FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hey all. My car is up on stilts getting the brakes done. The engine runs smooth after points/plugs/oil etc. Fuel tank needs to come out. The old fuel was nearly laquer. My other problem is the bad repair some time ago.Bits of tin tacked on everywhere. LH font door was clashing with the guard. Some rust under the battery tray as well.
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A bit of work ahead, but a good start being a complete & matching body numbers car. Donk is a B prefix from FB/EK.

Nice Dave,my favorite color combo by a mile,good luck!

Gaz! ;D

Thanks Gaz, I like the colours too. The green on black inside looks good too.

Well, with many thanks to Fatboy, I have a sub frame to work with. It was a good day having a look at some projects. Looking foward to getting stuck in now.

Bit of an update. Here is the sandblasted & painted sub frame.
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Inside is clean. Some patches in the floor, tacked over the top of the rusty floor.
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On closer inspection, the whole LH side has been wiped out at some stage. The center pillar has been replaced. With some adjustments, the doors open & close ok. Fe front door with the trim holes lightly bogged over.
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Hard work means plenty of fluid intake in the background.

No rust around the windscreen.
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Sub frame looks great. Looks like it is coming together.

Regards

Wayne b

Yes, a bit happier now the sub is sorted. Sills are coming off. A bit of patching here & there but overall a clean shell.
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G'day Dave, your wagon looks to be in pretty good nick for her age it's hard to find one with that little rust nowadays, are you going to leave it standard or warm it up a little.
   Pedro

Hey Pedro, she's staying standard. Floors have been repaired,weren't too bad. Sills are coming off. Few bad repairs underneath, but all in all, fairly clean.

Sills off, LH inner & outer due to shoddy repairs. RH sill complete with mouse nests.

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Some nice clean rear quarters.

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well done.

I can't claim all the work, have a mate who has a knack with body work.(more of a tool fetcher at times, but learning all the time). I am a bit better on mechanicals & electrics.

G'day Dave, looking good, you may have already heard of this product but i thought i'd mention it just in case, you can get a rust converter that leaves a paint/plastic coating on top once it drys so things don't go rusty again after, it's great for getting into those fiddly bits that are hard to get to as you can put it into one of those cheap squirter bottles and spray into the holes and gaps.
  Pedro

I could be smart but i won't. What is that clear paint called too? Not the rust convertor stuff, so u can see after blasting whats there (or not there).

Restraint noted :D :D




Sorry Deano but i wouldn't have a clue, try putting it in the help wanted section somebody will know.
  Pedro

Pedro, I was gunna say i use some of that s&^t too, its called primer  :D

Methinks you misunderstand me there Deano, the product i'm talking about is called "Ferropro rust converter with plastic base" and it actually converts rust back into metal, the beauty of this one is it dries with a plastic coating on top that you can then primer over  :)
    Pedro

Sounds good. I asked my repco guy about this new clear protectant paint that still shows what visible underneath and he snapped at me and said "who cares what is underneath if it has been blasted", but it totally makes sense with all these guys doing soda cos you get to see where the possible fillers are that normal undercoat hides. I think i have used that pedro, does it go a hazy white colour?

Body is undercoated now. Black under floor & inside floor.

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Diff will go back in this week. Fill plug was cross threaded & a coarse thread plug screwed in. That is all fixed, just waiting in spring rubbers.

Lots of progress Dave. Looking good.

Regards

Wayne b

Did a roll up trial of the subframe. All square. She will sit now till September when some colour will go on.
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you always feel better when their back on all 4s


looking great i want a wagon.




pete

Looks good Dave, being slightly biased  ::) i still believe the FC wagon is the best looking of all the wagons. ;D ;D
   Pedro

Yep, I've gotta agree with Pedro. There's something about the shape that other wagons can't match. My next project will be a wagon (if they're not all in museums by then). Martyn

Looking good Dave, if you haven't done so yet ,it would be a good idea to hang the doors and guards to make sure the sills are correct. Nothing worse than a new paint job and then find out you have to modify the body to get something to fit. Thats my next job after all the welding is cleaned up, I'll turn the car back over and test fit the doors and guards and make adjustments as needed.
Regards Jim

The body is still on silts at the front. The cowl will be painted before bolt up. The panels will be check hung before paint. They were all over the place before removal. The doors had gaps, Lh front door clashed with the guard. We have had the doors back on after the sills, all looks good. Things will slow down a bit as my work picks up in spring. Very happy with the way it looks, I agree, there is something about the shape of the FC wagon. Thanks for your kind words.

Good to see you have a plan Dave,nice work! 8)

Looking good Dave, lots of hard work done, lots of hard work still to go.

I'll probably be shot for saying this, but I think the 2001 - 2006 Volvo V70 is a pretty wagon - lots of nice angles  :-\

BANG  :P ;D

Well I suppose you will cream yourself when the new Volvo Supercar comes out, thats one of the better volvo's I have seen. But Bang Band anyway. What's it like on the volvo forum  :D :D :D

Well, we have colour. The Adobe beige roof & guards so far.
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Looks Great Dave. What paint are you using?
Cheers,
Graham

I'm seriously jealous Dave,if it gets  stolen once it's finished,it wasn't me,lol,coming along well , Gaz!

