The stuff dreams are made of... my 351 XE Fairmont Ghia

Well, It all started back in about 1998, I got my first Ford, an 84 XE Fairmont Wagon... It got scrapped but I fell inlove with the look of the XE and lets face it, its the last Falcon you can drop my all time fav V8 into, the legendary 351 Cleveland. Years went by and I had a few XE's mainly nuggets but one day I got a 351 Manual XE Ghia for a steal, shame it got written off by some silly cow in a VL. More years went by and I was constantly on the hunt for another XE Ghia it had to be brown and have the correct Chamois trim with electrics (still an option on Ghia in the early 80's). 2007 I had heard about an old XE Ghia at a yard in Tyabb, it had no rego but did have a fresh roady. Brown with Chamois and full electrics, 20 mins later it was mine. It was a one old man owner car too, I still have the sales docs etc!!!

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...RO/XEGhia3.jpg
four wheel drive ride height!!!

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...RO/XEGhia4.jpg
100% unmolested inside.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...RO/XEGhia5.jpg
Chamois trim was like brand new.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...RO/XEGhia6.jpg
203,000ks on the dial.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...RO/XEGhia8.jpg
Even the boot was mint!!!

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...RO/XEGhia9.jpg
With a massive 100fwkw on tap thanks to the trusty EFI 6.

I got it registered and drove it round for a few weeks, the auto couldnt handle my driving so out it came and I got my hands on a T-5 Manual XF sedan to donate its manual conversion etc.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...5062008038.jpg
MMM 5 Speed XF and all its uglyness.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...8062008085.jpg
The T-5 Soon to be fitted to the Ghia.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...4012009378.jpg
Yeah, yeah I know I stuffed it up.

Then came time to drop it into the weeds a bit more, it was pretty crappy to drive. It was all floaty and to be honest I reckon the QEII would of been a better driver. Off to Pedders to get the ENTIRE undersides rebuilt, every bush, ball joint, arm, rubber, spring and shock was replaced. $1800 later I had a car that handled like a racer, just slowly!!! and oh of course it did look much better.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...4112008326.jpg
Before.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...3042009007.jpg
After.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...3042009006.jpg
Much more betterer!!!

XE Premium Sound systems are pretty rare and I decided I wanted to keep it in the car. I modified it slightly by add an EB Ghia Alpine amp and a decent set of speakers all hidden behind the factory covers

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...3012009372.jpg
The Amp.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...4012009374.jpg
The board.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...4012009376.jpg
The result.

Then one day, just for fun, I decided to bolt my EL GT's on to it, you know just too see

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...RO/XEonGTs.jpg
Looks pretty good ey.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...BRO/XEVCC2.jpg
At some car show.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...KBRO/XEQTR.jpg
I like this pic and all these years later they are still on the car.

Ok, so now we sit in 2009 and this my friends is where things get cool!!!
November 09 The wife and I (who had previously only rented) went and got our very own garage, no, wait, I mean house and it came with a garage!!! Pretty quickly I decided I had better get something to fill the spare side of that garage so about 3 days after we moved in I went and got my hands on another XE that my mate had started to do up. It was pretty well stuffed, well all except for the fairly fresh 351c that was sitting under the hood. WINNING. $400 later it was mine!

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...O/100_1354.jpg
My garage!!!

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...O/100_1355.jpg
The crappy XE with the 351 in it!!!

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...O/100_1346.jpg
The Crappy looking but good running 351 in the crappy XE.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...O/100_1365.jpg
I was hoping that if I clicked my fingers they would magicly build themselves into one 351 XE Ghia didnt work that way though.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...O/100_1451.jpg
I pulled out the 351,

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...O/100_1446.jpg
some wiring,

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...O/100_1447.jpg
some hoses,

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...O/100_1449.jpg
some Pacemaker Tri Y's,

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...O/100_1445.jpg
and a big dirty thing a C10 Auto.

TO BE CONTINUED...