FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

yeah i know i said tomorrow , but i have a few pics of work during the week.....

boot area almost ready for welding, have made a few more cleanup cuts since pic was taken
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010004.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010005.jpg)

view from the rear ( almost looks tidy  :D ) will paint tank when all work is done

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010007.jpg)

EL falcon harness connector almost done, should be completed this week, just got to hook up the cabin & ignition side of things ;)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010009-2.jpg)

ignition module tucked up behind head, most of the other lines and electrothigyamegigs will be inside cabin
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010021.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010013-1.jpg)

and how she is sitting in silience  :P :P :P
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010013.jpg)

may spoil you with some more tomorrow,

dean

Dean
Great work, will check out the thread for more updates tomorrow.

Cheers Jim

Nice car Dean, nearly had to put my sunnies on to look at the purple ;D ;D i didn't realise you had done so many mods, it looks like there's only a few days work left now, you must be starting to get pretty exited  8)

OK before i completely collapse, just needed to throw these up
firstly big ups to keith (effcee) for putting in a non stop effort today, despite a delayed start he just didnt stop ;D ;D ;D. ( i had to pull the plug on him)  :P :P
phil (philby) for the couple of hours he put in, many thanks mate it all came together nicely;) ;) and to dave (ridgey didge) for popping in for a chat and moral support. i had achieved a fair bit during the week so a lot of work i planned to do today was pretty much done, thermo is completely done with support back on, O2 sensor now in place and 80% of the boot welded back up just need a few finishing welds but it now gives me work to do on fuel lines and rear plumbing :D

phil in action
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010002-1.jpg)

me drilling for oil ( O2 bung)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010007-3.jpg)

keith early on, he got a bit dirtier and a lot warmer, but he never stopped
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010008.jpg)

its started
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010011-1.jpg)

getting there
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010017.jpg)

keith again in pretty much the only position he was in today, good thing it has some boot space ;D
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010026.jpg)

boot almost done
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010030.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010031.jpg)

and keith, i couldnt wait till morning, tried the tank and guess what, its a perfect fit, we done good!!!!!

i'll post up some more of stuff done during the week later.
cheers guys, this is what its all about :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

thanks again
dean

Hi Dean

Looks like you and the boys did a tremendous amount of work today.  And it's good to see a few pics of you all - now at least some of us in far away places can put some faces to "names". 

Couple of things though - John wants to know what your fuel tank is out of.  And you didn't mention the name of Bubble's body guard in the last photo.

Again, good work guys. A⁺ to you all for effort and A⁺ to Dean for getting his progress report in ahead of time and without the need for a reminder!

Kathi  8)

cheers Kathi, fuel tank is from a VN/VP commydore, just had the filler neck moved and modified to original FC position.
and the pair of evil eyes in the last pic is Busta, a very spoilt death row escape who i have great conversations with, he is staffy rotwieler X, very talkative but not much help around the shed cant tell the difference between 5/8' and 1/2 inch ;)

i'll try and get some more detail shots of stuff done in the daytime only small things but its big progress.

cheers
dean

Busta's cute!  :-*

i'll tell him that, coming from a cat person he'd be stoked ;D ;D ;D

sooo tired now :P :P

dean

Dean
I know you have recruited your own little work force, but don't you think the DPCU's are a little over board. Next thing you will have the pace stick out barking orders. ;) ;) ;) ;)

Looks like you and your Army of workers have been hard at it, the progress looks great and the finished product will be even better.

Cheers Jim

Hi Jim

I thought the camo's were cos he'd been getting into the vibe for the job application he's being doing this week!  And barking orders?  Isn't that what Busta's there for?  :D

Kathi  8)

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D the "cant see me now overalls" are tank mechanics overalls and were given to me when i did a photo job on leopard tanks many years ago and have come in very handy for things like working on the car, paint ball, and to melt into the bushes when uninvited guests come around. :D
i know they are a little too much but they do their job well.

and Busta, well he couldnt order a hamburger at mcdonalds he usually just sleeps on the couch bside me while i work even through the noise of angle grinders. just opens one eye up and gives me a huff, then falls asleep. ;) ;)

Looking good Smithy, cant wait to see more pics of your purple phantastic car mate, and what a great lot of mates you have found up there in Canberra,well done to everyone concerned .
                                               Cheers Rusty

Your car is coming along well Dean, great to see the rally of support by members on the forum.
Can I ask, what is with the falcon wiring harness and module are you controlling ignition? If so can you give a quick description of how you modded the distributor? ( I am going to run the same combo but turbocharged and want some options for the ignition)

thanks
Grant

hi grant, yeah the support from the forum members has been fantastic both physically and morally.

firstly the harness connector is from a EL falcon and was the idea of a mate of mine who wired it all up for me. basically all of the sensors and engine wiring for the EFI is matched up, i think there are about 30 pins which can be used so theorectically you could wire anything through this. the side in the photo goes into the ECU. the beauty of this setup is that when engine swap or any sort of work on the motor ( see i used both terms here ;D ) is required you just unplug one connector and take off the inlet manifold. simple ;) i'll try and get some more pics of the manifold side then all hooked up soon.

the ign module is from a camira, but this one i got new from the states for a fraction of the price you can buy locally. several US cars run the same delco module and ECU so they are plentiful, but not here apparently a lot of boy racers grab them. ???

dissy is from VC, i replaced the old nylon gear drive for the metal one and just removed the vac advance and locked the weights, i just bent the tabs over the weights, this stopped any kind of movement some have removed them completely and others have soldered or welded them closed . you then remove the control module from the distributor and run the 2 wires coming off the stator up to the camira ign module. there is no way of telling which is the correct polarity with these wires from what i have found but if you get a funny misfire when you start the car just switch these two around.

