FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

But I got it back!

FC-219-4943-A   Vehicle is an FC Standard Station Sedan, the 4,943rd manufactured in Adelaide, SA.
194-668   The Exterior Trim Code (194) describes this car as Single-Tone: Skyline Blue.
The Interior Trim Code (668) refers to: Peasant Blue.
256-2051   The paint colour is Skyline Blue (in DUCO Lacquer)
7-26610-M   The vehicle was assembled during 1957, and was the 25,610th FC (in any bodystyle) assembled in Melbourne, Victoria.
L616899   Manufacture date (based on engine number) is October 1959

Will post some pics and start the story soon

Cheers
Oggz

So tell us a little about the story "Got away and now it's back "... i gather by the wording.. you had it years ago and let it go, now it's come back home ???

FE 4 ME

Not quite so dramatic as that unfortunately. About 18months ago while searching every website possible for my dream FC wagon to pop up, I came home from work and fired up ebay, and there it was, $3500 bid, $4500 buy now, my finger hovered over mouse resting on the buy now button only to hesitate, I called my missus over to take a look and she said "Just give me a few minutes, need to take a shower" so I waited...after 20 minutes I couldn't stand it any more and hit the buy now button...but alas, it was already gone!!! Lets just say I was a very very unhappy man and sulked about it for at least a couple of weeks, probably longer, since then very few wagons have popped up that have drawn my eye or elicited quite the same emotional results as this one.

So when "Not Happy Jan" contacted me and said it was up for sale again and he needed the garage space, I just had to have it.

it must of meant to be yours.... is it blue and white ???  or a green one with Mags ??

got any pics ??

i'm glad it came back your way

FE 4 ME

Here are some pics of when I went down to take a look in April and when she was picked up.

(http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/8602/img1077im.jpg)
(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/7735/img1078o.jpg)
(http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/4244/img1079d.jpg)
(http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/8320/img1083j.jpg)
(http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6231/img1212t.jpg)
(http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/8008/img1214m.jpg)
(http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/5922/img1215qm.jpg)
(http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/2228/img1218ea.jpg)

Now these have me confused, chassis number reads as assembled in 57? body plate says manufactured in Adelaide? I thought FCs were released in 58?
(http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/9499/img1220k.jpg)
(http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/112/img1221it.jpg)
(http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/2080/img1222tq.jpg)

There is a fair bit of work ahead of me, the paint has good "old look" going on, the only good piece of rubber on it is the tail gate glass seal.

She does have alot of good points tho, excellent tail gate, has all the metal strips in the cargo area, a solid motor and gear box, a very straight body apart from some cancer on the drivers side, no ugly stainless down the sides...to list a few.

I have some plans for her, but nothing is set except to get her cleaned up and cancer free and on the road again.

Cheers

Some things are just meant to be, enjoy!
Cheers
Deano

Nice old wagon Oggs, looks like she's in pretty good nick for her age, good to see another wagon on here.
          Pedro

sweet..nice n clean for her age

enjoy every moment and than you will even enjoy more every drive when its on the road

a very good base to start with

im happy for you, and further more "YOU OWN IT "  that always brings a smile when i look at my sweet FE in my garage...ITS MINE

FE 4 ME

nice to see like minded people,
my misses just didn't understand it either, but when you no that's the one, its the one.

good luck on the build and happy motoring,
you plan to the sludge grey in it, hope so, as there ain't no sweeter sound (besides a blown 8)

I was missing it before he even loaded it onto the trailer :'( :'(

great pick up, enjoy ;D

cheers phil.

There are thoughts of removing the old grey for a small red, but I dont think will happen for sometime, will take me some time to build that motor to how I want it, so for now I have the task of tracking down the right trimatic to fit behind the grey, but even that conversion is a while away...

FC's were released in May 58.
Yours must have had the subframe replaced at some point.
Regards
Alex

Damn, I was hoping I had a FE in FC clothing hahah! Are there any tell tales about the rest of the body that would tell me the difference? the body plate looks like its been re-attached at some stage, the rivets dont look right.

anyway, only a small up date

(http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/4715/img1236yb.jpg)

its finally in the garage and not outside under a tarp!

Well the scuff plate shown in the pic is an FE one, but everything else appears FC - black dash top looks very original

 Ken

was there any difference with the brake/clutch pedal setup for FE/FC? I have noticed the wagons pedals sit much higher than the pedals in my sedan...

No difference - maybe the rubber bumpers are stuffed on your wagon. This will allow the pedal to come up about 40 mm

Ken

Well, been some time since an update for this ole girl, spoke to a man yesterday about the metal cancer, prognosis was not good, I asked him how much, his replay was, "how long is a piece of string..." after a couple more bundy's I finally got him to "maybe two weeks to get it back to road worthy"...@ $60/hr

unfortunately my wallet does not stretch that far...possibly not ever... so far the jury is out on her longevity at ever seeing the black top again ;(

Oggz

  I know the feeling Oggz, how handy are you & how much are you willing to learn. Go through some of the rebuild threads & get some inspiration. A few of the guys on here have done some amazing things in the "back shed". You can pick up gasless mig welders on eBay for a couple of hundred bucks, or you might be able to score a cheap oxy set.

