, $630 I think and lasted 5 days, they wouldn't even give me half a refund because they said I slipped it. Epic FUCKTARDS.

Other one was my (up until recently) drive car - an EB XR6.

Found it on ebay, looked great in the pics, offered the woman $2500 after many emails asking her specifically about the condition of the paint, body, mechanicals etc.

Flew to Sydney and got a train for an hour down to her hovel, car was absolutely fuct. Paint peeling everywhere, panels all different shades of red, handbrake inop, hazards inop, radio wouldn't turn off, LHF shock so badly buggered that the wheel could actually be seen bouncing when driving over cats-eyes, etc, etc, etc, etc. Massive list wrong with it.

Bought it anyway so I didn't have to spend another $360 on airfares home, spent probably another $1500 in parts alone (inc the auto shitting itself, and splitting first a heater hose then a bottom rad hose within days of each other) over the next 18 months just keeping it on the road, sold it for 1k recently with 6 months rego. I've got the bitches name burnt into my memory so badly I'll never forget.

[Kaddis]

Best Buy -

1. $250 EB with $300 worth of reg, drove it to sydney week after i bought it few months later spent bit over $2k ef motor / rebuilt trans which leads onto number 2.
2. Swapping my EB + $2k for an AU UTE which i also drove for few months then sold for $10,500.
3. 1990 Magna manual went hard! basicly RW $100 bloke thought he knew shit about cars tryin to tell me the whole fuel system shut down and other shit i popped another battery in it and fired up fine!

Worst -

VL Turbo i had spend close to 6k on it with a basicly brand new RB25+trans and a heap of goodies but moved house no room so ended up selling for 2.5k before i could finnish it.

[SnyperEB]

$150 For XR Quadlight Set and Genuine Indicators.
EL Ghia Door Trims - Bought $56 - Sold for $---

[John_LS1]

That cobalt ED GHIA sold for about 5k...

ive had many many bargains at jollys and sold them on ebay for profit.

best E-series purchase was my NC Sportsman wreck. nearly everything sold off it and i made about 3k on it.
the cobalt EB GHIA me and wilson had also made good money.

Worst purchase was rebuilding a EL XR motor and spending about 2200 all up on parts and machining only to sell it for 1500
another shit purchase was spending 1100 on a rebuilt 3.9 Diff with new gears only to have it leak oil and not LSD after a few months. sold it for $400.

[private9]

But at the same time, probably lost most of that by buying 'TUFPAC' and spending money on it, then selling it for about half what I spent a month or two later.

Thanks for that by the way!

[Steady]

Worst - ED fairmont, bought it in a rush cause I needed a car after I smashed the first one. Was a fair shtbox in hindsight.
Also everything I bought for that car was a worst buy.
As TUFED6 said, rims. I got that many of the fcken things laying around, they sht me too tears.

Best - Probably near new V2 SQ for 1800.

[oneredED]

I totally forgot about my MS2! $500 for a MS2 that can't read TPS, Inlet Temp, or Coolant Temp. Very fucking handy that one.