Stinky's FE Sedan Wrap-up

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

I was going to do this a week or two ago, after finding some old pictures of the FE. There are numerous other posts of various stages of the build-up but I thought I would put the whole story into one thread.

1998/1999 - In the beginning.
These pictures are of the car after I returned from Mt Gambier with it, I purchased it from a general builder who lived just outside of the Mount. He'd planned to turn it into an FC with inspiration from a magazine poster of a Maroon and Cream unit.


The car was fairly tidy and was exactly what I was after at the time, something to put my motor and gearbox into while I got my Torana ready. The Torana is still waiting 










The car languished in the garage at Hope Valley (suburban Adelaide) until we moved out to Lewiston in

2000 (40kms north of the Adelaide CBD).
This picture is the start of the custom dash.




After bugging the trimmer endlessly for a few weeks, he eventually put the headliner in.


Mocking up some tyres from my Torana to see if 235s would fit in the stock wheel wells.


This is the firewall mod to fit the LC/LJ booster, using the stock spacer/washer as a template I cut some zinc anealed plate and welded that in.


The Hadfield trans tunnel, I cut one side of some rectangular section steel for the shifter mount, this way I don't have to mess around under the car if I ever need to take the shifter out.


A few days before Christmas in 2003 the car went into the spray painters for a quick squirt of satin black, there was too much wrong with the blue paint and I was after a quick cover up.


I got it back a week or so later.




The radiator mount mods, 12 cms were cut from either side to allow an LC/LJ radiator to bolt in. Having had a few early toranas meant I had plenty of spares and being on a budget meant these got used on the FE  The radiator fits quite well and does a good job of keeping it all cool.


Don't ask why the motor was yellow, I am not really sure myself 


I managed to snag a cheap THOMAS rocker cover 


Feb 2004 - Trial fitting the 14x7 HK rims, at this stage they had only been tacked to check the back space was correct. Later I found the tyres will rub on the inner guard.


Thoughts of making a Gasser were running through my mind at this point, but after dropping a bundle on a set of drop spindles I couldn't do it 


May 2004 - I got some chrome back and started fitting it all up.

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

I also put the unfinished car on display for the Street Machine Association display




Come pack up time I was tempted to try and load this one on the trailer instead 


More hassling the trimmer got my door trims back






June 2004 - The dash and glovebox lid are back from the painter and fitted up with some Autometer gauges.




I tried out some different wheels, unfortunately the drop spidles and LC brakes did not allow these to fit without mods or spacers.


Here are the powder coated HK rims with baby moons fitted, my eldest son Jonas (5yrs old here) is just taking it for a test drive.


Dunno what I am smiling about, there's a long way to go yet 


December 2004 - The motor getting a coat of blue paint.




The HR front end has copped a powder coat and some drop spindles.


Wishfull thinking 






Painted and mocked up, as you do


3/4 of the clan, one was still in the oven at this stage


Anything to cover up the god-awful yellow, most of the cheap silver paint has rubbed off now, only me and the trans guy see it anyway.


Jan 2005 - The motor finally goes in


bringing the whole show a lot closer to terra firma


May 2005 - The electrical spaghetti is going in, geez weren't they a fun few weeks sorting it out 






I couldn't afford a NASCO broom handle at the time so I made-do with some MDF 






Sept 2005 - Getting close to firing up the motor, it had been a regular driver in my old LJ but was designed to run on Avgas, it was OK on unleaded if I could behave myself  I had some compression taken out of it so that it would be OK on premium unleaded.

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Modified speaker grille to house the head unit and warning lights. Cobbled together from some computer server cover plates and a carton of beer.


Dec 2005 - One of the key moments of the build, fitting the newly chromed bumpers. Unfortunately some of the chrome peeled on a corner piece and had to go back. A couple of weeks later it was all good.




March 2006 - one of my first trim jobs, the sewing machine wasn't the right one and was sold and replaced later but the console remains in the car at the moment.


Finally! the seats are in, the cost and time involved in getting the trim for the car were part of the inspiration to do a TAFE course on trimming, the rest is (short) history.


The FE's first official Club Run, on a permit to SA Club's Show and Shine, if I recall correctly I got an encouragement award of a toolkit that still resides in the car to this day.


April 2004 - Philip Island Nationals, getting the car there was made all the more difficult as the first four months of the year were also spent tidying up Nadia's ute for the Nationals.
Whilst Nadia's ute was registered, my car got over on a couple of 3 day SA permits. I got pulled over three times and my FE was OK as I had all the paperwork unfortunately Nadia's ute got a canary back in SA so it lays in wait for some fixin'
(Thanks to Alex for this pic)


Siggy's pic of our cars on the racetrack




The back of my bonce 


A few things needed to be sorted after the Nationals, so it wasn't until September that I took the car in for it's final roadworthy check which resulted in a three week lock-up for my car 
You can read the full story here - http://fefcholden.org.au/forum/index.php/topic,10080.0.html
The car was stored out in the open in the industrial suburb of Wingfield, the pics only show the dirt on it, not the bird shit or the moths, there were about 5 good size white moths inside the car 




Feb 2007 - My FE on display at the SMASA Show and Shine with Jonas's pushbike.


