Eddys FC ute

[fasteddyfc]

Here are a few photos of the fc ute during its big trip from Bruthen to Albury. There was a few tense moments heading over mount hotham i was starting to think that the old girl might not make it home.
The ute had been on blocks since about 1995 and had not been started, but the day after i got it home all it took was a battery and some juice and we had it goin within 2 minutes, could not believe how well it ran after all that time.
Now i cant decide what i want to do with it, i want to paint it a factory colour, preferably the grey or the light blue(if anyone can tell me the actual names of these colours that would be great),but now the current colour is growing on me, and the green interior seems to be in too good condition to change it, but if i decided to paint it blue the green interior would not work with it.
Until i make up my mind i will keep collecting all the parts that i need.

I dont need the wheels on the ute, so if anyone wants them i will give them away(pick up from albury). Will probably get rid of the grey motor and box as well. The ute also came with a gmh FE FC dealership service manual, not sure how many of these survived from back in the day but i might sell it if someone is interested.
Cheers, ED

[vmx-mxr]

Hey Ed
Nice score by the looks of things.
For my money, if the original colour is the green (of the body plate code etc) and the trim is in good nick keep it as stock as you can and whatever you do make sure it can be returned to dead original one day, although the transmission tunnel will have to get the chop if you're getting rid of the grey no doubt for a red or eight and a bigger box behind either. I reckon that colour will grow on you. Will it cut and polish up OK as it is - the old girl looks pretty good as is?
If it has the books with it for the small amount you'll get they make a good part of the cars history. My Ek came with the service book and it helped me find out more about the old gent who originally bought the car etc.
Just my two bobs worth way too late at night
Keep the pics coming
Dave Mac

[BLOK]

Looks like you have a great start there eddy

[zulu]

ED, What a cracker, I reckon it's a buzz transporting your own car home, good on you and good luck with your plans for it.

By the looks of the SWL (safe working load) markings on the tailgate it may have been a "working car" that could have a history with a business or government.

Although it appears not to have done a lot of work, or it may have and just been very well cared for, which is unusual for a ute, good to hear that the old grey is alive and well after it's rest.

It may be possible to preserve the original paint, depending on how much surface rust is present, but it looks pretty good in the pics.

Keep us posted with the pics

Gary

 

[Not Happy Jan]

Looks very straight
Have you checked out other well know rust haunts!
Nice photo's

[fasteddyfc]

thanks... These photos make the old girl look better than she is. It is in pretty good shape body wise but unfortunately i dont think i can save the paint. The photos dont really show the 3 or 4 spots that have been masked off and resprayed, (tops and bottoms of the front gaurds), not sure whats hiding behind these repainted spots yet but if it was a rust repair it looks tidy with paint on it.
There are also 6 or 8 spots where some big scratches have had some paint slapped on them to stop rust coming through( i think the last owner knew he was going to store it for many years so he did his best to prevent rust, but its a messy touch up job).
The doglegs on both sides are knackered as well, they have been filled with fibre glass, so if anyone can tell me if i can buy some replacements that would be great. I have tried craig vayne and rare spares but no luck yet..
I would love to try save the old paint but i think after the repairs it might be too hard to blend it all together.
Cheers
Eddy

[GMVAN]

Hi Ed,A Great find and a clean looking ute if you look on ebay there is a mob selling most parts that you need for the YFrame or KFrame what ever you want to call it(2 Slabs for the ute).go to ebay and type in the search box FC holden and it will come up. Just looking(box of cheap cigars) at the photo's I myself would leave it original but thats just my thoughts(and a bottle of jacks) good luck with your build which ever way you go but must have lots and lots of photo's   Good luck  Grubby

[GOA350]

G'day Eddy,
 I also live in the Albury area, so it would be great to catch up and talk cars. I will send you a PM.
cheers Scotty

[fasteddyfc]

Chuck in a windowless fc van grubby and you have a deal..

Got home at midnight after working 17 hrs last night and realised my shed light was on, went down to turn it off and my cars got the better of me, i just couldnt walk past them without doing something.
 After fitting a set of gilmers to my LH, (future heart donor for the fc) i could not resist the urge to start pulling the fc apart. I was going to wait until the weather warmed up and wait until i had all the parts i need but i ended up pulling the tray floor out and the panels on the sides of the tray area, wow i was suprised with what i found. NO RUST!!!

