My XB Coupe RestoMod

[DaveD_XB]

I’ve always known that my car has some panel issues at the rear (is there any XB that didn’t) so whilst I was shopping for bits, I figured I’d buy all the panels I might need up front & then if they where needed by the panel beater he’d have them to hand & if not needed I know for a fact that they are needed on my other Coupe.. so I go myself the rear panel that runs under the rear window, the complete rear light panel, a GT rear valance panel & the rust repair panels for both bottom corners of the boot channel & a length of straight boot channel..

[DaveD_XB]

Now, I’m only going to see the car once a week now… so most of the pics I have are from the panel beater & are not the best quality I’m afraid, but here is a collection of what we are finding as we dig into the cars past… So far we uncovered that the panel under the rear window was replaced at some point but rather than use another panel from another car or a replacement panel (may not have existed back then) the panel was hand made to go in… sadly it was hand made by someone whom I assume had never seen an XB Coupe before & just had its basic shape described down a bad phone line to them.. the panel was 3mm too short which explains why my boot lid never lined up & was out height wise on the driver’s side by 7mm.. a gap that was nicely covered up bog. It’s also clear that the rear passenger side is creased from a shunt she must have had some stage in the past that was badly repaired & then heavily bogged over.. the rear boot channel corners seem to be made up from Sedan parts & not Coupe parts.. but all in all I’m just happy that their seems to be little to no rust in the rear to be repaired & I have all of the repair panels needed to swap out the worst of the past repairs & my panel beater is very happy that it’s all simple fixes… some pics below…

















That’s about it till I head out sometime this week with my proper camera & get an update & some better pics..

[THE4RD]

Subscribed!

Very nice build so far.

I'm particularly interested in seeing the RRS front suspension and steering installed and then what you think of it.

[DaveD_XB]

Originally Posted by THE4RD

Subscribed!

Very nice build so far.

I'm particularly interested in seeing the RRS front suspension and steering installed and then what you think of it.

No worries... I'll document the install & let you all know exactly what I think of it when it's done

[DaveD_XB]

Had a quick trip out to see the Coupe tonight… it’s a full Ute conversion now I guess… with a bit of luck we’re almost at the point of starting to weld in new steel & the new panels we have. My panel beater is also just about done making up the bracing sections & panels that will never be seen once the old girl is back together..







As a bit of an unplanned bonus I’ve also ended up with some parts that I will clean up, paint add some lenses & lights behind & use as some wall art in the pool room..

[DaveD_XB]

I was happy to receive a txt with some pics of the new panels going on now… I’ll be heading out tomorrow to check it out in the metal & take some pics with my camera.. starting to look like a Coupe again…

[DaveD_XB]

So my goodies from RRS turned up this week… well everything except my 6 Piston Calipers for the front & the mini 6 Piston Calipers for the rear… I’ve been through the boxes & I’m happy with the contents for sure… here are some of the highlights…

The shock tower cut down sections, the kit comes with the new tower sections, templates & all the reinforcing plates that I’ll need





The strut top bracing kit..



The new front & rear slotted rotors..



Rears complete with handbrake drum built in..





The new coilovers for the front..





New front knuckles to tie the coilovers & brakes together..

[DaveD_XB]

The new power rack & pinion steering rack..



New race power steering pump setup..



I didn’t bother pulling out all the brackets & such for the new multi link rear end that replaces the old leaf springs or the watts linkage that goes with it… but here is the very large torque arm that joins the diff housing to the gearbox mount & acts as a tailshaft loop at the same time I reckon…





I’m told that my wheels will be here any day now… so I’m getting there with parts collection.. now to just get the old girl back from the panel beater..

[Bearman]

Wow, this will be something.

Thanks for the updates Dave, keep 'em coming.

[DaveD_XB]

Originally Posted by Bearman

Wow, this will be something.

Thanks for the updates Dave, keep 'em coming.

Thanks mate, I'll keep the updates coming as I get things done.. When I'm at the point of having something to look at your more than welcome to swing past & have a look for yourself

[green351]

hi dave im new to this forum and want find out where u got youre fuel cell thru it looks a treat.
thanks.
rob

[DaveD_XB]

Originally Posted by green351

hi dave im new to this forum and want find out where u got youre fuel cell thru it looks a treat.
thanks.
rob

Hi Rob, I got it from a company out in Bayswater called Brown Davis

http://www.browndavis.com.au/

Dave

[gregaust]

Lookin real good .

[DaveD_XB]

The new 17” wheels for the XB turned up last week… I’m very happy with how they look… I’m glad I didn’t go for the polished rim in the end, I think that they look much better in the metal with just the polished lip..



I also opted for the optional lug nut hide-away panel that.. well does just as it says on the tin & hides the nuts…



Then the spinner is locked on to hold the hide-away panel in place & to finish off the look of the wheel..



& then when all together they look like this..



As I said in one of the previous posts I have now got my hands on a good dash that has the stock radio opening & hasn’t been cut up to accept a larger modern radio, so I decided to get a retro Ford radio that will fit the stock the opening & look the part..



Whilst still having all the modern features like ipod connections & CD stacker inputs etc….



