FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hi all, Iv'e just started pulling down my late 58 fc sedan(now know thanks to forum).I pirchased the car around 13 years ago and was told by the owner that he had it stored in his mums shed in Nowra for the last 12 years. He was told when he purchased it that it was a bare metal respray(hahaha) and that it was a 59FC. I have the FC on full rego and drive when I can(not enough though). I decided to strip it down as the paint was starting to crack around the door handles and started to spot on the roof & bonnet (first hint). I have paint stripped the doors(second hint) and found that it had more paint than the harbour bridge(third hint) so it bacame obvious that it had not been a bare metal respray. The FC is india ivory over granite grey with riff red & black interior. I will post some photos when I work out how to post them. Hopefully it will take around a year to complete as it needs new sills and some other minor repairs, but overall the car is in good shape although I found out when I had it registered that the front end had been changed as there was no chassis no. on it and the engine is from an EK. I halso have another front end and reco 138 sports motor with twin carbs and cast headers from a rusted out car that I got for $600 a few years ago.Regards Jim P.S.this forum has been a real eye opener for me the amount of help and feedback that all give is fantastic.

Sounds great Jim,now for the pictures.......... ;)

Sounds like your well on the way to giving the ol' girl a new lease on life.
Good luck, and look forward to following your progress.
Regards
Alex

Progress report;I have the car all stripped out and have taken the body back to bare metal,roof  & rear quaters are in real good nick but the sills are a lot worse than I thought. I have also started stripping the floor which is in fair condition,some small rust holes in the rh front pan and small amount at left b pillar on top of the body brace. Over the next week or so I will have the front end off and it will go on a rotisserie so I can work on the under side. Still trying to work out how to post the pictures.
Jim

Jim this article will help you get the Photo's up.



http://fefcholden.org.au/forum/index.php/topic,5613.0.html

Regards

Wayne B

(http://i.imgur.com/0mQ45.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/qaMxv.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8zi26.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/0Xo8R.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/paAhK.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Cy2kj.jpg)

I cannot work out how to show the pictures so you have to click on each to view. The first shot is when I got her 13 years ago,and the others are shots of work so far. I will keep trying to down load the photos properly. Regards Jim                                                              

OK thats really spooky, I just posted pics of the FC but they only showed up as codes, now I have just revisited and there they are.
Jim

 « Last Edit: Today at 12:26:11 AM by stinky »  
Looks like stinky helped out!!

Looks like a nice clean starting point.
Thanks for the pics.
Keep em coming!!
Regards
Alex

 ;D
You were real close Jim, the links you provided to imgur were one step away, if you clicked on them you got the individual image and the "URL" eg - http://i.imgur.com/Cy2kj.jpg. That's what you put between the [IMG thingies.

progress update---- Inow have the front end off the car and taken all the gear from the firewall and removed the electricals. I am also in the middle of welding up the rotiserie which I hope to have all finished by the weekend. Time permitting I will take a few more photos and post them.
Regards Jim

Sounds like some good progress Jim, Hope your labeling everything ;)
Keep the pic's coming in.
Nick

No worries Nick everything is in boxes,tubs & jars so all should be safe.
Regards Jim

Progress photos so far

(http://i.imgur.com/8q8qR.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/Kph6G.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/ZOBv8.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/1YifW.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/pt9oX.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/wOETx.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/IYhUL.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/wNMCI.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/wmwue.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/yEHdu.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/bJmtK.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/jQesd.jpg) ($2)
(http://i.imgur.com/Ioxqf.jpg) ($2)

next step is to have the door frames,floor and firewall blasted,then on to the rust repairs
Regards Jim

Progress update. I've been chipping away at the underside of the floor to remove as much tar paint as I can,whick has now shown that there is more rust around than first thought. With this in mind I am now looking at doing the front & rear pans. I have been able to aquire a nos full front floor pan (firewall to 'b' pillar & sill to sill),which will be wrapped in cotton wool until I'm ready to install it. Unless somebody knows where I can lay my hands on a rear pan, rust repair sections will be used. I'll take some more photos and post them shortly

Been at it again over the last week, I have braced and cross braced the floor to stop it from distrorting after the front floor is cut out. In the pics you will see I have metal prepped & etch primed the body to keep surface rust at bay, the nos floor pan,shots of the cross bracing and the front floor pan cut out. Next set is to trim off all the excess metal and remove the sills in readyness for the floor pan to go back in. A customer of mine has offered to bend up and press the indents in for the inner sills so it will still look oringinal.
Regards Jim
(http://i.imgur.com/OSsfm.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/wFPxi.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/a2ijh.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/y6m3a.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/AErqn.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/s5tOC.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/eMuSp.jpg)

Thats looking pretty serious Jim.

Looks like a couple of big weekends ahead. Hope it all goes to plan.

Regards

Wayne b

It's so good to see these cars getting rebuilt. Lotsa respect..................

Where in hell do you find a NOS floor from Arsey bugger..

Keep the pics coming.
Pete

dont think GMH put that much effort.
great work....

thats some serious work!  :o

well done the effort will be awesome.

Thanks for your comments guys, the good thing about being in the trade is I can get some really good advice on how to go about doing it right. Pete, as for the floor pan I was lucky enough to get hold of that a set of door skins (although Ifound out later that I had three rear skins and one front) and a pair of w/screen rubbers all nos. again helps to be in the trade,you can be lucky from time to time.
Regards Jim

Jim well done, you are motivating me to get cracking.

Thanks Deano, but I'm really glad I've only got one to do. You've got balls to take on two at once mate, better you than me.
Jim

That NOS floorpan is a piece of art.....nice score.
Great progress.
Regards
Alex

I've also got a real good pair of rear door skins, Ithought I had a pair of fronts but when I took them out of the shed, one was a rear and the other had been used as a rats toilet, don't know if it can be saved it has pretty bad pitting from rats piss so I'll have to see how it cleans up.
Jim

Just saw your rebuild Jim it looks like you have made some great progress. You are very lucky to be able to get some of that NOS stuff. I wish I had of gone and done mine like you have done yours when I first started 16 years ago now I just want to finish it and get it registered and then maybe go back when I have more time and finances.

Keep the pictures coming

regards
Neil

Neil. thats the really good thing about mine, it is fully registered so I've got a year to do it all. See how that goes might have to fudge it next rego.
Jim

Well here we are,2012 what happened to last year? I've been waiting for some good weather so I can get stuck into it and as luck would have it we've had some nice weather over the last few days. This has allowed me to do a more on the car and also to make the rotisserie mobile so I can move it in and out of the shed, this will allow me to do some sandblasting on the grass so I don't get it all over the shed floor. As you will see in the photos I've cleaned up the left sill panel and found a lot more than I was expecting rust wise due to some doggey repairs.

first time out of the shed in over twelvw months!!!!!

(http://i.imgur.com/WQYiO.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/Sr2J5.jpg)

I knew the rust was there, but not this bad, left inner sill repairs done a long time ago plated over existing rust and all.


(http://i.imgur.com/fe1NZ.jpg)


(http://i.imgur.com/TusKb.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/9NU70.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/7G0wl.jpg)

The right inner sill just from the under side, I have'nt got to it yet.

(http://i.imgur.com/pBHXm.jpg)

As you all can see there is a lot of cancer in those sills and a lot of work in cutting,shaping and welding in plates and patches.
At least it will keep me busy for a few weeks or so. I'm thinking I might go to Rares and buy another inner sill to cut up and use on the two front sections where the subframe bolts on as these look to be a continuation of the sill panel itself.

Untill next time, Jim

Did you see my outer sill on my build page. As you go along and bang them a bit, holes come up all over. Better to replace them and do it properly if u can. That's what ken told me a few weeks ago. Check out the pic of my blue cars sills. I've only just got over kens advice so i guess I'm giving you the same advice.  :D after a fair few bourbons I have come to terms with it ha ha

Jim, be careful with the inner sill section behind the subframe leg - it is not a straight continuance of the inner sill :P

Ken

Yes if its like mine it will look like one big massive piece of brown turd with no recognisable end or form to it  :D

Deano, I have a set of full outer sill panels that I bought not long after I got the car as I knew there was rust in them, they are old rares panels that go from the bolt hole back to the dog leg. Inner sils are rust repair sections, so they are,nt full lenght and don't have the kickout for the front end support.
Ken, I've checked out the downloaded parts book from fe4me and noted that the inner sill has the bent section at the front for the sub frame support. As you can see in the photos, there is still enough metal left to give me an idea of how it looks. As stated I was thinking of getting another section and bending it up to match. I've cleaned the old floor pan away and it looks like the inner sill flange has been bent up to fit over the inner section of the lower "a" pillar.
To anyone out there who has good mounting plate sections and would be able to take a few pics of them, I would be most thankfull to see how they look untouched.
Regards Jim

There are quite a few good photos in the build threads - have a look in "it has begun but will it continue"

Ken

Thanks Ken, I've had a look his are just as bad as mine. A lot of fidilly bit bending and welding. I have also looked at the shed find ute, this would be great if I can get shots of this as they appear to be untouched and would give me a better idea of the original shape.
Regards Jim

Hey Jim, do you think you will be able to build up a head of steam and get moving on the ole girl. It funny how life gets in the way of getting our projects done. My problem is that I keep delving further and further into areas that i wasn't going to do but then you thing.... While its all apart....

Hi Jim.
I got your pm and I have a couple of days off so I will post a few photos of the mounting points on your thread tomorrow.

Cheers
Glenn

Deano, the rain and work have slowed me down a bit, I want to get the body out onto the grass so I can do some blasting around the body and under the dash and boot area's. I've been doing some other stuff stripping guards and the under floor but did'nt put the pics up.
Glenn, thanks for that, it should help out being able to see how these parts look untouched as this area will be unforgiving if I get them wrong tough enough to line the front end up as it is, let alone if the mounting plates are all wrong.
Jim

Jim

Here are the photos of the mounting points.

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/FCV8/fc%20ute/014.jpg)

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/FCV8/fc%20ute/015.jpg)

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/FCV8/fc%20ute/016.jpg)

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/FCV8/fc%20ute/021.jpg)

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/FCV8/fc%20ute/023.jpg)

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/FCV8/fc%20ute/022-1.jpg)

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/FCV8/fc%20ute/020.jpg)

Looks like you've got your work cut out for you with those sills Jim.

Wow thanks for sharing that Jim. That will help many I an sure

Don't thank me Deano, I only asked the question. Glenn is the one who desirves the credit. I looked back on his site and saw how good the ute was, so it was an obvious choice to see if Glenn could take some shots for me. I was only hoping for a few shots of the plate so I could work out what needed to be done, but to his credit Glenn has gone way above and for that I am very glad as now I can measure up and make sure everything is in the correct place.
Glenn, you are a legend mate, as I said, this is more than what I was after. It is guys like you that make this a great forum to be in and the info and insights that are expressed by all are very benificial not only to me but to others in the same boat. Being unsure of what to do at some stage can really put a dampener on what is expected to be an easy resto.

Many thanks again, Jim

No worries Jim, Any time.

If you need anything else dont hesitate, only to happy to help!

Cheers Glenn

Well it's been a while, after three or four goes at doing the rust panels around the front sill sections I think I have finally got them. I thought by using a cut down guard to mock up the shape where the outer sill bolts through would help, how wrong I was. After a couple of weeks of things not going to plan, I finally put a full guard on by putting the top bolt and the two pillar bolts in this gave me the right angle and shape. Now all I have to do is weld it all up and then put it back onto the car. Note to anyone who is going to try this type of repair, do'nt do it upside down as I did. I will take some shots of the new sections before and after they go on the car and post them asap.
Jim

Keep up the good work mate  ;)

All the best with it Jim

Jim,

A few thoughts here, but I'll pm you with all the gory details -

The front sill is 42.5 mm thick where the subframe bolt goes through the body.  The front subframe bolt goes in parallel with the No. 1 body crossmember, and the faces of the inner sill and the cowl member are perpendicular to the No. 1 body crossmember.

You've removed the entire front floor and No. 1 body crossmember.  That's good from an access point of view, but makes establishing a reference point for the position of the subframe bolt a bit more difficult.

But I'll scan my inner sill secion pattern and send it to you.

Rob

Serves me right for trying to recall numbers from memory -

42.5 mm is WRONG.  Sorry.

Glenn,

Would you be able to measure the thickness of the sill where the front subframe bolt goes through?

Rob

It's been a while due to work and home life, but I've been chipping away as time allows and I have now finished the inner and outer front sill and mounting plates for the front end.As I've said before, my heart fell through my bum when I found out how much rust was there, but now it's almost done. I have also cleaned up around the front floor area and test fitted the floor pan and all looks good, photos of the progress as follows.

rusted area's at front sills made up blocks to fit inside mounting block, welded and braced so they do'nt move.

(http://i.imgur.com/8HeuX.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/TcYKB.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/xE8La.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/45hEA.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/iOCEl.jpg)

then set about making the inner and outer plates and covers

(http://i.imgur.com/AlHUE.jpg)

fitted the subframe arms and guards to make sure everything was in place and welded it all up.

(http://i.imgur.com/PeODp.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/JoFR2.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/XnRVr.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/bhWaA.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/2xSjp.jpg)

and then test fitted the floor pan, had to notch the back where the seat brackets are to get the pan to fit as the rear floor goes over the front.

(http://i.imgur.com/YIvxI.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/9qhjV.jpg)

Next step is to finish cleaning off the old sills, then fit and weld in the front floor and rear rust sections.

Untill next time, Jim

Thats some serious work there Jim. It does get difficult to get time. Hope it goes to plan.

Rgds

Wayne b

lot work being done Jim. Good to see it moving forward.

John

That's plenty man. I better get out there tomorrow. I have the week off.

Update time again, I've been working on the floor and the firewall to get them to match up fully( bit of a bend on the righ side where the motor sits from the front ender it had). solution was to cut another section of the fire wall out of the rusted wagon and transplant it onto the sedan. I have also been to see my panel beater mate who recons he can bend up and press the inner sills for me. He said a week or two as he is quite busy, I'll let you know how they come out and post some photos when I get them back. If the price is right I'm thinking of asking him if he would be interested in bending up some more for those who need them. I'll post the outcome later on.
Regards Jim

Thanks for thinking of us Jim, progress looks good so far,
keep up the good work.

Cheers Stewy   8)

Yes thanks Jim. I am doing similar, using rares on 1 car perhaps, the one that has best front section then my fabricator mate will do custom for the other one that has rooted inners and outers and no front left, so it will be interesting which turns out easier. Let us know how you go.

Jim. 

Can you take some pics over the weekend of the mounts on rotisserie up against the firewall.  I have been out in the shed tonight putting finishing touches on my home made rotisserie.  Got the rear sorted, using the bumper mount brackets, and wanted to mount the front into the bonnet hinge locations but unsure on how to design it due to being an uneven surface.  Much appreciated

Jase

It depends if ya want it to flip completely upside down or just on its side. I made mine so I can put a bar through and lift the thing up with my excavator  :D :D :D but many have 1 piece across.

(http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x448/fewithrb40/IMAG0169.jpg)

I have an adjustable sleeve setup so i can make it higher but dont want to do that until it is transported so it has lower centre of gravity as I live in woop woop and bad roads.

Picked up the inner sill panels yesterday, real happy with how they turned out. I asked if he would be interested in doing more sets for the forum and he said no problems. Cost was $160 each, Rares flat sills are $57 approx. so not bad I think for all the time spent on doing the pressings for the holes. Mine have been made to suite my needs but they will add the extra length at the front for the mounting plate area.
Regards Jim

(http://i.imgur.com/utL29.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/5Eei5.jpg)

In his words they are not exact, but they will look the part under the car. If you look under all you will notice is the pressings and they will look original

Very flash indeed  ;D

Dean.

 They do look good!!!!!!!!!

    Scott

It's been a while, but I have finally had a chance to do some more on the old girl. I've welded in the front floor pan which took most of the day, by the time it was positioned in the right spot, then tech screwed down to hold it in place and then drilled and welded and remove the screws and weld the holes (glad I only had to do this once). I will refit the front end so I can postition the front support member srew and weld it and that will be the front floor done. Next step is the rust sections for the rear floor then the inner and outer sills.

OOOPS!!!!!! forgot the photos

(http://i.imgur.com/ZA50B.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/cu888.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/gaiCT.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/0fV7r.jpg)

Till next time, Jim

Plenty of Patience there Jim. Hopefully you can get more time and knock it over.

Regards

Wayne b

Keep up the great work,  some great reference pictures for future builds

How is the work going Jim? Hopefully you can get some time for your car.

Regards

Wayne b

MAF, thats what the forum is about, I've looked back on other builds to see if I can see what needs to be done, so hopefully my site will do the same for someone else.
Wayne, I've still been flat out with work and home projects but I have been trying to do some here and there. A mate has given me a air stepping tool so I can pu a lip around the rust panels in the rear floor. Just need some down time to finish cutting out the rear sections ready for the new panels. I wish I was in your position though, must feel great now that you are nearing the end.
Regards Jim

Well finally I have had a chance to do a bit more on the old girl. The rear rust section has been welded in and I have masaged the inner sill into place.Also I have redone the seat belt mounting brackets in the "B" pillar and fitted the plates to the floors front and rear, as well as the parcel shelf. I haven't had a chance to take photos as yet, but will post them in the next few days.
Jim

Your like me, big gap between posts.

Hopefully a few of us will finish before Christmas.

Regards

Wayne b

Hi Wayne, hope you get yours on the road by then. The way things are going it will be this time next year, but as I haven't given myself a deadline I'm not to worried although sooner rather than later would be great. I have also started on the outer sill so hopefully I'll have a few early days and get the left side finished. I should be home early tomorrow so I'll take some shots and post them, all going well.
Regards Jim

Been a bit full on over the last week, so this is the first chance to download the photos.
rear rust section and sills

(http://i.imgur.com/d2Ulj.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/CttvN.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/c1RDs.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/DwWzV.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/2Mc3f.jpg)

also did the seat belt plates and redid the "B" pillar plates

(http://i.imgur.com/lTdKT.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/twLIh.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/K13dH.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/iHOI7.jpg)

sorry this is a bit fuzzy but I made the lower plate oversize so it would fit over the jack support plate under the floor
to give it a lot more strength. Next step is to turn the car around and do the other side as there's not much room
between the car and the shelves. Then the front end and guards go back on so I can get the correct gap for the sill end caps.
Till later, Jim

Looks great so far Jim

Before you know it you'll have the wheels on


Gary

Jim

As stated by many before your patience is inspiring.

