My FE

[oldFEsteel]

G'day all, been checking this site out for a while, decided it was about time I put some photos up.

This is my 1956 FE, I've owned her for 23 years, the first car I ever bought. I took her off the road when my first son was born, it sat in the shed for 12 years and it's taken me another 3-4 years to get it back on the road.

She's an everyday driver now, runs a 186 4 spd, HR LSD, and HR disc brake front end. I did all the work myself, first car I ever painted.

It's a 225 Special. When I first bought it I took all the stainless & badges off it (what was I thinking?), it's since been stolen and I'm having trouble finding the original stainless & badges.

[mikey]

Hi there,
                     I have sent you a PM  (personal message).

Cheers  M

[NosFEratu]

Hi oldFEsteel

I'd like to be able to compliment you on your car but given that there are no photos - I can't!  :D  

So instead I'll say that as someone who also still has their first car, I welcome you to the forum.  

If you post a list of what pieces you are missing you never know what might be out there in cyber land just waiting for a new home!

Kathi  

[Paul In Ireland]

Jeez Kathi, are you blond blind or something??   ;D ;D This is what I saw:

[customFC]

Hey there.
Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your story and pics.
Looks like you have done a nice job on getting the ol' girl back on the road.
Regards
Alex

[NosFEratu]

Oi Paul! You know I ain't blond - ATM anyway!  ;)

Now Denis, I can compliment you on your car.  Good to know you have it back on the road and enjoying it.

In all honesty I have to wonder why you are worried that you removed the badges etc when you rebuilt it.  It was obviously one of the customsing things you wanted to do to capture a particular look at the time.  But if you are looking for bits and pieces pop up a list and I'm sure you'll get people letting you know the best place to get them (usually Rare Spares or from forum members who have spares) :D

Again, welcome to the forum

Kathi

[Royal]

Hi Dennis and welcome ;D,
                   I see this car on a daily basis as Dennis and I live in the same small country town and not having all the chrome and badges certainly doesn't spoil the look at all it is a very nice car and a credit to you especially seeing as you did it all yourself. We will have to get together for a cruise one day, again welcome ::).
                            Roy

[Just40]

welcome Dennis, gees i was up their today to see my parents, sweet looking car.

[ofc304]

sweet looker fe mate sounds like your oldest kid good to see they haven't left home welcome to the forum cheers Glenn ps what seats are in the front???

[zulu]

I like your interior Dennis, whole car looks great, are they HR bucket seats?

cheers, Gary

[oldFEsteel]

Cheers for the welcomes!

When I bought the car the bloke told me the front seats were out of an early Renault. Originally they were black, the whole interior was black & white and even a black vinyl roof! (that was the first thing to go - I cut along the front and peeled it off.) I haven't looked in too many early Renaults so really I wouldn't know.

[EffCee]

Hi Dennis,

What a sweet ride, the car is very tidy. Having owned the car for so long there must be a story behind it. Do tell ;D

Keith

[oldFEsteel]

G-day Keith.
                  I'm very lucky to still have the car. I was doing an apprenticeship in Boilermaking and needed a set of wheels to get to work. I was living at home and told mum I'm off to the bank to put some cash in........Guess what!. I didn't even come close to it, I turned up in the FE, I can still remember her shaking her head at me. Drove it around for a few years,I drove it to Perth and back, it didn't miss a beat once, I lived in NSW then QLD nowadays, then thinking she needed a tidy up I started to strip her down.
                   Now I've got a brother who I asked if I could put it in his shed, he said no worries. I left it there for weeks thinking its OK. I was working in the area so I went to visit him,When I pulled up I met a very pissed off landlord wanting my brothers blood and some rent.I told him I was the owner of the FE in the shed.He told me the old car wasn't in the shed it was sitting out the back fence sitting on it's front end and diff,all the parts, wheels and stainless were gone that were in the car.It was just a shell.He told me he had just got off the phone to Sims Metal to come and pick it up for scrap.               
                    I managed to get it home that day, The next 12 or so years I just collected what I could for it in between getting married and bringing 5 boys into this world, I reckon its turned out alright,as for the brother,Don't ask........Cheers Denis.

[EffCee]

Denis,

How unfortunate for you that you had to rebuild the car under circumstances like that. Amazing that you have been able to keep the car all these years. Well done for getting it back on the road!

Keith