FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hi All.

I started a build a few years ago on an FC Standard that I bought. Well, as the thread went, I had to abandon it as once the shell was stripped, it was way beyond my skills at the time.  Fast forward some months later and I was able to pick up an FC Special sedan off a mate for $200. Obviously for that price I wasn't expecting much, and I was right. To say this thing has been a paradox is an understatement. From the roof down to just above the sill line, rust free.  Sills down, cactus.  These are the pics as she was found at the end of 2017. Much work has been done over the last year, which I will detail in this thread.

Thanks for listening.


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We got her on wheels and towed to a mates property, where I proceeded to strip all parts off to leave just the shell. Discovered it's a special, in single colour, with full paint separator kit. A few weeks later, I went back up and brought it home.

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Once home, she sat in the yard, under a tarp until I sorted out the garage. Whilst out there, I cleaned her out and took stock of the task ahead. All in all, the entire floor, including crossmembers, A pillars, outer sills, B pillar bottoms, entire boot floor, boot rails, rear valance, and both quarters would need work. Fun times.

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Once I got her in the garage and all cleaned up, time for the fun to begin. Obviously it was a major task, with the complete floor gone, I was not sure what to do. Enter lady luck. It just so happened at that time on this forum, a member advertised a complete one piece sedan floor cut, sill to sill, rear seat to firewall, including larger trans tunnel. I jumped on it, and was very surprised to find it completely rust free when I picked it up. Following commenced the painstaking job of unstitching the floor from the sills at the spot welds.

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great stuff
 
keep us informed on the build

Wow good save ..  can not wait to watch the rebuild  :)

Hey Longman I think for $200 you have picked up a great project there mate yes a lot of work but it will be great when you finish it and picking up that floor was awsome and will make life easier in the long run just a pity that we cannot buy floors etc. aftermarket like in the states there would be a lot more of our cars saved if this was the case.
Both my EK Ute and FB Station wagon have started out as $600 and $400 respectively so keep the photos coming and can't wait to see your progress.

Regards
Neil

Thanks for the replies guys. This car will be built as a budget cruiser. I don't have the coin for Rodtech fronts, USS 4 links or the like. I have the modified HR front end, inj 304/auto from a VT, shortened 10bolt LSD. I won't be breaking any new ground here, might get a few personal touches on the way though. The aim is the best car I can build with a very limited budget. On track so far, mostly through bartering and trading and doing as much as I can myself. I've had help from some top blokes, I will credit them throughout the thread.

Once the floor pan was unstitched, I set about removing the rusty floor from the car. It was almost a basket case, most of the floor just fell out with little resistance. We left the subframe attached to help with alignment. Surprisingly, the inner sills were really good, with no signs of rust, nice to have a win every now and then.

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Once the floor was removed and everything cleaned up, the new floor was installed. It was a mammoth task, taking the best part of 2 days, but thanks to a mate (on ya NES304), it was accomplished. Over the following weeks, I finished the welding, did some patching around the rear seat mount and stripped the rear pans and coated them in rust reformer. The pans were perfect, no rust anywhere.

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Does your other half know you are using her good stool ;) ;D ;D. Looks alot better with a floor in .
 Billy

Once the main floor was done, onto the boot floor. The rust was removed from the rails, the insides cleaned and sprayed, then patches made up and welded in.  As the car is modified, I wanted to fit a steel VS commodore fuel tank, so a frame was welded up and installed, then the remainder of the floor was fabricated in 1.6mm steel. I acknowledge the help of a great mate, Micka Imrie, who is not a member, for his assistance and awesome metal skills.

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Haha, The car is vintage, the stool antique. What's the difference?

I took a break for a few days whilst waiting for some poly strip discs to arrive off ebay (I could not afford to have the car sandblasted unfortunately, not if I wanted to stay married), so I turned my attention to the diff. I scored the diff in a trade, it's already been shortened to suit the model, has had HR saddles grafted and is a VB-VC 10 bolt Salisbury with 2.60:1 LSD centre (perfect for a cruiser, not a racer). I stripped it down and checked internals, all good. I discarded the original commodore brakes and refurbished a set of VS commodore rear brake calipers, and bought new DBA T2 slottted rotors. I know it's typically best to choose your wheels before having the diff done, but as I'm on a tight budget and not tubbing the car, it was not a major concern.

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Around the same time I was working on the diff, a member of this forum had a change of heart and advertised a setup for an FC to suit a 304. HR front end with engine mounts done and rear mounted commodore rack done. I could not pass up that deal, so purchased it (thanks a million SCOOP).  I got it home, stripped it, had it sandblasted and powder coated. I put in KMAC lowered springs (thanks Pete Mallaby) and replaced all the bushes. I refurbished a set of VS calipers and it came with brand new T2 rotors and bearings. Very happy with how it turned out.