My list of parts still needed for this car is getting shorter by the day now… my 6 piston callipers for the brakes just shipped out of Sydney yesterday & I should have them by the end of the week now… next step is to work out what gearbox I want I guess & get that ordered so that when the car is back from the panel shop I’m ready to go…

[darkside]

love the rims bud ,was there much restriction on size with them ,i have been looking to put this type on my ac but havnt seen this type with the spinner in australia i have been looking in the states..perfect for the cobra,would you mind if i asked the cost in oz and where you found them ..pretty please with rubber on top ...doc

[Raptor]

Great choice on the wheels

Looking forward to reading more.

[DaveD_XB]

Originally Posted by Raptor

Great choice on the wheels

Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks mate...

[DaveD_XB]

Originally Posted by darkside

love the rims bud ,was there much restriction on size with them ,i have been looking to put this type on my ac but havnt seen this type with the spinner in australia i have been looking in the states..perfect for the cobra,would you mind if i asked the cost in oz and where you found them ..pretty please with rubber on top ...doc

I got them from the US… see this link..

http://www.mustangdepot.com/OnLineCa...heel_parts.htm

I got the ACIII wheels, which are available in 17" widths from 8" to 11" but as you have a Cobra you may want the American racing Cobra Series as they may be more “correct” for your car.. & they are available in both 17" & 18"

[DaveD_XB]

My RRS brake Calipers turned up today…. They are full sized 6 piston calipers for the front & mini 6 piston calipers for the rear..





The fronts are normal full size one… the same size as the Baer ones I have now for the Dodge..





But the mini rear ones are the same size as the 4 piston one I have for the Dodge… they look really nice..





So that’s all the suspension & brakes for the XB now… next job is to shop for a gearbox

[DaveD_XB]

Just a quick update from the panel beater…. The new section for under the rear window is in, along with all the required support underneath & the parcel shelf has been rebuilt.. the new taillight panel is in, as are all the new boot channel sections & the boot has gone back on… so it looks like a car from the rear again & all the bracing is out.. happy days



Now the real fun begins, all we’ve done so far is to replace the rotten metal with shiny new stuff & nothing else.. so now we’re going to tackle the botch panel repair & shocking misalignment from the previous repairs (& I use that term loosely).. we’ve found the join where the new rear Qtr was…. Wow I almost said “fitted” then… where the new rear Qtr was thrown on..



Now that we’ve taken the 3mm to in some places 7mm of bog away, you can see just how shocking the panel gaps & line ups are… my panel guy is less than impressed & I’m freaking out… but he assures me that he can actually beat panels & that as such he can work the metal & get her back to the shape she is supposed to be without the need for tons of bog…







I’ll be heading over to see the old girl tonight for the first time in a few weeks.. I’ll get some more info & pics then…

[danthefordman]

Very interested to hear how you go with the 3 link. I also have full RRS suspension and brakes, but i have not sorted the rear end. The links behind the diff foul on the back of the pumpkin. I havent had any time or cash to follow it up so i have not had it looked at yet but i think it is going to require some modifications.

[DaveD_XB]

Originally Posted by danthefordman

Very interested to hear how you go with the 3 link. I also have full RRS suspension and brakes, but i have not sorted the rear end. The links behind the diff foul on the back of the pumpkin. I havent had any time or cash to follow it up so i have not had it looked at yet but i think it is going to require some modifications.

I've heard this from someone else also.. I'm still a fair while away from getting to that, but I'll document it fully here when I get to it with what I had to do to get it all in

[DaveD_XB]

I’ve been doing a lot of travel & not getting a chance to go & see the old girl much this last few weeks, so I’m reliant on the panel beater to take some pics for me… he’s finished stripping back the passenger side rear Qtr now to well above where the join where the past poor repair has been done, the roof is not right he tells me.. but he’s confident that he can fix that..



He decided to move further up the front to get an idea of what sort of accident damage may be awaiting us up there that was badly repaired, with the guard off he could see that the bottom section is relatively rust free which is nice, but it is not the correct shape that she should be… again I’m told this can & will be fixed









Sorry the pictures aren’t great, I’ll be getting over to see the old girl in the next few days & I’ll look to take some better shots then..

[DaveD_XB]

Wow… it’s been so long since I had an update for this thread…. Realistically progress stopped just before Xmas & not much really happened since, due to house hunting, buying, moving & general life getting in the way… we have decided not to use my original boot as it’s too much work to get it as good as I want it, so we’ve fitted a spare one I had… my panel beater got all excited when he was stripping the boot back to bare metal as it had race car signage on it under the top coat of paint… he didn’t take any pics, but it said Bridgestone across the back in very large letters it seems & the wing placement holes are a lot higher up the boot than they should be… wonder if it came of a race car or a marketing car or someone just mocked it up years ago…



One of the issues we had was space & having to keep moving the car about to work on it…. So last month I went to collect the old girl & move her to the new Skunk Works where the project will be based… this how sad she looked when I picked her up



Now she’s sitting waiting for me to finish off the Dodge so that I can concentrate 100% on her…



I got a set of seats from a late model XR8 Ute for the right price, I’m still not 100% sure what I’m doing with the interior… but now I have more options than just reusing the original seats or the Landau seats that I have..



