Special Delivery

Owner:              Sam Apap Engine:              302 Windsor Trans:                C4, 2500rpm Stall Diff:                   8" Ford

Sam Apap has been interested in cars all his life. His first car was a FX Holden then he graduated to a HQ wagon, an XP ute, Model A Ford tudor and now this XP Falcon Panel Van. At present he also has a 1940 Ford Coupe ute under construction so he is no stranger to modified cars. Sam has always wanted to own a XP van because his Godfather has owned one for a long as he can remember, and he still has it. Finally his desires were met when he passed over $1000 for a clean original body. It had no front floor but was otherwise very good.   While the van retains its stock body configeration the running gear has been updated making it a very practical vehicle to drive in todays traffic. The old six cylinder powerplant was replaced with the popular Windsor V8. The 302 engine has been fitted with a pair of 289 cylinder heads and a Ford Motorsports SVO crankshaft and performance camshaft. Accompanying the V8 engine in the transplant was a C4 automatic transmission which is fitted with a Dominator 2,500 r.p.m. stall speed torque convertor. Sam had the engine set up to run solely on LPG and it is equipped with a Gas Research system. A 120 litre gas tank is mounted in the rear compartment immediately behind the front seat. The Engine bay has been enhanced with the relocation of the battery and brake booster. All wiring has been routed outside the engine bay and makes for a much tidier engine environment. An XT dual circuit master cylinder was fitted to upgrade  the braking system.

Front brakes are Leyland P76 disc brakes which have been adapted to two inch dropped spindles. The brakes are fitted with HZ Holden calipers. Urethane suspension bushes have also been fitted to the front end along with Pedders gas shocks and a 25mm stabiliser bar. A three core radiator and Davies-Craig thermo fan look after the cooling. At the rear a Ford eight inch diff rides on a pair of lowered semi elliptic springs. Wheels are Centerline Convo-Pros, 15*7-1/2 on the back and 15*4 on the front. the alloy wheels combine well with the rich turquise paint that covers the body. After spending several hours thumbing through magazines looking for a suitable colour to paint the van, Sam gave up and has his friend, Charlie Borg custom mix a colour that suited him. Body preparation was carried out by Mark Apap and the paint was applied by charlie.

Only changes made to the body are subtle improvements like the smooth filler cap and the use of a full width rear bumper bar from a passenger car. The gas filler cap is cleverly hidden behind the hinged rear number plate. The tailgate has no exterior handle to wind down the rear window. This is because the tailgate is fitted with an original power mechanism from an XM Falcon Squire wagon. The interior appointments are very much standard but have been thoroughly refurbished. Even the column change for the auto has been retained. The van has a full length factory headlining and is decked out with Ford LTD carpet. Thanks to Mussy for the upholstery and Gary Taylor for his work on the electrics. A CD player and radio tuner have been hidden under the seat.

The van was rebuilt in just four months with the total outlay of around $9000 which is good value for a car that Sam can drive to work everyday. Consider also that for $9000, Sam has a car that is virtually brand new in every respect as it has been thoroughly rejuvinated from front to back. This is recycling at it's best. Feature used with thanks to Graffiti Publications. copyright 1996