FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hey guys, Names Mark from the northern Beaches of Sydney.

Been watching the forum for awhile and in early October ended up getting a 1959 FC Ute for my 21st birthday off my parents (best present ever I think).My dad only agreed to getting it as he owns two automotive workshops, one in Crows Nest and the other in Brookvale and using all his contacts in the industry should make life a little bit easier. The Ute will be stored and worked on out of the Brookvale shop mostly on the weekends so not to get to much in the way. Since October we have got a fair bit done but ill start from the beginning now and add more posts later when I get the time.

The idea from the start is to keep it as original as possible with the HR front end (mums condition on getting the car) for a little added safety. With everything else being similar if not the same as original.


The first weekend after we received the car we striped it down as much as could still being able to roll it around until we got a hold a rotisserie. Has a lot of rust in the floors witch I am not to fussed about but hopeful the body itself is alight. 

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_6969_zpse60be3dd.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_6974_zps46fb6f24.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_6971_zps283150ec.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_6980_zpsc7d9a4fd.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_6990_zps169b373c.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN0166_zps6ba20676.jpg)

The parts starting to pile up!

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN0177_zpsf3516b70.jpg)

Ended up with mostly everything out in a day. The tailgate was a real struggle to get off so we left that for another day.


Here are the number for those who are interested:

BODY:   FC 2106-9301-S
TRIM:   351-651
PAINT:  256-2031

Engine:
chassis: FC-40208-S

The engine number I had but have lost somewhere and the engine buried deep behind every other part so cant get to it easily. From what I remember running it through the code translator on here it was a later grey engine witch doesn't bother me in the slightest and since we got it running in the shop before we took it out it will defiantly be staying.

Congratulations Mark and welcome to the forum ! This forum will be your best resource by far !
Great club and great bunch of guys here, always willing to help and share !
Having a large workspace along with access to hoists and tools will be a great advantage as well.
Good luck with your build and well done !

Good score mate and welcome to the forum. Certainly a tonne of information to be found here!!!

Put a V8 in it!!!!!!!!!

Well done, sounds like you've got a great dad there to help you. I hope you have a great time together working on the project!

Ken

Welcome to the forum.
Looks like a great start there.
Keep the pics coming along the way.
Good luck.
Regards
Alex

yay another ute being revived!
welcome to the forum.
your 21 and wanna keep it original?
love it!
i can't wait to watch this build!

Original look, but v8 it
(My thoughts anyway )

Paint it BLACK ! 8)

YEAH!!! ;D ;D ;D

Mark,

Ignore all these hoons and rev heads  ;) and follow your own course with your car.  Original is very special and loved by afficionados everywhere.

Its your car - your decision.

Its also a great project and I wish you success with it.  Can your Dad and his 2 workshops adopt me too please?  I won't use up that much space - but seriously, it is great to have those facilities to use.  There are many jealous people out there including me!

Cheers
David

Thanks for the comments guys, and im sure me and my dad will have plenty of questions throughout the build!

As for the V8, my other beloved Holden HZ premier wagon has a 308 in it so im not to fussed with power for the ute, more the everyday slow cruiser.

Not sure if its allowed but ill put a few pics of the wagon up if anyone is interested once i find a few (surprising how much you can love a car but have no pictures of it).

So you have a donor car  ;D ;D

Chuck the HZ pics in here mate.
http://fefcholden.org.au/forum/index.php/board,42.0.html

Hi Mark
Welcome to the forum.... You will have a great time doing  up the ute I'm sure and looks like you have great start!
A good chance to catch up would be on Australia Day at Macquarie street in town. Come along and make your self know. There will be a few cars there!
Nick

Whats on there Nick? Excuse my ignorance

The event previously known as NRMA Motorfest, now called CARnivale. If it remains the same size as the old event, if will be 900 cars - all 30 years old at minimum. Have a look through the Events board for events with that name.

cheers RET

Thanks

I still think V8 it

Yeah sting your old man for it !!!!

Time for another update..

Spent another few days getting the tailgate off, diff and front end out and getting it on the rotisserie. We ended up buying a rotisserie instead of making one for the main reason I didn't trust my welding and fab skills at the time (didn't really want the whole thing falling off at any time over the next 6-8 months).

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/33Rotisseriearrives_zpse8920afb.jpg)

Ended up working great so turned out ok for a cheap and fairly nasty online thing.

Using the hoist to get it at the right height we just made up some plates that attached to the tow bar attachment points and some basic square tube for the front. Had a moment of stress when we took the front subframe off we almost lost the whole shell off the back of hoist haha, should really have paid more attention to the position and weight distribution on the hoist.  ::)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/45FContheRotisserie_zps3e7b76b7.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/45FContheRotisserie2_zps95162f03.jpg)

The week after that it was off to the central coat to get sand blasted. We ended up only sending the bigger parts as one of my dads mates has a fairly large blasting cabinet at his shop so will just use that for the smaller stuff.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/55_zpseb14b56f.jpg)

I would put more photos up but these where the only ones we could salvage after the old man tried his hand at technology and somehow ended up deleting all the photos before he transferred them to the computer haha, I think ill give him a lesson or two soon!!

I think this was my most nervous period, my own anxiety of how it would come back (either not much or warped) along with my mum/girlfriend and all my dads workman jeeing me up about how only the dash would come back!! I think everyday I didn't hear back from the guy doing the job it only got worse. Ended up being fine though and a picture tells a thousands words so here you go!!

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/65_zps7ae11520.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/62_zpsee2e6b87.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/61Backfromtheblasters_zpse9e3d50f.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN0742_zpse45e3373.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN0724_zpsb003789d.jpg)
The other side is way worse  :-\

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN0722_zpsdf7b9183.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN0721_zps3c0b77b0.jpg)

Other then the floor that is bad and the side bits where the subframe connects (not sure what there called?) I thought the body, subframe, guards and bonnet came out much better then I thought and no real surprises anywhere else to my relief.

