90 EA Wagon Upgrade....

racedirector · 24-04-2006, 02:13 AM

Hi all

Newbie here. I came to your forum by recommendation from over at fordforums.com. I have been reading posts for the last hour or so and have found them pretty interesting. This thread was posted over there but the suggestion was to try the Aussie forum....

I have a 1990 EA GL 3.9L CFI 4 spd Auto 30th Anniversary Wagon. The old girl is pretty tired and the engine has trouble pulling the skin off a rice pudding. Various noises and smoke got me in the mood to do alot of work to it. Why start with this you may ask? Well, we are not exactly overrun with money and buying a better wagon is not an option.

Over the last week or so I have bought 2 sedans - a 1990 EA S-Pac 3.9L MPFI/4 speed Auto and a 1993 EBII GLi (which is of course a 4.0L/4 spd Auto) with Smartlock, all for way less than the replacement cost of another wagon. The EA S-Pac was bought first and was going to be the donor car but then the EB came up so I bought that too...

Firstly from the S-Pac, I have transferred the instrument cluster and the combination switch (wipers/lights etc) and from the GLi the cluster surround, steering column surrounds and the steering wheel. I tried to put the GLi combination switch in but the plugs were different. I haven't got the oil pressure gauge or the volt meter working on the cluster yet and I need to take the radiator bottle from the S-Pac to get the low fluid sensor. The GLi's bottle has no opening at all.

My plans from here are:

- Engine from the GLi onto my 4 speed
- 4 speed from the GLi into my wife's 92 EB S-Pac (yes, we currently have 4 Fords in the driveway/backyard!)
- Wheels from the 90 S-Pac onto my wagon
- Maybe the interior from the GLi into my wagon. This is a maybe because the previous owner decided to paint every bloody thing blue!
- Dash "outer" from the GLi onto my wagon. Mines badly cracked and has a carpet mat on top, the GLi's is perfect (and still gray!)
- Front suspension from the GLi to the wagon.

I was going to take the GLi front gaurds too but one has a dent in it. This was going to be purely to get the side lights.

I do need to get a new tailgate for the wagon, but $125.00 at Pick 'n Payless is a bit much. I was also going to use the doors, especialy the rear ones before being informed that car ones won't fit the wagon. Major embarrasment I can tell you. So I need a couple of rear doors for a wagon somewhere along the line as one of my doors has a broken mech and will not open from the outside, plus it has a dent in it.

Question:
I am going to strip the GLi down to a completely empty body shell. I am thinking about transferring all the wiring looms to the wagon. Stupid idea or doable?

I will probably have more questions as I go along as well. Can anyone comment on my plan list and point out any glaring problems?

Cheers
Bruce

XR8Chic · 24-04-2006, 02:56 AM

I know you said you are not overrun with money - but have you considered selling off the cars and buying a later model at all?? your conversions will end up costing more money than it will cost to get a later model car.

I purchased an EB11 Sedan for $300 (auto, 4L, 220,000km no rego - scratch on rear quarter, and bird poo stains on the bonnet). (Sold that one last year)

a few weeks ago, I purchased an immaculate EB2 Wagon, factory manual, cruise, LSD, cam, CAI, tints, 2 months rego etc etc for only $1500. (Swapped all the good bits into my fairmont then sold it)

racedirector · 24-04-2006, 11:04 AM

Hi XR8Chic

I know where you are coming from. The problem is we need 2 cars, one for my wife to get to work and 1 for me to ferry the kids around and get them to school (I know, reversed roles

)

My wagon is dying a horrible death and the minimum would be another engine. The cash flow just isn't there to make up any difference after selling the other 2 cars.

The GLi is in pieces as the previous owner was a 16yr old apprentice panelbeater. Some of it has been sanded back, the interior is ALL out and some of the inside panels have been painted blue. There is even a NOS switch on the dash for what he planned in the future. What I am trying to say os that is it far from a saleable condition aside from pulling bits off it. The EA-S is in pretty rough condition inside and again is really only suitable for wrecking.

I suppose it really comes down to how I feel. I'll do the Auto in my wife's car and then the 4.0L into mine. From there I'll decide if I want to go any futher...

Cheers
Bruce

ilsautomotive · 24-04-2006, 02:20 PM

Welcome Bruce, sounds like you'll be kept busy there.

Bear in mind that the EB has a different colour dash that will not match the rest of your EA interior.

About the rear doors, they are the same except for the window frame. I am not sure if this can be interchanged. Also it may not be necessary to change the whole door because the mechanism is broken, and dents can be repaired easily enough.

Above all, I suggest doing preventative maintenance with the engines/transmissions out of the car. It would be better to change the head gasket, clean out the radiator etc now to save stuffing around down the track.

racedirector · 24-04-2006, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trouty

Welcome Bruce, sounds like you'll be kept busy there.

Bear in mind that the EB has a different colour dash that will not match the rest of your EA interior.

About the rear doors, they are the same except for the window frame. I am not sure if this can be interchanged. Also it may not be necessary to change the whole door because the mechanism is broken, and dents can be repaired easily enough.

Above all, I suggest doing preventative maintenance with the engines/transmissions out of the car. It would be better to change the head gasket, clean out the radiator etc now to save stuffing around down the track.