Hope you can find a way to get the old wagon going again.

Dean.

Hi Oggz
Don't give up on her mate, even if you put it on the back burner, sooner or later you will find someone to help you out.

I even got my grandaughter who hounded me to help today, cost me 5 bucks.


(http://s17.postimage.org/dvghlabvv/2013_02_10_11_29_21.jpg) ($2)

mate, that is priceless.

Yeah have been getting inspiration from some of the build threads and thinking, "shit, if these guys can do that in the back shed over 5 years, so can i!".

Have been looking at welders online alread, looks like I may just buy one and teach myself to weld, then in the end its only my time and a little bit of set up cash...I think I can swing that past the missus...

but first things first, must get HR on the road first before I start down this path

Unfortunately no progress to report other than I found someone who thinks they can fix my rust for about $1k, which is better than "how longs a piece of string"

and because I have had a distraction which today is finally on the road! whoo!

Here she is

(http://imageshack.us/a/img339/4249/sdc16347.jpg)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img818/1223/sdc16348.jpg)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img339/1908/sdc16352f.jpg)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img827/6755/sdc16350.jpg)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img543/3159/sdc16351.jpg)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img402/9746/sdc16356.jpg)
my boy helped me drive it in the garage this arvo  ;D reminded me of when I did the same thing on my dads knee in the old holden ute we had when I was a boy(cant remember what it was, have mom digging for old photos of it)

Redo the photo in sepia...
See if you can recreate you as a child

Really nice ute Jamahl
Those are precious memories.
My two girls 17 and 16 just think I'm an idiot :P
Nick

Thanks Nick, I think all kids that age think their parents are idiots...

Well, this has been a while.

Seats out, trim off, door off, guard off. Have given up trying to get last screw out of the drivers door. time to get it out of the garage to someone who can fix the cancer...

pics when i can figure out how to post them again  ;D

Oggz

I posted this hints and tips a little while ago...   might be helpful Posting pictures using IMGUR,

Small progress report, saw Patch up on a hoist today with bits cut out for repairs to be done. I had the astonished comment from the man doing the repairs that he hadn't seen one with so much original paneling in a very long time, lots of surface rust which needs to be dealt with, but he was pretty surprised at how good she looked from below...  ;)

My first time seeing her up so high as well, showed me just how much more work is to be done, so much surface to be cleaned down and sealed. Rear gearbox and selector seals need to be replaced, diff gasket leaking, all brake cylinders need to be re done, again. seal over the clutch slave cylinder looked cracked, engine mounts and front rigger rubbers look original, need replacing.

Shes taken a good ole knock in the front right corner at some stage, but looks like someone with decent hammer skills has put her right again, means those panels line up a little less then even crappy factory fit. But I can live with that, gives character.

Should have her home again in a couple of weeks, the goal of driving her over xmass hols might actually be attainable.

Cheers
Oggz

Awesome progress Oggz..   Great goal for our own little Christmas present  ;D  hope you wrap it up

Well, Cheap is as cheap gets, got Patch home after some rust repairs, looks like I will have to repair the repairs... oh well, progress is progress.

Oggz

show us!

Hi Oggz;
Mate I cant see any of your pictures and I am interested to see what has gone on any idea what has happened to them.

Regards
Neil H

Probably who ever i used to host the pics deleting my account because of inactivity, I'll see if can track it down and get that back up

Well, naff all progress lately, new floor in the house is priority... :-\ anyway, got a couple of hours this afternoon, test fitted new carb set up, stock accelerator linkage is in the way...Pulled the clutch master that dumped its load all over the floor pan, pitted to hell the whole way down, to re-sleeve or not to re-sleeve and buy a fresh unit... finally pulled the stock fuel pump... the red motor pump I have been saving for years, finally gone missing... passenger side doors off too, I can now dig out those old crappy seals.

Trimmer bro picked up the seats, at least MY arse will be comfortable when I get to drive :)

So in the end, some progress

Cheers
Oggz

OK, so some progress made, looks like my old photobucket account gone, all previous pics are MIA sorry.

here are some fresh ones

The dumping ground
(http://i.imgur.com/Pdm9Sfk.jpg?1)

(http://i.imgur.com/B8t7xTD.jpg?1)

still need to remake the back covers
(http://i.imgur.com/vwaF4MB.jpg?2)

Not sure if will need to take guards off or not probably will to fix the bottom corners
(http://i.imgur.com/w4pyrWo.jpg?1)

Waiting for seats to be redone, trimmer decided he needed a kidney transplant and to move his business...
(http://i.imgur.com/eUs6ay4.jpg?1)

More work?...(haha old gamers joke there)
(http://i.imgur.com/s57vVBe.jpg?1)

Twin 1 1/4's to make her go
(http://i.imgur.com/CKB3AQH.jpg?1)