Heart Transplant - adding 172ci

[NES304]

So I have had the old girl 8 years now and haven't driven her much. Stock 132 as I found out after calling myself NES138.
Anyway the V6 is about 232ci so I am adding 100ci and more than tripling the power.

I called my wife one day while she was at work, I'm off to Sydney (from Newcastle) with a car trailer. WTF FOR???

Ummm I just bought a T boned VT commodore....

WIFE: "I don't care what you do just keep the bench seat, column shift and gauges the same."

Challenge set. Ouch, some thought needed here. Although I was expecting more so to be sleeping outside with the dogs... I really wanted something I could drive with a bit more power and maybe cruise control with Air Con.

Anyway I thought I better start my thread as I have actually started a few months back and was researching alot before actually ripping into the ol girl.

Sincere apologies to my father-out-law who said it should remain stock. It was originally pieced together from about 8 different cars so was never truely original (FE interior and carpet on floor etc).

Photobucket taking its time uploading......

[NES304]

Donor car number one, Exec model high in k's but very clean. Engine runs very well and clean. Old fella owned it. Ran on gas too but need to ditch that. My wife doesn't want it to smell like a taxi!

[john253a]

so what are the planes, other then v6,
there are a few nice independent front ends around now,
4 link or leaf rear,

im a fan of stock body and interior and modern running gear

[NES304]

You got it mate, going to keep it looking as stock as possible. Leaf spring rear with live axle diff. Larger floor hump with no hole (column shift auto) and hiding buttons galore in the glove box.
HR front end rack and pinion, commodore stud pattern all round. Not the Pat Gardner front as it'll stuff my insanely tight budget my wife has put me on. Seat belts from HT and no Frankenstein bolts.
Have to find an A/C unit to fit some how.

[john253a]

look at the toyota landcruser, under floor, heater, it can be easy modded to accept aircon, and is very small, + they go for around $75
it all comes down to your skill level and willingness to experiment

[NES304]

Start selling all the spares to help fund it

[NES304]

So Here's what I am starting with. As I am in the defence force I have been moved a few times since I first built it back in 06. I tell you the car moving companies have put more bloody dings and scratches in it than I would have liked. On the last move I rang an asked if the holding yard was dirt and not bitumen and if it was raining. Yes dirt and yes raining, How'd you know?
CAUSE THERE'S F@#$% MUD ALL THROUGH THE CAR. And it was all under the guards, not happy Jan.
They also pushed down on the boot leaving a hand crease that I filed for weeks to straighten. I did tell em to slam it but can understand why they didn't.



With a bit of spare time I fix PS3 consoles and did this initially to make enough money to buy the VT in the first place. MDF sheets and a PS3 wheel hooked up with a Commodore seat and the ol 54" TV and Grand Turismo 5 cranking through the thousand watt sony surround.

I have a few spare consoles so I will make another one to race against.


Final product painted and in the spare room from wife's orders.....and smaller TV

Just need to make the frame for the other seat. Already have the console and steering wheel too.

[NES304]

Out ya come


My new box trailer now has new rims


And an engine, fastest trailer around




Gone

[Stewy]

So far so good,
And now installation is the reverse procedure 

Cheers Stewy   

[NES304]

So far so good,
And now installation is the reverse procedure 

Cheers Stewy   

Yep, Easy right?

[Old_Mt_Isa_Boy]

NES232 you've made a start. Good stuff. Using as many bits as possible will reduce the money pit.

Good luck.

Regards

Wayne b

[FireKraka]

Hey NES looking good I know what you are in for I'm just coming to the end of my transplant after a lengthy 12 years fired the engine for the first time in a long time a couple of weeks ago and it is a great feeling.
Have fun with the wiring etc keep the pictures coming and I hope your build doesn't take as long as mine.

Regards
Neil

[NES304]

And its finished!!!!
Moowahahahahahahahahaha

[fcwrangler]

G,day Nes, I think there are a lot of people on the forum that would wish it was that easy!!!! you have a great starting point, hope all goes to plan and you have it on the road asap.
Regards Jim

[NES304]

G,day Nes, I think there are a lot of people on the forum that would wish it was that easy!!!! you have a great starting point, hope all goes to plan and you have it on the road asap.
Regards Jim

NES232 you've made a start. Good stuff. Using as many bits as possible will reduce the money pit.

Good luck.

Regards

Wayne b

Yep trying to use as much as possible.
Need a VS commodore now to get the live axle diff and fuel tank....

[john253a]

had to look at that pic twice,
 

[NES304]

Speaking of using all parts I want to use this

Look at all the wiring I get for free!!

[NES304]

Goddammit, posted the same photo twice, wont let me modify now. Clearly I am blaming Chivas Scotch and not me .
Anyhoo, wiring...... Lots of it!!

[FireKraka]

NES I know I might sound like a broken record regarding V6 Conversions gear but I mulled over my wiring harness for a long long time and then decided it was easier to buy one of Pats and save myself all of the headaches.
I know other members of the forum have spent the time to utilise the donor harness and I take my hat off to them but I used the original engine harness and Pats for the rest only 6 wires come through the firewall.
I went from not knowing where to start to my engine running and being able to drive the car in a very short time, as I've said before it had been 12 years before I got smart.
I have to admit that Pats harness didn't solve all of the problems I have since had to get VSS adapter kit to run my original speedo, signal amplifier to get my tacho working and have just had my fuel tank level sender altered to match my FC gauge.
Regards
Neil

[NES304]

Hey Neil, I actually have a wire harness from Pat sitting here and was tempted to use it (for sale now). Thought very long and hard about what I wanted, I sat down and went through the pros and cons of using the complete harness verses Pats and came up with this:
*I want to use all the dash buttons inside the glovebox like JB on his ute (thanks JB)
*Use the same wiper switch as Brett_f (Thanks Brett)
*Use remote central locking with a key that will start the car
*Use an immobiliser that is built into the Body Control Module
*Cruise Control
*Boot release
*Wire plug to fuel tank
*Use as many parts from donor car as possible to save money (and not buy Pats $900 harness, I didn't buy the one here)
*I don't trust the wires in the car to start with
*There is no reverse wires or separate indicators etc to the rear of the car

Yep its a MASSIVE pain in the arse but I think I will appreciate it in the end.
I painstakingly removed EVERY wire in total (500mm hole in firewall too!!) So I know it works and is complete including bulbs and wires even removed out of headlights.
All up I think it best to use the VT harness. Although to keep standard look I will need a VSS adaptor and resistor for fuel gauge and then hiding as much wiring as possible!

Cheers

Check out that hole!!!!