red motor engine conversion

[Mark Aubrey]

I am looking to see if anyone knows someone in NSW, preferably Newcastle or Sydney area, who will do the complete conversion of a 186, 202 or VK 6 cylinder engine into a FC ute. I have the HR front end and will buy an engine but wondered if I could get someone to do the engine and a 4 on floor conversion for me. Also will I get grief from the RTA or is it fairly straight forward if a professional job is done. Cheers
Mark

[Effie C]

G'Day Mark
I am sure someone will steer you straight for a conversion in your area, but if fitting anything above a 149 red in NSW you now need full engineers certification and all it intails.Which will include the disc brakes, two speed wipers, seat belts and a heater demister unit plus whatever else takes the engineers fancy at the time. Not trying to turn you off the idea but be prepared for a large quote if you intend to pay someone else to do it all, time costs money.
Good Luck
John M

[craiga]

Mark,

Alan Wall from the NSW Club is a mechanic and very experienced with this conversion. He can be contacted via the forum (he visits here occasionally, forum name is "Al" see http://www.fefcholden.org.au/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=nsw;action=viewprofile;username=Al) or via the NSW Club.

Another one of the NSW guys, Craig Jordon, had a drive in-drive out red motor conversion done to his FE so you could chase him up through the club.

Hope this helps.

Craig.

[aubs]

Thanks Craig, I couldn't use the link in the page but I will track the guys down through the members area.
Cheers

[aubs]

Also to John M, thanks for the advice. I dont intend to get it all done by someone else. Actually even if I could just get the welding done and changing of the engine mounds etc. I could put the engine and gearbox in. Thanks

[Al]

Hi Aubs
 My phone no. is 0405104821 or 47512252 if you need to talk to me. I have done heaps of these conversions.

       Cheers Al

[RET]

AFAIK you can still buy the HR f/e with the mounts moved and outrigger fitted off-the-shelf from Rod Hadfield.  I think it's an exchange service, so if you already have one, that's an option you could consider. although the postage costs might be a bit frightening

There is a detailed article in our Tech Info section about how to fit one of these.  It's not quite a bolt-up proposition, but just about.

Hope that helps,

RET

[RET]

... oh and another thing

You'll need to modify the transmission tunnel and get a rear mount for your gearbox if you want to run a 4 speed (or pretty much anything other than a grey crashbox).

Have a search in this Modification Help area for "RTA" or "engineer" in the last 365 days.  You'll find this topic has been discussed quite a bit, and there are phone details for Lohning International engineers, who quite a few guys in the NSW club have used and been happy with.  John Varetimidis from Lohning is the guy who does the engineering comments for Expression Session in Street Machine, and he's pretty approachable.

If you know what you'll need before you start, you can at least have some sort of a plan and a budget for the project.  Like all car projects, expect to blow that budget.  By how much is up to you and how far you let the scope of the project increase....

Oh and you should be able to use that link now you've registered on the site.  Guests can't use Private Messaging.

cheers
RET