Chrome Door Handles

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ford-AU-Tick ... SwBw5XQ-iX

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FORD-AU-NU-F ... SwBLlVVRYV

Cheers Frank and SWC.

SWC, pm replied mate, apologies for the delay.

Frank...are you still rocking your AU? I havent seen that since the old purple circle days. Your post count is borderline epic!! I hope youve been keeping well. Funnily enough I have seen a couple black/red wheels around, one was on gumtree brand new for $350 a few weeks back. Ill keep an eye out.

Update, have spent a small amount of time attending to a bit of sanding back on the bits and pieces of body panels scrounged.

Paint shall be laid down on the following items this weekend.

Rear bumper and rear Tickford skirt
Tickford side skirts
Rear left door (all glass and Forte internal trim removed)
Replacement bonnet

From there, ill then book a weekend closer to the end of June to get the front XR bumper plastic weld repaired, front tickford bumper pods attached and paint that front bumper.

Then ill fit everything up, then ill do a proper buff of the clear coat on the remaining steel panels. "Hopefully" everything looks even and not two tone. Otherwise it shall be painted items off and respray the body.

Ill post up pics once she is looking schmick. Get that deep Galaxy blue looking super wet. That should be my next update at the end of this month or thereabouts.

From there, attention shall return to the interior to finish that off. Im currently talking to proseat for some replacement reborn leather seat skins...maybe two tone black/dark blue as an homage to the T series interior, and to complement the blue on the dash and steering wheel.

ive booked in getting the roof redone as its sagging badly with cigarette burns, im also going to hunt around for fairmont black carpet while im at it.

Stupidly, ive also started looking at AU build threads...starting to get crazy notions of putting this motor away in the shed for future collector reasons and building a fresh 300 - 350kw windsor.....especially when I start looking at Boss302 bl8cks and such over in the US....

PM sent.

I know it's a little off track...BUT I may be able to pick up a BA XR8 manual gearbox (the T5 5 speed) for cheap in good condition.

Part of me wants to just get it, as a manual "may" be in the car's future.

However, is it possible to fit this to the back of a Windsor block in an AU sedan? I don't mind if I need to replace tail shaft, clutch, ECU and pressure plate, I appreciate there will be a bit of cost. But is it going to be a relatively straight forward fit up with off the shelf components?

I don't want to be cutting trans tunnel, or fabricating too many custom components.

Just a thought to throw out there as I get this car back to a suitable standard. The auto trans is a bit glitchy at the moment despite a service and flush...it's days may be numbered especially if I throw a cam/heads at this thing after tax time. I'll need to weight up a beefed up BTR vs a T5 transplant (I don't have the funds nor the requirement for a T56).

DJ

Not sure on the bolt up, but I can check with someone that may know.

Issue will be that the BA V8 T5 does not have a speedo output on the gearbox as they pick up the speedo reading from the rear ABS sensor.

Also the AU uses a cable on the clutch where the BA is Hydraulic.

Hmmm...with that in mind, I might need to allow for hydraulic cylinder too, as well as what is entailed with getting the speedo to read properly (if at all).

Cheers SWC, if your contact is able to offer up some info great - at least so I can make a buy/no buy decision on the part on offer, otherwise it may become a question for a specialist here locally when I'm ready to do the swap later this year.

Hi effalconman, the t5 wont bolt up to the windsor without an adaptor plate or new bell housing. Then the clutch slave needs to be spaced out to accomodate the plate/bell housing also from memory we had to change the starter motor as well. I put a ba gt 6 sp in to a eb race car with 302/5.0. Mal wood from memory can do a complete kit so you can fit the box also try jeff at dellow conversions. As for the speedo you may be able to swap the extension housing and gear drive from an earlier t5

Item sent. PM Sent.

s**t update today. I was at Bunnings at lunchtime, picking up some last minute bits and pieces as there has been heaps of prep and paint going on with all my replacement panels. Car was due to get all its new Galaxy Blue parts put on it commencing this afternoon and into tomorrow.

My mate has been busting his ar$e all week making 2nd hand parts perfect, sanding, touching up, prepping and painting.

I parked the beast all the way down the end near trade section, away from the Camrys and SUV's....in the last bay.

I come out, the whole rear end of my XR8 has been stoved in. Boot smashed, spoiler smashed, exhaust bent to the ground, scratches on rear window, bumper smashed, rear tail light smashed, side panel scratched. I parked in front of a concrete wall, the car has been pushed forward just enough so that the front XR bumper has a crease in it on the passenger side now running down side of the headlight.

There was literally no one around. I'm cracking the s**t when a lovely young girl from Gardening comes up and says she saw it all. The lawn delivery truck cut the corner and basically pushed/rammed it's side across the back of my car.

The driver p****d off just like that. So the lovely girl gave me the full details of the lawn supply company and their number.

I thanked her, told her I owed her a bottle for her awesomeness and honesty, she has likely saved me paying excess if I can get hold of the company on Monday.

So I drove the beast home, sounds like sh!t with a bent exhaust and now has a wobble in the rear.

The grinding sound in the rear is worse, now also have a Fukn crease in the front bumper.

I rang my mate, let him know to put the tools down....he laughed but I can tell he is like "f#ck"..I honestly can't believe the timing.

But need to look on the bright side, could have happened a week later. Just wish it had happened a couple weeks sooner or not at all. The panel and paint has cost me $1k so far.

I'll post up some pics when I can. Hopefully the insurance company comes to the party and adresses everything properly, including the drive wobble and scratched rear glass. Lucky I took out comprehensive cover when I bought the car, I was in two minds of waiting till I had done it all up.

Time for me to make contact with insurer and also that cowardly grass company. Let them know their driver did a runner from a pretty s**t incident. Can't believe how hard he hit the thing around a bend in a car park. Still...those Medium Rigid flatbed trucks aren't exactly lightweights.



DJ

By the sounds of the damage, you may be lucky if they don't right it off.

bummer

s**t dude thats not good at all!!!! i feel sorry for you


just re insurance , did you get the chicks ( witness ) details?

as i am sure as hell that not only the insurance company will want them as well as the lawn
company to confirm it all

also i would report to police

Bit of an update: insurace company have decided to write the vehicle off, $6k of damage including damage to rear structure.

so I'll get a payout of about $6k for the beast, ive got a whole heap of freshly painted panels, painted body kit, new blue momo steering wheel, some suspension components, an engine cover, plus some other bits and pieces of the interior that I'll have to post up for sale.

Also have a good condition compete aircon system, including radiator bit and compressor to suit AU V8. Second hand but perfect condition and ready for new oring, filter, fit and regas.

Ill get a post up in the for sale section shortly, next couple days.

Sorry all, this is one Tickford that is now going to get parted out somewhere rather than be fully restored on the road.

I managed to track down the driver, he will pay excess so thats some good news.

Off to go buy something with hubcaps for a while I think. Im a few grand in the hole, need to recover some cost, ill wait till tax time then revisit the V8 market.

Sorry to hear about the car being written off.

bugga!