Welcome to my webpage detailing the life and times of my project car; a 1987 XF Falcon GL.
I purchased this car in March 2007 as a stock standard GL Falcon after the commodore I was driving (a sad, sad time in my life) was defected (the only reason I was driving a commy was that it was the first car I found after my XF Pano was defected). It cost me $800 and was purchased from Kanmantoo in SA. Needless to say the guy I bought it off no doubt thought I was going to keep it as a grandpa car so that I would not have another car defected (I'm now going for three in a row) and needless to say, he was completely wrong!
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The images above show the way the car looked on the day that I got it. As you can see, it really is completely stock and has terrible hubcaps and part of the trim missing on the drivers side. Also the left rear tailight shroud and light itself was broken and faded and in need of immediate replacement.
The first thing I did after buying it was to make a list of things that needed to be done before I could really drive it so that it didn't look so shabby. This list was as follows:
At this point in time I was running low on cash so I repaired what needed to be repaired what needed to be repaired at the time and drove it like it was. THis meant that for the next couple of weeks I looked like a complete grandpa wherever I drove my car, but on the upside it meant that I did not receive any excess attention from the cops.
During this period it also allowed me to start removing parts from my first car, an XF S-Pak, that I had been intending to do up and get back on the road. On this car I had:
- a set of side skirts that I had purchased off of ebay for $50
- a set of five Hotwire mags (three 8"x14" and two 7"x14") that I purchased off of ebay for $100.
- A set of lowered front springs. No suprises that I had also bought these off of Ebay for about $90.
I sprayed the side skirts black and removed and cleaned up the hotwires aswell as taking out the lowered springs.
Also on the S-Pak was the crowning glory of my project. Ever since I first got my XF I have wanted it to be unique and to stand out in the crowd (you see a lot of XF's around and didn't want mine to be like every other one). In late 2006 I happened across the scoops out of an XB Falcon on Ebay and saw my opportunity to have a unique XF. Whats more I managed to get a hold of these scoops for a mere $35.
I then went about incorporating these scoops into the bonnet of my XF. This was no mean task for someone who is completely inept at using power tools and is nowhere near qualified as a panel beater. Still I stuck at it and came out with something that I though was a reasonable effort for a rank amateur (I hope to add a page to this site in the near future detailing the processes I went through and how I incorporated the scoops into the bonnet. For now I will just leave you with the finished product).
All this, combined with the fact that I am also studying for a Bachelor of Science at University meant that nothing much really happened on the GL for about 2 weeks and it stayed in its neatened up state (which, I might add, pleased the parents to no end). I did however make another list, which was of things that I would like to get done in the next month or so. This list was as follows:
As of time of writing, I have not yet got the gas system pressure tested or got new tyres for the Hotwires, however I have finished the bonnet and installed it on the car and I have installed the side skirts and the lowered springs. This is what the car looked like after I had installed the springs, skirts and the bonnet.
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Those pictures were taken before the I had put the Hotwires on. As you can see, the car looks a fair bit different from what it looked like when I first bought it. The new hubcaps at least take away some of the grandpa look and aswell as replacing the broken tailight and shroud, I sprayed the shrouds and the nuber plate bracket black. (It was a toss up between black and red. In the end I decided on black because I would like to black out the lights eventually and it fits withe side skirts).
I then went and put on the Hotwire mags and what a difference to the overall appearance of the car they made. The Hotwires really complete the whole car (As it is now) and make it look really "muscular" (for want of a better word). I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...
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I am very proud of what I have achieved on my car so far given that I have had no real prior experience in car modification and the most mechanical thing I have ever done on a car is use spring compressors to install the suspension.
Thanks for checking out my webpage, hope you enjoyed it. Please check back regularly for updates, I will try to add new material as often as possible.
In the coming months I would like to improve the car mechanically, now that it looks alright from the outside. Below is list of my plans for the car once I have saved up a bit of money.
Also, please check the following website. It is a great forum for XD, XE and XF Falcon owners and ford owners in General. It has all the information you will ever need on X-Flo powered Falcons and is also a great community of friendly people.
Xfords - The X-Flow Powered Ford Club of Australia