FORD FAIRLANE ZF-ZG

THE ZF FAIRLANE REPRESENTED AN ASPIRATIONAL STEP

With a brand-new Falcon set to bring plenty of lookers into dealer showrooms, Ford wanted its ZF Fairlane to represent an aspirational step for those needing more space than was available in the XA range.

The ZF sat on the same 2946mm wheelbase as a Falcon wagon and the ZD Fairlane but had a wider track and was 50mm lower than the ZD it replaced. There was some criticism of the styling which was seen in some quarters as a little too close to the shape of the XA-XB Falcon.

A six-cylinder engine was standard on Custom versions with a 4.9-litre 302 V8 in the 500. Ford’s 5.8-litre, 351 cubic-inch engine was optional and commonly specified but it was only the 2V version – 194kW pitted against the weight a Fairlane wasn’t going to deliver GT-style performance.

The Fairlane dash design echoed the Falcon’s revamp, including a bigger version of the XA’s central ‘beak’ that angled minor switches and an air outlet towards the driver. Headlamp and wiper knobs were replaced by rocker switches but the under-dash handbrake remained impossible to reach comfortably in a seat belt.

The ZG was released in October 1973 and survived until early 1976. It had a more imposing front with a new plastic grille. The ZG’s only major external change was the new chunky grille but beneath the metal, uprated shock absorbers and springs increased ground clearance without compromising the handling or ride quality. Or so Ford claimed.

Flashy colours and a multitude of options ensured that that no one needed to own a Fairlane that looked exactly like their neighbour’s. Big-ticket options included air-conditioning and the $184 wind-back sunroof but a remote-control door mirror added just $13.

Power steering was standard in the 500 or when the V8 engine was specified. Power disc brakes were fitted to all Fairlanes and higher seat backs provided driver and passenger with some whiplash protection if struck from behind.

The variable-ratio steering worked well at low speeds, allowing ZF-ZGs to be whirled through tight city streets and parked with minimal effort. Where the steering felt less comforting was in fast sweeping bends where the car could be thrown off line by mid-corner bumps. On loose or wet surfaces you could never be sure just where the front wheels were pointing.

MARKET REVIEW

ZF-ZG Fairlane production totalled 37,000 and you’d think that surviving cars might be easy to find. Not so. Preceding ZC-ZD models have over many years sparked greater collector interest and it is those cars that more often have been preserved.

With ZD 351 prices at or above $30,000, that situation is changing. Although more ZGs than ZFs were produced, the earlier cars are more commonly seen. They also seem to generate sightly more money than a ZG of similar quality.

ZF and ZGs appear regularly in Unique Cars classifieds but seem not to hang around for very long. Good examples are available at less than $12,000 and exceptional 351-engined cars can get beyond $22,000.

Once it was possible for switched-on enthusiasts to trawl the car yards and carparks of regional towns in search of Fairlanes that had avoided the rust that was common in coastal areas. Today, such enterprise has been negated by advances in communication and your best chance of getting hold of a car before someone else is to have alerts logged with several on-line sales sites.