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Originally, I had planned on an ecotec conversion, but when I got a message from a mate (thanks again NES304) telling me he had a 5L VT Calais in his driveway and was I interested, hells yes I was. I scored the entire drivetrain from radiator back, a good running engine/box, wiring loom, BCM/PCM, key etc. Marc was nice enough to organise a flash of the chip to HSV 220KW and VATS removed. Happy days.  Having also scored a set of extractors, engine mounts and modified sump from SCOOP when I bought the HR the front end, I was cruising.

I pulled the engine apart to replace gaskets and paint it up. The internals were in good condition with no sludge. I had the oil pickup tig welded to suit and fitted it all up.

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Still on the engine. I primered/painted it in gloss black. I got a set of rockers and matching cover done in hydrodipped 2 pak, as soon as I saw them, I fell in love and had to have them!  I rebuilt all 8 injectors. The only issue is that I will have to modify a dipstick tube to fit, as the hole was moved to the other side.

Alas, the motor has been sitting for a couple years. I did put oil in the cylinders and turn it over by hand every few weeks, but I will have new rings/bearings etc put in before running it.

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OK. Back to the shell.  The car looks to have been a paddock racer in it's life. The bonnet was ruined, with a badly constructed home-made scoop and the dog leg subframes underneath were dented in both sides (from hitting rocks and logs). The worst bit though was the rear quarters and wheel arches. Someone had bashed in the inner arches on the quarter side to fit larger tyres. The result was pressure applied to the quarter panel, bulging out the arches to look like shitty flares. It has obviously been like this for decades, based on the buildup of grime and rust.

Again, with the help of my mate Micka, his plasma cuttter and a lot of time, we cut the offending piece of arch out and welded in a patch. The quarters themselves were quite stretched and required a lot of relief cuts, heat shrinking and hammer/dolly work to get them straight again. A skim coat of Fibral filler finished off the job ready for some bondo. This had to be done on both sides.

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Result: a nice straight speed line.

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I had stripped back the outer sills and coated them some months before. The drivers side was solid with only 3 small pin holes of rust. I had thought about keeping them, however, as I had a set of replacement panels already, I decided to cut them off. Glad I did. As noted in the pics below, both sides were chocked full of flaky, dirty, rusty badness.  The inner sills were great, just some minor pitting, but nothing major. Both pillar supports at the front of the sill needed small patches, and one end needed patching. Aside from that, all went smoothly and as planned.

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I knew inevitably that I would have to tackle the front A pillar bottoms. They seemed OK originally, however once I put the wire brush to them, they fell apart.  Luckily, inside was in good condition, it was only the outside that needed fabricating. Like a jigsaw, old removed, new built up piece by piece, job done. Plenty of rust converter and rustproofing sprayed inside though!

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Since that major work, all I've been doing is stripping and coating the shell, inside and out, patching up any small rust bits I find, which luckily hasn't been many. All that remains to be done is the rear beaver panel, and the rear quarter lowers (inside and out). Remarkably, all window and door channels are rust free. Even the cowl vent channel is rust free. Major bonus.

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So, after 18 months, 13 of which have been spent just on the shell, this is the latest pic of where it is at. After this, move on to the subframe, which needs a fair bit of work, but that's for another time.  I am on the lookout for some decent B Pillar bottoms.

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Looking good! What paint / rust product have you been using, I am looking at using kbs chassis paint on mine, just interested in what everyone else is using and their opinion on the product. Cheers Greg

Hi Greg, I'm using Dy-Mark rust reformer as a protectant. It has rust converter built in and acts as a grab coat. It can be bogged over and epoxied over without issue. I swear by it, I had a previous car coated in it for years. $12 a can at Bunnings
 Once done, I will put a quality epoxy primer on top.

Great write up Art. You really lucked out when you scored that floor pan. I use the Dymark rust reformer, good stuff for those hard to get at areas like inside a pillars. Keep the posts coming mate.
Cheers
Clay


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Great photos mate keep them coming I love seeing all the work you are putting into your car.
Regards
Neil

Looks like it was a pretty decent car when left to sit. The floors must have got water on them to be that bad, but sills and A pillars pretty good considering. I've seen cars with much worse sills and good floors.

What an amazing thread. I dips me lid to anyone who takes the Holden Hippocratic Oath and brings a car like that back from near-death.

Great work. Keep it up.

cheers
RET

great work!
keep it up!

Thanks for the comments guys. Today I got in and finished stripping and coating the roof. Surprisingly for a paddock basher, the roof was not caved in like you normally see. In fact, it's very very straight, no dents and no rust whatsoever, even in the drip rails.  An hour with the poly disc, some rust converter, a clean up, then a coating of rust reformer.

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Wow great post Art, You have inspired me more and I have tried to spend as much time in the shed this weekend as possible. Even brought some rust reformer.   ;D

Keep the pictures coming, just love to follow your progress.

Looking good Art, you can be lucky, glad to see the body is in reasonable shape. Glad to see the floor worked out for you.
Jim

Art,

Looking at the trees, the flat nature of the countryside and the colour of the soil, I'd guess you picked up the FC in the Central West of NSW - Forbes/Parkes/Dubbo?

