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It's great to see our cousins from across the 'ditch' haven't been resting on their hands - as is evidenced by this great looking pair from Lee & Michelle featuring in one an AU straight six and in the other a 5.0 litre V8 from an EL Falcon!
| - It seems the Kiwi's could teach the Aussies a thing or two when it comes to curing some of the EA's better known engine woes! - Killing two birds with one stone (or a whole flock if you really think about it) the AU and EL V8 engine swaps featured here not only takes care of the dreaded head gasket problems once and for all - but also introduces a heck of a lot more power with vastly increased fuel economy (at least for the 6 cylinder) into the situation - no matter which way you look at it. "I have a huge soft spot for the EA, even with its wee problems..." says Lee - and he ain't kidding considering this pair! |  |
 Just in case you missed it the first time... |
Purchased already converted,
Lee barely knew what he was getting into but couldn't have gotten a better deal
if he had asked for it! With Lee's 1991 EA Fairmont's (or 'Gerty' as Lee
& Michelle have affectionately knick-named the car) 139kW multi-point 3.9
litre six having been given the flick by the previous owner in favor of the
more up-to-date AU mill, most of the hard work had already been done.
Not to miss out on a sensational opportunity to own something really different, Lee got to tidying up the EA into what it is today starting with the custom mix metallic red paint that adorns it so effectively, and then adding the EB GT style rear spoiler at the same time (which Lee adds was originally intended for a Commodore!) |
| So what exactly lies between the chassis rails of this particular Burgundy EA Falcon? For that we must turn back the annuls of time... The previous owner (Tony) had began with a wrecked standard 1999 AU Falcon picked up at auction (rare at the time - you've got to remember this is NZ) The front part of the K-frame was soon required to be cut and shifted about an inch forward to allow for sump clearance - an important change when you considing the AU's cast aluminium 'structural' sump vs. the pressed steel EA item. |  AU six cylinder - but that ain't no AU engine bay! |
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The engine management and
wiring loom were all carry over AU although Lee says it took Tony a full three months to sort out the
wiring to be fully compatible with the EA set up! As much as possible of the wiring
loom was brought across from the donor AU including the ignition barrel and
instrument cluster giving as few problems as possible when it came to
compatibility.
The gearbox was also carried over from the wrecked AU giving the correct ratios and allowing easy mating to the wiring loom (is this really an EA or simply a re-bodied AU?) One thing they missed out on though was installing the AU's air conditioning so for the moment Lee just has to go without... |
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Fuel wise, Tony (who originally handled the conversion) quickly discovered the AU engine's thirst for fuel at a much higher pressure than supplied with the EA pump so the complete AU item was adapted to the EA's tank solving the problem once and for all. About the only other thing that has been changed is the wiper control on the steering column which Lee says he has changed for the AU item including loom ever since the EA item broke. |
| So how well does the AU 157kW 6 move the EA? "It pulls like a school boy and on the open road leaves standard Holden 6's for dust."
relates Lee. - Not a bad deal either considering the Falcon lugs
around near on 200kg more than the VN Commodore!
- Those who have heavily crashed an early Commodore or taken to the rough & tumble will know exactly where GM took this weight from! And that's not all - with headers and a new free breathing exhaust system to come you can be sure there's plenty of life in the old girl yet... |
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A special mention must go to Tony 'W' who "devoted a hell of a lot of time and effort to the project sweating and cursing his way through the most difficult sections to make an absolutely outstanding job of the car. Thanks to him I have had the luxury of putting in the finishing touches but he IS the man :)" Great to hear credit given when credit's due! |
Now with all that extra power it is only sensible to up-rate the tyre and handling package with Pedders taking up the springing duties and ROH 'Reflex' 17's under all four corners. Lee relates that it now handles a heck of a lot better than standard bringing the spotlight now onto the factory brakes that desperately need up-grading.
Lee's (burgundy car on the left) & Michelle's now defunct
EA as first purchased. The 89' EA was an ex-police car
Keeping things in the family Lee's girlfriend Michelle continues the EA tradition although the ride has not always been this smooth with her first 89' model (white, as pictured above) - an ex-cop car being written off by a drunk driver "never to be seen again" Lee laments. Fortunately Michelle survived the altercation in far better condition than the EA. And so while it's not so clear who actually owns the Sky Blue replacement, what is clear is how special it is considering it's a 1988 model complete with 97' Falcon 5.0 litre V8! And as usual in this family, the new EA's already got a nickname ('Jack' as in their favourite drink!) - Let's hope that same drunk doesn't take that too literally...
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So what's in the future for this intrepid pair? "An EB GT replica is definitely high on the list" - sounds like the EA's classic shape has captured the hearts & minds of these two - and with cars this good looking who can argue?
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