FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Finally broke with tradition and bought something that wasn't grey!

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/FC_Ute_FR.jpg)

I purchased it in Port Macquarie, where it was obviously very happy and therefore reluctant to leave, as the ensuing trip to Sydney took 14 hours!

Personally, I would have put it on a trailer, but my good mate Chuck wouldn't have it, and to his credit used his bush mechanic's skills to get over a multitude of hurdles, including seized brakes, sloppy drag link, water in the fuel, even the broken 2-3 selector bracket in the column.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/FC_Ute_Rd.jpg)

He was looking pretty cocky until it chewed up the timing gears. No cure for that in the bush!

Fortunately the city boy (me) was able to rustle up a tow vehicle and a car trailer at 10.00pm on a Saturday night.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/FC_Ute_T.jpg)

We concluded a exciting, sometimes frustrating but overall enjoyable adventure at 3.30am, Sunday morning.

Awesome stuff mate ,I bet this car stays with you for a long long time.
And to think ,If all these things happened one by one spread out over a couple of weeks ,It would have just downright prissed you off and probably took away some of the cars value to you.
At least now you have one list to work through not a list that keeps fluctuating.
great stuff.

Looks good Eddie.
Can I interest you in a green or red.......this COLOUR thing may catch on.
It would seem that you crammed a years worth of niggly breakdowns into 1 adventure.
Regards
Alex

Harko,

That's one way of looking at it I guess. At least it didn't happen out in the middle of nowhere on a cold rainy night......

Hang on a minute....that's exactly how it did happen!


Another way is at least I now know what a fibre timing gear sounds like in the 50km or so before it gives up the ghost.

It wasn't dodgey tappets after all!

Regards

Edward

The ute looks good Eddie. ;)
Did you have a look at the FC Convertable while you were up at Port Macquarie?
Regards ACE 8)

Thanks Ace.

I actually went to Port Macquarie in the first place to check out the convertable.

After declining to buy it, I hired a car to drive back, as the next flight to Sydney was 3 hours away.

15 minutes out of town, and we pass the ute on the side of the road with a "For Sale" sign on it.

Couldn't believe it.

It's been sitting for a while, so has a few niggling problems, however it was restored in 1997, to a reasonably high standard, so a couple of weekends work should see it all sorted.

Regards

Edward

Hey Ed,
Looks like a top looking ute.Just needs some TLC.
Cheers,
Graham

Graham,

TLC and a dash fascia surround. What's the availability of the ones you posted recently?

Regards

Edward

The Colour virus is spreading.
Nice looking FC wagon.
Can't believe how many cars you have.
Are you thinking of opening a museum?
Regards
Alex

I was once told "Mate - you can never have too much money" I dunno.
Where will you put it ED ?

Harko,

It's a bit tight in the shed at the moment.

However, there's a bloke I know who is maybe going to help me strip my parts car next weekend and hopefully take the shell away as well!

Hint hint.

Edward

The latest of Ed and Chucks adventure also involved myself and a fiendish plan  :o

Harko, is that a wood saw in yer mit, what are you up to??
If there is no home for that blue? wheel arch trim, & it survived the operation, I can give it a home!
Regards, Gary

Look a little closer and youll see we all helped with the wood saws takes a little longer but geeez ya get a good cut...

The specially tempered teeth, and a revised pitch enable them to cut through steel like butter. ;)

It was a succesful afternoon, Harko got his roof, and I got my "convertable" FC.

Gary, I'll check the wheel arch trims for you but I think they are beyond saving. We carefully took out the rear seat, which I think is pretty good if you are interested?

Regards

Edward

Ta Eddie, But I was just looking for those, if I had the seat I would only be butchering it for the flat bits of fabric & it would be a sin!
Gary

Gary,

They are unfortunately quite badly ripped.

Regards

Edward

OK ,Opening my can of worms .... now

I may seem like a good bloke to a lot of you guys but it just dawned on me that Im posting pics of me cutting up our cherrished cars and in this photo I have a flathead F*#d motor on my shirt.

May I be spanked by a thousand hairy biafran women

The ute project is getting much closer to being finished, with the next few weekends planned out to get it back on the road.

History:

After stripping the timing gear, things got a little out of hand.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/ute_2.jpg)

Off came the subframe and drum front end.

The firewall was stripped to metal and repainted black, the subframe went to the powdercoaters for satin black, and a HR front end was prepared.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/ueb.jpg)

Heavy duty lowered coils were used, as well as new ball joints, pivot bushes etc.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/Utefrontend.jpg)

Fast forward to last weekend:

All the front sheetmetal was picked up after being painted by Alfio from the NSW club.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/pnl1.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/bnt1.jpg)

It looks awesome. Unfortunatley it shall mean that the rest of the car will now have to be done! ;)

Finally, here is the motor. I've got a matching Klienig twin breather rocker cover to go on.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Resto/grm.jpg)

Looking great Ed.  Are the headers and manifold just polished or did you have them chromed?  If they are polished, what have you coated them with?