A lot of work and it all looks fantastic.

Those inner sills are a work of art.

Look forward to more  updates.

Cheers

Craig D

Back at it again, it's been a good while between posts but I have been getting a bit done now and then. The old girl has been turned around in the shed to gain room for the right side rebuild, pleased to report that the rear floor, inner & outer sills have now been fitted and I am in the middle of doing all the grinding and clean up. I will post some photos over the weekend if I get a chance. It is good to see some light at the end of the tunnel at last, hopefully with the cooler weather work will slow down a bit and give me a bit more time to finish of the repairs and get it ready for paint.
Regards Jim

Nice Jim  just a thought  might be worth checking with your engineer  ??? ???This V6 FC I am building for MR FC's son the engineer made me put separate anchors for the center rear seat belt, it has buckets in front or he would have made me put separate anchors for the center seat belt in the front also when I quized him about every Holden ever made shared the seat belt anchors for the center belts he said that was not acceptable any more ......FC427......

Photos of progress to date. Cut out the cross braces and test fitted the door frames.

(http://i.imgur.com/wzF3bfC.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/jwfvgow.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/jwfvgow.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/zq7Mria.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/qw6bYme.jpg)

Then put the old doors back in place to check overall fit, happy with the outcome, a little massage hear and there and all will be good.

(http://i.imgur.com/9YQnGS9.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/TQ9RyCg.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/adM5XC1.jpg)

and after getting quotes for a recore on the radiator from $320-$450, I came across this on Ebay $339 delivered from Melbourne, new 3 core alloy real good fit,did'nt have to modify anything bolted straight in.

(http://i.imgur.com/efI083H.jpg)

As I said last post, now it's all the clean up and smooth off the welds and tidy her up ready for paint.
Until next time, Jim

Last post I forgot one minor detail, I still had to weld in the front tie member!!. Turned the body upside down and refitted the front end, then fitted the tie member in place with the bolts,tech screwed it in place and measured up the rust repair sections both sides. I then took it all back off and fully welded the rust sections in and re-enforced the insides from the old re-enforcing plates out to the ends, cleaned it all up, metal preped it and then sprayed it with weld through primer. Replaced it back onto the floor  and plug welded it in place. I also found some rust in the rear transmission tunnel, so that had to be replaced (or will be). Ran out of time to take photos so I will post them in a few days.
Jim

Keep them updates coming Jim.

A lot of good work going into your build.

Cheers Craig D

Big job Jim, some major reconstruction there, looks like you're on the home straight with it now though.
  Pedro

Hi guys im on the home straight now. Interior just about done. I'll try put some pics up.

Looking great!

Time has passed by real quick and not much has been done due to work and home life, but I have been getting a bit done now and then. The body is ready to have the front and rear ends refitted so I can hang the doors and guards, to that end I am in the middle of fitting the electric windows and switches and all the internals so I have the wieght in the doors. Then comes the task of setting the doors and gapping them. Once this is done it will almost be time for paint.
The biggest problem I have at the moment is that I have detected a hernia in my groin and have to go in for an operation on the 18th December, out of action for 4-6 weeks, so plans to get a lot done over Christmas have been put on hold until I'm well enough to start bendig and squatting again.
I'll post some shots of the doors over the weekend, to show how I did the setup and the switch.
Regards Jim

Hope the op doesn't hurt Xmas too much mate. What motors are you using for power windows?

Not  allowed to drive for two weeks,no squatting,straining or lifting over 5kg. What a pain.
The winders are out of a Daewoo Nubira  sedan, changed them left to right to miss the switch on the rears but the fronts cleared. A bit of tweaking and flattened them out made for a good fit.
Jim

Ahh yes I did look at those. Similar to the au falcon. I found the motor still got in the way on mine so I opted for the sonata where both cables went to the base of the shaft.  Keen for a look at yours though

Sorry to hear of your health issues Jim, hope you bounce back quickly. All the best, Martyn.

Thanks Martyn, one of the good things to come from the fires, found a hernia, bad thing as I said, no work on the car for 4-6 weeks. Good to meet you at the show last week.
Jim

update photos fo the body

(http://i.imgur.com/1BCjP88.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/s1I0tUw.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/Dvx09FF.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/paYiBrk.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/1BCjP88.jpg)

photos of the electric winders in rh front & rear doors

(http://i.imgur.com/zqniAat.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/ypUzNFT.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/sErC0WD.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/EnlRhrC.jpg)

the mounting plates for the motors are temp.tech srews, they will be nut & bolted in and the inner surfaces will be painted with rust proof paint.

Regards Jim

I forgot to mention the glass channels are rusted so new ones will be made with the motor mounting plates welded in position. The good thing about having the skins of allows easy access to the door for all the setup. Also fitting central locking as can be seen in the front door photo.
Jim

How bloody easy is it without the skins!!
(Says me cursing at my doors)

How are you running the wiring though the doors into the car? Rear door has me stumped.
I finally wired my switch in to the front passenger door and wasn't that fun???

picked these up from bluewiremotorsport, male/female contacts that will fit in the 'A' & 'B' pillars and will be conected via 5 core trailer wire run through the kick panels and the sills via tubes put in place while doing the sills (see p5). fronts shouldn't be a problem but not sure now about the rears,might have to come up with another solution.
(http://i.imgur.com/gisOecD.jpg)

Jim

Hi Jim. I note we're doing similar things. I can see you're using the switches mounted in place of the original winders. I'm doing the same but modifying the original winder mechanism. I'm also using a pin contact switch for the rear doors. Means the windows won't wind with the door open, but I can live with that. All the best, Martyn

Martyn, I'm also looking at some sliding covers that bolt onto the pillar and slide into the door, if they come short enough they would allow for constant power.
Jim

Hi Jim,  I think I 've seen those items. I'll be keen to see how you go. Happy to poach good ideas from others  ;D ;D

::)

Nes, you know how it is!!, things don't look to bad when you start but as you get further into it you find out what nasties are lurking and all of a sudden two and a half years have passed by.Not really a problem as I don't want to finish the car and then have it sit around waiting on other stuff and get it damaged, so taking the time to make sure I get done all that I can and when poor stinky finally gets the repo headlining in it will all go back together in one go rather than doing some things twice.
Jim

 :'( :'( :'( :'( Unfortunately I do
Nez

Amen to that! An engine swap for me turned into a rebuild  :-\ :-\ :-\

I am wondering if you have allowed for getting the glass back out when you make the final mounts for those mechanisms . Just asking 'cause I made that mistake once and had to remake brackets so they could be removed . Enjoying the post so keep them coming .Cheers Haydn

Sure have Haydn, look at the rear door photos you can see the plate has nutsirts  in place so the whole lot can be unbolted and removed if needed. I did have the front door done a bit different but then it dawned on me that I wouldn't be able to remove the glass hence the large plate to hold the motor in place is now removable.
Jim

Some sort of spring loaded striker plate contacts would be a solution if anyone knows of something .Plenty of people with the same problem because of the doors to pillar gap and the hinges pivoting inside the pillars  . Cheers Haydn

Haydn, that's what the lower block is, the pins are spring loaded so they keep pressure on the contact plate. I am looking at billet looms that slide inside a fixed bolt. The problems that I can foresee are how to fix the static end to the "B" pillar and the overall length (30mm). The contact plates may not fit in the rear door because of the glass run channel position on the door frame. I'll make some enquiries with Bluewire to see if they have any other options.
Will keep you posted,Jim

Spoke with the guys at Bluewire, they have recommended I use the billet loom as it can be cut down to suit the gap between the pillar and the inner door frame. I will order them and post some pictures at the end of January when I'm back on my feet.
Jim

Exactly what I have been looking at! Did they say how many wires can run through them?
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/21/esa5uzen.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/21/da7ydu9y.jpg)

The specs say 3/16" dai. I've measured the 5 core trailer wire I'm using which is about the same, so if the outer cover off should be able to get at least 6 through.
Jim

Dont buy it from them though, their own ebay store has em ten bucks cheaper and VPW have them at $47 the pair!
http://www.vpw.com.au/Category/Index/390195

Thanks for the info, $20 odd a pair is a good save.
Jim

Bloody oath. Now you can buy beer with the money you saved!!!

I am not convinced it will work. Went down this path a couple of years ago and did not proceed on the basis the angle at the front door is quite sharp and did not think it would shut. Jim PM me your address and I will post the single loom connector I have left  (butchered the other one) so you can see for yourself before purchase. I'm no genius at this stuff so lets see what you think Jim. The forum will know for evermore then.

