Ideas On First Car.

[geohatrick]

I got a carbi xf i had a drive of a mates auto xf and they really are poor get a manual one with disc brakes and put a nice cat back exhaust on it and they sound great. Also try and get one with rear disc breaks (drums are better for burnouts but thats about it) and look for one with a straight body the rest is easy to fix up. Spend your mod budget on springs to lower it and a decent set of shocks and some nice wheels.

Cheers Zac

P.s im 17 and as much as id love a fast car the only real performance mods i'd ever do to it would be extractors and a cam and start to save for a 351 conversion.

[[Tonko]]

EA 5 speed, can pick one up cheap as, wont cost much for RW either, parts are everywhere....
and with your 2k, superlows, stockies, tint, Ghia interior, HU and some good speakers...

[Allen]

You can spend $1000 on buying a car, and double that ($2000) on upgrade??

Why not just spend the $3000 on a decent car in the first place?

Have you factored in rego, insurance and stamp duty? And RWC if required...

I bought an immac ED Gli, RWC 12 months reg, with 67,000k's on it for $4000... Good cheap cars are out there, you just have to search for them.

Deceased estates are good for little used, unwanted cars

[ads]

I bought my EB GLi in January 2003 for $4,700 with 160,000 k's on it, back when falcons still managed to maintain some sort of retained value. I've been pleased with it overall, but don't expect to get away with no repairs.

- Fan belt went (easy fix).
- Leads and distributer needed replacing. Was still running on original leads. (mate helped)
- Replaced rocker cover gasket. (mate helped)
- Water pump replaced. Did that at home.
- Brakes, tyres etc. (did brakes at home)
- Needs the occassional wheel alignment. No factory cambor/castor is a pain.
- Tail lights bulbs go quite often, especially when battery is disconnected. Easy fix.
- Mid exhaust replaced. Home job.
- First head went at 210,000. Mate fixed that.
- I change oil, check coolant, air filter etc. myself.
- Expect lazy lifters, engine drone on hot days, front end wear, a dead cat converter and air-con that will eventually bite the dust. I've learned to live with them but if I wasn't a poor student like yourself I'd definately have them fixed.
- No mods.
- Tail exhaust section has developed a hole which I need to fix.

Overall I think it's costed me around $2500 in maintenance and about $3500 in depreciation, not including fuel costs (around $6500 for 50,000 k's). I've had it for 4 years now. Other guys might have done better or worse. Just make sure you expect these things will crop up, find a good one, don't be too proud to pay the value of a good car and you'll be fine.

[FordFalconBF]

I got my XF Fairmont Ghia EFI With recon'd motor with only 80k on it for $500 =) Was a bargain but... IF you are going to get a XF, get one on LPG otherwise expect to pay a shitload for petrol cos the 4.1 is thirsty..

I got the 85ltr Petrol tank and cost almost $90-100 to fill.
My 80ltr LPG tank (60usable) only costs $25-30 to fill...

Well mines is anyway cos I'm always flooring it and they kick down gets workout. Try to get one with a T5 5 Speed cos they are much for economical. 3 gears and auto in not fun =(

Cya,
Alan

[Serial_Fool]

Cheers everyone for the advice.

Anyone looking to sell a EA or XF in stock form in South Australia?

[needaXYGT]

tip: save more money and dont rush into buying cheap!

[Falcon]

If the only reason you wont go a v8 is because of fuel cost, get a XD or XE 351 already on gas. Cheap and reasonably powerful. I would go EB over any EA (talking from personal experience).

[EBTom]

Couldnt have said it better myself.

Originally Posted by fairlane_ghia

You can spend $1000 on buying a car, and double that ($2000) on upgrade??

Why not just spend the $3000 on a decent car in the first place?

Have you factored in rego, insurance and stamp duty? And RWC if required...

[Ford_Boy]

Get a ford laser. Falcons are great but with all these new laws and such then it's pointless having a large car. You can get a fairly cheap laser in manual form. It's very hard to find a falcon with manual.

I saw a mint looking 95 mondeo for 3900 bux. has power mirrors, cd player, exhaust and more, so the bargains are out there. it also had fairly low kz. on www.carsales.com have a look there mate

[jaydee]

I agree with Pauljh74, dont worry about the upgrades, put that money to the purchase cost and getter a better car, you may even find something like a Fairmont or Futura with upgrades, mags etc.
Like most of us when first buying a car, lower your sights a bit and wait until you can afford something special, but that doesn't mean you have to get around in a Datto or Gemini.

[ads]

Don't get an EA unless you're an enthusiast, is my opinion. By law of averages you're likely to get a car that breaks down a fair bit. The 4.0 litre from EB series 2 onwards is better performing and more reliable: I've driven both. Find an old bloke with an EB - ED in good to excellent nick and put down $2500 on it. You won't regret it. You'd easily see me putting down an extra $500 for a good car: it's petty cash when you consider the other costs of ownership over a long period and will offset maintenance and pimping costs.

[nitroman]

Originally Posted by ads

Don't get an EA unless you're an enthusiast, is my opinion. By law of averages you're likely to get a car that breaks down a fair bit. The 4.0 litre from EB series 2 onwards is better performing and more reliable: I've driven both. Find an old bloke with an EB - ED in good to excellent nick and put down $2500 on it. You won't regret it. You'd easily see me putting down an extra $500 for a good car: it's petty cash when you consider the other costs of ownership over a long period and will offset maintenance and pimping costs.

Good advice, search for an old fella's car that has been hardly used and never thrashed and you won't regret it. If you get the cheapest car you can you will inevitably have expensive dramas. Keep an open mind, you might find something you wouldn't normally want, but if it's in smick condition go for it!
If you buy a $500 peice of junk you'll be soreeeee....