Rob

Close mate, near Tamworth.

Yes mate, thanks for letting me have it!

Hey Art, I've just read right through your thread after being away for a few days - what a transformation!  Great work mate, not many would tackle something like this.

How did you manage to keep everything square with the complete floor ripped out and then rewelding?

Cheers,

John

Hi John. The car was on stands, not rotisserie. Sills were solid and left intact. Subframe remained bolted on. There was no movement of the shell at all. Had it been on a rotisserie, I would have braced the crap out of it.

mate looks great am about to start the same job and have been looking at the best way to go about it.and came up with the same system as you.
cheers
Corey

Good luck Corey. Make sure you start a thread about your car

Longman ..what a great job you are doing ,I have been away and need to get inspired again ,your work looks excellent ..there are some really talented guys in this club...and your images are excellent ..Vern

Good luck finding rust free ones. Mine were all tabbed by hand in 1.6mm steel. Take your time, piece by piece.

you have done a nice job, patience is definitely the key.

Awesome read. Great with what you’ve achieved so far.
Can’t wait for the updates.

Couldn't have done it without your help, you got me started.

Ps the computer update is only 195kw.

As long as one day it is enough to make the wheels go round, I will be happy.

I cant help noticing the steering arms on the rack ,are they original HR and if so have you noticed if the steering lock has been shortened [lack of turning circle . I understand that you are putting some weight over the front end and therefore need the leverage but have you considered shorter steering arms or maybe 2 extra teeth cut on your steering rack ,this may maintain the original steering lock . Just a thought . Haydn

Thanks Haydn. I've not done anything with the front end other than put it together. I will keep your tip in mind when I get to installation phase.

Grabbed a few hours over Easter to get a couple small jobs done on the floor. The donor floor came with pre-installed shifter and handbrake holes that I don't need, so got in an welded them up. I'm no welder, but I am happy with the results and I improve with each weld. I had to use 1.6mm steel as that's all I had, was much harder to shape and bend but it did the job, the welds are solid and it will be covered by Dynamat/carpet on top and a dirty big auto gearbox on bottom.

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Where you up to Art?

Hey Jason,

Been doing a lot of the boring stuff, stripping and coating, welding little patches and holes if I find anything. I've also collected the remaining patches and panels I need. The floor is fully stripped and coated, ready for some seam sealer. The boot area has been fully stripped and coated ready for some sealer and some tidying/finishing around the welds.  The rear valance and bottom of quarters are the last pieces of the shell to be done, just waiting on the time and a mate to help.

I did also manage to get the missus on the tools! She did a great job on the boot lid.

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Fantastic that it is ticking along nicely mate! Great to see some pics too.

I've been lucky enough to pick up some nice cuts to repair certain areas, these will cut down the working time, which I'm grateful for.

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looking good

good stuff keep it up!

 happy to help out with parts   arthur.
                 nice to see parts being reused into projects keep up the good work mate

Speaking of parts.  Had a couple of good days in the shed and am happy to say that the last of the rust in the shell is gonski! It's only taken just over a year.  Yesterday saw the rear valance panel replaced. I was lucky to get a rust free cut (thanks Greg!) which made the job so much easier. With the help of a good mate, we bolted on the bootlid and got to work cutting out the old and welding in the new(er). A coat of Fibral fiberglass filler to seal the welds ready for bodywork and the job was done, for now.

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Next job was rear driver's lower quarter. We cut away the bad stuff and found it was really bad, the entire lower needed replacing, including the bumper mounting bulge, and the inner boot well.  Thanks again to Greg, I had a rust free boot well ready to go (see earlier post). I bought a replacement outer skin from Rare Spares and I have to say, the fit was dreadful, the angle of the curve was completely wrong and required a lot of remedial work to get it right.  In the end, the outer was finished in 3 parts, I scored a decent set of bumper bulges a while ago, they certainly came in handy. Again a skim of fibral to seal it all and a coat of protectant until the bodywork starts.  A shout out to my mate Micka, I've never seen someone fabricate complex curves out of 1.6mm steel so fast and precise with no special tools. Dude got skillz.

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the passenger side quarter needed similar work to the drivers, but only on the outside, the inner boot well was solid and rust free, thankful for small mercies.  We used the top part of the driver's side Rare Spares skin to fill in this side, curved in a vice to fit. Bumper bulge again was replaced as was the curve below the tail light.

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Great work looks awesome .. loving the pictuers

Good work. I admire your dedication. Those pesky lower rear quarters are the Achilles heel of a sedan rear end.
Cheers
Clay


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Back to the tedium now, with the under body stripping, ready for some filler, sanding and paint. Gotta love the wife jumping in to help as well, this being the dirtiest of the jobs!  I hope to have the stripping finished tomorrow and some fibral filler applied to the welds around the fuel tank and trans tunnel.  Fun times, getting close now to being able to start building a car.