Would be good to hear what you guys think?

Is there any particular order I should be cutting and replacing bits, or just a section at a time?

Let us know what you think  :)

Thanks
Mark & Jeff (the old man)

So this is the way I would do it.
Replace the front floor first as this will keep the integrity of the body shape intact if the sill has to removed.
Looks like the inner sill is not too bad- maybe a little rusted at the very front, so I would remove the front section of the outer sill and repair the bottom of the A pillar. No sections are available here so all hand made is the go. You will see how the bottom of the A pillar extends under the outer sill and is attached to the inner sill.
Then remove the outer sill and replace as the last step. The rear of the inner sill can be repaired if there is any rust in this section when the outer sill is off. The outer sill is welded to the front floor as well as the inner sill. Swing the front door once the outer sill is tacked in place and check alignment of door with the sill.
The rear of the sill on a ute is tricky, if the quarter is good enough at the bottom then this should be saved and not removed from the sill, rather trim the sill and join the new sill to the old sill below the quarter join line. But if the quarter is rusted and a patch panel is going to be used then remove the entire sill and replace. It is tricky to get the replacement patch panel to look original, a lot of restorations simply eliminate the line where the quarter joins the sill. This should be avoided in my opinion if possible.
The rear section of body around the tank is easiest repaired by finding a wrecked wagon, no replacement sections are available so hand making is all you can do unless you get a wagon piece. This section on a wagon is usually OK.
Ken

Thanks Ken,

Was basically what I had in mind from looking through the other builds on the site! Will be starting this weekend or before if I have a chance so i will update again with hopefully some progress early next week!

Mark

looks great for a 50 year old ute
good luck and think about the next step instead of the whole car
cause it becomes overwhelming sometimes

This is a great point, hence mine has been stalled for a while :(
Nick

Thats the way, Grab it by the horns!!!

Ok ,if you want reliability and economy you should either go v6[front mounted torana rack] or straight 6 [rear comodore rack].Im old school so 30 years ago I put in a red motor in my fc van .Its backed with a vk 5 speed  box ,has hr rear end ,hr front end .nissan twin circuit booster commodore rack with colapsable column ,two speed wipers, centre pull park brake,datsun buckets,H4 headlights,headers and a sports system,yeah and a little bit of work done to the motor but the full race cam was removed years ago so the missus could let the clutch out .I spent many years working for a business that modified early holdens.V6 and V8 rack and pinion and collapsable column conversions.Nevertheless I would not disguard these old school  type conversions for reliability and cost.Here is a few ideas for you to think about before you go much further.Enertia reel seatbelts behind cab wall in well gives more room for seat adjustment.If you go cable clutch [more simple to install booster] plan this when smoothing firewall.75x50 rhs rails under floor to mount gearbox[like ek auto] if not using chassis kit.If using bucket seats and centre mounted park brake it is a good idea to strengthen floor at this point.A piece of 1.6 flat and capture the mounting nuts under the floor.Here is a trick when lifting the floor for the transmission, if you can find an old 14" rim and cut  the innermost bead section away it can be used to replace the subframe you had to cut out.  now, go to the newsagent and get a sheet of cardboard to make  stencils and replace the floor in two sections as it is much neater and easier ,be careful around clutch side at front as there is little room for pedal.Sorry to chatter on,if you need info just call me 55477094 i'll try to help.

Hey guys,

Had a decent day at the shop over the weekend and got a little bit done. Decided just to attack the front left side first as the bottom of the A pillar was worse on that side and would need a lot more work then the other side (not sure about this logic now I think about it).

Removed the floor first and what was left of the cross member. Had my uncle come round and help out, he works at a local restoration place so his input was very welcomed. Having a guy who knew what he was talking helped me get over the fact I was flying blind.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/98bigholeinthefloor_zps627211b9.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/109readytostartrebuild_zps711b1e54.jpg)

Then moved on into the bottom of the A pillar, using what was left of the old section and the other side as a template I made up a new piece to attach to the bottom of the pillar and the inner sill. Was a little tricky to get right and ended up having to give it a few attempts before I was happy (gave me a little more welding practice which I think I needed).

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/105_zpsa6357b45.jpg)

After that we cleaned up where the new bit was going and removed the outer sill to get better access for welding it all together.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/93_zps5d6c0d8a.jpg)
From this....to
(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/116_zps63fccedf.jpg)
This!

Test fitted the floor and then checked the position of the new cross member and tacked that all in.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/117_zps26184c10.jpg)

We then just cleaned it all up, Added some extra bracing with some sizeable steel and rebuilt the bottom of the A pillar that connected to the inner sill. Plan on putting the outer bit on when we fit the outer sills at a later date.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/124_zps43c60a7f.jpg)

Finally fit the floor in and tided it all up as best we could.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/133_zps48ccfefb.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/129_zps0dbd9f56.jpg)

Thought it came out a lot better then I imagined. Especially since at times it felt like the blind leading the blind through some points in the day  ::)!


cheers for now,
Mark & Jeff

Looks good ..

Having your uncle help would be invaluable cant beat old school know how..

Great job.

Remember chew it off bit by bit.

Keep up the progress reports.

Cheers

Craig D

Thought I might whack this up.

My parents had the local pool man come round to move our pool filter and to my surprise he has a FC Ute that he drives everyday. Was a nice start to the day to walk outside and see an example of one finished, not rusted out and looking a little sad (like mine). Kinda gave me another kick up the butt and got me working extra hard for the next week!!

