Well ive done a compression test and everything is bad. First off the tips of the plugs were all wet with water so there have been more water hiding in the intake and second the readings arent great with all cylinders being zero except for for number 1 which was 30. I could hear compression when I put the gauge in and this gauge has been very dodgy before so im going to rerun the test with a new gauge. However if these readings are correct what does this mean? Bent valves across the board?

sticking this here for now, 
@SPArKy_Dave seen or  got  one of these tools?

Ball Joint Lower looks fairly easy with this tool
(link to ebay tool that looks posibly the one )
   

If anyone has any info tips or links to fitting cruise control to a forte series 3 AU (has ABS) I'd be interested before I go investigating at the wreckers.   I don't remember seeing the clock spring socket for cruise buttons (has radio controls on steering wheel)  are they cruise specific?    What actually is needed?   1.Blinker stalk has the on/set switch so a combination stalk with wagon specific will be needed for mine unless it can be separated? 2. Steering wheel control buttons (wheel back cover has cut outs for the buttons to poke through)   3. Brake switch on master cylinder    4 cable and vacuum motor assy (and tap threads in rocker cover for cable bracket)   5.loom section that joins cable pull motor and brake switch that goes into the cabin under dash   6. Control module (assume under dash left side of steering column? )   Anything else?  Series 2 and 3 needed. Series one is different but is that just the control moduel or everything different?    Thanks for any input and I'll update when I figure it out       

Does the compression sound even, when cranking (even slowly?) Does it crank faster, with the spark plugs out?   The starter could be shorting internally, due to to water ingress? I'd try measuring the current draw, if you have a clamp style ammeter.

If its winding over slow that's a good indication of bent things, unfortunately you won't know what you need to replace until you do a bit more investigation, a leak down test will show if the cylinders are still sealing, but if you've got to pull the head off anyway to change rods+ whatever else is damaged you may as well inspect the valvetrain while it's off

The engine dosent sound too fucked up (no knocking or scraping) just sounds like it has a dead battery. So if the rods are bent could I still run a leakdown test to see if the valves are still good? Im just thinking if just the rods are bent can I just get some used rods and just slap it back together?

Compression test will show if the engine is mechanically damaged, all cylinders within 5-8% of the same reading should still run smoothly, a bent rod or valves will show lower compression on that cylinder, cylinder walls can crack from hydrolocking but you would most likely bend rods firts (and possibly damaged the skirt on a few pistons if the rod hes bent far enough to let the piston hit the crank, alternatively if the rod twisted it could have bent far enough the valve reliefs dont line up any more, in that case you would have bent valves too) and if the cylinder wall was cracked you would have water in the sump, main bearings will be totally fine unless you've managed to bend the crank but it would probably not run if you managed to do that, e series rods are shorter than au-fgx except el hybrid engines they are the same length as au-fgx, the bigger problem for swapping rods on anything but a factory turbo 4.0 is they use a press fit gudgeon pin and are quite difficult to change without the proper equipment,.you also can't put sohc pistons in a barra as the valve reliefs are in the wrong position for the barra head

The oil has no water in it as I got to the other side before it died. Yeah flooded road with overgrown depth markers, water was only about 30 cm deep but this car is too low for almost any water and so it went over the bonnet and flooded the intake. Im worried if maybe the main bearing caps would have been damaged, if the block and head are salvagable ill put some new rods in it and do it up to xr6t spec. Also might be a dumb question but would el rods fit? I got an el bottom end in the scrap heap and it would be nice to get something out of it

How did that happen - a flooded road?   Yeah, water doesn't compress, although I wouldn't have thought bent conrods, would make the engine run poorly?   An inspection camera down each bore, could be helpful maybe? A leakdown test, would show any bent valves. Plus as @deankxf says, measuring each cylinder stroke with a plastic stick or similar, would be useful!   Did you replace the oil too - I imagine that would be full of water also?  

That probably would be the go, although if most of the guts are ok I was maybe thinking of doing a turbo build (nothing too crazy just put some stock xr6t parts on it if i can find them cheap)