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Advice on ED XR8 purchase 

 

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 Post subject: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:20 am 
Parts Gopher
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Ride: BA XR8 Boss 260 6-spd manual

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

Hi all from NZ.

I'm looking at buying a fairly hot ED XR8 manual to replace my Fairmont.

The XR8 is a little rough but that's reflected in the price. What I want to do is avoid buying a shedful of big problems that empty my bank account. So anyone got some expert knowledge on this model? Here's a few of the bigger issues I need to address.

I checked the car out quickly today and had a test drive. Wet day here today so didn't crawl underneath and didn't push it on the wet road. These are first impressions.

Clutch take-up is right at the top of the pedal travel. Is this more likely a worn-out clutch, or could it be in pedal adjustment? The car is also "notchy" on the gear shifts. Def some clutch attention needed - are replacement parts expensive? Do the clutch pedal mounts fail often on this model?

Battery went flat (owner has been overseas for 12mths and car has had little use) and after new battery was installed, central locking doesn't work with the key. It locks/unlocks with the remote sender, but the mechanical key does nothing. Small problem (e.g. fuse?) or big problem (e.g. big bill from an auto electrician?).

Apparently car won't start sometimes (like it's immobilised), you need to wiggle the handbrake (?!?!) and then it starts. WTF is up with that?

Diff whine. Diff has a slight whine when under power, which goes quiet when you lift off. There is a replacement crown wheel and pinion there which look okay. Is the CW+P swap-out a job for a diff specialist, or could I tackle that one myself?

Final drive ratio. When the speedo says 120kmh, I'm sure the car is doing under 100kmh - I was getting passed by large trucks and tiny Toyotas on the motorway when my speedo said 100kmh. Pretty sure this car has been an auto XR8, which has had a GT40/manual conversion (e.g. the interior centre consol is chopped and butchered - that's a pretty strong indicator). So I wonder if the final drive ratio is all wrong for the manual set-up?

Has a phenomenal motor in it. GT40 intake and throttle body, what look like stainless headers, and apparently GT40 heads (how can I identify the heads?). I suspect there is a lightweight flywheel in there, the thing responds to the throttle like a race engine. It might have roller rockers and Sprint-type gear in there too - someone in the past has dropped some serious coin on the engine. Very revvy, very fast car.

Appreciate any input on this from people who know about these things.

Cheers

 

_________________

Previous cars:
XA GT351 sedan (manual)
XF/XE club race car (351 manual)
EL Falcon
EL Fairmont
AU XR6
BA XR6 Turbo

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:47 am 
Parts Gopher
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Joined: 23rd May 2010

Ride: BA XR8 Boss 260 6-spd manual

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

{USERNAME} wrote:
How much is the asking price or price you can get it for?

How many kms has engine done and how many has car apparently done?


List price $6k (these things change hands for a lot more here than they do in Oz).

Engine k's unknown.

Odometere around 200,000km I think.

 

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Previous cars:
XA GT351 sedan (manual)
XF/XE club race car (351 manual)
EL Falcon
EL Fairmont
AU XR6
BA XR6 Turbo

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:53 am 
Parts Gopher
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Posts: 77

Joined: 23rd May 2010

Ride: BA XR8 Boss 260 6-spd manual

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

{USERNAME} wrote:
How much does a normal EB ED Falcon over there go for?


A standard old sedan, SFA. You could get one for a grand, give or take.

A Manual XR8 - $6k-$10k (top end ones with high-perf motors - have seen them in mid-teens $$$). Prices are dependent on all the usual criteria.

 

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Previous cars:
XA GT351 sedan (manual)
XF/XE club race car (351 manual)
EL Falcon
EL Fairmont
AU XR6
BA XR6 Turbo

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:12 pm 
Parts Gopher
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Posts: 77

Joined: 23rd May 2010

Ride: BA XR8 Boss 260 6-spd manual

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

{USERNAME} wrote:
Petrol - Mate, a old V8 will guzzle it no matter what the work has been done. That alone can empty a wallet. at over $2 a litre over there and prob have to use premium if work has been done on the engine pending on those mods.


Not too worried about that. I have a company car to use a lot of the time. (SS Commodore ute, urrggh). I've been running modified musclecars on the road for 25 years so I know what I like, and I know what to expect at the fuel pump!

 

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Previous cars:
XA GT351 sedan (manual)
XF/XE club race car (351 manual)
EL Falcon
EL Fairmont
AU XR6
BA XR6 Turbo

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:24 pm 
Parts Gopher
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Posts: 77

Joined: 23rd May 2010

Ride: BA XR8 Boss 260 6-spd manual

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

Quote:
Well if i was you, i would try to get it down to a lower asking price to say $4500-$5000 or so


Pretty much what I'm thinking. That's why I want to try and learn how much I might need to spend, so I can have an informed conversation with the guy about what it all adds up to. And yes, it'll be a bit of a project (which gets driven a lot in the meantime!).

Quote:
Smartlock is easy to fix and speedo could just need a different cog in the sender unit.
documents.php?d=30


That's what I was hoping - thanks for the link - I knew there was something about coloured drive gears. Awesome, thanks again.

Quote:
Buying cars is fun aye? lol not stressful at all.


I quite like the buying part. It's the selling that gets on my wick. Here's my car: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =493969494
I listed this weekend and I've had idiots all over me already. One guy wants to buy "just the rims". Like, a rim-less car, THAT'S gonna help me sell it, right?!