Cheers,
Burnsy

Looks real shiny,

All this for a timing gear  ;D


ChrisB  8)

This is how my car was first rebuilt. When I got it, it was finnished in green house paint with at least 1 dent in every panel.
It was good transport for $900 with 9 months rego and used the same amount of fuel as the corolla it replaced with its grey motor.
Then one day on the freeway the timing gear went, I had never had this problem before but knew exactly what had happened before I even got to merge left halfway through passing a truck when it happened.
fortunately a mate was passing with a truck and he took my car home.
I got a second hand fibre gear from the wreckers and ended up reseating the valves and shiming them up with washers, after going this far I decided I should tidy up the front guard were the damage was pretty bad, while doing some body work I thouhgt the rear quarter might be worthwhile doing too, and then the passenger front door.
A couple of days later I had every panel of the car.
a week and a half later it was all in primer and reassembled. I drove it a couple of times kind of in complete and decided to swap over to a 202, out with the front end and in with the hr one, new and in with the 202, sprayed on some white paint, buffed it up, went to drive it to work and the crash box went bang after dumping the clutch.
took it home behind a Austin 1800 and ripped the box out. A guy at work said he had a box that would go straight in, a 3 speed all synchro, but it didnt
A few nights under the car with they box in and out a hundred times and it finally fitted.
went to drive it to sydney a few weeks later and the 202 timing gear striped.
freaky thing was that in the 1.5 hour trip it stripped across the road from were the last one went.
now I was really pissed of with fibre timing gears, greys and 202's and Mt White.
I took it back home after sleeping in it for the night with a expensive tow.
when I got it home I decided to put my hp motor in with a alloy gear, next thing I decided to rebuild the motor, The new paint on the motor looked to good for the crappy engine bay so I sand blasted the engine bay and painted it.
now it was looking cool so I went to the rta and booked the FCCOOL plates.

The manifold is polished alloy, and the cast iron headers have the ceramic type hot coating.

If I had my time again, I would have linished the headers and removed all the casting imperfections prior to coating - they would have come up even better.

The polished alloy components shall be coated with a POR15 product prior to fitting up. I think it is called "Glisten". The master cylinders have been polished as well, and I may do the steering box if I can be bothered. (Silver paint is looking good at this point)

A slight set back

(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/fast_eddie2/eb2.jpg)

this can be summed up in one word




BUGGER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Head?

Head is similar - very tight valves.

This is actually not the motor that stripped the timing gear whilst in the ute - it has been reconditioned and is waiting to go into my wagon.

This is the motor that was destined for the ute, that came fitted in the wagon, if that makes sense...

When I purchased the wagon, the receipts that came with the car indicated the motor was reconditioned about 18 months before it came off the road. Unfortunately, it then sat for twenty years...

I get the impression that the previous owner had changed the plugs and oil, as well as tipping copious amounts of oil into each cylinder to try and get it to turn over, but to no avail.  

Not that it is the end of the world, just a weekend lost from cleaning up and painting it.

Fortunately, I have another grey motor that I spent this weekend cleaning up ready for paint (after checking that the crank turns!) that came out of my original car, so at least I know it is a runner. Have replaced the rear main seal and welch plugs, and shall put new gaskets right through it.

If anyone wants a L prefix grey long motor (late '59) that is 40thou over already, but looks like it would come up with a hone - there are no ridges in the bore, I've got one for the right price... FREE!

(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/fast_eddie2/eb1.jpg)

Has to be gone by mid June - located Chatswood NSW.

I'll bite Edward, if no one else wants I'll give it a home.
Gary

yeah it would make a good boat anker......lol

Peter

It's your's Gary.

The motor has gone!

Second attempt...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/138e.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/138.jpg)

The ancillaries are being reconditioned - thanks mostly to Craig A. (I'm allowed to sweep the floors and use the sandblast cabinet)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/gen.jpg)

A fine looking dizzy

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/diz.jpg)

How time flies...

2nd Attempt at the engine looks much better, Eddie.

None of us are laughing about the 'couple of weekends'.  We all have been or are in the same boat.  If it wasn't for work, family, house maintenance etc etc, it probably would have only taken a weekend or two.

Not long to go now, anyway.

Five months later and a little closer...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/eb2ute.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/ute34.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/frute.jpg)

Engine now key starts and is running sweetly through Jack Meyers headers and a dual exhaust.