It is looking good and you must be getting very excitied.  I might have to make a detour on one of my Canberra/Sydney trips to have a look.

Cheers
David

Graham, the paint is a spies Hecker 2 pac from wisharts paints in Unanderra. They were going to eye match the paint, but i took the glovebox lid & the inside section on the back door pillar & they matched the paint off their stock cards. It will be close enough for me. Looking forward to seeing some green now. My jobs now are cleaning the fuel tank, cleaning up the gear box ready for the refit. I have a set of 13 x 7 torana rims that were chrome & have some surface rust. These will be sandblasted & painted in adobe beige, then hubcaps & dress rims added.

Any time ridgey, send me a pm if coming through. happy to catch up with you.

Hey Fink, I had better concrete some shackles to the floor of the shed. ;D

Great looking wagon mate, Well done on everything so far.

Super glad your painting it adobe beige on top! that's the original colour of the ute i'm doing up and i'm going to be doing the whole car that colour so its great to see some photos of it on another car :).

I will keep you updated on colour, If you need a number for a match or to have a look, send me a PM. Doors being done tomorrow. Dave Just while I am on, any tips on a brake booster with drums at the front? I want to restore a small caravan one day.

Looking good Dave. I'll have to get my finger out and find those swaybar bits for you. Regards,
Martyn

Hey Martyn, I was planning on calling you. I found a pair of sway bar carriers on an EH wagon. Poor thing is so rusty, all I saved was the windows, 1 wheel, the sway bar thingys & some door striker plates. It does have a drum brake front end, but not sure if that is worth pulling out. Dave

Looking flash Dave, good to see some colour.
   Pedro

I've got an EH rear that came out from under my FC. Maybe someone would be interested in a complete set.

Hey dave the wagon looks great with some colour on it, can't wait to see the next shots..

Dane

Thanks Dane. All I saved off that EH wagon is some windows & door latches.

Some green today.
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She's coming back to life!!!
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Magic Dave. Nice neat job.

Regards

Wayne b

My mate is a wizard on the gun. Better than my back yard job. I do truck wheel & trailers.

Looking very nice  :)
Would have been tricky doing inside cargo area with the headlining still in.
Great job

Cheers Stewy   8)

He said it could be done, i didn't argue. I didn't want to pull it out. It has one small tear.

What Turtleman said! :D :D

Looks great dave. I like this color combo. Brett

I was a bit concerned  about the beige to start with, it looked a bit dark. Once the Olinda green went on, it toned the beige down. Very happy.

You've got good reason to be very happy - that is looking great!

Cheers
David

Looking pretty. I love Olinda green. That looks like a good match.
Regards
Alex

Dave, nice meeting today,the wagons looking good.
Greg.

You too Greg. Great day out. Good to see the FE get a trophy.

Bit more progress. Nothing radical being done, just a tidy up.

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The sub rolled in & bolted up straight. Door & guard lined up, so the sill ends were tied in. Doors should be hung tomorrow. Rotary Kiama car show & swap meet today.

Look awesome , I love 2 tone wagons. I did that internal painting leaving the hoodlining in my van and spat colour for days . Please keep posting the pics .

Great colour combo  8) 8) so 'FC'...

The doors line up, open & shut well. New laminated screen going in on Tuesday. Also getting a rear side window made to replace the scratched one.

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Good stuff Dave. Looks great.

Regards

Wayne b

Looking good Dave.
   Pedro

Just fitted the tailgates today. All lines up sweet. We are finding the aftermarket rubber that divides the gates quite bulky. So much so that with a new door/body rubber the lower gate wont shut. We have not glued it in place yet. Any one had similar experience?

Thanks for kind words.

Windscreen & tailgates fitted.
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Looking good Dave, did you fit the windscreen yourself, i'm in two minds whether to tackle mine or not.
   Pedro

No, I had a pro do it. I bought an aftermarket rubber then stretched it out over the old screen a few days before the job. I figured I could get a rock through the old one on my first trip. Not including the rubber, it was $440 fitted incl. G. I am glad I went that way. I did the flat glass on my Inter & I get a few drips in a storm. Best of luck with what you decide, Dave.

Looking great Dave, any updates?

How did you go with the tailgate rubber? I'm looking to buy one for my project shortly.

Looks great mate.  :)

The tailgate rubber i bought from betta auto rubber is nerang was wider & thicker than original. (assuming that the one on it was original.it leaked badly).We glued it in place, then trimmed some off. It looks neat enough & gate shuts tight.

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Shes looking beutiful a real credit to you.

A wagon is on my wish list of cars...


Pete

Here is a bit of an update.

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Torana 7 inch rims with 205 tyres.

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Just waiting on the rear quarter window rubbers & the rear door glass. Wiring & interior to do. Hope to be on the road for grey pride, Berrima.