 

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Previous cars:
XA GT351 sedan (manual)
XF/XE club race car (351 manual)
EL Falcon
EL Fairmont
AU XR6
BA XR6 Turbo

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:41 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Joined: 8th Dec 2004

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Ride: EB2 Ghia,Mighty Boy,Eb1 Xr8 5spd

Location: ** In the Shed! **
VIC, Australia

Issue with the clutch could be just a worn out clutch, it could be a worn out cable, damaged firewall or peddle box as well. Either way it's going to mean money. Could even be a worn pivot for the clutch fork or a bent clutch fork. Closely inspect the firewall where the cable goes thru & the peddle box around the pivot pin.

Console shouldn't have been hacked to fit the gearstick.

In regards to the heads, you can see a marking GTP on them near the head bolt at the back on the passenger side, that's GT40p heads. Spark plug angle is also different to stock heads. Car's with Gt40p's and extractors sound different to stock setups.

Diff whine might just be from wear & tear, or lack of service. If you get it, give the diff an oil change & see how it goes. Unless you have lots of special tools a cw & p swap is for a diff joint to be doing.

Cheers

ToranaGuy

 

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:48 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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The speedo could be out due to the transmision swap. AFAIK the t5 is a slightly shorter top gear ratio than the 4 speed, meaning an indicated speed is slower than it actualy is. Check the diff ratio as well, it might have a 3.45:1 from an xr6 slung under it, a very very common performance upgrade on eb-ed xr8's, since they came with a factory 3.27:1, which would also put the speed registered out by even more. It may also explain some diff whine, though a worn 3.27 would do the same.

My au has a 3.89 diff in it, whines like a brit, and is exactly 20% out on the speedo, so I have to do 120 indicated to sit on 100kmh. Takes a GPS with you if you test it again, and see what your actual speed is. I used mine to test the maths and it was spot on, backed by the speed detector on the Princes Freeway from geelong to melbourne, as well as lack of speeding tickets.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 2:35 pm 
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Ride: Falcon Xh

Location: Newcastle
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Want an old heads opinion. Ya probably wont like it. Avoid the thing like the plague. Keep ur eyes and ears open and another will pop up for sure. We all like to tinker, thats why we like this forum. But ive had em all. Sadly done it all. For just a few extra $$$$ you will get that right one Colour/trim. And that wil pay again when u sell it. U might event get a sprint. Patience my son... The young mans weakness. Try it.. you will love the result.
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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 2:47 pm 
Parts Gopher
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Posts: 77

Joined: 23rd May 2010

Ride: BA XR8 Boss 260 6-spd manual

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

{USERNAME} wrote:
Patience my son... The young mans weakness. Try it.. you will love the result.


I'm 45 years old. Over the last thirty years I've had a few Ford musclecars, raced a few, and owned a couple of Porsche Turbo's along the way as well.

I'm pretty comfortable with my wisdom and patience.

But hey thanks for the advice anyway.

 

_________________

Previous cars:
XA GT351 sedan (manual)
XF/XE club race car (351 manual)
EL Falcon
EL Fairmont
AU XR6
BA XR6 Turbo

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:43 pm 
Parts Gopher
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Posts: 77

Joined: 23rd May 2010

Ride: BA XR8 Boss 260 6-spd manual

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

{USERNAME} wrote:
Strange seeing XR6 red side strip and bumper moulds on a fairmont. It looks ok though.


Yeah I always thought that was odd. Looks better on alloys and lowered with those XR6 stripes - I thought it looked a bit naff when I bought it bog standard.

I wonder if the original purchaser was able to specify that as an option? I've never seen another one like it in NZ.

 

_________________

Previous cars:
XA GT351 sedan (manual)
XF/XE club race car (351 manual)
EL Falcon
EL Fairmont
AU XR6
BA XR6 Turbo

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:29 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Location: Dunedin
New Zealand

Is it on Trademe?

6k seems a little high for what it sounds like, but then again the manual XR8's are getting hard to find.

One of my mates picked up a '92 XR8 manual last year for $6.5k, 225000k on the clock. Stock. But we thought that was a good deal.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:52 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Keep in mind the speedo's stuff up around 15 year old or so..
Look at general condition !! The milage doesn't really matter..

 

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 Post subject: Re: Advice on ED XR8 purchase
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 1:07 pm 
Parts Gopher
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Posts: 77

Joined: 23rd May 2010

Ride: BA XR8 Boss 260 6-spd manual

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

{USERNAME} wrote:
Is it on Trademe?l.


Yes it was on TM. Turns out, a mechanic who does the odd bit of work on my Fairmont knew the car well. It's a total dog.

Diff is completely rooted and is bog standard 6-cyl "open" diff. Quite useless in a hi-perf manual V8.

Gearbox needs a complete rebuild.

Needs all new clutch system.

Has been re-bodied (!!!) and is not even genuine XR8.

Engine set up is mickey mouse, computer is dodgy, etc etc.

Electrics not working.

And so on. I steered clear. Only worth "parts value" in my opinion. I don't think it's for sale any more.

 

_________________

Previous cars:
XA GT351 sedan (manual)
XF/XE club race car (351 manual)
EL Falcon
EL Fairmont
AU XR6
BA XR6 Turbo

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