Shounak's XF Panel Van Project

[Shounak]

Yes, I bought a Ford. Quick rundown.

It had a rooted engine and transmission. The body is perfect, completely rust free and the interior carpet has all been redone recently. The interior (seats etc) is in pretty good nick and it has a fair head unit in it.

All I need to change is the engine and tranny and it'll be a beast.

For this heap of beautiful blue ovalled machinery, I only paid $120. It cost me $300, but I got a $180 registration refund after I handed in the plates.

Behold.


By shounak at 2007-12-04


By shounak at 2007-12-04


By shounak at 2007-12-04


By shounak at 2007-12-04


By shounak at 2007-12-04

[Shounak]

Any tips or idea's would be appreciated. Driving off a cliff isn't what I'm thinking at the moment.

I considered a manual conversion, it was bloody cheap. But I don't want to drive this big hunk of metal around with no power steering and a manual. I'll save the manual for my next car.

A mattress is definitely going to go in there, it's just about what goes around it.

Licence plates have been ordered, but I think it'll get rejected. FCKTRK..

[Pezza's_VP]

go the ford! great buy for the price.

[adam69]

Fix the miss matct trim,very easy to find bits and pieces from the wreckers.Get a grinder and remove the panel from behind the seats.Did that with an XB van i had.

[Garth]

i dont know if it's legal,

but cover in the windows on the actual back of the van, and on the sides,
only have the front window and drivers/passangers windows

put in a disco ball on the roof
and do a valure pillow looking interior all over hte inside, gotta be purple.
have a lava lamp in there somwhere and yha gotta put in a talking boonie doll

[greenfoam]

Hire Barbarella and make the inside like her ship yes I know a XF isn't from the 70s BUT that's the age of the Panel van and shaggin on plush pile so that's the go

[Pub247]

put an e-series motor in it A guy at tafe has one in a XF ute

[Shounak]

I was thinking of a muscly 351 or something to put in there, but it's just not worth it. This panno will never be quick and I don't want it to be.

I bought a second donor car to rip out the engine, seats and any other little bits and pieces. I just towed the car back to where it's being stored and within the next few weeks I'll hopefully have a running panno.

[Tasmaniak]

heres a thought.....add power steering to it!

[Sabbath']

We thought of doing that, but for some reason it was decided against at the time

[Shounak]

Still making headway. Powersteering seemed like an option, until we found out it didn't have the normal rack and pinion steering in it. It's not as simply as dropping the rack, mounting the pump, connecting a few hoses and off you go.

Running gear is finally out (car's been in storage for a while due to time constraints). Now all we have to do is get it all back in. Simple.

No better feeling exists than pulling out the entire running gear of a car. It's better than sex.

[adam69]

Dont know why the power steer wont go in.If you have every thing from the other car with P/S then it all should swap over.

[kniever]

i'd give the engine bay a respray aswell while everything is out, even if its not the neatest and just a kwik spray it will look ten times better, plus will make for a cleaner working area

[Shounak]

Yeah, I'll have another look at the power steering, but it's not as simple as it would be with a Commo.

Good idea about the engine bay. But you're looking at the worst spray painter in the history of time. It'll end up looking like the wall of a murder scene if I give it a crack, but I'll see. Hopefully I can find a spray can of a similar colour.

Just one problem getting the Ghia seats out of the wreck. The seat is held on by four threaded bolts, with nuts at the bottom of the car. Someone has spot welded the nuts to the threads of both the front seats. It's gonna be a pain to get out.

[Jo3_Blo]

Not bad, great buy for the price!!
How much did the wreck cost you?

[kniever]

doesn't matter if its a bit of a bad spray job cos it will make a differance to how clean it looks and just try not to get runs.

also can ya just grind the bolts off the seats?

[Shounak]

doesn't matter if its a bit of a bad spray job cos it will make a differance to how clean it looks and just try not to get runs.

also can ya just grind the bolts off the seats?

Yeah, that's pretty much the only option. Pain in the ass though.

Hopefully they fit back in alright.

[Shounak]

Not bad, great buy for the price!!
How much did the wreck cost you?

$255 for the wreck. Plus $60 trailer hire.

Came with a full motor, gas system, Ghia interior. Was a pretty good buy for the price.

[Jo3_Blo]

Yeah, that's not bad price for what it is!

Woulda cost more just to buy a motor/transmission from the wreckers, this way you got all the other spare parts as well.