Well.... finally work has started on restoring the coupes rear end back to the factory XA tail lights etc - not without a couple of setbacks though.
It looks like I will be unable to save the rear tail light panel, theres going to be too much work to refabricate the existing + it is quite badly rusted in a couple of spots - will be cheaper to replace.
Also upon closer inspection once bumper etc had been removed it became quite apparent that it has been in some sort of left rear collision which has never been repaired properly - subsequently this in combination with a leaking rear window and having the battery in the boot earthed in the same area has created a bit of a mess. As the fuel filler was going to be replaced also (had been changed to flap type) the decision was made to replace complete rear quarter saving the worry of getting things spot on and in the right place.
Other than that I think/hope everything else will go accordingly - there have been a couple of other minor details that my panel beater picked up on straight away that he will be fixing up of which I had never noticed!!
Thank god he has had plenty of experience with other coupes!!!
Any feedback welcome - any other aspects I should be wary of? Please feel free to place your opinion.
Certainly an interesting look with the XD taillights....
I wouldn't have a clue what you plans are (other than the rear), but the mixture of white and blue makes me think a Superbird replica would be a nice look....??
The eighties were sad time when it comes to what guys did to some very nice cars.
I dont know what they were smoking when they cut the back off your coupe to fit XD lights. People even throw XD lights away to fit XE or XF lights. Should be nice when you get it back to the way it is supposed to look.
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Pics are post on www.fordespghia.com
I wouldn't have a clue what you plans are (other than the rear), but the mixture of white and blue makes me think a Superbird replica would be a nice look....??
Funny you should mention that..........
Engine : Y, Trans: B, Paint: 3, Trim: W, other options:88, 03, 05, 32, 39, 68, 84
Date of Retail: May 1973
Everything pretty much going back to stock factory body/interior - with a couple of customisations here and there
Pity it didn't have the GS option (48). Did you get the rear louvre when you bought it?
I like the look of an XA in white, should be great when it's finished. Best of luck.
Yeah it did come with louvres but the factory ones were long gone - the ones on it when i bought it were aunger type - and guess what?? - they blew off in the wind!
- Superbirds were'nt GS optioned
Should look the part when complete though, I cant wait!! Still got a coupla bits to sort namely the louvres - havent been able to source them anywhere.
I'm not an expert on 'birds, but I thought they were.....
I'm trying to convince myself to buy one at the moment, if I do then I might be able to offer "First Hand" information..!!
Nah they didnt get option 48 like the Goss's and Cobra's - it basically comes down to a combination of a few things - obviously the paint, it will have secondary colour in a few places only - build date in combination with the louvre option - fully instrumented dash ie GT/GS but std steering wheel, little things like that.
There seems to be bugger all of them around, I'm pretty sure mine may be the only one in NZ - but in saying that there will be a few that have been resprayed just like mine had been - still there is only 13 or so on the data base that SUPERBIRD302 was helping get together that they have been working on for a few years.
Nah they didnt get option 48 like the Goss's and Cobra's - it basically comes down to a combination of a few things - obviously the paint, it will have secondary colour in a few places only - build date in combination with the louvre option - fully instrumented dash ie GT/GS but std steering wheel, little things like that.
There seems to be bugger all of them around, I'm pretty sure mine may be the only one in NZ - but in saying that there will be a few that have been resprayed just like mine had been - still there is only 13 or so on the data base that SUPERBIRD302 was helping get together that they have been working on for a few years.
Fair enough...... I agree with what you said about them being resprayed in the past. Some people just didn't know class when they saw it.......
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saving the worry of getting things spot on and in the right place.
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