FORD FAIRLANE ZJ-ZL
FORD'S HISTORY OF PRODUCING CONVINCING HIGH-SERIES CARS BASED ON BREAD AND BUTTER MODELS CONTINUED WITH THESE FAIRLANES
When Ford Australia gambled its future on the XD Falcon it took a re-modelled Fairlane and LTD along for the ride.
The Fairlane in ZH form had looked absolutely different from other local Fords; noticeably bigger than the Falcon with squared-off edges and a domineering look. From 1979 the bean-counters took control of the Styling Division and Fairlanes would henceforth share their general shape and plenty of parts with the lower-specification cars.
Although shorter and lighter than the previous model, ZJ Fairlanes used the same wheelbase as the ZH. It still had loads of rear-seat legroom and a long but shallow boot (still able to accommodate golf clubs). These were features that Fairlane owners valued over performance, cornering prowess or even fuel economy.
Against a background of late-1970s oil shortages and soaring petrol prices there was still no shortage of buyers who wanted their Fairlane to be V8 powered. While most used the 4.9-litre there also remained demand for the 5.8-litre, 149kW version.
By 1981 however, fuel costs had begun to bite and Ford made the fateful decision to end local production of V8 engines. When the ZK Fairlane appeared in March 1982 the 5.8 motor was gone and within six months the 4.9 had been deleted as well.
ZK styling changed hardly at all but there was a major engineering advance. Ford’s ‘Watts Linkage’ system of rear axle location did indeed date back to the bloke who invented the steam engine but still worked in a modern context and really did make Fords from 1982 onwards feel less skittish.
The ZL that appeared in 1984 was the first Fairlane to use a fuel-injected engine and be engineered to deal with the forthcoming switch to Unleaded (ULP) Fuel. Early ZLs offered the choice of carburettor-fed or EFI engines but from late 1985 the injected motor took over. More than 26,000 ZLs were built yet surviving cars are much harder to find than ZJ-ZKs. We suspect Ford’s pioneering use of a digital dashboard might have a role in the ZL’s march towards extinction.
Most people who buy a Fairlane of this age will want a V8. Most will be unaware of the appalling 30.2L/100km consumption recorded by a ZJ 5.8 in early testing and not care if they do.
These are practical, roomy and interesting family cruisers; still available in decent numbers and good ones are unlikely to cost more than $12,000. For that money you might even get an operational LPG ‘dual fuel’ system which will cut costs if you do want to use your Fairlane more frequently.