d9 front end on d8

[wilko]

just a quick one has any body ever replaced the whole front end of a d8 with a d9 front and if so was it easy im thinkin along them lines as i have just been offerd a d9 in the same colour as mine for spares or repair on a 52 plate its been in and out of garages for about 12 months and the owner is just gettin stressed and wont rid cheers rob

[steve_earwig]

Oooh, nope, nobody's done it. I'd love to do it myself but I don't live in the right country for that sort of thing now (wrecked cars here cost more than decent cars there). I've been looking at the parts diagrams:

For a start the wings are the same, someone on here (can't remember who) has put one on the other. I've also seen a D8 for sale here with D9 headlamps and bonnet but with Frankenstein's grill making up the difference. The headlamps should be ok, the panel behind them is the same. There is something on the diagrams around there, it's small and I can't make out what it does, it's called "STUETZE OESE" Possibly something to do with mounting the bumper. Front cross member - seems to have changed but it could just be the radiator mountings, which are spot welded on. Cant rails - Might be a problem but can't see what the difference is - slam panel??

I think it would be a case of taking the front end of both cars apart and comparing...

Did I put you off yet?

[wilko]

no i still might have a go will post pics and a how to guide when i do it

[eoin27]

I remember its been discussed before

You need Bumper, Grille, Lights and Bonnet. You dont have to but you might as well swap over the wings from the D9 as they have the indicators in a more 'modern' location

Why not do the rear aswell? Think you only need the back bumper, bootlid and the rear lights. The rear quarters are the same AFAIK. I'd just take the best of both and mix loads of different pieces together, you could spend months at it!! Then flog off whats left for some petrol money. I did a similar project a couple of years ago

[Blue406]

Don't forget, you need the D9 Slam panel too, as the D9 bonnet has 2 latches where the D8 only has 1.

IIRC, the arse end is non transferrable. The lights are ever so slightly different in shape and size (bigger). Just enough to make them not fit. It would require some chopping of the rear panels and oodles of filler and the subsequent respray.

There was someone on this forum who did swap his D8s front end with that of the D9... Kenny I believe his name was.
He eventually took it many steps further with custom body panels etc. But he began with a straight swap and proved it works.

[eoin27]

Don't forget, you need the D9 Slam panel too, as the D9 bonnet has 2 latches where the D8 only has 1.

Both my D9's had one latch.

The lights are ever so slightly different in shape and size (bigger)

In terms of the rear quarter, it wouldnt make financial sense to change the design ever so slightly to fit the lights, they'd just work around the quarter panel. I wouldn't be too sure though

[DaiRees]

Don't forget, you need the D9 Slam panel too, as the D9 bonnet has 2 latches where the D8 only has 1.

Both my D9's had one latch.

Yeah Bluey's got that the wrong way round, D8s have 2 latches, D9s have 1, cost cutting I guess

[wilko]

cheers fellas i got a whole d9 exec with a elecy problem so im gona use that to transplant

[highlander]

Do you need the seats in that D9 exec ... ?

I'm assuming they're black leather...

[wilko]

highlander mate sorry i will be useing them in my d8 mate as i am going to transfer as much of the wireing loom as i can its gona be a full strip and rebuild.

[teamster1975]

Sounds like one hell of a project, I look forward to hearing how you get on!
Careful on transplanting the D9 loom as it is designed for multiplex; you will probably need to add additional wires.

[mjb]

Sounds like one hell of a project, I look forward to hearing how you get on!
Careful on transplanting the D9 loom as it is designed for multiplex; you will probably need to add additional wires.

D9 wiring is VERY different. I would imagine nearly every D9 loom would be useless on a D8

[wilko]

Sounds like one hell of a project, I look forward to hearing how you get on!
Careful on transplanting the D9 loom as it is designed for multiplex; you will probably need to add additional wires.

D9 wiring is VERY different. I would imagine nearly every D9 loom would be useless on a D8

yeah ive found that one out fellas omg its like speg junction in a d9 lol

[steve_earwig]

And you thought the idea of multiplexing was less wires

[mjb]

And you thought the idea of multiplexing was less wires

The D9 was pretty much wired up the same as the D8. The major differences are it has switch wires going to the BSI to relays, instead of straight to the relays, and the instrument cluster is more interfaced with the VAN bus than on D8s (due to the BSI providing the feeds instead of the switches/sensors).... oh, and the fact all the connectors and pin-outs are different, naturally

Then the COM2000 stalks came along and actually removed quite a few wires... from the steering wheel area