Recently I had the opportunity to purchase the wheels I originally wanted but couldn’t get at the time.
Weld wheels, fronts 15x5, rear 15x10.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Last bit of rust to do has been done, RH front guard needed a new top, rear lower and headlight area.




Inner and outer both needed rebuilding






Corner all done




Lower section wasn’t to bad



Headlight area needed a little bit more work














Then to tidy up the inside bolt edge by adding a return lip





Now I know these aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I like them



I changed the front and back of the insert panel so it lined up with the angles of the lower guard section’s










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Next was to finish of the welding on the front subframe.
Started with the strengthening plates on the underside of the subframe.






Once that was done I made a gusset for the back corners of the subframe












Also I ended up changing the lower radiator mounts to drop the radiator Dow a bit giving me more clearance to the bonnet lock panel.










Next I just have to remake the top radiator bracket.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok will try for a bit of a catch up
After getting all the power windows working I found that the quarter windows were opening to fast, so with a bit of research I found adjustable voltage regulators from Jaycar. Fitter those and I dropped the voltage down from 12 to 3 volts, works perfectly now.







And just to finish the insides of I made some stainless door lock knobs and surrounds.








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nothing like a bit of a challenge Blacky.
I put electric quarter windows in my 57 chev as well, but they were a lot easier as they originally have the crank style quarter windows. With that one I got a pair of motors out of an old cadillac and they were so close they just about bolted straight on.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the comments.

Exactly Gman, I think that's the most interesting part of building a car. Once you cover all the work up with shiny paint people just look at the big picture and hardly notice all the detail work that goes into building something a bit different.

Joll, doing stuff like this, patience is the name of the game. Even better now I'm retired.

Errol62, I originally looked into the one piece windows but it was going to be a LOT of modifying as the top door hinge was in the road.
When you got a lathe and a fair assortment of tools, making the small things puts that personal touch on it I think. (And I enjoy doing it of course).

While I’ve been working on the doors I’ve been fitted other necessities as well like the power windows, central locking and for something completely different, power quarter windows as well.





Power windows and the door lock actuators were pretty straight forward, the power quarter window took a bit of messing around.

I got a new pair of power seat motors from a Holden Vectra to use for the windows.




I had an old door that I cut the inside out of so I could see how I had to make the bracket and how it was all going to work.



When I made one bracket, I also made a mirrored image of it for the other side door.



Motors mounted to the brackets.



On the bottom of the original window frame I built up with weld and ground down so it would fit into the drive section of the motors.
Also reinforced with weld the shaft where it joins the frame.









All fitted together and now just had to make small brackets to secure the shaft to the outer frame.



To operate the windows I bought crank style switches so I could use the original window winder handles.
I used these switches for the windows as well as the quarter windows.



For the handles I used original ones for the main windows and the shorter version of the originals for the quarter windows.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Rust and dint repairs on the doors.

The left door is done and wasn’t to bad as far as rust and dints go, the bottom inner fold had to be replaced as it was to far gone.

The door still needed a light skim to get it right.








The drivers door was a different story.
The original door had to be replaced and the only one I could find was a sedan door. It was rusty but straight.

The top of the door was cut off and replaced with the Ute top. The front lower corner was rusty, the outer lower section had to be replaced and the inner rear also had to be replaced.






New lower outer section made and ready to fit












Now for the inner section.
I had another old door that had a really good inner section so I’m fitting that whole section.









Basically this is where this door is at now,  with everything cleaned up and ready to fit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I ended up doing a fair bit of messing around gaping the doors to get a nice consistent gap.











Still a bit of fine tuning to do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well it’s to hot today to go out to the shed so time to try and update my build.

I did the tube for the wiring into the doors for central locking, windows ect.

First I got some large stainless bolts and turned down the heads and drilled the centres.



I also machined down the nuts so they weren’t so bulky.





And the tubing is from Bunnings, good old shower tubing.

Next was fitting them into the doors and pillar.
As when the door and pillar is so close I made up recessed sections and welded them in.



















It all works a treat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey all,

Im chasing a pair of FE wagon rear side window stainless trims, the ones that go parallel with the window from the start of the rear quarter to the top of the taillight.

Any condition

Cheers

Mal

Wow I have been dragging the chain on the updates.
Well Iam now retired and looking forward to getting back into the ute.
Not a lot has happened really.

Motor is finished, and I didn't put it together, the machine shop did.

Will get some progress pictures sorted out over the weekend and get everyone up to date.

Mal

Yeh i did it myself
Got to watch those lifters, a trap for young players 

Finally have the engine rebuild started also.
So far I’ve de-burred the engine block and heads.
Also done the heads, ported & polished.
Intake manifold ports matched to heads, intake and timing case cover smoothed ready for ceramic
coating.














Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Time for an update
Inside the tray is all repaired
RH rear quarter & sill is repaired




















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looking great Cam.
Good idea with the sun visor bracket strengthening. Think I may also do that with mine while its in bits.

Mal

Maybe when I’m finisher the Ute, I might look at making a few things.

Latest thing I’ve been working on is my under dash panel.
This will house AC vents and a few switches.

As usual one thing leads to another. With what I was wanting to do the glove box when open would hit on the lower dash panel.

So I had to change the hinge position of the glovebox. This was done with stainless butt hinges and remade stainless side brackets.





All polished up, just needing to be bent to shape.








 
Then with that done I remade the radio surround so the sides were a bit deeper and would fit flush with the under dash panel.

I made this out of stainless and polished it. I like making these smaller bits out of stainless as it saves on the chrome plating.





Just welded up the corners by using stainless wire in the mig, linishing it back and polishing it.







Original and remade






 
Now onto making the lower panel.
As usual I made a cardboard pattern of what I was going to make.









With the two bits made it was just a matter of welding it together.









All welded up and smoothed off.
Fits like a glove










Really happy with the look.
As you can see now the glove box lid is no where near the lower section.



While I was around the dash I made a panel to house a couple of speakers behind the speaker grill.





Last of all I made a surround to go around the remote reservoirs hiding under the ash tray lid.







That’s all for now, thanks for looking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the comments guys.

Ok a bit more catching up.
I made the opening and closing of the air vent electric by use of an actuator I had.

Tha actuator was 100mm stroke and I needed to reduce that movement to 30mm.
So that meant pulling it apart, cutting it down in length and moving the micro cut off switches. A fair bit of messing around.






I made up a bracket to mount the actuator to and fitted that in the original position of the old opening handle



The wiring was a real pain as I didn’t have a diagram for it.







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Also done a modification to the original bench seat by converting it to full electric.
I used the seat bases from a commodore Calais.

Firstly I stripped the seat and cleaned up the frame







I cut one of the seat runners in half and extended it





Had to make up some new feet





I then mounted the side hinges before cutting the seat frame



Next the back motor





Then cut the frame













And it all works great. Electric slide forward and back, height adjustment and back tilt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Next was the cover for the tailgate latch. Was going to get an original and chrome it, but I thought I’d have a go at making one out of stainless.



Once again a lot of hammering. All done by hand



Polishing took just as long to do as it did to make it.




The end result was quite pleasing



I’m thinking I will attach it with heavy duty velcro so I don’t have to drill holes in it.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk