Advice needed

Poetic Justice · 17-07-2006, 08:01 PM

Hey guys, I have been tossing up whether to keep my car for the next year or two, and have decided that its the best option for the time (considering I get the car paid for and a fuel card as part of my job's package) so I have a few more dollars to throw around but wanted a bit of advice and ideas for what I am planning to do in the future.

Firstly, I am starting by doing a few things that are the cheaper things to do - and I am focusing on getting the car back into a very pretty condition.

1) Black trims

As you would know, most of your cars have all black rubbers and black painted door surrounds etc - and after 10 years of being around the paint on my car is starting to fade. Can anyone suggest what sort of paint to use and how to go about using it to repaint all the black trims? And if so where to get the paint from (if it's a special type...)

2) Cornerling lamps into foggies

I am keen to get my cornering lamps working as fog lights with the aid of a switch. I was thinking about having it wired to turn on with the parkers - but that seems a little tricky, so with the use of a switch I'm sure it'd be easier. Anyone know any tricks or hints in doing this? I'm sure it's been done before I just want to go about it the easiest way.

3) Would anyone know where and how much a new grille would cost for an EL Fairmont Ghia - mine is faded and has a crack in it.

4) Has anyone looked into replacing the factory woodgrain inserts in the Fairmont Ghia with carbon fibre items? I dislike the look of the woodgrain and don't think it suits my age (personally.) and believe the carbon fibre would look awesome - if it's possible. Details would be appreciated.

5) Shifter replacement - my auto shifter is giving me the absolute ****s lately because the chrome button is broken (common problem I hear.) - and I want to fix this situation. What can be done? Advice please.

6) Custom plates - vote for DROPD8 or BLKOU7 as Im keen to know which would suit my car better.

7) Gauges - I know that gauges are a ricer thing to do - but it's my car and I'll make the choices for what happens to it. I want to get oil pressure as I don't trust mine, and I want to get a new volt meter which is hooked straight up to the battery (or wherever it will get the best readout from.) - and perhaps a third but I'm not sure. I'm not fussed about the legalities of positioning - do you think they would look better mounted on the A-Pillar or externally on the bonnet?

And for a few engine mods....

I'm keen to know a bit about the following items along with the average price and who I should speak to about obtaining them:

* MAF
* Throttle body
* Explorer Manifold
* GT40P Heads
* Cam - what type should I get that will run with the stock ECU?
* 3.77 diff gears
* Auto strengthening & stage 2 shift kit?

Lastly, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for my car at all. It currently looks as follows:

At this point this is all I'm looking to find out a bit, and I was hoping a few of you would have some good answers for me.

Cheers
Nick

crannersEL · 17-07-2006, 08:08 PM

Are you considering tinting the windows?

I've seen the car in the flesh and it looks awesome!

Poetic Justice · 17-07-2006, 08:11 PM

the windows are tinted lol

crannersEL · 17-07-2006, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackout

the windows are tinted lol

Ahhh yep, didn't notice the windows were actually down in the above photo's sorry man...

XRated · 17-07-2006, 08:37 PM

That looks ^$&*@ing mint!

fairmont1998 · 17-07-2006, 09:41 PM

Wiring up the conering lamps as foggies through the parker circuit is easy enough.
The easiest place to pick up the parker curcuit is behind the parkers relay in the fuse panel under the steering wheel, splice into the parkers feed out of the relay 9brown wire if I remember right), through a fuse, through a switch (so you can over ride the foggies) then out into the engine bay and wire up the cornering lamps.
Wired like that the cornering lamps will come on as soon as you turn on the parkers or low beams and you have the option of turning them off whenever you want to.

needfordspeed · 17-07-2006, 11:03 PM

Oh so that's your car!! Looks F#$#@NG MINT!!! For the outside I reckon get rid of either the tickford badge on the back or the fairmont ghia one other than that it looks awesome as, me and boostmyef spotted you the yesterday as well btw.

BOOSTMYEF · 17-07-2006, 11:04 PM

just mini spool it..

be the solution to all your problems, you will never get bored of it

i think i seen this around in vic lately? and we all knw the weather here is ****, and its been raining like everyday..

cant go wrong with a spool!

Poetic Justice · 17-07-2006, 11:06 PM

Yeah I'm afraid of what I will be capable of with a spool - plus I'm a big man for respecting that I pay a lot of money for insurance so I dno't really want to void it.

Where have you guys seen me?

needfordspeed · 17-07-2006, 11:10 PM

Don't know where we saw ya, it was on the way to moorabin though, also saw you at some cruise at night.......(can't remember which one lol)

BTW DROPD8 over the other plates I reckon.

BOOSTMYEF · 17-07-2006, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackout

Yeah I'm afraid of what I will be capable of with a spool - plus I'm a big man for respecting that I pay a lot of money for insurance so I dno't really want to void it.

Where have you guys seen me?

fairly sure you were at the vic street scene cruise a few weeks back if im not mistaken?

also i think.. i cant remember, ive seen you around the SE suburbs, or eastern suburbs!

EFFalcon · 17-07-2006, 11:16 PM

blackout helps run the VSS meets.
and yes, he was there

Poetic Justice · 17-07-2006, 11:23 PM

I live in Bayswater/Croydon South... and I organise a lot of the VSS events.

Any more advice about my car though? :P

Sidewinder · 18-07-2006, 12:26 AM

Well for a start I wouldnt be mounting any gauges on it, infact I wouldnt change a thing externally as is looks terrific.

I know your probably trying to make it stand out, but there is a reason why everyone just lowers their car with mags etc.

And thats because they look best just like that :evil_laug

Poetic Justice · 18-07-2006, 06:37 PM

anybody?

wikedscotty · 18-07-2006, 07:07 PM

personally i would mount the gauges on the a piller as everytime i see a car with gauges mounted on the bonnet i just so hope somone steals or breaks them....

BI6TIM · 18-07-2006, 07:10 PM

I don't know too much about that other V8 stuff but for the auto I would give MVAutomatics a call they do good stuff with BTR 4 speeds. 3.7 diff gears sounds good or even 3.9's with an auto. Also I don't know what the prices are but I hear from Ignition (AFF.com.au member also/same car as you) that you want the alloy heads, even the GT40P's are still cast apparently.

Drop Ignition a PM and pick his brain, he and Rolin have been through a lot of options for the 5 Litre.

BI6TIM · 18-07-2006, 07:13 PM

Also I say DROPD8 for the plates, put a B&M ProRachet shifter under the console and poke the shifter through the standard slot and I'm not going to comment on the guages.

FRDXR6 · 18-07-2006, 07:23 PM

1. Dont know how you would go about painting them but for a quick detail just run some of the shiny stuff you wipe on your dash etc with to bring it back to life for a bit.

3. Look in parts for sale or ring around some wreckers.

4. I have seen this done before but was a costly once off customisation.

7. I dont like gauages on the bonnet on later model cars unless there moulded onto the bonnet and painted the same colour of the car. Not sure what they would like on the a-pillar of a falcon, they seem to do the job on imports. Note its an easy defect putting them on the a-pillar though.

snypereb · 18-07-2006, 11:55 PM

Nice looking ride!!
Car looks sweet as is!!!!

XRated · 19-07-2006, 01:25 AM

Poetic Justice · 19-07-2006, 09:11 AM

dfroooooooooooooooool

Kenaz · 19-07-2006, 09:36 AM

Give me your stall convertor.

Poetic Justice · 19-07-2006, 07:12 PM

lol, no probs.... it doesn't do much for me :P

lukey · 19-07-2006, 07:54 PM

1. Tyre black, mine were resprayed and looks **** so I've stripped off the paint and redone it with tyre black, looks awesome.
3. www.ozeparts.com.au, but is a bit dear
4. You can get them done in a carbon fibre look by a place called Dashboard Centre (www.dashboardcentre.com.au).
7. Go the gauges on the a-pillar. I'm interested in doing this myself on my mont.

ratman · 20-09-2006, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRated

an interesting but useless fact - blackout's ghia was actually pictured along side YLOOOZ when it was featured in pfm magazine (same issue this pic comes from.) and when my brother owned it.
Guages can look ok on the bonnet cowl as long as they are subtle,ie, not huge multi-coloured things.

DEVL-XR · 20-09-2006, 03:13 PM

take all the tickford badges off mate. it'll look heaps cleaner! plus its not really a tickford is it?
apart from that your car is damn nice!!

XRated · 20-09-2006, 06:08 PM

ratman, have you got any pics of the two cars together? That'd look horn.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BradensEBxr6

take all the tickford badges off mate. it'll look heaps cleaner! plus its not really a tickford is it?
apart from that your car is damn nice!!

Factory Tickford engine (5.0l any different?), suspension, diff etc.

Tiga_EL · 20-09-2006, 06:16 PM

DOnt get the guages mounted externally have them in the pillar, thatd be sick. Also another vote for DROPD8.

ratman · 20-09-2006, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRated

ratman, have you got any pics of the two cars together? That'd look horn.

Factory Tickford engine (5.0l any different?), suspension, diff etc.

should have some of the ghia, yloooz, my other brothers el and my eb together on the cd they gave vince after the shoot - will try get some pics up when i get the cd off him.
ps. the blue one actually looks even better now with the new wheels