au fairlane owners- TL50 grilles

amiers · 10-08-2006, 05:01 PM

just found out that you dont have to buy the whole grille from Ford- $1600.!! you can buy the surround for $140 with the nuts for the mesh. $30 for mesh from autobarn. so that means $200 done.

**Mechan1k** · 10-08-2006, 05:21 PM

oooooh .... pics???
Sounds like a decently cheap mod.

AU-MUSTD · 10-08-2006, 06:15 PM

Nice and cheap but i'm not sold on the looks. I like my chrome grill

amiers · 10-08-2006, 06:27 PM

will get mine monday. will put up some pic's

Dauphin · 11-08-2006, 01:39 PM

Where is this place that you can get the surround?

amiers · 11-08-2006, 06:59 PM

Ford. they list the surround at 140 and the mesh for 1100!!!!! not many left.

bodes-sh · 11-08-2006, 07:27 PM

haha thats a good one....i really dont see why the mesh would be so expsnsive tho...

amiers · 11-08-2006, 11:14 PM

i couldnt belive it when i saw the price of the mesh either. but thats what it says on the Ford computer. i had asked for the whole grille and when told $1600 i said no thanks. however the guy at the dealership is a good friend and he rang me when he found out that the surround was sold separately, for $140. he rang again today and told me the trim on the end of the bonnet may be different too, so he ordered one so we can check it on mine.

Dauphin · 12-08-2006, 09:29 AM

Yes, I believe that the little piece at the end of the bonnet is indeed different. When my standard grill was on, it had a slight gap between the top of it and the bonnet, when other Fairlanes were more tighter there. Nothing major, but it was a nagging thing in my head. When I put on the TL front, it fit well in regards to that. A TL owner also noticed it and said I have a T-series part already fitted for some reason!

blackers10 · 12-08-2006, 02:12 PM

maybe yours was in a bingle and they got a TL part instead of a lane part..
strange stuff!
are you talking about that little "bulge" on the leading edge of the bonnet?

Dauphin · 12-08-2006, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackers10

maybe yours was in a bingle and they got a TL part instead of a lane part..
strange stuff!
are you talking about that little "bulge" on the leading edge of the bonnet?

Yes that's it. It's chrome on LTDs.

blackers10 · 12-08-2006, 04:58 PM

yeah id love the chrome item off the LTD!
*drools*

amiers · 13-08-2006, 07:09 AM

Dauphin, just saw the close up of your grill. thanks it is different. just ordered it so the whole lot will still only cost me $300. lot better than 1600.!!!!!

**Uncle_Ken** · 13-08-2006, 07:45 PM

Would this grill fit a stock AUII?
Uncle Ken

blackers10 · 13-08-2006, 07:47 PM

i believe the bonnet is slightly diffrent between fairlane and falcon.

**Uncle_Ken** · 13-08-2006, 08:06 PM

Bugger.. UK

Dauphin · 14-08-2006, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amiers

Dauphin, just saw the close up of your grill. thanks it is different. just ordered it so the whole lot will still only cost me $300. lot better than 1600.!!!!!

That sounds promising. How'd you get such a good price, if I may ask? Is it available to others like that if we go to Ford?

Can't wait to see it on your vehicle.

A small note. The original grill was mounted on top of the framework of the engine bay by its screws. I did the same with the TL grille but vibrations from driving would make it sit slightly wonky on one side. I took it off and mounted it underneath the framework using nuts and bolts and it has fixed the issue. Now sits perfectly and its a lot more secure.

amiers · 15-08-2006, 12:46 AM

Dauphin, im a motor dealer. also i have a friend at Ford i have known for 20 years. however if you can get trade price at a dealer it wont cost you much more. also we spend a lot of time checking if other models have the same part numbers. a lot of times you will find if a part has a tickford number it is a lot dearer. question about your grille, did they all have the chrome strip? i was looking at a burgandy tl50 the other day and it didnt have any.

Dauphin · 15-08-2006, 09:14 AM

Only LTDs were designed with the chrome strip but I've heard of a few Fairlanes coming with factory-fitted LTD fronts and rears.

HLC · 15-08-2006, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Only LTDs were designed with the chrome strip but I've heard of a few Fairlanes coming with factory-fitted LTD fronts and rears.

we put the lower half of the LTD grill on my mum's Lane. looks much better IMO but that TL50 grill looks fantastic. i want one

:

Dauphin · 15-08-2006, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HLC

we put the lower half of the LTD grill on my mum's Lane. looks much better IMO but that TL50 grill looks fantastic. i want one

:

I saw your mother's LTD front in photos. Always stands out when I see one for real - very shiny. I've seen a few cars come through carsales.com.au with what they list as 'factory fitted' LTD fronts and rears, but who knows if it's just someone trying to avoid the 'modified' thing.