Not sure if anyone knows the guy, but he was gone by the time I got home.


(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0101_zps4d1e8bff.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0104_zps22a51468.jpg)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0105_zps6e5d7cd5.jpg)

Thats really cool  8)

Hey guys,

Just a quick question for all you knowledgeable people!

Finished off the bottom of the A pillars on both sides today and notice that in the very bottom at floor level in both the A pillars, the hollow section is filled with some kind of rubber (see pic below).

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/7c7a0982-d45d-43c6-b006-14f434c14391_zpse8135fbe.jpg)

Question being, is this the correct thing to be in there? should it be hollow or should there be a steel plate blocking off the subframe attach point from inside the cab?

Thanks
Mark

I believe it was ordinarily a gob of bituminous sealant similar to what is used on the firewall to cover the back of the clips holding the sound deadened on.
I usually weld up this gap if there is space to get in there.

Ken

Thanks Ken, Thought it looked a little hack job repair but it does match your description so guess not haha.

Will probably chop it out and replace it tomorrow before I get the outer sill on.

Thanks again, greatly appreciated  :)

Mark

Mark, I had the same problem with mine, trying to weld in new sections and the tar would catch fire. Form what I can tell it is used as a seam sealer as it was all over my sedan when I cleaned up the body at the prep stage. As Ken said, it was all along the firewll joint as well as the floor and sill and floor joints, pain in the bum to clean up I ended up using a heat gun and screwdriver to get all the stuff out of the a pillars. All the best for the rest of the repairs and if it turns out half as good as the pool guys ute, you will have a fine looking sample.
Regards Jim

Mine had steel plates on both sides in that spot and never been repaired.Jamie.

Its been a while now so thought it was time for an update. Have not had to much time to work on the car with the workshop being busy and me back at uni.

Got stuck into the other front hand side floor, cross member and trans tunnel hump support in one day. The bottom of the A frame wasn't as bad as the other side so didn't to be totally ripped out but will need a little TLC before i get around to putting the outer sills on.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/147_zps833f2cd9.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/150_zps844c3780.jpg) ($2)

All that looked ok to me, welding seams to be getting a little bit better but nothing the grinder and a little time didn't fix.

Moved onto the rear floor pans over the long weekend, ended up cutting away most of the cabin divider to get some access cause going in from the tray was a pain in the ass. All similar to the front just cut the rusty stuff out and put the new floor pans in. Had to do a little work on the structural frame at the back of the rear floor as it was totally full of dirt and was fairly badly rusted. Other then that nothing to difficult.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/201_zps60daea0a.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/178_zpse7ee2781.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/212_zps727107d7.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/225_zpsc17e4548.jpg) ($2)

And that's where i got to before i was making my last cut, tried to push a cutting disk that was a little had it through the final bit without adjusting the protector and ended up taking a decent size cut to the right hand index finger. Surgery and a few weeks later its all good but very lucky it wasn't a lot worse. lesson learnt the hard way with 3-4 weeks of not being able to work on the car but will finish welding in the pans on the weekend.

Ouch!!!
Good to hear you are on the mend and getting back into it.
Regards
Alex

Gloves gloves and more gloves ... I've learned my lesson. :-\
Nick

Hope you get better soon, Dad & I are at a similar stage with similar rust.

Cheers
Mike

Just looking at the pics and noticed you didn.t lift the tunnel or put in place rails either side of the tunnel similar to EK auto .It may be a good idea to do this now so as you have trans/gearbox options later.Im enjoying watching the progress so keep the photos coming.

Thanks for the comments guys. Hand is all back and functioning now so finally finished the rear pans. Definitely a little harder then the fronts with limited access through the cab partition but got there in the end and doesn't look half bad.

hsv-001, was thinking of doing the tunnel in case i wanted to change something later on but opted not to. I figure the next time it will have changes will hopefully be 5-10 years down the track when it starts to look a little ratty again.

Here are some more pics anyway. Just quickly took them on my phone so not the best quality.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0211_zpsc27e8cba.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0209_zps8ea3ef1f.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0214_zps7c6edb90.jpg) ($2)

Also got the Hr front end and diff blasted. Eric my Dads senior mechanic ordered all the new bits and pieces and will put it all together for me.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0203_zps79e3858a.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0202_zpsf3141de6.jpg) ($2)

Been a while since the last update, finding it hard to get into the workshop to get anything meaningful done. Had my uncle come round a few Saturday mornings to help out and its amazing how quickly someone who knows what their doing can get something knocked up and in compared to how long it would take me to do it.

Trying to get all the floor rust repairs finished up as well as the subframe so I can get it off the rotisserie and rolling around by the start of next Uni semester. Anyway here are some shots of the progress.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1249_zps96125986.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1255_zps93e62754.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1279_zps5da9a7d5.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1282_zpsdeb0d912.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1286_zpsaa75d3ed.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1332_zpsab0718e5.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1335_zps7240cb36.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1342_zps6d2d3610.jpg) ($2)

Slowly getting through and can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel :).

That's very impressive. Well done. Hope the pesky study doesn't get in the way to much.

Regards

Wayne b

Thought I might bother you with a few ideas before you go much further.It might be a good idea to relocate the flex brake line back closer to the rear axle so a standard line will fit.Check also the upper rear shocky mounts as heavy duty or double action were not standard and on a couple of my holdens they have torn out.The hr also has   different handbrake cable mounts on the rear floor not on the subframe as on fe fc.I also prefer to weld rear swaybar mounts on diff housing,it looks much neater than those 'u' bolts.just thought I might throw you a few thoughts.Keep the posts coming its a great project.

Looking good Smitty, you've come a long way from where you started.
  Pedro

Hey guys,

Time again for another update. Thanks to the guys for the comments, good to hear what other people think  :).

