FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hi, just thought I would try and give everyone a look at my fc it is a 59 special that should be granite grey and india ivory. I bought the car to drive and after a couple of years would give it a birthday. It had a tired grey so I sent the engine to Perth for a overhaul.Whlie waiting for the engine to return I thought I would clean up the engine bay. I havent taken many pics but here are a few.
This is the first dayI picked it up from the car transport company ( Coolamon N.S.W to Broome W.A. ) didnt quite make it the last 5kms home.
(http://www.postimage.org/TsbLlwS.jpg) ($2)
I didnt get to look at the car before I bought it, (ebay) distance and time made that impossible, it was advertised as "only two small rust holes in drivers side sill".
Sorry, doesnt seem to want to upload any more pics, I will read abit more on posting pics and try again later, thanks Gary C
(http://www.postimage.org/TsbVhBJ.jpg) ($2)

here are some more,,,maybe!

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I must be uploading pics wrong they take about 10mins each, does anybody know what the problem could be?
Gary C

Looks like you have a neat little project car on your hands.
Pehaps the advert should have read 'only 2 small sections of the sill not affected by rust remaining'
You seem to have jumped right in there.
Keep the updates coming and good luck.
Regards
Alex

Thanks Alex, yeah I bought it sight unseen but I'm not complaining. I wrecked a few when I was a kid and for the last 30 odd years work and family commitments have hamstrung me somewhat. But now its my time and I'm just happy to finally have an fc in the shed.I do have a few more pics to bring everyone up to date but 10mins per pic to upload is off the planet , I must have to downsize or something. any help on that would be appreciated.
Gary C
(http://www.postimage.org/TselbIr.jpg) ($2)

Nice progress Gary,keep them pictures rolling.Jamie.

The most likely cause is the size of the original images, they are probably very large thus taking longer to upload.

If they are large Gary - 1 to 2 mb- and you have Microsoft Office Picture Manager, or similar,  make a copy of each one and put them through this and resize them to "web large". When you upload them for posting they should load quickly.

Cheers
John

G'day Gary welcome to the forum, nice looking car i like the colour are you going to keep it or go back to original, the usual rust problems i see, always makes it worse when you're not expecting it though.
                   Pedro

Thanks Pedro, I do intend to eventually paint the fc its original granite grey/india ivory but while in Broome I'm thinking matt black, I'm pretty keen on just driving it for a couple of years then I a full resto when we relocate to Perth.Stinky and John you are right about the pic size they are about 2.4mb, I'll get the young bloke onto it, thanks Gary C
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Just a couple more pics
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My welding did improve(slightly) after this when a mate came around to set it up a bit better for me and said I had the polarity reversed.
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I wanted to paint the firewall granite grey but got too hard getting my hands on some, I found some hitachi excavator touch up paint in the shed and used that. I didn't realise how close it is to the grey motor colour, probably look a bit daggy when the engine is in but it will do for now. Gary C

Hey Gary,

fast progress happening there.

re-colouring to grey even!

Cheers

Ed

Ed, I started in august and most of the pics are just bringing everyone up to date. In saying that it hasnt advanced a great deal as parts to put the crossmember back in took about 4 weeks and engine mounts have been 8 weeks. Gary C

These pics are up to date with progress.
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Gary C

Great progress there Gary !

I was in Geraldton on the weekend ..so did not get down to Bonies to catch up

Did you get all the parts you were after??

Cheers
Gary

Yeah Gary I did call in and have a look, there were some great cars there on display, obviously a lot of dedication goes into building cars like that. I managed to grab some parts off Classic Olden, they had a heap of gear and seemed pretty cheap too. Hope you had a good trip to Geraldton,Gary C

Not much progress, waiting on parts. Here is was started the refurb
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I was hoping that by the time the engine arrived I would be ready to slip it in and be on the road, hasn't quite worked out like that, Gary C

got my diff back today,new bearings , seals and side gears replaced (shop manual terminology) the new side gears needed machining to fit,,ofcourse.
(http://www.postimage.org/Ts1tmBWJ.jpg) ($2)
Have taken the doors back to bare metal and they look very good,
(http://www.postimage.org/Ts1trrf9.jpg) ($2)                                                                Its booked in for paint,,,4 weeks from now,
Thanks Gary C

Hey Gary
Yes, those doors do look very good!!
Good to see some progress.
Regards
Alex

Looking good Gary but I see you've gone down the same path as most of us, you start with one job and that leads to another then another, next thing you know you're doing a rebuild.
                                        Pedro

Gary,

Looking great, I see that you don't muck around. You will have the car on the road in no time

Keith

Its rolling again.
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Gary C

engine is in, exhaust is on,
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cant wait to hear it fire up, maybe tommorrow, Gary C

Very, very cool. Hope it goes well.