just to break the setup down for you.
186+60 thou block. 3 extra holes drilled into block for 202 head water jackets
202, 12 port head, intake wont work with 9 port or red heads with siamese ports
intake manifold is from VK- EGR valve removed and covered over.
throttle body is  V6 VN/VP ( though you can also use falcon apparently) rotated to fit intake but you could make up a spacer/adaptor
ECU is delco 808 from VN ( camira runs same plus some US v6's) standard VK ECU cant be reprogramed
injectors will be from V6 commy or magna
engine harness is from JE camira just wired in another 2 injectors
VC elec dissy with the above mods.
i will eventually be using kalmaker software to reprogram the ECU,this software will work really well with turbo or supercharger setups
closed loop system and real time programing. www.kalmaker.com.au
they are an aussie company in WA who have developed a great program for the delco ECU's

and to get the intake manifold to fit the firewall will need a little masaging to clear the final runner., same if you were to run tripples.

i think thats about it.
if you need any more info just yell and i'll share what i can, this EFI thingy is all new to me, i am learning as i go along :-\
with a turbo this will really hum but finding space will be interesting ;D

cheers
dean

thanks to the gentle reminders from members here is the latest effort
back seat condition when started, looks better than it was, thing was literally falling apart in my hands so wasnt too sure where padding ended
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010002-2.jpg)

foam going down, had to do a bit of trimming to get it to fit in the car :-\ but it eventually did. nice and tight though
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010009-4.jpg)

and new cover on, just have to stretch it a bit but it will fit nice, probably do final tie off tomorrow but have to work out best side to start with
first time trying anything like this so im just going to attack it slowly :-\ :-\ :-\
front door trims in the background waiting on 1 armrest  and front doors to be adjusted.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010014.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010015.jpg)

once i work it out i will do the back seat base, then leave the front seat till last so i get some practice in.
well thats about it more to come next week, stay tuned sports fans 8)

dean

Hi Dean,

Looking good - the white with purple piping will really stand out against the majority purple paint. Keep up the good work.  We'll stay tuned for next week's update - same bat time, same bat channel!  ;D

Kathi  8)

Giving your age away a bit there Kathi, not too many people would remember that expression, (or would admit to watching a show with a guy in a batsuit and his undies on the outside) ;D

hey pedro, nothing wrong with batman.
still the best one to date would be the first 1960's batman movie then the tv series. it was so corny it was great and so over the top. they (the movie producers) couldn't rely on special effects as much as they do now so the characters had to be more flamboyant. and adam west ( batman) still puts his voice and name to character in the family guy cartoon series and obviously doesn't take himself too seriously.

and regarding wearing undies on the outside, nothing wrong with that, i find it helpful in preparing my family and friends with an insight as to what they can expect from me in my twilight years ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

dean ;)

Those old shows seem corny now but i can remember when we all raced home from school to catch the latest episodes of batman, superman, brady bunch, munsters, adams family etc.  i've even got the full series of gilligans island on dvd    ( though i wouldn't admit it in public).
Maybe if wearing undies on the outside will scare off the bible bashers next time ;D

it does, we haven't been hassled for years, i think im on their heathen/ looney blacklist ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

lol, :D have to try that one, I had a heap of them corner me one day when i was working on my car, they wouldn't take the hint and go away so i started asking them questions like are "any of your members pedophiles" you should have seen them bolt then, they must have marked my gate or something because we have never been bothered again :)

So Pedro .....

have a go at me in one breath and then in the next you're admitting you used to rush home to watch it !!!!   Now I could say I only know about it because of John introducing me to all those old shows when they came out on DVD but what's the point in trying to fool myself!

And hey, I'm a Barris fan naturally I'm gonna be interested in Batman and the Munsters.  Also loved Thunderbirds, Adams Family and get Smart too!

Kathi  8)

Me and a mate used to rent a house together and early one Sunday morning there was a knock on the door.My mate got up to answer it and I soon established who it was at the door.The guy wouldn't let up on my mate with his preaching so I got up to help him out.I walked up to the door,put my arm around my mate and said "come back to bed honey" (no,I'm not gay ::))....I reckon there were burn marks in the concrete from the guys sandshoes as he took off down the street...We still laugh about that one. ;D Great work on the car Dean.Sorry it got a bit off topic.Look forward to more updates.Cheers,Jamie.

Actually i wasn't having a go at you watching batman, but about you giving your age away, i know you girls like to keep your age a mystery ;) and yes i am a fan of all those early tv shows, i think the only one we've missed is my favourite Hogans heroes( i know nothing, nothing) :D :D ;D

Hi Pedro

No dramas - I have no issues with my age at all - I'm old!  But then I guess, without wanting to offend any others, I'm not really a girly type of female!  However, I admit that if I have a near miss and almost/or do break a nail at work I threaten to go out on stress leave!  :(

Yes, I liked Hogan's Heroes too! 

And by the way, in case you haven't read it - you have been put on notice - see "Grey Pride Run"!

Kathi  8)

Smithy did your new wheels turn up ??? How do they look ??? ........FC427.......

hi mark, im still waiting on mr tax man, there were some probs with the accountant not being able to lodge the return for some reason, it was only after i contacted the ATO after 4 weeks did i find this out :( :( :(
BUT it should be in this week, i have spoken to showwheels and they have been really very cool about the situation and they are actually a little behind with their machining side of things. i know they arrived in Oz 2 weeks ago,so that all worked out ok. they have no problems with the delay they actually welcomed it ;D
i should have them on my door in about 2 weeks :P :P
been really too busy trying to find a job of late to worry too much about them cause unless i find some work and dollars soon i will just have rims- no tyres so traction may be an issue ;D ;D ;D ;D

as soon as the rims go on mate i'll be getting some pics.

i told showwheels i'd give them a plug on the site cuase they dropped the maching charges so
SHOWWHEELS rock!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

dean

OK before someone the mafia staff car gets its engine started  ;D ;D :D ;D :D ;)
didnt get as much done as i planned to today as my back is a bit dodgy, ( i probably put a whammy on myself yesterday by saying how much i WILL get done :-[ :-[ )
this is what i have for this weeks show and tell

managed to trim the back seat, stinky did a fantastic job stitching up the covers for me a while ago big ups to stinky...nice one mate and they have been waiting paitiently for me to work on them, as earlier post says i started working on the seat back then left it because of job applications etc but yesterday finished the back off and remodeled and covered the seat base. thought the safest place for them so muttley wouldnt get his grubby paws all over them was in the car :D
so i just had to fit them and see how comfy they were. verry nice indeed. great spot to sit and contemplate with a cold beer (and clean pants) just have to do a bit of trim work on the wheel arches, finish of the windlace then wait for carpet.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010001-1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010005-1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010007-4.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010012.jpg)

going to try and do the front this week HOPEFULLY... see how the spine holds up  :-\ :-\ :-\
so thats it :-\ ;)

WHHOOOO HOOOOO


Doesnt them thar seats look Purty!!!!!! Damn they look so much better on the seat and in the car rather than lying in a box ;) :D ;D :D ;D :D ;D

It is looking really great Dean, it all seeems to be coming together,

Is Bubbles in stillettos yet????