Regards

Wayne b

Thanks Wayne, will give me something else to think about while recovering.
Jim

Brilliant idea. It seems to me you'd need to be careful where you put the hollow sections as it looks like you need access behind to install the nut that locks them in place.
Measure three times, drill once!  :) Martyn

I think Wayne is right . From memory the problem was that the hinges swing from inside the pillar and the bend in the arm of the hinge makes the centre point of the radius somewhere forward and outside the front guard .This is noticed when your door is on the first catch and you can see that the door comes outward before swinging ,meaning that there is a sideways movement and I am unsure if the tube will slide smoothly at this point . I think that you are close to a solution and maybe a sliding tube idea with recessed mounting points both ends with small holes in larger rubber plugs in the pillar and door to cover the recesses and allow for the side ways motion . I am unsure if I can explain this correctly. The mushroom shaped fittings that the pipe slides through could be countersunk both ends and that would give some room between the door frame and the pillar  for it to slide freely and if a lip was left around the holes then some small holes in those large grommets used to drain car boot spare tyre recesses could be used to neaten the end result . Sorry if I have confused more than I have explained . Cheers Haydn

Im going to buy a pair anyway and see how it goes  ;)

I'm going to do the same, cover all options and use what works the best. One of my customers has a small wrecking yard so I can have a look at different rubber looms. The billet ones look the part but if they don't work then they will be no good. Not hard to drill a couple of holes and if they are no good weld them back up.
Wayne is sending me down one he used for comparison so see what happens from there.
Jim

When you get that unit from Wayne consider what would happen if both sleeved connections were able to be recessed, even 20mm into the door pillar and the same into the door.Haydn

The good thing about being laid up is it gives you time to think and try to visualise what you are trying to short out. I'm thinking of cutting an old door in half so I can see the actual gaps between the pillar and the door and then see what can be done. This would then also allow me to check the clearance for the contact plates, if nothing else, this will be a good guide for anyone else thinking of doing the same as us.
Jim

I bought a set of them to use in my splitty, but they are rather large!

If anyone is after a set at a discount rate pm me.

Sorry for the hijack

I don't think you really want to short anything out  ;D ;D ;D

What I'm looking for is a solution to my own problem of how to hide the wiring that looks good and is functional and if it helps others then that is a bonus. What I come up with might not appeal to others but it will be one solution that could be used.
Jim

Try 'convoluted' rubber joiners,just a thought! :-*

In the van, I ran the wires along the hinge on the underside and then just made enough clearance on the doors so that they would not catch when opening or closing.
It seemed the simplest and easiest option at the time, and is most likely the same way I will do it again with the ute.
Not sure if Glenn is following this thread, but maybe he will be able to put a photo up to show what I mean.
Cheers
JB

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/tmors/001-2.jpg) ($2)

Here ya go

Front doors are not the problem, there is enough clearance as your picture shows, it's the rear doors that are the hassle, the gap between the door and the pillar and the opening radius are the concern. I've got an old door that I will cut up and fit it up with the top hinge and see what happens from there. Another week to recover from the hernia and I can do some light stuff with help from my son. As I have said before, I'm not in a real hurry to get things done, so this is the best time to get it all sorted out.
Jim

Looks like the bend is ok and won't fowl. Have no idea how the hell I can tighten the nut once inside the pillar...
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/27/8umysypu.jpg)

cut a plate 50x50 drill a hole in the centre weld a nut onto it chop a square where u want it in the pillar and weld away..

Plus the ones for the seat belts.... Was hoping not to make a mess!

I'm still with Haydn and have a 30-30mm deep  and say the width of door frame wide recess with captive nut behind that  in the door to allow some sideways movement of cable.

Regards

Wayne b

The plan was as Pete said, make a plate weld a nut on then weld to the pillar and screw in. The other worry is when the door shuts, will the loom intrude on the window runner. Looking at the inner frame, I might be able to weld in a small deflector plate so the tube will miss the window. (The advantage of having the outer skins off)
Jim

How will it exit neatly at the bottom then???

Maybe the tail behind the kicker

I meant from the B pillar???

Look back through the rebuild, when I replaced the sills I ran conduit from the "A" pillar along the sill to the bottom of the "B" pillar and ran a draw wire through. A bit of forward planing goes a long way.
Jim

PROBLEM SOLVED. Many thanks to Wayne(old mt isa boy) for sending down his old loom, a bit on the large side 24"x 3/4", but for testing it has worked out fine. The ones I will be using are 12"x 1/2" so they will be a bit different to the one in the photos. It took around 1/2 an hour to set up as follows.
door cut out fitted to pillar and drilled and reemed out

(http://i.imgur.com/EbViJCB.jpg)

bolted loom to door but just pushed the end into the pillar

(http://i.imgur.com/JG7PMNO.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/zLnicc5.jpg)

shut the door to check clearance

(http://i.imgur.com/5RDHIqb.jpg)

opened and closed a few times to make sure it was moving ok and presto!! it works. Just waiting for my son to cut the front door down and I will do the same and see how it goes.
Will keep you posted, Jim

Looks great. Just had a little look on mine and that looks like it may be near the window channel. Will have to do mine lower I think.
At least we know it won't pinch now!

Have you tryed a rivnut or nutsert
And screw the gland into that

Marc, this was just a mock up to see if it would work. The real thing will be just above the stay strap but the position of the hole is as far across as can be done, as the nut is hard up against the inner frame. I am looking at fitting a hose to the end of the anchor flange to keep it away from the window. The front will be in the depression above the lower hinge.
John, the anchor is about 16mm, I don't think they have them that large so I'll be making plates with nuts welded to them and then fit them into the pillars and then screw the anchors home.
As I said earlier, I will mock up the front door as well and make sure it works before I do the good doors

back to the drawing board!!!! did the test fitup on the front door, I have the loom fitted and opened the door to find the loom kinks up in the fully open position as the photos will show. Wayne and Haydn are correct, it would be a problem later on as each time the doors open, it will wear down the braid and cause it to fail.

(http://i.imgur.com/UwSrfEd.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/B2WumEi.jpg)

I would like to keep the power to the doors, so I think for ease of fitting, I will follow JB's advise and run the wires along the door hinge. I have a couple of different idea's on how I will do this, so once again I will keep you posted on the outcome.
Jim

Jim,
Could the flanges could be recessed on a slight angle to eliminate the S bend & stop the link.
Dave.
(http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y472/davidbolton1/ScreenShot2014-01-03at113054am_zpsd83e16ba.png) ($2)

Dave, one of the idea's, also as Haydn said recess them a bit (lot of work). At this stage time isn't an issue so I can play around and see what will be the neatest and easiest  way to go.
Jim

Maybe an old set of those steel cup like things you know the front end  mount retaining plates that sit inside your front end  rubbers .Trimmed back and then welded into the pillars and doors to give room for the hose to move and the ones in the doors could also give direction so the hose won't  hit on window tracks . Butt welded into a hole pre-drilled with the correct hole saw and  finished with body filler should look OK . Cheers Haydn

I did this to my front door and has worked every time. Although I would have liked to use the braided one.
Had to butcher a bit to go up. Will clean it up later so that sharp metal won't cut through
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/03/7aha4ybu.jpg)

I think a combination may work best. Recessed to extend the length/reduce the kink, and angled slightly so both ends face each other square when the door is half open.

I've worked out after a couple of trail fits that a recessed box with a swivel will fix the problem. I'm making the boxes now and used 90% plumbers bends for the pivots. The plan is to cut out the lower recess above the bottom hinge and weld the box in it's place, test fits have shown this will work. I'll post the photos when finished.
Jim

Hi Jim,
I'm keen to see how this turns out because I'll be facing the same problem further down the line.  Regards, Martyn

Jim,
I think you have a few of us following this with great interest, and for the same reason as Martyn.
How's the recovery coming along?

My wife came home with the mail and the new looms had come, so now I can see how these will fit as they will be what I will be using on the car. I will check that they are the same as the one Wayne sent down for testing.
Dave, it's been three weeks now and all seems fine, I have a bit of pain behind one of the cuts from time to time but on the whole all is good. I'm not over straining myself, just an hour or so every other day, only so much tv and sitting on the lounge it's a real pain and any heavy stuff I get my son to help.
Jim

Good to hear there's steady progress.

Success, the box and swivel have done the trick. After a couple of goes, I have the box and swivel tacked into the pillar, refitted the door and loom and presto, problem solved.
Box and swivel is 100mmhx60mmwx55mmd

(http://i.imgur.com/wyTUt4U.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/9RQ6RyZ.jpg)

this will be remade a bit wider to fit the cut out fully.
door opens and closes without a problem

(http://i.imgur.com/V2WeiYp.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/8KGyofQ.jpg)

the chrome bends and extention used for the swivel, fitted with 3/4" washers

(http://i.imgur.com/TEb49al.jpg)

and the new looms with the 5 core trailer wire fitted.

(http://i.imgur.com/d0H6zo1.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/6YmoRdG.jpg)

Now it's just a matter of making the resized box and swivel and I will be able to fit them to the car.(could be a while, the body is telling me to slow down)

Jim

That looks like it is starting to take shape nicely.

You could nearly box the whole lot and just cut a slot for the cable to 'swivel' in...
15mm high by say 40 or 50mm long with radiused ends matching the siza of the cable.

All you would then is the cable coming out of the slot in the pillar.

Cheers
JB

Good idea JB, I'll give it a go and let you know the outcome.
Jim

Why not use the "Painless" wireless door contacts  ??? ??? ??? .......FC427.......

Are you talking about a switch like those used for central locking on sliding van doors? The only reason I can see not to use them would be that you can't open your windows with the door open. At this stage that isn't going to be such a big deal for me so I'll probably go down the contact switch route.

Nice work Jim, glad the recovery is coming along.

Regards, Martyn

Some are going down this path fc427 as painless only do a certain amount of contacts
and with windows central locking they are using more contacts than available.

