07/09/2026
Member's Rides Greg and Merran's 1983 XE Fairmont Ghia:
I bought “Elenor” in 2022… on Facebook Marketplace… while not looking for a car. After a test drive, the deal was done — and somehow I became the proud owner of the car I wasn’t looking for! The car appealed to me because I had a very similar Ford back in my early 20s. Of course, I also needed a pretty good reason to justify buying an old & ugly car to the wife… and “it’s an investment” seemed like a solid enough argument at the time! When I bought her, Elenor was running a 250 Crossflow with a 4-speed single-rail gearbox, standard diff, with an extremely sad interior, and an engine bay that appeared to have been painted with a rattle can… and possibly a fair amount of optimism. So, there was a little bit of work to do. After 2 years on and off the hoist — with most of the work done myself — and she’s come a long way. These days Elenor has: • 351 Windsor • T5 gearbox • New exhaust • Disc-brake 9-inch • Re-upholstered seats and door trims • Freshly painted engine bay We joined the Fossil Fuelers in 2025 with an almost-finished Elenor. Of course, “almost finished” is classic-car language for there’s always something else to fiddle with and there’s always a small package arriving in the post. Minor upgrades are still being considered… Then came her first drag meet. Things didn’t quite go to plan when a water pump leak decided to make an appearance. So, the quarter-mile time is still officially unknown. But that’s OK — the stopwatch can wait. There’s always next time… assuming she keeps her fluids where they’re supposed to be! ‘Elenor’ — built, modified, loved, and occasionally repaired.