Thanks Trouty

The colors don't bother me too much. The seats in the GLi are all good except for the drivers seat. Some berk ripped a bit of the cloth off the damn thing. As I said earlier, the door panels are now painted blue and am not sure how to get it off, if at all....

The rear door thing has worked itself out as of this avo. I oulled the LH rear door apart and found the little plastic clip that holds the arm from the outside doorhandle had self destructed. Once I got around the steel plate between the door handle and the lock mechanism I was in business. Stole a plastic clip out of one of the other cars and fixed the opening problem. Now I just have to deal with the dent....

I had been thinking I might do the head gasket and clean things up on the 4.0L before I put it in the wagon, probably will now you suggested it...sorta made up my mind

Now, another question

The door mechanism in the drivers door of the GLi is busted, just clicks and slips and won't wind the window up. Will door mech's from either of the EA's fit into the EB door? I'm thinking I might use the 2 front doors from the EB....

Oh, and how about the rear door windows (wind up ones) on the EB? Are they all the same, as in will they fit an EA? I ask as they are tinted and I thought I would take advantage of it....

Cheers
Bruce

InitialD · 24-04-2006, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by racedirector

Now, another question

The door mechanism in the drivers door of the GLi is busted, just clicks and slips and won't wind the window up. Will door mech's from either of the EA's fit into the EB door? I'm thinking I might use the 2 front doors from the EB....

Oh, and how about the rear door windows (wind up ones) on the EB? Are they all the same, as in will they fit an EA? I ask as they are tinted and I thought I would take advantage of it....

Cheers
Bruce

Window winding mechanicals are the same from EA to ED. Just the later models had slight improvements in how it works but they still bolt up fine

Quote:

Originally Posted by racedirector

My plans from here are:

- Engine from the GLi onto my 4 speed
- 4 speed from the GLi into my wife's 92 EB S-Pac (yes, we currently have 4 Fords in the driveway/backyard!)
- Wheels from the 90 S-Pac onto my wagon
- Maybe the interior from the GLi into my wagon. This is a maybe because the previous owner decided to paint every bloody thing blue!
- Dash "outer" from the GLi onto my wagon. Mines badly cracked and has a carpet mat on top, the GLi's is perfect (and still gray!)
- Front suspension from the GLi to the wagon.

All that is easy to do except the dash on the EB will be a lighter grey. You could allways swap all the plasics over and you would then have a nicer EB2/ED interior just you would need to get some wagon plastics

Oh and with the swapping of looms from the Gli to your wagon. its easy enough to do just you would need to get a wagon Body loom. IMO it wouldnt really be worth it unless you were going to wire it to fairmont.

Hope was some help

racedirector · 25-04-2006, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InitialD

Window winding mechanicals are the same from EA to ED. Just the later models had slight improvements in how it works but they still bolt up fine

Excellent, that means the GLi front doors are going on. Oh, and I am glad you picked up I meant window mechs, not door mechs. I was thinking window but must have typed door instead. I think I even proof read it!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by InitialD

All that is easy to do except the dash on the EB will be a lighter grey. You could allways swap all the plasics over and you would then have a nicer EB2/ED interior just you would need to get some wagon plastics

That would be a great idea if the previous owner hadn't painted it all blue. The dash is still grey but every other piece of plastic/vinyl is blue or blue/white.

Anyone know how to get paint off plastic and vinyl? I'll take some pics and post the damage...

Quote:

Originally Posted by InitialD

Oh and with the swapping of looms from the Gli to your wagon. its easy enough to do just you would need to get a wagon Body loom. IMO it wouldnt really be worth it unless you were going to wire it to fairmont.

My first thought were to capture the missing bits of wire for things like the power mirrors and the remote entry etc. However, if it seems to be too hard I might not bother. Still have to confirm that Smartlock is infact inoperative (the dash light still flashes...hmmmm)

Quote:

Originally Posted by InitialD

Hope was some help

It was, thank you

Cheers
Bruce

InitialD · 25-04-2006, 11:21 PM

You Could wire up the electric mirrors yourself pretty easy

As for smartlock I wouldnt bother since you dont have all the correct looms there.

You could allways get a cheap keyless entry immobiliser for $90 later on so you had that

Getting paint of the plastic? I wouldnt bother myself :P you could get all the lighter coloured interior plastics from a Eb2/ED wagon for like around $50 at wreckers

racedirector · 25-04-2006, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InitialD

You Could wire up the electric mirrors yourself pretty easy

As for smartlock I wouldnt bother since you dont have all the correct looms there.

You could allways get a cheap keyless entry immobiliser for $90 later on so you had that

Getting paint of the plastic? I wouldnt bother myself :P you could get all the lighter coloured interior plastics from a Eb2/ED wagon for like around $50 at wreckers

Hmmm, point taken on the wiring. I just thought that if I have the dash out I might as well chuck in the wiring, seeing as I have to have the engine related wiring for the engine transplant...

I was looking to save some dollars, my wife isn't too keen on me spending anymore money since I bought 2 cars for spares! Actually she is not happy about having 4 cars in the driveway. I'll check with Pick 'n Payless to see how much for EB/ED door panels & plastics anyway though...