Mark, look on p7 I have them but I was looking to have power to the windows while the doors are open. The looms look to be the best answer now I have worked out the fitting of both doors it is just a matter of doing some tweeking to make them look like they belong. I'm looking at JB's suggestion of a slotted cover over the box. Keep everyone posted.
Martyn, as stated before, I am still a bit sore, so it's a little bit at a time back to the doctor next Friday for the follow up visit.
Jim

Pete I fitted these when I built MR FC  for Joe Lock  they are  4 contact, enough for central locking and power windows had to rebate them in to the door  and flush mount them in the pillars worked fine but no you can,t lock the door or use the power windows when the doors are open  :o :o hows you sedan coming ......FC427.......

Pete, the ones I have are from Bluewire and are modular so you can have as many as you like, they just clip together so you are just limited by the area to be fitted.
Also if I send you the sizes would you be interested in cutting and bending the boxes for my looms. I'm looking at the box a 10mm flange and cover plate as JB suggested.
Jim

I need seven wires.... 5 for central lock and 2 on the windows

Are there 7 wires on all 4 doors or just the front?. I have 4 sets of 4 contacts that I will not be using.
Jim

All four but I guess its for two stage unlocking which I have changed any way so all four actuate at the same time. I'm not game enough to check which ones are for two stage unlock and if I leave it I can always go back to it with the tech 2 programmer (there is no instrument cluster or mode switch anymore ;D)

I'll check and see how many wires will fit into the loom, the 5 core fits with the outer sleeve, so maybe seven wires will fit.
Jim

Nes, just stripped a couple of lengths of 5 core and was able to get 8 strands through the loom, so maybe the 7 core trailer wire could fit through.
Jim

Thanks Jim.

Did you make the dash panel?

ubeuty, it's an old dash that I cut the centre out of and welded in a filler ready to do a bit of custom work on. I will post photos when it is all done.
Jim

Thanks to JB, I've made a cover plate and fitted it to the old test gig and with a bit of finess on the car, it should look great when all painted up.

(http://i.imgur.com/C3dX0Rw.jpg)

Pete(FCRB26) is looking into making the box and cover for me so it will be a much neater end job.
Jim

just some trivia on the door lock actuators,yes some do have 5 wires but only 2 are nessesary.2 are to be polarity changed to lock/unlock, the other 3 are used when the system still operates via a key barrel in the door, it uses 1 wire as an earth and the other 2 output a locking or unlocking status to a central lock module,if you are using remote keyless entry you only require 2 wires for operation,hope this helps.

good to know  ;)

The system I have has the main actuator with seven wires and the other three with two. This is for a key activated entry, I also got a keyless entry system with it so all I need is the two wires for each door, the remote module has the rest.
Jim

yep reMote only uses 2 per door :)

Well I'm keeping them all so it does it off the barrel too!

thats cool,beware using the door key aswell as it becomes hard to turn the key as u are raising and lowering the actuator with the key barell

cut and assembled these for you ten minute job done.

Will post when i get a chance.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/12/yvy4a2a4.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/12/ujemehu7.jpg)

THANKS,Pete another neat piece of work. No way I could have got them looking like that.
Jim

They look perfect Pete. Would love 2 of them.

Regards Wayne b

Slick Pete. Look fwd to photos Jim.

I ended up fitting 400watt woofers into my front ute doors .
So I too have been looking at ideas.
I think im going down the rubber grommet/boot path
My wifes turbo territory has  a beutiful slim offset rubber boot.
Im chasing one up to see how that goes.
I plan to dyna matt or speedliner inside the doors to make it sound better.
Its also reccesed into the door so the trimmer can hide any ugly modern speaker covers.

I looked at the rubber boots, but there is not enough room between the door and the pillar. If your only running speaker wire, maybe a piece of tube tacked to the bottom of the door hinge?
Jim

Wow , alot of thought has been put into that wiring.

I found there is a spot on the back of the top door hinge (front door) that you can run wire concealed and sneaky like with minor clearancing.... trailer core wire is great stuff.

Cheers

Ed

The five core wire I picked up is only thin gauge(1.5mm) my sparkle mate told me to run at least 3mm. He gave me a sample piece to try in the loom, but it will not go through with the shroud on so I took the shroud off and the wires go through no problem. The plan now is to run the whole 3mm 5 core through the body and strip it down to fit through the loom. All will be revealed when I get the boxes from Pete and fit them onto the car. I am also in the middle of doing the wiring for the inside of the doors, again makes it real easy to line up and fit everything when I don't have the door skins on.
Regards Jim

Why not put a set of boobs on (headlight buckets in the side panel) like a few people have done now instead of putting the speakers in the doors, solves the whole problem with the wiring and the speakers getting wet, there's plenty of room under the guard and the panel isn't any use for anything else anyway.
   Pedro

Finally had some spare time this weekend, got the rear doors set up with the electric regulators and connected the switch to a battery and checked the movement. Had to make a couple of small adjustments and now the windows move up and down without a problem. Now it's a matter of doing the final wire loom in the doors and paint the insides and they will be ready for the skins to go on.
Pedro, if your comment about the boobs was directed at me, they are already in place.
Jim

No worries Jim, just went back through your posts and saw you did them very early in the build, I just saw the posts about running wires to the doors and Pete's comment re his woofers and presumed that's what everybody was talking about, got it straight now.  ;) :) :)
  Pedro

Saw this on a 2014 wrangler....
It's acceptable for Jeep but not for me!
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/23/7ujyne4a.jpg)
Just clips so the door can be removed.

not a happy camper!!! started to set up the lh door only to find out halfway through that the hinge side of the door frame has been belted at some stage and the lower mounting plate is missing. What a pain, but at least I got the rh door set up ready to go, just have to fit it to the car and drill the hole for the loom.

mangled door frame.

http://i.imgur.com/aWW989v.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/e1u7qHh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OYJtBwC.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/NwSqQhw.jpg

lucky I only got as far as welding in the winder hole

http://i.imgur.com/Xs9aKCU.jpg

the rh door painted inside with kill rust paint and wiring done

http://i.imgur.com/hSR3Fs1.jpg

now to find another door and start over. Nes, I'm not a fan of that look either, looks like an after thought.
Jim

Yeah but three clips and the door is COMPLETELY off. Effective for the use on the beach I think but still doesn't look good.

Looks like you have the same power window motor and power window switch as mine....

That didn't work Try this

(http://i.imgur.com/aWW989v.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/e1u7qHh.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/OYJtBwC.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/NwSqQhw.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/hSR3Fs1.jpg)

Looks like you have the same power window motor and power window switch as mine.... but looks a truck load easier to install with the skin off ;)

had to rethink the rears, the deawoo winders sat a bit to high and the window channel hit it on the way down so these are fron a honda civic. Look the same as the sonata fronts you used and as I said before, I've had the switches for about a year, can't rush these things.
I suppose it would have to be a quick release idea for the Jeep but still they could have used the contacts I was going to use, would look a whole lot neater.
Jim

sure is, can't beat sitting the frame on a stand and being able to look at how it all goes together and then being able to set it all up without any of the worries of doing it all inside out.
Jim

Got a bit more done on Saturday, fitted the right "A" pillar box and the "B" pillar loom.
had to cut a hole in the side of the pillar to fit the box through and the "B" pillar cut the inside to fit
the mounting plate.

(http://i.imgur.com/zDGmHdw.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/voBj7nJ.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/mjNggel.jpg)

Thanks to Pete(FCRB26) the boxes look great

I made a 50x60 plate and welded the nut on and fitted it to the pillar by plug welding 4 spots to hld it in place.

(http://i.imgur.com/yGTwSay.jpg)

I forgot to take a photo of the plate so I will do that when I fit the left side up.
Jim

Hey Jim
Is this the mob you bought your radiator from?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3-row-aluminum-radiator-HOLDEN-FE-FC-1956-1960-/281245190807?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item417b850a97&_uhb=1
Nick

Not the one, mine was $339 delivered from Melbourne. I'll check it out and let you know.
Jim

Finally had some time in the shed, got the looms fitted to the lh pillars and test fitted the rear doors too check all works ok.

the 'B' pillar mounting plate and the front pillar box with the swivel
(http://i.imgur.com/XI8zNZt.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/yokVgxp.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/OYxXl9d.jpg)

the rear doors test fitted

(http://i.imgur.com/7fC6hAJ.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/PnE39CO.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/BAmFeQd.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/bchkben.jpg)

I can also see where the looms need to be cut so they have clearance inside the doors.

More to come soon, (I hope) Jim

something went wrong, try this.
pillar mounting plate and front pillar box and swivel.
(http://i.imgur.com/XI8zNZts.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/yokVgxps.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/Cmh4FKIs.jpg)
doors test fitted.
(http://i.imgur.com/7fC6hAJs.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/PnE39COs.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/BAmFeQds.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/bchkbens.jpg)

Back at it again after doing some Reno work around the house. The plan is too finish cleaning all the welds and paint the floor inside and out. Photos too follow, if imagr does'nt play up again.
Jim

Best be getting some photos working and up asap then!

