Hey everyone! I have been a member of the fordmods community for somewhat of a year now and only got my p plates in October so I thought it was time to share my pride and joy!

I want to start up this build thread to get opinions on my ride and where I can go next, I am looking into more budget DIY mods as I am only a 17 and doing my final year of High school. Anyway my name is Zane and this is my ride.

A White Auto EL GLi, I found it on car sales in January last year and bought it completely stock (except for stiffened rear suspension - I think) for $2,300, only had 210,xxx kms on it and ever since has been my money pit.



The day after I bought it I chucked a head unit in it.


I didn't do anything else to the car until I had to go for roadworthy! It needed a new exhaust so I bought a 2.5" Lukey catback and chucked that on it and around the same time 18" Advanti punch rims.



Next up I got rid of those uncomfortable GLi seats and put some of the grey xr seats in! SOOO much better! I also put an EF xr cluster in and EF tail lights as imo they look better Don't have a picture at the moment though.

Only just during the christmas holidays I got a sound system put in, 2 6" Rockford Fosgate speakers in the front doors and 2 in the parcel shelf run on a pioneer amp and also a Rock Fosgate P2 12" sub run on a kenwood amp. Nothing special of a set-up and currently no picture of it atm!

I will post some more pictures when I get my phone connected to the computer!

Future mods include:
-tinting tail lights
-darkest legal window tint
-chrome interior door handles
-painting door trims and dash fascia
That's all I can think of right now but I possibly want to lower it one day! I live on a steep driveway so it's not a priority right now :/

Looking forward to reading everyone's input and suggestions on some easy mods for the interior! Cheers.

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Sounds good mate, I think you're taking more or less the right path with it as you don't want to go nuts and have a cop magnet, at least until you're off your reds. Which is why I haven't really contemplated tinting tail lights or anything, because as you can probably imagine, they'll pick on you for just about anything, unless you drive like a grandma (conversely, I was doing 85 in a 70 zone early one mornng in my stock as a rock 4wd spec wagon with a car cruising behind me at the same speed for a good 2kms. Got to the lights and saw it was a highway patrol car that didn't even look twice at me.)

As for the interior, I also did the door trims on mine, here are a few pics to get you started:





Started off with some Fairlane trims, and attacked them with some vinyl/fabric dye, then wrapped the door cards with some spotlight vinyl, and the armrests with some suede, also from spotlight. Personally I think it really sets off the chrome and woodgrain. Wasn't difficult at all, just took some time with the vinyl and suede.

Thanks for you input mate! Those door trims look freaking amazing! I love the suede on the arm rests especially!

Does the vinyl last long? Also I gather the vinyl dye will do all parts of the door? And the fabric dye does the carpet? I have considered somehow incorporating white to the interior but to be honest think black looks waay better!
Are you aware of anyone that has ever used fairmont door trims and made them work with manual windows?? hahaha

Yeah the fairlane trims have padded armrests which is a big win over the GLi stock ones. Also it has the carpeted backing.

The vinyl/fabric dye is one thing, I think it's by DupliColour or something? Obviously you could get a specific fabric dye that might do a better job, but this was advertised to do both. Simple as, just spray on as you would with paint. I disassembled as much as possible to get good coverage.

It seems to be fine and hasn't really rubbed off. If you clean it well before dying and do good coats (i did about 5 I think).

As for the manual windows, at least with the rear ones, you'd have to drill a hole just under the door card bit because the spindle is too long to clear the door trim. Then you'd have the power window switch in the door card doing nothing unless you took it out, leaving a hole.

yeah they are much better!

Cheers man I will look into that! Did you also do the dash?

I think I will just deal with the GLi door trims to keep it easy and cheaper, thanks for your input!

I was planning on doing the whole lot including the dash. I've actually only done the drivers side as that was a tester, and basically two days later I bought my LTD which will become my project now, so it's a bit useless putting too much time into the wagon as it will be giving it's heart to the LTD anyway.

Yeah that will make it much easier, but I don't see why you couldn't get the padded armrests and put them on, and the GLi trims have the space to put the woodgrain spears in (which are removeable) so you could also do them as well. IMO the black, chrome and woodgrain looks awesome, but then again there are also people on here who actually get rid of their woodgrain because they don't like it, but to each his own I guess.

Oh alright yeah working on the fairmont would be sort of pointless, but you could experiment with it!

Does it suit the dash, considering they are different colours?
I agree, I think they look great either way.

Haha the wagon's a stock as a rock GLi, but its a Sapphire, so it has the front power windows.

To be absolutely honest, it doesnt suit the grey, which I guess is why Ford made the whole interior one colour

Lucky! I wish I had power windows but I am going to make do with what I have got and make it unique!

Yeah that's what I'm worried about, I might try and find a dark grey that contrasts with the stock colour without looking out of place.

Just spent some of the afternoon before work researching mods I can do to the interior and I am confident in installing foot well lights and also lights in the door handle! I am just unsure where I will hook up the door handle lights to.

So turns out after my car had been running like cr@p for so long, the distributor driveshaft or something along those lines had been stripping, until it completely pooed itself and I broke down on the side of the Hume HWY.
SO I got told the easiest option was to chuck a new motor in, and today I picked up a tickford XR6 motor with just over 150,000kms on it to chuck in.
I don't have the knowledge to change the motor over nor the tools so I'm looking for someone to do it for me.. someone who won't charge an arm and a leg though as I have little funds.