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xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 3rd, 2013, 8:51 pm
by misk
So hopefully I'll be picking up the van this weekend off andy (petes brother).
It has a tiny but of surface rust coming through the paint in various places, not too stressed bout that as its an easy fix, but I need to know as much as I can about this model.

What are the common problems?
Common mods/upgrades/replacements?
Where and how bad so they rust?
What so most people so for stereo setups?
Common parts from other models that will fit with no/some/lots of mods?
Any other random bits and bobs of info anyone can think of would be good also :)

It has xh mirrors and I think a rebuilt engine with cam, that's probly as far as mods will Go other than maybe manual.
When I'm buying parts, what models so I need to think of so I buy the correct parts, I understand the engine of course, but nothing else lol.
Ie what exhaust will fit? Even just the rear section as this needs replacing.
What's required to fit a high spec eb/ed dash (speedo etc)

I plan on replacing the gear in the front end pretty soon cause I want shit to be as smooth as possible, what's a list of parts I should aim to replace? Eg.Discs, bearings etc.
Also, it has no aircon. I would love to have it cause Im fknover not having any lol. What would be involved in the conversion?

Other than that, if people could post any pics of xg vans, outside inside whatever, some pics of utes would be ok as long as its not to show a mog to the try or something ute specific lol.

Sorry for such a long shit talking post

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 3rd, 2013, 9:15 pm
by nstg8a
It's basically all xf except for the motor and box.

Check plenum for rust, tip bucket of water down cowl and check for wet carpet.

Everything will be slogged out in the front, I've never seen a xf/g that didn't have slop.

Sills rust, round roof gutters, that join between sills and body, in between door and rear wheel arch.

E series seats should bolt in.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 3rd, 2013, 9:40 pm
by Shaggs
Come look at mine olmate

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 3rd, 2013, 10:26 pm
by misk
Who are you shaggs lol?
I assume you are doing a turbo lpg one going by your posts mentioning Jason, got a build thread?
Or where you from?

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 3rd, 2013, 11:08 pm
by Shaggs
misk wrote:So hopefully I'll be picking up the van this weekend off andy (petes brother).
It has a tiny but of surface rust coming through the paint in various places, not too stressed bout that as its an easy fix, but I need to know as much as I can about this model.

What are the common problems?
Common mods/upgrades/replacements?
Where and how bad so they rust?
What so most people so for stereo setups?
Common parts from other models that will fit with no/some/lots of mods?
Any other random bits and bobs of info anyone can think of would be good also :)

It has xh mirrors and I think a rebuilt engine with cam, that's probly as far as mods will Go other than maybe manual.
When I'm buying parts, what models so I need to think of so I buy the correct parts, I understand the engine of course, but nothing else lol.
Ie what exhaust will fit? Even just the rear section as this needs replacing.
What's required to fit a high spec eb/ed dash (speedo etc)

I plan on replacing the gear in the front end pretty soon cause I want shit to be as smooth as possible, what's a list of parts I should aim to replace? Eg.Discs, bearings etc.
Also, it has no aircon. I would love to have it cause Im fknover not having any lol. What would be involved in the conversion?

Other than that, if people could post any pics of xg vans, outside inside whatever, some pics of utes would be ok as long as its not to show a mog to the try or something ute specific lol.

Sorry for such a long shit talking post



Stereo setups are endless with an xg. Mount all amps behind seats. There are spots for 4 7by10's in the back or run 6 inch splits. Also you can make up a few panels for the rear barn doors to place speakers. Sub box can be as big as you want, mine is placed behind the passenger seat.
High series ea-ed dash cluster will fit no worries.
If you go manual you will need an x series peddle box as the floor pan and fire wall are different to e series.
As for exhaust, the steering is a shithouse set up and will be tight for a dump, but can be done. Not much off the shelf for exhaust. But xh is the same. 3 inch cat back is easy to make. Plenty of room once your past the steering.
Front end is all xf apart from the sway bar. Do all bushes and spring saddles.
Inner door locks are xg, I'm pretty sure xf are different. Left xf door handle is right xg door handle ( correct me if I'm wrong people) .
Air con pipes should be hanging out of the fire wall on the passenger side, go to the wreckers and get all the gear off a wreck. Install. Re gas, simple.
The panel on the floor The houses the petrol tank has heaps of room next to it for a spare, battery box and fuel set up. All will fit.
One thing, try to be careful with the barn door lock and handle as they are hard to get and **** up easily.
E series wagon diffs fit no worries, just the latter ones might need the hand brake set up changed.