Hopefully shall be finished over Christmas...

mate thats looking real sweet.

Edward,

Did you get your engine from Darcy? It looks a lot like the one he has for his forum picture?

Nice job though, what colour(s) blue is that?

Cheers,

Craig


:P

Craig,

Well spotted regarding the motor - amazing how similar they are isn't it?

I call the paint colour, "Shades of Blue". It is an interpretation of the pearlescent effect often seen at Auto Salon shows, however presented in such away that every panel appears to be a slightly different colour. The advantage is that with my method, it makes no difference whether it is light or dark - the difference in colour is always discernable.  ;D

Thanks for responding Edward.

Will this ute be used as a racecar? I ask because I've noticed the many extra holes drill in the inner guards - is intended to lighten the shell for better handling?

And who does your battery detailing? I'd like to get his contact details so I can have him consult on my next project.

Did he also advise on the guard bolts, because they look to be metric, not imperial as per original.

Nice job though, well done Edward.

Cheers,

Craig.

Craig,

The detailing is generally done by a little fellow I found from Mt Druit. He is very particular, but obviously hasn't got to the battery yet. I'll make sure I task him with it next time he comes over.

Regards

Ed

What, when he comes to pick up his pay packet?

And by the way Mr Cafe Latte, Mt Druitt has TWO t's!!

;D

In all seriousness this is a very nice ute, and sounds perfect with the Jack Myer headers and dual exhaust. Lots of detail work in the engine bay and driveline, will be a trick thing when it hits the road in about 4 weeks.

Cheers,

Craig.

That's what I thought, but someone told me the second one had been stolen. Apparently it had been left just outside for a few minutes...

Very nice!
Looking forward to seeing this car & the wagon in the flesh.
Love the banter, fellas. That Mt Druitt joke was waay funny.
Whoa, look at your number of posts, Eddie. 666! That may be some sort of Omen! Good or bad, who can tell :o

Rob J

Came across a little problem last week...

Apparently a HR drag link hits a grey sump on 3/4 lock in each direction.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/dl2.jpg)

I assume this is a common problem?

cant remember now but I think I used a eh drag link to get clearance on the red motor with a eh sump, my first attempt was funny, I drove up the road with no front panels and then went to do a U turn, I didnt know I had done anything wrong till I had to do a 15 point turn to get back home.
My first sttering was straight out of my FE wich had the motor forward pretty far to fit triple webers, it didn't work when I put it in the FC with the motor in the more natural spot, the drag link that it had was a modified and probably illegal one.
after my test drive I pulled the motor back out and changed the sump and drag link to get my steering back .

eddie. your ute is lookign bloody nice!!. we are pretty much in teh same position. fc ute, runing hot grey with hr front end-its a bugger with that draglink though!!, anybody know a solution

Thanks Darcey.

The solution is to modify the sump, or run the FC drag link. As the HR drag link is completely reconditioned, I plan to modify the sump.

Regards

Edward

Edward,

You stated that the draglink hits on a grey sump.  Easiest solution would be to try a different colour on the sump first.   ;)

Spinner

Fresh from the paint shop

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/blus.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/blur.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/bluf.jpg)

The car was painted by Alfio of the FE FC Holden Car Club of NSW, also known, somewhat cryptically as "the_love_god"

That looks hot.   8) 8)


Spinner   ;D

Beautiful Ed...!! Great colour....!

Nice work Alfio...!!

Cheers
Les... ;)

thank you fast eddie ,that really  8) cool pics cheers AlfioM :)

terrific ute guys  :D I'm getting close to paint time on my wagon and that colour is just what I'm after, What is it?
Thanks Buddha ;D

the colour is call skyline ( police) code 253-2051 blue ,it mix to the spot on original mix ,l have 85% of GMH colours from 1948 to 1962,of the original setting from duco to 2k or acylic,l even have etna maroon code 7457, im very lucky to have this ,there is not many people have this ,when l do a full respray you will get the right shade colour.there is only one other person has got what l have . cheers AlfioM

Almost there!

Just needs screens fitted and minor sorting.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/buf.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/bus.jpg)

One for the Torana fans...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/buw.jpg)

Looks fabulous Ed.

Love the racing positive camber ;D

Cheers
John

Mmmmm, I do love that car.
You decide to sell, you call me, Edward. That could be the one that got me back into an FC....

Rob

Finally finished!

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/bufr1.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/bur2.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/buint2.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/fc_58-59/FC%20Ute/buint.jpg)

Very nice guys.
Cheers

Ed

Great looking ute Ed,top job.Makes me want to do my ute before my other,other sedan..... ;DCheers,Jamie