9th May 2001, 01:27

I have a 1987 XF S-Pac. I've had it for about a year and a half, and have given it a good thrashing. Beats things like 253 Holdens and the like, as with a lot of late model 4 cylinder cars. All I've had to do with it is a minor leak from the rocker cover gasket, new exhaust and that's it.

I've decided to get it resprayed in the Monza red next week and 16" rims, since it's such a good car to me. The most reliable car of all my mate's (which are all Holdens for some reason).

I don't know how you managed to get such terrible fuel economy with the 3.3 litre, since my 4.1 seems to be fine with fuel. Sounds like you either got mega ripped off with a lemon, or went for a bunky cheapo. I got mine for $2000AUD, and it looks good inside and out.

24th May 2001, 01:34

Again I am the person who put this review in, a couple of days ago I actually had that car stolen :)

Hopefully that will be the last I see of that lemon and I hope the thieves realize exactly how much that car sucks, and it was a waste of their time to steal it in the first place.

18th Jun 2001, 10:54

I purchased an XF s/wagon 4.1 auto a/c 12 months ago with 205,000 on the clock and it hasn't missed a beat. Goes great, enough grunt when you need it, not a rattle to be heard, real cumfy, needs a bit of steering work but nothing drastic. I had an EA sedan before this and it gave me heaps of trouble. The XF has proved to be the better model.

23rd Jun 2001, 21:18

I have an XF Falcon (1985 4.1 S Pack), and after driving a few Holdens for a couple of years, driving the XF is like driving a new car. Never ever hear any rattles, it runs very smooth, and has no trouble beating Holden 253's and newer 4 cylinders off the lights. Best car I have ever bought, and love it.

16th Jul 2001, 05:09

I have an '87 s-Pack for the last 8 years, common problems are: leaking rocker cover, leaking front & rear main seals, alloy water fittings are really sacrificial anodes, and cylinder head gasket sealing rings corrode away, wheel alignment lower bolts need tack welding to hold, apart from that, goes like stink, quiet, comfy, 22mpg, and I am keeping it!!!

8th Aug 2001, 06:59

I have bought a 85 model that looks immaculate, but had a minor oil leak. Turned out to be the oil switch and to date that is the only thing I have had to do on it for 2 years. Excellent for towing my boat and it only cost me $1500. Worth every penny.

Peter.

23rd Aug 2001, 07:15

I just bought an 85 XF Falcon sedan (4.1L) for my first car. It's in immaculate condition inside and out, the chick I bought it off took really good care of it (which is why I bought it). It's on gas so it's cheap as chips to run and the engine and tranny haven't missed a note.

So far the only thing that's gone wrong with it was the sad looking light blue stripe going along the side of it, so I peeled it all off and it looks sweet.

I am now in the progress of lowering it and buying some really fat rubber for it. The engine is already pretty grunty, but you can never have too many horses under ya bonnet.

FORD ROCK!

26th Sep 2001, 08:18

I was given a 1987 XF Falcon, this car was never put in for a service and was never looked after as well.

The automatic transmission was slipping when we got it and still had heaps of life left in it, and the engine was run into the ground. It could do 160 Km/h without missing a beat, even with the no 6 piston gone in the engine.

I must say that the XF's are one really good car that Ford have made. The car still has the original door handles on it which I am surprised at because my old 4.9 ZJ Fairlane keep breaking on me. But I will buy another XF Falcon.

28th Sep 2001, 06:43

G'day,

I own an Xf s-pak 86, it cost me $500 dollars, I've had it for a year, and absolutely love it. I've got EFI on top of the 4.1L motor. The only thing I've had to do is replace the battery. The air-con needs a new core and that's it.

A great model car.

Big Dan.

bigdanallen@yahoo.com.

3rd Oct 2001, 20:01

I have a XF Falcon that I picked up at auction for $900.00, it is spotless inside and out. I love it, and have had no problems at all with it...

I just went to auction with my daughter for a car, I wasn't looking for myself..

I used to drive a XE falcon s/pack, I loved it, but sold it at Xmas...

For a change... after 8 years

It blow a hose on the express way once. Son in law drove past 5 minutes later and stopped... Thank god, I didn't have mobile phone with me... The LTD I replaced it with, just wasn't the same...

So when my Red XF Falcon rolled in for bids...

I couldn't not contain myself...

And like the XE Falcon... so much and am now very happy with my XF Falcon.. the XF has done me proud, not bad for a car I picked and bid on at first sight...

I'm glad I bid with my eyes... every male I know can't believe the price I paid..

And have asked me to go to car auctions for them... but I pass LOL. With my luck I'd get them a dud.

6th Feb 2002, 21:43

I have a 1985 Ford LTD, ex consulate with papers, it's done as of 2002', 147000k's.

I love its electric seats, and foot in length made my mind over the Falcon, polished the rims and kept it original, no problems (at least that I haven't caused), only thing is that you need to be electrically minded because that's everything about the car!

4.1 efi has been up to 173 km/hr on a run to Bendigo! But simply cruises at 130~140 lovely! 10/10 for its time!

29th Nov 2004, 04:58

I have an 85 XF, after rolling the first at about 120 klmph, I couldn't help buying this one. So far I have thrown away the auto and put a four speed in, need some fat wheels now and I'm in heaven, again!

P.s. Does anyone know where I can find a custom front bumper, something touring car styled?

11th Oct 2011, 02:13

The XF Falcon is the most sold car for Ford Australia to date. It is highly underrated, but in fact is the best all round Ford on Australian roads.

There would be lots of them on the road, but due to the cost of repairing them by insurance companies, they are easily written off by high panel shop costs. Most of them in wrecker yards have minor damage, but the panel shops quote in excess of $2500 for a bent fender or door, making them vulnerable to market value right offs.

These cars require very little maintenance, but as with many things, the owner is slack in keeping them in good order, and then blames the car for their poor maintenance. They are tough, but abused greatly by their owners who fit it in their poor budget. Most mechanically minded people can fix them easily.

The auto transmission is a beautiful unit, and it's simple to service or rebuild at home. The XF is the best car in the X series, because all of its previous Falcons have contributed to this model with better lights of high tech, non round, boring design, when round was the only light available. It uses beautiful alloy Girlock calipers; better than any XY GT cast iron units that overheat easily.

The Watts link suspension is the real HO that any GT lacked, but still was given the handling option tag.

The XF has almost the identical front end to any of the pre XF cars, but with more improvements lacking in the GTs.

The fuel crisis gave rise to the exclusion of the V8 engine, the chassis remained the same for the V8, but a technical glitch of the time and manufacturing is believed to have altered the XF chassis. This is complete fallacy, because Ford would never have changed the chassis in the last X series cars. To do so with production and tooling would have meant an astronomical cost to Ford to produce the last of a X version cars. They simply would not have bothered. Changes to conform with politics and legislation at that time was the only real modification to the XF chassis.

Overall the XF would have been the best X series Falcon; a real HO if it were given the XY GT treatment and shaker, together with better brakes (all wheel discs), lighting, Watts linkage and lighter body due to non-rusting parts such as heavy bumpers.

The XF is classic plastic, not rustic classic. The XF is the best Falcon ever in the era of X manufacturing, robbed from the title of XF GT HO. The biggest joke was Ford listening to the Australian Government in believing in the fuel crisis hysteria that today we can see was total BS.