I’ve also just picked up a load of new rust repair sections for the rear that some of which didn’t exist on the market last year, or at least I never saw them advertised anywhere.. so the timing worked out nice here… I have a set of wheel arch lips to go on, as I’m sure once I’ve removed the chrome trim & the paint there will be bugger all metal left there..



I also got the rear sections of the parcel shelf, both horizontal & vertical..



as you don’t ever see the metal I had just made up some flat plate steel to do the job, but much happier now that I can have it right..



I also got a set of boot floor panels to go in… again both the horizontal & vertical panels… mine are badly repaired from rear end smash she must have had in her past..

[DaveD_XB]

I also got a set of brackets & end plates..



New bracket next to old…



New repair section sitting on top of what it will replace..



& also got the fiddly little corner piece that ties it all together, to fill this hole…





& the outside rear section behind the bumper that it totally mashed up on mine..

[DaveD_XB]

Picked up a new Grille too… well not new, but a reconditioned one… the quality is really very good.. it looks great..



My one was badly smashed.. the spot light rings where broken



Also the upright stays that hold the honeycomb centers where broken & missing… I’m told that once these are gone the grill becomes too hard to recondition.. so I guess mine will just become wall art now..





Now that I had a load of parts on order for the Dodge & they won’t be here for weeks.. my plan is to kick into this hard to see how much progress I can make… right now having the car done for September seems an impossible goal.. but I’ll try

[DaveD_XB]

Right, so I finally decided to get back into doing something with the XB again… partly because I’m waiting for parts for the Dodge on back order & that project has come to a halt & mostly because.. well just because..

The car has spent the last year almost just tucked into the back of the shed on go jacks looking all sad



So I dragged her out into the middle of the shed so that I’d have lots of space to move around her & start pulling her apart again



First simple job was to remove all the lights from the front along with the radiator, uber simple job but quiet satisfying as it was just nice to be finally working on the old girl again



Next up was to remove the driver’s side guard, the more observant of you will have noticed that the passenger side was already off.. that’s because that guard had some bad rust & it’s been away getting repaired, I just haven’t gotten around to collecting it from my mates shed yet.. the guard removal is simple, apart from the bolts across the top of the engine bay, there are several at the front, one in the door jam & one under the bottom to the guard to undo… simples







The guard is in pretty good shape, no real rust at all to be seen on the front or back side.. I won’t know for sure till I remove the paint, but I’m optimistic..



The inner wheelarch area looks great too… again no real rust at all, I was expecting to find some nasty surprises in here but it’s starting to look like the only real body issue with this car is the very botched repair work she had in the rear all those years ago

[DaveD_XB]

I was really not looking forward to removing this piece of trim from the sill… I have had many a nightmare thinking of what mass of rust & rot lives hidden behind that



I couldn’t believe my luck when I pulled this off… it’s perfect under there, a bit dirty but no rust at all… happy days..





Next up was to remove the engine & gearbox from the car, I’ve had the engine out before & indeed the box too but never both at the same time, so I decided that I’d remove them as a one unit.. first I started removing all the bits that would stop the extraction, so I removed the tail shaft, starter motor, extractors, the rear gearbox crossmember & the carb (replaced with the lifting plate).





Like the Dodge the yoke comes out attached to the tail shaft followed by a flow of trans fluid…



Unlike Dodge, Ford didn’t see the point in fitting a drain plug to the bottom of the pan on the C4 transmission..



As such the correct way to empty the fluid is to loosen all the bolts on the pan & pry down a corner to allow it all to run out… really Ford, how much would a drain plug have cost here…



Having spoken to several people for advise it seemed that the easiest way get the engine & box out in one go was to keep the rear of the car raised to allow for a better angle



The jack is holding the back of the transmission as the crossmember is out now

[DaveD_XB]

Then I attached the engine lift to the lifting plate & started lifting until the engine just raised up on the mounts by a fraction to take the weight off the bolts to make it easy to slide them out



Then you just start jacking up, puling forward & tilting the whole assembly back (having a load leveler on the engine hoist makes this a one man job)



Keep repeating the whole up, forward, tilt thing until the whole lot is clear of the car





Job done



With that done I put the old girl back up on axle stands (guess who needs a 2nd hoist) so she was at a nice working height & I cut the back off again… what is it with me & plasma cutters & angle grinders, anyway I have a new boot floor to go in, so for easy access I removed the light panel again & the fuel tank

[DaveD_XB]

Then just for fun I decided to try my new wheels that have been sitting in boxes for what must be over two years now.. I wanted to see how the fit with the back space was to work out if I need to get my diff length changed when I send it out to be worked..







Pretty happy with that fit, they are 17” x 10.5” wide with a 6” backspace… there is just over an inch of room to the spring (doesn’t matter anyway as I’m putting a multilink rear end in)



Plenty of room for the tire to fit up under the guard without having to roll them too… I’ll get a little more scientific later, I’ll have tires mounted to the rim & I’ll remove the drum brakes & fit my disk conversion kit & then take full measurements for the diff, but for now it’s all looking good..