Ford USA/Australia Parts Share?

[Towrag]

Hi All,

I've recently purchased my first Fox and embarking on a mild resto. I'm interested to know if ford USA may have shared common parts with Ford Australia for my 84? I'm looking specifically at a 5 lug conversion at the moment and wonder if I may be able to scavenge some parts locally off say an Aus built XE Falcon (Rotor's, Calipers, etc) as there is next to no chance of having the opportunity to pick over a wrecked fox platform Mustang here.

That said I will need to order some part's out of the states and the 5 lug conversion kit's look pretty comprehensive from the likes of LMR or CJ's.

Mark

[qikgts]

Welcome to the site!

Another of our members, xctasy, is also from New Zealand. He is extremely helpful and a wealth of knowledge regarding exactly what you are asking. Hit him up with a PM to alert him to the thread. (The option to "Send Private Message" is in the list near the top on the left side of the page linked to below.)

http://vb.foureyedpride.com/member.php?16894-xctasy

[xctasy]

A lot of the parts of mass produced cars are similar, but with variances.

For example, Radiators are similar between some Australian Falcons, but not the same as the Fox and SN95/99 Mustangs.

Similar is not the Same.

Certain Timing chain sets, 1969 Windsor 351 Autolite and Holden 253/308 Bosch distributor caps interchanged, but the US Fox Mustang and Australian Ford Falcons moved rapidly away from the common parts sharing as local suppliers like Bosch Australia and PBR/Girlock and Tristar and BTR came up with there own Durapspark ignition, Sliding Caliper and Variable ratio TRW style power steering racks.



General info on axle assemblies, and brakes.

IMHO, the Four five stud, the Ford Australia XE parts won't work easily. If you do a Tank Fairlane 9" swap, the XE calipers bolt on to the drum brake 59 Fairlane Star rear end pretty easily.

The common way is to use US Ranger/Aerostar five stud hub swaps...easy if you like under-braked disc and drums.

I haven't done the 5 stud swap with Australian Falcon parts.

Explorer parts are around, the three shock leaf spring disc brake rear 31 spline 8.8" axle is however very different to the four link stock 7.5 or 8.8 28 spline Mustang axle. Its offset is different. The NZ market Explorer central hand brake kit might make the swap easy if you by two 8.8" Explorer differential assemblies from the wreckers, and swap axle tubes over to readjust the offset, as 1997-2001 Live axle Explorers are very cheap.

Ford USA used there own Sterling Heights 7.5 and 8.8 axles, the BTR 7.5/7.625/7.875 and Dana Australia 8.5/8.7 parts were different to the common US stuff.


Other details:-


Ignition

The Australian Fords used the same power doors and a Special Service Package SSP style ignition, trunk and door lock. The trunk and ignition lock differed between Australian and US Fords, but they used the same parts, so that is easy. That is also a major security risk for Kiwi or Australian Fox owners.

See http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...nition-Tumbler


Since my son was a key cutter for a while, I cannot tell you too much about that, or I'll aid and abet felony offences...

Brake parts

Pads on the small brake Fox Mustangs can be re-profiled in a CNC mill from other pads used on TE/TF Cortinas or HQ Holdens, but they are not the same.

Foxes can take some SN95 parts made by Australia's PBR. Those brake pads can be placed on the Fox. The Corvette/Mustang SN95 brake share is well known.

GM USA used Borg Warner/BTR and PBR parts and Girlock brakes. Ford USA used PBR parts and the original Australian large 1984 GM Girlock brakes system also used on VK HDT Commodores have some parts which swap over on some later SN95's

Rack and pinion steering. The Australian Ford Cortina 6 TE/TF Power steering rack is a RHD version of the TRW US Mustang/Pinto power steering rack, but the ratio is a different from 1984 onwars in US Mustangs.

Even Ferrari's and deTomaso's used unassisted British made Cam Gears rack and pinion systems in the late 60's early seventies mid engined cars. The LongChamps and Deuville used the same Jaguar and later Rover SD1 3500 powered rack and pinion system which was originally an Australian design by Bishop Kirby, but put into production on the Jensen Interceptor and DBS Aston Martin V8 by Adwest. .

The Fox was designed to use the Mustang II and Australian Cortina rack and pinion steering made worldwide by Adwest and in USA by TRW.

Rear dampers are common to nine other cars, starting with the AMI Australia assembled AMC's, and Toyota copied those through the Toyota conquest of Australian .

see http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...rs-for-79-82-s

Rear lights.79-82 only My JDM Mustang had 79-82 Aussie Ford Fairlane amber inserts.


Rear vision mirrors, Pre production Lincoln Continental Compact rear vision mirrors on 80-82 Thunderbird/ XR7 Cougar door mirror swings were used on my JDM Mustang.

http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...urning-JPN-ese


See also JDM Left Hand Drive, and other UK RHD conversions.

See http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...?89280-rhd-fox


see http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...nd-Engine-Swap

Head lamps. Mazda 626 Turbo, Subaru Leone, RT131 Toyota Corona, or normal quad lamp trucks supply the headlamps .




See http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...p-replacements


Sorry for not being real complementary of Kiwis my brother, I'm a junkyard kid from 1972 to 1993, where I got all my Ford and GM parts from. So I kinda know what goes with what. First car driving lesson was a PA Vauxhall Velox into the Otago Central Electric Power Board window in 1974.

[Towrag]

Awesome! Thank's for the Info Mate!