Seven and half years ago, i bought a 1988 XF Falcon panel van for $500.00.
It was tidy, runs duel fuel and was rego'd for 6 months at that price.
With 4 new tyres, a gas cert and RWC and few bits, I had it in my name for $1,050.00......bargain.
For the next seven and half years, it got flogged as the lawn mowing rig and just never let me down. It had scored an engine rebuild, long before my ownership back in 2004, but even that now has some serious K's on it.... how many.... not sure.
The odometer threw in the towel at 695,000 around 5 years ago. Add to that, around 20 to 25 a year, and we should be over 800,000 klm.
The theory was, when the mowing gig finished, drive it to the dump and pull the plates.
So, in July 2018, the old turd still drives really nice, but rusty the home wrecker, has been having a nibble or two on the panels.
All in the back half too, but remember, these things left the factory with rust as a standard feature.
For the last few days, I've been attacking the ol girl with the angle grinder to remove the tin-worm and inserting nice new shiny bits of metal.
I'm in the body filler stage now, to try and even out the panels a tad.
Bodywork isn't my forte, that's for sure
The back of it's been gutted of the astro turf floor
, and its then copped a flat timber floor and been covered with new marine carpet.
The front seat is coming out for a re-trim in 2 weeks and it will get new carpet in the front this time, as the astro turf in there is pretty tired too.
The poor old thing is getting some serious loving and will return to the fleet and the "Country Lane Classic Cars" parts chaser and all around workshop truck.
Its been fitted out with 7 and 8 inch Cragar SS chrome rims and after the white paint touch ups, will get a discreet baby blue strip down the side, some white wall flappers, a lowering job, external metal sunvisor and try to give it a slight hot-rodish look.
Don't laugh, it might....
I never worked this hard when I was mowing.
I wish I could find a good R/H barn door for the back of it though.