Lots more but hand is cramping up from holding this fucking phone.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 3rd, 2013, 11:31 pm
by TAXI
fairly easy to fit the dump pipe i have a 4 inch crammed in there on my ute. it was made for my ef so i just sliced a wedge out bent it and it just misses the arm.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 3rd, 2013, 11:51 pm
by Shaggs
My bad. Mines a **** of a fit

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 4th, 2013, 8:15 am
by TAXI
Shaggs wrote:My bad. Mines a **** of a fit

i only have a log manifold so it runs down the block to fit.
i think it would be tight with a decent manifold.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 4th, 2013, 9:37 am
by private9
misk wrote:What are the common problems? - RUST
Common mods/upgrades/replacements? - RUST
Where and how bad so they rust? - EVERYWHERE
Any other random bits and bobs of info anyone can think of would be good also :) - RUST


Summarised it for you ;)

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 4th, 2013, 11:42 am
by misk
Lol sweet then, as far as I can tell this one has zero bad rust in those bad places, but I haven't looked over every inch.
I'll check it when I get it back, but fixing rust doesn't bother me.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 4th, 2013, 2:14 pm
by Sunboost
Road to Roady II thread coming up. One long **** off road.

Get a EF/EL man. Chances are air con will work (and be installed), and there will be feck all if any rust.

If you go ahead with this, make sure you buy a fuck-tonne of Panadol. Dem headaches.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 4th, 2013, 3:28 pm
by TUFED6
As others have said, check plenum and area above A/B pillars for rust. They usually fk out pretty badly in those two areas.

The rest is all standard shit you would expect to fix on a 15+ year old car.

See if you can get your hands on a tailgate to replace the barn doors - was something I wanted to do with my brothers XF pvan but never got the chance. They look better I reckon.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 4th, 2013, 4:54 pm
by nstg8a
Doing a tailgate conversion is a lot of work though. It's not just bolt in.

The right xg would give way less dramas than a e series IMO. But the wrong one will make e series hassles look attractive.

Xg is a pretty basic beast, there's dark all other than mechanicals and rust that goes wrong on them.

Door handles and hinges are an acquired taste...

Oh, and they steer like an old xy. And that's not a good thing. Xh is a fair bit better.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 4th, 2013, 5:35 pm
by misk
Fark you guys carry on don't you... lol

I wouldn't be getting anything worth buying in an e series for what I paid for this.
I also wouldn't fit the same shit in a sedan.

The tailgate setup is something I've wanted in a van as well, but I know the conversion would be aids and never turn out right.


I won't be starting a thread on it til its regoed which should be done by end of january worst case.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 5th, 2013, 5:47 pm
by misk
so the panelvan was running rich, missfiring and carrying on like a ****.
swapped out the injectors and its running smooth with no nasty engine noises or anything.
took it for a test drive and feels quite good other than the brakes needing some attention, but overall it seems quite good.
had a look for rust and there is zero other then the very light surface rust on a few panels where there was scratches etc.

ill be picking it up tomorrow and cleaning it up, so guess ill start a proper thread then, but would be good to have some general info about XG panos in a thread.

is there another thread with Xg ute/panelvan info?

im going to hunt around the wreckers for some suspension parts to see if i can find anything newer/betterer.
what other models can i pillage discs and shocks from?
i assume rear would be XD-XG ute/panelvans only for shocks/springs, but can i get discs from any X-series or even an e-series?
and front i assume i can use anything XD-XF?

with the aircon, i thought it had none at all, but its just had the pipes and condensor removed.
i'm going to do a serpentine conversion, so what do i need to do with the pipes?
do i need to use XG specific pipes, or will i need to use XH so they fit the air con compressor?
and do i need to use XG specific condensor? or can i get away with an XF?

i'm also going to be putting in an AU engine, will this clear everything like swaybar?
anything else thats different to doing it in an e-series?
will the BBM fit?


sorry for all the questions, just trying to get my head around things :)
if no one here has much of an idea, i'll post up on the x-series falcon forum so i dont annoy kents too much.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 5th, 2013, 8:22 pm
by TAXI
i have a ef aircon pump and the xg hose block bolts on fine.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 5th, 2013, 9:38 pm
by TAXI
oops screwed up.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 5th, 2013, 9:43 pm
by nstg8a
Put a whole e series diff and brakes in, better ratio, LSD and better brakes.

Handbrake cable may need some fuckery.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 5th, 2013, 10:32 pm
by misk
thanks taxi, thats a great help!
and with the diff, do you mean swap in a wagon diff?
what is the standard XG ratio and what are the other differences?

