The ghia door trims look good with the seats Ev!
Need to add a trip comp and climate control for full luxo spec, then install my trip comp

I found these if you're interested, not sure whether they'll fit:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/200787225869 ... 595wt_1270

those door trims look good!! i have a set for my el too, actually 2 sets, but the passenger side is missing from both sets i got, and i have a normal velour ghia passenger one missing the woodgrain, i just need some leather the same colour and the woodgrain off the spare drivers side glued on and im set. im loving black boxcars more and more every day, wish i bought one instead of a el

Yep, they are like brand new except the drivers. A bit like the seats actually. The poly green Ghia has only done 230,000 km. It would have been quite a nice car except for the paint.

I might have a go at the trip computer. I'm not really sure what is involved in a climate control conversion.

Wow! $65 for E series centre caps?! Anyone would think that they are a rare car or something lol. Might see if the wreckers would separate one from a set of turbo blades.

If you're really keen theres an EB fairmont Ghia at the wreckers with a decent passenger seat that you could maybe modify into a drivers seat?
There was also an NC LTD there complete with a full leather centre console and complete leather interior

no such thing as a NC LTD

DC LTD maybe...?

Anyway, I just got back from Oberon. It is a place that has snow.







Fi and I went horse riding. Good thing we had to wear helmets because the first thing I did was whack my head on the doorway when I rode out of the stable!

We also checked out Jenolan caves this morning. Fascinating. I wish all the rich folk would slow down on the hill road, though.

For lunch we had some fried chicken from DJ's in Oberon. Sort of like KFC but better. We ate it on top of the Rotary lookout.





I am loving this new gearbox. Since it only makes good noises, I have the confidence to really put the car through it's paces. It gets from 80 to 110ish before you know it. Great for overtaking!

Also the Motorcraft oil filter is doing well. It would usually start tapping at about 7,000km. It's still good after 8,000.

Cheers,

-Evan.

Yep, rookie error, twas a DC LTD*
Looking good as always Ev!
It was cold on the weekend, apparently it snowed up in the mountains last Thursday night and I know my uncle said he got a bit of snow down in Taralga late last week too!
Hope your heads okay

Today I put in an order for a Snap On 3/8" drive flex head long ratchet from eBay. eBay Link. Saved $50 buying it from the US. It is $179 on the aussie Snap on site. Eric The Car Guy seems to like them.

I also dropped around to Jaycar for some Battery terminals like this



I have since realised that I will need a distribution block as there are 5 different fusible links.

Cheers,

-Evan

Today I did a job that I had been dreading. The timing belt in the Mazda



It is actually pretty straight forward, with a couple of exceptions. Loosening the power steering pump for example. I probably spent over 30 minutes on that. It also required a little bit of ingenuity to remove the water pump pulley. There isn't enough of a spigot on the end to jam a screwdriver between it and the bolts. So I pulled out an old Ford power steering belt and looped it around the pulley, dropped it down under the car and stuck a bit of timber through it.



Put my foot on the pedal and no more spinning.



I wasn't sure what sort of thread was on the crank pulley bolt, so I rang my mate Andrew and he assured me that it was right hand thread. A little bit more rattle gun action and the pulley was off. Soon after that I had the covers off and the prize was revealed.





I had a bit of a whoopsie taking the plug leads off...



I took the plugs out so that it was easier to turn the engine over to line up the timing marks.

After a trip to Repco, it wasn't long until the new belt was on complete with new crankshaft seal.



I got the crank pulley on and cleaned up and installed the timing covers. Fingers crossed, I turned the key. Success! Looks like I didn't bugger up the timing. I don't see how I would have done. I triple checked!

I threw the rest together and she runs!


I said "Great success", by the way. I sort of cut myself off.

After a test drive I can say that it is just as slow as it was before lol. It needs a stall converter or a manual gearbox or just more power!

I'm glad my car doesn't have a timing belt lol.

Cheers,

Evan.

turbo the b**ch,that will sort it out.

Got to love Jap cars, designed for little asian hands

You get some dangerous ideas looking around on fordlaser.com. If it was my car, it would probably have a BPT DOHC turbo and Toyota Camry gearbox (seriously) conversion. SP Astina seats. The exterior, exactly the same, except for maybe the widest 14" tyres you could get on there .

a bit like my white lightning... B6T conversion running 16psi in a 700kg car not to mention factory recaro seats

I just found it accidentally lol. It sure had some dodgyness happening when you first got it.

I was looking for rear engine mount info. All the rubber in the one on Fi's car has been replaced by air...

Only $97 on eBay... Expensive s**t!

just pull one off a wreck. never seen a rear mount break.

yeah fair bit of dodgyness. not its just the fuel pump mountings and engine mount left to replace. i love the old cars

The postman brought me some presents today:



My Snap On 3/8" drive long flex head ratchet and new washer jets for the Falcon. This might give me some incentive to actually paint the damn bonnet lol.