HLC · 16-08-2006, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

I saw your mother's LTD front in photos. Always stands out when I see one for real - very shiny. I've seen a few cars come through carsales.com.au with what they list as 'factory fitted' LTD fronts and rears, but who knows if it's just someone trying to avoid the 'modified' thing.

ive only seen one other 'lane with an LTD front grill. and that was yesterday

: and i dont think it was modified :P so it might be true

Dauphin · 16-08-2006, 11:40 AM

I was at Melbourne Airport today and saw about three Fairlanes with LTD fronts in a few minutes, or they were LTDs with Fairlane red rears because one of them had LTD chrome wheels. Mostly fleet limos with VHA regos.

HLC · 16-08-2006, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

I was at Melbourne Airport today and saw about three Fairlanes with LTD fronts in a few minutes, or they were LTDs with Fairlane red rears because one of them had LTD chrome wheels. Mostly fleet limos with VHA regos.

wow crazy! maybe i should open my eyes more... i realy like the TL mesh though.. wonder where i could get some similar stuff to bastardize and fit in my grill. hmmmmm

Dauphin · 16-08-2006, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HLC

wow crazy! maybe i should open my eyes more... i realy like the TL mesh though.. wonder where i could get some similar stuff to bastardize and fit in my grill. hmmmmm

On close inspection, I see that the standard Fairlane grill has some clips holding in the surround section of it. I've tried to take it apart but no luck. Maybe it come come apart somehow and leave the surrounding frame for you to work with?

The mesh is a complex interwoven piece that has been bent up around the sides to lie flat with the vertical and horizontal sections of the TL surround, so I'm thinking you can buy that mesh pre-made from a metalshop or something and cut it into the shape and bend the corners to fit a surround.

The Ford badge sticks onto an oval metal plate that's been welded onto the mesh and the mesh bolts onto a thin metal frame to give it the "ring" around the mesh inside the surround.

Don't laugh at me, but maybe you could get a Falcon grill and cut it up or expand it to fit somehow?

amiers · 16-08-2006, 02:50 PM

tried all that.!!!! a falcon grill wont fit. you can get the fairlane grille apart but if you put mesh in it it looks ugly. it would also appear that some TL50's didnt have the chrome ring around the mesh.

i have the TL50 grille and im just going to secure the mesh to the top-side'd and bottom.

HLC · 17-08-2006, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

On close inspection, I see that the standard Fairlane grill has some clips holding in the surround section of it. I've tried to take it apart but no luck. Maybe it come come apart somehow and leave the surrounding frame for you to work with?

The mesh is a complex interwoven piece that has been bent up around the sides to lie flat with the vertical and horizontal sections of the TL surround, so I'm thinking you can buy that mesh pre-made from a metalshop or something and cut it into the shape and bend the corners to fit a surround.

The Ford badge sticks onto an oval metal plate that's been welded onto the mesh and the mesh bolts onto a thin metal frame to give it the "ring" around the mesh inside the surround.

Don't laugh at me, but maybe you could get a Falcon grill and cut it up or expand it to fit somehow?

maybe my best bet would be to hunt down some T1/2 TE/TS Grill mesh... but it looks classy. im also wondering about overdoing it with the chrome, cause i have a chrome grill surround too

Dauphin · 17-08-2006, 10:16 AM

Yes, it might be overkill but would be unique. When I thought of getting a Fairmont, I was thinking of painting the inside of the grill the same as body colour. Might be redundant on your dark blue though. Here's a mesh photoshop I did for you:

Dauphin · 17-08-2006, 10:20 AM

Anyone looking for a spare Fairlane grill to cut up, there's one on eBay going for $50, ends soon:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/AU-FAIRLANE-G...QQcmdZViewItem

Check out their other items for some other Fairlane bits.

HLC · 17-08-2006, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Yes, it might be overkill but would be unique. When I thought of getting a Fairmont, I was thinking of painting the inside of the grill the same as body colour. Might be redundant on your dark blue though. Here's a mesh photoshop I did for you:

yeah looks a little overkill on the chrome. i reckon it could work... maybe a shadow type finish on the mesh.