Thought I may as well update both of my build threads. The wagon has actually been getting more attention that the EL lately. A mate and I headed over to Tassie for a couple of weeks, so had to make sure the wagon was up to the task of some enjoyable windy roads! Gave it a service, new set of QFM A1RM pads and new pair of KU21 tyres on the front.

Ever since I got the car I felt like it had waaay to much body roll, and it was impractically low and soft in the front. It actually sat the same height was the EL in the front, which is fitted in 1 inch lower springs. The wagon still had stock springs in it, so they were obviously really sagged and soft. So my plan was just to take it back up to stock XR6 height, but get something a lot harder help counteract the body roll and brake dive.

Ive been wanting to try Lovells springs for ages now, and I read through their catalogue and checked out a set of FFL-57 springs. They are XR height, progressive wound and are listed as the heavy duty option. Picked up a set in Melbourne and put them in a week before we left. They totally tranformed the handling of the car. Got rid of a heap of bodyroll, lifted the front up and just made it handle so much better. They do sit a little toooo high in my opinion, but I am hoping that they will drop a little over time



The main drawback to the higher rate springs is that the ride on dirt rouds is much harsher and on corrugations the car has a habit of just going sideways and bouncing over them. You cant have everything though. The problem was that driving out to Hells Gates is a very long corrugated dirt road, which eventually caused the exhuast to snap off at the front of the cat. So it was a very very noisy drive down to Hobart where we got it welded up and continued on our way.

Was definately a very enjoyable drive, especially the roads around Queenstown! Plus it was great to get to use the wagon for the real reason I got it in the first place. Plus as a bonus I didnt collect any local wildlife, which I had been warned about.

looking good, i still rekon it needs more low. 2" is only half what i droped mine by lol

but looks good, should come on a cruise in her one day

I totally agree, definately needs more low. However, my other car is low and meant to be my fun car, this is my daily and has to get down dirt roads and up and down gutters all the time. With the HD towpack on it, it struggles to get in and out of a normal suburban driveway into the street without scraping, unless you use some serious angle.

Im hoping the bodykit makes it look a little lower, without having to physically lower it. I really do want to see how it looks lower though. I have a spare set of Pedders front sport ryders here, been thinking about getting some ultra's, 2 inch lowering blocks and running round like that for a few weeks to see how it goes.The height yours is sitting it would suit it much much more!

Geez, watch out for that diff boom guys . . .
The front springs out of my EF XR6 wagon measured 364mm unloaded - and the car looked pretty level, certainly lower than my std height EL wagon. The set of EL XR6 front coils I also have measure 367mm unloaded, std height springs were 415mm, so some comparison for you to go off.

Hmmm I should have measured the springs when they were out. The Lovells ones are sitting next to the ones out the EF XR6. But progressive makes it hard to judge anything, because they sag heaps more statically, then harden up and deflect less under load. They definately feel a lot harder overall. Official measurements from wheel centre to guard are
With XR6 springs
Drivers 340mm Passengers 345mm
With Lovells Springs
Drivers 378mm Passengers 377mm

So it lifted it pretty much an inch in the front. The really interesting thing is that the centre to guard height is within 1mm all round, including the rear. So it pretty much sits perfects level at this height. And hasnt really bellyed out on anything, whereas the K-frame had scraped a few times before that.

So while in Tassie the cat snapped off the exhaust at the front and had to get welded up again. The guy who did it said the cut was stuffed inside, so ive been looking for extractors and a high-flow cat ever since. Because the cars on gas they had to be 4499 Pacemakers, no way I would have fitted the 4480's in.

Managed to pick a set up and went to work putting them in. Took a fair bit of playing around to get them around the gas etc. I could have just ditched the heat shields, but I really wanted it to continue to look stock under there, and protect the gas system as much as possible.

Stock


Extractors on


All fitted up and finished off


Just one little pipe hiding up the end there, should be enough to keep it looking factory.

Yeah, I never noticed til recently the differences in exhaust heatshields - I got a couple that cover the rear - might be off AU's, can't remember.

Hmm very interesting, I may keep my eye open for an AU one that covers the entire manifold. However, I haven't had any trouble from the police yet in the wagon so hopefully it wont be a problem anyway. I think the fact that its a wagon means they don't really look twice at it anyway.

Got around to giving it a bit of an interior upgrade on the weekend. In the rear it had the original plastic interior, which had been smashed up a bit over the years from heavy object sliding around inside. I found a car at the wreckers with fairmont interior in it, managed to get it for a good price and transplant it in. Definitely makes the rear look a lot better! Still getting used to seeing it look so nice when im reversing Plus when I'm sleeping in it, I can pull my tailgate closed now haha

BEFORE





AFTER

Very nice.

I did this in my EB wag and it certainly lifts the whole feel of the cargo area.

Cheers
BenJ

It sure does, those plastics really cheapen the rear of it, I'm looking forward to next time I get to sleep in it now

Also, seeing as you are the resident wagon genius on fordmods, do you know how much modification is needed to fit sedan interior in the rear of a wagon?

I have not done this myself yet, but, there are two ways I am aware of.

One is to strip the covers etc off the sedan seats and install them onto the wagon frames.

The other is to strip the sedan seats and weld the brackets from a wagon onto the frames.

In both instances, the bolsters are a different shape and again you may have to strip, swap and fit to get it to work.

The seat base is a direct swap in fit.

Cheers
BenJ

Hmmm food for thought. The interior is looking pretty shabby in the wagon, the rear seats especially. Even if it was in good nick, im really not that sold on the colour combination. I was pretty keen on the idea of putting EL XR interior into it, looks way way nicer, and still is XR. but just wasnt sure how much work had to go in to get it there.

Still not sure what to do with the front either. I know EL XR seats would bolt in, but having both an EL and an EF XR, I find the EF XR ones much much more comfortable! Especially for long distances. At the moment I have just put covers on them to try and protect them a bit.

For the rear, yeah EF fairmont wagon or EL wagon quarter panels are a good upgrade.
Be aware that the rear seat armrest are different lengths in sedan/wagon. I put sedan rear seat cushions and fabric onto the wagon frames - not too hard.
It's a PITA having the XR's GLI based - cheap a*** plastic and fabric.
Yeah, I'm intending to sew the XR fabric panels into EL fairmont velour.

By the seat arm rests do you mean the side bolsters that bolt in next to the seats? Hmm I hadn' considered that, are they significantly different. I know someone that bolted fairmont interior into a fairlane, but not sure if/what modifications he had to make, or how it looked in the end.

Yeah it is a real pity that the XR's are based on such a low model. Although, if you had a Fairmont EFII onwards, you get everything the XR's get anyway, in a fairmont right?

The XR fabric surrounded by fairmont velour would definately look the part

Ben's already mentioned them - put your fabric onto the wagon bolster cushions. I'm talking about the drop down centre arm rest - fit the sedan one to the wagon frame.
Nope - wagon ghias phased out with the EBI. No XR engine.
Yep, bit like dressmaking.