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Great work looking super clean now

Hey Longman..Thanks for the marriage counciling , I showed image of your wife getting into it ,to my wife ..First time ever ,I mean ever !!! ,she said ," I am happy cooking and washing "

Haha, that's hilarious! Happy to help.

The tedious work of stripping the underside has been completed. I've commenced the task of using some fibral filler to blend in the welds and joins in the new boot floor and a few spots around the main floor.  I'll finish off with another coat of fibral for final sanding then will be ready for a coat of KBS gloss black.  I've also commenced stripping the engine bay/sub-frame in preparation for mounting to allow for rust repairs around the legs, I was lucky to score a free set of rust free legs some time back.  Getting closer.

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good to see progress ;)
great!
working harder than most on here.. ;) :D :D :D

Looks amazing

The really neat clean bits ,the missus hey ??
My daughter in law cleaned and tidied up my shed ,looks great ,but I can't find stuff ,have to ring her all time ,women like it all clean and in order ,I can spot the vice grips under a pile of g cramps,in half light.

Yep, she did a great job and admitted to enjoying it, so wants to keep going. I told her about 4 doors, guards and bonnet. She don't touch my tools though.

Thanks Marc, I'm starting to feel like I might just get there after all.

Hi all, another big weekend on the tools. This time we tackled the subframe legs, all 4 were cactus from the car sitting on it's belly for decades. It was nice to see the old girl with her nose on again, even if only for an hour. I'm happy that the old legs all lined up perfectly without issue, meaning the floor has not moved at all since installation. We tackled the legs one by one, inner to outer. It was interesting to see inside, the rear grey motor mounting holes are surrounded by a folded plate crush tube, which is a major rust trap, I was happy to remove them and will install new tubes when I mount the chassis kit (the keen eye might notice the mounting holes have been welded up on one side, this was done before we realised the chassis kit used the original mounting holes and crush tubes!, live and learn).  Next task on this bit will be the front rail and corners, once I buy the bits from Rares. I have to say, so far, this has been the dirtiest job.

The original legs' final appearance:

(https://i.imgur.com/ArIYukv.jpg)

Some pics of the process. Although it looks like we used straight cuts, I assure you we did not, Z cuts all the way:

(https://i.imgur.com/WHyU9hv.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/SyGbRVu.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/u7WWWsb.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/pxTdf1M.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/V3wKfdn.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/1cEXYmc.jpg)


I'm very happy with the results:

(https://i.imgur.com/7T5cP6m.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/ep4MHO4.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Yt2fdJp.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/RfT678o.jpg)

Whilst at it, took the time to finish a little job that had been nagging at me for ages. The drivers B pillar divider was mangled, looks like a home racing repair with a hammer, so was able to piece it together from 2 cuts.  A few spot welds and she fell right off. Happy days.

(https://i.imgur.com/wC5sklL.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/k5C1P4t.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/9fwOc7J.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/qJOJtH7.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/QePH9IY.jpg)

Nice job on the sub frame legs mate.  I like the process you used to minimize distortion.

Cheers, John

Thanks mate, it worked a treat. I was just musing about the fact that just my shell is now made up of pieces cut from 8 separate FCs, and I'm not finished yet!

Looking good..  you are moving along at a nice pace

Great work and progress Art. Like John says the body is the ultimate jig.


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looks like great quality work ,well done ,you should be very satisfied ..Vern

It's been a while, due to an overseas trip, but back into it. Prepping front for repairs and radiator mods, hope to get it done this weekend. A few nasty surprises, nothing that can't be fixed though.

(https://i.imgur.com/hxZlaPw.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/JNgPLJc.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/FyBV7be.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Fc2Sx6s.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/q5zdTy6.jpg)

Had a good weekend with a mate working on the front subframe. The front tie rail was cactus, as you will see in the pics below, so that was replaced with a Rare Spares item which was a great fit, needed no massaging to fit.  Several spots on the side rails needed some patching but were overall quite good, both sway bar mounting points needed replacing with new captive nuts. I'm using a VT commodore radiator, which is very wide, so we custom fab'd some mounts and supports. The grille, apron and radiator support panels were all test fit to ensure clearance. I've left a fair bit of wiggle room up, down, forward and back, and will finalise it all once the motor is test fit.  I'm happy to say that the subframe is now rust free.

(https://i.imgur.com/235pLC5.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/XMqwRGn.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/NBzLQ6V.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/C8CqpAb.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/vkWiUpA.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/lWu9PFv.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/WIwAonD.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/SVwHUgJ.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/QSnzNuJ.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/IKF6pDH.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/UTbid8c.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/qZUEJAl.jpg)

whilst at it, we welded on the subframe strengthening plates. Plenty of copper weld-thru. My little 135 mig performed admirably!