Keith

Looking flash there Dean, Stinky did a good job on those seat covers, have you fired up the engine yet.

See I'm not the only one pushing you on - thanks Keith and Pedro.

Yes, it looks really good Dean, you should be pretty happy with Stinky's workmanship - and don't forget your efforts at putting it all together too!

Keep up the good work - it will be October and then November 1 before you know it!   ;)

Kathi  8)

cheers guys, yeah keith i was getting tired of tripping over that box :D
ive really got to learn to pace myself with my back, trouble is once i get started its hard for me to stop.

nah bubbles hasnt got her new shoes yet, getting a little peeved  ( not with showwheels ) but will tell you about that during the week.

engine is yet to fire with the efi pedro, just waiting on getting some new injectors and a couple of sensors, and some intake piping then mate up the new headers with the old system, hopefully we can get into that soon. get a new fuel gauge and either mount new sender in tank or see if they can modify my old sender, run some fuel lines once all thats done then i;ll be kicking some life into the old girl :D  

because my workers comp has been reduced ive got to get a job before i can lash out and spend money so pressure is starting to get me a bit. not overly worried too much, yet :-\
got a bunch of stuff going to evil bay this week i hope so that may help ( if they sell ???)

cheers
dean

thats what im worried about :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

yeah im wrapped ( pardon the pun) with stinky's work given the fact the seats were here and he made the covers up from the tatty remains of my old ones i sent down to him... he was a bit concerend about the fit but its a great job....

i stripped all the old padding off and laid some new down on the old seats, padded up the edges of the rear seat a bit. fixed some busted springs in the front seat and firmed up the lumbar and the front edges to get a bit of support on the backs of my legs.
i will hopefully be getting a mates compressor soon so i can paint the EK seat surrounds then thats done. still got a few fiddliy things to do on the console and finish off the drivers side vanity panel.

but it will all come together ( he says with fingers crossed)

They look good covered in vinyl too, if you are game to ship them over  :-\

Ok Glenn,looks,like you got yourself another job..... :o

Yeah it's getting hard to afford to do up old cars nowadays, it used to be if you couldn't afford a modern car you bought an old one and did it up, now i could go and buy a good modern car for half of what it costs to do up our old cars, hope you can shift your stuff on e-bay, i don't suppose you've got a grille bottom plate amongst it.

i have considered that  ;) , im going to do them body colour just to break up the stark of the light vinyl plus they are probably going to cop a bit of dirt so i reckon paint may be the best. i had even thought about chrome 8) 8)
im just looking at trying to pep it up a bit seeing that there is no way i can afford custom carpets so thinking of going a light grey/silver moulded unless anyone can throw some other colour suggestions i may have not considered ???


yeah but where's the fun in that ;) ;), also at least with "our" cars they will increase in value every year, drive a new car out of the show room and kiss goodbye to 20% then just watch it drop each year. and then you get the fun of trying to spot your new car in a crowded carpark alongside every other clone :D :D 8) 8)
at least bringing something back to life it has a spirit and soul, sometimes you get christine though ;D ;D ;D

sorry pedro no grill bar :(

Dean,

Sorry, but understatement of the year - you're worried about them when the rest of the trim is white  ??? Personally, you've come this far so just go the full white trim - concede defeat and have an absolutely stunning interior - you will just have to work at a little more.   :P

Re carpet choice - either straight black or lightgrey/silver moulded would be fine.  Have you considered getting the light grey and dyeing it purple? The guy next door spray dyed his 76 vette carpet to get it all one colour and it came up fine.  I'll check with him exactly what he did if you'd like me to.

Go on, I dare you - full white trim!  :-*

Kathi  8)

yeah i know ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

i sort of wish that stinky never put that thought back into my head, once an idea gets into my head it gets lonely and consumes what little brain cells i have remaining. i may wait until i get the front seat covered and sit back and have a look :-\ :-\ :-\
was thinking that the purple may just break it up a little when you open the door. but the more i think about even now as im writing the more i like it...

damn you stinky!!!!!!!! ;) ;) ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D

i was trying to find some carpet dyes on the web over the weekend, couldnt find anything of use or colour wise but again that was another idea bouncing around the skull, and depends on costs of getting it dyed, but if you could check i'd appreciate that
and its not going to be full white as the centre console is purple, same as the piping with a small white centre section... and you got some poipul on the door trims :D

and its not white!!!! its sort of light cream ;D ;D ;D ;D

Sorry  :-[ with 4 kids everything gets dirty so that's the first thing I think about.
I reckon a silver/grey carpet would look good, purple maybe too much there are some moulded car carpet suppliers that advertise "extreme" colours though I can't recall names at the moment.

i know those extreme ones, and they are extreme !!! extremely bright ;D ;D
and not really my cup of tea...

Hi Dean

All I wanted in the 58 was white but we were both so crook for almost 2 weeks a few years back that all we could do was look at car magazines and talk about the project.  We decided this thing was gonna get a beating when it hit the road so we rang the trimmers and told them there was a change to black leather – the guys responded that we really must have been sick cos they knew how set I was on white!  All I can say, light cream or not – you’re a masochist!  ;D

Anyway, I agree with Stinky, I think light grey would look good.  ;D  But if you are interested in dyeing them, I’m pretty sure the guy next door used Dylon dyes, mixed it and sprayed it on using his spray gun. 

