FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

And you'll have to forgive me for my sometimes utter noob-ness, I'm a girl who is by no means mechanically minded!

Me? I'm a 1940s/50s obsessed web development librarian who pretty much lives vintage.

I bought my 1959 FC almost two years ago to the date, and it's been a slow process (and a comedy of errors) getting her roadworthy. My partner has an XP wagon, and I'd always been interested in classic cars... so it was a no brainer. Purchased as an investment, and I don't care if it takes me 20 years to get her done.

Anyway, pics first.

(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/rach_mack/FC%20Rust/DSC_0050.jpg)

(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/rach_mack/FC%20Rust/DSC_0026.jpg)

(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/rach_mack/FC%20Rust/DSC_0162.jpg)

(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/rach_mack/FC%20Rust/fcholden001-1.jpg)

(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/rach_mack/FC%20Rust/DSC_0027.jpg)

(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/rach_mack/FC%20Rust/DSC_0028.jpg)

Standard grey motor, twin carbs, extractors.

Already - removed lowering blocks, bought new tyres, and done rust removal in floorpans / rear quarters.

Currently happening - new king pins and brake overhaul (then it's roadworthy!)

Eventually - respray, rechrome, pearlcraft steering wheel, new carpet and roof lining.

NICE ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Cheers
Deano

Kool

Simon Addison

welcome, rach!
nice FC, mate  8) 8)
being "by no means mechanically minded" certainly wont earn you any flak around here - only additional help!
and being a girl will certainly endear you to most of us  :)

cheers, jack

ps   if you want to impress the girls on this forum as well as the blokes, consider fitting a foxtail to the
      FCs aerial for a start...  ;D

Cheers guys!

Jack, you know what, my brother actually shot a fox and hung the tail up on a fence to dry out for me, but one of the dogs ran off with it! I'll have to get him back on the case.

please do!!

(otherwise, you'd have to paint that lovely blue and white FC black  :o :o::), or worse still; trade it for an FE...  ;))

I love the look, but i am surprised you removed the lowering blocks. I would have thought that it could do with it being lowered. But if that is how you want it, then that's cool too. Gotta love the white walls. Welcome to the Forum and don't be afraid to ask, what you might consider the dumbest questions, because we don't mind answering them.
 Cheers Scotty

Hey Scotty, I had to remove the lowering blocks because they wouldn't have passed the roadworthy (think it had chopped springs too). Right now it's got a pair of original springs in it, but I'll probably lower it a bit down the track. I don't mind it so high though, it's so much more comfortable to drive (what little driving I have managed to do on unreg permits)!

And don't worry, I'll ask stupid questions if I've got em!

Haha, is it wrong that I don't get that reference?!

nah, definitely not wrong, and if you hang around here long enough you'll soon understand!
(check out 'nosFEratu' in the members cars section  ;))

Hey,there's nothing wrong with Black FC/FE's!!!!  >:(...Nice car Rach.(Kathi,Where are you?Comments please...  ;)).Keep up the progress pics,we all love em'Cheers,Jamie.

Welcome to the forum Rach.   

Congratulations on getting your FC - I'm sure it will be in good company with your partner's Fish Shop. It's nice to see some more FEmales enthusiastic about classic cars.

No question is a dumb question it just means you are at the start of your learning curve. Don't be afraid to ask anything as there will be plenty of people on here more than willing to help (even if it means that some of them check your posts regularly just to see your avatar - no need to mention any names as they know who they are and they are probably feeling a little guilty right now!  ;))

Anyway, the dead vermin and black FE references are directed at moi! 

Best of luck with your progress and in getting your roadworthy.  Then make sure you cruise the whitewalls off of it - just don't forget to get those blocks back in and hang the tail end of a dead animal off your aerial!  :D

Kathi   

Welcome to the Forum Rach,

That is one nice looking ride that you have there! Love the White Walls, It could do with being a bit lower, but i am sure that will come

I look forward to seeing the updates

Keith

Oh yeah, and trust me, you will never regret the money you spend on a Pearlcraft wheel!  ;)  

Thanks Jamie, Kathi and Keith... there will sure be some progress over the next few months, thanks to some extra funds I happened across, so I promise pics.
 
