FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hi All
As most of you already know, I am a procrastinator. Well I have run out of excuses.

Garage was to small,
To busy at work.
Buying a house, and the list goes on.

Well we are all settled in at the new house, I have ample room to work with and I have a quiet year at work and heaps of time up my sleeve to take of work. So I have resumed Grace's strip down.  

You will soon see why novice wanna be Classic car owners like myself should joining thier local FE FC club before buying the car of your dreams.

It has been quite a few years since I have played around with cars. Wife kids and moving around the country will do that to you.

The last car I played around with was a HQ LS Monaro with 400 cubic inches of adrenaline junky heaven. Well those days were short lived once the kids came along.

Not long after that photo I got hitched, my first son was born and the car was sold for a more family friendly JD Camira. What a big step down that was.

Well the years have passed and a lot off water has passed under that bridge. People say the older you get the wiser you get. Someone forgot to remind me of that when I decided it was time to get back into cars. So lets start Grace's Story.

I purchased Grace not long before the QLD Nationals in 2003. So as you can see she has been sitting around for a while now.

As you can see I purchased the old girl from SA. My Father Inlaw went and had a look at her for me. One thing I have learnt go and look at the car yourself or have someone who knows what they are looking for do it for you.

Best rule of thumb is do it yourself then there is no one to blame but yourself.

The old girl had been sitting in a shed for years handed from Father to Daughter. Grace had not been registered since 1988.

In my stupidity I thought that a car that had been out of rego for 15 years would have to go over the pits or be inspected prior to re-registering. Well what can I say. The brakes were shot, the clutch kept sticking, indicators did not work, speedo u/s, wipers u/s and so on. Apparently all that was required was a check of the numbers to make sure they matched and hey presto your on the road in your own death trap.

I did the brakes and worked on all the other stuff so I could drive the old girl. I also figured if I drove it prior to resto it would give the rust time to unvale itself from beneith the some what shabby half hearted paint job.

Grace does not look too bad. Looks like a mechanical overhaul and you could be back on the road in no time.
Regards
Alex

Hi Alex
I will eventualy get to the photos taken in the last week. I will post one just to get every one wanting to know. What and were.

jim   i was having the same thoughts as alex............
but thats a BIG paint flake :(
monaro looks cool  8)

go on jum its not too bad to repair save grace

Well the story continues. shortly after our drive into the country Grace's rego ran out and a fair bit of rust was starting to show it ugly head. So Grace started to Strip.

Bearing in mind that I was in the market to buy a house I had to keep it rolling.

I also had a lack of storage, So it was off with all the S/S and Chrome.

Then it was time to cattle dog everything taken off to date and store it.

Stickers, bubble wrap, Bags & Tags its a bit of a process. As you can see I had also collected a few things.

Whilst  removing all that I took a few pic's of rust holes tha t had appeared since Grace arrives. As I now understand these old girls rust from the inside out..

Well after that she sat around for quite sometime.

Well I tried to find a photo of Grace on the trailer trip to our new home. But nil success, so here is one from last weeks motivation rush.

Doors off.

gee that fluro plays havic on my photographic expertise. Back screen all four doors and the back seat removed.

So Bug Jim why are you looking for another car. Is it not enough that you have problems with Grace, but you need to buy somebody esles problems too. If this is the case I will put Bella on a trailer and bring her straight up to you.

Jim the long & the short of it is, if its not Grace it will be another car so bite down hard on that bullet. Now repeat after me :-
GRACE WITH LIVE AGAIN
GRACE IS MY PRIDE AND JOY
GRACE WILL MAKE HEADS TURN.

Now just take one step at a time. Before you know it all the parts you have removed will be being refitted.

OH and Bug Jum you know my number dont ever hesertate to call. I dont mind giving you a chop out now and then. 2006 is not that far off, Hilda, Grace and Bella will make it.
(Well we know Hilda will one down two to go.)  :) ;) :D ;D

Cheers
Sarge

I tried to get the screen out, but without a helping hand I thought I would leave it for another day. So I moved on to the next step in the process.

Hmmm not a good look, and not to long after that, the rust dirt and crap started to fly. That last piece of bumper just will not come off.

Jim,
       The FC I have just purchased is the same colour but from the pictures not as in as good condition as yours.  I have rust and I am sure once I strip the paint I will not like what I'm going to find, but I think the cars great and I am not going to restore it, just get it looking good and drive it.  Good luck with yours and will be looking forward to more pictures, I'd post mine but I have given up.

8 bolts to go and the guards will be off, so I thought. Ha Ha Ha. I will have to grind them off I think.

The previous shot was taken after I had poked around and dug out some bog. It looked pretty good before I scrapped around.

another

and again. I think in this shot you can see the inner sill repair.

whats next you ask. This is the back of what was removed, and all this just trying to remove guard bolts.

All of these photos and more can be viewed  in my photo bucket link provided below.

More updates to come.

Cheers Jim

Jum
     Looks like you are realy hooking in. At this pace Grace will be back on the road in no time.

Cheers
Sarge

Congratulations Jim,

That's almost "Hilda" sized rust!!  ;)

You know what,when she is all finnished in her shinny coat and looking a $million all the blood sweat and tears will be a distant memory,and all the pats on the back will be worth it.

Cheers Nunzio

2brite
       Your statement is OH so very true.

Jim
    Just remember don't look back don't look down. Just keep looking forward, as then the end is always drawing closer. ;D

Cheers
Sarge

2Brite & Sarge
Oh so true, I am looking forward as that is the only direction a person should go.  One step at a time, all steam ahead when I get back from the nationals, I have more photos and will download them soon.

I have been a little busy with the new car of late getting it ready for the long road to the Nationals. Trying to fit an MP3 player at the present , but  have pulled a muscle in my back and am finding it a little painfull lying in tha awkward position under the dash. But besides that all should be finished by the weekend and ready for the epic journey.

Cheers Jim

Jim,

I am with you all the way...you and I are at about the same stage - wish my interior was as good as yours though.  Keep going dude as your pictures are inspiring me to keep up.

Nige

your quite lucky there jim, looks like you get nice weather.
I plan to either burn my car or cut it up into even more little peices and dispose of it as it brings so much rain when you try to work on it that my front yard is starting to flood.
you have some big rust there but not qute as severe as mine, looks like you can still see the furthest forward circle pressing in the inner sill.
you have a lot of work ahead and it only progresses when you work on it.
If you don't have a mig welder you will need one, either that or a fat wallet. get something 150a + and try to avoid those stupid friggin disposable argon c02 bottles cuase they will send you broke like me.
dont worry if welding or shaping steel is not your expertise becuase it will be by time you finnish the first 1/8 of the car you will also find with junk lying around you will eventually be able to turn a peice of steel into anything you want, be it a floor, sill or pice of subframe.
dont waist time trying to work with your subframe on as its gonna have to come off
, that looks pretty nasty for that section in front of the radiator and I would imagine the rails have some rust in them. stock up on WD 40and keep soaking all your stuff you have to undo, also invest in some easy outs becuase some of those nuts and bolts wont come out usable again.
i hope you keep motivated, if my car was any lighter now I would chuck it across the front yard.