Kathi  8)

Hey Dean, any more updates  ;)  :P

not that im willing to share at the moment thanks glenn  ::) ::) ::) ::) :P :P ;D ;D ;D

Dean are you holding out ???? .....FC427.....

nah not really just a private joke. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
everything is SNAFU here ;) ;)

Hope all is OK Dean - Let me know if you need an "Aunty Kathi Counselling Session"

I'm very good at them (just no good at putting my own advice into practice!) and there is a follow up program in place where by if you don't cheer up after an "AKCS" we arrange for the Mafia Staff Car to come around and break your knee caps!   ;D   With a smile - of course!   ;D

Kathi  8)

Kathi,

Do you get a AKCS gift pack after a session, you know with a "T" shirt, Badge and Bumper sticker ???  ;D ;D

Keith

You wanna sign up for one and see?  :)

Actually you just get a quick smack around the head before you get told to pull it in! Right, Dean?  ;D

And besides, I'd have to raise the price if I started offering all those promotional items!  There's no such thing as a free lunch!  ;)

Kathi  8)

And for stealing this thread we want " ANOTHER SHRUBBERY " >:( >:(NI NI  :D :D

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

nah no gift pack for me, as kathi said just a smack up the side of the head.  works wonders ;D ;D ;D ;D

Hi Dean

Gentle reminder that your progress report is due tonight!  :D

Kathi  8)
F4+  ;) =^{^^}=

ok, ok, alright already :D :D
not too much done this week cause of pain n stuff and the fact i had to do some gardening .
but thanks to keith the fuel tank surround is now welded in as is the brace,. i did a little work today cutting up the belt which will hold the tank in, well half of it is cut out.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010002-3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010001-2.jpg)

apart from that i have been doing work on drivers side vanity panel just tryin to work out where things go and make sure i still have easy access to fuse box etc:
looking at a few things, got a new heater tap, a double flare tool to do fuel and brake lines, kicked the dog a few times, had a few beers and watched soccer a lot. ;D ;D ;D
caused some s**t on a website and made some new friends ;D ;D ;D
so SNAFU

thats about it aunty Kath ;D ;D ;D

dean
F4 ;D

hi dean
How are you holding the tank down from the top?
john

Hi Dean

Aunty Kathi is happy to see the progress you made this week.  ;)  Keep up the good work!

Is Keith shifting in with you or what?  :D
 
And, I hope Busta is OK!

Kathi  8)
F4+ =^{^^}=

hiya Kath, busta is fine he kicks back ;) ;)

of course kicking the dog was only a figure of speech, i'll tell you about how i feel over animal cruelty when i see you.
pack some tissues :'( its all good though. funny thing is keith and i have more in common than just cars ??? ???

nah keith hasn't shifted in just pops over when he has a chance, which is cool, he can weld and knows what hes doing.
 i just supply the comedy relief  ;D ;D ;D ;D

hi john, the tank will be held down by straps of 2.5 mm steel 50 mm wide sandwiching the tank held in by nutserts.
the dark strip you see in the pics around the tank is the first section, i just finished cutting it out today, i will probably do the bottom section tomorrow then when i can find ( or hire a nutsert ) then i will drill the holes out.
so in theory the straps are overhanging the tank by 30mm and should hold down quite well, a bit of sikaflex and all should be sweet.
i intend to put a false floor over the tank and use the cross brace as an anchor point for the cover over the speakers and amp. this will also carry the emergency tool kit.

it all works in theory mate ;D ;D ;D

if some of the stuff i have on evilbay sells then i will be sending the fuel sender to Melb to be recalibrated, while thats away i will be bending up the fuel lines, i have copper pipe to use as a template. this should be done this week.....


dean
F4 ;D

Good one Dean, nice to see someones making some progress, that's a big speaker you've got there, you'll be able to get a back massage while you listen to some good music ;) ;D
                           Pedro F4+

its just a little sub, i will be building an enclosure around that to hide everything. work should be started on the boot pretty up within a week, now that the tank is pretty much in.
just need to find someone with a nutsert gun, i dont really feel up to spending $70+ just to put in a dozen bolts...

stay tuned
same bat time
same bat channel
 ;D

hey smithy, re the boot tidy-up; are you thinking of making trim panels for the inside rear quarters?
I've recently been down that road - spent MANY hours making a template (very time-consuming; very fiddly; very awkward). Once I got the template finally right, making and covering the actual trim panels took less than an hour.
If you want to go the same way I did, I still have the template, could easily trace it on paper and post to ya. Let me know if you want pics, more info, template or whatever

cheers jack e-o

Smithy, check your email and pm's!
ta, jack   ??? ??? ???

Hi Dean

This is your gentle reminder that your update is due tonight!

I'm sure everyone wants to seeing what the nice mail-man delivered to Bubbles this week. Am I right everyone?

Kathi  8)
F4+ =^{^^}=

Thanks for the gentle prompting there Ms Kathi ;)

not a lot was completed on the car this week due to funds and flu, but Keith (EffCee) popped over during his lunch break to weld up my extractors to collector pipe....big ups again mate .... and the shed was full not only of oxy and metal fumes but of burning wool of keiths work vest :D :D :D yeah i checked as you walked out mate there was no holes ;D ;D ( didnt you feel me pat you on the back occasionally, that wasnt me saying thanks ;) )

due to flu i spent a lot of time indoors happily helping pedro with some colour choices, i still like the 2 tone silver ;)
and about 4.30 on friday i got a pressy from show wheels. ( it was the longest bloody day ever, every truck and van that went past i thought it was for me. and we are not in a big street)

this is the cheif wheel expert giving them the seal of approval, even he thought them too good to piss on ;D ;)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010017-1.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010023-1.jpg)

(mark check your PM's)

after a rushed fitting they are now back in their boxes waiting on tyres, but i can reccomend showwheels for service at least very helpful and friendly to deal with.

so not much progress but a lot done.....

now please retract them claws Kathi :-[ :-[ :-[

Smithy
Fine choice on the rims, I fitted a set of the to my car just before easter the unfortunate thing was it was only so I could see how they looked, my local Bob Jane's manager has them to fit to his EH and gee they looked great.

Cheers Jim

Looks great Smithy.They are obviously a popular choice as I also had them set as my favourite for the Grey FC a couple years ago when I bought it.I'm sure you won't mind me using them too.It will probably be a while before they go on as I have to finish the Black one first. ???

thanks jim, i cant wait to get tyres fitted to see what they look like on the ground.
actually these were one of the only rims i could go for given the fact im running commodore brakes and the offset wont alloy me to run off the shelf rims.

dean

of course i wont mind you running the same rims, but they will look better on mine of course ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

hey they may even become the american racer / jellybean rims of the 2000's ;)

hope not, but you cant stop style 8)

The wheels really set the old girl off Dean, can't wait till I am at that stage.

Dean.

Nice choice dean, are they made by "Show wheels"?
john

hi john, thanks mate
yeah they are showwheels streeters....

www.showwheels.com.au

hi dean, thanks heaps. ive actually been at "this stage" for a while but havent had the money. it took quite a while and a lot of headaches to find rims that i could use ;)

cheers
dean

Yeah i realiased after reading the post properly.. Still sleepy  ???

For those of you waiting to see Dean's weekly update tonight, please note that he submitted a note from seeking an exemption because he has been sick. 

I accepted his note on face value, although the signature ("Dean's Mum") and the fact that it was written in purple crayon does make me a little dubious of its authenticity.

I'm hoping that Dean will recouperate to the point this week that he will be able to be in a position to submit an update, no matter how small, next week.  ;)

Kathi  8)
F4+ =^{^^}=

As I understand that Dean is still not back to 100% physically (don't hold much hope for him otherwise though!) I'm prepared to accept a carryover sick note from "Dean's mum" and hope he is better this week.  As such, he has been excused from his weekly update!

Kathi  8)
F4+ =^^=

What's doing Dean, no updates lately. Hope everything is going alright.

Dean.

Thanks for the prompter there Dean (JOD34N)

I've probably been too gentle on him cos I knew he'd been crook but maybe the whip should get cracked again!  ;)

Well, what have you got to show/say for yourself Smithy?  :D

Kathi  8)

Nuffin ;D ;D ;D ;D


all will be revealed in due course, so please i beg you, put the whips away ;D :D :D :D

The henchmen are getting restless, the irish *#%*#* will be back soon and then you may feel the wrath of the evil one. ;D ;D ;D ;D, looking forward to your update mate, must be yours or Kathi's turn to do a fill in story for Paul ;).
                                    Pedro

Hi Dean, Whats this holding out on us are you  ::) ::) Come on mate show and tell ........FC427......

all in good time mate, nah ive just been pretty busy with alot of personal stuff going on, but i have managed to get a few things done to the car. some of which i will tellm, others im going to keep secret until they are done. but progress is being made ;D ;D ;D

ran into some problems with the wheel/ tyre combo so im continuing trial & error stages. 235's are too big so im going to step it down to 215's and hopefully that will fix the problem.

and ive sort of been too busy to take pics but i'll remind myself to do so this weekend.

stay tuned
dean

Dean I also played with 235s and could not get them to fit I think I could have got away with 225/45/17 but with the Ute loaded with fire wood I thought it would have been a drama so settled for 215/45/17 and they miss by a mile ....I am not saying that 235 won't fit under the back of an FC  but with the offset of my rims no way .......FC427........

yeah i would have to agree with you mark, i have a backspace of close to 120mm and even with the guard lip rolled the sidewall touches on the lip, i still have about 40mm on the inside though and even contemplated getting the diff recut but that would just be too expensive.
i have a good feeling about the 215's if they give me heaps of space i can get hold of a 225 casing and try that before i actually commit and buy some rubber. and with the 215's that brings the rolling diameter back closer to standard, but i was given the 235x45 for nicks to try so i havent lost out and it was worth a shot.

worst case senario if there is still a problem i can still trim the inner wall from the rear guard, as this will be the only area where it would foul.

dean

I got 235s to fit on the FE, went a little too much inwards with the offset on the wheels and they scrape the inner guards (tubs) on tight corners, the lips aren't rolled and they have never touched there.
A torana diff would be another option.

hiya stinky, these are actually 17 inch we were discussing to run on a commodore diff.
the commy diff im using was cut down to HR specs and the problem was trying to find decent rims with commodore stud pattern....
 ah the joys of modification  ;D ;D ;D :D ;)

just picked up a 215 x45x 17 case and it looks like this will be the go, i may get some scrub on the outer so i might try a bit of massaging on the inner wall of the outer guard.

looks like you were on the money there mark...
thanks for your help mate


dean

Dean can you get  a few mm turned  off the center or did Show Wheels already do that  ??? ??? ???.........FC427........

hey mark, they already took 6 mm off.
that was the first ph call i made ;)
unfortunately they shave them before they drill and taper the pcd, but judging by the hub width there isnt much more that could safely be taken off,
it was sort of my error, when i measured the backspace i was working with a 6 inch rim, i didnt take into consideration the extra inch.
it looks ok though and besides having the 215 x 45 brings it very close to original rolling diameter which will keep mr rego man happy....

always room for later on down the track once i get the car on the road ;D

Dean didn't you end up with 110mm back space ?????........FC427........

G Day.
I would  have to say, job very well done boys and I just love the white upholstery. :)
Definitely professionals at work here. ;)

Hey Dean,

Any working bee's planned in the next month?

