BA XR8 exhaust on NF Fairlane??

balistc · 10-08-2006, 02:04 AM

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here, but I'm a regular on quite a few other car forums (specifically Subaru based ones, because I also own a WRX).

My grandfather gave me his '96 NF Fairlane Ghia 5.0 a few years ago, because he replaced it with a BA Fairmont Ghia.

Great condition, low km, etc...done a few repairs, etc, over the past few years to get it as new again, and as of today I've replaced a dead AFM and 2 new oxy sensors are going in tomorrow!

I also know the cats are stuffed because it seems extremely restricted at the top end of the rev range, and has a terrible "egg smell" after a hard thrash, so the exhaust will have to be tickled also.

What I was thinking, was to fit an exhaust off another Ford model, say a BA XR8, or use bits and pieces such as the BA XR8 cats, mufflers, resonators, but with custom pipes.

The way I see it, if this exhaust can help make 260kw or more on a 5.4 litre quad cam V8, it'll help my lowly 165kw 5.0 litre windsor breathe a lot better whilst retaining some sort of noise suppression! I got the idea from an autospeed.com article I read on budget exhaust systems using factory components off other vehicles.

Seeing some pictures of both systems, they look "roughly" similar in dimension.

Does anyone know, if a BA XR8 exhaust will even come close to fitting, or will I have to run the custom pipes with the factory XR8 mufflers and cats? Maybe by relocating the hangers, it'll have some chance of fitting?

Is this a good idea, or a stupid one?

Cheers for ya help!

EFFalcon · 10-08-2006, 02:09 AM

Barry_v installed a BA XR8 exhaust on his DC LTD.
the DC has the same underbody as the NF so it'll be very close, i know it wasnt a straight fit up, but still some promise

balistc · 10-08-2006, 02:16 AM

Oooh, great to see someone had the same idea (before me though haha!)

I've done a search and couldnt find it...do you have a link to where he might have explained how he did it??

Cheers

EFFalcon · 10-08-2006, 02:19 AM

He may of not posted anything about it, hopefully he'll see this post and reply

balistc · 10-08-2006, 02:20 AM

Awesome, cheers

I guess I'll have to start looking for a system, whether it fits or not!!

mcflux · 10-08-2006, 02:44 AM

Didn't MADNC_8 do the same? BA twins behind his PH4000s?

EFFalcon · 10-08-2006, 02:58 AM

nup, madnc_8 has LTDHO's old exhaust.

Psycho Chicken · 10-08-2006, 03:03 AM

Didn't Barry have to hack into it big time though?

BA cats are apparently quite good. Just for reference, I'm getting Pacemakers and a twin 2.25 for $1500. Supplying my cats though. The pacemakers are about $600 but the stock manifolds are probably the main restriction in the exhaust.

LTDHO · 10-08-2006, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EFFalcon

nup, madnc_8 has LTDHO's old exhaust.

True!

Wouldn't N-series have different floor pans to B-series, like completely different?

Mr_4.0 · 10-08-2006, 09:46 AM

yes they are definatly different

Stevo · 10-08-2006, 09:57 AM

By the time they have chopped it up and made replacment pieces it probably would be as cheap just to get a new exhaust setup ?

balistc · 10-08-2006, 12:53 PM

Probably not...if I use the XR8 mufflers, cats, etc....and just get some mild steel pipes welded up, it wont cost much at all.

I can probably utilise much of the stock system, with just a few custom mild steel bends to adapt to the N series floor pan

On top of this, I'm planning on getting an over the radiator cold air intake, and a Jaycar digital fuel adjuster to adjust fuelling a tiny bit (which will work fine as I have the V8, they dont work with the 6 apparently)...I'm aiming at some mild performance on a budget, trying to keep it all under a grand

Ruger · 10-08-2006, 01:00 PM

thats very true a afm car is much easier to tune. the 6's are map sensored.

Psycho Chicken · 10-08-2006, 01:28 PM

At the end of the day no exhaust is going to make much difference with stock exhaust manifolds.

balistc · 10-08-2006, 07:27 PM

I guess I'll start looking for a set of extractors too

Whether I pick up a set of Wildcats, 2nd hand Pacemakers, or even a set of an AU TE50 or something (if they'll fit!), its gotta be better than the press bent piece of **** thats on there now..

NeishaXR8_347 · 10-08-2006, 09:57 PM

I have a set of headers laying around in the garage they were te50 development ones they arent hpc coated as they were just trial ones, they are 4 into 1's, 42mm prims and the outlet is 2 1/2 and have no cats on them. after 100 plus postage.

Barry_v · 10-08-2006, 10:17 PM

ok... you can do it but it aint easy!

1) cats are ok, but they are large. you have to cut off and isolate them from the rest of the BA system. reweld flanges at either end with them angled so they clear the gearbox. you lose a little bit of ground clearance, especially on the lhs.

2) 1st muffler works ok, fits reasonably neatly.

3) BA exhaust 'over the diff' section is made for IRS. its totally different but you can get away with it if your car isnt lowered. however its so close if you put people in the back it will hit on the diff. i ended up adding extra bits into it to modify the shape so it contoured better.... a lot of stuffing around

4) rear muffler does not fit in any way shape or form. I did it by 'modifying' the tyre well (ie i butchered it). the exhaust does not exit in the factory location though, it comes out further toward the center of the car.

from my experiences... use the cats and the first muffler only, modifying the over the diff section and tailpipe is too much trouble and you're almost better starting off from scratch.

AU headers will not work. they will hit the shock towers, AUs have different engine bays. I have looked at modifying them and its simply too much trouble for what they are. Ive picked up genie headers for as little as $150 though

balistc · 10-08-2006, 11:05 PM

Ahh so not so easy then..

Might just be better to pick up OEM centre muffler (not including rear one of course), Commodore Gen III cats (which are a fairly decent size i.e. they arent massive from what I've seen), and some sort of rear muffler thats going to be quiet, then get the rest of the system welded up in mild with the correct flanges, etc.

I'm dead set on using OEM mufflers, cos I wanna keep it all quiet!

You said the exhaust is made to fit an IRS setup....what about a ute system??

Thanks a lot for the insight

Neisha: Thanks for the offer, but as Barry said, they wont fit otherwise I probably woulda snatched em up!