Cheap EF/EL XR6

Silky · 20-09-2007, 10:44 AM

Hello all. Am new to this so bare with me...

I am about to buy my first car. I've been brought up a Ford man, and am solely just looking at EF/EL XR6's.. (seeing as im not allowed an 8)

They seem to go from $5000 up to around $10,000... There's heaps around.. some look in better knick than others.. but what exactly should i be looking out for in an E series XR.. what are the common problems? A few i've looked at have something like 202,000, or 218,000 on the clock but look much better looked after.. should i steer clear of the high Km's??

any help would be much appreciated..

Being a 20 y.o, When i first started following the V8's and taking an interest in cars the EF XR was the s'hit. i still look at them and think how fuppin pretty they are.. so i really can't wait to get my hands on one..

Ive got an $8500 budget.. So im either going to spend the whole thing on the car, or hopefully spend around $6500 on the car, and get some bigger mags and an exhaust system..

DBourne · 20-09-2007, 01:45 PM

headgasket becomes an issue around the 200,000K mark. i picked mine up with 270,000K on the clock so i knew the gasket was done and these engines will keep going to 600,000+ up to a mil so dont be toooo discouraged by kms. they are a 10/11/12 year old car after all.

One thing, with the manuals, if the owner brags about a heavy duty clutch, check out the firewall, if it hasn't been re-enforced that is your first step. This is from experience. the bloke before me put in a heavy duty and it pretty much joined me in the cabin. couldnt disengange the clutch cos the friction point had gone behind the firewall and then the firewall cracked.

just make sure you check out all the cars carefully, leaks etc. and yeah ask if the headgasket has been done.

pauljh74 · 20-09-2007, 10:00 PM

I had that fixed about 6 months ago - cracked firewall with standard clutch.
I keep hearing about how late ELs have pretty much the AU engine in it (head gasket mainly). Mine is a May '98 build - is it a good chance mine has the upgraded engine?
As for buying - come back in 5 years and I'll be selling mine

no1else · 23-09-2007, 11:50 AM

i now this is sorta off topic guys so sorry about that, but i was just wondering in the xr e series models is the back lighting behind all the instruments the same as the rest of the series or is it diffrent like we have with the current xr series

thanks guys

DBourne · 23-09-2007, 12:03 PM

same as far as i know? do u mean the lights behind the dash or the actual printed numbers for the speedo tacho?

**TUF_302** · 23-09-2007, 08:28 PM

I got a 97 EL XR8 for just over 13, but it aint no standard car lol! id surgest looking for a while until your 100% sure on one car!

no1else · 23-09-2007, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SgtBourne

same as far as i know? do u mean the lights behind the dash or the actual printed numbers for the speedo tacho?

lights behind the dash mate sorry for note makin that clear

Silky · 23-09-2007, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVO_XR6

I got a 97 EL XR8 for just over 13, but it aint no standard car lol! id surgest looking for a while until your 100% sure on one car!

Yeah.. im gonna get the loan pre-appoved in about 2 weeks and then start looking properly.. def not going to rush... It does just seem like if i'm patient it wont be too difficult to get one for the right price in the right condition.. since ive been researching and looking on the net and stuff there have been a few that looked like exactly what i wanted, just havent been in a position to follow them up..

18months ago when i first got my license i had to decide between getting my first car, or getting a dirty great television and driving dads commodore for a while....

I have $250 left on the tele

:

And im so sick of driving Dads commodore... Im not gonna lie, it's really nice to drive, but having spent my days at High school wearing Ford hats, covering my books in pictures of Dick Johnson and old HO's, and writing 'HSV: Hopeless Struggling Vegetable' everywhere... i cant help but feel like a hypocrite

Xr6n/a · 23-09-2007, 11:16 PM

I got my ef xr6 with 180,000kms stock as a rock immaculate interior for $8000 back in december 06. As has been said head gasket will be an issue but its usualy a once of event unless your unlucky just change it to an au gasket and make sure the head is totaly flat for a proper seal and you will have no future troubles well for a while ;).