Kathi, I'm just reading your epic of a thread on NosFEratu (love the name, love the movie). Haha I chose that avatar as it's the most PG one from the whole shoot, so no need to feel guilty boys! And I've already got the brother onto hunting down another fox tail for me while he's up north, so fingers crossed! (Otherwise, I've got a pet lamb that's about to lose her ringed tail if I get real desperate ;D )

I can't wait to get my Pearlcraft wheel - I've been eyeing them off for over a year!

ONLY A YEAR?  :o  Try waiting 20 before you get one!  :D 

It'll be money well spent - you will have a grin from ear to ear everytime you lay your hands on it or see the "colours" in the wheel "flip" in the different light.  They are absolutely beautiful and it will really "complete" your car.  Do you get the feeling I love my steering wheel?  :D

Oh yeah, and my thread would only be about 4 pages if it wasn't for some of my favourite ratbags!  ;)

Oh and I forgot to mention that the early Falcons can donate some really worthwhile parts for the FC too. Such as the 2 speed Preslite wiper motor that were fitted to some of the XM and XP Falcon, all you need is an EK electric wiper base,  the 2 speed motor from the falcon and it is pretty much a bolt together deal.... ;)

Just don't tell your partner that you are eyeing off his bits and pieces :D :D

Keith

Oh my gosh, 20 years! You certainly deserved it then, Kathi! Anything would be better than mine right now (original, but cracked and deteriorated - it leaves a black sticky residue on your hands after each drive... attractive!)

And Keith, thanks for the tips! Mr 1950s' XP has been sitting very forlorn in the garage for quite some time, so I'm sure he won't notice!  ;) It'll be years before he gets around to restoring it thanks to his modern cars/bikes.

I've just got to be strong and stop buying vintage clothes, so I can get my FC looking beautiful sooner. That's a tough job when you see the price of vintage dresses!

Ratbags? Ratbags? Us? :-[ :-[ :-*


Keith

Welcome Rach cool car  8) 8)we will try to make you laugh along the way ......FC427......

Nice car Rach and welcome to the forum, glad to see you had the good taste to buy an FC ;)

              Pedro the Ratbag ::)

Welcome aboard Rach. That's a great looking car you have there!

Man, I wish I could get my girlfriend interested in classic cars... think of all the projects I could bring home without that guilty kinda feeling  8)

Thanks guys. Dave, I think my boyfriend wishes I was into motorbikes so he wouldn't feel guilty about the three he owns! (One of which lives in the living room)

I have a question, guys and gals.

I need new brake drums all round, as my mechanic says the current drums aren't able to be machined any more. I did a search here and online, and saw some people speculating that EH drums will fit the FC... was there ever a consensus made about this?

I spotted a pair of FE/FC drums on eBay here ($2), but then I'd still have to hunt down another pair. And I can get new EH ones for the same price, I'll take that route!

Cheers...

There are lot of people doing conversions on their FE FC,s front end ECT put a wanted add for drums there must been tons of them out there.




Pete

The EH brake linings are wider than the FC so they will not fit unless you change the whole backing plates, from memory diff housings are a little different, and I think the front stubs are different also, so you would have to change them too. A lot of work for little gain.

bikes in the living room... cool!

welcome to the forum.

Cheers

Ed

Welcome mate... 8)

Just a little update. Scored some drums from Ken (mcl1959) which I sandblasted and will spray black tonight with VHT... then she's off tomorrow to the mechanic for (what should be) the final time - overhauling brakes and new kingpins. Last night I had to change the radiator hoses too, after a rat chewed through them (it chewed through the radiator hoses on all 5 cars, and also my battery on my VT, spark plug leads on 2 cars and plenty of other things - we have only caught one rat though, so he/she must have been damn hungry).