March 2007 - At the SA Club's Show and Shine, I got top modified at this show  I got lucky and Steve Johnson didn't bring his wagon. The car doesn't stand a chance now with the recent V8 units joining the club (BAD FC and Ed's old Wagon)


April 2007 - GM Day at Tanunda Oval


September 2007 - with the SA Club at The Heights School Fete.


At this stage Nadia took a dislike to the inside of the boot lid, so a plan was formulated.

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

The kids got involved and some trimming was done.








October 2007 - In the Munno Para Car Park at the start of a SMASA cruise.


March 2008 - on the lead up to the Mt Gambier Nationals a boot trim plan was hatched




and a booster seat plan


Prior to leaving for the Nationals I chased up the business card of the builder that I originally bought the car from, I still had it and amazingly the mobile still rang after all these years. I spoke to his wife and found out that he had passed away a few years previous and she had kept the phone. I explained the situation to her and let her know the date and time of the Show and Shine and she said she would try to attend.

April 2008 - One of the best pics of the car, thanks to Paul Roberts, I hope to have this enlarged as a print soon.


On the way home from the Nationals the trans decided to spit out a seal on the South Eastern Freeway, after getting it home the car again takes a sideline do to "life".

Feb 2009 - Showing my dedication to the better of the two models  (Thanks to Alex for the artwork)


May 2009 - One of the latest shots of the car, finally I have the trans back in, the LC brakes have been replaced with LH units allowing me to remove the steering arm spacers and get my turning circle back. Modified HK rims have been powder coated and just need to be fitted now. The carby got a cleanup as it was leaking fuel again and the the flower pot aircleaner had let a heap of dirt get into the carby so it was retired in favour of a finned Cal Custom unit.


So there it is, if you dig around the forum there are probably more details to be found and heaps of tech questions that I asked during the build.

[NosFEratu]

Good consolidated thread Glenn.  I always wondered why you had pale blue paint in the inner sections!   So when are you gonna get around to polishing it? 

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

So when are you gonna get around to polishing it? 

Well now that the mechanicals are sorted, I can get back to sorting out the paint and panel  then there's the trim 

[JB]

Well there you go, when I first joined the site all of those years ago it was your car that I pinched the photos of for the engine bay, whilst i sorted out in my head what I was going to do for the van... I hadn't seen them in a very long time, so brought back a flood of memories.
I never knew where i got them from so heres a belated thank you.

The car has come a long way and is a credit to you.

Thanks again
Jason.

[Ed]

Nice story Stinky,

I remember alot of the pics with the posts at the time they happened.  It was also motivating to keep me going with my project at the time.

Now you should put up some trimming shots, I like the matching car seat you  made up there for the kids.

Cheers

Ed

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Now you should put up some trimming shots, I like the matching car seat you  made up there for the kids.

Cheers

Ed

Like the fourth pic from the bottom? 

[customFC]

Hey Glenn
Nice to see those old pics again, and good to see the complete story together.
Brings back memories of when my car was satin black.
Thanks for sharing the pics again.
Regards
Alex

[EffCee]

Great story Stinky,

Good to see the way it has come together over the years. I still love what you have done with that boot 

Keith

[Mrs EffCee]

wow Beautiful work Stinky. Great to see the pics along the way. Love the boot!! and we might have to put in an order for matching car seats for the kids when you do the trim on EffCee's car.  And would love to hear how you incorporated the kids art work into the boot lid. 

well done.

Sandy

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Next challenge, a bullet-proof, LSD, disc-braked diff for less than $1000
So far the diff $0, in reality it would have been $150 from a mate but swapsies sees me making him a hoodlining.



Next: a trip to the not-so local race engineer with the volvo diff and an old FC diff for some re-engineering, all being well will only add $100 to the total. On the way I'll be stopping by 4WD Systems who apparently make an LSD centre for these diff 

[Ed]

what ratio Stinky?

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Not sure as I haven't checked, it is supposed to be in the 3s 

[vintageholden]

did you have to cut the diff to make it fit?

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Nope, spring hanger brackets, tailshaft and hand-brake cable are the only mods required that I know of, we'll see how it goes.

[JB]

Gook luck... I shortened my diff myself, cost $150 per axle which was very cheap, a tool maker did them for me.

Then the centre new is $900, and then a bearing kit throughout, plus someone to fit it for me as i don't have the tools or knowhow to blue it in.

Theres around 2K I am thinking... They are not cheap!

JB

[pedro]

Looking good Stinky, made a choice on your final colour yet.
                                         Pedro

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Looking good Stinky, made a choice on your final colour yet.
                                         Pedro

I know what you mean, I am not a fan of the grey on the diff (maybe I'll redo the interior in it though, eh Jack?), probably get it powder coated black