Thanks Colt, should be lumpy as, Gary C

 Looks way  cool Gary... what are you using for air cleaners Henry's Hot Rod part has those little chrome ones with the louvers on special at the moment ......just a thought ....FC427.....

Thanks fc 427, good observation. I did buy some "Redline" aircleaners about six months ago guaranteed to fit triple strommies,,,no go! so yes you are correct I dint have any and do need some . I was thinking about the rat rod look skulls but $175 ea is getting a bit out there. It  wont be on the road for a while so I got some time. Gary C

 The skulls look sick 8) but would scare me to at that price :o we will be waiting for the video of fire up time Vroomp Voummp ....FC427....

It  started and sounds great, I took video with my digital camera but cant upload it, any suggestions? Gary C

Gary, 

I haven't tried this myself, a lot of other forum members who post video seem to post it onto You Tube, then post the link to the site

Keith

Thanks Keith, I have tried posting on you tube but I have never done that before either and hasn't worked. My young bloke is here for a visit so I might corner him tommorrow. Gary C

rfve_4CXB9A&feature=email

I couldnt wait,Gary C

that sounds awesome top work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cool video Gary...although I was waiting for the big bang when the axle snaps...I've heard it before ;D

Gary,

The video looks great, well done. You have gotta love the sound of a Grey

Keith

Hi everyone, Iam getting the fc painted but things have been slow, the doors are in primer but the car wont be painted till end of January
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We are heading down south to Perth for Christmas for about 4 weeks and hope to get all the rubbers,bailey channels etc needed to have it all back together by the end of March. Thanks for all the help thus far and hope everyone has a happy Christmas,Gary C

G'day Gary, nice work.
I am building an FC at the moment and like you i cant wait to take it for a drive and give the grey motor a bit of stick. I'm not running triples, just twins but i think it will go alright. I also have Jack Meyer headers so it will be interesting to hear the note the exhaust makes at about 5000 rpm. Have you got a big cam? to run triples i would think you need a big cam use all that fuel. Have you dynoed the engine to see how much horse power you are making?
 Anyway cheers for now
                                Scott

Also, i noticed you put lowering blocks and new springs in. Did you use the 2" lower King springs on the front and 2" lowering blocks on the back? I am thinking of doing that on mine.

Hi Scott, yes your right I have the lowered king springs in the front and re-set the rear springs to original then 2 inch lowering blocks.
I had the engine built by Bob Cambells racing engines in Perth.
Bore and deck block (149)
Race harmonic balancer
Shot peen rods
ARP bolts
Lighten flywheel
Full ballance
Port head
Oversize valves (186)
Heavy duty valve springs
Heavy duty valve colletts
35/75 cam. Your probably right about the triples, but they do look good, and mate your right those headers sound awesome. Gary C

Oh yeah, no dyno Scott the closest is 2400km away. I too are always interested in how much these greys are good for Im hoping over the 100 mark maybe thats a bit ambitious?

Sounds great Gary, you must be stoked.

Dean.

I was talking to a mate of mine the other day, and he helped a bloke, just recently build a grey for an EJ and it has a very similar set up to mine, and he dynoed it, and without proper tuning it made 100HP. I think if you give it good spark, right amount of fuel and let it breath with a nice, not too wild cam, the grey will really perform. Do you a have eletronic dizzy?
Cheers Scott.