Now i have started im not sure i can stop.

ill add some photos soon

[TTV6FC]

If it's that good,give it a bit of a buff,register it and drive it as is (brakes,clutch of course).that's what I wish I had done with mine except it would have falllen in half!

[fasteddyfc]

A Few pics of the ute.. So far so good i have not found any unwanted holes yet.(apart from the doglegs on both sides, which you will see in the photo of the ute with the 17inch showwheels on it) It has had a couple small rust repairs done previously but they look ok.
 Still cant decide which way this project is heading, stock or modified? But for now i will start rust proofing.
Cant find anyone who makes the replacement doglegs, looks like i will have to make my own.

Cheers, Ed

[TTV6FC]

Looks good Ed,in the picture with the Show wheels on,is it bolted up or just in position for the photo?Am interested to know if the correct offset and stud pattern is available as simple as that as this would give me an easy option to upgrading to more accessible tyre sizes.Cheers,Jamie.

[GMVAN]

 ED, If I was you and I'm not but if I was I would be leaving it as stock as you can, it is one of those things where you want to get an old car and do it up with heaps of mods but what you got looks too good to modify which means now you have to get another one to do lots of Mods. But that's only my opinion. (3 Bottles of Jim Beam).      Grubby

[GMVAN]

    (And a box of cubans)

[fasteddyfc]

Hi Jamie, The wheels are bolted on in the photo, they are intro showwheels off my LH Torana. Torana and early model holdens have the same stud pattern. I Only put one on the ute hoping it might help me decide if i want the ute modified or stock.
I purchased these with the intention that i would use them for a couple years, then throw them on an eh after i tub my torana, but i brought the fc instead of building an eh.

I wont run the ute on these because in my opinion 17" is too big for an fc(not too big for an eh or torrie though!).
As far as i know showwheels, Centreline and American racing are the only wheels available for early holden stud pattern. I think showwheels smallest rims are 17" and are available in different offsets.

American racing are available from about 14" upwards, i used to have 18" american racing hopsters on the torana but the offsets werent the best. Tony from showwheels in melbourne is very helpful and knows his offsets.
Outlaw speed shop in Adelaide have centreline convo pro's and auto drags in early holden pattern and they are pretty good too.

Hope this helps, good luck.
Ed

[fasteddyfc]

haha i have no idea how the photo of the chick ended up in my photos but she isnt too bad so she can stay..
As far as the ute goes its been a while since i posted anything, progress stalled for a while after i was made a huge offer to sell the old girl, but i couldnt be bothered finding another one so i kept her. but now that my work has settled down a bit ive had a bit of time to work on the old girl.
The idea of a quick tidy up passed long ago...

Its now been stripped down of all its panels apart from the tailgate(ill have to drill the screws out cant get them undone).
Both front gaurds have been taken back to bare metal, they are in pretty good shape, a previous owner has done the rust repairs already, ill have them primed by the weekend then ill start the doors and bonnet.
I need to get motivated and pull the motor out.. If i can find a bit more motivation after that ill put a lx slr torana shell i have back together and sell it to finance the rust repairs to the doglegs on the ute.
I have been stockpiling a heap of new parts(front and rear lights and indicators, new spare wheel door, some engine accessories, crs gearbox hump, even a stereo and shifter).i Will get the hr front end from crs soon hopefully as well.

Not sure i can live with the hialeah green, but Cant choose another colour(why must this happen with every car i paint??), im sure everyone here has seen pics of fc's stripped down to their socks and jocks before, but ill get the camera out soon..

eddy

[fasteddyfc]

Hi All, been a long time since i posted anything, the old ute is slowly movin ahead, bit hard to find time with my own business and a newborn and a 2yr old but have managed to get a bit done. All bolt on panels apart from tailgate have been beat and primed just need to repair the rust in the dog legs then ill attack the main body.

Hope to have it painted by christmas. The goal is to get it to tassie in 2014 so if i can get it painted in the next few months i should have plenty of time to save for chrome and wheels etc etc.

Have tried to add a few pics not sure if they worked. Pretty old pics the fc doesnt look much like these pics anymore..

[fasteddyfc]

i added a pic or two of some other toys, my torana and a mates hr in bare metal

[NES304]

I want a ute

[NES304]

And a Torana!!!