That's looking smicko Dave

I like the widies

Gary

Looking Great Dave  :)

Hope you have a slide hammer handy to get the hubcaps off  ;D

I can remember that being a pain on my LJ torana with chromed 8 slots.

Cheers Stewy   8)

The wide ones set it off nice, but you are right stewy, the fc hubcap took a bit of getting on (rubber mallett). Hopefully that means they wont fall off.

That just looks so good! Love the colour combo and the rims just set it off. Martyn

Well, it is out of the shed. A bit tight out of 2nd gear, so some adjustments needed. Some interior to do & tidy up some wiring issues. Looking forward to Grey Pride in Berrima.

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Very nice combination, a good look all round.

The wheels are similar to some I'm looking at now with 205/60s.
If the profile is the same, have you any clearance issues?

Doesn't seem to be Dj. Haven't had a load in, but all looks good. These came off an FE sedan with 185's on them. They were a bit narrow. The wheels are 7 inch Torana with 205/60's.

Sounds perfect, thanks.
Love the wagon, trust you'll have many enjoyable years ahead.

It looks just as good in the flesh too! Magic job Dave. :)

looks great Dave,credits to you,love the wagons

Looking good Dave.

Colour scheme really good.

R
Craig D

Well, after the posts about the wide rims & a lesson learnt. (not the hard way thankfully, maybe just hard on the pocket). It looks like the wagon will get its standard boots back on. I have not bought new tyres yet. If this is the case, there could be a set of torana rims in Adobe Beige with new tyres on the market.

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Shed being extended on Saturday(Only 2m, not enough room for another one). Just a bit more room to play. Sheds are never big enough.

Looking really good Dave, hope mine comes up as good.  I noticed you mentioned rubber from betta auto rubber at Nerang - did you get other rubber from them and if so, what is the quality and fit like.  I am not far from put back together  stage myself.  Cheers, Graeme

Hi Graeme. I called in there in person while on holidays. Spent about an hour, quite a passionate bloke about his job. I found all the bits to be of good quality, with not only rubber, but heaps of other items as well.Dave

Thanks Dave, will get what I can from him as his stuff appears to be good when looking on ebay

Wow finished already Dave, you certainly put the rest of us to shame  ;), looks like new you must be stoked.  8) 8)
   Pedro

Great work Dave,looks fantastic and the ute looks beautiful as well.Looks like it's a tight fit getting the ute under that door though! :D Cheers,Jamie.

What is the next project  ??? ??? ???.....FC427.......

Congrats on getting the wagon done, looks incredible!! great job :)

Thanks, I still have wipers,some interior , wheels, and some other electrics to sort out. It was handy my mate Donny doing the paint etc, so I did cheat a bit.  He needed the space so I did a few nights, weekends etc. Fertilizer spreading is slow in January, so I had a bit of time up my sleeve to do some fun stuff. The shed is now 2m longer for a bit more space. I had to lift the roller door channel about 3 inches to get the Inta in. Such a big cab. Bear in mind, the same size cabs were used on the utes right up to the R190 prime movers.
I could have done a lot more to the wagon, But she is tidy enough for my budget & should be a bit of fun. I should have some plates on for Grey Pride at Berrima.

Those old Inters , they [some] are early ford stud pattern [the light rims] . Could get an old set of rims and tyres 13" maybe ,just to move it in and out of shed . Also handy for vertically challenged people [like me] to paint and polish roofs . Its a beautiful wagon by the way .Haydn

Thanks Haydn. Your right, the old Inters are on the ford/chrysler stud pattern. the hub centres  on the Inters are quite large, so the only challenge is  to find rims with a large centre hole. I have bought a Dodge Challenger diff for the ute,so it will give me 3.55 ratio & a handbrake at the back wheels and keep the same stud pattern. It is on 7.50/16's at the moment. I think they came out on 6.00 or 6.50/16. I parked near an EK ute once, made it look like a midget.

Yes the tyres on a stocky can be a problem . The wagon looks beautiful and up here in Brissy you can get 185/80/ 13 in whitewalls . They would look classic with a set of early dress rims . The only problem I had was that the springs were set for the lower profile [softer] and cornering was frightening with the stockies . Even so stiffer springs and double action gas shockies will work with std wheels but keep an eye on the rear top shocky mounting panels ,they may not cope with double action . I was watching the news and noticed that Thargomindah had its largest rainfall since 1989 . I was out there and had spent 6 weeks flooded in a shearing shed about 30 miles from the township .I got out of there and into my FE sedan and headed back to Brisbane but hit a washout across the road [about 2metres across and half a metre deep] and it ripped the panels and half the boot floor out and I
made the rest of the trip with my luggage in the car with me and the headlights in the trees.Haydn

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Yes, that Inter. tailshaft handbrake causes a hell of a stink in the cab if you forget and leave it on . I had a Dana 411 full floating on mine because the previous owner was the local fuel distributer and always overloaded it and was frightened of breaking a axle and it sitting on the side of the road . Haydn