Yeah Scott I fitted one of those crane fireball electronic ignition, but I have only run the car about 30mins so far. When I get it back from the paint shop we will try setting the carbys and timing properly, probably take a while to sort it all out but it did run very smooth from first fire up. I also have a set of triple inch and a quarter su's that I might put on further down the track.Gary C

Garry C

Go the SU route - mine has 100rwhp on the dyno, goes well and sounds great


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regards
Weddo

They look good Weddo, did you have to cut the firewall? what size are they?
Great video Gary C

zulu - late model 38mm vertical style (no fuel bowl) minor massage of the fire wall when I did the engine bay after this photo was taken

regards
Weddo

Great to see some movement and sound instead of pics Gary, she's coming together nicely 8), looking forward to seeing more home movies.
                 Pedro

Weddo, those su's do look great and I will put mine on once I get the car on the road and have done a few k's. I probably have to put a kit through them as I have never run them. Are they hard to set up? common belief is they are a pain, but then again no pain no gain.Gary C

Hi Gary C

I have had no problems with the carbies, it took a bit of trial and error to get the correct needles to suit the set up (only about 150 to choose from :o) but once we had it running right and the fuel curve correct it was sweet.  I only have to do a tune about every 10 -12 months and thats with an air/fuel analizer connected to the exhaust and correct the idle adjustment if required.

No pain Gary all gain

Regards
Weddo

I'm hear'in ya Weddo!.Gary C

Picked up 90% of rubbers, door belts and bailey channels etc over Christmas (why does it always take 2-3 months to receive "off the shelf" parts!) The car is now nearly all in primer.
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12weeks in the paint shop...was thinking I would make it to Orange and meet everyone, the wet season and 2 cyclones have put the handbrake on progress.

The white is going on..
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hope to have it back by the end of the week.
Thanks,Gary

Great stuff, keep chipping away at it and you will get there.

Looking good Gary nearly at the end , that look like an indoor , out door spray booth he is using ;D ;D......FC427.....

 

Gary,

Great work under the circumstances, it is a credit to you, look forward to see your car Orange and of course to catch up with you.

Cheers
John ;) ;)

Thanks John, I got a bit to do,but I'm probably not alone there!
Iam pretty keen on Orange but if I do make it my car wont be complete by any stretch of the imagination, but making it there in my own car and actually being there amongst all them other fe/fcs and to meet all you people would blow me away. Shit I havent even met another fc owner personally for 30 years! Anyway the next 14 days will tell. Thanks.
Gary

The black is on..
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headlining thursday,front and rear screens friday, door glass saturday-sunday, wiring monday, chrome wednesday-thursday,replace seats friday, run engine in saturday-sunday...I think Im dreaming again.Thanks,
Gary C

Looks great Gary well done.
Bit more than an engine bay refurb huh? :o
Cheers
Brad

Hi Gary, is that you doing the painting? If it is, then i know who to look out for.
 Keep up the good work and keep on chipping away at it. Just grab one job at a time and complete it then move to the next and before you know it they are all completed and the car is complete.

Nah, thats not me Scotty. I never had a go at painting a car,,, looking at the end result maybe I should have.
Gary

Looks great Gary can't wait to see it.
Cheers,
Graham

Headliner didnt get finished on friday so brought it home and got the engine going and started putting some pieces back on
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The guy who painted the car came around and buffed up one of the guards and the black is awesome.
The white is a pearl white and it too is great.Now with the new paint the old chrome looks crap,,but shit where does it end?
Back to the trimmers tommorrow then windscreen, Hopefully by friday or mon it will be street legal.
Gary C

hay Gary,
The car is looking hot. Hope to see it in Orange.
Cheers,
Graham

Hi Gary,
         Great to see more progress, looking forward to seeing the FC and youself in Orange, but you are cutting it a bit fine, aren't you?
 Good luck
 Scotty

Headlining finished today,,,,,,then disaster, actually drove the car about 2k then heard the "death rattle" turned the engine off and wiped around inside rocker cover and it was dry. Then checked the dizzy and the clamp was loose ( by this time Iam starting to feel sick in the stomach ) and dizzy popped out of oil pump hence big end knock. That all adds up to 1 very nice grey that never fired a shot in anger, now being stripped and hopefully rebuilt. Maybe just bearings.Felt sick all day. I need a drink,
Gary C

Hi Gary,

Sorry to hear about the problems.  Think positive.

Have a fresh look in the morning and it might not be as bad as you think.

Cheers
Peter

Hi Gary

I know it's cold comfort but things happen for a reason. As Peter said take some time, get your contingency plans together and maybe that worst case scenario might not be the actual scenario you face. 

