Looking for ideas

[marc-UK]

Hi, I'm new here. I've been looking around the web for ideas on what to do with a Falcon AUII LPG 4.0 engine (non VCT) that’s sat on my bench after the car rusted away around it and the ECU developed a problem.
I have a bit of experience tuning VW TDI engines and was thinking this could be my next project/learning curve.
So what would you do with it? I've read all about the 600rwkw motor in the 65 Mustang which is inspiring but I'm just looking to get a bit more oomph and not break the bank.

Also as LPG isn’t quite as common over here and finding knowledgeable people is going to be trial and error would I be better converting it to petrol and what would be needed to change it??

Any help and ideas appreciated. Thanks, Marc

[Rollin]

Where on earth did you get an AU LPG motor in the UK?

I think your biggest problem will be finding something to put it in...once you figure that out the rest should be easy!

[BROCKYB8]

Damn we have people popping on here from all over the world now this is good

[marc-UK]

Where on earth did you get an AU LPG motor in the UK?

I think your biggest problem will be finding something to put it in...once you figure that out the rest should be easy!

This was my baby until it died of cancer:



I'm thinking about an old Capri or Cortina shell, something retro but that will be a long way down the line. Lots or research needed first!

Cheers

[SnipeZ]

Never knew the au made it over to the uk
Must have been all the shells that wernt sold over here


Cheers

[ed40]

Ford granada, which is pretty much what XD-XF falcons where based on! That's what i'd be looking at!!

Capri is a good idea too but its a bit tight in the bay. There is a build thread on here by Tocchi who has put a BF 4.0L turbo motor into a capri drag car.

Please keep us updated! This is very interesting!

[marc-UK]

I was a fan of Life on Mars!

[TAXI]

that au look's clan as f***.
how did it rust away,did you park it in the ocean for a few years.
i have never seen a rusty au not even a ex taxi. boosted 4litre in a tc corty is a big win.

[AaronEF8]

The pommy Life On Mars was good!

Not sure if you're aware that Ford Australia put the I6 (albeit the then-current model) into those Cortina's. They go pretty well with 90kw, 157Kw would be a good laugh.

In regards to converting it back to petrol, you'd need the fuel rail and associated components, and possibly the inlet manifold, depending on if the injector bosses are still there. I don't know what petrol v LPG prices are like over there, but all Falcon I6's love LPG. There's also a lot of vapour injection and liquid injection kits available on eBay now. One problem with vapour kits is that the 'injectors' available are a bit too small to make above-stock power with 6 of them, so you'd need extra injectors to make more power.

There's a lot of options in regards to ECU, especially if you can wire it yourself. They're a pretty basic motor in reality.

Do you have any details of it's history, like how it got there etc? How did it compare to local cars of a similar price?

I'd put it in an Opel Monza or Opel Senator, that would send people here crazy lol.

how did it rust away,did you park it in the ocean for a few years.
i have never seen a rusty au not even a ex taxi. boosted 4litre in a tc corty is a big win.

It snows in the UK, they put salt on the roads to melt the snow. Cars built for snow have much better rust resistance than Aussie cars.

[marc-UK]

Yep it was the salt that got it! body is good but underneath was welded and getting paper thin in places, rear seatbelt mounts fell out when I put a wrench on them!
LPG is nearly half the price of petrol at the pump so I'll keep it if possible. I'll strip the engine soon hopefully to find out what I've got to work with then start pricing the various options up. Doubt this is going to be a quick project but I'm looking forward to it.

The car was imported new in November 2000 from McInerney Ford, Morley. The first owner kept it 10 years till I bought it for £1000 (about $1550 aus) in 2010 after having a drive in a local guys XR8 ute and falling in love with Falcons. If I remember right the original owner bought the car with service parts, had it shipped and put on the road for £16,000 which was around £4000 cheaper than a new Mondeo Ghia 2.0 at the time due to good exchange rates which sadly isn’t the case anymore!

We have the same Vauxhall/Opel - Ford rivalry over here lol!

[marc-UK]

Hi, quick question, does anyone know if any of the aftermarket ecu's can control the auto gearbox? I think I read somewhere the Link G3 can.
My original ecu had a problem with the vss signal causing limp home mode so I'm thinking a piggyback ecu would be no good if I decide to keep the auto box.

cheers

[marc-UK]

that au look's clan as f***.
how did it rust away,did you park it in the ocean for a few years.
i have never seen a rusty au not even a ex taxi. boosted 4litre in a tc corty is a big win.

12 years of UK weather=







Finally said goodbye to what was left of the body today, it's gone to help someone put their ute back on the road after a front end smash so not a compleat waste!

[TAXI]

Dam that is a serious case of cancer.

[Bipolar]

That's one of the best looking AUs I've ever seen, purely because it's in another country haha!

I guess if you didn't want too retro you could throw it in an earlier Falcon variant. Which ones do you see the least of over there?

[needfordspeed]

Hi, quick question, does anyone know if any of the aftermarket ecu's can control the auto gearbox? I think I read somewhere the Link G3 can.
My original ecu had a problem with the vss signal causing limp home mode so I'm thinking a piggyback ecu would be no good if I decide to keep the auto box.

cheers

The wolf v500 can as well I think

[AaronEF8]

Motec's can too, though they're more expensive. Might be more readily available in the UK though?

The VSS (also known as the S5 solenoid) is well known for failing, which causes the LHM.

[marc-UK]

That's one of the best looking AUs I've ever seen, purely because it's in another country haha!

I guess if you didn't want too retro you could throw it in an earlier Falcon variant. Which ones do you see the least of over there?

lol we mainly got AU's here, mostly ute's under the name Verte Tempest with no Ford badge! and a hand full of BA's that I know of, only ever seen one EL come up on eBay which was an ex aus police patrol that still had all the lights and markings, I have no idea how or why it got here! otherwise its the Granada which is roughly the same as your XD-XF as ED40 pointed out.

Motec's can too, though they're more expensive. Might be more readily available in the UK though? The VSS (also known as the S5 solenoid) is well known for failing, which causes the LHM.

Thanks guys, There are 2 Motec dealers near me so looking like they will be favourite! I changed the VSS for a new one, had the wiring checked and even tried a different set of clocks but still went straight in to LHM every day with code p0500. I gave up trying to fix it and cruised around in 3rd all the time in the end.

[Bipolar]

Too bad it'd be too expensive to ship a boxcar (EA-ED) over then (or 3 - 2 for spares).