The weekend didn't turn out as planned, got a couple of hours in the shed then visitors arrived. Maybe next weekend or if I get home early enough during the week I can get some time in, not overly worried thought it will get finished one day.
Jim

A few hours in the shed today in 35-38 degree heat with the fan going flat out, got the rear half of the under floor cleaned and painted before it got too hot to continue. Had a call from " stinky" to let me know my trim is almost complete and that I will be getting the new repo head lining as well, should be ready in a couple of weeks. This means I can try and get stuck into it and get it completed hopefully in a few months.
Jim

a few shots of the rear floor,


(http://i.imgur.com/HxlaBze.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/Urq6Qe5.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/kAn4OVm.jpg)

Dame imagur for some reason it is super sizing the photos, see if this works

(http://i.imgur.com/kAn4OVml.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/Urq6Qe5l.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/HxlaBzel.jpg)

Picked up a rubber kit from Rares and got some chrome work (grill, over riders, f&r bars). Then spent the rest of the day on the car, cleaned up the rest of the under floor ready for paint(need to get more). Got this week off so I hope too get as much done as I can. Aiming for a mid year finish so I'll see how I go.
Jim

Looking good Jim :)

Good stuff Jim

Regards

Wayne b

Sounds like Santa was good to you Jim.
Must feel good to be able to get a few straight days on it again.

Five days, 100 belts and a lot of sanding and cleaning with a little air belt sander, the floor is now cleaned and painted.
next step is to apply the Lizard Skin spray on sound proofing. Then test fit sub frame and hang all doors, guards and bonnet before paint.
Jim


(http://i.imgur.com/6GRj5VNl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/KapplfVl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/o27JpVNl.jpg)

That's real progress, looking good Jim.

Gee, I wish I had floors and sills that looked that good, well done :)

Thanks guys for your support, Gman, it's taken a lot of time and effort to get the body to this stage. The fact that I love the car is probably the only reason I kept going after finding out how bad it was when I pulled it down.
Jim

Very neat job!!

And ain't that the truth.

Another Christmas/New Year present, got a message from Glenn (Stinky) to let me know my trim is all but ready. Things are now coming together so mid year (or a bit earlier) is looking good for the car to be back on the road.
Jim

Nice one  Jim just keep taking little bites  ;D ;D ;D

Looking good mate. I am at similar stage with my floor, just some tidying up to do.

Another late Christmas or anniversary present from Glen (stinky). All the new trim arrived today and looks fantastic.

(http://i.imgur.com/BsfD3NMl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/0itTJUhl.jpg)

try again, internet failed.

(http://i.imgur.com/WinYnxNl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/6lKi4J8l.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/CIdVSVql.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/nLu67DUl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/9thtWz6l.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/IyN9tE4l.jpg)

booked in with a local trimmer to have the seats done and then have the roof lining fitted when the car is finished.
Now I an really starting to belive I can finish this project by mid year and then start on the ute.
Jim

Very nice!!

Very nice Jim (& Glenn).
Did you get the top of the seats embossed?

Mine are the plain seats the embossed seats came out in the late 59's with the fin extenders. The door trims are embossed but the photos don't show it up that well.
Jim

Can't wait for mine now.

Looking good Jim. I'm just in the background watching like a voyeur. Can you get new sets of boobs do you know fellas?

They are FE/FC headlight buckets, there are some on eBay under Fc holden.
Jim

Looks great guys

Got a bit more done today, dropped the seat frames and the new covers off at the trimmers this morning and then back in the shed. Stone guarded the under floor and sprayed the Lizard skin soundproofing all over the interior and boot. Tomorrow a mate is coming over to cut and bend new brake and fuel lines, so I'll post some shots when finished. Next on the list is to finish fitting up the power windows with new channels and locating plates and then reskin the doors. Slowly working my way down the list to the finish line.
Jim

Definitely need a like button!!  ;D

Yes Jim all looking great.


Regards

Wayne b

Bugger, no work today hopefully next weekend although I will have new braided hoses, new EJ brake shoes and wheel cylinders to fit up when my mate comes over.
Jim

And the bugger button for those other experiences.

My mate chucked a sicky so the brake/fuel lines are on hold for now, so had to do a few other things in the meantime.
Finished off the sound proofing inside the body and boot areas.

(http://i.imgur.com/q42cLhol.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/zsAjOlPl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/K0qv30Jl.jpg)

also the soneguard under the floor

(http://i.imgur.com/earXNlll.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/mQuHLiPl.jpg)

and the first test fit of the front clip guards and bonnet

(http://i.imgur.com/1OlhtE0l.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/0QOERT4l.jpg)

so far so good just a few minor adjustments and the front end and guards will fit real snug.
Hopefully some more work next weekend.
Jim

The floor looks great Jim. It's really taking shape.

Nice work! ;D

Looks good Jim
Nick

Finally had a bit more time in the shed today, made up and welded in the final piece of the LH outer sill. Just have to clean up the welds and the body is all done. Now to finish the doors and fit the skins, put the rear end in and refit and seal the front end in place. I will also pull the motor down and check that everything is all good internally as well as having the Strommies rebuilt and the manifold bead tumbled and new linkages fitted. I will post a couple of photos when I pick them up tomorrow afternoon.
Jim

Good steady progress!

Looking good.

Very jealous Jim, looks amazing.

One very happy camper!!! I picked up the rebuilt carbies today and could not be happier.
Nigel from Extreme Fuel Systems has worked his magic and given me a real neat package
that is going to look fantastic in the engine bay.

(http://i.imgur.com/i4vkx3Ml.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/iRXYgssl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/bt0zak0l.jpg)

The manifold and housings have been tumble cleaned and then fully rebuilt with matching jets and power valves. Also the
linkages have been custom made to suit with hex bar and adjustable rods so they all work as one without any delays. Once the engine is back together Nigel will give me a hand to fine tune everything so it all runs the way it should (can't wait).
Jim

Wow! They look awesome. Nice work on the floor too. Good progress.  8) Cheers, Jamie.

Forgot to mention, I dropped the headers in to have them ceramic coated and should have them back Friday.
Jim

Jim,

Just spend last night going through every page on your build to catch up from where i had left off, over 12 months ago.
You have made some awesome progress.

John

Thanks John, it has been a big job and there was a few times where I could have chucked it all in, but I just stepped back, shut the roller door and did something else. There is light at the end of the tunnel and it is becoming brighter, as I have said, I hope to be back on the road mid year so I have enough time to iron out any problems before the nationals.
Jim

Oops, forgot to ask, how is your project going.
Jim

Old skool cool I reckon.

Been looking for a while, wanted something a bit different twins and triple SU's are more common than triple Strommies. So when I noticed the manifold while dropping off my carbies, I made him an offer and these are the end result. The old school look is what I'm looking for and hopefully the end result will reflect just that.
Jim

not much work on the car of late, but did pick up the headers from being ceramic coated.

(http://i.imgur.com/yC8rkQml.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/bwbI8Kcl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/0nmbOhRl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/wjuC0bVl.jpg)

They need a bit more of a polish but they look the part, will match the triples real well.
A bit more chrome and polished alloy too add a bit more bling to the engine and it"s done.
Jim

Was hoping for a big weekend in the shed but a day in hospital yesterday with lower back pain has stopped me cold. The doctors think I have pinched a nerve, so pain killers and anti inflammation pills three times a day for four days and bed rest has been prescribed. Ah well maybe next weekend!!!, getting old is a real pain in the arse(back).
Jim

I know the feeling all too well Jim. I tore two discs in my lower back twelve months ago and still can't move in the morning. As 'unblokey' as it sounds I do a lot of yoga now which really helps. I just need a mat that isn't pink

Hope your feeling better after a bit of time off. If you end up seeing a physio, they might be able to recommend various pallates exercises to do cos if it continues sometimes the pain de-activates the core muscles and glutes compounding the problem. Pm me and I can send you some lumbur exercises to try if it lingers ongoing.

Thanks guy's, I have to get a scan done as they found a small trace of blood in my urine and then go back to my gp and go from there. The ER doctor said not to have any physio until I have the results back.
Jim

Hope it's all good with the scan & that you recover quickly for plenty of action next weekend.

best thought with the scan, and look forward to see plenty of photos

John

Take it easy Jim, good luck with your results.
Cheers
John

Good luck.

Must be the week for good fortune (Deano's score),had a call from the trimmer letting me know that the seats are finished. I was expecting them at the end of April, I'll post some shots  when I pick them up tomorrow (back permitting).
Jim

As promised a couple of shots of the seats, picked them up yesterday.

(http://i.imgur.com/E4sjPr1l.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/sgEMdaLl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/RLHYaEzl.jpg)

very happy with the end result,they fitted the covers that Glenn had made and redid all the padding. all that is left is to fit the new side caps and the ash tray as well as the runners and they will be ready to go back into the car.
Jim

They look amazing Jim.

Terrific Jim.

Great stuff Jim.


Regards Wayne b

Wow how nice is that. I can't wait til I am up to the stage of starting my interiors.

Question- what do you do when it's cold, raining and your back is still a bit sore?
Answer- sit down inside and polish the stainless for the door cards, seat ends and the "C" pillar moulds.
Keeps the hands warm from the friction and gets a few more things off the list. I'll fit the door cards and the seat trims up when finished and post some shots.
Jim

these are the sealt mould clips that Pete has reproduced, painted in kill rust black.

(http://i.imgur.com/YgJ3AWDl.jpg)


fitted to the moulds.

(http://i.imgur.com/dbCcp01l.jpg)

and the moulds fitted to the Rare pares repo caps.

