When you consider the big Australian-made
performance cars, thought usually turns to the V8 models. The current V8 Falcons
and Commodores have a clear performance advantage over the six cylinder cars
models (turbo XR6 Falcon excepted, of course!) and so for many people, thinking
naturally aspirated big car performance automatically means thinking V8.
But the size of the performance gap that currently
exists between the V8s and six cylinder engines hasn’t always been the case.
Back in the mid-late Nineties, Ford was still persisting with their very old
5-litre V8 design. In 1994 the Ford V8 had 165kW and 388Nm - and the big six?
Well, this is where it gets interesting. The Ford 4-litre six cylinder developed
157kW (just 5 per cent less power than the V8) and 357Nm (down in torque over
the V8 by 8 per cent), but gave fuel economy that in back-to-back testing that
was a clear 13 per cent better!
Of course, you can juggle figures to prove nearly
anything, but the bottom line is that the 4-litre six cylinder engine has very
close power and torque figures to the V8. In addition to drinking less fuel, six
cylinder cars can now be bought much more cheaply than the V8 models.
The pick of the bunch of the six cylinder Falcons
of this era is the EF, which was released in August 1994. This model gained
substantial engine revisions (which we’ll cover in a moment) and is still young
enough that good condition cars can be found. It was also a very popular model,
so even rarer versions like those equipped with the 5-speed trans aren’t that
hard to locate.
And it’s the 5-speed manual transmission cars
which really develop V8-style performance. We haven’t been able to find a
contemporary magazine test of a 5-speed, but the auto trans cars regularly ran
0-100 km/h in around 8.6 seconds and the manual trans cars are noticeably
quicker. The Tickford-tweaked XR6 – complete with an increase in exhaust valve
size from 39 to 41mm, exhaust, management and cam tweaks – has a power output of
164kW (up over the standard EF by only 4 per cent) and 366Nm (up by just 2.5 per
cent) and ran 0-100 km/h in the mid-sevens in 5-speed form. (Interestingly, many
owners complain their EF XR6 is barely any quicker than a conventional EF Falcon
or early XR6. Improved driveability and torque spread are its biggest
advantages.) This information, together with some measurements we’ve made of a
5-speed EF Futura, suggests the 0-100 km/h time of these cars is in the low
eights.
That’s a very fast starting point for a standard,
low cost car of this size!
But let’s rewind a few steps. What makes the EF a
better platform than one of the earlier cars? The big news was the introduction
of the changeover short/long runner intake manifold. A design which looks good
even more than a decade later (and is still in use on the BF Falcon six), it
allows air to flow through long runners at low revs then switches to short
runners at high revs. This approach boosts both low and high rpm torque. The
head was also slightly improved, the crankshaft gained 12 counterweights to give
better rigidity and balance, while the engine management jumped to EEC-V with
knock sensing and direct-fire ignition. A serpentine belt was also fitted to
drive the accessories and the engine-driven radiator fan was replaced with twin
electric fans.
Unfortunately, there were no major changes to the
suspension, which continued with the unequal-length wishbone front design and a
solid rear axle suspended on four trailing links and located laterally with a
Watts Link. Sway bars were fitted front and back. With the EF, brakes changed a
bit with thicker front discs, a move from Bendix to Bosch ABS for cars
so-equipped, and the use of a different parking brake assembly.
Inside, the cabin the dash was all-new and the
handbrake moved from an underdash umbrella job to a conventional pull-up lever
alongside the centre console. A driver’s airbag became standard across all trim
levels – although note it’s a pretty basic design with electro-mechanical
sensors and a smallish 45 litre volume.
Base model was the GLi which although equipped
standard with the 5-speed trans, in probably 90-95 per cent of cases was
optioned with the auto. That also applies to the next-trim-up Futura, which
added ABS, electric front windows cruise and map lights to the base spec.
(Incidentally, the ABS actuator in these cars is completely hidden from view, so
don’t bother looking under the bonnet as a quick check as to whether ABS is
fitted!)
The Fairmont and the Fairmont Ghia (which came with a different bonnet, grille and front bumper) had the auto
trans fitted as standard, and few - if any - of these cars would have been built
with the manual trans.
The EF was upgraded in October 1995, giving rise
to the EFII model that ran until the EL was released in September 1996. The
major changes to the EFII were to the front suspension, with new uprights, a
thicker anti-roll bar and firmer lower wishbones bushes. The front balljoint was
raised by 3mm and toe-in reduced by 1mm. On the road the earlier EF cars have a
tendency to turn-in very fast, leaving the rear suspension to play catch-up in a
roll oversteery way. The Series II model addressed this issue. Series II also
got the option of a passenger airbag in all trim levels (and was standard on the
Fairmont Ghia).The easiest way to spot a Series II is by the convex glass used
in the passenger side mirror.
Prices for the 5-speed EF models vary
substantially, depending on whether the seller reckons the manual trans warrants
a substantial premium and of course on condition and kilometres. Typical
distances are around 200 – 220,000 kilometres and these cars start around $4000
when in decent condition. Add about $500 or so for a Futura model. However, a
mint condition, low kilometre 5-speed Futura can easily have an asking price of
$6000, and a ratty GLi might be only $3500. (And auto trans models are cheaper
again.)
Ford six cylinder modification specialists Jim
Mock Motorsport suggest that the EF Falcon engine is a great choice for
modification. The dual-stage manifold is worth its weight in gold and the
cylinder head improvements are also valuable. Interestingly, Jim says some EF
models use an XR6 cam profile – even although they share the same markings as a
conventional EF Falcon cam. These cars are a lucky find – they respond very well
to power-up modifications.
Mock suggests headers and a 2½ inch exhaust as the
first modifications. Next is the intake, where a XR6 intake snorkel makes for a
cheap and factory-looking upgrade. From there you can go to a new cam and engine
management mapping to suit. Finally, if you want to go all-out while staying
naturally aspirated, extensive headwork can be performed. Oh, and we should
mention that there’s a huge amount of room to fit one or two turbos on the side
of the head... (For articles on Jim Mock Motorpsort cars we’ve driven, do a site
search.)
The EF Falcon is sure as hell no sweetly revving
BMW six, but by the same token, it provides a lot of standard performance – and
interior space – at a low cost. And after all, what else can you buy with a
manual gearbox, grunting 157kW 4 litre six cylinder engine, family practicality,
ABS and an airbag ... all for about $5000?
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