(https://i.imgur.com/tQueYVf.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/R6nsIsu.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/yAv4yKS.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/yJkPn6h.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/mhv4CnC.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/4GXgp6v.jpg)

Are you modifying the front bumper brackets?

Yes mate.

Wow you a moving along love the work on the front frame for the radiator..

Thanks Cam, I am having a blast, best hobby ever.

Grabbed a few hours over the festive break to spend in the shed. Managed to finish stripping and coating the subframe & engine bay. Just got a few un-needed holes to weld up then ready for a coat of epoxy.

(https://i.imgur.com/qzFTIyi.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Dj7yRcS.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/gWFJUd5.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/CaY7YvQ.jpg)

Slow and steady wins the race. Finished firewall mods and fixed up the join around the tunnel to the replacement floor, all welded up and ready for some filler. Whilst at it sorted out some tunnel bracing and sealed up the ends of the new No.1 cross-members with some nice curves.  Next job is to bolt on the sub-frame and front end for a motor test fit, before commencing bog work.

(https://i.imgur.com/jWupSsf.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Ds02QeE.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/ofrFYj4.jpg)

More slow and steady progress. Got the inside of the roof stripped, de-rusted and coated, was a filthy job!  Also finished the rear wheel wells, they needed major repairs which were done early on in the piece. I finally got the last of the welding done, then some seam sealer followed by a good coat of body deadener.  With the work that was required, I've been able to gain about 1.5 inches of extra room in the wells. The pics aren't the best, but you get the idea.

(https://i.imgur.com/0R2f7ET.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/G1VK4Ki.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/P99rD9e.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/jVbuigS.jpg)

For those of you that know me personally, know my car, and the basket case it was, will know how momentous this weekend has been. It was time to test all the welding, cutting, modifying that had been done over the last year to see if everything fits. For the very first time, the front end was bolted up and the engine/gearbox fitted to check clearances. First thing I will say is that if you are planning on replacing your sub-frame legs, do it on the car. We did all 4 legs using the car as a jig, followed by a sh!tload of other welding a few months ago. When it was bolted up, it slotted right in without any effort, I was sure that it would have moved or warped, but not at all.

(https://i.imgur.com/dAFVDhw.jpg)

We were then ready to bolt up the HR front end. This front end had never been in my car before, but same as with the sub-frame, she bolted right up, with all new rubbers from Rare Spares, and brand new bolts, thanks Pete Mallaby. Unsure how low it will sit, but that's for another time, today was all about getting the engine/box in.

(https://i.imgur.com/4ne8BVo.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/GLNEklk.jpg)

We learned some valuable lessons with the test fit. For final fitting, we will mount the engine by itself and then bolt up the gearbox from underneath, so much easier this way. Again, with minimal effort, the motor and box slotted in like it was always meant to be there.

(https://i.imgur.com/9GtA5no.jpg)

We also took the time to test fit the radiator, heaps of room!

(https://i.imgur.com/dirHZs1.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/6UUyxsw.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/6TkplED.jpg)

Got me about 4 inches of room at the front. Front mounted thermofan coming me thinks.

Continuing on with the previous post. With the engine/box now in place we could have a look around it, there is plenty of room all around the motor box for other stuff. We fitted up the extractors after cutting the holes in the bay, I'm not fussed about making snug ones, these CRS ones are fine.

(https://i.imgur.com/CeswV49.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/T8INBUw.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/kfoVUrr.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/2bbRBnR.jpg)

We got under the car and trial fitted the chassis kit, this is a super heavy duty home made one that I got in a trade. Once again, fitted perfectly. The gearbox crossmember in the kit only needed the mount holes adjusted to fit the T700, too easy, lady luck was smiling.

(https://i.imgur.com/r6eWyzt.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/jrWYpNI.jpg)

Final task for this weekend, was to fit up the VT brake booster and pedal assembly.

(https://i.imgur.com/bEBPOTX.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/SV2JIjQ.jpg)

Then we pulled it all apart again, so that all the filler and body work can be done. Many thanks to my buddy, Mick for the assistance. What better way to finish a massive couple of days, than this:

(https://i.imgur.com/htbBnk2.jpg)

Ain’t nothing like quarantine for smashing car work. Going so well mate. Looks awesome! Can’t wait to hear a running 304

Thanks mate, slow going!

How easy was it to fit the pedal assembly! 😊
What I needed to do with the cab was to cut some of the original and bolt it up to where it goes on the dash and weld the 2 together.
On the front of the booster I also needed to make a support bracket to the subframe to stop flex when the pressure was applied to the brakes.
Good work mate!

Thanks. We played around with positions until the pedals were right. Only had to take a nick out of the accelerator mount to fit.

Wow thats looking great

Did you mean the car or the barby , I am sitting here hungry so the barby is looking good.
 ::) ::) ::)

Cool. Thanks for the photos

Sent from my G8342 using Tapatalk

Slow and steady. Firewall mods finished. She ain't pretty yet, next job is filler.

