I have located, but yet to pick up, a complete passenger door card with arm rest.

So the requirement is now an FC Special driver's side door card or the components of one. Condition is not too much of an issue as I only really need the stainless trim and the arm rest.

Cheers

My condolonces Rob, my thoughts are with you.

I don't think that there are any issues with doing this. I recently picked up a second hand timing gear for under $100 to replace a fibre one that was damaged in an FB motor I picked up as the spare for our ute build. Be aware that you can get standard helical and straight cut gears so you need to ensure you either get a complete set or the gear matches what you already have.

Hello brains trust.
Needing to source some sheet metal to do rust repairs.
Not sure type and gauge that I would need.
I would appreciate any advice, best place in Sydney to source what I need would also help.
Regards
Alex

Hi Alex,

It depends on what you are trying to repair. For panels I tend to use what I can get for free from cars being scrapped. Roofs are a good get as they have a large surface area and complex curves so you can sometimes cut a section to fit with minimal work.

Cheers
Craig

Thanks Vern, PM on its way.

Hi Team,

My FC ute's door cards were destroyed when I picked her up. After much angst I have decided that seeing as I am replacing them that I would run with the Black/Fall red special style so I can add some arm rests. I have approached Glenn to have the door cards made and trimmed; however, he doesn't have the stainless trim. So I am after a couple of Special front door cards that I can work from. The condition of the cards and trim is not important I am only really interested in the arm rests (if available) and the stainless trim (both pieces).

Cheers Jolls

And the journey continues. After the initial 200-300 odd mile run in, I dropped the run in oil, adjust tappets (again) and ensured the tappet cover wasn't leaking at the rear. Decided to take the old girl for a good run to Charlton to visit an Aunty and Uncle. Incidentally I purchased the car from them when I was a young fella in 1987 or should I say, they gave her to me. The last time the car had been there was after the initial resto 33 years ago.

Gave her a check over yesterday and damn, leaky rear main (or I thought) and the coolant was down a reasonable amount. Could see the coolant but it did take 3/4 of a litre. Bugger. I thought of the head / head gasket. Knowing that she purred, I took myself back to the basics. I remembered some time ago in the Ute I had an issue with the radiator cap. I got my pressure tester out and low and behold, the cap would barely hold 2 pounds. I cross checked by testing the one on the Ute and it was holding 6-7 pound. Purchased a new one today (yes Tridon, not CPC which the problem cap was, like it was with the Ute years ago. It held pressure nicely. Took her for a run and when I go back, I had coolant loss out the overflow and wasn't took worried as I may have overfilled the system slightly. What was interesting, was once I pulled the cap, I had the coolant level was the same as before the run. I suspect I now have an air block somewhere. After another good run to open the thermostat, I did park the old girl on an incline and let her run for a while with the cap off to hopefully purge the air. Wasn't successful. Getting back to the old cap. I only had myself to blame as I should have purchased a new one rather than use the one, I had. I identified it was an issue almost nine years ago in this thread- https://forum.fefcholden.club/index.php?topic=25724.msg162196#msg162196

Now to the "rear main" leak. On my earlier run-in period, I did have a leak, but this was from the tappet cover gasket leaking. I checked this again and I could not feel any oil at the back of the motor, so was resigned to the rear main now leaking. Ok by me as if I didn't have a leak, I would be worried. Haha. On close expectation I could see a film of oil near the driver side rear of the motor near the timing inspection plate and it was along the moving downwards along the gearbox inspection plate. A job for another time but it must be coming from the side cover of the distributor.

Have a ripper. Rod

I'm envoius of your problems Rod - I am well off getting to that stage. I know = patience is the key. If only you could earn time like $! I need heaps mote of it.

Same problem can occur between the crankshaft snout and harmonic balancer, where oil leaks out through the keyway.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for the heads up

The oil has only 2 ways to exit the diff pinion. One is past the seal & the other is up thru the spline. If you look at a cross-sectional pic of the diff you will see what I mean.
My sealant of choice is Permatex Grey. It's a good sealant for oil or coolant & is far better than Silastic etc.

Dr Terry

I get it now - thanks for clarifying.

Dr Terry,

I'm a little confused. Doesn't the pinion seal run on the finished pinion surface prior to the spline? If so the leak is prior to the spline and would be flung off due to gravity.

When you say smear some sealant on the spline what type of sealant do you mean?

Cheers

Looking forward to watching this progress to completion. Appears to be in pretty good shape so hopefully not too many gremlins to work through.

Hi Vern,

Unfortunately yes. Much shorter. The spear starts at the back 1/3 of the wheel and runs to the back of the guard whereas the standard trim starts at the front of the guard and matches in to the chromework that runs down the doors and body. There are plenty of utes around that have had the station sedan trim adapted.

Cheers

Hi Team,

I have the guard spear for the passenger side of my ute project but don't have one for the driver's side. If you happen to have a lonely driver's side ute guard spear laying about I would love to hear from you. Perhaps I can trade you for some beer tokens or some other spare that could help you out.

Cheers n Beers
Jolls (Craig)

Nice start; I look forward to seeing the end result

What a great project. Your patience and attention to detail is excellent. I'm following your slow and steady route with my ute as I renovate the home at the same time.

Slow but steady.

Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Best of luck with repairing it - plenty of work involved. If time is on your hands and you have patience it can be done. Alternative is to buy a spare if you can and take your time with this one. Keeping it a s a spare will guarantee that you won't need it, until you sell it off to clear the shed space and do!

Hi Malcolm.
 
A mountain of work there and the ute is truly a one off!  It doesn't matter what anyone thinks about the modification but you; it's your ute!

I'm about to start work on the body of my ute. Nothing drastic just repairs to bring it back to life; but I sure wish I had some of your metalworking skills.

Looking forward to seeing the end result.

Cheers
Jolls

Great run down on what I am likely to face and some practical advice on fixing it. Great read from my perspective. Cheers

Craig,

I've got one, but in the immortal words of Monty Python's "Meaning of Life" (Live Organ Transplants),

"But I'm using it."

Maybe, just maybe, by the end of the year, I'll have the body shell off the rotisserie . . .

Rob

  Thanks Rob,

I trust you get the job complete by Christmas! I'm finishing up my prep ready to start the hard work, although there really isn't that much. If I'm going to do this I want to do it right so the rotisserie will be a real effort saver when it comes to doing the underside. I really don't want to be doing it upside down on the hoist.

I'm sure something will come up. I have found a chinese import up in Sydeny new for under $1K but they want $800 to ship it to me. I should be able to run up and grab it, just have to make some time, or arrange a backload if I decide to go that way. I was hoping someone may have just finished a build and have one they no longer need - solve their and my problem at the same time.

Cheers

I have almost completed the house reno and I have collected 90% of the parts I need to complete my ute project. It is a bit of a long shot I know but if you have a car rotisserie sitting out the back that you would like to go to a good home give me a bell. I am tossing up between building one myself (time is the issue), buying a new one made of chinesium or purchasing a socind hand one with a bit of experience. I don't need flash, just practical, so let me know what you have sitting in the sehd that you are keen to part with for a few beer tokens!

Cheers n Beers
Craig