I can appreciate how you feel though - not a good feeling at all!  :-\

Kathi

Thanks Kathi and Peter, I know its not the end of the world and at the very least it is a set of bearings but it is hard to accept that I could have done something so stupid. Anyway the prognosis should be complete by am tommorrow, and if there is no machining required it will be order parts (2 days airbag), 1 day fit parts, maybe by friday I'll be back on  track. Thanks Again,
Gary C

Spewin' Mate, what a kick in the guts. Don't worry mate, it won't be that bad and won't take long to rectify.
 You will be right, Cheers Scotty

I'm in, I'm in like Errol.
30psi oil pressure at idle - 40psi with a rev ,
No knock or rattle, shit thats how you run these things in, no oil for 15 minutes.
I cant believe it I musta kissed a chinaman on the dick!
The mechanics I took it to are diesel mechanics but heavily into speedway (they go alright too) and  was all thumbs up.
I must have shut in down in time or these greys can take a bashing. Anyway all bullshit aside its a goer!
I drove it to the windsrceen man tonight, he should be finished am tommorrow,
You bastards better prepare,
Wont be long I'm on my way,
Gary C

Gary that good news so what did you change [bigend] ??? .....FC427.....

Gary,

Good to see that it is up and going again, it sounds like it was a close call, maybe you were lucky enough to get away with it, did you just have to replace the bearing, no damage to the crank?

Keith

Now, best thing is a lotto ticket for the weekend then when you win that too you can really travel to the Nats in style!!

Must have been Paddy's Day luck a little early!!

 ;D

We didn't have to replace any bearings, The mechanics reckon I must have shut it down in time,Thanks Keith and Fc 427.
There was no white metal in the filter or sump and oil pressure is good.
I spoke to the guy who built the engine and he reckoned  that that knock doesn't necessarily mean "DEATH" if caught in time.
It will always be in the back of my mind though,when you do give it a bit of hurt you'd be all ears.
Anyway the windscreen is in and the car is with the sparky, then back to the trimmer.
Oh yeah I didn't kiss a chinaman on the dick, he kissed me on the dick.
Gary C

Well,,,today was my deadline, if I was going to attend the nats I would have to leave today. It aint gunna happen.
Still have no door glass , no interior,wiring isnt finished, starter motor shit itself and the fuel pickup in the fuel tank has some problem that has returned, so no fuel.
Gary C

Hi Gary.

Sorry to hear it didn't work out this week.  The engine bay job was looking great.

I know the feeling first hand on having problems close to your deadline.  Don't worry mate, the next NATS are a bit closer and I'm sure we'll see your car even better then it is now.

Cheers
Peter.

Hey Gary
Sorry to hear you won't get the car to Orange.
Don't let that stop you....
Jump in the daily driver...
Jump on a plane...
Jump into an empty seat of another WA club member...
Accommodation is already booked, meals are paid for...so get your arse over here.
2 years is a long time to wait.
Regards
Alex

Gary,

Sorry to hear that you won't be able to make it with your car. I hope that you will be able to make it though

Keith

Hey Gary, Chin up mate. ;)
 If you make it over to the Nats you can take my FC for a drive, i would really enjoy meeting you and compare notes.

Well I got some door glass in, the chrome is on and the dash is in.
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Should be finished in time for,, er,,,dawn service ANZAC day!
Gary C

You were very close. Car is looking great.

Regards

Wayne

Did you make ANZAC day?

Regards

Wayne

Yes I did make the dawn service in the fc thanks Wayne and also the RSL for 2 beers and two up.
It was a great day and the car certainly impressed some of the locals.
Just door rubbers and door trims and a final tidy up and it is just about done.
Im working about 70hrs per week away from home at the moment so things have slowed on the fc front.
Thanks,
Gary C

Just got my new wheels
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They are 17 x 6 with 205s and seem to have good clearance.
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The engine bay is nearly there
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Just the door seals and door trims to go,,,
Gary

Lookin good Gary. You gotta love your mags.

Regards

Wayne

Nice set of wheels Gary, really makes the old girl stand out from the crowd.
                   Pedro

Car looks great Gary, Well done.

Keith

Gary
Been awhile since we received an update on your progresses ???

Cheers Jim

Hi Jim, not much happening here, work is off the planet at the moment.
We are hoping to sell the business this year, then it will be happy times.
The sedan just needs door seals fitted (still)
The engine for the ute has been sitting alongside it for a couple of months with a chassis kit waiting to be fitted.
We have had to put a few more people on and that is always a drama.
I do find time to read all the stuff going on here and thats what keeps you going.
I have been thinking about getting into the historic racing and if the business sells maybe the sedan might get a number.
Thanks for the inquire Jim.
Gary C