Cheers,

Phil

OK its been a little while since my last update and i have completed a few more jobs bringing me just that little bit closer ;D
but before i get into it just a few replies.

mark- the 110 backspace is on the front, this will give be ample clearance on ball joint and tie rod ends, the rears are closer to 118 backspace.
i had another good look in the daylight and the 215's will clear, i have about 50mm clearance on the inside and when $$ prospects improve i will look at diff options.

leon- thanks heaps mate for the compliment. actually a few "professionals" have been used in the construction with body/paint and a very talented trimmer, thanks stinky ;) to stitch up the covers then re-padded and repaired and attached the covers to the seats myself, apart from 1 small incident :-X everything fit up quite well. and i cant forget the assistance of keith in the welding of the boot for the new tank.
windscreen fittment, and brake lines /handbrake will be the only other 2 jobs i will seek the services of a pro, apart from the final EFI tune/programming
i have been trying to keep costs down as much as possible by doing as much of the work myself, and learning a hell of a lot in the process ;) ;)

Philpy- no working bees in the pipeline just yet but there is always something to get done, or conversation required so your more than welcome to pop on over ;D

ok now on to show and tell

finally got windscreen fitted after a few minor dramas with the screen not fitting properly on the first attempt, the guy who fitted it seems to think the windscreen surround on the body may have sagged a bit due to no screen being in the car for quite a while, he has fitted screens to FC's for over 25 years and has seen this on the odd occasion, last one he had to get a porta-power in to lift the roofline a bit :-\ :-\

something to keep in mind everyone  :-\ :-\ ;)

second attempt and a change in tactics worked but still very tight, not sure if rares rubber has anything to do with it but we are giving it a month to bed itself in then he will come back and do some final massaging ;)
unfortunately he could only get the tinted band :-\

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010016-2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010023-2.jpg)

scored myself some dynamat  ;) ;)
and after a few days of back aches fitting all is ready for carpet
not really the most enjoyable job to do with a crook back ::)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010002-4.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010013-2.jpg)

finally got some scuff plates after months of searching, thanks heaps pedro ;D ;D your a champ, so spent this weekend in the sunshine ( 12 degrees ::)) prepping and painting.
they were in pretty good condition with only 1 really requiring a bit of work, with a fair bit of rust but thankfully still metal underneath.
rust converted the lot and a little metal work and got the paint shop to colour match & mix up an aerosol can and so far they have come up pretty good, hopefully will clear them in the next day or so ( today is 10 degrees and a bloody chilly wind >:( )

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010005-4.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010004-1.jpg)

got the 215 test tyre fitted and this makes a hell of a difference to the rim look, starting to look like a car now ;D ;D

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010005-3.jpg)


hopefully be getting into the final stages of painting and installing fuel tank this week along with running fuel lines, after a bit of uncertainty i will be setting on running 3/8 copper fuel lines ( lpg pipes) it was almost impossible to get 3/8 steel bundy tubing as no one carries it stock and freight to get the amount i need was crazy. spoke to the transport departments technical standards guys and they gave me the all clear to run copper, as long as it meets design standards for fuel and is secure.

picked up a few more things during the week, vehicle speed sensor for the EFI, charcol cannister and some intake tubing plus a few odds and ends

indside door rubbers now installed from clarks rubber, they seem to fit better than the rares and a hell of a lot cheaper.
gauges in the console all ready to go,

carpet and front seat to go in in the next 2 weeks then brakes and engine starting  :o ;D  ;)
then trim the boot area and all should be good ;D ;D ;D ;D

still working out clutch ideas to lessen pedal pressure, plus have a little special something which ive got to work out before i let the cat out

but things are progressing,
and  cant leave without saying very big thanks to Kathi, John and the guys at PAW Performance for their ongoing support and subtle motivational skills ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D  ;)

stayed tuned boys and girls the best is still to come ;D

dean

Great work Dean - it is really looking fabulous.

Cheers
David

thanks heaps david,
yeah its all slowly starting to come together. its funny how many jobs cant get done until you do something little but before something little gets done there are so many big jobs to do ::) ::) ::)

Hi Dean

Great to see the progress to date – it must feel so good to be so getting much closer to the end (but are they ever really finished?). :D  Those scuff plates are looking real good and WOW, Bubble's gonna look stunning when you get her down on the ground with those wheels and tyres!  :o

You certainly have had some really good support from a wide range of forum members in many different ways – either through passing on their knowledge, the provision of a lot of moral support and encouragement and not to forget some really good physical support either through the supply of a few parts or actual physical labour - it was great to see Philby asking when the next working bee was!  ;D

And in relation to those written (not to forget the occasional verbal) “smack around the head” you get from me and John, well, it’s the very least we can do due to the tyranny of distance!  Oh yeah, the guys at PAW Performance really like them swish “Dine Mats”!  ;)
 
Keep up the good work! ;D

Kathi  8)

Looks fantastic Dean and good to see you are getting real close now. 8)

G'day Dean, looking good, the rims look shit hot with tyres on them 8), unusual not to see buster in any pics, has he been banned from the white upholstery or was he just busy chewing on another real estate agent :D :D
                                            Pedro

Come on Dean, time we started getting tough on you again!  It's Sunday night so ........

Where's your update??

Kathi  8)
F4+ =^{^^}=

well, here it is again, the sunday update......

thankfully i was spared last week due to the f*****g hackers hitting the site so this weeks makes me look like i was busy ;D ;D ;D

desperately fighting off the cabin fever and sub zero garage conditions i did manage to get a bit done.

fuel tank before and after hours spent with a wire brush

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010001-6.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010006-2.jpg)

and once again in the car ready for straps to secure it,

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010003-2.jpg)

almost looks like it was made for the car ;D

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010004-2.jpg)

fuel filter and fuel & return lines fitted

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010008-2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010017-3.jpg)

and instead of getting my fuel sender modified from 240-40 ohms to 0-30 ohms to suit the FC gauge, i spent about an hour going through bins at the wreckers for a suitable commodore fuel gauge and found that a VL commy has about the same sweep and is very close to the FC size.
so today was spent rugged up in the shed adapting the commy gauge to the FC housing which wasnt as easy as i thought it would be. just about every component of both had to be modified.
last year i apid $40 for the Ozito rotary tool in the pic below and it has been the best money i have spent, i wouldnt even like to think how i would have done this without it.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010023-3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010030-1.jpg)


this mess is about half way through
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010005-5.jpg)

this little plastic needle is now half its thickness and im in the process of cutting the VL face down to suit the original gauge