(https://i.imgur.com/4DSeTmz.jpg)

First application of filler. I used Fibral fibreglass filler, as it is non-porous and was covering a lot of welds and will finish off with a skim of regular filler.

(https://i.imgur.com/qBbxrn0.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/81OKUrh.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/OOEjqRl.jpg)

Every little step, is one step closer. Did one of those small niggling jobs this morning, one I've been putting off, but turned out to be a lot of fun. Someone previous fitted a speaker to the rear parcel shelf, old skool style, with a drill and hammer. I don't intend putting a speaker there, so needed to fill the hole.

(https://i.imgur.com/M7ZEEye.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/LtPJHfk.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/twWeXmV.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/xbnhOL2.jpg)

Did you do a bit of a hot-shrink here and there after welding?

Rob

No mate, not necessary.

Had a good Easter Monday. Got the underbody finished and coated in KBS rust seal, gloss black. Another milestone, and another item off the list.

(https://i.imgur.com/QrZhXWu.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/9mW0PwR.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/ADwOOYT.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/FBTjHlV.jpg)

Nice job Art


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 what size can did you buy and how many coats did you get out of it on the under carriage

Hi. I bought a 1 litre tin, 2x coats, still have enough to do inside. It really goes a long way.

good work!

good work mate ,yep ,can also praise that KBS gloss rust seal ,great product ,it also makes a great top coat ,..stay well Vern

Hell that is good coverage out of one litre.


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Time for an update. I had to make a decision on steering column. I want to keep the camper bench seat, so wanted column shift auto. After some deliberation, I decided to go with a Toyota Prius column, with electric power steering.  All in all it would take 3 columns to get what I wanted, the Prius as the main column, a Toyota Tarago for the column shift mechanism and an original for the honeypot/indicators.  The Prius column is a good fit, we only had to fab a pile of mounts under the dash to provide the necessary support, but ensuring it can still collapse as needed.

Some of the parts used:

(https://i.imgur.com/XWiE3OP.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/BxQjFqT.jpg)

Here you can see the positioning of the electric steering motor:

(https://i.imgur.com/BO91SMG.jpg)

shifter trial fit:

(https://i.imgur.com/zCRt9zG.jpg)

Added a spare dash panel to test fit and clearance:

(https://i.imgur.com/o5yz6ei.jpg)

Butchered the original column. Was surprised how easily the honeypot and indicators fit:

(https://i.imgur.com/gqLGS13.jpg)

Installed front seat for a test fit of my body and get the column length right:

(https://i.imgur.com/bG355Z1.jpg)

Happy times. Will finalise cable selector, intermediate shaft etc once motor/box are installed.

(https://i.imgur.com/3Kh1OUF.jpg)

Genius at work. I’m amazed you made this work with the stock indicators and wheel.


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Holy shit takes some balls and imagination to make that work. Awesome love it

small update. Just working on fiddly bits, getting the engine bay ready to bolt back on. All un-needed holes filled and smoothed, ready to drill more. Will paint underside and frames in KBS, epoxy the good bits that people see.

(https://i.imgur.com/thBzW2j.jpg?1)

(https://i.imgur.com/4PE0eL4.jpg?1)

(https://i.imgur.com/R0xpuws.jpg?1)

(https://i.imgur.com/fgxRJqM.jpg?1)

(https://i.imgur.com/JcD8ilJ.jpg?1)

finished off the underside of the engine bay/sub-frame in KBS gloss black, Happy with the result, brushes on nice and thick and self levels to an even finish.

(https://i.imgur.com/yfCxpwD.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/MS8gsRl.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/rvx3ZIp.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/uo54ktl.jpg)

Installed the battery tray in the boot, thanks to Mallaby Sheetmetal, the mount is a great fit, easily manipulated to suit whatever position.  Tomorrow's job is to finish the cleaning the boot area, seam seal and KBS coat it.

(https://i.imgur.com/4f5D7Ul.jpg)

Did the B pillar seatbelt bolt mounts. I bought a set of plates off ebay. A lot of people came in from the sides of the pillar, we decided to come in from the top. That way we could stay within the lip of the pillar, on the flat, drop it down, then seal it up. A bit of bog and you won't know.\

(https://i.imgur.com/LL8svsf.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/wUL2Okx.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/T4uWPrH.jpg)

The final part of a big weekend. After 2 years of welding, grinding and stripping, finally got the shell into epoxy primer.  I'm using Rustbuster Custom Epoxy 421, goes on great, easy to sand, 80 year rust guarantee. We started the filler work. As you can imagine, after 60 years, this old paddock racer had it's share of dings and flat spots. The roof was surprisingly good, with only a few low spots. The rear quarters were a mess thanks to makeshift tubs done with a big hammer.  They have come up nice and straight for now, once doors are stripped and mounted, we will finalise the quarters properly.  These pics are after application of Evercoat Black Gold filler and a swipe with a Melomotive spline. They are not yet sanded.  For anyone contemplating doing their own bodywork, I cannot recommend the use of splines highly enough, they will reduce the amount of filler you use and the time required for sanding.  Grey looks so much cleaner than black.