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 5th, 2013, 11:04 pm
by raa4.0L
Au engine in an xg is like au into ed.
Serpentine belt conversion use all xh gear with the xg condensor if i remember right.
Put in an el wagon diff and au 2 brakes fit it nicely.
And check the door hinges for the factory craking of the door and worn bushes and if needed put in xh door pins. :mrgreen:

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 5th, 2013, 11:49 pm
by TAXI
my ute has a 2:73 good gears with a manual but shite with a turbo auto.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 6th, 2013, 5:40 am
by misk
lol ill check the gears, but they felt like 3.08 to me, obviously id prefer higher, but at least its not lower.
ill double check when i get it home.

ray did you mean AU2 brakes fit the EL diff? :confused:
ive only ever heard au2 brakes mentioned for the front, and i'd assume it wouldn't be a straight swap conversion to do the front brakes!
and what are talking about when you mentione the XH door pins? can they replace something on the xg?

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 6th, 2013, 5:52 am
by raa4.0L
Yes au2 brakes fit the el diff.
Xg door pivot pin bushes flog out all the time so you get the xh pivot pin and bush kit from ford.

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Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 6th, 2013, 6:56 am
by nstg8a
Yeah it's the pivot pins slogging out that breaks door handles.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 7th, 2013, 1:43 pm
by raa4.0L
And helps break the mounting points on the doors to.

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Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 7th, 2013, 2:16 pm
by apoc
Wouldn't there be more brake kits available for xg? Considering its the older x-style front end? i.e. wilwood

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 9th, 2013, 10:42 pm
by misk
few random questions.

what diffs can i use in the van?
i know EF/EL wagon diffs have the different handbrakes, but is it as simple as bolting on the XG calipers and handbrake gear?
ie. no actual modding required? or is it not so simple?

what are my options for power windows? did any XH get them?
from what i can tell, all XG were base models, no XR6 or anything like fairmont?

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 9th, 2013, 10:46 pm
by XHBrad
With the electric windows, you'll need to get them from and x series sedan so that they will fit the door.. Unfortunately the utes didn't come out with them

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 9th, 2013, 10:48 pm
by misk
shattered.
is there anything to consider when getting the gear from the wreckers?
did they have any problems?

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 9th, 2013, 10:53 pm
by raa4.0L
Xg had the longreach, longreach spac, xr6, xr8 and i think some others.
Electric windows would be from an xf if you want them.
To do the el diff you need the brake pipe of the wagon to run across the body.
Im doing it to my xh as it has the ed setup on the diff and i have a 4.11 mini spoled ef wagon diff to go in it.

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Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 9th, 2013, 10:55 pm
by XHBrad
Im not sure what parts you'll need, probably easiest to take the whole door.. Apparently the bushes and gears wear out in them but there are rebuild kits on eBay,

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 10th, 2013, 5:24 am
by nstg8a
raa4.0L wrote:Xg had the longreach, longreach spac, xr6, xr8 and i think some others.
Electric windows would be from an xf if you want them.
To do the el diff you need the brake pipe of the wagon to run across the body.
Im doing it to my xh as it has the ed setup on the diff and i have a 4.11 mini spoled ef wagon diff to go in it.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

There's no xg xr8, just the 6. Xh got the first ute xr8.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 10th, 2013, 8:11 am
by superhuS!
Herrod did an XG XR8.

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 12th, 2013, 4:43 am
by benryanau
If it's done a few km's, check for cracks in the shock towers, esp in under the upper wishbone. Also in the engine bay, where the k-frame meets the shock tower, and along the firewall.
Inhibitor/gear senders go often in auto's.
IIRC they're a metal tank so replace fuel filters often, and avoid ethanol cause it corrodes metal tanks.
Apply some epoxy or strong urethane (sikapro is good) to the gaps wheree the canopy skin meets the support frame members, this will help prevent wind popping, and strengthen the whole shebang so it won't creak and groan under cornering etc.
Clean and lube the spare tyre lock/latch cos it'll be full of dirt and crap, and it's easuer to reco it at home rather than struggle to open it when you have a flat in the middle of nowhere.
Consider installing an EL ECU, check the FordMods and TI Performance site for wiring info.. it's not too hard, and you'll be able to tune it with a J3 chip then.

There's heaps more but I'm too tired to remember :)

Re: xg panelvan advice

PostPosted: January 12th, 2013, 6:40 am
by misk
thanks heaps for that dude, i actually noticed the shock tower has been welded and reinforced, so ill have to have a good look at it, but it looks pretty sturdy!

when i pull the engine out ill def have ALOT of work to do with random bits and bobs in the bay lol.
its already got an EL ECU but ill have to wire up the thermo switch and it has a moates chip in it with a tune to suit the current cam, but i dont like the tune or the chip, so when my data logger is working ill make up a new tune on my TI J3 chip.

the more info the better though :P thanks