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010012-1.jpg)

i had to take about i.5 mm off the height of the needle shaft and re-glue because the whole VL unit is over 4 mm too high to sit in the FC housing, the needle has now been completely ground down, beyond the white cap on top and is about half the diameter, shaving about another 2mm off. damn hard trying to carefully grind clear plastic :P
:-\
i then had to cut a support from the old VL housing for the needle to sit on and attach this to the back of the FC face and take a large section from the FC face to allow the needle to sweep cleanly, and shave 2mm from the underside

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010014-2.jpg)


because the VL unit plugs into a circut board on the VL dash, and the whole housing is plastic, while the FC is all metal and grounds to the dash i have to make sure that no metal components will come in contact with the guage :-\ :-\  ( i hope im right in this theory ??? )
after this shot was taken i realised that some of the fine wires in the VL guage would touch the centre of the metal FC face so a large section then had to be removed. i will glue the VL face onto the original which will all sit nice and neat behind the original facia and hopefully wont notice the difference unless you know what to look for, plus it will give me better accuracy when im running out of go juice 8) 8)

i now just have to work out which is the correct wiring sequence from the back of the unit ::)

i also have had to section the metal dash facia ( or whatever the piece is the hides the blinker, fuel gauge) because even after shaving all the plastic off it will still foul :( :( ::)

then i decided to change the whole appearance of the dash but you will have to wait for a day or 2 for pics until i put it all back together ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

made myself up a fresh air intake pipe, fitted injectors, and have started plumbing fuel and vac hoses to engine....heater tap i'll fit this week, do a tidy up on the wires, and fit the charcoal cannister and lines to the tank
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/smithy59/P1010009-5.jpg)


painted brake hubs and calipers finally and have now installed the 02 sensor and vehicle speed sensor for the EFI.
just waiting to fix up a few little things this week then start on another area of the beast.

oh yeah and the scuff plates are now cleared and looking quite funky ;D ;D ;D ;D ;)

s**t i have been a bit busy, all this and bloody house inspections and trying to find work and a new place to live......
just wish the weather would stay in double figures so i could spend more than 4 hours in the shed :P :P :P

cheers
dean

sorry to keep you waiting there kathi, you can call off the henchmen now.
just took a little longer to write then i accidently hit a button and had a hissy fit cause i thought i lost it all....


"picked a hell of a week to stop sniffing glue"  ;D ;D ;D :D

I was wondering what took you so long to respond to the throwing down of the gauntlet!  ;D

You have been a very busy little boy!  Looks like you should, all things going well, definitely be on target for November! 

Kathi  8)
F4+ =^{^^}=

shhhhhhh dont curse me, im quietly confident at the moment ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


but with house moving coming up its going to be close,real close
im not sure about registered but it should be good for the wedding photos ;)


and nice and shiney too ;D ;D ;D ;D

Sorry, the 10 minutes has passed for me to be able to modify or retract my above statement!  :-\

Regardless, you're moving in the right direction!  ;D

And yes, I'm sure it will be nice and shiney too!  ;)

Nice work Dean,

love the fuel gauge.

Cheers

Ed

Looking good dean, you have a lot of patience to fiddle with those little parts!!
Well worth the effort at the end.
john

Good work Dean I hope you made TWO  ;D ;D.......FC427.......

Smithy, great progress, mate!!   ;D ;D  (even if it was 2 weeks!)  Even though that engine bay is not finished, it still does it for me  ;) ;) ;)
cheers jack

cheers guys much appreciated. it was quite a task working on the fiddly bits trying not to shiver. i think we did reach 7 degrees yesterday, not sure what it was in the garage but it must've been close ::) ::)

mark if by 2 your are referring to the gauge, sorry to have to say this mate but FAT CHANCE ;D ;D
bloody hard enough working on one but i can help you as much as possible by giving simpler instructions.
its not really too difficult just fiddly and for someone with your skills you shouldnt have any problems ;) ;)


cheers
dean

thanks jack, the engine bay isnt that far from finished, just a bit of a tidy up and plumbing.

then a damn good clean to get years of dust off ;D ;D

Shit Dean you must be so close to putting that key in the ignition and bringing the old girl to life, the suspense is killing me, has to be in one of these updates soon.
                              Pedro

dont worry Pedro it will be in one of these updates soon mate, but you would probably be able to hear the shouts of delight all the way up there ;D ;D ;D

its not that far now......


i just wish it wasnt so bloody cold >:(

Dean,
Long time no post - surely things have happened in the last month worth sharing!  (http://img2.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sick/sick0007.gif) ($2) 

I'd like to think that we get an update soon! Don't make me send in the henchmen! (http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii6/Badkitti666/bat.gif)(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii6/Badkitti666/bat.gif)(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii6/Badkitti666/bat.gif)

Kathi  8)
F4+ =^{^^}=

well there certainly has been a few things going on.
but where do i start ???

made it through my first month off the ciggies and feeling pretty damn fine too, apart from a bloody cold :-\
moved house and car, which hopefully will be the last time she is seen on a trailer :D that all went pretty smooth, still unpacking but not worried or rushing it.

started construction on "The Grotto" a rather swish 2.6 m long house for the attack rabbits, put up some shade cloth around the house ready for the grotto to take up it's position.

FINALLY GOT MYSELF A JOB, after 10 months off injured. was due to start up tomorrow but after speaking with the boss tonight he said that i sounded like s**t and just to start up when im ready. not a good way to start a new job but he is very understanding. thankfully.

well that pretty well has been my month, i havent really had any time to do any work on bubbles.





untill a couple of days ago, then i achieved   ;)

ALL fuel lines are now run. just need to clamp lines, fuel pump and sender are wired just waiting to borrow a nutsert gun to secure the tank. charcoal cannister is tucked up under front guard and plumbed

ECU is all wired up ( i think). speed sensor, and O2 sensors hooked up. my head has been a bit furry so im going to go back and double check everything but i am pretty confident i got it right.

windscreen guy came back on friday to finish off the rubber inside after we let the screen settle a bit. it appears the roof did sag a little in the time the screen was out. as soon as he was done the sunvisors and rear view mirror went on ;)

engine is all wired up, and i guess ready for a fire up. i moved a few things around and redid one or two things i wasnt totally happy with. just need to work out a throttle cable, i will have a look around cycle wreckers this week and see what i can find.

exhaust tip welded on ( thanks Keith ;) )

i ripped the front seat out today ready to start laying some carpet, but quickly ran out of energy. should be right to go in this week.

should be getting some tyres on the new rims next week, then its just the handbrake and brake lines which need to be done and

i think ladies and gentlemen, she will be DONE !!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

and it will be ready at least for the wedding photos on Nov 1, and im still hoping for a first outing to the "marques in the park" here in canberra on the 23rd

im not going to jinx myself as im sure i have overlooked something but it is getting pretty damn close. 8) 8)

i havent got any pics because there is nothing really new to see, just a lot of little fiddly things


that enough for you Kathi :D


cheers
dean


now all i got to do is remember where i put the bloody ignition key :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

I guess it will do - but what does every one else think?  ???