(https://i.imgur.com/BrKOJhN.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/5XcY3fw.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/KdpxhYg.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/N2rgHPD.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/ObEndTj.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/xbjgaLL.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/BNGgIoL.jpg)

Last job for Sunday. Engine bay in epoxy. Nice.

(https://i.imgur.com/yORw4AU.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/U2ksgn3.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/rp3dCxz.jpg)

Great work the car is looking amazing

Grabbing an hour after work, making use of daylight savings to get out on the back lawn and do some stripping.

Driver's guard, not the original from the car, which was cactus.  Nice to see the main rust areas have been previously repaired with Rare Spares panels.
Just a few small spots to fix.

(https://i.imgur.com/2CCEuAg.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/tY8ByDV.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/zP1UVFu.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/d3a6c1T.jpg)

Onto the boot. No panel work or rust repair required here!

(https://i.imgur.com/UEpLgUD.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/d2d58sy.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/dmEBpH4.jpg)

Those panel look so good you should just clear coat them.

Finished boot, inside and out, no rust repairs needed. A lick of rust converter, a good wipe down and a coat of rust reformer, ready for epoxy.

(https://i.imgur.com/Ftfykrb.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/6CTDArM.jpg)

Next up, bonnet. Once again, no rust issues, dents or dings on the inside. Waiting for weather to get to the outside. I'm using a combination of 5" poly strip discs, wire wheels and a small hand held sand blaster with garnet media.

(https://i.imgur.com/PVBOTJu.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/DQmrCQU.jpg)

thanks to all the rain, I'm confined to inside jobs.  I took the opportunity to test fit the wiper setup. Thanks to Pete Mallaby for one of his awesome adaptor kits, the thing bolts straight up to original holes, no issues whatsoever with clearance at the back, original fittings fit perfectly. The motor is a Trico, found in commodores, falcons and territories.  NOTE: I am aware in the pic that the armature bracket at the back is upside down, but you get the idea.

(https://i.imgur.com/fThq5Ri.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/TaQ2BxJ.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/oZerHLL.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Tm1xEik.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/VPCYUNE.jpg)

Looking good art. You going to weld captive nuts on the cabin side like EK?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks. No, I have nuts and washers to go on.

Nice looking wiper setup.
Which model Commodores and Falcons have that motor?
What switch are you using?
Thanks for sharing.
Regards
Alex

Hi Alex,

BA Falcon, Territory and some commodores. I have a VS one, but it has a larger sized cylinder, the smaller ones are better.
I'm using the same switch as the commodore conversion thread on this forum.

(https://i.imgur.com/Drhq2gb.jpg)

Driver's door all stripped inside and out and undercoated. My original door was completely stuffed, so sourced a replacement in way better condition (thanks Pete!).  A very small patch is required on the bottom corner and that's it.

(https://i.imgur.com/87WKO0X.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/2AqqUsL.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/73ZozKR.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/uOTwBLQ.jpg)

Slow and steady wins the race. Bonnet is finished, stripped and coated. I welded up the "Holden" letter holes, haven't decided yet on the bonnet bird holes.

(https://i.imgur.com/2yHF9yq.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/gHYbiWl.jpg)

I was given a sandblasting cabinet for Xmas, and finally got it setup, built a dust cyclone system for it, and a few mods to improve operation. I'm so happy with it, quick, easy and dust free. I went to town on the bonnet hinges, stripped both in 10 minutes, undercoated now. Not sure what I will do with them yet, most likely paint them or get them powder coated.

(https://i.imgur.com/BpLRFat.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/N39Pc7b.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/mInq5W6.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/fhBXbRd.jpg)

I've also disassembled and blasted all door hinges. I've rebuilt the front driver's side as in pics below. Just waiting on new pins and bushes to arrive in the post for the other doors.

(https://i.imgur.com/9zqmEws.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/E731nmc.jpg)

I love my sand blaster box I have .. I have a roll of clear plastic that I am constantly replacing the viewing window protection with and some time lighting is shit, But really satisfying to use. Great progress door hinges look amazing.   

Thanks Cam. I find it very satisfying and cathartic, stripping parts in the cabinet. Every car buff should have one. With the dust cyclone, seeing is not an issue.

Been a busy beaver, chipping away. I found my four original doors were quite bad rust wise, so opted to source another set (thanks Pete).  I've stripped nearly all of them and coated in black rust stuff. I did a test fit on drivers side, using my newly restored hinges. Given how much welding has been done on the shell and how much metal replaced, I'm extremely happy with the fit, there does not appear to have been any movement in the shape of the shell, just some massaging required on the center pillar outer rim that was replaced.  I'm particularly happy with how the rear door and quarter has lined up, the quarter was very out of shape when I started.