Been slowly plugging away over the past few weekends. Have the floor basically done besides a few small holes here and there. Moving onto the exterior panels now and will hopefully have the floor seam sealed and stone chipped in the next few weeks.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1393_zps2cda0e5c.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1396_zps9ced2c61.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1424_zps7e9372ac.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1423_zpse8a60f2d.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0301_zpsf6cfbd09.jpg) ($2)

That was basically the floor done. Moved onto the sections beside the spear tyre door that I had been dreading. Got my uncle around to help and got it looking ok by the end of the day.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0305_zps4d2fb65c.jpg) ($2)


(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0306_zps9a512eef.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0309_zps09ca9da8.jpg) ($2)

Anyway, that's where im up to. Looking forward to doing something other then cutting out rust but its defiantly taught me the value of patients and sticking with something even if a whole days work doesn't seam to achieve much. In fact most days it seams your going backwards  ::).

Slow and steady wins the race mate

looking good, keep at it

Gary

Doesn't look like your going backwards to me. Looks great.

Regards

Wayne b

Don't give up mate . I'm not saying it gets easier but as you get closer to the finish the look back is incredibly rewarding. While I think of it, those two panels that mount the shockies. About 22 years ago I was travelling back from out near Birdsville after around 6 weeks of flood and hit a washout across the road and tore both these from the floor. I guess they were designed for single action shocks. Might be a good idea to weld them all the way around [just because its a ute].Just a thought. Looking forward to seeing more.

Look at it from another point of view, you have done more in 8 months than most of us have done in a couple of years. I know how you feel, it does get at you when you think you are going backwards, but in the end you will have a real good looking ute and as I will when I finish the sedan, you can stand back and say I did that and it looks great.
Regards Jim

Thanks for the comments guys. Defiantly not giving up starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and the list staring to shorten. Put another day in today and a little yesterday so just put up a few more pics.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_7796_zps5fba5292.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_7800_zpsf988143c.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_7799_zps81b09c80.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_7801_zps565d554f.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0316_zps65cf5183.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0319_zpse9227bc7.jpg) ($2)

Managed to finish up both sides around the spare wheel door, Decided to cut the whole outer sill off on one side and filled in the holes in the side sheet.

Also welded all way around the shock mounts, Thanks HSV-001 for the advice  :D

So its been 3 weeks now since my last update and a lot has been done.

Spent the weekend finishing up most of the final rust in the sills and a few small holes that appeared in the floor.
Most of the work has been completed by Mick, owner of another automotive shop across the road from my dads who has taken an interest and will be doing the subframe, doors, bonnet and hanging panels as well as paint the car me in the booth he has in his shop. 

So the subframe and doors have come back and look amazing. I should have taken some pictures but I stashed them away before I thought about it.

This weekend im looking at painting the HR front end. I believe the outrigger on it is an original HR one. I've spent some time researching but still not 100% sure about weather i need to swap it over for a EH-EJ-FC or not? I'm keeping the old Grey so i think i have to swap it over but thought i might check before going ahead and start chopping it up.

any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks guys
Mark

You will need to change the outrigger over, from what I've seen on the forum, the EJ is the better one to use if you can get hold of one. If all else fails, I have a spare FC and FB front end I can cut up .
Regards, Jim

How's the tunnel clearance.

Thanks fcwrangler, will try and get a hold of one before the weekend. If all else fails ill just buy a new one or make one up myself.

hsv-001 I think it should be ok but ill be mocking up the engine and trans once the front end is in so I guess ill find out then haha.

thanks again :)

Hi Mark I could be wrong here but looking at the photo of your HR frontend the outrigger looks very much like the EJ outrigger i just welded to my HR frontend
Gordon

Doesn't the FC outrigger that on there do the job?

Mark, lokking back at the photos of the front end, Gordon is correct, it already has the EJ outrigger fitted. HR outriggers had a round mounting flange at the front, the other give away is the two holes for the front engine mounts for the grey motor. If you are still unsure, it's just a matter of putting the crossmember into the frontend, you will tell right away if it is correct.
Jim

Thanks guys, saved me time and money on that one. I do briefly remember when I bought the guy may have said it was out of a car that had a red motor added to it so was probs done then.

thanks again, I owe you all a beer :)

Hello all,

Thought i would put together a little update to try and keep this page up to date. Have managed to finish off a few things as well as get one of my dads mechanics on getting the diff and front end back together with goal being getting the thing off the rotisserie soon and start some mocking up of the panels and engine before getting stuck into the body work.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0345_zps1be308c5.jpg) ($2)

Finished up all the rust in the floors and put the divide back in. Since then I have finished grinding down most of the welds and cleaning up some jobs that looked a little messy and hopefully will ahve time next weekend to prime/rust proof and paint the floor for good.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0439_zps39e7f6e7.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0438_zpscdd0faab.jpg) ($2)

Got the doors and bonnet back from Mick across the road, Has does an incredible job on them especially the bonnet that under a mountain of bog was a very nasty and rusted out ding. Have past him the guards to do next that will need a bit of attention.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0437_zps3d1eb67d.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0435_zps586962e0.jpg) ($2)

Next on the list was the Diff and the font end. Got them painted and Eric one of my dads mechanics seamed to enjoy working on a "Real car" as he put it.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0454_zpsbb37ef12.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1908_zps34a9a05e.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0430_zps4f188a98.jpg) ($2)

So that's about it for now. Hopefully next update in a few weeks will be a big one getting it off the rotisserie and back on its own weight.