Also bought my custom plates this morning... RACH-59 in blue with white writing. And our panelbeater/spraypainter mate is setting up a spray booth in his new garage to do home jobs, and has offered to do my girl first. I like things falling into place.

Well done Rach,

Bloody rats get into everything, sorry to hear one got into your cars.

Love the way some things just drop into place, got to be happy with that.

Post some photo's when you get the paint job done

Keith

Cheers Keith - we're just thankful they didn't get into the interiors of the FC and XP. They did get into the 1980s Suzuki Carry, but that just adds to the charm.

Forgot to add - side project is a 1950s Kelvinator fridge that I picked up on eBay for $80... need to sand it back, rechrome some parts and get aforementioned mate to paint it red. Slowly converting my house to mid-century too!

I put word out  i was chasing a old fridge they are coming out of the wood work now i have 2 pearlers 1 runs so quiet i bought it off a old lady selling her stuff to go to a home she said $5 i nearlly felly over.

I think i need a new back but bloody heavy.


Have not painted it yet as its working keeping the beer cold.

$5! Wow, that's a bargain. My back fared pretty well seeing as I took my dad and brother along to do all the heavy work - I just paid them using beer. We've got another old 50s fridge sitting in the dairy, but that needs a lot more work.

FC at the mechanics today... had an interesting drive to the gym in the dark with no dash lights (not that it makes much difference because I drive slow in the old girl anyway, as the speedo is ridiculously inaccurate) but it righted itself when I left. Currently hunting down parts for electric wipers - going the XP wiper motor route (not stealing my boyfriends though... he'd kill me  ;D ).

Any of the commodores work well and they bolt up fairly straight forward.

Just use a headlight switch with a resistor to get your 2 speeds.

Welcome

Let me start by saying, nice looking FC.

Now something that isn't FC related.
I also have a 1950's Kelvinator, all pink and chrome on the inside. Not really the colours I would have chosen but I got what I got. Anyhow..........the seal on the door was rotten and I found a new one here  http://www.antiqueappliances.com/gaskets.htm  ($2)
They are in Clayton Georgia, it took about a week to get the gasket, you have to make it up yourself, but if you are going to use the refrigerator daily (like I plan to) it may pay to replace this seal.



Mike

Welcome to the Forum
Nice looking car Rach, looks like a good starting point for a restoration-being a complete car and running makes a big difference. 
Just to change the subject, to combat rats in the shed we put rat bait in a few places normally under the bench and shelving where the dog can't get at it and top it up when it goes missing don't have any rat problems since we've been doing that.
Pearlcraft do a fantastic job I highly recommend them, and look forward to more progress pics
cheers
Frank

Forgot to update! My baby is officially on the road. Passed the roadworthy and was registered on Wednesday last week. New kingpins and drums make her a much better drive, but she needs to be lowered a touch. Next items on the list are Pearlcraft wheel, lowering and CD player (going the glovebox route... box speakers under front seat?). Ooh, and I have a fox tail for the aerial! Waiting for the ants to work their magic and eat out the flesh at the moment ;D

Pics coming - once I clean her :)

Yahoo, got to be happy with that, I hope that you are pleased with the result. ;)

Keith

A belated welcome from me too Rach.
(Love the avatar btw, really stands out from the crowd on this site, for sure).
I suppose if you can't find an example of the more classy, beautiful older sibling (FE), the younger plainer one, (FC) is a good fall back option....(I suppose) ;D ;D
R.
ps. very nice car (.....for an FC ;)) can't help myself, please don't mind me

Congrats on the rego.
I bet you can't get out from behind the wheel!!
Regards
Alex

Nice car Rach,
3 cheers for getting it on the road
Regards Gary

Goodonya, rach! Congrats, and don't forget the pics...  8)

nicce FC rach! wish i had the motivation to get mine on the road!