Kathi  8)
F4+ =^{^^}=

not much fun without pictures i guess ;)

may take one when carpet goes in and before the camera goes to china ;D

Hi Dean, what brake booster/ MC are you using ?

thanks,
Nick.

hi nick, booster/ master is from a VH commodore if i remember correctly.
i did however change the fluid reservoir over to a magna as this one isnt as angled as the commodore

 Thanks, i thought it was commy but had read about the sloping reservoir, magna hey pick a part here i come !

hey nick i forgot to add i did trim a couple of mm from one of the plugs on the res ( front one i think) that sit in the master cylinder. havent filled it yet as brakes lines still need doing but i am pretty confident that it will seal.

Dean,

It would be great to see your car at Marques.  It will be the only Canberra event that celebrates GMH's 60th - its a shame we are sharing with 60 years of Morris Minor, Land Rover and a few other anniversaries and not able to have had a Holden only event.

We will meet at the Floriade car park off Commonwealth Avenue to drive to the Park in convoy.  More details to come later.

Keep up the good work in the meantime.

Cheers
David

A bit slack making with the updates  ::).

You got that right...   must have his mind on other things??    ::) ::)

I think that a certain person is keeping him bloody busy..... ;)

No rest for the wicked, and Smithy's been a bad, bad boy!  ;D

Expect an update soon, Kathi (the evil one) and John have gone to visit him, he may never be the same again but there will be an update ;) :D :D :D :D
                              Pedro

BEFORE   :'(
(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii6/Badkitti666/BubblesB42.jpg)

AFTER   :D
(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii6/Badkitti666/BAfter3.jpg)

(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii6/Badkitti666/BAfter5.jpg)

(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii6/Badkitti666/BAfter10.jpg)

(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii6/Badkitti666/BAfter13.jpg)

(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii6/Badkitti666/BAfter14.jpg)

Looking shit hot Dean, you must be stoked with how she's coming together, Kathi you did a wicked job with that buff, we know who to ask for polishing tips now ;).
                                                Pedro

WooHoo,

Doesnt Bubbles look really glamourous in her new wax dress and stillettos :D :D

Keith
F4+
 ;)

Thanks guys - and all by hand Pedro!

2 medium cuts (3 in some spots), 1 fine cut, 2 wax and 1 final non product buff!

Who says a girl can't do a good hand job!  ;)

Kathi

That looks awesome Dean,great job.

Looking Real GOOD Dean nearly time to hit the road ........FC427.......

Very impressive work . Love your work. ;D

Looks fantastic!
I bet you'll be happy when it hits the road.
Plenty of leg room there by the looks of it  ;D
Paul

This one shows some of the highlights in the purple a little better - you really need to see it in the flesh to appreciate the way it flips from dark purple (almost black) through to varying shades of purple with blue and pink tones.

(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii6/Badkitti666/BAfter7.jpg)

thanks heaps guys i really apreciate it.
but i just supplied the body and picked my colours.

true credit goes out to the painter for a top effort on the body and finish,
and to provide a good base for kathi to let fly with her polishing and detailing work which has just added a whole new depth to the paint,
and to john for his talent and tireless efforts on the chrome and shiny bits  ;) ;)

then im just putting it all back together ;) :D ;)

ive been too flat out with work lately to sit down and thank everyone for their support lately

so

thanks heaps guys and gals ;)
 i appreciate it  ;) ;D 8)

dean

Smithy,

I've been watching this build with considerable interest.

What an incredibly well presented car you have built. It is an absolute credit to yourself and to your team of contributors.  ;)

That paint is spectacular - combined with that interior trim and those wheels, the overall result is nothing less than stunning.  8)

Cheers,

Josh

Ol_Girl_58

Hi Dean

No-one on the forum should "play down" their involvement in the build of their car - we all have different talents and capabilities.  Some can do every aspect in a ground-up build and some only parts of the build - but it all takes time, effort and a vision.  And achieving the visions we want can sometimes be the hardest part - especially if you're looking for something a little different. 

It might not be running yet, but sitting on your wheels (and admittedly without a layer of dust!) your vision is almost complete.  So keep working on it - as with everyone else here, all those little trials and tribulations you experienced will fade when you are cruisin' down the road.

I think the information, assistance and support (physical and moral) that you, and many others, have received through the forum has been great.  And, it was our pleasure to play a small part in helping bring your vision to life.

And yes, as Josh said - Bubbles does look stunning!  Now..... get it running and on the road!  :D

Kathi & John

Dean, here is how to make and use a DIY rivnut tool that i'm sure will be handy for you -

 http://www.fjr1300.info/howto/rivnut-tool.html

Hey Dean, better head out to the shed and thaw out those tools I'm catching up fast ;) ;D ;D
                                                 Pedro

And he ain't joking Smithy!

Spring is almost here - surely the temperature in the shed has to be close to 12 by now! Orange is fast approaching!  :D

Dean

Car looks fantastic.

Can you give me the type of showwheels an the size including the offset if any?

I am looking to fit a VN diff and looking for the length of the diff from axle flange to axle flange.

Thanks

Craig

Looking grouse dean!!!

Any updates Smithy  ;) ;)

Maybe?

But you'll have to wait til I stop playing my playstation ;)

Certainly be some big ones very soon 8)