(http://i.imgur.com/FbVY41sl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/jO7SSYGl.jpg)

next on the list are the door trims.
jim

Forgot to say that the clips worked a treat and fitted real well, bent the bard with long nose pliers for the first angle and then bent with my finger to press them fully down.
Well done Pete, another quality job.
Jim

Forgot i did them..  :D

Did you buy a chrome surround for your seat adjuster ? I ended up with a rares one.

They look great Jim.

I would venture to say that I am the first to use them.The little things are easy to forget, that's why I posted the shots. These clips and the ones for the rear paint splitter mould are the out of sight out of mine parts in a rebuild, so it was a no brainier for me to post the photos as it will refresh people's memory about them. Yes I have the chrome slide cover but it doesn't show up all that well in the photo.
Jim

good thinking Jim

A bit more done today until the grinder decided it had done enough.
Got both front door pillar loom boxes done, but had to redo the swivels as they sat to high in the box and didn't line up with the cover plate.

(http://i.imgur.com/kl1LZRSl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/Y4S4sL2l.jpg)

also got a small parts sand blasting cabinet so I could clean all the little parts (door hinges etc)
but for some reason imgur will not let me post the photos.

Depined and removed the brass bushes from a front and rear hinge and blasted them, and for those who are not sure, the front and rear pins and bushes are the same. I will see if I can work out whats wrong with imgur and post the other photos later.
Jim

GOOGLE has something called reCAPCHA and looks like it filters "span". Now just have to work out how to get rid of it, what a pain in the rear.
Jim

Rear door looms done and have decided to use the spare wire for the interior light and alarm. The plan for today is to finish off fitting the electrics in the doors, still can't get rid of this rotten reCAPCHA so no photos at this stage.
Jim

Are you using Chrome?

Ok, that silly problem with recaptcha has some how deleted itself and I can now doenload pictures again.

this is the small parts sandblaster

(http://i.imgur.com/B6vjVbml.jpg)

and the door hinges done, the front one has been blasted and the rear one has also been sanded ready for paint

(http://i.imgur.com/5OzQ0Hql.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/mWg9L1ql.jpg)

I have also done the rest of the hinges, but didn't take any photos as I thought I couldn' post them. Hopefully I will be able to do some more on the doors and get them finished next weekend.
Jim

Looks like they turned out well, Jim. What are your thoughts on the sandblast unit? Cheers, John

G,day John, it's not a bad little unit although there are on directions on how to set it up nor the fact that you need to hook up a vacuum cleaner to extract excess dust. I found out after doing the first couple of hinges that without the vacuum, you get blow back through the lid and end up with a black neck. Also, I think it could do with some kind of internal agitator to keep the medium covering the pick up hose.
Jim

I've got one of the sandblasters too, Didn't know about the vacuum either. I had trouble seeing what was in the blaster as it got real dusty in there on the screen.
Ill try that now, should make life easier.

Thanks, Jim. I got one of those 40 litre portable units for external blasting a while back (which I haven't yet used). If I get a cabinet, I may be able to adapt this to fix the medium pickup problem. Good heads up with the vacuum cleaner. Did you just use normal garnet? Cheers, John

When i first started the workshop we had a cheaper style suction one like this but the bigger cabinet.
we used a timber style dust extractor as the vaccums dont seem to last long.
also if the nozzles play up there was an old chap making some on ebay they had a tungsten nozzle i still have the one out of it somewhere.
we ended up going to a very large australian abrasives pressurised bead blaster its the ducks guts in blasters as we use it a lot.

John, I used the fine grit from super cheap it cleans quite well.
Pete, maybe a bit of false economy on my part! I have been looking at a medium cabinet from Hare&Forbes for around $800-$900 from memory. I will see how things pan out once the sedan is finished and have a look at the ute.
Jim

some more progress on the car over the last few weeks, finished off fitting the power windows and central locking units to the doors
and fitted the new bush and pin kits to the hinges then refitted the doors onto the body for a final test before the skins go on.

(http://i.imgur.com/1X6Hlj0l.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/aeOzIUdl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/CMi64pGl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/h5ByaMCl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/tvFoCEYl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/oTORdQyl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/ltiOSNNl.jpg)

getting closer, bit by bit, hopefully a full weekend next week will see the doors reskined and back on the wheels.
Jim

Impressive Jim.

Impressive indeed and I do like the cable set-up through the door jam. A Pete special.

Regards

Wayne b

thank god I'm not paying someone by the hour for repairs! it took 6 hours to clean all the old soundproofing from inside the door skins and then sand them all as clean as I could get them. 50 odd years of surface rust on a couple of the skins was a pain, but two of them were fairly good.

(http://i.imgur.com/Zyo80LSl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/HclM5LNl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/AotwXKJl.jpg)

the outsides of the skins wre the worst.

(http://i.imgur.com/Myv4LPbl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/5KsFEJPl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/w0mMwizl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/1iWqn0dl.jpg)

All four have also been treated with metal prep rust treatment, I'll let them dry over night and paint the insides with white kill rust as I did with the door frames and then spray on the soundproofing before fitting the skins to the doors.
Jim

been off with the flu for 2 weeks but got a bit more done over the last couple of days. Fitted the stainless trims and the arm rests to the door cards and painted and sound proofed the inside of the door skins. Also had a call from my mate who is doing the brakes for me to let me know he is just waiting on a couple of parts and all will be done and ready to fit up. Hopefully have the door skins fitted this week (said that before) and move on with the rest of the car.
Can't get into Imgur at the moment, so I will post some photos later.
Jim

Good stuff Jim.

Regards

Wayne b

Some good progress there.

Deano.

Dam flu is getting around big time

Cleaned me up for two weeks, been off since the long weekend. Lot better now, back to work tomorrow and back on the car.
Jim

As promissed, photos of the inside of the door skins painted and soundproofed using the rest of the lizardskin.

(http://i.imgur.com/MEQI4c4l.jpg) ($2)

(http://i.imgur.com/NKJBKIbl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/EWsp27fl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/zac3C10l.jpg)

hopefully I'll get some more time this weekend and get the skins fitted to the doors.
Jim

Good steady progress Jim.

Finally some time in the shed this afternoon, finished fitting up all the mountings for the windows and central locking. Also fitted the skin to the rear door and test fitted to the body before fully fitting the skin and priming it.Tomorrow I hope to fit the other three skins and prime them as well.
Jim

Finally all done, all four doors reskined, cleaned and under coated ready for refitting.

(http://i.imgur.com/9d5jFhGl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/cUm6QcGl.jpg)

can anyone see a problem with the skins?
Didn't notice untill it was fitted, but the right hand skin doesn't have the hole for the door lock (must be a standard skin) no matter, I'll cut the old skin and use it as a template.
Now to fit the front and rear ends and get her back on the ground and fit and gap the doors and guards, then at long last PAINT.
Jim

Your shed must have been a lot warmer than mine this weekend Jim.
Very thorough job.

Been at it again over the last few days, had a chance to get some of the more tedious jobs done. Smoothed the guards and fixed a few rust spots that came to light after blasting. Also smoothed the door openings and pillars and primed them ready for final rub and high fill, so all the work that has been done now looks like the rest of the car. Also been working on the EJ rear end, getting it ready to fit so I can get her back on her wheels.
Jim

Great work Jim. Keep it up.
Cheers,
Graham

Bring the warmth & daylight saving.

Sounds like we all have our hands full at the moment..

Any progress is good progress..

Harko's 20 minute rule has always resonated with me.

Got some more done today, pulled the front frame off the rotisserie so I could clean up, smooth  and prime the firewall.
Also cleaned and painted the gearbox cover, steering column plates and front bumper irons. Imgur has changed it's format again so once I work it out I'll post some photos of the progress. All these small jobs are adding up and gives me something to do while I'm waiting for the rear end to come back from being blasted. Each little job gets me another step closer to being ready for paint.
Jim

All this wet weather we have had has put me behind a few days waiting for the subframe to come back from blasting as well.
A pile of bead blasting for the T/A today  :D
Hopefully get some etch primer on all the parts and engine this afternoon..

Finally, imagur is back to normal, so here are the photo's of the work so far.

(http://i.imgur.com/z2eJIpHm.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/DZ82DJvm.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/zkgrTEUm.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/Nior2o3m.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/tvcQflJm.jpg)

also paint stripped and cleaned the front end today but was to dark to take photos by the time I finished, will post them in the next few days.
Jim

Yay, finally picked up all the brake and clutch parts yesterday (the only problem when you tell a mate your not in a real hurry).Now hopefully I can get some time to myself and get back into the shed and get the car finished.
Jim

Can't believe it's been 6 mths since I've done any work on the old girl, I have been kept busy around the house and our daughters new home at Bingara Gorge. I have had a chance to dismantle the EJ rear end that will go into the FC and clean it up and remove the old bearings and wheel studs from the axles. Everything has been stripped back to bare metal and repainted in satin black, new bearings, seals, wheel studs and crown gear and pinion will be fitted along with the new drums, brake shoes and wheel cylinders ready for refitting.
The down side is I will have to replace the outer sills as the old repo sills are out of shape and the front doors sit over the top of the sill on both sides. At least I have been lucky to pick up a pair of nos outer sills, so hopefully they will fix the problem.
Jim

Well the FC and us have a new home and I have retired from full time work after 50 years. Once we have fully unpacked and settled in The plan is to finish of the FC and get her back on the road.
Will keep you posted,
Jim

Congratulations Jim.

