Falcon EL
| Purchase Price | Sales Price | Year Purchased | Year Sold | Years Held |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $6,995 | $3,500 | 2006 | 2010 | 4 |
I bought my 1997 EL Ford Fairmont in 2006 from a car yard in Rochedale South – I traded in my 1985 Ford FE LTD for $1,250 and bought the EL for $6,995.
I named my car Elmont (for obvious reasons) and it was a considerable upgrade in terms of driveability and fuel consumption.
My main considerations when purchasing was that I wanted one of the last of the EL models, with fairly low ks and no rust.
The interior of my new Fairmont ride was a pretty luxurious for the time.
As it was a Fairmont it had velour seats, power windows, power steering, climate control air-conditioning, trip computer and lidded centre console.
Other mods included:
- New suspension struts
- New stereo and speakers
- Phone mount
Odometer Milestones
I haven’t been lucky enough to catch all of them but here are a couple of my odometer milestones…
Favourite Memories
My first 'modern car' with all the bells and whistles
It was a big jump from my 1985 Ford FE LTD to my ‘new’ 1997 Ford EL Fairmont and represented two completely different eras of Australian Ford manufacturing.
The 1985 FE LTD was a traditional, luxury-focused luxury car with a long wheelbase and older technology, while the 1997 EL Fairmont was a refined, modern (for its time) family car with better handling, safety, and efficiency.
My new 1997 EL Fairmont used a 4.0L InTech six-cylinder, which was far more powerful and fuel-efficient (157 kW) than the aging 4.1L six-cylinder used in the 1985 LTD. It had an electronically controlled 4-speed automatic, offering smoother shifts and better fuel economy than the 3-speed auto found in the 1985 model.
The 1997 EL Fairmont was built on the standard shorter Falcon wheelbase but offered far better structural integrity, safety, and refinement. It had significantly better handling including a revised rear suspension that reduced the roll-steer issues found in earlier EF models.
The EL Fairmont featured modern conveniences such as automatic climate control, a 4-speed auto with economy/normal modes, with a standard driver’s airbag and an optional passenger airbag.
Random other memories (good and bad)
Getting the speed wobbles with a trailer full of pavers
While reno-ing my Fairymead house, we pulled up quite a few pavers from the back and side of the house. Instead of throwing these away, we decided to keep them and move them to Angela’s house on the Gold Coast.
We borrowed her boss’ 6×4 trailer and we stacked the pavers about three layers high on the bed of it. We headed off down the coast driving in the slow lane. After creeping the car up to the speed limit of 110 km/h we started to get the speed wobbles. Angela thought I was being silly and doing it on purpose but it was a genuine sway due to all the weight in the trailer.
I knew enough not to hit the brakes but backed off the accelerator until the swaying stopped and we continued our journey at a safer 80 km/h.
Doing a head gasket
The EF-EL Falcons are notorious for head gasket problems due to a combination of aging, overheating, and a design flaw where the original cylinder head bolts are prone to stretching, leading to gasket failure.
Mine was no different! My motor started showing signs of overheating and using water, so a new head gasket was in order.
$1,500-ish dollars later, we’re back in business.
Identification Data
Ford Fairmont Sedan 4.0L automatic (EL) (aut. 4 speed)
as offered for the year 1997 in Australia
Production/sales period of cars with this particular specs:
October 1996 – August 1998
Country of origin: AUS Australia
Make: Ford (Australia)
Model: Fairmont 5th generation (EA-EB-ED-EF-EL-series)
Submodel: EL-series Fairmont Sedan
Class: mid-size / large family car
Body style: sedan
Doors: 4
Traction: RWD (rear-wheel drive)
Basic dimensions
Length: 4906 mm / 193.1 in
Width: 1861 mm / 73.3 in
Height: 1453 mm / 57.2 in
Wheelbase: 2791 mm / 109.9 in
Fuel capacity: 68 liter / 18 U.S. gal / 14.9 imp. gal
Drag coefficient: estimated by a-c: 0.35
Weights
Curb weight estimated: 1360 kg / 3000 lbs
Engine Specifications
Engine manufacturer: Ford Australia Intech 4.0L
Engine type: spark-ignition 4-stroke
Fuel type: gasoline (petrol)
Fuel system: indirect injection
Charge system: naturally aspirated
Valves per cylinder: 2
Additional features:
Multi-point fuel injection; Ford EEC-V SOHC
Cylinders alignment: Line 6
Displacement: 3984 cm3 / 242.8 cui
Horsepower net: 157 kW / 214 PS / 211 hp (DIN) / 4800
Torque net: 357 Nm / 263 ft-lb / 3000
Car power to weight ratio net: 99.1 watt/kg / 44.9 watt/lb
Car weight to power ratio net: 10.1 kg/kW / 7.4 kg/PS / 16.6 lbs/hp
Transmission specifications
Gearbox transmission type: automatic
Number of gears: 4