This is going to be a bit "patched together" as a lot of this is being transferred from another site (which will remain nameless) so please bear with me!

a*** project taking a little break for now....and I'm getting bored...needed something else to work on that wasn't going to take a "down to bare shell" rebuild...so I came across this EA Fairmont Ghia in need of some love! This is another one I am going to take my time with (so regular updates may be few and far between), but at least it is not needing to go thru such extensive body modifications as the a***.
Here's as it stands...where it stands...






It has had a fair bit stripped off it....and is going to take some work to clean it up and make something decent from it..but that's what it's all about!
Will have some pics of the pickup soon...and then I can make a start on some mods...

...Just a small update...we went and picked up the EA from Lockie's mums place this morning...unfortunately I didn't get more pics of actually loading the car onto the trailer (youve all seen it somewhere before)...what with it's awkward position...and that it took all 3 of us to heave the bloody thing on with a flat front tyre...so all available hands were loading...not taking photos!

But anyway...here's a few pics of it loaded onto the trailer...but still in the front yard...





I started trying to tie off the front suspension to the front bar of the trailer...but with no great success...

...so in the end...Alysha took over and got it tied down (she grew up with a truckie for a dad...so she's far more familiar with tying off ropes than I am!)


Albeit that the front yard was a decent size...the car was originally parked near both a front and side fence...so we had very little turning circle or room to move to get out the front gate, and the block had been either built up a bit at some point...or was just generally uneven...and sloping down sideways towards the driveway...and it also didn't help that Jennifer's Pajero kept stalling (auto...on gas???)...but after probably an 80 point turn....creeping forward/reversing back...we finally squeezed the whole circus through the front gate...




The drive back to Ballarat was uneventful and went smoothly...and we got the EA back to it's new home (again, pics after the car was unloaded...coz we had just as many drama's getting it off the trailer!!!)


...and Jennifer helping wind the winch cable back on the winch...


So here the old girl sits...in our driveway for now...I will look into putting an inflated tyre of some description on it and moving it somewhere in the yard out of the way...and in future days I will start cleaning it out...and starting on a custom front bar/spoiler...stay tuned for that one...it guarantees to be something unusual!

Thanks to my cousin Jennifer for her time...and the use of her Pajero/physical effort put in to make this pick-up possible....and of course my wonderful missus Alysha...for being the smart one with tying off the ropes...and just generally giving a helping hand. She also had her first go at reversing a loaded car trailer into our driveway...and all considered, she did a fantastic job!

Just a small update...
Got the spare mag that came with the car inflated so I'm able to move it around the yard on 4 tyres now...cleaned out all the stuff from the inside...removed the doorcards (eventually to find their way into my missus wagon)and removed the rest of the damaged dash loom. The loom took a bit of hassle as I had not realised it had an aftermarket alarm fitted to it at some point...and therefore there were alarm wires tying the dash loom to other looms, like the door switches, etc. Finally got all that disconnected...only to find the bloody alarm module itself was still hiding in the lower door jamb where the plastic kick panel usually lives!


I then go on to discover that a section of cable and plug has been cut from the loom that goes thru the firewall into the engine bay!



So it now looks like I will be looking for Fairmont Ghia/Fairlane/LTD dash looms....and the section to the engine bay as well!

On another subject though...I did mention I would be starting on a custom front bar in the near future...well a small start was made on that today...


I have gotten the Ambo's original front bumper out of mothballs...as well as the 2 brackets that mount the reo to the front rails...as the passenger side bracket is rather badly bent, and my proposed custom front bar isn't going to fit properly if I can't get a standard bar to fit properly in the first place! So the plan for now is...go to a local bolt and fastener supply place tomorrow....and buy some new mounting nuts for the front bumper (as I am ratting nuts and bolts from the Ambo) using the secondhand nuts and bolts from the Ambo on this EA....and the bought replacements being kept for the eventual Ambo reassembly. I am also buying some replacement bolts for the headlights...as they are also out of whack at the moment....and replacing them with new....I don't know whether EF use the same type of headlight bolt....but nonetheless...I will have a new set...just in case...
As the photo suggests....the nose is sniffing the air...jacked up to the point that the front crossmember has the suspension dropped to it's lowest (highest?) and the front wheels are about 6" off the ground.
As soon as I manage to get this front bumper mounted and aligned...then the "custom" work will begin....

Another update...this time dealing with the "custom" front bar/spoiler mod...
Finally I have mounted up the Ambo bumper to the Ghia...and had it almost perfectly aligned, but I did discover at some stage there had been a minor "shunt" on the passenger side...so I found myself having to use the brackets from the Ambo as well...and doing some minor panel-beating on the chassis mount.
Genuine Ford parts must see us as suckers...as the two poxy little plastic clips that mount to the front guards also had to be replaced to get it all to line up properly...at $8.50 each!

Bumper lined up...bonnet open...


Bumper lined up...bonnet closed...


At this point...I did have a different front spoiler/bar on...but wasn't satisfied with the way it turned out...so I will be leaving out these details...

...Small update...
I was always intending on putting a modified ED grille on this beast, and picked one up from mickus (much thanks!).

This is how I got it from him...