Until next time :)


 

Mark

Progressing along well.
Keep the posts coming.
Cheers
Craig D

Never tire of seeing good restos keep posting. I'm just wondering if anyone with a ute has recessed their seatbelt retractors behind that divider your putting back in . One of my mates put his aircon., in there and I have put them there in my van , and in Waynes ute we really noted the space as the retractors restrict the seat sliding back. Cheers.

(http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a589/hsv-001/DSCN2025_zps11b1622a.jpg) ($2)

Got a bit done over the weekend, got the front end buttoned up with the discs and brake lines all run. Also got around to putting the first coat of rust guard on the underside of the floor. Will put a second coat on this coming weekend then put a black top coat over that.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1932_zps5bc8d9eb.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1933_zps54471e7c.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN1934_zpsb83a51e0.jpg) ($2)

Considering the amount of fresh metal and work that's been done on the floor I am kinda surprised at how well its come up. Unless your on top of it you could hardly tell anything has been done in some spots.

Mark,
A serious & thorough effort.
Good to follow your progress.

Wow good work mate

Huge difference considering what you started with Smitty.
   Pedro

Looking good, we love the updates.  ;)That is an interesting seatbelt mod HSV.

Hi Smitty your ute is looking fantastic I,ve picked up a ute recently and my wife has nicknamed it Rusty as it basically has no floor even in the tray area I am hoping I can get it looking as good as your.
great work must be satisfying to see it getting closer keep up the great work and the posts coming.
regards
Neil H

Time for another update.

Have been planning the Australia long weekend for a while to get the subframe test fitted, bottom of the A Pillar finished up and final prep on the underside of the floor before sending the body and the subframe to get painted.

Was a little nervous about getting the subframe back on after being off for so long and a test of my measuring skills with the replaced A pillar attachment points. Thankfully it all went together perfectly and without to much hassle  :o!

Anyway photos below and let me know what you think.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/279comingtogether_zps810bc4b6.jpg) ($2)

Took the rotisserie off and put it up on the hoist, made it easy to just roll the subframe up to it.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/285_zps95d473db.jpg) ($2)

The side we replaced completed fitted perfectly much to my surprise.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/287frontendbackon_zpsd342b569.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/302_zpsf6cbd363.jpg) ($2)

Started work on covering in both the bottom A pillar attachment joints.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/307_zps6a9fe0b7.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/306_zpsae66cad1.jpg) ($2)

A bit of a grind and a paint later and they came out fairly well I thought.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/304_zps7d5ee22f.jpg) ($2)

Got a couple of drums for the diff machined and painted also. Thanks to Ken (mcl1959) for these, they worked great :)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0550_zpsdf4a9821.jpg) ($2)

Got these for Christmas also ready for the next stage of getting it rolling. Got my first look at adobe beige and I think it'll look nice on the ute when its all done.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/294_zpsc5015949.jpg) ($2)

Placed the guards on to check nothing was hitting and all fits in well. As my mum says its finally beginning to look a little like a car again. Always more exciting putting stuff on then taking it off.

Next time you hear from me with an update it should hopefully be on its own wheels again  8)!

Untill next time,
Mark

Powering along now. The adobe beige will look good.

  Adobe beige does look good and on a ute too.
(http://s29.postimg.org/lllnoz9wz/BSEYv_Eg_BGk_KGr_Hgo_OKi4_Ejl_Lm_3_Y5_BKBT90_KUJg_1.jpg) ($2)
cheers
Scott

I learned to drive in a ute just like that. Had to sit on a saucepan so see over the steering wheel. Changing gears meant moving off the saucepan to reach the clutch.

Love the look of that ute collecta! seeing a car that looks that good makes me want to finish myne already haha. Speaking of colour got the car back from its first trip to the painters where the underside got its stoneguard sprayed on.

Have been speaking to a few people about the car and they all seamed to suggest getting the underside of the car painted the same colour as the body. At first I was a little hesitant but decided to listen to the people with more experience and knowledge and get it painted. Glad I did in the end cause it looks great :).

Attached a few photo's below (off my phone so not the best).

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0556_zpscb28e724.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0560_zpsd9bf269d.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0557_zps5f4eb82a.jpg) ($2)

Got a couple of weekends booked in to get the thing rolling again so will update again then.

Thanks for looking  :)

Not really the weekend yet, but the workshop was little quick yesterday so a couple of the guys got stuck into getting the car on its wheels for the first time in a while. Whole thing when well except for the springs i bought that clearly are not for an FC (way to wide and not long enough). Managed to fix up the old ones up enough until I get a new set made up!

Couple of pics below  ;D

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN2196_zps442a4128.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN2203_zpsb13d6924.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN2217_zps836dbd61.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/DSCN2223_zps2d9eeca7.jpg) ($2)

Just wondering what you are doing to balance those brakes . I mean with the larger wheel cylinders still on the back .Haydn

Always feels good to get them back on wheels again.  8) 8)
   Pedro

Hi Mark ute is looking good sparewheel door will go to a good project
regards fatboy ( ian filmer)

Thank Ian,

Glad I stumbled across the Facebook page now cause that and the tailgate was going to next weekends job! Can spend more time of the tailgate now (it really needs it haha)! Will give Ed a call tomorrow and see when his free for me to pop round.

Howdy all,

Have had a couple of good weekends now of work on the old girl and thought an update was needed. Eric has been working hard on the engine, rebuilding the starter motor, cleaning and painting, new clutch and a few other bits of pieces. Had some time this weekend to get that all bolted in as well as finish painting the tray and put the first coat of oxide on the cab floor.
Have done a few other bits and pieces like rebuild the pedal assembly and getting the accelerator pedal bolted in. Anyway pictures below  :)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2229_zpsf899847b.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2237_zps476c2fc2.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2230_zps640898c7.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2239_zps9b2d9db6.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2252_zps2e1e7f25.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2248_zps4b47573e.jpg) ($2)

Plan is to get the thing running in the next few weeks. Have started looking for a tail shaft and front and rear yolks but havnt had to much luck yet. Other then that everything is moving along nicely now and it feels good to be putting bits back on the car  :).