Congrats Jim.
Cheers,
Graham

Congratulations Jim, Pleased you have joined the club,enjoy retirement.
Cheers
John

I have finally found an engine reconditioner that will do the right thing and not rip you off. He was recommended by a customer off mine who has had work done by him in the past. So I have pulled the motor apart and will be dropping it off this afternoon so he can check it out.
All being well, it will be cleaned & tested, bored +60, new bearing & brass welch plugs. Head will get 202 valves, hardened seats and stronger springs. Hopefully it will be ready when we get back from our cruise, so I’ll post the results when we return.
Jim

Picked up the engine this morning all finished ready to put back together. Everything’s in good order, no cracks or damage so nowI can begin the rebuild. Was told by the guy that did the work that the pistons & rings I bought are 3-1/16 plus 60 so I now have a 3-3/16 bore, so with the head work, the triples & the cam it should be a good performer. I’ll post some photos and a video when I have it running.
Jim

Hello, Good you have found a reliable engine re-conditioner. I may be wrong, but I think 3 1/16 + .060" is closer to 3 1/8 bore as  1/16" is .0625", while 1/8" is .125", therefore   3 1/16" + .060" would be approx 3 1/8". This is a good, reliable size for an oversize bore. Cheers.

My mistake, they are 3-1/8 plus60 advertised on eBay.
Jim

Back on home soil, have the engine back together just need to rebuild the cross member and fit it into the subframe so I can fit the engine and gear box in place to set up the header pipes. Have them bent up now it’s a matter of getting them in the correct position to clear the mounts and gearbox. Will let you know how it goes.
Jim

Hi Jim,
Who did you use to do your engine? What was the approximate cost?
Cheers,
Graham

Hi Graham, Les Noyce at ElToro estate Liverpool, $2900 which included chemical clean all parts, gaskets, bearings, rebore & hone, clean and check oil pump, rebuilt head with 186 valves & springs, hardened seats. I supplied the oversized pistons & rings and the rebuild.
I’ll be at the meeting on Tuesday if you want any more information.
Jim

Now the house is sold and had no luck selling the FC, I have been finishing off the front end and diff so I can get the car mobile and move it to a mates place. He has let me use his shed for storage so I can work on it over the next few months and get it back on the road.
The only trouble with moving into an over 55s village is they frown on a lot of noise from hammering and grinding. But at least the villa has a double garage so I’ll have a place for it when complete.
Jim

Hey Jim,

Just been catching up on your progress.
Retired hey! Great you can help me with my project  ;)

Selling the FC - Please tell me it is not true..

All the best

John

Hey John good to hear from you, due to health issues with my wife and myself I was going to sell it but not much interest. We have run out of time as we are moving in two weeks so it’s a mad scramble to get the car mobile so I can move it over to a mates place. He has let me store it in his shed so I can work on it a couple of days a week to get it finished.
Jim

A good mate.

You dont want to have to sell it after all the work you put in.
Sorry to hear about your wife, hope she is on the mend.

Will try to get to a meeting one of these days ...  :D :D

John

Got the front end all finished yesterday, cross member rebuilt and bolted back onto the subframe. Cleaned up and painted the engine and all the boltons as well as cleaned the gearbox ready for new gaskets and paint. Next step bolt them back together and fit them into the front end and set the header pipes for clearance between the gearbox and the idler arm.
Jim

Not a happy camper, rolled the car out of the garage onto the patio so I could finish off the fit up. Fitted the motor and gearbox into the front end and started the header pipes. Then jacked up the rear end and changed over the old FC diff with the cleaned and painted EH 3.55 diff only to find out when I put the wheels on there is a real slap and lag in the diff. The while rolling the car back into the garage, my son noticed a distinct noise from the diff as well (so much for the in good order diff from a customer). Luckily I have a 3.36 centre I can swap over and hope it’s in better condition. At least the car is mobile and ready for the move tomorrow.
Jim

Just thought I would fill everyone in on what’s been happening since last year. The health gods haven’t been all that kind to me and as a consequence not much has been done one the car. I have, however had a few days here and there to get some work done. I’ve been able to adjust the Rh sill enough to get the gap ok but still need to fully bolt the guard on and check the alignment of the lower swage to make sure. If this doesn’t work, I’ll have to cut the sill off and replace it.
Till next time,
Jim

Good luck with the alignment Jim. Hope your next update says good health has returned for Christmas & you are ready to tear into it again in 2020.

Good to read your update Jim ,little by little you will get there ,and thanks for your phone call yesterday,for heads up on rear window seals for special ,as I said yesterday I will attempt to fit the trim in the rubber ,hopefully tomorrow ..For those of you reading this ,Jim is going to fit my front rear screens ,I went to him with both glass and trim to fit up to be prepared and down the track he would put them in body ,I elected to do it that way as I was alerted some of the Rare Spares seals don't fit..Sure enough the front wasn't easy but he got there ,the rear would not assemble up ,not putting in the body ,just putting it on the glass and fitting the stainless trim in ,I took the seal back to Rare Spares and they replaced it ( in July ) , told Jim ,put it aside till we are ready again ,Jim rang me yesterday ,he is doing another rear one ,recently bought and it wont fit ...OK companys have problems..but surely you test fit your products ,and if not correct withdraw it ,don't sell a product known to be faulty ..twice ..Rares have acknowledged the problem and have no stock they can guarantee ...so where to now ??who else sells screen rubbers ? Old Auto are Rares ?Any one have one to sell ? all the best Vern .

I’ve noticed that there have been quite a few more views on my page, so I thought I should give an update. Since my last post I decided to remove the offending sills and replace them with the NOS one I had acquired some time ago, the quick fix approach didn’t work and after looking at what I’d done and how it looked I bit the bullet and crabbed the grinder. With our recent cruise and the mates place being flooded and now the lockdowns, time on the car has been limited once again. Hopefully this or next week I’ll be able to get back into it and get it all sorted as this is really the only thing stopping me from having the car painted. I think I will also need to replace the bonnet as there is rust bubbling through below the letters and across the rear corners as well. Will post some pictures when I have the sills done.
Jim

Hey Jim ..I am pleased to read your up date ,sounds like you are powering up again ,that is great,there is nothing like that final top coat , I water tested my car the other day ,a little leak at the air vent ,now fixed ,but your screen seals are fine ..I hope to be visiting inspection station by end of May ..keep well Vern .

Thanks Vern, I’d love to be at your stage now but I’ll keep plodding along and get there one day.
Jim

Have had a couple of good days on the car, the rh sill is all but finished. Had to do a little massaging to get it to fit well, the top is welded in and I’ll do the bottom next week as I ran out of time. At least the the doors now have a gap and don’t overlap. The combination of the new sills and a little rectification on the new door skins has done the trick, once the right side is done it’s time to start again and tackle the left side.
The joys of NOS parts that I have learnt are rejects from the factory lines, if they don’t fit put it aside and get another one. Then the rejected ones were sold off as spare parts.

After 18 months of on again off again work on the car, I’ve finally got the outer sills replaced. The problems with the right sill were nothing compared with the left side. After trying a few times to match up the sill with the body I found it to be 1/4” long???. In the end I trimmed the “B” pillar section and sat the sill back on the car, this showed the rear of the sill matched up with the rear wheel well and the front was 1/4” forward of the lower”A” pillar. So began the task of cutting down and reshaping. Only then to find the shape from the top to bottom of the inner sill was also out.
After more than a few adjectives and a ratchet strap and vies grips, the sill finally capitulated to a point where it could be welded into place. With a bit more manipulation I got it to a point were I could fit the doors and guard with a reasonable gap. Now to do the fine tuning the fitment and gaps, and then do the same on the other side, thankfully the sill has been done so hopefully it won’t be as bad. Having problems getting into imgur so photo to follow.

Wow, you really decided to do it! :) I read the amount of work, and I can't imagine how much time it would have taken me...

Good to see you back into the project Jim.

Cheers,
Harv

We have both had a hiatus. Good to see your car being finished Jim.

Regards

Wayne b

Hey Jim ..good to read your progress , well done , good time to do it while things are quiet on the social front ..Vern .

Thanks guy’s, I’m just plodding along when the back let’s me, no time frame anymore, it’ll be finished when it’s finished. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger though, once the bodywork is completed I can finish doing the external bits on the engine, headers, exhaust etc. and get it running as well as replacing so called “good” diff with an actual good diff.
The one thing I’m glad I didn’t do was have tires fitted to the new rims when I purchased them as they would be no good by the time the car’s back on the road.

I’m still chipping away trying to whittle down the list of things to be done. If anyone knows where I can get a set of dual header pipes could you let me know otherwise it’ll be extractors instead. Been spending my time lately cleaning, painting and fitting the pedal box and the new inner firewall cover as well as the vent lever assembly. The idea is test fitting as much as possible to make sure it all fits properly and I have still got everything I took off. Next job is to fit the master cylinders and power booster so I can bend up the new lines. As usual my back doesn’t want to play ball, so it’s a matter of doing what I can when I can. I’ve come this far so I won’t stop til it’s done, luckily I’ve got a good mate with a large shed and it’s not in his way and I help him out when he needs a hand on his projects.

Keep chipping away at it Jim your effort will be rewarding, I am looking forward to see the finished product.
Cheers John

Do you have any recent photos Jim?