All nice and bright, shiny white...lol...
I did a trial-fit on my bonnet (which I have since found out had a minor bingle at some point, and is full of bog!) and checked out how my whole front end lined up...I had to stuff around buying new longer bolts, as I didn't realise there was a difference between the grille mounts on an EA, as opposed to an EB-ED bonnet...and make some spacers, but I had some spare conduit around...and cut the spacers from it, but I didn't take a pic as I was finding it too difficult to take the whole front panel alignment into account with this glaring white grille in the middle! So I decided to do the mods to it first...and start sanding it down...so I can get a better perspective...


...and with the centre chrome temporarily attached...


I know there have been others that have done this ED grille mod before...so any help/advice I can get to make it look a little neater (cutouts in the chrome where the Ford "bar" was,etc) as I am planning on putting red anodised mesh behind the chrome trim...and also in the cutouts in the front spoiler.

Had a couple of nice bits turn up from the freighters today...had ordered them a couple of weeks ago...(birthday presents from my wonderful wife!)

EL GT bootlid spoiler (don't mind the lump of 4 x 2...spoiler wouldn't stand up on it's own!)



Pair of EF/EL "Mondeo style" side skirts.


The bootlid spoiler is going to need a little adjustment as far as the mount-points go...but nothing a little custom fibreglass work can't fix!

And as a spur of the moment decision...bought this!

BF front bar...from a local bumper bar/plastics repair place...

I believe a similar conversion has been done before, so with a little tweaking...I'm sure it will be a huge improvement...
Stay tuned for further progress...including trial-fit of the bodykit components, modifying the BF front bar...and possibly a BF rear bar...haven't yet decided...

Did a little playing around with trial-fitting stuff today...with mixed results...
Started off with the driver's side skirt...taped on with black insulation tape...and was overall pleased with the way it fitted (considering it was designed for EF/EL...but I did mention to "Fibresports" that these were going onto a boxcar, whether they took that into account...who knows!)

One thing I am not so sure about is the fit/positioning of the EL GT tail.
On an EL...this is what it is supposed to look like (from "Fibresports" own website)


Now because of the obscure angle this pic was taken on...much less the fact that it is an EL...it is very misleading as to exactly how far back it is supposed to fit in relation to the quarter panels...and the bootlid...much less the fact it is being "adapted" to a boxcar.

So I positioned it a couple of times...
First time about an inch and a half (I guess!) from the trailing edge of the quarter panel...


And then about three quarters of an inch from the trailing edge of the quarter panel...


I'm hard-pressed to know which looks better...but I think the further back the better.
I also took a shot from behind...which I at least think looks pretty good.


Here I am trying to work out a trial-fit of the BF front bar, so I can work out where it needs to be cut/trimmed to fit the EA front end...but the hoped plan is to get it to cover the original EA bumper completely...and fit nice and tight up to the bottom leading edge of the front guards...much like a BF...



Now if only I could get the headlights/grille to fit...

Did a little modifying on the BF front bar today...with as far as I'm concerned...impressive results!
Who says a BF front bar can't be made to fit/won't suit a boxcar!



Granted I don't have the profile quite right yet...but this is only having cut the top edge off...and tacked there with 3 screws...
So this is progress thus far...stay tooned!!!

Wrong forum, you need ozecruisers on AFF.

lookin good so far there mate

seems u got the same ideas sas me with the front aye
lol


be good to see it all finished


Drifty

Kinda similar...kinda totally different...considering I didn't even know about yours....lol!
Will keep posting...keep watching....

true true
well ill be watching progress

good luck with it all

Ok....you are probably wondering where I have been at with this little venture...
Yes, it has been quite a while...and for that I apologise!
I have had a change of plans...due to this car having started out so stripped in the first place...I decided in the end that if I were to continue with this particular project...I'd end up having done too many modifications whilst cleaning it up and rebuilding it, that I would probably never get it thru roadworthy. I haven't altogether given up on this one as such...but it will be serving different duties as I go along...
In the meantime...I have gone on to score another EA Fairmont Ghia...this time complete...and needing only minimal work to get it running and roadworthy. I figure I am better off doing what many others tend to do...get a clean example...tidy it up, roady it, register it....then start "playing"!!!

Anyway...this is how the new aquisition sits at the moment...






As can be seen by the pics...this one is in far better condition overall than the previous...so I think it will make for a better project.
Will be a few more weeks before I actually take ownership of it...as it is on a mate's property...in country Victoria...but on the plus side...this one only needs the dizzy and coil replaced to get it going (probably leads and plugs as well, routine stuff) probably oil and all filters and fluids changed...and from what I have been told...only a matching set of rims with legal tyres to get it thru roadworthy (maybe other "minor" things...but that's always the way!!!)
My other shell I will however be keeping for the time being...so I can use it for mock-up of my bodykit...and other little "custom" modifications along the way...so my registered, road-going Ghia won't have to be off the road for extended periods of time while doing mock-up/modifications, etc. Stay tuned....more updates when I take possession of this new one!

Hey Mate.

That looks pretty tidy in the photos.

I have always like that dusty blue colour.

Cheers
BenJ

...only a small update unfortunately...my new Ghia has now been fully paid off...just awaiting delivery/pickup...don't yet know how I am receiving it yet...lol! I will make sure there are plenty of pics when the happy day arrives...so stay tooned!!!