Got one here in newcastle out of my ute if your stuck..

Pete

Thanks for the offer Pete, but believe to have found one a little closer to home.

Thanks again,
Mark

Looks great Mark.
Bet you can't wait to get it back on the road!!!
Nick

Haven't been getting as much done on the Ute as I would have liked but got a solid day in yesterday. Have decided to tackle the tray and get that all back together. Defiantly needed some attention after all the rain we have has in Sydney and the poor thing being outside with only its car cover (amazing how water can find its way through a waterproof cover).

Anyway decided to cut the groove where the insert would sit out and get a new channel section made up. cut out the old and in with the new. Was surprised how hard it was to spot the weld line after. Didn't take any photos before the end but this is how it turned out.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0597_zps45d317cc.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/FC%20Ute%20Restoration/IMG_0598_zps7de0bb87.jpg) ($2)

Will make up some supports to run across next weekend hopefully. The fuel tank should be back from being repaired as well so mount that if I get time.  Will need to spend a few days on the tailgate, ill post some pics when I get some and get your opinion on weather its even salvageable cause its fairly bad haha.

Long weekends = progress. At least a little. Found a tail shaft and got that all fitted up. Fuel tank came back from the radiator guy so gave that a coat of POR15 and mounted it all up. Came up really well and glad it fit in with all the new metal that was around the mounting points. With the fuel tank in we  attached the pedal box so that we could start running fuel and brake lines when we get time.

Had my panel beater uncle come around ans start to mock up all the hanging panels and get the outer sills tacked into place. For the most part the panels fitted fairly well. Its amazing how someone who knows what they are doing can get ride of any cap with a hammer and a crow bar.

Anyway pictures below, love the fact its starting to look like a car again and getting excited for the next phase.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0601_zpsc5f86920.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2430_zps89be5449.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2425_zps2ed958da.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2426_zpsd4513ed2.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2444_zps24bf50ed.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2449_zps08ca3c5e.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2466_zpsa3c2c16f.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/DSCN2469_zps308a578a.jpg) ($2)

Well done Mark. Its coming along nicely.

Regards

Wayne b

Fairly stoked to be moving away from the welding and grinding and more into finishes now. Finished off welding up the two sills making sure to get the caps with the doors spot on and tidied up some of the more unflattering welds either side of the spare wheel door and a few other places.

Am extremely lucky to have a panel beater uncle so after a trip to autolac got stuck into the body work. Started on the roof first (witch I thought was perfect but apparently not). Great to learn from a professional but definitely not an easy job, my arms are still sore from a day of sanding. Didn't anticipate the amount of sanding dust that ended up on every surface of the workshop and the poor commodore parked on the hoist next to us well it was a cm deep by the end.

Not very exciting pics below:

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0657_zps72e5cc7d.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0656_zps8444de6c.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0660_zps7c35be0a.jpg) ($2)

All the fuel and brake lines are done, clutch is in and working. Thanks a million to Pete (FCRB26) for sending down the last piece of the handbrake cable and will install over the next week.

Does anyone have any ideas on containing the body work dusk while inside the shop? not to keen on doing it outside (seems a little dodgy for anyone walking past). Might just end up getting some drop sheets and covering everything in the shop, might save myself the three hours of cleaning (not to mention the poor apprentice who spent all of today cleaning the shop).

Thanks in advance :)

Smitty, most of the sanders these days have vacuum attachments so you can hook them up and control the dust that way, although you will still get some excess dust

Not to much of an update this time. Pictures of bog are not that fun anyway. The car not starts, runs and stops. Got the engine running after a little hassle with the intake. Got to take the car for a drive around the car park at the shop so that was awesome!! Gearbox is now back out though after a few issue, so has been sent out to get a full rebuild. Anyway, dad got a video of me starting it for the first time so thought I would put it up.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/th_MyMovie_zps77d97d68.jpg) ($2)

Spent the long weekend working on the tailgate. Had two extremely average ones but have cut and put one good one together with the help of my uncle again. Still have to get the skin on but should end up being ok. Wont be an update for a while as ill just be bogging and sanding so we might have some colour next update.

Looking very good.
where did you send your gearbox to?
Did you  get a quote?
Nick

Hey Nick
Not to sure where yet as it hasn't been picked up. They told my dad it would up being between 500 - 600 depending on a few things. I was reading your thread on gearbox rebuilds the other day to get an idea of what they should cost. figured what they said fell in that range (with Sydney/northern beaches inflation) so will let you know when I find out who is doing mine and what kind of total it will be.

regards
Mark
 

hey guys, not to much happening ATM on the ute unfortunately. Have had a lot of time to spend on the tailgate that has been a massive job. I managed to get an extra one that although was not rusted out it was bent and bashed to another dimension. I ended up having to cut up both and use the top half of the rusted one with the corner sections of the second one. Have fitted it up with all the hardware and fits well so will fit the skin soon and then back to bodywork.. will hopefully get some more time soon to get cracking on it and maybe one day get some paint on the poor thing.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0707_zps44f5b0ff.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0704_zps152a233c.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0715_zps068528a6.jpg) ($2)

 

A lot of time & effort that went into that tailgate. Great result.
After pouring all that passion into it, are you now considering a big heavy rear bar?

Rear bar isn't a bad idea, hadn't thought about it. If anyone ever run into I would be so pissed haha. Although annoying has been a good learning experience anyway, just glad it all fitted ok.

This is going to one really good looking and well built ute - well done.

Thanks for the comments guys, glad to see you guys think I am doing a decent job.

Got stuck back in this weekend after a few weeks off just being lazy. Winter isn't kind to motivation at all. Decided to knuckle down on the tailgate and get the back of the ute finished up. Was always going to be hardest side as the tailgate was a mess and the lower section next to the spare wheel door were replaced and lets just say my welding still isn't quiet up to scratch.

Am so stoked with how it all came out, looks a thousand times better then I thought it would so rather stoked  ;D

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0723_zpsfd6ed481.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0724_zps939edc3b.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0729_zps3f63ea97.jpg) ($2)

Looking to keep the momentum going now and finish up the body work then off to paint.

Till next time,
Mark

It's a brilliant result.

Here's a spare for your parts collection (wouldn't it .....).
Not a good as your's now but considering how rare they are & seeing what you went through making one from two, I'd grab a spare if I had a ute.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FE-FC-HOLDEN-TAILGATE-/231281735734?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35d9773836&_uhb=1

Station wagons different to ute DJ or id be onto it..



Pete

Thanks Pete, was just about to say that. Had already come across that one but wouldn't work anyway. Am hoping ill never need to fix a tailgate again after this one. If i bought another one i would end up needing it haha.

Hi Smitty
Your ute is going to look fantastic when it is finished by the way I have 2 tailgates here can I send them to you to make one good one for me?  ;D ::) your has come out fantastic. Can I ask where you got the skin.

Regards
Neil H

Hey Neil,

Wouldn't want to do it again anytime soon, but really it wasn't that hard. They are fairly solid so don't loose there shape easily. I got the skin from Craig up in QLD. The skin didn't fit at all and was way to long so we had to cut it down to shape. I did buy it over a year ago so they may be better now but wouldn't be sure.

Oops, shows I don't have a ute. We know a block who restores them though.

Don't mean to hijack the thread Smitty but I'd be interested in the name of the guys DJ and any contact you might have.

Regards
Neil H

Notched another thing off the list this weekend. Continued on the body work witch is looking like it will be done in a few weeks. After looking through a thousand thread on multiply forums I decided to bight the bullet and get the seatbelts but in.

Had a chat with the guy who is going to blue slip it and he didn't seam to fussed but gave me the requirements ect. Was super glad he allowed them to plated to the rear parcel shelf wall and not on my beautifully painted floor as it would have made a mess. I was dreading the pillar post but ended up being simple as with a hole already in the top of the pillar was was easy to just drop it down do up the bolt and then spot weld it in. 

Pictures below, I tried to take a few extra as I couldn't find to many images related to seatbelts in other threads. Might help someone else one day.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0734_zpsbdda23a1.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0738_zps6eabcab7.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0736_zps8436dc1e.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0737_zpse5f7ad4a.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0741_zps54759e5d.jpg) ($2)
*Mind the beautiful welds to the right of this one haha

Anyway, maybe these will come in handy to someone one day.
Mark

Hello again,

Thought I would put a post up after a month or so. The body work has finally been completed on the car  ;D. I'm extremely glad to see the back end of this part of the project. I will not miss the sanding and defiantly not the hours cleaning up the workshop after every weekend.

Today i finished up the final part the cowl vent. Some how one of the brackets that held the tilting section on had been completely torn off and the other hanging by a thread. Fixed up the one side that was there and made up a new bracket for the other side.

I feel like a job like this would have taken me a whole day when I first started but has easily able to fix up fit and test it in a couple of hours. Its always great to see progress in the build but for me its great to see that after a couple of years or work I am seeing some progress in the way I can attack a challenge, break it into parts and accomplish something that I thought I wouldn't be able to.

The car is by no means perfect and every gap isn't spot on but am stocked I have even got to this point. Cant wait to get it back with a bit of paint and start the long process of getting everything back on the car. Couple of pics below

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_8691_zps261c9752.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_8707_zpsede39515.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_8726_zpsad2720f0.jpg) ($2)

Well done Smitty. Great progress.

Regards

Wayne b

Nice job, have you any colours in mind?
Craig

Thanks Graig,

It will be going back to its original colour adobe Beige. You can see the wheels have already been painted.

Nice, Old school look. Got to love the originals ;D

Howdy all,

Haven't had much progress recently as the car has been out of my hands for a month or so. Car is now back from its final touch ups at the body shop and hit the paint booth for the first time over the weekend. Getting excited now to see it all back together and start the final step of the project.

Snapped a couple of pics so enjoy and ill add a few more when the rest of the car is done.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/paint2_zpseca496aa.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/paint5_zpseaebfe5c.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/paint6_zpsbf013786.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/paint1_zps8da1b010.jpg) ($2)

Regards,
Mark

Looking really good Mark.  Won't be long now  :)

Car is now Painted  ;D ;D ;D

Got my first look at it yesterday and it looks amazing. Couple of areas to fix up that the painter noticed but nothing to big.

Really keen now to get back into it but booked solid for the next few weekends.

Plan will be to get the front and rear windscreen on as the car still sits outside, then all the bolt on bits and pieces. My dad will start doing the wiring harness shortly as well.

Couple more pics below;

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0952_zps874e3bdd.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0951_zpsac36d198.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0950_zps7f1c44ad.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0953_zps0ad82425.jpg) ($2)

Love the new paint. Moving along very well.

Paint looks great.

Regards

Wayne b

Even just preparation and setting up the work area for the next bit is progress, but what you have done there is having a good dip.

Looking great, you need to relocate some other things from the shed, this old girl deserves her place right now as the work you have done needs protecting even more so now.

Craig

Looks really cool!!!  ;D

Looking great Mark!

Could you share the name of the colour? Would it be Indian Ivory? I only ask as I'll be doing mine in this colour.

