You did say you can talk about anything
and most FE-FC do have other cars many hq-wb runarounds

I'll have to start charging you by the frownie as well.... Whilst it does say 'you can talk about anything', your post is not starting a discussion, it's flogging stuff, and there is a place for that here if you're selling stuff for FE/FC.  But I'll bite by posing a question of my own:  Hands up if you've got a HQ-WB runaround?

Hey RET, can't you delete it ?
GT

GT - I wanted to know whether I was being a board-nazi, or whether there was an interest in other-model stuff, so I left this message alone.  However the answer seems to be fairly obvious.

RET
50th Anniversary VT Wagon is my run-around - it goes nicely with my 9th anniversary sedan

Yes, he's preaching to the uninterested, and I have asked him to post his ads elsewhere.

At the very least I'm going to have to start charging him by the smiley  

That's http://www.fastlane.com.au and http://www.oldholden.com.  You could also try http://www.earlyholdens.com and the club section in http://www.rarespares.net.au

Hope that helps,
RET

By the way, this is not a free Ebay or Trading Post site.  The FE-FC Holden Car Clubs of Australia pay for the bandwidth and for the volume.  It is free for your use if you have FE/FC parts for sale, or parts that are typically used on FEs and FCs, ie HR disc brakes, EH sump and so on.  There are plenty of other and better places on the web to advertise late-model stuff.

An April Fool's joke if ever I saw one.  Poo Limo?  How about Beige Barge!  Or "Constipation", for a stretched poo  

cheers
RET

It looks like our club is out of the woods for the time being.  Shannons have relented on their end-March cut-off for PLI renewals, and it is now end-May.  That puts the NSW Club on the happy side of that fence, since our renewal was due in April  :-/

As you may be aware, the whole issue of PLI has been taken up by both Federal and State governments.  They had a summit yesterday to discuss it, and you can find a summary of it here:

• http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/03/27/1017206117801.html
• http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/03/27/1017206118079.html
• http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/03/27/1017206117804.html

And then you can read this: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/03/27/1017206117807.html and it's little wonder why the premiums have gone through the roof  

Apparently the ministers are due to meet again next month, so we wait and hope.  In the meantime, "Let's be careful out there..."

RET

Perth to Melbourne?  Pants off to you!

I didn't think there were any other red-motor diffs apart from those ratios I mentioned.  Obviously salisbury diffs etc don't apply.

I only mentioned EJ-HR because I was confident about which centre went with which transmission.

Happy trails!

RET

I wouldn't be too worried about keeping up, although I haven't been to this run.  With most cruises you're usually in more danger of boiling from the frequent stopping than not being able to keep up...

But to answer your question.  There only one original and stock diff centre for all FEs and FCs, which has a 3.889 ratio.  Having said that, other Holden centres bolt straight in, including 3.55, 3.36, 3.08 and 2.78.  Anything shorter than 3.36 is going to put a lot of strain on first gear when you take off.  3.55 is a nice cruising diff.  My personal opinion is that 3.36 is a bit short for a grey motor, but there are plenty of people running them.  Both these ratios were fitted to EJ-HR, and it's my understanding that autos had the taller version (3.55) and manual transmissions had the 3.36.

As someone driving an FE with 3.36 ratio and a powerglide auto, I can see the logic in that.  

The other common alternative is to fit 14" wheels to the rear, which has a similar sort of effect as shortening the diff.  At least with a ute you've got room to carry two spares  

Hope that helps,

RET

It sounds like a "Styletone" kit.  Here's a pic from an ad for them:

There's a separate thread discussing all the various kits going on here: http://www.fefcholden.org.au/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=general;action=display;num=1013610183, that includes a photo of a car with the kit fitted.

Hope that helps,
RET

What a way to go!

Cursed to spend eternity under a Magna and a Falcon.  Oh, the inhumanity of it all  

RET

Hi Richard

Did Shannons give you the reason as why they no longer wish to continue with PLI ?

Turns out it wasn't their decision - Royal and Sun Alliance (who have owned Shannons since Robert's death) have decided they aren't going to do that business any more.

RET

As soon as I mentioned that it was for a club, ABBI said they didn't do PLI for sporting groups, clubs etc.  

I was told that the only thing to do was ring around insurance companies on the off-chance they will do it, or (preferably) speak to an insurance broker.

