Now that I'm finally getting started with this car I've had plans for since March, it's about time I started a build thread!

Bought an EL GLi wagon for $1600 with 140,000kms in May 2012 for my first car, and started looking around for bits and pieces that I could do to make it a little bit more unique. Not so much your usual tacky p-plater mods, but more things that were, or at least looked, factory. I began scouting for Fairlane trims, woodgrain, things that would add a bit more class to the poor old wagon, which hadn't really been taken care of well by it's previous owner.

I stopped searching once I saw a DF LTD that wasn't running on eBay. Initially, the plan was to take all the goodies off it and put them on the wags. But it seemed sacrilege to hack up the poor old LTD. So plans changed.

This is what I got for $800. I saw it as an absolute bargain.




Straight body, clean for it's age and a MOMO EL GT steering wheel! Bonus! A keen eye will also see the super-rare LTD maple dash spear, only appearing on these DF series 1s, before the passenger airbag.

Not sure why the previous owner decided it would be a good idea to put 15" CSA Gladiators on it, but you will all be pleased to know that I've sourced a set of 5 of the original chrome rims off 89.SVO, to raise its credibility a bit.

I also found out today, while I was taking some wiring out of the engine bay, that it has 8000K HIDs installed. They just seem like cheap ones, and I may or may not end up even using them. But we'll call that a semi-bonus.

One downside is that it 'sort-of' needs a new coat of paint on the roof.


And next to the wagon:


The bloke I bought it off said he believed that it was a fuel system issue, and that was the reason why it wouldn't run. It refused to start on petrol, and even though it would start on LPG, it would stall under throttle.

That didn't matter to me, because my plan was to take the old, battling, 290,000km V8 and dump in the I6 from the wagon.

The mechanic had a look over it all before I finalised the sale, to see what it would need for a roadworthy. Power steering rack boots, a new exhaust (how convenient ), and it was missing an LPG sticker on the rear number plate. Significantly less than what my wagon needed for RWC!

I also bought these two nice additions. A T5 conversion with a one-month old clutch, and an EL GT shifter to match the steering wheel!



So as of now, I've begun pulling the V8 and trans out. Only managed to get a couple of things out before it got dark, but more should be happening over the weekend.

I've got a list of potential mods in mind, but at the moment my focus is getting the bloody thing to run!

Good to see another 5.0 manual lwb! My NF 5.0 is a great car to drive with the t5 conversion , you should look up the Fairlane and ltd thread too!

2/3 right, looking forward to a manual LWB, but it won't be staying as a 5L for long because I'm pulling the V8 out. It's not too healthy (see pic from heater hose as an example), plus being on my Ps I'm restricted to two less cylinders I might be keeping the Windsor however, as a project for the next couple of years so it's ripe and ready to go once I'm on my opens.

Started taking the interior apart this arvo after work, thanks to Melbourne winter! Found something else a little interesting. My guess is a set of auto locking window winders. Looks like someone's been reading the Fordmods tech docs!

Note to self: before removing battery, terminals, wiring and BCM, ensure that you have enough space to take out the power seat mounting bolts without having to move the seat back and forward.

Rookie mistake. Won't be the last one in this build, that's for sure.

this is where you use a power probe

Yeah I had mine ready to go but the connector and the seat were in such a position were that I couldn't get my hand between the fixings under the seat to unclip the switch, let alone get the thing in there while I could see what I was doing.

The rest of the dash came out today. Took a little longer than I had planned. The previous owner had installed some sort of aftermarket alarm. I really wish he hadn't - as if there weren't enough wires and connectors around the driver's footwell to take out. But when they installed it, they clearly weren't interested in making it straightforward. Everything was tangled, looms wove in and out of each other, factory looms were joined to alarm wires with a whole roll of tape. I gave up on making sense of where all the wires were going.

After 20 minutes of trying to find the right combination of disconnecting wires so that I could carefully pull the dash out without tearing out any other looms I wasn't supposed to, the rain came and I decided the best course of action was to just cut the wires and rip the stupid alarm out. It just looks like a cheap eBay one anyway so not a big loss if I decide I can't be bothered connecting it back up.

The next step inside the car will be to remove the wiring for the 104 pin ECU and the TCM and get it ready for the 60 pin EL ECU. That'll be fun.

Hopefully getting my hands on a crane later this week, so my engine bay will soon be empty and ready for a tidy up.

About time I updated this thread I guess.

I've had two mottos during this build:
1) You know what? Stuff it, I'll give it a crack.
2) f**k it, I'll do it tomorrow.

Unfortunately in the last two months it's been a lot of the second one. Uni, starting a new job, getting the house ready for moving, Melbourne weather, lack of funds, and general apathy have not helped. But I'm back finally getting stuff done.

So here's what I've got done since:
- V8 and its trans have been out for a couple of weeks

- Hacked at the exhaust with an angle grinder when it refused to separate into two pieces so I could get it over the rear axle.

- Sourced a couple of cheap 5/8" deep walled impact sockets and a big effin hammer, and got those bastard lock nuts off! The amount of things I had to try to get these off is a really good advertisement for Gorilla lock nuts. Built solid as anything, and I've still got 3 impact sockets that absolutely refuse to part with their new friends. Might end up getting a set and make sure I keep the key.

- Finally restored order to the universe and gave the LTD back some much needed class. Shiny shiny!


- Started to swap the engine bay wiring over between the two cars. Couldn't fit the ECU pins through the hole in the firewall, so ended up cutting the wires and connecting them back together. Whilst doing this, cursed the fact that they included 4 sets of 2 or more identically coloured wires, then employed some coloured tape to make sure everything went back where it belongs.

- Took out the heater assembly as I was planning on changing the heater core while I had the car in pieces, quickly realised with the added space I could have left the loom intact. Grrrrrrr. Later decided that I had already spent way too much money, and a good flush was all it needed.

- So far have removed most of the unnecessary things to make way for the I6 - different AC lines, power steering hoses etc.

- Changed steering rack boots for roadworthy

- Picked up 6 AU injectors as well as an XR 300kPa fuel regulator.

- Bought a Gates hose kit to replace all the coolant and heater hoses.

- Replaced the bung fuel pump with a VDO one off eBay. The old one didn't even have continuity over the pins, no wonder the guy said it wouldn't start on petrol!

- Got the I6 almost ready to take out. All it needs now is the 4 speed off the back of it and then it's just the engine mounts left!

Motto #1 came into play quite a bit too whilst flicking through eBay. The radiators from both cars had seen better days, so I bought a full aluminium 3 core one for $165. Overkill? Maybe. Risky with eBay parts? Probably. But I guess I'll have to wait and see.
I also took the plunge and bought an Eonon double din touch screen head unit, which came the other day. Saw SWC and some others have luck with it, where as many others have had issues. Hopefully I'm one of the lucky ones. Buttons feel solid and no absolutely obvious signs of poor build quality, but time will tell! I haven't had a car that I've been able to plug it into yet. As they are cheap, it's not a huge deal.

Tomorrow I'm heading up to Mick's Pro Gas near Ballarat to pick up his LPG injection kit, after chatting to both BenJ and snap about it.

Still a fair bit to go but hopefully won't be too much longer now before she's up and running.

Even though I'm far from finished with this, I'm really glad I started. It's been expensive, frustrating, but it's also been a huge learning experience. I can't wait until it's all back together, running, and I can step back and say "That's mine. I put that together."

I'd like to meet Mick in person - very knowledgeable fella.

Yeah he was great over the phone. Thought I'd drive up and meet him face to face to pick it up and to learn a bit more.

Regarding those tuning cables he said he's still out but because he'll be doing the liquid side of it for me he's going to tune it too.

Yeah ol Mick he be one very cluey fella!!

When he does, ask him for a copy of the binary in case you need to upload to the LPG computer in future.

What model eonon did you get wanna get the G2240 with GPS and wanna add the TV and reverse camera to it .

What model eonon did you get wanna get the G2240 with GPS and wanna add the TV and reverse camera to it .