(https://i.imgur.com/eoYees9.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/ebGUyuT.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/h8aWZgG.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/alcKI9A.jpg)

Been a busy boy looks the goods.

been busy chipping away at the small stuff. Finished stripping all 4 doors, thanks a million Pete Mallaby for the replacement doors, only very minor repairs needed. All stripped in and out and soaked inside in penetrol. Now looking at power window mechanisms. I was lucky that even though my original doors were cactus, the locks and actuators and inner bits were pretty good. I'm really enjoying my sandlbasting cabinet as noted in the pic of the inner door latch mechanism. Fun times, especially in the rain we've had. My garage got flooded last week, luckily all my bit were stored off the floor on bricks and stands, so I haven't lost anything.

(https://i.imgur.com/V90x9Mw.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/WDnAioV.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Kp04u1e.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/9HDuA1L.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/6RSoMhz.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/zbmHC5q.jpg)

For those who didn't see the pics on Facebook. I had a big weekend. The car is off the rotisserie after 3 years. All hanging panels were attached to start gapping and filling. The last rust repairs were made to the passenger guard. Rare Spares aren't kidding when they say the patch panel is a restoration aid, a lot of work was required to get the headlight peak patch to come even close. The chassis kit was painted and installed. All new high tensile bolts were used and 16mm x 1.2mm round tubing was used as crush tubes for all bolts. The diff was installed on ute leaf springs. I plan to have them reset lower once panels are done. The front end was bolted in, hopefully for the last time, though the springs may need to be replaced if it doesn't settle, it's way too high, even with the motor in it.  The motor was also installed. Next up will be the gearbox to allow the column shifter cable to be sorted out, and hopefully get it running. I'm very happy with the fit of all panels, there has been no warping or twisting of the shell despite most of it being replaced. Exciting times ahead.

(https://i.imgur.com/2sZ7vf7.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/0rvfQWI.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/AoylTqv.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/dA7Fc3f.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/snxvp0Z.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/pznkqVm.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/S2b02TN.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/e6RRoCP.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/KoGMGYI.jpg)

Looking good Art. You have come a long way.

With the rear springs mate, I reset my own using a cheap 12 tonne press I bought myself for Christmas. Bit of trial and error but turned out perfect. Have a look on YouTube if you're keen.

The press has turned out to be indispensable by the way.

Cheers
Clay

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

and so the fun begins! I had forgotten that I helped NES, years ago, pull this loom out of a VT wagon and we labelled just about everything. I was happy to find that all the labels were intact and still readable.  Now to stuff it all in there.

(https://i.imgur.com/ukaIuhq.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/7j7rf4Y.jpg)

Don’t be scared to cut, shorten or lengthen them… one at a time. Lol
I joined 2 together on the Ute.

Yeah mate, I have a second loom handy jus in case.

It's been a while since I updated, but I have been chipping away. Since my last post, I have completed the following:

Brake calipers have been stripped, sandblasted, painted and reassembled with new kits through them.

(https://i.imgur.com/iWbZdTo.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/cF5TjHN.jpg)

The VS commodore fuel tank has been cleaned out, stripped and painted. The inside was mint and did not need to be recoated, but I did install a new fuel pump.  The tank has been installed in the car so that I can run fuel lines and install vapour purge stuff, then I'll sort out the filler neck position.

(https://i.imgur.com/jsKTZ2l.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/PkWtfKS.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/jDTcKX1.jpg)

The B pillar door separator channel was all sorts of bent, so rather than spend heaps of time trying to get it straight and get two good gaps, it was decided to remove it and extend the front doors. The result is a perfect 4mm gap and a cleaner look. The bottoms of both doors were squared off and surprisingly, no modification was needed to the pillar bottom to accommodate the extra metal on the rear door bottom.

(https://i.imgur.com/yBbY9PS.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/L3w0PbC.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/0GgGD7c.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/MXf6zDp.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/3UuB2qW.jpg)

I got given a nice set of Narva H4 headlights and a set of EH buckets. I sandblasted the buckets and reflectors and painted them.  I smashed up an old set of VT headlights and grabbed the looms out of them, then cut the EH buckets and fitted the looms.  Since I'm using a full VT loom, they will plug straight in.  I spent 5 mins with some 0000 steel wool to bring the retaining rings up like new.

New Narva lights:
(https://i.imgur.com/RgOovzV.jpg)

Crusty EH bucket setup:
(https://i.imgur.com/gxhOQkH.jpg)

Painted and loom plug cutouts done:
(https://i.imgur.com/x6MW6rF.jpg)

Reflectors painted in chrome paint:
(https://i.imgur.com/0gy0COF.jpg)

5 mins with steel wool shows the difference:
(https://i.imgur.com/d2qWsX8.jpg)

Finished buckets showing wiring looms/plugs:
(https://i.imgur.com/XywrgJH.jpg)

done. Ready to bolt into the car:
(https://i.imgur.com/4bgOwTP.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/gDBgYLE.jpg)