I've done the latter, and am waiting for a response from them.  I'll post the result here.  However, I've been warned to expect a price-tag of at least $1500 - a fair whack more than the $370 we were paying  

I've asked the broker for two prices - one for just the NSW club, and one for a national scheme for all FE-FC Holden Car Clubs of Australia.  To divvy the cost up amongst the groups might turn out to be a cheaper alternative.

I'll keep y'all posted.

RET

My understanding (and I'm sure Ken can correct me on this) is that:

• Engine Numbers are sequential and there is only one sequence for all vehicles regardless of where they were built.  Sequences numbers were reset at some model changes (ie "L" prefix, "B" prefix, "J" prefix).
  
• Chassis Numbers are sequential and there is one sequence for each plant.  Numbers were reset at the start of each model.
  
• ID Plate numbers are sequential and there is one sequence for each bodystyle at each plant, so they were presumably fitted at the point of assembly.  Which begs the question, was the tag used to specify the colours the car was to be painted, or stamped after the deed was done?  We know that some were fitted pre-painting and some fitted post-painting, and I believe Sydney did the former and Melbourne the latter.

One or both of those body numbers starts at 1000, not 1, but I can't recall off the top of my head which.  As always, I look forward to the definitive answer from Ken 'the Guru' M

cheers
RET

I'd be bloody surprised if it wasn't exactly the same as the body enamel, and there's no confusion about that on a single-tone vehicle like a ute.

I'm not the expert Ken is, though.  Bloody hell 29/64" valve hole from 19 March 1959.  What don't you know?  

RET

Thanks mate.

I've made some modifications 'under the hood' to ensure this doesn't happen again.  Nightly backups etc.

cheers
RET

This area is free for all to post information about FE and FC parts they wish to sell.  When placing an ad, please remember to include the following information:

• Proper description of what you have to sell.  If you can include a part number, so much the better.  Then there's no confusion.
  
• How much you want for it
• What part of Australia you are in.
• Contact details - especially if you don't visit here often.

Please please please post a message when the item(s) have been sold.  If you are selling a variety of items, consider placing them as separate threads entirely.  No extra charge!

Locked messages are an indication that the item has been sold.  After messages have been locked for a few days, the thread will be deleted.

Thanks for reading and taking note.

RET

The contact details for the Queensland club can be found here: http://www.qld.fefcholden.org.au

cheers
RET

air-chief,

No they didn't - I must be honest I never asked.  But I need to speak to them about something else so I will see if I can find out.

RET

Our club has had PLI with Shannons for many years.  It had been 5mil, but was increased to 10mil last year (a requirement we needed to hire McQuade Park for the Nats).  I rang Shannons today to find out how much it would be this year, and they said that renewals that fall due before the end of March will be honoured, but not from then on as they are getting out of the PLI business completely.

They offered me an alternative: Australian Better Business Insurance.  I'll post a note here when I get a quote from them.  That will be good for a laugh.  Not.

The guy from Shannons went on to say that he's heard of a number of clubs that have decided to fold because they can't afford the insurance and can't operate without it.

WTF is going on?

RET

The Fair has been cancelled for this year - I received a letter from the organisers last night citing the cost of public liability insurance as the cause of its demise.

Here is a copy of the letter I have sent to the Sydney Morning Herald on the subject.

Letters to the Editor
Sydney Morning Herald

Dear Sir,

I've just received notification from the Burwood SES that they are unable to proceed with this year's Classic Car and Leisure Fair, an annual event that has been staged in Burwood Park around this time for many years.

The reason for this is one that is being heard often lately in motoring circles and other community groups: the prohibitive cost of public liability insurance.  Even swap meets are reconsidering whether they can continue.

The insurance companies claim the collapse of HIH and the events of September 11 are the cause of the huge increases in Public Liability premiums.  I would have thought the increasing litigiousness of the public should be the primary factor in this sort of cover: I can't see a collection of old Holdens in a park being a serious al Qaeda target.  Even so, the thing that I find especially galling about the closure of the Burwood show is that it is a fundraiser for the SES.  How much money must the SES organisations have saved the various insurance companies in their selfless work during the Christmas bushfire period (and any other time natural disasters strike)?  And yet the premium for one day's public liability at a static car show is $5200.

Every time I turn on the radio I hear some shill promising me compensation for my accident, no charge unless we win.  And it seems to be the community paying either way.  How many other volunteer-run public shows, carnivals and events are going to close their doors before we realize the cost of this ambulance-chasing madness?

Richard Thomas
Secretary
FE-FC Holden Car Club of NSW inc

Where does it end? Are we even going to be able to hold the Nationals next year?

RET