Cheers
Marc

Looking Great Mark  :)

Marc pretty sure the ute is painted in Adobe Beige.

Cheers Stewy   8)

Looks awesome mate, they always do when the colour goes on. Love it. Jamie.

Yep, Adobe Beige. Looking good.

Colour looks great

I really like the colour and I'm a bit envious.  I really hope to have a Ute one day of my own. I like them when they look a bit humble and in solid colours. Looks great.

Thanks for the positive comments everyone.

Looking forward to getting stuck in this weekend and getting some shiny stuff on the car :).

Progress on the Ute has been a little slow over the Christmas break a three week break in Canada but the car is starting to come together again. Starting to look really good and getting very excited with the progress!

All the Chrome is on the car and the wiring has started. Couple of pics below.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1099_zpsa4ayrx60.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1432_zps1b2l8v2l.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1424_zpsvepw7g8z.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1123_zpsn4im9j3n.jpg) ($2)

Hoping to get the interior started soon so will post again when a little more has been completed.

Regards,
Mark

Mmmmm..., chrome  8)

Looking good Mark, keep up the great work!

It's looking terrific Mark

Not long to go now by the looks of things

Keep the pics coming

The paint looked great before but it's even better with the chrome.

(just look at that tailgate now!)

Looks great Mark you should be very proud of what you have achieved in a relatively short time frame.

Regards
Neil H

Damn Right.
It looks fantastic!
Nick

Moving along nicely now!

Car has come back from its first trip to trimmers now has a snazzy new head liner and sun visors. The plan was to get this done first so the windscreen and rear screen could be installed to make it semi water tight in case it got caught outside the workshop in the rain.

Just this weekend me and the old man (100% the old man) started and almost finished the wiring. Took some pictures along the way to show everyone but was a little over my head (helps when your dad is a auto electrician). From what i took away we mounted 4 circuit breakers onto a sheet steel panel along with a fold down fuse box. By the end of the weekend we had all the lights on the vehicle as well as the switches and ignition all working on the dash. Just need to get a few more small globe holders to finish the back of the dash.

With the Wiper switch for the dash we decided to use a spare headlight switch so the knobs would look the same, worked really well and still fitted nicely.

The plan from there is back to the trimmer to get the seat/carpet/tonnaue cover completed and then off to rego.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1571_zpsquhsnqy8.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1570_zpsvs1d6za0.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1568_zpsyjv7pjex.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1572_zpst3dltrba.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1569_zpsm3awmuu2.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1576_zpsqfw9hxv4.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1574_zpszlxjnm4u.jpg) ($2)

Really getting to the end of the process now and cannot wait to finally get it on the road after a couple of years :)

Thanks,
Mark Smitty

Awesome Mark. Keep up the good work. Handy having the old man around. Would have made mine easiee

Mark, looking at the high beam switch did you modify that as my connections on on the other side?

Looking really good Mark, won't be long now  :)

Very nice Mark, all round.
I've got one of those lights (and a magnifying lens!) but I haven't been able to get the wiring as tidy as that yet.

Thanks for the comments guys!

Perth_ute, the high beam is just a foot button that we placed where ever. After screwing it into the floor we realised it probably should have gone in the hole with the two smaller holes above and below but didn't realise so will need to fill that section up later.

That dipper wouldnt fit in the hole anyway FE FC ones are a little different yours is like a HR one  made to mount from the top only.

Utes looking fantastic...

Car is now complete  :)!

Interior was finished mid week and have been driving around most of the weekend (Except to and from Motorex). Feels amazing to finally drive the car I have been working on for so long. Photo's below of its first cruise and the finished interior.

Would like to thank everyone who has commented and contributed to this thread. All your answers to my questions and help sourcing parts has been a massive help!

Will be joining the NSW car club shortly so will try and make it out to a few events.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1592_zpsw8a21s8k.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1640_zpssn0fkrpl.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1625_zps27dnomij.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1639_zpsdysrzrbh.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1642_zpshfdf4u2z.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_1643_zpsln6x764d.jpg) ($2)


Thanks again for all the help and will update the thread if any other works occur.

Regards,
Mark

Congratulations Mark.
It's a very neat unit that's sure to turn heads.
You must be very happy with the end result.

Good onya, Mark.  It looks great & I hope you get heaps of fun out of it.

Cheers,
John

Beautiful!

The smile says it all, well done Mark on a fantastic looking ute. Many happy miles of motoring, hope to see you at a club meeting.
Jim

Well done Mark, that is a fantastic looking ute.  Hope you get many many miles of enjoyment from it.  I hope to be seeing you and the ute at the nationals next year  :)  Cheers, Graeme

Looks fantastic Mark, well done!!!

Wow awesome!!! Big congrats Mate  :)

Great work, looks good on the road.

Howdy all,

Been driving the ute around almost every weekend and having a blast in it! She hasn't let me down once and is a pleasure to cruise around in. Got her back a couple of weeks back after getting her lowered. Was sitting a little in the back for my liking so i think it ended up 2 inches in the back and maybe 1 in the front lower. Looks much better now sitting a little flatter.

Planning on doing a bit of work on the tray this long weekend and maybe some sign writing on the side for the automotive shop.

Anyway a couple of pics below.

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0821_zpsollfgi0e.jpg) ($2)

(http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Marksmit1/IMG_0823_zpsmbkz6tru.jpg) ($2)

Till next time,
Mark

Great work Mark sounds like all the hard work is paying off which is great to hear.   ;D ;D ;D

Well done Mark. It's great to see your perseverance and determination have paid off and now you have a beautiful ute to enjoy. Many people don't understand how hard it is to stay committed on a build like this but you have done it. Great job. Jamie.