Stuff from SE PDX

[Aussie Ford]

Well I bit the bullet and fixed the Tour tranny...... had it rebuilt at Columbia Transmission over on SE 12th. Nice shop and I use them to service my 02 Ram. While the tranny was out I installed my dual fan set up with the new wiring harness. Since it came out of a 98 I had some connectors to change. The wiring harness from the replacement package for the TSB fix was only for a single fan. The end result was a bit o this & that but when it was started up the fan works as it should.

One thing didn't go as I planned... darn fog lights..... I was going to install them too while it was in the air, but I must have gotten them off the wrong year as I had the wrong mounting bracket... The good news is I actually found a 95 with fogs and grabbed them quick. After cleaning them up and doing the sanding thing they look pretty good, if I say so myself.

Then a couple of weeks ago as I was entering my parking structure at the World Trade Center I saw a green SVT going by. Really looked nice.

There is a red pre 98 Tour that parks in there too, so I left my card on it. The fella calls me and turns out to be a friend of mine. He is a former Ford HVAC engineer. We had quite a chat and I emailed him the link to this site.

So if you have an HVAC problem I just might know this guy who might have the answer.....

The latest new acquisition: rear disc brakes... found a 96 LX with them and I'm cleaning, rebuilding, & painting em for install on a good day. I may get all four new cross drilled rotors, what do you think about those?

One thing for certain I'll soon have one of the fanciest GL's in the NW

NO moonroof though to let in orygun liquid sunshine

Regards,
Aussie Ford

[Trademark]

lol I've called all over and no one here has rears for the tour.. stupid mega wreck yards. they only have like 20 contours.. none with rear discs though.. I might just "borrow" from the neighbor down the street one of these lonely nights.. hehe

[Aussie Ford]

Well you need to have a 11mm, 13mm, 15mm & 18mm sockets in you pockets and a lot of grunt when you do......

Now if you were serious about doing the upgrade the posts & how to's seem to suggest that other cars like Couger can be donor cars. Some parts are available for sale in different locations (web & forums). While I was looking back a few months ago I could find the stuff, but there were no deals, and I like to be cheap when buying parts. That is not the same as buying cheap parts though. These hubs were $28 ea, calipers $10 ea, and parking brake cables $7.50 ea, new caliper kits $15 / wheel, and new rotors $20 ea. Total in parts for this conversion will be $161. Not to mention the brake fluid, cleaner, and paint call it another $25. I think it will take about 3hrs to do so I'll plan on 4 cuz I don't move as quick as I used to. I took about 1 1/2 hrs to take them out, but I'm more careful on the install and I'll have the exhaust to deal with.

Over all this will be a reasonable conversion and about finishes what I can do to the car. Well there still is the spoiler and some EO wheels to go, but it is getting close to done for me. Did I hear someone say carbon fiber hood? I think I did damm voices, why don't they ever say adult beverage

I just found these by accident and I don't intend to quite looking for good stuff. What I haven't seen for quite a while is a pre 98 with a tilt wheel. Not even this LX had it. I have one but need the lower trim piece to have a complete one to pass on.

[Aussie Ford]

Dual fans installed, much easier this way, but a bit spendy.....

[Trademark]

Nice. what way did you install them?

[Aussie Ford]

Nice. what way did you install them?

Through the bottom when the transmission was out being rebuilt. Like I said a bit spendy but a lot easier way to do it

Since the replacement wiring harness for the 95 fan was a single and the 98 (donor) had different power connections I had to do some blending of the two to get it working, but that is all part of the fun

It was the first setp in harness replacement for the TSB wiring problem, two more replacements left to go.

[Derk-xB]

Nice work!